USHGA Paragliding Vol5/Iss3 May/June 1994 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

!iUPER !iPACE••• The New !it:andard. \ eA.t.I

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HlliH SECURITY

Hl&HER PERFORMANCE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURES:

Vol. 5#3 May/ June '94

The First Annual Super Clinic Wiskeytown Paragliding Camp

by Bob Hannah

Toe-ing the Line Part 2 Reel Systems

by Jan Ala I Alan Chuculate

18.

News from AFNOR

26.

New Products for 1994

Dr. Rich ard Smith of Ca lifo rnia, laun ching wi th a motori ze d backpack unit. (Pago Jet) Summer '93

39.

Annual Pilot Review a safety check-up

by Dennis Pagen

photo Fred Stockwell

41.

Prop Torque notes for power pilots

by Philippe Renaudin

44.

Letter from Maui rules for flying Hawaii

by Jim Martyn

Published Six Times Per Year Publisher - Fred Stockwell Art Director - Fred Stockwell Editor - Claudia Stockwell Editorial Assistance - Shari Asplund

Overseas Correspondents Urs Haari - Switzerland Philippe Renaudin - France/US Willi Muller - Canada Ian Currer - Great Britain James Brown - Japan

U.S. Correspondents Ken Baier - Bob Schick Alan Chuculate - Jan Ala

Paragliding - the Magazine PO Box 208 St. Augustine , FL 32085-0208 Phone : (904) 461-7048 Fax: (904) 461 -7017

Departments 11.

Flight Lines

1994 Calendar

14.

News & Noteworthy

22.

Safety Info.

32.

USHGANews

46.

Classified Ads

52.

Paragliding Schools

Vol. 5 #3

Subscription Rate for the USA: $26.00 Canada and Mexico: $32.00 Europe: $40.00 Other overseas: $44.00 (postage included)

NEXT DEADLINE: June 27 for Vol.5 #4 Paragliding the Magazine is published for members of the paragliding community as well as other interested parti es. It is the official publicati on for the United States Hang Gliding As soci ation (U SHGA) news for paragliding. Contributions are welcome however, Paragliding, the Magazine reserves the right to edit any contribution s. Further, the magazin e reserves the right to edit any advertising which may be deemed objectionable or damaging to publication by the staff of the association. The magazine and the association do not assume any responsibility for the contents of any published articles , advertising or for the opinions of its contribu tors . Anyone is invited to contribute articles, photos and illustrations concerning paragliding activities . If the material is to be returned a stamped self addressed return envelope must be enclosed. If you wish us to keep the material on file please send duplicates. Notification must be made of submission to other paragliding publications. Absolutely no articles, adverti sing, photos or other published materials of the magazine may be reproduced in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher. @ Copyri ght 1993 PARAGLIDING PUBLICATION S INC. All rig hts reserved. POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Paragliding , the Magazine PO Box 208 ;St. Augustine, FL 32085-0208

PARAGLIOING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 1

The First Annua] Si Whiskeytown Paragliding Camp or most of us Paraglider Pilots, April is the start of another season of paragliding under blue skies and in big thermals. While para-skiing can be fun, we all can't wait to be shed of at least a couple layers of clothes while enjoying our favorite sport.

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Airing out and inspecting reserve chutes before repacking

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Heli-Airlift to Shasta Bally

PAGE 04 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

April 9 through the 17th saw 37 pilots take advantage of warm sun and blue skies at Whiskeytown, California for the first annual Super Clinic. Hosted by the Northern California Footlaunched Pilots Association , it was an opportunity for pilots of all skill levels to hone their skills uoder the tutelage of instructors from across the country . Pilots signed up for a variety of daily clinics, from thermaling and advanced canopy control with Mitch McAleer, Dave Bridges and Scott Amy; to paramotoring with Rick Davids. Towing were full clinics with Steve Bickford and Bill Fifer. Computerized sign-in helped speed up scheduling of participants, and minimized the confusion normally found at large gatherings. Accommodations were in 4 to 8 person cabins, with meals, meetings and seminars held in the central cafeteria. Outstanding food was included in the daily fee for clinics and lodging. Days started with breakfast at 7:00 A .M., with announcements of daily events at 7:30 . A do-it-yourself lunch buffet was laid out for people to make their own take-along snacks--some needed extra large bags (Mike Eberle needed someone to remind him to take his with him after he made it.) By 8:00 AM.

Lper Clinic by Bob Hannah people were splitting up and gathering their equipment, meeting with the various instructors. Liz Hern was given the daunting task of keeping spouses and newbies busy with introductory lessons all week long, and provided some great times at the training site called Ono ... a place most instructors would give up their favorite paraglider to have in their backyard. Did I say training site? Scott Amy caught a thermal, and ended up 2000' over this 300' hill! Sites visited and flown by various clinics included Oroville, a grassy ridge site. It provided the venue for a spirited, impromptu glide-ratio contest on single and tandem wings by bored pilots and instructors waiting for elusive wind. (Thanks, John Yates, for the beer and pocket money!) Others included Herd Peak, Mammoth, and Hat Creek. The site that provided some of the best flying was South Fork, just outside the camp proper. 3000' gains were recorded by Scott Amy, and excellent end of day flights were enjoyed by most of the participants. Congratulation to Marty Devietti for the first top landing at the site! Highlights for the week included a helicopter lift to the top of nearby snow covered Shasta Bally directly from base camp , for what many thought was to be a 5000' sled ride to the shores of Whiskeytown Lake. It proved to be the flight of the day for the 14 participants, as many scored personal best altitude gains and durations in a marvelous setting. Mattias Betsch and Heinz -Jurgen Schmidt, owners of Flight Design, flew in from Germany and spent 4 days at the event, demonstrating Mike Eberle's new porosity meter, doing canopy safety checks including line stretching and measuring, and answering general questions on the sport as a whole . Mattias is the industry spokesperson to DHV in Germany, so there was no end of the knowledge imparted to participants! Dave Bridges of Edel hosted a parachute clinic that was a real eye-opener to the participants, 30% of whom "augered in! " Don't take those heavy bags on the side of your harness for granted, one pilot was surprised by a great grab and pull of the reserve handle, only to find the the handle was not attached to his reserve! On the last weekend, many pilots flew the flight of their careers at Mammoth Mines over Shasta Lake, putting their new-found thermaling skills to the test with many saves from treetop level to back over launch. Dinner back at the camp usually started at 7:00, with many corning in later from flying at remote sites . From fresh bread to homebaked pies and roast turkey, none left hungry! Evenings were spent re-telling the days tales of great clinics and personal best flights. Marcus Salvemini donated equipment that was auctioned off, the proceeds to go into the clubs fund . Mike Eberle donated a harness that generated S380.00 in raffle tickets, won by Rolf Fuessler. Rolf then generously donated the harness back to the club, where it was auctioned off for an additional $325.00. Mike is considering raising his harness prices to reflect the $705 .00 final take . Many thanks to the Members of the Northern California Footlaunched Pilots Association for putting on a well run, injury free event MC'd by Ed Pitman; Dave Mills, Dave Coleman , Zack Hosington and Gene Wood among others were there to provide local guidance to all concerned . Many prospective participants did not realize that they could participate for just a few days, you did not have to be available for the entire clinic. Don't miss out next year, it's a great way to cram a lot of knowledge and training into a short time frame, at a price that can't be beat! ~ Did I mention the food?

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PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

11J94 Calender ofEvents =

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"{ ADVENTURE '

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VIDEOS ~ LEARN from sensory image as the experts t:ake off. glide, soar. and land.

May: 24 -29 PWC Grindewald, Switzerland 36 53366

25 - 30 Big Sur Fly-in Call Scott for info.619 632-1243

28. 29 . 30th 3rd Annual Cobble Hill Pg Spectacular . Memorial day weekend Milton, VT and other hig h sites in Vermont's Green Mountains. The Spectacular consists of a fun fly-in and competition, designed to demonstrate safe paragliding techniques to the public. Demo glider available from Wills Wing, Flight Designs, ITV, EDEL. UP and more. Registration is $30. and incl. a T-shirt and free demos. Prizes are $200. 1st place, $100. 2nd place and $50. 3rd place . Contact Rick Sharp at Fight Gravity Inc . PO Bo x 191 Burlington, VT or phone 1 800 Parafly

June: 1- 5 PWC Zillertal,Austria 52 82 22 81

11 I 12 - 14 I 1s - 18 I 19 Northwest Performance & Safety Clinics Maneuvers and Towing at Lake Chelan Ho sted by : Aile s de K - USA, Ed Pitman ,& Parapente USA. info: (206) 432 -8900

25 - 26 Cochrane Meet 22nd Annual Cochrane Meet for hang glider and paraglider pilots. Tasks XC and target landing, free camping . Entry fee: $35. Registration June 25 9am at the site. Contact; Vincene Muller {403) 932-6760 RR #2 Cochrane Alta TOL OWOCanada

26 -July4 Kari Castle will be the guest speaker for the hang gliding ,paragliding clinic organized in the Owens Valley. For more info call Achim Hagemann 805 962-8999 or write Paragliding Expeditions 29 A State St.; Santa Barbara, CA 93101

July: 1 - 4 Vail Fly-in V ail CO Contact Greg Kelley 303 476 4276 PAGE 6 • PARAGLIDING , THE MAGAZINE

18 24 21st Annual Telluride HG Festival

FEEL the air through sites and sounds. EXPERIENCE the pure essence of flight. SHOW your friends and family how great paragliding is.

World Aerobatic Championships , free-flying , XC , banquet, and special events. Paragliding pilots Class II or Ill welcome Info; Chuck 801 5824924 Or Craig 303 728-5793

24-30 PWC Piedrahita, Spain (34) 08 62 10 13

30 - Aug.1st Canadian Paragliding Nationals Mt. Seven, Golden, BC Entry Fee $35. Tasks, race to goal, & out and return, & open distance. More info. Contact Muller HG 403 932-6760.

August: 16-21 PWC

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PWC Final

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27 - Sept. 4 US Nationals Aspen , Colorado Contact Aspen Paragliding for more info (303) 927- 4524

Sept. : 8-11 Iron Eagle Wiskey town , CA Mt. Bike , Canoe , Paraglide. Contact Ed Pitman 1 800 SKYPILOT

15 - 18 Coupe lcare International Film Festival , Equipment Expo, Competition, and Mascarade flights. St Hilaire, France (33) 76 08 33 99

Feb. : 9-201995 The paragliding tour of the year starts here! Join North American Paragliding for our 4th annual New Zealand Adventure. You will enjoy some of the worlds finest thermal flying . Incredible XC. amazing altitude gains from Corronet Peak, heli-gliding on Bowens and Mt. Roy. Deluxe accommodations retrevals, ground transport, lift and landing fees included. Register today! NAP 509 925-5565

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T 0 e Part 2 by

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REEL SYSTEMS

Chuculate

In Part 1 of this series 011 ta>ving we distinguished between static and dynamic line systems, and the safety advantage.1· the la tter have over the Janner. The two dyna mic line systems, the stationa,y winch and th e payout reel, use a spool or reel for ivi11di11g the line. Here in Part 2 we 'll examine the design tradeojfs 1vhen you "get reel".

nh erent in the dy nam ic na ture of both a wi nch and a rea l system is the large rotat ing mass of the spoo l and the line. T his large rotat ing mass has inertia; the te ndency to resist speed cha nges and to maintain its current rotation rate, so it behaves like a nyw hee l. The adva ntage of thi s is that it smooths out the delivered line te nsion. Ano th er way to prov ide for this dampen ing is to use a short port ion of "st retc hy" materi al, such as ny lon, at the pil ot end of the tow lin e. T his "leader'· lin e will be discussed further in the next install ment of this se ries when we discuss lines and their properties. T he disadva ntage of the flyw hee l effect is that it slows the system's abilit y to promptl y spoo l li ne to the glider in response to sudden changes in clim b rate as when entering a thermal, or fro m excessive pilot braki ng. To red uce the dynamic inertia, the weight of the rotating mass should be kept to a minimu m. This incl udes the spoo l, the lin e, and the brake discs. T he rotating inertia increases with the sq uare of th e distance the mass is concentrated at, so keeping the diameter of the rotat ing mass sma ll increases respon-

Narrow payo ut reel - note line guide (top) ve nted di sc brake & rewi nd motor.

sive ness of the system. However you' ll soo n see that an excessive ly small ree l crea tes a different probl em. Anoth er component of many dy namic lin e systems is the line winder. This subsystem is prim arily responsible fo r evenl y wrapping the lin e onto the spoo l. T he line leve ler ca n take a number of fo rm s along th e spectrum of cost, simpli cit y, and aut omati on. At th e low-end is th e heavy leath er gloved hand of th e tow techni cian. Thi s creates a great da nger to fin gers. A suppl ement to a lone glove is to also use a "clapper"; a hin ged wooden bloc k, usuall y cut wi th a slot sli ghtl y small er th an th e line diam eter to "gri p" th e lin e. These manu al methods are crude but effecti ve. However, they present the " ree l hazard" fo r the tow technjcian of getting their hand and/or arm ya nked into the sp inn ing spoo l when knots, splices, or debris create bul ges in the line. Thi s, and other potenti al problems of rewinding a long ex tended lin e makes rewi nding th e line th e most dangero us aspect of towing.

Wide Payout reel - control panels are in fo reground - red toggle would release pressure immedi ately. PAGE 08 • PARAGLIDING , THE MAGAZINE

At the oth er end of the cost/automation spectrum fo r line rewi nding is th e leve l wind shaft as used on the ATOL (Air Time Of Lubbock) system. T hi s system deve loped fo r hang gli din g by Jerry Forburge r and Mi ke Haley, uses a chain dri ven, double heli ca l slotted shaft . A spring ball mechani sm roll s th rough th e spi ra l slot and automatica ll y reverses at each

end to repeatedly "track" across the width of the wide spool. Attached to the tracker is a steel oval guide ring known as a traveler, which guides the line lo lay uniformly onto the drum as it passes through. This automatically provides a neat and compact lay of the line, contributing to the smoothness of the payout during the next tow, and also allows for the maximum amount of line to fit on the reel. While elegant in operation, the ATOL level winder adds both inertia and friction lo the payout responsiveness, and it is fragile with respect to side loads. Some prov is ion is required for aligning the direction of the line to avoid this side load, particularly during the payout, when the line tension is high. That is the reason for the Lonestar guide tower you may have seen in the bed of a pickup truck used in conjunction with the ATOL system. This tower limits the lateral angle of the line as it pays out from, or rewinds onto the spool, which is mounted in front of the truck. While use of the Lonestar enables the ATOL to be operated by a one person tow crew, who never has to leave the driver's seat, it also necessitates the dedication of a vehicle, lo facilitate frequent towing.

A lower cost alternative to the A TOL level winder is to use a circulating chain to drive the traveler. another possibility is using a stepper motor which offers less mechanical friction and increases system responsiveness. (A small stepper motor is what is used to position the print head for a PC printer.)

A creative alternative to the need for the line winder and particularly for the traveler mechanism, is to use a narrow reel. This design was originated by Brad Lindsey with his SMARTow (Self-contained Modular Automatic Rewind Tow) system, and is now also used by Larry Keegan and Ed Pitman for the systems they build. The winding occurs the same as with a sewing machine hohbin. When sufficient line tension is provided during rewind, the line cannot ride over the previous wrap and pile up into a mound in the center. Due to the tension, and the narrow spool width, the line will instead more laterally until it reaches the sidewall of the spool, which forces it to reverse direction and begin the next layer. Thus the lay of the line onto the reel is auto matic, but the key is to have continuous and adequate line tension during the entire rewind process.

Line Traveler

Double Helical-slot shaft+

Representation of ATOL Payout System (not to scale)

A synergistic means of providing this line tension is to use a retrieval kite. The kite creates resistance to keep the line tight, while simultaneously flying the line above the surface. This avoids both the abrasion wear of dragging the line over the ground, as well as the potential for snags on bushes, trees, fences, etc. For hoat towing, the line doesn't have to be pulled through the water, which is hard on the rewind motor, and won't leave it vulnerable to being severed by the propeller of other boats passing across it. The retrieval kite is a fine device in theory, however it has to deploy reliably, and fly consistently to produce a tight and uniform wrap of the line on the drum. Rather than digress into the "application software" of the retrieval kite now, let's save that discussion for a later article and keep our focus now on the hardware. Larry Keegan of TBT (Truck, Boat, Trailer) has resourcefully developed an alternative to the resistance function of the retrieval kite by using a tensioning guide. This mechanism uses a pair of spring loaded pinch rollers mounted vertically to provide lateral tension, and a pair of fixed, horizontal slider surfaces to constrain the vertical position of the line entering the reel. This tension is potentially superior to the retrieval kite for ensuring uniform line tension, but the jury is still out on the proof of its durability, and the line wear in long term use.

U nfortunatcly, there are three significant limitations with the TBT "skinny spool" system. First, the reel can only hold 3000' of 1200# Spectron line. This is generally adequate, but artificially constrains high tows in light winds, which for example, is a desirable combination of factors ror conducting a maneuvers clinic. Second, the line must have a round cross section so that it doesn't flatten, and dig into the underlying layers on the drum. This appears to be due to the tensioning guide heing too tight, and not adjustable. It is preferable to have a system that is versatile and can

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 09

t h e C o

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be used with any line type the user may choose. The third, and perhaps the most critical item is the excessive change in the effective reel diameter over the entire line length. As the tow progresses and more line is payed out, the effective reel diameter, which includes the line, is diminished. This reduced radius lessens the lever length o[ the line with respect to the reel axle, which in turn increases the effectiveness of the brakes, with a resulting increase in line tension. What occurs operationally is that the line ceases to payout, and the tow technician must reduce the brake pressure to continue to feed line to the pilot. This increased line tension is actually preferred by some hang glider pilots to "slingshot" their glider to a steep inclination angle and yet them higher above the tow vehicle. This has value when there is a limited distance for the tow vehicle to travel, or when using a short towline. Paragliders don't cut through the air and penetrate as well though, and the combination of increased line tension, combined with a steeper inclination angle serve primarily to promote "overtowing"; excessively loading the lines and causing line stretch. Diameter changes of approximately 25% to 35% over the entire line length are the recommended differences that can be used to prevent this automatic increase in line tension [ram arising. This change in effective diameter should come close to balancing out the weight and aerodynamic drag of most of the lighter types of line in the air. As noted earlier, a small diameter spool is desirable from an inertia standpoint, but the ratio o[ O.D. (outside diameter) to l.D. (inside diameter) should be within the above percentage, and also have the capacity to accommodate a large quantity of line. Another critical subsystem is the brake of the payout reel system or the clutch of a winch. These must be designed for repeated use to avoid excessive wear and overheating. These components should minimize the production of heat, or maximize the dissipation of heat build-up, or both, to allow them to continue to perform effectively in the presence of the heat accumulation that does occur. Also, if brakes are used, the discs or drums should be located out in the airstream to maximize their exposure to cooling airflow. Likewise, a winch clutch or the vane pump of a hydraulic system needs to have some provision for "keeping their cool". Some reel systems have their brake drum buried within the inner diameter of the spool. This promotes brake slippage or "fading" from overheating, resulting in a reduction or loss of towline tension. In addition,

the brake rotor or drum diameter should not exceed the l.D. of the spool to avoid "overpowering" the inner layers during payout, and making the tow "jerky". The final major component of a "reel system" is the rewind motor. It must have sufficient torque to rapidly suck the line in without overheating or drawing an excessive amount of current. This could drain the battery and/or overtax the recharging system. An automobile starter motor is often the motor employed, but it is chosen because of its low cost and availability, rather than its suitability for the job. The proper motor would also have ball bearings at both ends of the shaft for long mechanical life. To complete this survey of "reel components and systems", there is the control unit. It should have some provision to immediately dump brake pressure to allow for commencing the rewind promptly, and for emergency conditions, such as lockout. It should also have a sensitive pressure adjustment control for fine tuning the towline tension during the tow. In the next installment we'll examine towline material and size tradeoffs, and the hazards of poor releases, long bridles, and improper attachment points.

Former sailplane and hang glider pilot, Jan Ala is the USHGA Region 4 Paragliding Tow Supervisor, and he is also a certified Instructor, a Class 3 pilot, and has earned an award winning masters degree in engineering. He has diverse experience both in Europe and the U.S. using a variety o[ tow systems and techniques. He had significant involvement as co-designer and test pilot in the development of the Smartow payout reel, and its rel111ement for paragliding.

Alan Chuculate formerly worked as an aeronautical engineer and now works with UP International based at Torrey Pines gliderport providing tandem and solo instruction. He is a USHGA Tow Supervisor and Tandem Instructor for both hang gliding and paragliding and was the primary creator of the USHGA Paraglider Tow and Paraglider Tandem Tow Programs. He also serves on the USHGA board of directors as a Director at Large.

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PAGE 10 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

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Dear Editor, I think Skip Lentz's points about airspace violations and the threat of regulation, in the last issue are well taken. But the specific violations he refers to in Las Vegas would appear to constitute only a very minor danger to anyone other than perhaps the pilot and no particular hassles for law enforcement agencies. Of far greater concern to the rest of us arc the other series of incidents coming out of the paragliding school in that city. I refer of course to the continuing exploits of James Miller, the self proclaimed Fan Man. While I readily admit taking shameless delight in reading of all Mr. Miller's exploits, the fact is that law enforcement agencies everywhere he has struck do not seem to share his or my sense of humor. The experience of every other newly developing sport in the country ( and with a history reaching back only to 1986, paragliding is pretty new) is that any perception of endangering participants unduly arouses the interests of regulators, and any perception of endangering the public certainly does. Regulation frequently does follow this sort of interest. Seldom arc the regulators well informed about the sport, and therefore seldom docs this regulation take a form at all palatable to the sports participants. Irrational, ( or Goel knows even rational) regulation is a very real and persistent threat to the flying freedom all of us enjoy. So while I certainly admit I was delighted to read of James Miller dancing around on the roof of Buckingham Palace naked with his genitals painted green, maybe it is time to ask him to quietly bow out of the public eye for awhile and just go flying. Sincerely, Flecther Anderson Aspen, Colorado

Dear Editor, Jan Ala and my friend Alan Chuculatc presented a good towing article highlighting a bit of the evolution of' towing. I do wish to provide a bit of clarification concerning "static line" line towing and its safety. In my opinion, there are two general categories of towing; speed controlled towing and tension controlled towing.Alternatively these may be thought of as constant speed towing and constant tension towing. The key distinction is that in speed controlled towing, the speed of the tow vehicle is maintained at a reasonably consistent speed and other elements vary to maintain this; chiefly tow line tension. Aero-towing falls into this category since the tug tends to fly al a reasonably constant airspeed and the tow line tension will vary dramatically as the tug enters lift or sink before the hang glider. In tension controlled towing, the speed of the tow vehicle or the winch's rotational speed, whether winching in or paying out, will vary in response to the tow systems efforts to maintain a reasonably constant tow line tension. Depending upon the procedures of those performing the towing,"static line" lowing can fall into either category. In the early days of hang glider lowing, the procedure was to connect a length of rope to a tow vehicle ( boat, car etc. ) and drive the vehicle at a fixed speed. clearly as the glider ascends through wind gradients, sink, and thermals, the tension in the low line would have some extreme variance. Over towing, as the authors called it could easily occur and if weak

links were not used, over-stressing of the aircraft and failure could result. In the early 80's, primarily as a result of efforts initiated by Donnell Hewell, static line towing evolved into a tension controlled form of towing. This was accomplished through the use of line tension measurement systems which provided the tow vehicle operator with actual line tension information; data that even many of today's "new technology" dynamic systems fail to provide. The tow operator then modulated the speed of the vehicle in response to the increases or decreases in tow tension thus providing a fairly consistent low tension to the glider. This kind of static line system is generally in use today. USHGA survey data indicates that in Region 7, about 65% of all towing systems are static line systcrrs but only 15% nationally.Tension controllccl static line is also the primary method of towing in Australia and other countries. Clearly this method of static line towing is neither archaic nor obsolete. Many people arc just not familiar with the state of the art in static line towing and it is not popular in some portions of the country, such as the Southwest, or West Coast, thus creating the impression that it is history. It was argued that the payout system is significantly safer than static line towing since it can spool line out to the glider preventing over towing.As stated above, the tow driver slows the vehicle clown if tow tension is observed rising beyond the desired level so this is not a problem with today's modern static line towing methods. One might argue that dynamic winches arc safer if the wind is strong enough that a static line tow would have to actually back up to prevent excessive tow forces.However, if winds are that strong, pilots probably shouldn't be towing in those conditions with any system. Furthermorc,a weak link should be used to protect the glider from excessive tow forces thus minimizing any likelihood of over loading the glider. There may be some convenience factors and possibly small safety differences between the systems with respect to launching, but these were not addressed in the article so are beyond the scope of comment here. The USHGA has no statistical data comparing tow systems and the safety record of dynamic systems versus others. One can easily find opinions vehemently arguing that the tension controlled static lines are safer that payout winches for various reasons and as illustrated by the article, opinions arguing the opposite. Personally, I think the rigorous adherence to sound procedure, proper maintenance of equipment and the overall safety orientation of the participants is so much more significant than any small safety differences that may exist between the two systems as to render the debate moot. The statements and reasons presented that static line towing is unsafe and may over tow a glider are most appropriate for constant speed static line lowing. But for static line systems employing line tension measurement systems and today's towing procedures, these arguments arc generally not applicable. I respect Alan's work furthering the methods of lowing paragliclers and I look forward to Alan and Jan's future articles. Please keep up the good efforts. Bill Bryden USHGA Director Region 7 Chairman USHGA Towing Committee

Dear Editor, It can be a little daunting to write an article on a subject so broad as that of towing. Many of us involved in towing for a while have built our own tow rigs and so have a substantial amount of time and pride invested in the design, construction and methods of operation of these devices, leading perhaps to rather individual viewpoints ... but, I digress. Mr. Bryclcn's letter is thoughtful and constructive. One of the objectives of this series of articles was to elicit comment - as well as to impart information. I will attempt to address some of the points brought up in this letter. This author is familiar with Mr. Hewett's work in the areas of tension control, bridle design, etc., and in fact tension control of both static and dynamic line system are discussed in part four of this series of articles. I suppose the evolution of tension controlled static line towing should have been mentioned in part one "The Historical Perspective", but as I will explain later, it is perhaps less relevant to Paragliding than Hang Gliding. Constraints of time and space being what they arc, it behooves one to try to focus on the subject. Interestingly enough, the most popular payout reel used for Paragliding in parts of Europe and South Africa has a tcnsiometcr, and there is at least one winch built here in the U.S. that has a form of line tension indicator. I am a strong advocate of such a feature on any system. (Again, more on these devices in a few months) Perhaps according to Mr. Bryden's definitions this would make me a "speed and tension controlled towing" advocate ... The U.S.H.G.A. survey of towing systems as used in Region 7 versus All Regions combined, gives percentage figures for Hang Gliding only. I callccl Mr. Bryden and while he and the U.S.H.G.A. lack any hard figures, we both felt sure that even in Region 7, the percentage of Paraglicler pilots using a static line system is far lower than the figures in his letter. Mr. Bryden states that "If the wind is strong enough that a static line tow vehicle would have to actually back up .... " and certainly as far as Hang Gliding is concerned I could not agree more. I do however feel that it is more within the realms of possibility to tow launch a Paraglidcr into a I O m.p.h. breeze, only to climb up through the wind gradient and find one had thoughtlessly neglected to check the altitude winds of 20+ m.p.h. No excuse for this, but the point here being that most Paraglidcrs are constrained by a narrower speed range as compared to their speedy cousins, and so do go backwards much more easily. This changes the balance of considerations in the overall equation of what to use. Perhaps even more important a consideration is that unless a Reflex line (pulley at far end of field) system is used -the driver can barely sec the pilot to ensure the canopy is flying correctly prior to the application of flight tension.(This is one of the reasons many Europeans and Canadians use a step tow method with a short initial line layout off their take-up winches. Reflex lines have their own drawbacks associated with line length and drag.) Of course a spotter can help here, and experienced pilots and operators will largely overcome the chance for error, but what about the less experienced among us? Checking for correct pull-up and kiting are crucial to the launch phase with an inflatable airframe and several thousand feet of distance can be partially. hut never fully over-

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 11

come with a radio. A visual check from the vehicle over a distance of a few hundred feet or less, may be the most desirable method of launching a Paraglider. Herein lies again my prior point: while similar in some ways - Hang Gliders and Paragliders are also different. Ultimately, I have no desire lo "vehemently argue" the merits of one system over another, merely lo point out a few considerations in towing Paragliders. I echo Mr. Bryden's feelings on rigorous adherence lo sound procedure, maintenance, safety and all. I freely acknowledge the superiority offered by the tensiometcr and weak link but feel these advantages are not limited lo a static line system. These articles are aimed perhaps more at the intermediate Paragliding pilots who feel a little bewildered by the plethora of different designs and methods in use, wondering where to start and what to think. Experienced tow operators and Hang Glider pilots satisfied with the system they currently use are essentially beyond the scope of Alan's and my discussion. Given all this, I am thus compelled to state that the drag brake reel and winch systems, if well designed, can offer user and , operator friendliness for the less experienced. In closing, I am sure I speak for Alan as well, when I humbly apologize to all the tow operators whose favorite system I may have unintentionally maligned. In Sincerity and Gratitude, Jan Ala Region 4 Towing Supervisor

Dear Editor, I have searched and searched, but can NOT find a text on the aerodynamics of flexible, ram-air airfoils. Conventional aerodynamics texts do not address some of the questions I have about paraglider flight, and as an instructor, I feel it is important to have access to this information! Is this information hidden in the vaults of the few elite European paraglider designers who figured this stuff out? If anyone knows where I can get my hands on a book about the aerodynamics of ram-air airfoils, please let me know. Mark Misiewicz, Flight Systems 1915 E. Katella Suite "B" Orange, CA 92667 714 639-7777 Dear Mark, I've looked into this for you. Unfortunately there is very little published on low speed aerodynamics. I spoke to my friend, Dan Poynter,who owns Para Publishing, about this subject. He said that you can call his Fax on demand 805 968 8947 and ask for documents # 813 and 802. These contain some of the information you seek. Fred Stockwell, Editor

Dear Editor, With all the noise concerning paragliding patents; it appears some may be missing the forest for the trees. Last year there were eight (?) paragliding related death, three during

beginner lessons. Unfortunately these accidents have not been reported in either Paragliding or Hang Gliding Magazine. and the instructors are likely still teaching, while the issue of patents seems to have paralyzed the literati. My point is this, if the sport does not report fatal and near fatal accidents, so novices like myself can learn from them, (as has been done in climbing for years) and instructors are killing potential customers without even the general paragliding communities awareness, the whole debate around patents seems trivial and moot. Please report all accidents, with analysis if possible, in hopes of preventing any further injury to pilots or the sport in general. Sincerely, John Nordlinger Class I Flying for 6 years, no accidents. Dear John, We understand your sentiments regarding the patent update reporting. However this has been a big issue, affecting the paragliding industry in the US. We continue to receive letters expressing both sides of this complex issue and feel the paragliding community has the right to know what is going on. Regarding your statement about accident reporting; We do not wish to publish hearsay or rumors, which potentially could be misleading or even damaging to individuals. It is and always has been this magazines policy to print only the official accident reports from the association. These reports come out twice a

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year, and have always been published when we receive them. At this time we, the paragliding community, have a very capable man, voluntari ly, in charge of accident reporting and statistics, he is Dr. Fred Moy. In Vol. 4 #5 Sept./Oct. last year Dr. Moy submitted the report of the first half of 1993, accidents with synopsis (22 reports 2 fatalities). In this issue the last half of 1993 is fully reported. We both feel very strongly about safety in our sport, and we believe the best way to achieve this in our small community is through proper education, and the honest communication, of everyone working towards the same end. We run the Safety Info. column on a regular basis to help keep pilots updated on current news and trends regarding paragliding safety concerns. Al l pilots are encouraged to submit information in this format , as well as the way you have done, by writing us a letter. Thanks for giving us the chance to answer your concerns. Fly safe. Fred & Claudia Stockwell, Editors. PIM

jfiji(S(jrAR lf1M: Dear Editor, The Northern California Foot Launched Pilots Association , (NCFPA)wou ld like to express our gratitude to the businesses listed below for their participation and generous donations to the Super Clinic ' 94. The Super Clinic was a fund raising event to benefit the NCFPA, a non profit organization, dedica ted to promoting foot launched flight, flying safety, and the development of flying sites in Northern California and where ever we can be of assistance. Businesses such as these, that give back to the fl ying community, will certainly be around to reap the benefits as foot launched flying continues to grow in the US. Please patronize these companies when you are able to. AIRTEK USA, HALL BROTHERS, FLIGHT DESIGN , PRO DESIGN, and EDEL USA. Once again Thank You for your support, Don Mills President NCFLPA

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June 16-22 Tow launch Systems will be a t the Big Springs Texas Hang Gliding Meet. Chris will be conducting Towing Clinics for all interested paraglider pilots. TLS is in its 5th year of operation, and will have tow systems available to demo. For more info . call Chris or Lisa 210 824 1803

BRAZILIAN PWC was held Feb. 18-25 in Governador Valadares,Brazil. This was the first PWC event of 1994. The competition organizers only had 2 months to prepare the whole event and mn it according to the new PWC regulations . The entry fee was $100. and included a large packet of information, including local regulations, emergency phone # ' s and a Tshirt. Four trucks were available to transport pilots to launch and the same trucks were used to retrieve. We had an excellent turnout of 146 pilots, which was not bad considering only two months notice was given . As is sometimes the case the week before the comp. the weather was superb, but on the first day of the preliminaries a front arrived bringing localized and very heavy thunderstorms. On the first day of the final, 101 pilots compromising the 89 surviving the cut and those from the top 30 of last years PWC ranking attempted an elapsed time race to goal , which was won by Patrick Bernd (F - Edel) , who flew 55.5 km . However a very large thunderstorm developed between the last turnpoint and goal, causing the task to be cancelled. (This decision is currently being reconsidered.) During the next few days the weather improved daily , but never reached the same conditions as during he pre contest week. We still flew tasks of 30 - 80 km every day. The competition progressed without any other large difficulties and as the weather again improved, an elapsed time race to goal was set for the 4th task which was won by Ewa! Tschanhenz (A Nova) with 86 km. For day 5 a speed run was set hoping to have an early result. Goal was set at 0.5 km and was achieved by 19 pilots, Karl dietmar (A) winning the day with 2 hours 18 minutes. Richard Gallon (F) finished 4 minutes later, showing his skill for the first time in this competition. Harry Buntz (D- Nova), through his consistent good flying won the competition and a check for $1000 . Patrick Holmes came in an admirable 2nd in his first comp . since his accident last June PAGE 14 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

having only flown 4 times. Results fol low: (D Nova) Harry Buntz (GB Edel) Patrick Holmes (GB Airwave) Bruce Goldsmith (I Nova) Jimmy Pacher (F Edel) Dider Exiga (SLO) Marko Novak (A Nova) Ewa! Tschanhenz (GB Nova) Jocky Sanderson (I) Maurizio Bottegal (F ITV) Christophe Mougin Submitted by Jose Hayler General Sec. PWCA LAST MINUTE NEWS; JAPAN PWC Tors PILOTS AND WINGS; #1. Hans Bollinger CH OMEGA# #2. Richard Gallon F KENDO #3 Stephan Stieglar AUT CONTEST #4. Eric Vonlathen CH NOVA #5. Kaoru Ougisawa JPN RAINBOW

To strengthen the friendship among paragliding pilots of the countries around the world, the Aero Sports Federation of China will host the 2nd International Paragliding Tournament, from Sept. 10 1 7 1994 , in Linzhou city, He nan province, China . Linzhou, located in the center part of China, is famous for its scenic beauty and pleasant weather. It is one of the best places for paragliding sports. Several successful National Championships have been organized in Linzhou city. The Aero Sports Federation of China has the honor to invite the United States of America to send a paragliding team to participate in this Tournament. For information on regulations or how to proceed; call the office of USHGA for details. 719 632-8300

A few weeks ago , Frenchman Xavier Murillo launched his paraglider from a hill in Brooklyn, New York. He climbed on th er mals above the buildings , then decided to cross the East River. Unfortunately, the wind shifted and the sink rate increased while Xavier was giving a friendly "Bonjour", to the Statue of Liberty, who extended her arms to him. With a few hundred feet of altitude left now, and nowhere to land except in the middle of the East River, Xavier had to find an alternate LZ and quickly . He landed, to the surprise of the captain, on the only thing around, a barge carrying trash , pushed by a tugboat beading upstream. Big ears and a trash, smelly landing ended his majestic flight . The cops hauled Xavier off to the station where he spent the next five hours . They fined (robbed) him of his last $200. and sent him back to France!

Nova is back on the US Market this year with their new intermediate glider "PHOCUS", which is keeping up with the high performance gliders. The Phocus has been certified Acpuls 12 A 's DHV 2. The new US Nova Distributor is Cary Mendes of Compact Wings San Jacinto, California. World class pilot Harry Buntz took 1st place in the PWC meet in Brazil on a Nova. Swiss National Champ and Aspen Open winner, Urs Haari Has chosen a Nova Sphinx for his glider this year. Urs hopes to return to Aspen this year to defend his title.

The Parachute Industry Association is preparing for its third biennial premier event -The International Symposium on M a rch 22-27, 1995! Once again PIA returns to central Florida . The HyattOrlando in Kissimmee, Florida will host over 1,000 skydivers; parachute manufacturers ; skydiving instructors; parachute riggers; fabric, webbing, and hardware suppliers; skydiving center owners; jumppilots; aerobatics pilots; FAA inspectors; airport owners, and representatives from many other parachute-related support services around the world. The five-day event features three days of lectures, demonstrations, and seminars, a trade-show with more than 100 exhibits, and concludes with The PIA Symposium Banquet renowned as the world 's largest parachuting reunion. The Parachute Industry Association represents all major interests of sport, civilian, and military parachuting. The Associations last Symposium, which was held in March of 1993 in Orlando , Florida, far exceeded expectations by drawing over 750 registrants and hundreds of spectators and guests. Orlando, close to several of the world 's largest parachuting equipment manufacturers and skydiving centers, is also near the many central Florida tourist attractions, including Disney World , Epcot Center, Sea World and Universal Studios. Additionally, Cape Kennedy and Daytona Beach are less than a one hour drive. PIA has reserved 500 rooms at the HyattOrlando for conventioneers and expects to sell out. Rooms will be allotted on a first come first serve basis. Early registration is now only $175.00 US compared to the regular registration price of $275 .00, so register today and save!!! For registration materials and/or an exhibitor packet, contact Cheryl Zimmermann , 208 East Rosehill Avenue, Suite #101 , DeLand, Florida 32724 USA. PIA automated office telephone and Fax on Demand number is (904) 738-6899.

West Java and Batur in Bali are some of the beautiful places you will visit. For · tour information call or fax Anten Wisata Ph# 62 21 88 01 092 Fax # 62 21 79 70 924 The site committee of the Rocky Mountain Hang Gliding Association and the Flagstaff Soaring Society have pub1ished hang gliding and paragliding guidelines for the north Boulder , Colorado, flying sites. These guidelines are an attempt to work with the City of Boulder Open Space Department to alleviate some of the impacts on the land that the increased use of these sites has caused. Please obtain and read a copy of these guidelines before flying at any of these sites!! Copies can be acquired from alJ Denver and Boulder-area hang gliding/paragliding businesses. You may also get a free copy by sending a selfaddressed, stamped 4" x 9" envelope to Kurt Aronow (compiler of the guidelines). 1605 Centaur Circle, Lafayette, CO 80026 (303) 661-9307

Papatong Paragliding Club of Indonesia invites pilots to come and fly with them in their lovely land. Mount Bromo in East Java, Guntur in

At its annual meeting March 5 in Marbella , Spain , William Ottley of Washington, DC, was named President of the General Aviation Commission, a division of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) which is responsible for controlling worldwide general aviation sport activity. He succeeds Dr. lvo Mazzola of Zurich, Switzerland. At the same meeting , Arthur Greenfield , Secretary of the Contest and Records Board of the NAA, was appointed Editor of the FAI Sporting Code, Section 2, by Dr. Mazzola. Previous to his election as President , Ottley served as 1st Vice President and Secretary of the General Aviation Comm. for many years and as the American official delegate to the

group since 1967. Ottley is a commercial instrument rated power pilot, with sailplane and hot air balloon ratings, and is an expert skydiver. In addition , he served as Exec. Director of the National Pilots Association for 11 years and on the Board of Directors of the US Parachute Association and as its CEO for a total of 28 years. He also served for many years on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the NAA. Art Greenfield has served as Secretary of the Contest and Records Board for the NAA since 1990. He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University , and holds a commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings and a current flight instructor certificate. The NAA is the National Aero Club of the United States and the nation ' s oldest aviation organization. Its primary mission is the advancement of the art, sport, and science of aviation and space flight by fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and by promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. NAA is the United States representative to the FAI, the 90-country organization that oversees all aviation and space records throughout the world.

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•

Cr es tlin e & Marsh all P ea k The Crestline Soarin g Society , after many months of hard work, has fin ally got a lease on property at the base of Marshall Peak. The new L.Z. is called the "Andy Jackson airpark". This lease now ens ures that pilots will be abl e to continue to fly from C restl in e an d Marshall peak, and not have all the land developed into housing. Unfortun ately, tliis will need to be regulated in order lo ensure con tinu ed survival for years to come. A free-fo r-all with many accidents and perhaps fata lities would soo n close thi s historical site down. The CSS has put into place some rules and regs. which wiU hopefull y not only keep the site open (by req ui ri ng safe se nsible flying) , but also in crease its value to th e members by providi ng toilets, su n shelters, and a far safer place to park your vehicle. While the regul ati ons are necessary, CSS has tried, and will continue to try, to make fly ing here an enjoyable expe rience and not one overly burdened by unnecessary rest rictions and requirements. We all enjoy fly ing here and we wa nt visitors to enjoy it as well. For instructors wishing to bring students

•• to fly at Mars hall or Crestline, please contac t th e safe ty dir ecto r , M ark Wright, at (909) 881 2334 . Fax : (909) 881 8794. Private pilots may contact any so uth ern Califo rni an USHGA instru ctor, either pa r ag lidin g o r ha ng g lidin g. Th e Cres tlin e Soarin g Society wishes yo u well an d hopes to see you out here.

Fli g ht D es ig n an d No rth Am e ri ca n Paragliding, located in Ellensbu rg, WA, have recently purchased a state-of-th eart Hoppe & Schneider porosity meter for tes tin g fa bric qu ality i n new and used paragliders. This industrial meter is the mos t accura te one on the wo rld market today and is used by all of lhe major fab ri c m anu fact ur e rs s uch as Tejin , Pasche, a nd more; additi o nall y, many paragliding manufac turers have several in their factori es as well. The meter is a simple mec ha ni ca l diaph ragm device with an electronic readout. The industry stand ard fo r porosit y is meas ured by how m uch tim e it takes to draw a certain volume th roug h a given area. The current indus try standard states that bra nd new fab ri c should allow one lite r of air to pass in 250 seco nds; if th a t tim e is redu ced to 25 seconds or less after use, the wing may have a deep stall tendency and should not be considered safe to fl y.

Fo r mo re in fo rm a ti o n o n how to get your wing tes ted, please co ntact Mike Eberle at 509-925-55 65.

Moving North Ameri can Paragliding's shipping address has changed as of May 1994 . Please make note th at our new address is 101 Wilso n Creek Road, Unit # 16, Elle nsbu rg, WA 98926 . A small but necessary move from 901 Wil son Creek Road. Our mailing address of P.O. Box 4, Ellensburg, WA 98926 remains the same. If you have any qu esti ons or conce rns, pl ease contac t T amara a t 509925-5565

To dispel any rum ors, Edel USA will not b e di s tri butin g IT V in th e US. Phillipe Renaudin of the GMI Corp . will be the new ITV distributor. Edel USA will howeve r be prov iding all rigging and repair services fo r ITV. Nate Scales will be working fo r Edel as a customer service rep. this summer. Nate is a Class III and a Hang 4 pilot. Nate is replacing Dave Bridges, who is taking a leave of absence to join an Intl. Mtn . expediti on to climb K2 in Pakistan. Also we'd like to welcome Todd Bibler to th e Edel Team, as a factory/competition pil ot.

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The European Organization for Evaluating Paragliders

he testing of gliders is undergoing u revision. The number of muneuvers that a glider must pass has increased from 12 to 17. It is our understanding (at Paragliding Magazine) that this new procedure is still under evaluation. The new gliders sent for certiftcation will be tested by the new procedure from March through October 1994, at that time the committee will assess the results and decide how to proceed.

Here are a few technical points about the new AFNOR standards. • Test definitions enclosed are the IN-FLIGHT TEST PROCEDURES which will allow you to understand these new standards. • Gliders will be delivered with ACPUL STICKERS (as soon as they are available which means that the first series will not have stickers but will receive them later on request).

IN-FLIGHT TEST PROCEDURES - GENERAL POINTS - "spontaneous" return to flight: without pilot input. - A paraglider is considered "controllable" when the pilot is able to make a 180° turn in any direction without worsening the situation, even if the canopy remains partial! y collapsed within a limit of 40% of the span. - Flying is considered "normal" when the paraglider is fully inflated and follows a straight or nearly straight path without any input from the pilot. - The "controls" are those defined as normal by the manufacturer. - A "pilot action" is defined as any weight shift, action on the toggles or on the control accessories. - "Control accessories" are additional systems allowing speed change without use of the normal controls. - A "trim line" is a semi-permanent adjustment system. This means that a pilot action is necessary in order to return to the initial position. - An "accelerator" is a system generally activated by foot. Its return to the initial position is automatic as soon as the pilot action ceases. If accessories (trim lines) are present on a canopy intended for the standard or tandem class, all the tests will be performed in each of the extreme positions of the adjustment (fast and slow).

The paragliders are separated in 4 categories:

•STANDARD • COMPETITION

•PERFORMANCE • TANDEM

TESTS PROCEDURES: 1) Inflation of the canopy Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the ability of the canopy to inflate in no wind or light wind. Procedure: The pilot dresses and inflates the canopy according to the instructions of the owner's manual. The inflation consists in moving the leading edge directly above the pilot. Inflation must be possible on flat ground with a wind no stronger than 1 m/s (- 2 mph) and without the pilot's feet leaving the ground. Results: Standard: 3 successful trials out of 5 without special precautions. Performance, Competition and Tandem: 3 successful trials out of 5 with special precautions allowed.

2) Landing Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the ability of the canopy to land without any complex maneuver. Procedure: The pilot lands with action on the controls only. Results:Landing on feet must be possible without any complex maneuver.

3) Speed range (with brakes only) Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem

PAGE 18 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

Purpose: Make sure the paraglider's speed range is wide enough and to inform the user of this speed range. Procedure: The maximum speed (without accessories) in stable flight (10 seconds) and the minimum speed (without accessories) in stable flight (10 seconds) are automatically and continuously recorded (graphically or numerically). Results: Standard: The difference between the maximum and minimum speeds must be equal to or greater than 10 km/h (-6.5 mph). Performance: The difference between the maximum and minimum speeds (with trims in the slow position) must be equal to or greater than 10 km/h (-6.5 mph). Competition: No imposed speed range but this range is recorded. Tandem: The difference between the maximum and minimum speeds must be equal to or greater than 15 km/h (- 10 mph).

4) Behavior associated to the use of accessories Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check that the use of accessories cannot force the glider out of its flying range (collapses at high speeds, parachutage at slow speeds). Procedure: Minimum speed The trim lines are adjusted to the minimum speed position. This position is maintained for 10 seconds and the canopy's behavior is observed. The speed is recorded automatically and continuously (graphically). Procedure: Maximum speed The accelerator, trim lines or other accessory are activated to their maximum without any action on the controls. This position is maintained for 10 seconds and the canopy's behavior is observed. The speed is recorded automatically and continuously (graphically). Results: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem classes: Flight must be normal. Flight out of the flying range is not acceptable. The total speed range is calculated and recorded.

5) Stability in pitch (no action on the accelerator) Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the paraglider's stability in pitch. Procedure: The trim lines are at maximum speed position. The pilot slows down gradually with the brakes. When reaching the stall point, brakes are released rapidly. Results: Standard: No dive greater than 45° angle, collapses acceptable with no change in trajectory. Performance: No dive greater than 90°angle (in relation to the horizon), collapses acceptable with no change of trajectory greater than 90°, spontaneous return to controllable flight. (Note of the translator: No information on Competition and Tandem classes)

6) End of parachutage phase with the controls Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the ability of the canopy to return to flight after parachutage. Procedure: Phase 1: The pilot slows down the glider with the control accessories if these are available. Phase 2: The pilot keeps slowing down with the brakes until a trajectory as close to the vertical as possible is obtained, without stalling however. At this moment the controls are gently and gradually raised to the high position. If the glider stays in parachutage after waiting for 4 seconds, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual. Results: Standard: Spontaneous end of parachutage within 4 seconds, no dive greater than 45 ° angle and no change in direction. Performance: Spontaneous end of parachutage within 4 seconds, no dive greater than 90° angle (in relation to the horizon) and no change in direction. Competition: Dive no greater than 90°angle (in relation to the horizon) and return to controllable flight within the next 4 seconds. Tandem: Spontaneous end of parachutage within 4 seconds, dive no greater than 90°angle (in relation to horizon) and no change in direction. 7) End of parachutage phase with risers B (C or any other system

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described in the owner's manual) released slowly. Applies to: Standard, Performance Purpose: Check the ability of the canopy to return to normal flight after parachutage: Check the possibility of safely using this emergency descending maneuver (if it is recommended in the owner's manual) and check the pitch stability.

Procedure: Phase 1: The pilot slows down the glider with the control accessories if these are available. Phase 2: The pilot pulls on the risers B until a trajectory as close to the vertical as possible is obtained. At this moment the risers arc released gently and gradually (if the paraglider stays in parachutage, the pilot waits for 4 seconds and then acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual). Results: Standard: Dive no greater than 45° angle, collapse acceptable with no change in direction,spontaneous return lo controllable flight. Performance: Dive no greater than 90° angle, return to controllable flight within 4 seconds after the pilot's action.

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8) End of parachutage phase with B risers (C or any other system described in the owner's manual) released rapidly Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the ability of the canopy to return to normal night after parachutage. Check the safety of this maneuver in the case of a fast release of the risers and check the pitch stability.

Procedure: Phase l: The pilot adjusts the control accessories in their fast position (except for accelerators with spontaneous return). Phase 2: The pilot pulls on the risers B until a trajectory as close to the vertical as possible is obtained. At this moment the risers are rapidly released (if the canopy stays in parachutage, the pilot waits for 4 seconds and then acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual). Results: Standard: Dive no greater than 45° angle, collapse acceptable with no change in direction, spontaneous return to controllable flight. Performance: Dive no greater than 90 ° angle and return to controllable flight within 4 seconds after the beginning of the pilot's action. Competition: Dive no greater than 90° and return to controllable flight within 4 seconds after the beginning of the pilot's action. Tandem: The maneuver is performed according to the instructions of the owner's manual; if the manual prohibits this maneuver, it is not tested. Return to controllable flight within 4 seconds after the beginning of the pilot's intervention.

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Purpose: Make sure thal the paraglider has a good ability to turn. Procedure: On the gliders equipped with trim lines, the slow position is

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used. The pilot makes a 360° turn in one direction, reverses and then makes a 360° turn in the opposite direction. Results: Standard: Turn is performed without any weight shift, total time of maneuver is equal to or less than 18 seconds (time is measured when the vertical axis is crossed). Performance: Turn is performed with weight shift (if necessary), total time of maneuver is equal to or less than 20 seconds (time is measured when the vertical axis is crossed). Competition: Turn is performed with weight shift (if necessary), total time of maneuver is equal to or less than 23 seconds (time is measured when the vertical axis is crossed). Tandem: Turn is performed with weight shift (if necessary), total time of maneuver is equal to or less than 23 seconds (time is measured when the vertical axis is crossed).

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Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the ability of making a quick turn in order to avoid a midair collision, without the glider being out of its Hying range. Procedure: On paragliders equipped with trims, tests arc performed with the fast adjustment, then the slow adjustment. In fast flight mode (released brakes), the pilot fully pulls one brake. When a 90° turn is obtained, the pilot released the brake and waits for stable flight. Then the same maneuver is performed on the opposite side.

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Results: Standard: The glider remains within its flying range. Performance: The glider remains within its flying range. Weight shift is allowed if it's mentioned in the owner's manual. Competition: The glider remains within its flying range or spontaneously returns to controllable flight at the end of the maneuver. Tandem: The glider remains within its flying range. Weight shift is allowed if it's mentioned in the owner's manual.

11) Wingover • Reversed turns Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check for a tendency to slip in a turn and the ability to return to flying. Procedure: The pilot performs a series of linked turns with a pendulum effect of at least 45 ° with the maximum specified in the owner's manual. Results: Standard: No collapse, glider remains within its flying range. Performance: Collapse acceptable only with a return to normal flight within 90°off heading change. Competition: Collapse acceptable, spontaneous return to controllable flight within 90° of heading change. Tandem: No collapse, glider remains within its flying range.

12) End of a symmetrical collapse Applies to: Standard, Performance, Competition, Tandem Purpose: The goal is to simulate one known effect of turbulence on the canopy and to observe the consequences on the return to normal or controllab le flight. Procedure: The pilot rapidly collapses the canopy symmetrically in the following proportions: 65% +/ - 5% in the span (55% for the Tandem category) with an amplitude of 45 ° in the chord. To obtain this effect the pilot uses a method of his choice (isolated lines, riser, folding line, etc.). Qk shifts his weight on the collapsed side without acting on the brakes for 4 seconds.1) If necessary, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual to return to normal flight. Results: Standard: Return to controllable flight within 4 seconds and with

a change in direction no greater than 180°. Performance: If return to normal flight does not occur within a rotation of 360° or 4 seconds the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual and the glider must return to controllable flight within 90° of direction change and 4 seconds. Competition: If return to normal flight is not obtained within a rotation of 360°, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual and the glider must return to controllable flight within 360 ° of direction change and 4 seconds. Tandem: If return to normal flight does not occur within 360° or 4 seconds after a collapse of 55% +/- 5%, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual and the glider must return to controllable flight within 90° of direction change and 4 seconds.

l Note of the translator: Obviously an error in the original, the collapse is supposed to be symmetrical.

13) End of a maintained asymmetrical collapse Applies to: Standard, Performance, Tandem Purpose: The goal is to simulate one known effect of turbulence on the canopy, to observe the consequences on the return to normal or controllable flight and to check the ability to end a rotation maintained during two 360°. Procedure: The pilot rapidly collapses the canopy asymmetrically in the following proportions: 55% +/- 5% in the span or as much as necessary with an amplitude of 45 ° in the chord. To obtain this effect the pilot uses a method of his choice (isolated lines, riser, folding line, etc). He shifts his weight on the collapsed side, maintains this collapse for two 360° if physically possible, then releases rapidly. Results: Standard: Spontaneous return to controllable flight in less than 360° Performance: If return to normal flight is not obtained within a rotation of 360° or 4 seconds, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual and the glider must return to controllable flight within 90° and 4 seconds after the beginning of the pilot's intervention. Competition: If return to normal flight is not obtained within a rotation of

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360° or 4 seconds, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner ' s manua l and the glider must return to controllable flight within 360° and 4 seconds. Tandem: Spontaneous return to controllable flight in Jess than two 360° rotations.

14) End of a spin Applies to : Standard, Perfo rmance, Tandem Purpose : Observe the end of an intentiona l spin and stability in the three axes. Procedure: If the glider is equipped with trims, they are used in the maximum speed position. The pilot slows down the canopy to its minimum speed, then fully pulls one brake, while totall y releasing the other. This position is maintained for one full 360°, then the pilot releases the brakes rapid ly. Results : Standard: The glider spontaneously returns to controllable flight and may continue a rotation of less than 360° in the spin direction. (2) Performance: The glider may continue to spin for one 360° at the most before spontaneously returni ng to controllable flight within 90° of direction change. Tandem: The glider must spontaneously return to controllable flight and may continue a rotation no greater than two 360s in the direction of the spin . (2) Sic

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15) End of an asymmetrical stall Applies to: Standard, Performance, Tandem

Purpose: Check the abili ty of the canopy to return to normal or controllable flight after an unintentio nal asymmetrical stall.

Procedure: The pi lot slows down the g lider to minimum speed, then pull on one brake until an asymmetrical stall is obtained. At this moment, both brakes are released rapidly. Results: Standard: Spontaneous return to normal flight with no change in trajectory greater than 90° in any direction. Performance: If return to normal or controllable flight is not obtained within a rotation of 180°, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner ' s man ual and must return to normal flight within 90° of direction change. Tandem: If return to normal or controllable flight is not obtained within a rotation of 180°, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner' s manual and must return to normal flight within 90° of direction change.

16) End of a symmetrical collapse Applies to: Standard , Performance Purpose: Simulate one known effect of turbulence. Procedure: The pilot holds the front risers and shifts his weight to obtain a symmetrical front collapse. As soon as the collapse is obtained, the risers are released (while making this movement the pilot must not act on the brakes). Results: Standard: Spontaneous return to controllable flight within 4 seconds with a dive no greater than 45 ° angle. Performance: If return to controllable flight is not obtained withjn 4 seconds, the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owner's manual. He must then return to normal or controllable flight in the following 4 seconds with no change in direction greater than 45 ° in either direction from the point where the pilot ' s intervention started, and with no dive greater than 90° angle .

17) End of steep 360° turns Applies to: Standard, Performance , Competition, Tandem Purpose: Check the glider's ability to return to normal flight after a series of 360s. Procedure: The pilot starts a spiral, maintains it for two full rotations and slowly re leases the brakes at the beginning of the third 360° turn.

Results: Standard: Spontaneous return to normal flight within 360°. Performance: Spontaneous return to controllable flight within 360°. Competition: If return to controllable flight is not obtained within 360° and the glider stays in a stab le spiral turn , the pilot acts according to the instructions of the owne r' s manual. He must then be able to return to controllab le flight within 360°. Tandem: Spontaneous return to controllable flight within two 360° turns.

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FIGHTING LINE BREAKAGE For years lines on certified paragliders have seemed to be overdimensioned, so that a line failure would not put the pilot in danger. In summer 1993 there were a number of accidents involving paragliders from different manufacturers caused by line breakage. One pilot was killed when all his main lines broke and he could not operate the emergency parachute. Others survived because either they were able to activate their emergency parachute or because the failure occurred over water. DHV investigated the cause of these failures and the results of the study are presented below. The design of paraglider lines at present uses a "core and sheath" method. Lines have a sheath of braided polyester and a core of high strength fibers. Usually this core is also braided although this is not always the case. The paragliding community is split into two groups over the selection of material for the core. Within each group users are committed to one of two materials: either aramide fiber "Kevlar" or polyethylene fiber "Dyneema" is chosen as the material of construction. The normally used terms Kevlar and Dyneema are names used by Dupont and DSM for their aramide and polyethylene fibers . Although in Europe polyethylene lines always contain "Dyneema " , aramide lines very rarely contain "Kevlar" but rather aramide fibers from various other manufacturers. At present it is recognized that paraglider lines suffer from two serious problems in practical use. The first is reduction in line strength and the second is variation in line length.

Reduction in line breaking strength 1. Stress as a result of mechanical bending is the most predominant of all factors affecting the strength of a line. In all of the accidents and all of the re-checks line ruptures were, practically without exception, observed at these bending stress points, i.e. , at the end of the beat shrunk sleeves or, where no sleeve is fitted, at the end of the line stitching. 2. As recently as last year, it was normal to fly paragliders with aramide lines which suffered the following losses in strength at the hard edge of the beat shrunk sleeves, where such excessive bending of the line takes place: practically new equipment -- approximately 30% loss in strength equipment with two years of normal flight usage -- often greater than 50% loss heavily used equipment -- approximately 70% Many manufacturers have stopped using hard plastic sleeves, whose edges lead to the sharp bending of lines which, up to now, has been shown to be the main cause of failure. But the mere omission of a sleeve cover over the stitching must be treated with skepticism. This only moves the point of highest bending stress to the end of the stitching. A better solution is achieved when the heat shrunk sleeve is replaced by a sleeve made from a soft silicon based material. The problem of serious loss of strength as a result of bending the

PAGE 22 • PARAG LI DING, THE MAGAZINE

lines applies to the aramide material that was still being generally used last year. However, for some years alternative aramide fibers with a different molecular structure which results in a lower stiffness have been available on the market. These have been used by a few manufacturers of paragliders (e.g. Aile-de K). These lines have shown a loss of strength in re-checks which is half that of conventional aramide lines. That is, after two years they retain 60% of their strength. It is assumed that by now all manufacturers of lines and paragliders have converted to the new materials which are far less sensitive to bending stresses. The new material is also used when lines are replaced as a result of re-checks.

Rules for the re-check At the two year check-up the manufacturer has additional tests to make, to measure the strength loss and length change:

* All lines on one side are to be measured. The other side is to be checked by symmetrical comparison. * From each line layer (A, B, C etc.) a main line is to be removed from the middle and to undergo a stretch test. * The same lines are to be tested to the breaking point. All the data gained is to be filed and presented to DHV on demand. Through the collection of this data, basic material problems should be recognized early . The possibility of a dangerous reduction in strength between check-ups must be assumed for all paragliders with aramide lines which were approved before 1994. This is also valid for lines with a diameter greater than 1.7 mm. Every user of such a paraglider is urgently advised to have it tested to the most up-to-date standards by the manufacturer.

Rules for flight operation The high stresses caused by sharp bending of lines is, by far, the most important factor affecting aging. Pilots cannot avoid this stressing of lines in normal operation but they can observe some principles of care and caution: When packing a paraglider, sharply bending the lines should be avoided. Lines which are sensitive to sharp bending should not be stepped on because on uneven ground they will be forced into very tight radius and thereby weakened. Finally, the start also plays a small part. In the first moments of launch the tightening of the lines leads to sharp bending before the weight can be taken up by straightened lines from the belt to the canopy . But we must take off so there is nothing here that can be improved. All flight equipment can be loaded so that it will break. What was not acknowledged for many years is that this also applies to paragliders. In particular the maximum loads that are now exerted in steep spirals are no longer limited to 3-4 g ' s. If such a load occurs in a partially folded sail, then local forces will be produced that no paraglider can withstand . Rupture of an overloaded line can trigger a cascade failure of neighboring lines.

Line Stretching and Shrinking Having read this far, it is tempting to suggest that the indestructible Dyneema lines should always be used. Unfortunately these polypropylene lines have a weakness in that they are not able to maintain a consistent length. Aramide lines which have been either used in practice or tested exhibit either a shortening or a lengthening, but this is hardly more than 10 mm over the total length of the paraglider line. Changes of this amount should hardly affect flight behavior. If Dyneema lines are subjected to the same tests they exhibit length changes in the range of plus to minus 5% and maximum values of 8% have been measured. In follow -up tests it is not unusual to observe length changes of 2 to 3 cm, although pilots only noticed a modified flight behavior in isolated cases. Even with Dyneema, the observed variations in length are of the order of 1% of the original length. In other applications such performance would represent a quite outstanding consistency for high strength lines, for the sensitive adjustments of paragliders however, such variations exceed an acceptable tolerance. It is for this reason that, up to now, fiber and line manufacturers have paid little attention to these length variations and why we are now often entering new areas as we look for a line tolerance control of clearly less than one percent.

Fadors affeoting length variations are as follows: The stiffness of the line determines the extent to which it will stretch when under load. The "old" aramide lines, which were sensitive to bending stress, were approximately three times stiffer than Dyneema fibers; the "new" relatively less sensitive aramide lines are only twice as stiff as Dyneema. For this reason, up until less than one year ago, when it was still believed these lines gave no problems because of the huge safety margins, they were preferred as they provided a more constant length . Even for unbraided yarn, when the load is removed the line does not recover its original length. A residual elongation remains which over the course of minutes to hours, decays to virtually nothing. This "visco-elastic" behavior is caused by the behavior of the molecular strncture of the material. The molecular chains align in parallel under load and return to the original position when the load is removed. Both aramide and polyethylene elongate visco-elastically, but in aramide this effect is much smaller. Under a constant load, lines become longer and longer. When the load is removed , this effect, which is a result of flow, is never reversed . Aramide fibers exhibit no flow and even with Dyneema the effect is very small because the normal loads produced in paragliding are only a fraction of the lines rupturing load and are therefore assumed, in comparison to other factors, to be negligible. A major part of length change is thought to result from the method used to braid the line, although the exact reason for this is not fully clear at present. None of the above factors can explain why lines can also shrink. Furthermore, when a line is loaded for the first time it stretches much more than under subsequent loads. Here the braid must first be aligned into its final shape. As aramide and Dyneema lines have basically the same construction , this " construction " stretching and shrinking should also occur to the same extent in aramide lines. Why it does not is not yet fully understood but is thought most probably to be because the friction of aramide fibers

between one another and with the sheath is considerably higher than that of Dyneema fibers. Dyneema fibers can slide over each other easily under load and then easily realign, while even large forces are insufficient to overcome the high friction forces within aramide lines . Because of this construction stretching of lines, they are normally pre-stretched by the manufacturer to bring them into a condition suitable for use. But whether every manufacturer carries out this procedure and whether the line retains this new length or returns slowly to its original condition is uncertain.

Consequences Current designs from paraglider manufacturers are now taking into account the length change effect which occurs in Dyneema lines. As a result, serious changes in flight characteristics now rarely occur. However, as yet there is still no definite safeguard against line length changes in Dyneema lines which can negatively affect flying characteristics. If changes in flying behavior are detected, often accompanied by worse performance at takeoff, the line lengths of the equipment should immediately be re-checked by either the manufacturer or his appointed agent.

BACK PROTECTION (CAUSE YOU'RE WORTH IT!) Finally, almost all the major manufacturers are selling harnesses that can accommodate back protection of one sort or another. All you have to do is read the accident statistics for the last few years, and you too will say, what took so long? Well, now that the harnesses can bold them, why aren't you flying with one? I know, $$ money - they won ' t fold in my bag - I don ' t have time to shop around, blah, blah, blah. Well, come up with the money and make the time -or you may be injured seriously enough that all you ' ll have is time. Time to watch everyone else fly because you can't walk. Now I ' m not trying to say that they are always going to save your butt/back. However, the accident stats do show a reduction in serious injuries in the cases where back plates were used . Some other factors must be considered with regard to how this type of protection is going to help prevent serious injury. The ground on which you pound, is it rock, sand or clay? Of course it's hard, but depending on the surface you impact, your deceleration rate or the ability of the surface to absorb the energy from you hitting it greatly impacts the injury potential. So aim for something soft. There are many different types of protectors. What you want is something rigid, not something that easily bends or twists. The composite protectors should be made of woven fiber not chopped fiber. The reason is the loads applied to woven cloth are transferred fiber to fiber. In chop or molded chop parts this

PARAGLI DI NG, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 23

can ' t happen because in a random scattered pattern the only thing taking the load is the resin, not the fibers. Chop is abo ut 1/3 as strong as woven . Carbon fiber is the most rigid, very strong and very light. Kevlar is strong, flexible and light. Fiberglass is strong but it 's heavier and not very flexible. Any of these are better than nothing. Also if the foam on the protector isn ' t thick and closed cell, designed for absorbing energy, then it 's just weight. Replace it with better foam. One more note, if your harness has a ballast compartment, use it! If the conditions are too light to carry water, fill it up with air. Again , anything that will absorb energy is better than nothing! Contributed by Bob Schick. Salt Lake City, Utah

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PARAGLIDER CLOTH WARRANTY For many paragliding customers the question of fabric quality is of primary importance when consider ing a purchase.While most of us take the utmost care of our glider, we still want to know, what will it look and fly like after 50hrs, lOOhrs, 150, is 300 out of the question? We are stymied with terms like, Porsher Marine, Carrington , coated nylon, mylar coating, silicon protection, polyurethane, polyester, dacron , etc. What 's a pilot to do? Recently several paraglider manufacturers have started a trend we hope will catch on . That is a three year fabric guarantee, from new, which will guarantee that the porosity of the fabric will be higher than the minimum level required for safe airworthy operation of the glider. The test is easy to perform using a porosity meter and the results are based on the industry standards. The manufacturers who have made this guarantee known to Paragliding Magazine are; APCO Aviation, Harley Paragliders, Aile de K, Custom Sails, Trekking, and Technicair. We will report others as they become known to us .

SAFETY ADVISORY Secura -Max Parachute Containers It has come to the attention of Edel USA that there have been several inadvertent deployments recently of the Secura-Max parachute Before flying with a Secura-Max parachute PREFLIGHT THE CONTAJNER by making sure that the pins are seated in the closing loops and the velcro flap is attached fully. The Secura-Max container is designed to deploy its parachute easily, and is certified. Please note that this advisory does not apply to a Secura-Max parachute mounted in any back mounted harness system. If you need further information, please contact Edel USA at ph # 208 726-1100 or fax 208 726-1149 Thank you .

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PAGE 24 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

The best sail in the market in its category as proven by its many Worlds Records (XC Open Distance World Record). Flying with a Supra is always a guaranteed pleasure. Equipped with the speed accelerator it is the fastest wing around.

•

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Where is maxx? Exploring sink on the wrong side of the ridge. Even the best of equipment can't prevent bad decisions. But it can tell you the results of those decisions, immediately and clearly. Elevation 3396 feet and dropping at 2.8 meters/second. Air speed 33 kilometers/hour. Later we'll review this flight in detail, and learn from the experience. Because the more you learn, the better your decisions. And better decisions make better pilots. SKYBOX maxx. Precision vario with your choice of sounds, including sounds made by other brands. Selectable quiet ranges and speaker volume. Altitude in meters or feet. Auto-start memory, either flight highlights or FAl-approved barograph. Memory for 58,000 data points. That's 16 hours at one per second. Rechargeable battery and backup battery. Waterproof construction. Anti-theft security code. Mount on leg or frame tube. Choose fixed or hanging speed sensor. Print barographs directly on a printer, or transfer data to a PC and use BaroMaster software for analysis and printing.

Imported by:

Above All

•

3797 NW Wisteria Way Corvallis, OR 97330 phone 503-752-6947 fax 503-752-8449

Get more information instantly by fax. Use your fax to POLL our fax. It's easy, but you'll want to look up POLLING in your fax manual.

SKYBOX maxx. For those who take their fun seriously.

yaoX® Precision Flight Instruments

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"New" steerable reserve from Pro Design XS 360/HELP steerab le reserve system is fully reinforced and certified SHV/FSVL-AFNOR S52-318. The double bridle pull down apex reserve system has a maximum sink rate of 22 ft I sec. al its maximum load of 264 lbs. Reserve system 360/ HELP is 36 square meters in size and weighs only 5.9 lbs.

The Contest from Pro Design High performance glider for the ambitious pilot.

As a successor to the Challenger C, the Contest is designed for the experienced recreational and XC pilot who wants high performance and security . The Pro Design team has reported that they have been doing ex tensive compariso ns and have noted, "The Contest has a clearly noticeable better climb in thermals than the Challenger C," also noted was better stability in turbulence. "The trim-speed seems the same or slightly better at the same weight loading, but the sink rate is far better". We were also told that test pilot Stephan Stiegler flew over 100 km 's on the Contest 46, he experienced a lot of rough air and big thermals and not one single collapse! Contest will be available in 3 sizes, 46 ( 25.64sq m 46 cells), 48 ( 27.02 sq m 48 cells), 50 (28 .39sq m 50 cells).

EDEL SUPERSPACE The SuperSpace, geared towards the serious recreational pilot, bridges the gap between performance and security . The SuperSpace moves beyond the Space with a new more efficient high aspect planform and sailcut, increased number of cells, differenti al line sizing and a new speed system. By incorporating many of the design features of the Rainbow, the Superspace attains the speed, glide and handling of a competition wing without co mpromising stability. Its flight characteri st ics make it a superb choice for thermal and XC flying. 12 A rating from ACPUL. Availab l e in 3 sizes; 22 ( 23.7 s qm 33cells), 25 ( 26.4 sqm 35 cells), 27 ( 29.1 sqm 37 ce ll s) and Superspace 30 . EDEL a lso has the new " HERO" harnes s, featuring a back mounted re se rve container, a n optiona l fiberglass and polyethylene back protector. water ballast co ntainer and Edel ' s new style easy to operate hardware . The Hero is a new design with a unique comfort adju s t system. No photo prov ided.

EW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PROD

Nova 's designer, Hannes Papesh, has has been the so urce of many of today 's construction characteristics that are invaluable for safe modern paragliders . For ' 94 Hannes introduces the Phocus (intermediate) a simple clean cut glider. An avante garde cutting technique aUowed for an increase in the width of the cells and therefore a reduction in the number of suspension points and overall length of line needed. This has also decreased drag dramatically. Available in three sizes; certified DHV 2 23 (25.48 sqm 34 ce lls), 26 ( 28.83 sqm 34 cells), 29 (32.40 sqm 34 cells)

PAGE26 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

FIREBIRD STREAMLINE

~IRE BIRD

DOLPHIN

Beginner I Standard

The Dolphin has been developed for new pilots. Firebird claims it features simple: take-off, flight, handling & landing characteristics. It has been designed so the pilot will not outgrow the wing for quite some time. The effective profile & planform have been trimmed to create a glider which is stable in all conditions. The Dolphin in 2 sizes 24 (26.90sqm 32 cells) and 27 (30.50 sqm 32 cells) The Dolphin 24 is currently in cert ifi cation, the 27 received a DHV 1/2. MARLIN Intermediate/ Performance Firebird tells us that the three key factors of performance, handling and safety are smoothly combined in the Marlin to give the pilot a feeling of absolute security without th e traditional restrictions of low-speed and clumsy handling. The Marlin has very direct handling with medium brake-pressure, slow, flat turns are as easy as tight wing-overs. They claim that due to the efficient profile and effective speed-system, the Marlin has a good sink-rate at both ends of its speed range. The Marlin is avai lable in 3 sizes; 23 (23 .60 sqm 39 cells), 26 ( 26.08 sqm 39 cells) and 29 (28.75 sqm 39 cells). All 3 have a DHV grade 2.

Dolphin

BARRACUDA The Worlds first sports paraglider. The Barracuda is a new type of paraglider - a sports glider. It is for the pilot who wants to move on from the intermediate class without the stress of a twitchy competition wing. The Barracuda's relatively large surface area, very flat turning & light brake pressure make it a competent thermalling machine. The straight-line glide (with or without speed-system) is not far behind that of top competition wings. The numerous test flights and thermal flights made by the Firebird test-team have shown how stable the sail is, even in turbulence. Suitable for the experienced "week-end pilot". Available in 3 sizes; 25 ( 25.80 sqm 40 cells). DHV 2-3, also 28 (31.60 sqm 42 cells) and 31 ( 33.20 sqm 42 ceUs) (28 and 31 in tests).

rs NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS

Paraglider Pipeline Inc. proudly introduces ATMOS Atmos gliders from Switzerland , are made with Carrington fabric , Edelrid Dyneema lines and Stubai links. ATMOS designs gliders to combine safe handling characteristics with performance. The U.S. distributor tell us, "this goes beyond the now nearly-meaningless ACPULS rating system , since a glider with all "A "s is not necessarily a safe wing" . The manufacturer claims the ATMOS 40 is an intermediate wing geared towards the weekend fl yer who desires a fun wing which launches easily, and delivers stability and solid handling. It is also a glider well-suited for pilots who like to combine paragliding with hiking or climbing. Best of all, ATMOS 40 performance pleases even the most demanding pilot. The ATMOS 60, an intermediate/advanced wing, recalls the essence that makes paragliders a joy to fly. Atmos claims the nimble handling and precise controls make this truly a " sports car of the air" . Coring tight thermals is the wing 's forte. The ATMOS 90 competition wing, and the ATMOS 10 school wing, will be available soon.

TS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW l'RODUC rs NEW l'RODUC 15 NEW l'RODUC rs NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS N

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UP International will be introducing its new line of gliders for 1994! The line will include the tandem "Pickup" in two sizes; 35 (35.6 sqm 41 cells), and 43 (43.0 sqm 47 cells). The large tandem has already received 1 2 A 's and a DHV level 1-2.

Their new competition paraglider is called the Kenda C. The Chas smaller cell openings than the Kenda (certified version) and features competition type performance. Available in large (35.6 sqm 63 cells) and a medium size ( 32.5 sqm 59 cells) . Info. from the manufacturer is that the certified version of the Kenda features high performance along with high security, obvious in its ACPUL certification (11 A's 1 B). It is also avai lable in medium ( 29.4 sqm 55 cells) and large (32.5 sqm 59 cells) sizes only. The new intermediate UP, the Vision, received 12 A 's in it's Small, ( 28 .2 sqm 37 cells), Medium (30.3 sqm 39 cells), and Large (32.4 sqm 41 cells) sizes. The Vision has already completed the DHV test (level II w/ accelerator). DHV certification will be complete when the large Vision and the medium and large Kendos are finished. The UP paragliders come from the UP Europe design team led by Ernst Strobl. The 1994 UP Paragliders will be available in the US sometime soon.

No photo provided.

PARAGLIDING , THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 27

AIR TF.K EUROPl;c

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AT SPORTS Air Tek Sports spokesman I di stributor tell us the MIRAGE, intermediate glider is idea lly s uited fo r the new ly certified paraglider pilot who is look in g for quality equipm ent with good performance and durability, but is not willing to sacrifice any aspect of safely.

Air Tek has designed thi s glider as the safest possible combin at ion of stab ility and performance, the Mirage has achieved 12 A ' s in the ACPUL testing. This is the highest possible safety rating any glider can be awarded . The focus of the Mirage designers was to build a user friendly glid er with th e most forg ivin g characteristi cs possibl e. The leading edge of the Mirage is made of Porcher Marine Mylar to ensure a perfectly shaped leadi ng edge as well as resistance lo ultra-violet damage . The risers are fitted with speed bar pulleys. State of the art materi als and construction techniques are standard on all s izes . Mirage 23 ( 23 sqm 35 ce ll s), Mirage 25 (25 sqm 37 cell s), Mirage 27 ( 27 sqm 39 cell s), Mirage 30 (30 sqm 41 ce lls) l'ROI JLJ(' IS NI W 1'1{01 >LJC IS Nl ·W l'l{()J >LJC IS NEW NEW NEW l'ROllUC IS Nl iW l'ROllUC J'S NFW !'ROil-

Sail Wings introduces the Tow Bar release. The Tow Bar: 1. Is always within reach. 2. Is less li ke ly to fly back and hit you. 3. Does not hang down and interfere with landing. 4. Is made of ai rcraft aluminum with stainless stee l quick links and release pin. 5. Webbing release is more durabl e than string releases. 6. Weighs on ly 8 ozs.

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Ailes de K

Ai les de K offers leadi ng edge technol ogy , fro m research through development to production, and now guarantees the fabric for three years on the all new gliders. The new CRUISAIR, des igned for pilots who desire to fly cross country with confidence. Ailes de K states that the "uniqu e combination of thi s glider's profile and geometry gives the CRUISAIR its so lid, dynamic flying character. Making it smooth and stabl e in pitch, yaw and roll, its balance and in flight dynamics help to accentu ate the pilot ' s ski lls. And with its glide ratio and wide speed range this glider will surprise yo u with a performance potential to realize your cross country plans" . The CRUISAIR, recreational high performance glider 3 sizes avai lab le: 26 m2, (39 cells) 29 m2, (39 cells) 32 m2, (39 ce lls) AFNOR Cruisa ir 29: 12 A DHV: in process

Crui sair AILES DE K is now in the process of certifying two other gliders. The new Ta ndem SIDE-AIR, with a higher aspect ratio and increased speed range. The SIDE-AIR will be slightly larger than the PASSAGAIR, (which will continue to be produced). A lso the SPRINTAIR, originall y a prototype competition glider produced for R&D purposes.

Second Chantz teamed up with leading European Designer Pi erre Bouilloux to create the new Second Chantz Sup' AIR an integrated harness designed around th e res erve . This is th e first ready-to -fly paragliding harness package with built in A.LR. ® rocket and parachute of your choice. Available now for an unbelievably low package price.

PAGE 28 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

FLIGHT DESIGN

FLIGHT DESIGN INTERNATIONAL B 3- High Performance After the reported success of the A4 Intermediate Flight Design releases this spring its new High performance glider B 3. Flight design factory reps claim the B 3 combines an extraordinary level of performance with stability, so that the glider can be flown by nearly everybody. Its easy handling makes it a good choice for Weekend- Flyer with average experience. The B 3 has been developed using a new profile on the base of the A 4 Intermediate. It has excellent pitch stability with a high internal pressure and phenomenal performance. This high performance profile has very low minimum speed and minimum sink rate and an extremely high maximum speed. In flight the B 3 has very docile handling, direct, with easy flat turns, simple B-line stall and spirals. The wing exhibits no flat spin tendency. The low stall point and the speed system gives a very wide speed range . Available in 3 sizes; 23, 26, & 29.

Flight Designs introduces the new high definition rescue series.

This reserve parachute has a totally new idea of pressure compensation using a CAT EYE valve system. The "Cat- Eye" stabilizes the chute, by using an automatic opening at the apex of the chute which opens when there is a pressure difference which occurs when the canopy starts shifting. The occurring airstream stabilizes the canopy in thi s moment. In the normal, stable sink flight the cat-eye closes automatically and assures a low sink rate, because no air leaves the apex. Made of zero porosity fabric the sink rate of the new HD rescue series is incomparable . The well known short opening time of Flight Design reserves will continue by the use of a small " power canopy" which is fixed to the top of the main canopy to automatically pull out the system and stretch the lines. This ensures the shortest possible opening time in every situation. For any weight pilots, up to tandem and motor- paraglider pilots the new chute is available in three sizes: HD- 24 (24 sqm-up to 100 Kg, DHV load tested), HD- 32 (32 sqm - up to 125 Kg, DHV load test), HD- Twin ( 42 sqm up to 180 Kg DHV load test ).

EW l'RODUC IS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NE

AVOCET AVOCET VERTECH PILOT WATCH The internationall y acclaimed company AVOCET of California will be bringing a new wrist altimeter called the VERTECH Pilot to market in Spring 1994. Following several years of research and development, AVOCET is now marketing an altimeter which allows pilots to retrieve data that is unique in the entire field of aviatics and has been patented worldwide.This instrument is a temperature compensated altimeter, barometer, timer, thermometer and calculates rate of climb in feet or meters per second. You don ' t have to be a rocket scientist lo use it, pictures guide you through the functions , making it simple to use. The altimeter can display an altitude of up to 60,000 ft. to an astonishing degree of precision (10 ft . increments) and with temMeasure your flight. perature compensation. Pilots can retrieve their current, maximum and average fli ght performances in vertical ft. flown in one flight and during an entire season .This is a feature: that is unmatched throughout the world. Additionally, the VERTECH Pilot informs its user about weather pressure at all times. Any ch ange in weather pressure can also be very useful for pilots. A thermal counter and a temperature display are also available to the pilot. Naturally, the VERTECH Pilot offers several useful timing functions, such as a real-time watch , various stopwatch functions , a wake-up function and a countdown counter. A simple push on a button toggles the display between feet and meters and Celsius and Fahrenheit. A VERTECH Pilot can also toggle between the SKIING and ALPINE mode. The VERTECH Pilot is available with an elastic strap for sporting activities and a sporty strap for other uses. Made in the USA

VERTECH PILOT

NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NE

Advance Tandem Advance is introducing their new tandem paraglider. Designed as a performance intermediate glider for competent pilots, it bas a sail area of 42.3 sqm (43 cells) and a total flying weight of 140- 210 kg . The glider passed all the Swiss certification tests (SHV) with 12 A's and has a max. glide ratio of 7:1 with a top speed of 25mph.+. Advance also will be introducing the new Omega III, in June '94. It will be replacing the Omega II , the glider that won the world Championships in Verbier '93. Also available Epsilon, as the intermediate I advanced glider.

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE • PAGE 29

NEW APCO SPECTRA APCO is laun chin g its new intermediate/ high performance paraglider SPECTRA, replacing the XC World record holder ASTRA Th is is APCO 's first attempt to create a high performance glider, suitable for every pilot with regard to its take off characteristi cs, handling, behavior and safety level. They believe those aims were synthesized in the new Spectra. They say the glider has Astra level performance, with a speed range of 22-45 k. SPECTRA is man ufactured in 3 sizes covering pilot ranging from 55 to 110 kg. 25 (39 cell s), 27 ( 43 ce ll s) Both ACPULS 12 A's, 30 (47 cells) 11 A 's 1 B asymmetric collapse. The gliders ' des ign incorporates progressive panel widths a completely new concept utilizing the latest in paraglider design technology. APCO launches its new beginni ng I intermediate glider named SABRA. The SABRA replaces the STARLITE lin e whose production has been discontinued, after 4 years.The SABRA is available in 3 sizes : 25,(24.82 sqm 35 ce ll s), 27 (26.8 sqm 37 cells) and 30 (29.35 sq m 38 ce lls) . Sizes 25 & 27 have full ACPULS certification, both of them with a full 12 A's. Certifi cation of size 30 is currently underway. The meaning of the word SABRA in Hebrew is a desert flower - prickly on the outside but with a very sweet and pleasant tasting fruit and also a njckname for a native Israeli, known for their rough exteriors but with a sweet and sensit ive nature, just like the desert fruit.

., I

Airwave's new integrated "Reggae" harness The REGGAE from Airwave Cont inuin g the dance music theme , the Reggae is Airwave 's new paraglider fo r new pilots. The manu facturer claims that much design time was invested in making Reggae easy to fly w ithout losing the performance. Spokesman John ~ Pendry said " The o ld clich e"from training slope to c loudbase ", really ca n be appli ed to the Reggae". "It 's a very straight forward wing, easy to ground handle, with practically no tendency to "overshoot" on laun ch. Solid stabi lity, and a good leve l of performance are the main features of thi s wing". The small and medium have alrea dy been ce rtifi ed with 12 A's at ACPUL and the large is expected to be passed soon. The Reggae is being produced in 3 sizes: 24 (24.04 sqm) 27 ( 26.92 sqm) 30 ( 29.49 sqm) 30 cells

34 ce ll s

36 cell s

incorporates the newest technology for comfort, back protection and performance. The Reggae features full Kevlar back protector, quick release fasteners, in flight accessible hip pockets, neoprene side supports for more comfort and weight shift control. There is also a re a r mounted reserve pouch for balance, aerodyn amics, and protection from possible unintentional deployment. The Reggae also offers a choice of either full or semi cross bracing and pockets on the back for ballast , drinking w a te r, glider bag, or other accessories. The new refined design all comes together as a stunningly sleek and practical harness for the serious pilot.

UCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PROD UC rs NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PROD UC

The Super Helmet ' 94 all new design. Molded carbon graphite and Kevlar, for "superior protection". Especially designed for competition pilots with oversized egos. Better then the Brain Bucket, Reflex or Panoramic, the " Super Helmet" offers full body protection in the event of a crash. Simply tuck in your arms and legs and let the "Super Helmet" absorb 100% of the impact. No need for a heavy reserve anymore, throw away your back protector, the Super Helmet has got you covered!

PAGE 30 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

TOPAZE: The Topaze is categorized as "School" wing or 12 A's under the old system . ITV claims this is a great wing for the pilot's first steps in the sky! With a 6 to 1 glide ratio this wing claims ease of handling and control that allows fledgling pilots to enjoy their flights from the very start. and gradually discover the world of flying. AGENA The Agena categorized as" intermediate" 12A's under the old system. 6. 5 tol glide ratio . Beneath the aesthetics lies the technical experience of ITV and a performance range which will allow the pilot to broaden his flying skills and horizons. ITV says this wing is designed with amazing control precision and optimum thermalling efficiency. Agena 30 (30.50 sqm ), 28 ( 28.11 sqm), 26 926.38 sqm). Finally a wing for the light weight pilots The Agena 24m2 available and is also 12A's

Agena

ATIKS: The New Atiks categorized as "Competition", has been conceived to combine high performance, safety and handling characteristics. ITV hopes this wing will be the needed tool by the top pilots to carve the skies at will. 8 tol glide ratio . The first new ATIKS were seen in the first round of the (PWC) world cup in Brazil. The ATIKS placed 10th, flown by Christophe Mou gin of France.

:W PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NE

FLUGELECTRONIC The SKYBOX consists of a 2 part highly impact resistant, fiberglass reinforced polyamid-6 housing. A transparent plastic screen protects the large LCD display, 3 foil keys as the only operating keys are positioned below the display. The unit is powered by a commonly avail able 9 volt battery.

News from Brauniger

We have been testing airspeed indicators for the past year, we have tested several different types of speed probes. The result is a special aerodynamic designed speed probe, which will automatically be stabilized in the to\al range of speed even over 30 mph. The speed probe will make measuring the air speed of your paraglider more precise. It can be connected to Brauniger Basis-SP or other instruments with integrated speed. Pictured here is the prototype.

PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCTS NEW NEW NEW PRODUCTS N The SKYBOX features are listed below. SKYBOXmaxx Speaker output - choice of 3 vario sound programs - choice of 4 volume settings - adjustable ranges for climb and descent - toggle sound off and on with the " -" key - adjustable stall alarm• 5 easy-to-read displays - altitude (feet or meters, 5 setting modes) - speed* , stopwatch, time, date, temperature, or pressure - analog vario (vcrlicaJ bar chart, bottom up and top down) - digital vario (may be speed-compensated* or averaged) - status indicators Auto-start flight recording - flight extremes for last 199 flights, or - continuous flight recorder (barograph) - save aJtjtudc, speed• , and key -press markers - save multiple flights, 58,000 data points (16 hours al I per second) - plot flights directly on Epson-compatible printer, or - transfer to a DOS PC, use Baromaster software to - create and label plots - print on PC printer - zoom in on detaiJs - plot a polar' Waterproof construction Anti-theft security code Intelligent recharge electronics and backup battery Choice of leg or tube mounting * requires speed sensor

SO LEIS

sport sunglasses. Active lifestyles demand sunglasses that won ' t slip or fall during active sports. SOLEIS has a innovative idea , start with a soft sponge neoprene noserest, attached to a light weight lens, contoured to your face. Hold this in place with an adjustable cord, and you barely know they are on. SOLEIS actually weigh less than one ounce. They fit perfectly under a helmet, (no arms) . The lens is precision molded of optical grade polycarbonate, and absorbs a full 100% Every lens is silicone hard coated for scratch resistance. SOLEIS do not distort color, or depth perception, and are excellent eye protection for pilots of any craft. SOLEIS Solarware is made in the USA and assembled by handicapped workers. Colors available are: Cobalt, Copper, Chromium, Cadmium, Black and also Clear. For more info. on SOLEIS call Claudia at Paragliding Magazine.

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 31

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IN MARCH (Name: City, State; Instructor name)

JOHNSON, FRANK, Mammoth L!i,kes, CA; M. AxenNertloal World Sys MQFIAISEY, PAT: Foster City; CA; B. Porter/Bright Star SMITH,.BRADLEY: San Ftanolsco,.OA; T. McOlement/Alr;!.ln,i!SF THEL.eN, ANDREA: MIii Valley, CAl ~r,enbaum/Allctlttl'!!iiSF, . UNDiFIWOOD, LEi: T:lb.~ron, CA: e. .Stel.~ .. . WALTON1.IAN: Menlo Fiark, OA; J. Wllliams/[itrl<eley HG

Region 3 Region 1

BLACKBURN, TIMOTHY: San Francisco, CA; G. Smith/Sun Valley PG McCUNE, LEE: Portland, OR; D, Raybourn/HG PG School Oregon MUCCINO, SUSAN: Seattle, WA; C. Sa11tacroce/UP Soaring PFIEFFER, NANCY: Palmer, AK; N. Marsh/Chandelle SF WOJT, RICHARD: Port Townsend, WA; M. Eberle/N Amer.PG Region 2 CLEM, CHARLES: Concord, CA; S. Bickford/Airtime GARRITY, BUTCH: Redding, CA; D. Mills/Pro Design PG MACDONALD, SCOn: Valleto, CA; T. Switzer/Sky Times PG WHITE, PETER: Carmel, CA; T. SV11itzer/Skytlmes PG Region 3

BELTER, STEVEN: Ridgecrest, CA; M. Wright/Glide Gear CAVANAUGH, JIM: Oxnard, CA; A. Hageman/Advanced Air Tech CLUFF, CHARLES: Torrance, CA; M. Haley/Air Play CUNNINGHAM, ROBERT: San Diego, CA; F. Lawley/Accelerated Flight HUNTER, ALAN: Pamona, CA; D. Skadal/Flight Sys KAPLAN, JEFF: Wailuku, HI; S. Amy KNIGHTSBRIDGE, ROBERT: Lawndale, CA; M. Haley/Air Play MILLER, TRENT: FPO AP, CA; F. Lawley/Accelerated Flight MILL5R, RICHARD: Hemet, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings MILLl;iR, GLENN: Goleta, CA; K. deRussy/HG PG Emporium ROBINSON, TERRY: Oxnard, OA; A, Hageman/Advanced Air Tech ROCKHOLD, RICHARD: Orange, CA: C. Mendes/Compact Wings SWIFT, JON: Los Angeles, CA; B. England/Aerial Action TIVY, ROBERT; Ventura, CA; K. deRussy/HG PG Emporium VANDERMOLEN, scan: Fountain Valley, CA; J. Gluzinski/Alr America Region 4

HEISTER, ERIC: Thousand Oaks, CA; M. Haley/Air Play KOURY, JOEi;L: Long Beach, CA; D, Bridges/Sun Valley PG LEE, MIKE: Coron.!:1, CA; M,Wrlght/Gllde Gear MARTYN. ANTHONY: Haiku, HI; A,.Haqeman/Santa Barbara HG PG

Regfon4

BAF\RY, •ll>ETEFI: Draper, UTtC, StQckwell . IKEDA,MASA.HIFIIQ:Sandyl"U.l;,O,Santacro~)!lt!ll,~,~i:,arlng lFi:IWlX, scon: Ore.iited Butte, CO; Cl)1WIIIIJms/Mtn1AlrPG • RegiOl19

FINK, MARK: Gaithersburg, MD;.S, Amy/Pro Flight PG . GO, KAZUHIS ~J!il, fA· P, Reni!ludln/GMl f>G ; HEF!IFUOK,iL!lt: blilt~1 ...• C. S.amacroce!l,lf> S0111tlng, H5RRJCK1•!:l!SNtt h&r!!b.ur Of c. SnataoroceJUP $oaring Region 12. . ZUK!WSt<I: UnM11hU/$t, NY: P; Aenaudln/GMI PG

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Region 1

POHL, DOUGLAS: Seattle,+WA; E. PltmJn RAYB0URN,!0AV10:Beai/~~~~ 1,Q.R: J. Gluzlnskl RliiGI0!\12 . . , ''" ,'.: ' Glll$~1'J, MARK: ile~~H} CA: GfStnlth \ ···· ANDiJ:\S'ON; BILL: Tn,ikee,,.CA: A. Leonard. ' Region 3

CURETON, ROl!!liiRT: San Diego, CA; M; Sal\lemlnl Region 4 ANDERSON, FLETCHER: Glenwood Springe, CQ; C. Blachley BLACHLY, CHRISTOPHER: Car~.l!>pdale, CO; R. Jacobson

ALBERT, ADAM: Tijeras, NM; G. Brightbill/Enchantment PG KOJI, BRAD: Littleton, CO; S. Beok/Parasoft SMITH, WILLIAM: Tijeras, NM; G. Brightbill/Enchantment PG SWANSON, STEVEN: Salt Lake City, UT; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring TRUJILLO, J.T.: Golden, CO; C, Santacroce/UP Soaring Region 7

BERGMAN, SANORA: Muskegon, Ml; B. Fifer/Traverse City HG PG OWEN, TIM: Marne, Ml; K. Baler/Air Junkies SCHULTZ, DAVID: Holland, Ml; K. Baler/Air Junkies Region 8

HALL, DANA: N Pembroke, MA; K. B1:1ler/Air Junkies TREADWELL, STEVE: Winooski, VT; R. Sharp/Fight Gravity Region 9

SPERGER, FLOYD: Reston, VA; K. Baler/Air Junkies ZANELLA, ROBERT: B1:1rberton, OH; D. Whlte/Thermlill< PG Region 10

FOREIGN RATINGS 018181 CRESSMAN, DAVID: Vancpµver, B.C.; M. deJong/Mescallto PG KACZANOWSKI, MICHAEL: Toronto, Ontario; B. Fifer/Traversa City PG SHASTRI, VENKATeSH: Mississauga, Ontario; l!!t Flfer/Traver!le Cify PG W!<i6ATON. l!!RUCE: Pembroke, Ontario, T. Zakotnlk/Above & Beyond Olaull · BRUBAKER, GLENN: Sardis, S,C,; M. deJong/Masoalito PG ERBAN, ZDENEK: Coqultlan, B,C.; M. cteJong/Mescallto PG : .•

DAY, DAVID: Norcross, GA; F. Stockwell MILLER, DOUG: Qharleston, SC; S. Bickford/Airtime SF Region n

BELL, NORMA: Austin, TX; N. Stanford/Hill Country PG MUELLER JR, CHARLES: San Antonio. TX; F. Stockwell SCHWIRTLICH, LONNIE: Corpus Christi, TX; M. Eberle/N Amer PG WACHT, LYNDA: Euless, TX; N. Stanford/Hill Country PG (Name: City, State; Instructor name) Region 1 BAILEY, RONALD: Bothell, WA; M. Chirico/Parapente USA BLUMENTHAL, JABE: Seattle, WA; M. Chirico/Parapente USA CARROLL, JAY: Bingen, WA; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring DONALDSON, JIM: Newport, OR; J. Lucas/Glidell HALLMAN, KARL: Missoula, MT; D. Covington/Big Sky PG HAMLER, TAMARA: Anchorage, AK; J. Yates/Pro Design PG MADSEN, LUKE: WIison, WY; J. Gluzinskl/Alr Amer PG McCOOL. ADAM: Jackson, WY: F. Weber/Ascension Adventures Region 2

BECKMAN, ERIC: Santa Rosa, CA; R. Leonard/Adventure Sports BERNARD, MAURICE: San Francisco, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF GRIFFITH, TOM: San Francisco, CA; E. Stein HULAR, RICHARD: San Carlos, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF PAGE 32 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

CLASS I Region 1

FERGUSON, scan: Woodville, WA; M. Chlrico/Parapente USA M5LDRUM, ROB: Ketchum, ID; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring Center Russo, THOMAS: Teton Village, WY; F. Weber/Ascension Adv SOMERSET, PAUL: Ketchum, 10; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring Center WEBB, JERE: Portland, OR; C. Stockwell Region 2

FREEBERG, JOEL: Albany, CA; L. Friend LAWSON, TONY: Palo Alto, CA; D. Saxby/Ketchum Air ONUSKANICH, ANDREA: San Francisco, CA; S. Amy/Pro-Flight RIBORDY, DOUG: Sunnyvale, CA; T. Swltzer/Skytimes PG SORCE, TONY: Daly City, CA; S. Amy/Pro-Flight STARK, DANE: Los Altos Hills, CA; J. Yates/Pro Design

HIJR.ES NEW EXECUTIVE DIIRJECTOR Region 3

Phil Bachman joins USHGA with more than 20 years marketing, sales and management experience with corporations, entrepreneurial companies and new start businesses. He has an extensive background as a public speaker and sales and management seminar leader.

ALLEN, RONDA: Cardiff, CA; S. GressitVSkydance PG CAMPBELL, JODY: Costa Mesa, CA; R. Mckenzie/High Adventure FOWLE, MATI: Van Nuys, CA; K. Baier/Air Junkies LaMARTINA, JOE: Newbury Park, CA; M. Haley/Air Play SCHRAGNER, CHRIS: San Diego, CA; F. Lawley/Ace Flight Sys Region 4

PIENAAR, ETIENNE: Aspen, CO; J. Stenstadvold/Aspen PG SHIFRIN, CAROLINE: Old Snowmass, CO; D. Frank/Aspen PG SUKUT, ARLO: Sedona, AZ; D. White/Thermax PG WINKELSTROETER, RALPH: Ogden, UT; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring Center Region 1

LILE, BRETI: Grand Rapids, Ml; K. Baier/Air Junkies PAOLI, CARL: Mt.Prospect, IL; B. Kushner/Raven Sky Sports Region 11

GRAY, DAVID: Corpus Christi, TX; M. Eberle/N Amer PG GRAY, KAIPO: Corpus Christi, TX; M. Eberle/N Amer PG

CLASS Region 1

GRAHAM, ADAM: Laramie, WY; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond PG HALE, DEXTER: Great Falls, MT; D. Covington/Big Sky PG SOMERSET, PAUL: Ketchum, ID; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring Center STEVENSON, DAVE: Bend, OR; P. Pohl/Sky Hook Sports WARREN, BRANT: Laramie, WY; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond WOLLING, MARK: Wilson, WY; T. Zakotmik/Above & Beyond Region 2

PARKER, MICHAEL: San Francisco, CA; S. Amy/Pro-Flight SCHLUETER, CAROLE: San Francisco, CA; J. Lucas/Glidell Region 3 LaMARTINE, JOE: Newbury Park, CA; M. Haley/Air Play LYNN, TONY: Pacific Palisad, CA; M. Haley/Adventure Sports RENNER, INGO PETER: Del Mar, CA; F. Lawley/Accelerated Flight Sys Region 4

BEST, RICHARD: Morrison, CO; G. Banks/Parasoft KANE, TONY: Salt Lake City, UT; C. Santacroce/UP Soaring Center

CLASSm Region 1

CUNNINGHAM, CRAIG: Maple Valley, WA; B. Hannah Region 2

GUITIARD, CHRISTOPHE: San Jose, CA; J. Lucas MURPHY, HUGH: San Luis Obispo, CA; S. Amy SCHUETER, KLAUS: San Francisco, CA; J. Lucas WILCOX, ERIC: San Francisco, CA; E. Stein

Phil Bachman

Phil was graduated in 1968 from the University of Nebraska. From 1968 to 1973 he served in the U.S. Air Force as a jet instructor pilot and classroom training officer in aircraft systems and aerodynamics. As a member of the Arizona League of Families of POW/MlA's, he gave numerous large group presentations regarding the status of missing American servicemen in Vietnam.

Following military service Phil worked for five years with the then new business concept, Century 21 Real Estate, in positions as Regional Marketing Director, Administrative Director and State Director. During his involvement with Century 21, the corporation expanded from approximately 500 franchised offices to 7,500 which, at that time was the largest franchise network ever created in the United States. As a Regional Administrative Director, he wrote and taught management and business development seminars for franchise owners, brokers and managers. In 1980 Bachman left Century 21 to become the operating officer of a small aircraft manufacturing firm. As such, he participated in all facets of the manufacturing process including aircraft design, fabrication processes, composite mold making and fabrication, marketing, advertising, promotion and sales. From 1986 through 1989, Phil was an independent marketing, sales and management consultant to, primarily, small franchise companies, concentrating on the introduction of business operating systems into the corporate management structure. From 1989 to the beginning of 1994, Phil was a business development consultant in the aerospace industry and worked with several diversified companies and products.

USHGA

MEJET][NG NOTES

Taken from the notes of Claudia Stockwell, Barbara Flynn and Greg Huller

Region 3

MAURER, WADE: San Diego, CA; M. Salvemini

FOREIGN RATINGS CLASS I O'COFFEY, DENNIS: Smithers, BC; M. deJong/Mescalito PG TAYLOR, GLEN: Surrey, BC; M. deJong/Mescalito PG

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The USHGA Spring BOD meeting was held in Dallas, Texas, March 25, 26, and 27th. For those of you who have never attended one of these meetings, here's how they are usually conducted. It all begins with a general session on Friday morning which lasts from 2 - 3 hours. During this first general session, the Executive Committee reports on any actions they may have taken since the last board meeting. The annual financial and growth report is presented by the Executive Director, any changes in the positions on the BOD are presented and the schedule of committee meetings is set. Following the initial general session, committees are assigned time slots and meeting rooms. Directors and members of the USHGA may attend any committee meeting they wish. Committees which met at this gathering included; Elections and Allocations, Site Management, Publications, Competitions, Paragliding, Tandem, Towing, Insurance, Finance, Bylaws, Natl. Coordinating, Membership and Development, Safety and Training, and Natl. Fly-In. Each committee has its own agenda, which can take anywhere from one hour to two days to complete. The committee chair,who is chosen by the President, runs the meetings by Robert's Rules of Order. Voting privileges are granted by the committee chair at the start of the meeting. Usually, any USHGA member present is given a vote.Once a motion has been made all may debate the issue. After discussion, the vote is taken. The committee then moves on to the next agenda item. Minutes of the meetings are taken in real time on lap-top computers.

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 33

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Once the committee meeting is concluded, the minutes are finalized and printed out. Copies of the committee reports are then made to distribute to BOD members at the next general session which meets twice daily. The committee chair usually reads the report, which then may be approved as submitted, or modified while the entire BOD is present. During the general session only Regional Directors and Directors-at-Large can vote on issues, however virtually all USHGA members in attendance can comment them. Although this procedure can be complicated and time consuming, it does appear to ensure and protect the rights of the membership and the association. After you attend a few of these meetings, it seems much easier to deal with the proceedings in an orderly manner and to accomplish what you came for. ll is quite important for the membership to discuss their needs with their Regional Director, who represents them. COMMITn:E NOTES HWM lDALLASj Although the following is nol a complete coverage of every item discussed or acted upon, it is a summary of items which you may find important.

SAFETY amll TlU\KNING COMMITTEE As usual this committee has the largest agenda, and since the merging of USHGA and APA the work load has increased. The committee is co-chaired by Glen Nicolet and Marcus Salvemini. Dennis Pagen's, Hang Gliding Instructor Manual should be finalized in May while the Paragliding Manual should be finalized by the end of the year. Dennis Pagen also addressed the subject of the Annual Pilot Review and submitted the guidelines of such a program. This is a voluntary check-up for pilot skills and judgment (something we can always use more of, see accident reports). * Class I and Class II ratings were made launch specific (i.e. all C I's and C II's must be designated as either Tow or Foot Launch FL). A motion was made that an instructor certified in both disciplines (HG &PG) could recertify both instructor ratings by taking an ICP (Instructor Certification Program) in the discipline of least currency every three years. This would apply to instructors who have taught a minimum of 5 students in each discipline per year. This was discussed at length and eventually passed 9 for 7 against. * Instructor apprenticeship time requirements were discussed for both HG and PG. for paragliding a motion was made to change Section 1 of the PG instructor requirements to read, " ... 2 with a certification goal of a minimum of 40 hours apprenticeship with at least two USHGA instructors who have each rated 10 or more Class I pilots". Motion passed unanimously. * High altitude launch special skill will be added to the paragliding membership card. PLF requirement info. for PG rating will be distributed via the office. * While the USHGA no longer requires, nor certifies Advanced Maneuvers clinics, all future paragliding ICP's will require a safety segment in the class room. This will be finalized this summer when all current ICP administrators will attend a meeting to up grade the ICP's for paragliding. The time requirement of 6 months was put between Class I and Class II ratings. The special skills for paragliding, which were accepted at the Fall BOD were discussed. The office was instructed to send out the USHGA PG Pilot Training and Certification Record Book. This is a booklet produced by Jack Hodges and adopted by the USHGA to help students, pilots and instructors log and meet special skills and rating requirements. PARAGLmING COMMITTEE The paragliding committee exists to deal with issues that don't fit specifically into other committees. We have found it useful to deal with paragliding specific issues as a committee before referring them to the parent committee, such as towing, tandem, and competition. * Greg Smith made a motion to instruct the office to remove the wording Class I, Class II and Class III from the rating cards and replace them with Novice, Pilot, and Advanced. the reasoning was to enable ski resorts to better understand the rating system, as the current language has produced some confusion. (Now only we will be confused!). The motion was later tabled pending further discussion.

PAGE 34 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

TANillEM COMMITTTEE Tandem administrators were reviewed, current tandem administrators were reinstated. They are Fred Stockwell (PL/FL), Marcus Salvemini (FL), and Ed Pitman (PL/FL). Greg Smith (PL/FL)will be added pending his assistance in hosting a tandem clinic .. * An action item was given to G.W. Meadows to design practical test standards, testing procedure and procedures for administrator review, to be submitted at the next Spring BOD, at the latest. IELIECTIONS lllnd ALLOCATIONS COMMITTEE The main discussion was surrounding the past removal of Region 5 and reasons for its restoration. I won't go into the history of this controversy, the out· come was that Region 5 will return on Jan. 1, 1996, as Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. Frank Gillette, of Delco, Idaho, was nominated, to fill the vacant position of Director-atFRANK GILLETTE new Director-at-Large. Large. PURUCATKONS COMMITTEE Discussion on paragliding info. in Hang Gliding Magazine, based on a member request. The committee decided to keep the two magazines separate in actuality and content, except for the occasional article regarding the flying "mix" of the two activities. * C. Stockwell reported on the New Pilots Issue, which was ready to go to press. The committee decided to increase USHGA's draw on this magazine from 1,000 to 2,000 at a lower cost per unit. FINANCE COMMITTEE Discussion on upgrading office computer equipment was resolved by directing the Executive Director to evaluate the most effective and financially responsible method to upgrade. The committee approved the expenditure of up to $20,000 to upgrade. * Other budget requests - $1000. for graphic/editorial advice (Hang Gliding Magazine). Approved. $600 for mid-term survey insert postcard. Approved. $1,000 to support Women's Sports Foundation. Approved. $10,000 for Exec. Director travel budget. Approved. $200 to supply Certification Record Book through office. Approved.

OTHER USHGA NEWS In addition to the regular board meeting events the Spring BOD meeting brings the presentation of several awards. This is carried out on Saturday morning at an Awards Breakfast. This years awards included;

* USHGA Special Award, in appreciation to a kind and gentle spirit, was given as a memorial to Rod Hauser. This award was to commemorate all that Rod did and meant to his friends in the USHGA. It was accepted by Rod's wife, Karen, and his children, Jake and Holly.

* USHGA Commendations, were awarded to Bill Bryden Barbara Flynn, Steve Flynn, Debra Beach, Robbie Smith, Dixon Whilkner Scott Lesnet, Beth Ann Miller, Bruce Hawk, Jerry Sorenson and Peter Burkhart, for their volunteer efforts in 1993 at Sun and Fun and Oshkosh Air Show.

* Exceptional Service, this year went to the Green Team, in honor of t_he role they played in the World Hang Gliding Meet in the Owens Valley. Jim Zeise! was on hand to accept for the "Team".

Photo R to L; Jim Zeiset,(Green Team fo r Exceptional Service) Glea Nicolet,(for Jim Lee) Pete Hammer, Editor,(Newsletter of the Year) Claudia Stockwell ,(NAA Safety) Barbara Fl y nn ,(Co mme nd ati on) Karen Hause r. (USHGA Special Award) and Bill Bryden , (Commendation).

• Presidential Citation, awarded for his selfless and tireless leadership of the World Team, to Pete Lehman. • Newsletter of the Year, to the " Flatland Flyers", newsletter of the North Texas Hang Gl iding Association. Accepted by the Editor, Pete Hammer.

OTHER AWARDS

Claudia Stoc~-well accepting the NAA Safety award from Art Greenfield, Secretary of Contest and Records Boa rd for the NAA. She said," It is an honor 10 accept this awa rd because it is the first time paragliding has been recognized nationally, in such an inspiring manner. I hope this will encourage others to strive for this type of positive recognition in our sport ".

The NAA (Natl. Aeronautic Asso .) presented several awards this year. These awards are to honor individua ls who have performed exceptionally well on a nationa l leve l in their specialized sport, such as National champions, or those who have made significant contributions lo their sport. The awards were presented by Art Greenfield. * Safety Award, for her contributions to lhe safety of the sport of paragliding, to Claudia Stockwell. * Top Ranked Pilot Award, for his flying and overa ll contributions to the sport of Hang Gliding, Brad Koji. Accepted by Jim Zeise!. * National Champion Awa r d, for his consistent top performance, Jim Lee. Accepted by Glen Nicolet. * Individual Achievement Award, for achievi ng 2nd place in the World HG Meet , to Chris Arai. Accepted by Russ Locke. * 3r d Place U.S Pilot, for his World Meet performance, to Mark Gibbson. Accepted by Ken Brown.

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SYNOPSES OF ACCIDENT REPORTS SUBMITTED FOR THE PERIOD 1 JULY, THROUGH 31 DECEMBER, 1993 Submitted March 15, 1994 by; Dr. Fred Moy, Co-Chairman, Accident Committee, United States Hang Gliding Association All reports medically reviewed independently by Dr. David Millward, Westchester County Medical Center, Valhalla, NY July 5, 1993 A thirty-nine year old male class I pilot experienced an apparent rotor following launch. At fifty feet heavy sink forced the pilot to the ground where a run-out failed to bring the situation under control. Pilot fell to ground attempting to "tuck and roll". Shoulder was bruised without breakage. Known site with experienced pilots on ground and in air. ANALYSIS (1) Full-face helmet worn, preventing head injury but edge dug into collar-bone at impact (2) rotor, previously not reported, might be product of transient wind configurations (3) always be prepared for surprise events even in known areas. July 8, 1993 A forty year old class I pilot with one year experience attempted a reverse launch in 14-18 mph wind. Pilot turned the wrong way and ca~opy turned into adjacent rotor. Unable to input with controls pilot twisted forward and attempted to launch ending in a partial collapse in lees1de rotor. Hitting the hill on his side and back with a half-collapsed canopy the pilot experienced back pain and was helicoptered to the local medical facility--compressed vertebrae resulted. ANALYSIS (1) Familiar launch site for pilot, but no recent experience should indicate caution in the wind conditions (2) reverse launches req~ire good ground handling skills-pilot could have faced canopy aga1~ and stabilized to rectify initial mistake before proceeding (3) support m harness appeared to disburse impact on the pilot's body. July 10, 1993 A twenty-four year old unrated male (non-student) attempted a landing which resulted in a partial stall when the pilot changed landing strategy at the last moment to avoid a fence in the landing area. Sprained wrist was the only medical complication. ANALYSIS (1) Pilot organized his landing poorly (2) a 180 degree down'."'ind turn was ~I.tempted close to ground to redirect landing which established the cond1t1ons for the stall and the resulting thirty foot spin to the ground. July 16, 1993 A twenty-five year old student broke his foot upon landing ununexcept(onal conditions. Pilot landed across a slight slope with the foot having first contact turning outward at impact resulting in tibia break and ankle dislocation. ANALYSIS (1) Level ground landing would be preferred (2) brake earlier to reduce impact (3) use suitable footwear to avoid unstable footground contact upon landing-ground in often not level and will occasionally present serious obstacles to the ill equipped foot. July 18, 1993 ;'.':n e~perien~~d twenty-eight y~ar old male pilot took advantage of 1d.eal cond~t10ns to attempt spuals and wing overs. Pilot misjudged altitude commg out of a fmal wing over, pendulumed to the ground resulting in two vertebrae with compression fractures. No adverse weather phenomena reported. ~1':ALYSIS (1) Pilot should segregate components of flight better-· f1msh maneuvers at a safe altitude to provide adequate altitude and time for an appropriate landing (2) "ideal" conditions might lull pilot into reducing the margin of error inappropriately. July 26, 1993 A twenty-nine year old male student (unrated) with four prior flights sought tow training from a paragliding school. Following a day of theory and following three other students the pilot experienced a successful PAGE 36 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

initial launch but started to lock out at 100 feet. The "quick release" device failed and by 200 feet the pilot was fully locked out with the tow vehicle at this point attempting to release line tension. Tension was not reduced fast enough to prevent a hard vertical impact and the pilot died a short time later at the site. No exceptional atmospheric conditions reported. Tensiometer with aerolex quick release and 6mm polypropylene line were used with a Harley Chutes quick release. ANALYSIS (1) Chairman of the USHGA Towing Committee (Paragli~ing) was consulted as the a~propriate authority. His analysis resulted 111 an assessment that the towmg set-up was unsuitable and this acci~ent wa~ preventable by m_ore prudent judgment by the instructor (2) possible pamc by student (3) wmds 10-12 mph at the site were marginalno comment on crosswinds in the report (4) no hook knife indicated (5) no radio usage indicated, which would have facilitated earlier preventive measures being emplo_Yed, such as instructions to student pilot, quicker tension release by the vehicle. July 24, 1993 A thirty-four year old experienced visiting pilot (non-USHGA rated) pilot experienced turbulence at thirty feet above ground upon approach to the landing site. The resulting asymmetrical 50% collapse was not corrected resulting in a 180 degree right turn into the ground. No PLF was executed. Two compression fractures of vertebrae resulted. Atmospheric conditions and flight were uneventful. ANALYSIS (1) PLF execution would be recommended (2) attempt to steer would have minimized such severe rotation of the glider. August 2, 1993 An unrated thirty-six year old student pilot on day four of training attempted a launch in low wind conditions (0-5 mph). As the launch proceeded the student gripped the front risers at the point where brakes should have been )ntrod~ced in the launch sequence. Pilot ran out of running area, jumped mto his harness and was summarily escorted through brush, trees and rocks resulting in hairline fractures of the right foot and pelvis with attendant back muscle spasms. ANALYSIS (1) use of brakes rather than A-risers at the proper point in the launch sequence would have eliminated the conditions for the incident (2) "jumping into the harness" requires no commentary except to say that those pilots who still undertake this practice should at least once have the "sage brush, rocks and rattle snake" treatment to remind them how few inches they often are from paraplegic status. August 21, 1993 ~ thirttthree year old male. class I r.ated (expired USHGA membership)

p1l~t w1t_h 50-70 ?ours expenence (pnor to 1991) died shortly after reactivatmg his paraglldmg career. The pilot had ceased gliding in 1991 except for two flights in the ensuing two year period. Pilot reactivated with an advanced design glider in extreme atmospheric conditions with local experi~nced pil?ts (inclu?ing a USHGA instructor) advising against flying. On this occas10n the pilot flew two successful flights. Three days later in exceptio_nal atn:io.spheric con~itions (including twenty plus mph winds) along with a mm1mally expenenced colleague, he launched alone from a ridge situation about four in the afternoon into strong conditions. Pilot and his colleague continued radio contact initially (20-25 minutes) while pilot maintained in ridge envelope in very vigorous thermal cycles. While rotating 360's in thermals he inadvertently slipped behind the ridge and was unable to penetrate back to position. He then succumbed to a rotor resulting in several collapses, deteriorating into spins. Pilot proceeded downwind to escape the situation at which point radio and visual contact were lost. The pilot's body was discovered later and death was attributed to severe internal injuries. No report on the canopy was available. ANALYSIS (1) a more prudent return to the sport would have been in order (2) his choice of canopy was flawed (3) he did not seek local advice ~nd w_hen it was presented he disregarded it (4) on a personal note, in writmg ,this I have become acutely aware of how long the winter has been this year and how long my canopy has been in storage-my first flight this Spring will be a checkout flight with a reputable USHGA instructor. August 26, 1993 A thirty six year old male class I pilot experienced a 70% wing collapse in unstable wind conditions at a coastal soaring site. Wind had been changing

direction and was in the range 4-6 mph. Pilot attempted to steer canopy but turned into the hill striking trees and shrubbery which broke his fall, resulting in collapsed lung, numerous fractured ribs and twelve days in hospital ANALYSIS (1) pilot had flown site many times before but indicated discomfort with changing wind direction, noting that he should have sought further clarification of site conditions (2) pilot had previously practiced maneuvers and weight changes to address collapses but was struck by the magnitude of turbulence and quickness of transition to instability September 4, 1993 A forty-four year old unrated visiting pilot launched in thermal conditions considered inappropriate for his skill level by local pilots and without a reserve. While attempting a direct flight to the landing zone, the pilot experienced a front edge collapse at 300 feet followed immediately by a stall and spun down to the steep shrub covered terrain landing on his feet. Lower back injuries requiring surgery resulted with a major rescue effort necessitated. ANALYSIS (1) pilot indicated that he did not promptly respond to the initial frontal collapse (2) reserve chute could have been deployed (3) advice from more senior local pilots was not acted upon. September 5, 1993 A thirty two year old female class I pilot launched in "mid- afternoon thermals" with 2-5 mph wind. Upon launching pilot experienced extreme sink in proceeding away from the hill resulting in a 60% glider collapse at 100150 feet above ground. Clearing by a brake pumping action she again collapsed at 50 feet, choosing to withdraw her reserve rather than stabilize glider. She hit the ground before she was able to throw the reserve landing in a sitting position, denting the kevlar back protector, airlifted by helicopter with punctures lungs and a broken back. ANALYSIS (1) the pilot believes that "she wouldn't have survived the accident without a back protector" (2) she indicated that HAM radios were instrumental in organizing the emergency response (3) noted that paragliding safety equipment is worth the price (4) a more conservative approach to afternoon flying in thermal conditions might be appropriate September 18, 1993 A thirty-two year old visiting rated pilot with three years experience was struck from above by another pilot's feet leading to a collapse at low altitude resulting in a tumble to the ground with no reported medical consequences. Pilot contends that he maintained right of way and pilot striking his canopy conceded that she had trouble controlling glider which was excessive in size for her hence her violation of the right of way rules leading to incident. ANALYSJS (1) right of way rules in popular, densely packed areas are important to maintain as this case illustrates (2) experimentation in these areas, even for senior pilots should be seriously questioned October 2, 1993 A forty four year old student pilot executed a proper landing but caught his foot under a piece of sage brush resulting in a cracked ankle bone. ANALYSIS (1) instructor indicated that pilot error was not an issue only an unfortunate natural impediment following an otherwise uneventful flight (2) no comments on footwear appear in the report October 12, 1993 A forty six year old female attempted to reactivate paragliding activity from modest lesson efforts from three years previously with a friend. The two went to the same training hill as the initial lessons and following multiple failed launch attempts was able in 10 mph winds to launch. Heading directly to the landing zone she panicked, pulling the brakes deeply resulting in a stall swinging her to the ground. She landed on her left hip, breaking her pelvis, a rib and three vertebrae necessitating surgery. ANALYSIS (1) re-introduction to the sport with a USHGA certified instructor could have provided a more orderly rebuilding of knowledge, skills and confidence (2) a salutary lesson to many who lack consistent reinforcement of skills and knowledge October 14, 1993 A fifty-five year old student undertaking his first flight under radio direction by an instructor failed to flare upon landing resulting in a fractured fibula. Pilot had been somewhat hesitant in flight but radio instruction was maintained throughout flight. Pilot was specifically reminded to flare prior to landing.

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ANALYSIS (1) ankle-support boots were worn but not laced tightly (2) pilot had a history of weak ankles (3) failure to Dare resulted in high ground speed upon landing October 23, 1993 A forty-six year old male student cracked his heel upon landing in an otherwise uneventful flight. ANALYSIS (1) instructor suggested that prior injury was a medical complication (2) instructor indicated a flight distraction as being a "Paint ball rifle" carried on the flight November 5, 1993 A forty-nine year old male student launched into a down-hill tree stump following a failed launch attempt in uneventful atmospheric conditions. Resulting medical consequences were crushed heel, fractured knee and two cracked vertebrae. ANALYSIS (1) launch should have been aborted as described by instructor (2) obstacle had been left in this position while clearing site for launch purposes. November 19, 1993 A forty-three year old male launched in light 5 mph breeze with a knotted right brake line leaving canopy in a right turn whicb could not be rectified by "jerking" tangled brake line. Pilot was able to maintain some direction and proceeded to the landing zone ending in a tree fifty feet above ground approximately two bundred yards from the landing zone. Pilot was lowered from the tree without incident and no medical complications arose. ANALYSIS (1) pre-flight check is important for precisely this situation (2) no indication if pilot considered alternate method of steering, such as using rear risers or weight shift Dccem ber 12, 1993 A USHGA rated pilot with two years experience attempted launch tethered to a stationary truck. This report can only be quoted: "Strong down wind day, gusting to 20 mph in landing zone. Tied paraglider to mini truck, flew up to 50 feet and locked out sideways. Pressures were so great that they broke all steering lines. Chute collapsed and he fell 40 feet. Chute partially inflated making him pendulum. Just as he was about to hit, chute reinflates and he lightly hit ground on his side. No injuries! Stress lifted rear end of truck and

moved it six inches toward glider, stretched and broke numerous lines. May have been drinking?" ANALYSIS (1) Person writing report indicated under question "Was equipment operating properly?" "Yes, except for brain!" clearly indicating the nature of this misadventure (2) these quotes sadly speak for themselves. December 19, 1993 A thirty-three year old class II(equivalent) male pilot attempting a launch sequence in uneventful atmospheric conditions experienced a horseshoe forcing his pathway to an abrupt left direction where he collided with a granite wall breaking a wrist, eye brow bone and cheek bone. Pilot never left the ground and nothing abnormal was recorded by the reporter. ANALYSIS (1) full face helmet would have minimized injuries December 21, 1993 A thirty-eight year old class I pilot attempted a landing sequence, arriving at the landing zone with 200 feet above ground, which he attempted to reduce doing 360's but misjudged his height and location on the second rotation and was not able to clear adjacent power lines, falling head first to his death, resulting from a broken neck. ANALYSIS (1) a more conservative approach to landing would have eliminated the conditions for this fatality (2) no notable atmospheric conditions were indicated by the reporter. December 24, 1993 A twenty-four year old student in a tandem situation suffered a fracture of the right femur with the tandem pilot suffering severe bruised legs and left shoulder. Student was on skies and tandem instructor on foot. During launch sequence a ski tip was caught resulting in a drag and disorientation of the glider and passengers at a point where the sequence could not be safely aborted. A side hill landing strategy was adopted but the glider wing was caught in an Aspen tree swinging both student and tandem pilot to the ground. ANALYSIS (1) launch site snow was not groomed (2) launch routine had been used without incident for a long period (3) once committed, accident was compounded by lack of clear escape path:

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PAGE 38 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

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ANNUAL PILOT REVIEW by Dennis Pagen The following pilot review is a safety device. It should be clear that this program is voluntary. The intention is to promote it through the schools and accident review program. We are actively seeking feedback from all interested readers in regards to what you think. We learn to fly by adding skills and experience gradually. When certain matters become habitual, we can go on to the next step and add complexity. Because tlying is so complex, we must form good habits from the beginning or at some point our deficiencies will show up and hinder progress, if not compromise safety. Unfortunately, as humans it is very difficult for us to evaluate our performance impartially. Once we have reached a certain level of competence in our form of aviation, we are even less able to be objective in our self-examination. We have a rating system with tasks at various levels to check our progress and performance. This rating system works fine for our initial flying experience. However, it docs not provide a frequent enough check of our skills, nor docs it offer a deterrent to eroding skills. The solution to the problems of objectivity and frequency of checking our flying skills is an Annual Pilot Review (APR). An APR consists of taking two llights---0nc in light conditions and one in windier conditions. A tlight check individual observes the !lights and critiques each point as listed hclow. For an official APR to take place, the fligllt checker must be a USHGA observer, Instructor or Master rated pilot. However, we urge pilots to take the APR on a less formal basis as often as possible with another pilot of egual or greater experience as a checker. The ideal situation would be to take an APR at the beginning of the normal flying season (APR can signify April), and why not add one halfway through the season? Our intent is to make pilots aware of the basic skills that need to be perfocted and where possible deficiencies lie. Such an awareness is a necessary ingredient to the safety recipe.

APR PRACTICE FACTORS These are the maneuvers the pilot performs. FLIGHT I (Wind less than 10 mph-self-launch) 1. Flight plan 2. Judgment factors 3. Pre-flight of equip. and hook-in check 1 4. Launch unassisted 5. Linked 180° turns Z 6. Linked 36D° turns 2 7. Fast flight 8. Landing setup positioning J. 9. Downwind, base and final (DBF) approach 10. Ample final speed 11. Flare/touchdown 12. Spot landing '1 Note 1: Both a preflight check (laying out tbe wing) and hook-in check (lifting glider and checking all line and quick Jinks just heforc launching) must be performed. Note 2: If the pilot is a Novice the turns should be linked 90' turns to 180' heading changes (not 360'). Note 3: Positioning consists of losing altitude and placing oneself in the proper place to enter the DBF. Note 4: A spot landing is an important part of the task for it requires control of final approach positioning.

FLIGHT II (Wind greater than 10 mph-assisted launch) 1. Flight plan 2. Judgment factors 3. Pre-flight check and hook-in check 4. Assisted launch 5. Soaring passes2 6. Thermaling turns 5. 7. Crosswind flying (crabbing) 8. Landing setup positioning 9. Landing approach 10. Ample final speed 11. Flare/touchdown 12. Spot landing

APR CRITIQUE FACTORS These arc the clements the !light check individual looks for. Note: This critique sheet should be available to the pilot before the flight as a study guide. The flight checker should write down the critique points so they are not [orgottcn, and the pilot should be critiqued as soon as possible after the flight. The pilot should keep the critique sheet as a record in a log hook or some other convenient place. Radio communications are useful for the checker to remind the pilot the task sequence or for the pilot to alert the checker to an upcoming task.

FLIGHT 1 1. The pilot should provide an oral review of the flight, giving approximate positioning and sequence. The lower the pilot's rating, the more detailed this plan should be. 2. The pilot should be able to review the many factors currently present that will affect the flight. An important point that should be covered by the pilot is whether or not the site is high enough to allow all items to be completed in 1 flight with a margin of safety. 3. The pilot must initiate the hook-in procedure and demonstrate the hook-in check just before launching without being reminded. 4. The launch should be smooth with no sudden airspeed changes, and with a gradually increasing run to top speed. Look especially for the problems of jumping into the glider. 5 and 6. The pilot should perform all turns at min. airspeed (max. efficiency) with no changes in airspeed or control position once the turn is established. Entries and exits should be smooth and right on heading for 180° and 360'. 7. The pilot should demonstrate a turn of at least 180° heading change (90° for Novice) in both directions. Look for a smooth entry and exit with no oscillation and a gentle return to trim speed. 8. The pilot should demonstrate airspeed control from min. sink to fast. The return to trim should be performed without oscillations. 9. The pilot should lose altitude and control positioning without having to perform tight turns or sudden gyrations (preferably upwind of the landing point). The final position should lead readily to the DBF approach. 10. The pilot should perform the DBF with definite turns of nearly 90° at the corners. 11. The final approach should be flown faster than best glide with a notice-able roundout about 10 feet off the ground and proper flare timing. 12. The flare should be ample to allow a maximum of only three steps in no wind. 13. The distance to the spot should be noted with a touchdown within 5 feet being near perfect. The spot is used to provide feedback to the pilot as to how he or she judges landing angles and manages altitude.

FLIGHT2 1,2 and 3. Same as flight 1. 4. The pilot should inform the ground crew as to how they should perform and use the word CLEAR. The actual launch should be straight, with quick corrections if necessary. The run should be accelerating until lift-oif occurs. 5. The pilot should perform the first turn with ample safe clearance yet stay in the lift band if possible. This is a safety check, so the main point of examination is the clearance of turns and passes, although a critique of the efficiency of turns is also useful. If soaring isn't possible, passes in front of launch can still be performed as long as the landing field is reachable. 6. This item can only be practiced if thermals are available and is thus optional. The pilot should demonstrate efficient turns (see flight 1) in both directions (this tends to be the most common flying deficiency) and avoid dangerous drifts over the back of the mountain or away from the landing field. 7. The pilot should demonstrate a straight flight to the landing field from a crosswind position requiring crabbing flight. This can be performed after a period of soaring by flying to a point crosswind of the landing field then tracking straight toward it. Radio communication will help alert the checker to the pilot's intentions. The ground track should be straight and directly to the landing area once crabbing flight has began. 8 and 9. Same as flight 1. 10, 11 and 12. Same as flight 1 with the added awareness demonstrated that wind requires more control speed, wind gradient complicates matters and the flare should be tempered to the wind velocity. The landing should be with the maximum of one step in wind over 5 mph.

Note 5: Novice pilots are not required to perform items 5 and 6.

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 39

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Notes for b·e,g inners by Philippe Renaudin

n a ve,y short period of time, the US has experienced the birth

of paragliding and now another new form of flight - paramotoring! The sport is here to stay, like it or not; it is taking root everywhere in the world. I spent last winter messing around with the paramotor and found the same was true of Pierre Bouillioux in France. We compared our notes and observations and present here a summa,y.

Takeoff The take off is the delicate part, especially on flat ground and without wind. With the normal 50 or so lbs. of additional weight, it is more difficult to run efficiently. Missing three inflations one after another can be quite tiring, not to mention frustrating. Therefore it is strongly reco=ended to use a glider that is easy to inflate and kite . When paramotoring the inflation should be right the first time. The wing should climb above the pilot easily in no wind , and there should be no tendency to fall back down before flying speed is attained.

The Torque problem

The author flying a Pago Jet, above Long Island, New York.

The engine makes the prope!Jer turn , and for every action there is a reaction. So, by reaction the motor would like to make the chassis and pilot turn as well. Fortunately the torque effect is limited to a slight pull on the right riser, which causes the glider to favor right turns . The more power delivered from the engine, the more pronounced the effect. The maximum torque reaction takes place exactly at takeoff. A smaller prop diameter can reduce the problem. Nevertheless it can take a few dozen launches to become used to it. In flight the problem becomes more apparent when a left turn is made. The more power that is used, the more critical this problem becomes, which could eventually lead to an unsafe flight situation. Imagine having to make an emergency left turn to avoid an obstacle,

PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 41

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Notes for beginners, continued; or a quick left corrective turn near landing. With a paramotor the pilot ca nnot use weight shift in the seat to warp th e canopy and help during a turn. All th e s teering is made with brakes onl y, resulting in a real pote nti al problem in th e eve nt of a n asymmetrical collapse. To preve nt this probl em it becomes a must to use a wing with excellent braking response an d the ability to turn well without getting near stall.

Observations; In wri ti ng this down, I am compelled to say that the lea rning process of paramotoring must be slow and progressive. Here are a few tips. 1. Do not get involved with a paramotor until yo u first learn at least the basics of paragliding (Class I). 2. Before flying the paramotor, you should have tra ining in recognizing the warning signs of an asy= etric collapse. 3. Train witl1 a profession al instructor who has ex tensive paramotor experience. Never try to train yourse lf. 4. Learn in a fi eld that is completely clear of obstacles (trees, lines, fences) and only during calm w eather conditions (wind less than 5 mph. and no turbulen ce) . 5. In the beginning, your first 20 - 30 hrs. airtime, always make wide turns. Do not try tight turns, especially close to the gro und . Turning to the right, the banking under power will be important and may be difficult to correct. To the left. be awa re of potenti al asymmetric stall caused by excessive brake press ure. At first ease out the throttl e when turning left. 6. Practice coo rdinating each turn with th e proper dosage of

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engi ne power combined with correct brake pressure. Ex perimen t gradually. 7. Finally and most cru cial, choose a paraglider that is well adapted to paramotoring. Al so be very carefu l w hen you switch gliders.

The risers On engines eq uipp ed with high attac hment points, like the Adventure models, th e use of shorter risers facilitates inflation, an d will feel bette r to th e pilot, wh o will not have to keep his hands in a high position during flight. It also means he can pull in big ears.

Turbulence Each day that paramotoring becomes more accessib le, it is a worry that th e sport ca n grow faster than the learni ng curve. What will happen to a pilot of littl e ex perience w hen he fin ds himself in the strong wea ther conditions of spring and summer? It is a fact that the added weight of the motor will be beneficial. The wing will rarely be subjected to coll apse from turbu lence still there is much that bas yet to be discovered. Avoid attachme nt points that are too close to each other, as they will be more prone to twists or flat spins. Also be aware of the ri se rs attach ed directly to th e fra me in case of a strong reopening after a coUapse, the stress on the lines can be critical. Stay away from thin suspension lines .

Propeller Keep in mind th e propeller spi ns fast, keep yo ur dista nce. There have been pilots in Europe who have already lost finge rs in the prop.

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Reserve chute There is no longer a debate about th e usefulness of the reserve, all pilots should fly with a reserve . For paramotoring you need o ne with a quick opening tim e; a nd a large enough diameter to bring the weight of the pilot and the engine down safe1y. A belly mounted system is the obvious choice, and a model that will allow you to deploy to th e right or left.

Conclusion Not all paragliding wings will be right for paramo toring. Seek advise from a knowledgeable professional. lf you are a beginner, follow a rigorous learning process an d never fo rget the high risk of a left asymmetrical coll apse due to a fight against the torque. Choose a wing that shows no tendency to go nega tive. The paramotor is a wonderful toy adapted to calm weather. Be aware of thermal developmen t and strong wind. Always fly with a reserve parachu te, as is done in ultralights and paragliding. If you fo llow these preca utions, paramotoring ca n be a real blast.

Chuck Smith. Class III paragliding instructor, listeni ng to advice from Philippe Renaudin, as he prepares for his first flight with a paramotor.

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(805) 264-3249 PARAGLIDING , THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 43

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•• • •

Dear Editor and Pilots, This letter is being written to all pilots who are considering visiting Maui for paragliding and hang- gliding . There has been a lot of talk in recent months about the availability of flying sites on Maui, and apparently much misinformation as well. It has come to my attention that several mainland instructors are planning to bring tour groups to Maui and the other Hawaiian islands for paragliding in the near future . I am compelled to explain , for those who are not already aware, that Maui is not open for free flying. There are no sites available for free use anywhere on this island. Every launch site (including the launch at Haleakala Crater) and virtually every possible landing zone is privately owned and vigorously protected from intrusion . There is no State or Federal park land suitable or available for flying. While the local pilots do enjoy spectacular flying at a handful of sites around the island , the number of possible sites is quite finite (fewer than ten) and our access to these sites comes only through an intricate and delicate network of relationships with local landowners and government officials. In short, our ability to fly on Maui is dependent on the reputation and trust, earned by individual local pilots over many years within the community. Several visiting pilots have recently argued the case that this is no different from the situation at mainland sites. They each insisted that they fully understood the necessity for cooperation and good commu nity relations , and that they would not cause any problems. Regrettably, I must warn all pilots not to consider flying independently on Maui and, in particular, not to attempt to operate any flying tours here. The local pilots will not tolerate any further risk of loss of their sites, and will vigorously protect those sites from unauthorized use . Visiting pilots are requested to abide by the following rules: • Prior to any flying on Maui , all visiting Pilots must register with the local hang gliding and paragliding Association and must sign and agree to the Waiver and Release of Liabilities. • Prior to any flying on Maui every visiting pilot must obtain a laminated, photo 1.0. Visitor Pass from the Association. This pass must be worn at all times while participating in the sport of paragliding on Maui.visitor passes are issued through Paraglide Maui, Inc . A fee will be charged for each visitor pass. • Passes will be issued only to pilots in possession of current USHGA ratings or valid foreign equivalents, and in possession of a logbook which shall be available for inspection . • Every visiting pilot must be accompanied by a local "host" pilot at all times while participating in the sport of paragliding on Maui. No independent flying allowed . • Visiting pilots shall obey all site rules and protocols as described by the local "Host" pilot, and may be prohibited from flying any site at any specific time , at the discretion of the local pilot present. • Possession of a visitor pass does not grant any right or legal permission to fly on Maui. Permission to fly on Maui is a privilege, not a right. I trust that the majority of pilots will respect the local pilots' efforts to protect and preserve access to the local sites, much as they would expect to have their own sites respected. With mutual regard and cooperation , we can all enjoy this sport and share in the beauty and diversity it has to offer.

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(dated March 16, 1994)

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PAGE 46 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

The Best pilot's fly with 2 varios, so why don't you? Don't miss out when Lour vario craps out. Ball M30 anaog varios w/ audio are an excellent first vario also. Cigarrette li~ter charger, nicad batte~?'.' $100. EW V/MC call Todd 303 49-7351

CLASSIFIED AD $10. EACH ITEM ADVERTISED

APCO SUPRA 28 Like new less than 12 hours. Bea_utiful wing purple & white. Weight range 165-209 lbs. Cost $340D. new will sacrifice at $1985. Wills Wing harness well maintained $95. Ball Wrist Vario $160. also used Challenger 23 for trainer. Call Hugh Murphy 805 544-8190

J ustra Stratos Classic 25m. 60-70 hrs. Exe. condition must sell. $800. OBO w/ harness and bag. Justra Excel 26m Competition wing 10 hrs $1600. 307 745-3976

PRO DESIGN

Rescue system.18 Gore up to 200 lbs. $400. call Ike evenings 801 5718772 Mt. time

Excellent condition. Silver 50 hrs. 120 - 165 lbs. Seller will pay for WW inspection, split risers, and any recommended line replacements, or other maintenance. This is a stable Class I canopy that flies great. $1500. 619 569-6836

Exe. BEGINNER I SCHOOL GLIDER

ITV NUNKIE 94 Super glider for intermediate pilot. This one is bright pink w/ yellow wedge, mylar coating keeps it looking great.25 air hours no ground bashing! This glider looks and flys like new, I need to get something larger to fly with a para-motor. wt range 120 -150 lbs. Asking $2500. will consider offers. Claudia (904) 461-7048

(PLEASE SEND MONEY WITH AD)

PARAGLIDING the MAGAZINE

P.O. Box208 St. Augustine, FL 32085·0208

Ball Vario M22 with barograph. Top of the line flight instrument, has computer downloading cable. New $675. used only one season $350. 904 461-7048 VOODOO 1129 Great Wing, high performance w/ extreme sta ilitO, almost new. Violet and green $240 . or offer. Klaus 415 386-2214

ITV METEOR 103 Very good condition 175-190 lbs. $800. OBO John 603 356-8289

SANTA BARBARA Paraglidin\ Center- Advance Omega III Demo 2900. Advance Tandem Demo $3200. Call; 805 962-8999

ULTRALIGHT FLYING Angeles City Flying Club • 35 Acre Airtield • 3 Runways, 2 Hangers • All Planes Dual Control • Training for New Pilots

WOODLAND PARK RESORT 6420 Lizares Street, Dau, Mabalecet Pampenga, Philippines

Tel; 011 63 912 301 09 00

"FLY NOW-PLAY LATER"

Paragliding the Magazine makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liabilities concerning the validity of any advice, claims, opinions, or recommendations expressed herein. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. When purchasing a used glider, be advised to carefully check it's condition for air worthiness. If in doubt many paragliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion about the condition of the equipment that is appropnate for their skill level or rating. New pilots should seek professional instruction from a USHGA certified instructor.

DEALERS AND SCHOOLS CLASSIFIED ADS

NEW PILOTS EDITION A "special issue" of Paragliding Magazine, will be available in May '94. The New Pilots Issue will conlain articles, info, and stories geared for students, or anyone interested in learning more about paragliding.Including current info on motorized paragliding. To order a copy please send a check or money order for $6.50 for orders in the U.S. $8.50 for other countries, to Paragliding Magazine/ New pilots issue. PO Box 208 St. Augustine, FL 32085-0208 or call 904) 461- 7048 for prices. if you want more than one copy.

SKYWINGS 'The official monthly magazine of the British HG and PG Asso. Subscription (Visa or Mastercard) to BHP A The Old Schoolroom, Loughbirough Rd., Leicester LE45PJ, England or phone 011 44 53 36 11 23

and others all lift accessible. $600. includes 7 nights holcl, breakfast, dinner and transporl w/ guide to all silcs. Discounts for instructors with students and large groups. Call Alex in Chamonix 011 33 50 54 00 72 fax 33 50 54 17 41

Colorado Paragliding Sales service and lessons since 1986 New and used paragliders: Sputnik 26 $800. Corvette 25 $1000. Aero 24 $1000. Apollo 24 $1200. ITV Cyclops 40 $1200. Diablo 25 $1300. Athena 29 new $1500. Apo!lo 22 new $1800. Diablo 23 new $2535. (3) Ritmo 27-3] new $3030. 29 new $3080. Espacc 28 new $3300. Espace 30 new $3375. Ritmo 25 new $2980.NEW PDA reserves (all sizes) w/dual bridle container bag $ 385. Demo vario/alt. $200. All Aireotec vario/ alts. Panormic helmets $149. Complete new and used lines of all flying gear. "Safety is our profession, quality our promise" equipment inspected, 100% guaranteed. 303 278-9566

USED EQUIPMENT FOR SALE The ACCESSORY SHOP Paraglider repair service, reserves repack and inspection. Custom gear bags. Complete parachute/paraglidcr loft service Fax (303) 277 - 9839 Phone (303) 277-9857

TOW LAUNCH SYSTEMS Over the past 5 years TLS has delivered more tow systems than any other manufacturer TLS's commitment to quality and service shows with a proven system and a dedication to our present and future customers. TLS features: Quick disconnect hydraulics, silicon brake fluid, 3000 ft. tow line,Digital performance monitoring, 5 year warranty, USHGA certified instruction. So get off your butt and let us get you off the ground! For more info write to Tow launch systems 7010 Mark, San Antonio, TX 78218 or call Chris, ph # 210 824-1803

ASPEN PARAGLIDING Gliders for sale: Pro Design Compact 33 Demo glider, yellow and purple great condition $2000. Firebird Navajo 28, purple, like new $1500. Nova Phantom 45 cell Call Jan or Dick at 303 925-725

FLYTHE ALPS Stay with other pilots in the heart of some of the best Alpine sites in Europe. Verbier, Avoraiz, Miussy, and Lake Annecy are only one hour away. Stay at our lodge in Chamonix, fly the Aiguille du Midi, plan Praz, !es Grands -Montets

WINGS; Advance Sigma II 29 sqm. It. teal w/ purple leading edge and stabilizers, pretty wing 20 hrs. $2400. Apache II 29, blue top white bottom 5 hrs. $2400. Apache I 26, purple top white bottom 5 hrs. $1950. Apollo 27, w/ harness lavender hrs. unknown very good condition. $1600. Edel Corvette 23, w/ harness, much used but still good $400. Bicla Swift 25, w/harness,good ground handler almost new $400. HARNESSES; Sitting Bull w/ R2 reserve & speed bar pulleys near new $700. Sitting Bull light,near new $200. RESERVE; Charlie PDA short bridle small $300. VARIOS; M19A one new one w/ 3 hrs. $300. @ Ball M-10? vario w/out altimeter $175. RADIOS; $ radio shack crystal radios l watt 2 freq. capabilities set on 151.625 $150. @ Call Dale 912 786-5910

DEALERS, SCHOOLS do you have any used, new, or demo equipment you want to sell? Try our new Dealer pages in classified. It only costs .50¢ a word and over 3000 people read It. Send ad and $$$ to Claudia at PO Box 208; St. Augustine, Fl 32085-0208

New Pilots Video Super new video from Touching Cloudbase author Ian Currcr. Takes you through an overview of paragliding lessons, to specific ground schools on aerodynamics and micro-metcrology. A great compliment to your lessons. Nicely filmed on England's ro!ling hills, and cliffs. $29.50 + $2.90 1st Class postage. Visa /MC or send check to Paragliding Magazine

KENTUCKIANA SOARING

u R

R I 0

R lR

D ; 0

Specializing in electronics, communication, GPS navigation and flight decks. Allow a fellow pilot and licensed ham help you decide on a system that suits your needs.Radio prices fluctuate call for the current price and specials. Yaesu FT 411 $305. Yaesu FT416 $265. Yaesu FTllR $289. kom P2 $339. Alinco DJ180t $255. Alinco DJ180h $249. Kenwood TH 28A $329.95 Kenwood TH 22 $289.95. Mobile radios 50w units from $329. All ham radio models available. MARS/ CAP MODS available, with warranty intact. Antennas: 5/8 wave gain duck $17.95, 5/8 wave telescopic $20.95, 1/4 gain duck $14.95, special mounts available. Tow rope 1/4 poly $35. per 1000'. Mason releases $47.00 Hook Knives $14.95 the good ones. New Flightmate Pro GPS $795.95 incl. accessory package. Avocet Flight Watch$120. Vario's Vario's and more Vario's from most mfgs. Ball M-19 demo $394., Aircotec Piccolo demo $376., Flytec, Brauniger, new Tangent Flight Computer if your in the market for a vario give us a call. We either have the best prices or we'll try to make it that way.We represent most manufacturers Ball, Aircotec, Flytec, Brauniger, NAS products from helmets, parachutes, paraglidcrs, High Energy Sports harness, Quantum parachute, Helmets from Panoramic and Reflex, Ballistic parachutes from BRS and Second Chantz. Our new motto "YOU SHOW US YOURS AND WE'LL SHOW YOU OURS"(best price)! Kentuckiana Soaring 425 Taggart Ave.; Clarksville, IN 47129 ph# 812 288-7111 fax 812 284-4115 Send SASE for sale flyer. PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE • PAGE 47

§KYANGEL

TESTb,"'[), DEPLOYED AND PROVEN. JOQO'S SOW WORLDWIDE

Introducing one of the most popular Paragliding reserves "Proven PDA design, !" skirt tape and used worldwide!

special super quick hand deploy system make this canopy the best value for the money" When your life is riding on it - get the best- get NAS backing and Skyangel quality all in one. (32,37.40 SQIM)

OHV CERTIFIEO NEW OEALER5 WELCOME

$385

For your ne;arest dealer or to orde;r :

(303) 278-9566 SKYliNGEL i!i II divi!iion of Nl,S {)/5tributlng, Inc.

AILES DE K ."'·=sx:-ss:·:9,.,·:·•·:·•·:·:·:·:~-,.:.,,,.:-:-:.,,,.:,:.:.:-,,,.:.,-,.:.,,,.:o-,,,...,.,.,.,...\,....:.,,:,:·:·•·:·:·:·:·•·:-:,,.,:.,...,.:·•·•·•·•·:·:-,,.,.:,:-,,:.,,:,:·•·•·:~-,.,).:·•·•~·•.•·•·•·•·:.:·:·

@lliJ(;lQflll\% [9)@1l'a@ll'lru\l®lru@@~ @@a@U\"7 @[jj)(Q] @IZ[9)@1l'fl@illl@@ llil@W@

by Dennis Pagen

!ilThe best way llllto improve .... mPARAGLIDING

ii FLIGHT-$19.95 The most widely used training manual, full of advice. 208 pages, 170 photos and illustrations

rn ..... and to befriend 1111

the air!

UNDERSTANDING

THE SKY

!IJ UNDERSTANDING THE SKY-$19.95 The best guide to large and small scale weather effects. 288 pages, 270 photos and illustrations

® lru®lru\l@

The on.ly Swiss Made Glider manufacturer haa Juat launched the already successful new CRUISAIR. For the advanced recreational pilot who seeks a well mannered glider with competitive XC capabllltles. Three sizes are certified: CRUISAIR 26, 29, 32. For cllp-ln weights between 143 and 270 Iba the CRUISAIR provides excellent thermal potential, a wide speed range and minimal sink rates at higher speeds. It penetrates extremely well. And Its handling from launch to landing la aurprlalngly docile In thla claaa to give the pilot more control. The CRUISAIR la built by the world's first and moat experienced paragllder manufacturer from Lake Geneva. The outstanding safety record of Alles de K la another company record In paragliding history. It shows that the choice of highest quality materials, some of which are exclusive to Alles de K, Investment Into R&D and the high precision of Swlaa craftsmanship are a reliable concept. 30,000 paraglklers built since 1984 carry the quality label Alles de K. With the Everest, Flyalr, Paaaagalr, Spydalr, Sprlntalr (comp) Alles de K makes a variety of gliders for apeclflc appllcatlona.

Cruisair !JfO@@@fl @OOrii@ll O@ Ofl@ @Ofil@@" ~JX{f)@l?O@@@@ fl@ ll@O'ff @lli1"

AILES DE K - USA Inc. Send total for books plus $1.95 shipping to: Sport Aviation Publications Dept BP, PO Box 101, Mingoville, PA 16856

PAGE 48 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

ALPINE MARINE ON AIR Phon.e 206-432-8900 Fax 206-432-2876 CALL FOR OUR SUMMER TRIP TO THE ALPS••• AND THE NORTHWEST PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY CUNICS, JUNE 11112 or 14115 or 18119

p ~Q~~.~\_ \?.~~f \

NOVA designer Hannes Papesh has continually led the market in innovative glider design since the Comet ex in '89. Though Hannes is the biggest name in paragliding design & NOVA's sales made the largest percentage increase in the industry in '93, NOVA will not lower the quality and therefore the cost to reach the top in world sales. 1994 NOVA gliders go faster & glide

farther with dramatic reduction in line drag. i.e. Edel Rainbow400 lines, Nova Sphinx 180 lines. The Phocus uses 20% less line than the Sphinx, giving it performance above its intermediate class. Fewer, thicker lines are the future . W hile many manufacturers' gliders have failed to pass the more stringent DHV certification testing, NOVA certified 7 new canopies this year under both DHV & FNOR. Call for independent European agazine glider eview or color catalog. Also, all pes of first class ccessories available.

I I Ir J •

-•z

-Firebird -Pro Design -Edel -Wills Wing -Profile

AT Sports Flight Design

a ~

'---=-~~~~___;-"-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--~~ !

Well, ... Here you have it! The mostly sold Paragliding Seat in the World today! Eyelet for Llquipack Tube

Reserve Handle Included. Can be placed Right or Left.

The Famous Sup'Alr Self Locking Carabiners

Leg/Chest ACPUL Approved

The RA CE

Quick Release Steel Clips

From Sup 'Air/USA only Free Catalog 516 I 676-7599

Race

ease price: $495.

PARA6LIDIN6

S C H O O L S

Enchantment Paragliding From sand training hills to dozens of mountain sites across the state, learnIng to fly in New Mexico's uncrowded, crystal clear skies Is an unparalled experience.Learn mountain flying, towing, thermalling. and X-C from USHGA certified instructors. A variety of gliders, accessories and safety equipment available. Euro flying interest you? Call or write for more info.

PO Box 1082; Cedar Crest, NM 87008

New Mex·1co (505) 281 -2759

( 90 7) 5 6 3 Golden Eagle Paragliding is a full-service school and shop specializ.ing in Pro design, Edel.Ball. Brauniger, Flytec and more! Our USHGA Certified Instructors utilize the latest In techniques and equipment. Guided tours available throughout Alaska! Come fly with Golden Ea.gle Paragliding and SOAR WITH THE EAGLES! Owned and operated by Bruce and Tami Hamler since 1989.

500 West 42nd Ave, Anchorage , Alaska 99503

GMI Paragliding

GMI: Paragliding I Paramotoring I Towing School GMI: June I July I September Paragliding Trips to Chamonix,France GMI: Represents Exclusively SUP 'AIR & ITV in N. America Sup 'Air being the world leader in paragliding accessories. GMI: Free catalogs and Brochures PO Box 451, Glen Cove , NY 11542 Fax 516 676-0106

NEW YORK

(516) 676-7599

ALPINE World Adventures

COLORADO

Boulders premiere paragliding school, est. 1988. Come to learn or just to fly in the Rocky Mountains. We are the U.S distributor of Flrebird products, and dealer for Ball varies and Hanwag Boots. Other accessories available in our full service shop. For more info. please call Dave Whaley or stop by.

(303) 440-0803 4439 N. Broadway unit E 2 Boulder, CO 80304

GLIDELL-SKYTIME PARAGLIDING Instruction and sales w i th our certified staff. Towing clinic!> and Tandem i nstruction. Summer paragliding tours in France and Switzerland.

California

(Charier nights al'aliobll')

(415) 868-1330

555 Bryant St. suite 258. Palo Alto, CA 94301 Fax 415 424-9704

EiJ Pitman ~ 'flL)Y .AtvITlEJR.111(; A\

N. California

Personalized instruction, beginning through advanced skills.

INSTRUCTION THAT DEVELOPS EXTRAORDINARY PILOTS!

1-800-SKY PILOT P0Box 188Shasta,CA96087

UP SOAR I NG CENTER

Two full serulce hang gliding a nd paragliding schools , located at the nations most cons istent sites; Torrey Pines, CA. a nd Point of the Mountain, UT. State of the art training glide rs, eKperienced Ins tructors a nd ideal conditions s e t UP ap a r t from the rest. Tande m and s olo instruction, year round. Call for a n lnforma tlue brochure. COME 2 UP

J So. California IA

So.Calif.(619) 452-3202 (801) 576-6460 UTAH

rn1

(619) 753-2664 PAGE 52 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE

•Airjunkies just love to fly, so that's what we do! •Professional Instruction from beginner, through instructor. •Touring over a dozen great year-round sites In Calif & Baja. •Flight test the equipment that's right for you! • 253 Rodney Avenue, ;Encinitas, CA 92024

P A R A 6

I D I N

SCHOOLS

was hIng • t on

North American Paragliding Become a pilot under the guidance of USHGA certified instructor Mike Eberle. We offer year-round instruction for the Pacific Northwest, sales/service of all major brands, and world wide adventure tours. Distributor for Flight Design, Brauniger, UV EX, Meindl, and more. P.O.Box 4 Ellensburg, WA 98926 tax (509) 962-4827

(509) 925-5565

Hill Country Paragliding Inc.

TEXAS

Learn complete pilot skills with Texas-style fun at Hill Country Paragliding Inc. Our personaliZed USHGA certmed Class I tralning lncludes ridge soaring, loot launching and tow launching from sites In central Texas. MotoriZed paragliding lnsttuctlon and equipment is also available. We offer a full range of the best paragliding equipment. towing accessories and novelties from a variety of manufacturers.

1-800-664-1160 4800 Wlsperlng Valley Dr. Austin, TX 78727

Accelerated Flight Systems Personalized, USHGA Certified paragliding and hang gliding instruction. Courses are expertly run on a friendly, informative basis. We have been Introducing people to the world of foot launched flight since 1976. New and used gliders and accessories. Ball, Comet, Edel, Firebird, nv. Second Chantz, Wills Wing, and others. All skill levels welcome. (

P.O.Box 1226 Del Mar, CA 92014

so C a II"forn 1a • •

61 9)

481 • 7400

iTRAVERSE CITY H.G./ PARAGLIDERS

M•IC h i g an

Put your knees in our breeze and soar our 450' sand dunes! Full time shop. Certified instruction, beginner to advanced, foot launch and tow. Sales. service and accessories for all major brands. USA distributor for Pegas Paragliders and motors. Visa and Mastercard accepted.

(616) 922-2844 1509 E. 8th St. Traverse City , Ml 49684

ABOVE & BEYOND Above & Beyond is the first paragliding school in the U.S. Est. in 1987, at the Point -- of the Mountain, near Salt Lake City. This is the best inland training site in the U.S. featuring year-round drive to launch sites. Our USHGA Certified l111structors will ensure you receive personal instruction and the finest training available. We provide everything you need to become a pllot; including tandem instruction and advanced training. 3314 W. 11400 S. So. Jordan, UT 84095

•H UT.

UTAH (801) 254-7455

SOUTHWIND Hang Gliding A USHGA Certified Tandem Instruction. Come learn to fly XC with Nationally ranked ~

{8Q 1) 359 • 6036

pilot Bob Schick. Specializing in advanced tandem instruction, thermal and XC • clinics and custom tours of the breathtaking Utah and Wyoming scenery for both hang gliders and paragliders.Southwind is the proud manufacturer of the Brain Bucket and Back Buddy, and new Brain Bucket Full Race Helmet.

106 E. Capitol ; Salt Lake City, UT 84103

SOIJTHWIND HANG GLIDING

__,

Thermax Paragliding !TF· ·.•

Year round flying at the easiest site to learn. Drive -up wide open launches and LZ's at 1200' volcanic craters. 10+ mile filgbts. 1 hr. from the Grand Canyon. Cheap lodging. Dealer for almost everything, specializing in Edel. Class Ill instructor w/ tandem and motorized backpacks. 2 day classesfrom $195.

1500 E. Cedar #10 ; Flagstaff, AZ 86004

ARIZONA (602) 526-4579

RI R TEK Paragliding School San Diego Take advantage of San Diego's weather, nearly everyday is a good flying day. Class I certification $450. six days of training including high altitude.

So. California Accomrnodations. airline rese1Vations, and transportation arranged on request. (61 9) 450-0437 C. Sorrento Valley Blvd. ; San Diego, CA Teaching since 1989. Class Ill Tandem rated instructor, excellent safety record. 4206

AlF //1

'.L.I

92121

PARAGLIOING, THE MAGAZIN E• PAGE 53

PRRR6LIDIN6 -

S C H O O L S

AIRPLAY PARAGLIDING SCHOOL

~'!fJ

We are located at world famous Kagel Mountain, L. A 's most popular flying site. Our full seNice retail shop offers complete lines of clothing. books and magazines, flight suits, cross country gear, instruments, gliders, harness repair facilities and much, much more. Year round certified instruction.

¥.¥ »:}9;:!_,~

13525 Elderege Street ;

Sylmar, California. (8 1 8) 367- 2373

> Introductory - Advanced Instruction > ParaTrekking Trips >

3 03 / 494 - 2820

Tandem Instruction

> Towing Instruction > Complete Sales & Servi ce

Dealers tor Edel, Prodesign, Nova, Ball, Briiuniger, Maxon

fara S oft. I nc. Paragliding School •

4445 Has/lngs Drive

C O L O RADO PARAGLIDIN G

(303) Boulder

278-9566

MES CALI TO

50639 Oby~nc Road • Sardis, D C.. Canada• V2R 2Pl

(604) 858-2300 Only one Mur from Vancouver, B.C. and Bellingham WA.

-~ 5UI\I VALLEY

PARAGLIDING

• Boulder . CO 80303

• 303 / 494 - 2820

• Certified USHGA Introductory to advanced Instruction • Tandem Instruction • Year round mountain tours of Colorado and Utah • Dealer for most major brands, including Trekking and Aircotec 18301 W. Colfax, S-101 Golden CO 80401 FAX (303) 750-3226

•USHGA AND HPAC Certified paragliding Instructors •Tandem Instructors •Paragliding tours iu Europe, South Africa, & Mexico •Distributor for Sup' Air, US Voiles and the New "PROFILE" with 7 to 1 gUde, 1.0 m/scc. sink and all A's! •Dealer For Pro Design & APCO

IDAH o

SUN VALLEY PARAGLIDING

The most experienced and comprehensive tllght school. We specialize In tandem Instruction. our certified Instructors and USHGA appointed towing administrators will ensure you receive the finest t raining available. The local topography Is the perfect location for our XC and mt/thermal seminars.Visit our shop at the base of Bald Mtn. where our full line of flight equipment and knowledgeable staff will satis· fy all of your paragliding needs. PO Box 5715, 301 Bell Dr., Ketchum,ID.83340 fax:208 726-1149

COMPACT WINGS

So. California (909) 654-8559

(208) 726-3332

Located at the famous Soboba site, which combined with other local mtn. sites and great weather, offers more in altitude gains and hours than anywhere in the USA. New intermediate glider, harness, lessons or reserve or vario/alt. $2995. Five day course $395. Class Ill & Tandem Instruction. Dealer for all major brands. Less than 2 hrs. from LA & San Diego.

1271 Avd. Floribunda, San Jacinto, CA 92583

ADVENTURE SPORTS Paragliding - Hang Gliding, learn the sport of your choice today and start your adventure tomorrow. Sierra tours our specialty, Lake Tahoe I Reno. Learn to fly the mountains. USHGA certified school and ratings. Dealer for Edel, Pro Design, Wills Wing, Pacific Airwave. Sales - Service - Instruction .

NE'y'"" I ADA

{702) 883-7070

3650 Resea rch Way #25, Carson Cit y, NV 89706

Your school Ad should go here. For info. call Claudia at Paragliding Magazine (904) 461-7048 or fax (904) 461-7017 PAGE 54 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAG.AZINE

Air Thrust Rocket Deployed Reserve. reload and refill in the field Hand Deploy Capability

.....,.._,.._

FREE COLOR catalog available, call or write to Airtek

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

Image tandem 40 m1

"Ask us about the New Mirage"