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TABLE OF: CONTENTS
FEATURES:
Vol. 5#6
N ov./Dec. '94
6. 10.
Icarus & Animals in the Wild A study from DHV
by Albin Zeittler & Bertram Georgii
Reflections on 100 Hours
by Douglas Terrel
A pilot's story
12.
Negative Nightmare
by Jeff Wagland
What happens when it all goes wrong. Cover Photo is an EDEL Rainbow flying at Pacifica, CA. Elisabeth Pfahl of San Francisco, took this photo while flying tandem. She is currently working on a black and white documentary of paragliding.
22.
New Products What' s new for pilots.
26.
Toe-ing the Line part 3 Lineing up.
by Jan Ala & Alan Chuculate
Published Six Times Per Year Publisher - Fred Stockwell Art Director - Fred Stockwell Editor - Claudia Stockwell Editorial Assistance - Shari Asplund
Overseas Correspondents Philippe Renaudin - France/US Vincene & Willi Muller - Canada Ian CmTer - Great Britain James Brown - Japan
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1994 / 95 Calendar
14.
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Paragliding - the Magazine
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NEXT DEADLINE: Dec 19 for Vol.6#1 Paragliding the Magazine is published for members of the paragliding community as well as other interested parties. II is the official publication for the United States Hang Gliding Association (USHGA) news for paragliding. Contributions are welcome however, Paragliding, the Magazine reserves the right to edit any contributions . Further, the magazine 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 contributors. 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, advertising , photos or other published materials of the magazine may be reproduced in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher. @ Copyright 1993 PARAGLIDING PUBLICATIONS INC. All rights reserved .
PARAGLIDING, MAGAZINE • f>AGE 3
Dec. 26 -30 Para2fide Maui Tour/clinic for pilots who want to obtain their Class l or 2 ratings, as well as special skills in Thermals, XC, High Altitude Launch and Ridge Soaring. $250. per person call Jim at (808) 575-9439
Dec. 27 -Jan. 1 1995 Pro Design Demo Days at Big Sur! Camping for pilots is now available at Pacific Valley. A new shower facility and cut grass lawn for only $10. per night. Harrie and Fran will be hosting a New Years Eve party with the John Bankston' s Band. All Pro Design demo's will be available includin g a ll sizes of Compact ' s and the NEW CONTEST. Free shuttles to the Wild Cattle and up Harrie's hill for pilots who demo gliders. Call John Yates 916 222-4640
February: 9 - 20 1995 North American Paragliding's 4th annual New Zealand Adventure. Deluxe accommodations retrievals, ground transport, lift and landing fees included. Register today! NAP 509 925-5565
11 & 12 Fli2ht Fantasy in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Fun Flying (non ranking) Competition, in conjunction with the fan10us Rio Carnival for more info call 55 21 255 55 90
The IBtimate Sp1ing Paragliding Camp Clinics for beginners to expert flyers covering all aspects of the spo1t. $65. per day. All reservations on a fast come fast serve basis. Call the N.C.F.L.P.A. hot line for more info. 916 224 3920
20 - 23 1995 - 2nd Annual UP Sports at Torrey Pines H ang Gliding and Para g lidin g W orld Invitational The air races are back! Hang glider and or paraglider pilots from around the world ar·e invited to participate in the Air Races at Torrey Pines. There will be one on one pylon speed racing and wing tip to wing tip excitement. UP Spo1ts will provide prizes and ca,h for top finisher's in the hang gliding and paragliding categories, as well as for best overall finish. April 20th and 21st will be practice days, and the final rounds will be held Ap1iJ 22 and 23. All pilots must have current USHGA membership. PG pilots must be Class 2 or 3 rated. HG pilots must be Advanced or higher rated. Foreign pilots must have ratings equivalent to the above ratings and USHGA membership (temporary memberships available at Torrey Pin es Glider Port) . For more info and updates call (619) 452-3202.
AIRTEK CLINIC SCHEDULE
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Paragliding and Hang gliding 8 hour clinic $35. S imulator practice, lec ture, packing. Call Chandelle 415 454-3464
SAFETY/MANEUVERS CLINIC (LAKE MOHAVE)
March: 22 - 26 1995 Parachute Industry Asso. Symposium Kissirnmee, Florida (outside Orlando) The hang gliding and paragliding community has been invited to participate in the world 's only International Parachute Symposium and Trade Show, sponsored by the PIA. For more info. contact Betty Pfeiffer, High Energy Sports, 7 14 972 8186.
26 1995 Reserve Chute Clinic Par·agliding and Hang gliding 8 hour clinic $35. Simulator practice, lecture, packing. Call Chandelle 415 454-3464
April: 8 - 161995 2nd Annual SUPER CLINIC & Whiskeytown Paragliding Festival
PAGE 4 • PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE
IMPORTANT NOTICE Information is be ing sought regarding the purchase or acquisition of any Edel or Pro Design products from the following entiti es; Jim Humml e , Sherman Hawley , Power Chutes USA Inc. or Pro-Sport Aviation. Please contact Edel USA Inc. at (208 ) 726 -1100 or Pro Des ign USA at (9 16) 222-9606 respectively . Thank You
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A Summary of the study into fundamentals on the theme or Hang gliding, Paragliding and Wildlife by Albin Zeitler, Bertram Georgii ..... submitted by DHV to Paragliding Magazine
n
Ii
s als in
the Preamble More leisure time and a broad spread of both old and new forms of sports have met with a sharper awareness of the environment in the last two decades. Sport and the protection of nature are, as all social values, partly emotional and partly rational. On the emotional level this leads to a polarization of both values. On a rational level one value does not fundamentally preclude the other. The study was to discover what rules modern and relatively conspicuous "Nature sports" such as Hang gliding and Paragliding can follow in order to avoid coming in to conflict with the area of protection of nature. The initiative of the DHV which led to this should therefore be greeted with interest from both sides
Motives and Goals of the Study Up until 1992, when the Wildbiologosche Gesellschaft Munich e. V. (WGM)-Wildlife Biology Society of Munich began the study there had only been unsystematic isolated observations and speculation of the effect of Hang gliding and Paragliding on animals in the wild. The introduction of a new air law for hang gliding and paragliding led to an unsatisfactory situation; allowance of flight landing sites came under the control of the Deutschen Hanggleiterverband (DHV) - German Hang gliding Federation - which lacked information to enable helpful decisions to be made. There was therefore a need for a systematic study into this subject.
PAGE 6 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
The Goals .To obtain on a secure scientific basis the effects of Hang gliders and Paragliders on animals in the wild. .To show how, on the basis of the results, animals in the wild can exist together with gliders without conflict. .To put forward proven methods to enable the consideration of natural biological and environmental factors when making a decision to permit landing sites.
Scientific Approach In preliminary examination for our study we had been able to observe three behavior patterns of animals in the wild who sec hang gliders and paragliders ovcrhead:-the animals carry on their activities and remain in their place,-thc animals move slowly to a nearby area which has better cover, from where they return to their previous position within about one hour,-the animals flee at high speed for areas providing cover and sometimes over long distances and only return after several hours or on the following day. We interpret these differing behavior patterns as follows: the reaction of wild animals to hang gliders and paragliders does not, in natural conditions, follow a simple cause and effect syndrome, such as a pupil reacting to light. It points more to Habituation, that is to habits. These can effectively develop so that reaction to a cause, sight of a hang glider or paraglider- results in an orientation reaction-but no longer in dramatic behavior such as flight or panic. From this it is clear that the exclusive
study of cause and effect cannot deliver a sufficient explanation for the differing behavior of animals. Therefore we have taken the repetition of a cause within a certain time as a parameter, i.e. the regularity of airborne activities and the available proteetion-e.g ground cover conditions, i.e. area structure. In consequence two points were kept to the fore in the selection of the seven areas studied in Oberallgau I. -the intensity of flights, differentiating between areas which are regularly, occasionally or seldom overflown,and 2. -the area structure, described through the features of the landscape, (little to much variation) and the vegetation (e.g. proportion of alpine meadows, small bushes or wooded areas) The study centers on Chamois and Red Deer supplemented by single observations of Golden Eagles and Birkhuhn (Moorhens).
Results Of 180 observations of the reaction of Chamois and Red Deer to the appearance of Hang gliders or Paragliders 135 (75%) fall in the behavior pattern of remaining in the same place, 36 (20%) in the category of avoidance while 9 (5%) showed flight.
Wildlife in areas which are regularly overflown. In flying areas which have been overflown regularly for many years and then predominantly only in areas within normal descent patterns, observations of a reaction by Chamois were of, no external recognition to Hang gliders or Paragliders: the animals only look about at the first appearance of the pilot. However, in 95% of cases, they remained in the area being overflown and continued to feed or to rest. In these areas the regular contact with flying activities over many years certainly plays a part. In addition to this a set of observations shows the influence of area and vegetation structure. The reaction, when standing on slopes which were interspersed with green bushes and rows of trees, was the same as described. Against this, the same herds of Chamois showed a clear reaction if they were in exposed positions, for example on ridges, or in open alpine meadows. They broke their current activity and began to move away. A few went into flight.
Wildlife in areas which are occasionally overflown In the high Alps of Allgau there is a row of mountains from which flights beyond the area of normal descent are possible. In these areas Chamois and Red Deer react in a significantly more sensitive manner than in regularly over flown mountain areas: In 45% of the cases the animals moved to areas offering cover for a short time, in 5% of observations they fled into hollows or wooded places. In 50% of the occasions the animals stayed where they were when the pilot appeared.
Wildlife in areas which are seldom overflown Eventually, in the areas where the study was carried out which are only used for cross country flights and therefore where hang gliders and paragliders only seldom appeared, Chamois took flight in 80% of the observations, in 12% they moved off to other areas and in only 8% they remained where they were. Red Deer were even more sensitive, reacting in flight in 98% of their contacts with Hang gliders or Paragliders. With Red Deer clear differences showed between the sexes: large herds of more than fifteen males did not flee on the appearance of Hang gliders or Paragliders, rather they moved, at a speed between slow and brisk, into covered areas (lightly wooded or rows of trees) and then soon returned to open areas. On the other hand, in mixed herds or herds with a majority of females or calves, the larger part of the herd took flight into deeply wooded areas. This was not just in open areas but also when gliders appeared over areas thick with dwarf mountain pines. These were often very lasting disturbances: they lasted for
at least three hours, often until the following morning. These kind of long absences of animals could not be observed on days when there was no flight activity. In another area some animals stayed for days on end, they were then only seen in the grazing areas late in the evening or early in the morning. Then they gradually began to come out again in the daylight. Chamois showed yet another behavior: when gliders reappeared within a few days their reaction reduced. The animals did not shift a great distance, but instead moved into areas with better cover. As a rule they returned in between one or two hours. When the pilots only reappeared every fourteen days this always resulted in flight. Return to the previously used area followed after several hours
Frequency of Flights Too much emphasis should not be placed on the results from the seldom overflown areas. Cross country flights in remote areas demand not only good area knowledge and flying abilities but also such good weather and wind conditions that they are only possible on very few days of the year. In some of our study areas we often waited many days for a pilot to fly over. For the frequency of activities in the three area categories it means that: some 75% of flying activities lake place within well defined area or time boundaries in routes taken in normal descent. Some 20% are slightly beyond the area of normal descent. Only every twentieth flight takes a cross country route and then with a clear majority between May and August and mainly in the afternoon.
Height and Duration of over flight. In areas which are regularly flown during normal descent the critical height for over flying chamois and Red Deer is I OOm and seldom less than 50 meters. Decisive for so much tolerance from the animals, as well as the availability of cover which the animals can run to, is that the pilot flies over quickly. In the other two categories of flying area heights of over 150 meter gave no problems. That holds in particular for areas, in which the open or lightly wooded parts are regularly crossed by animals. At low overflying heights over areas where animals regularly stay, long residence times are also a problem. We could see that again, for example, after valley crossings by a Hang glider or Paraglider when the pilot tries to gain height by circling or criss crossing over an area. Under such circumstances chamois and red deer flee, after a short period, to an area offering good cover, for example woods or wooded hollows.
Flying activities, hikers and hunting In some of our study areas in which there were hikers as well as hang gliders and paragliders we made the following revealing observations: Chamois avoid areas with hiking trails regardless of whether these are overflown or not. Moreover it was seen that hikers appear as a rule about two hours earlier than hang gliders and paraglider pilots. In some cases this results in chamois and red deer moving to less frequented areas long before the first pilot has started. In areas with very many trails (more than 3 km per IOO Ha {Ha = 10,000sq.m.}) animals in the wild can only partly move away from hiking activities. What was striking was that in such areas chamois only reacted in a sensitive way lo hang gliders or paragliders on days when many hikers were about. Our previous assumption, that high hunting pressure that made chamois and red deer particularly timid could lead to a sensitive reaction to hang gliders and paragliders, was not proven. What was seen was, that in order to have protective cover from woods in places hunted to maintain adequate tree protection for special areas, that the animals almost always moved away when hikers appeared. But not when hang gliders or paragliders appeared. Also, hunting activities are significantly less disturbed by flying activities as by hiking. PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 7
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Birds and Flying Activities During summer and autumn Golden Eagles use, as experienced thermal sailors, the same up- current areas as pilots without showing recognizable "hostility" . Problems can occur close to rock walls in which they have their eyries, mostly at heights between 1200 and 1600 meters, sometimes in lower nesting walls. Some observations have shown that Golden Eagles, during their brooding periods, clearly react protectively on the approach of Hang gliders or Paragliders. An unmistakable sign of this is area marking wave formed landing flights. A great deal more difficult are observations of predominantly ground living Rauhfu sshuhner such as - Auerschneehuhn (capercaillie) , Haselschneehuhn (ha zelhen) , Birkshneehuhn (moorhen), and Alpenshneehuhn. Most occur regularly in our flying areas. The comparison with long established data for the occurrence of animals in Oberallgau shows that their numbers ha ve not reduced, In one of the most inten s ively overflown areas Alpenshneehuhn live directly in the area of a normal descent route. In another the same applies for moorhens and capercaillie. We could only follow the direct reaction of these species on a few occasions, particularly as their activities rarely coincide with flying times of pilots. In as far as such observations were possible moorhens did not flee .
Hang gliders= Giant Birds The critics of these sports would like to apply to hang gliding and paragliding the "fear of birds of prey" in animals in the wild which is created in experiments with artificial Griffins to control anin1als. In reality the relationship is not so simple as in these trials. Our observations show a comparison with new results in behavioral science: the recognition of enemies- are they natural or artificial( dummies, gliders)- cannot be reduced to simply the shape or size of the object. The mere appearance of hang gliders or paragliders is therefore far from being an hostile experience
Evaluation In order to evaluate the compatibility of a sport with nature there are clear principles: the usage of their living areas should not be further restricted in area or time. In the case of Hang gliders and Paragliders this results in the following balance of our survey: -provided that the present intensity and requirements of these sports does not increase there will be only local and occasional conflict with animals in the wild. -in areas which are regularlv overflown the animals remain larnelv unaffected. After the t;o ye;rs of the study there is no indicatio; df harm to the animals of the wild. -the opening up of undisturbed areas through cross country flight s has received critical attention . However a further reduction in these problems is expected with the new air laws with a license requirement for take-off and landing sites.
Recommendations Sensible rules to solve the conflict between flying activities and animals in the wild must be settled for each particular flying area. Here we only recommend three basic ground rules -In areas of intensive flying and hiking activity the two are so coordinated that they do not increase their effect on animals in the wild. -over sensitive breeding grounds flying activities should be controlled in such a way that disturbance is avoided. -with this aim the problem areas should be presented on the basis of the local knowledge from hunters and nature conservationists of the year round activities of species and the knowledge of conflict areas from pilots .
Reflections n A Hundred Ho urs by Douglas Terrel
"There was this guy who fell off a fifteen-sto,y apartment building. As he went past each window, people inside heard him saying, 'So far, so good... So far so good' ... " Old New Yorkjoke. "It ain't the fall; it's the sudden stop" ... Old Airborne adage.
"I'm thinking about going for the operation next yea r: rhe one i11 which they hollow out your bones to make you lighter, like a bird" .. Old Douglas comment. ' d probably actually do that if the medical professionals would j ack up their marrow technology co nsiderably, and if my USHGA insurance would cover it. I Jove to fly that much . I'm relatively new at paragliding, but as I pass the I 00-hour flight-time mark I figure I sho uld offer some reflections to encourage those just starting out as pilots.
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I'm an old skydiver from the early 1960' s , when we jumped white round 'chutes that we bummed from the military and modified ourselves with 5-panel and 7-panel cuts to make them turn. They turned, but they landed hard . We were real good at doing PLF's. I remember reading in the newspaper back then about the first three-man hookup. Wow, what magic that was. But other things intervened and I didn ' t jump for many years. I flew fixed wing aircraft and wen t to war, and watched when the first hang glider pilots crashed and then checked themselves out of hospitals to launc h again, and yeah it looked like fun , but I was getting brittle by then so I didn't take it up. Then one day two years ago in Taiwan , doing free-fall jumping again (for the first time in 26 years!) I ran into a Chinese man who showed me some photos of a paraglider. "Hey," I said, "that' s a parachute that goes up, right?" He nodded sagely (as many Chinese paraglider pilots do) and I said, 'That's for me! " As soon as I got back to the States, I signed up for lessons. Ted Boyse of LA Paragliding taught me to fly in the winter of ' 92-93 up in the cold , north-wind hills near Lancaster, California. We shivered and shook, but we flew. Thanks , Ted. Which brings me to my first reflection: I'm glad I had competent (often even inspired) instruction. Oh, I could have probably figured it out by myself, being a life-long adventurer, and maybe I'd even be a decent pilot, but a good instructor doesn·t just pass on skills, he provides a standard for judgement. You can ' t get that on your own , except through pain. Pain sucks. I started logging my paragliding flights (and my hours) when I got my own wing, a Wills Wing AT 123.
FLT #1 - "Park by baseball diamond. Wade river. Climb 1500 feet up steep ridge. 35 minutes in the ai r. Total flight time to date: 35 minutes." That' s a fundamental beauty of paragliding to me: I can wade rivers and climb 1idges and then launch and fly . It's portable flight. ("I am a bird, I am a bird ... " ) On that first of my logged flights Ted talked to me on the radio and kept me thermalling in tight, terrible little circles and in 30 minutes I was sicker th an a 'possum eating peach seeds . I didn ' t ever want to fly again. Hadn ' t eve n wanted to fly in the first place. I was absolutely miserable, and getting worse with every turn . Finally I ignored Ted ' s voice on the radio - "Right! Turn right! Douglas! Stay in the thermal! " "No way. Just put this damned thing down . There, in the rocks of that dry river bed. Big rocks. Never mind, it' ll do. Any place will do".
If you'd been there when I landed you could have picked up a good, only slightly used paraglider for about forty dollars. "Never again," I said to myself "Dumb sport .. " I still get airsick when I fly in the mountains if I don ' t take a quarter of one Dramamine tablet. That fixes my queasies, and that small amount doesn ' t put me to sleep 500 feet over launch, like a whole tablet does. Also , of course, I don't look at the whirling ground as much as I did back during those first thermal flights when a contin uing visual relationship with the terra firma directly below seemed somehow important. FLT #4 - " Ridge soaring between rock piles at Little Black Mountain (near San Diego) with Jack Heath from Colorado, John Bouchard, and Ken Baier. 15 minutes. Total flight time to date: 1:50." That's another beauty of paragliding: it' s still early in the game and the people who pioneered the sport are still around, and still acting just like notmal folks. And still flying. I love it. FLT #8 entry is an example of the wonderful portability of the paraglider. When I go visit friends , or folks , or just travel - by boat or air or pickup truck - I take my wing. You can fly almost everywhere, if you ask around a bit. That ' s good to do if you 're near civilization where the local pilots have been working patiently to develop or protect some flying sites. I wouldn ' t want to screw it up for them, so I call around and make friends and find out abo ut the best places to fly . FLT #12 - "Beautiful day. First pilot off Kagel (Sylmar, California) today. Good thermals. 500-600 feet over launch. 1 hr, 15 minutes. Total flight time to date: 5:36. " It was the first time I'd been remarkably higher than launch. I was going UP! Yeah! That' s what this is all about. .. FLT #19 - " Good cliff lift (at Palos Verdes, California). 4 launches equals 2 top landings, 2 beach landings, and 2 hikes. I hr, 20 minutes. Total flight time to date: 7 :08." FLT #20 - "Flew with John Tabor. .. " (Who ' s taught me a lot about flying, and about being a friend.) My first ocean-cliff flights. A wonderful experience in a magnificent spot. Gliding, back and fonh ... And walking up the trail if you ' re not very well educated yet. On the way to 100 hours I've jumped at every opportunity to fly ocean cliffs. It ' s mellow and relaxing compared to mountain flying. FLT #34 - "Camped with Barbara near the LZ (at Pine Mountain in the high desert of central Oregon). 300 over launch. Good thermals and a beautiful view. 58 minutes. Total flight time to date: 15:40." Barbara and I camped up and down the Pacific coast in the summer months last year, moving from one flying site to another, making new friends , flying new air. FLT #37 - "Sled ride to beach right over town (Oceanside, Oregon) If I hadn ' t met a local pilot on that one I'd have launched off the most obvious - but wrong - side of the hill, and I'd have needed the Coast Guard to pluck me off the rocks . Ask'
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FLT #38 - "Good lift from cliffs at Anderson Viewpoint (Oregon). Flew all the way to the campground ... "Ho-hum, I'm home, Dear. Just another day in the air ... " FLT #42 - "Fantastic! Sunshine and beautiful groupies at Anderson Viewpoint. 1 hr, 25 minutes .. ." Groundsuckers do love to talk to paraglider pilots. "What's it like? How do you learn? How much does it Continued on pg 32
FLIGHT DESIGN Fly Safely, Eat your Vegetables, and Protect the Environment.
A Negative Nightmare By Jeff Wagland ave you ever seen a paraglider go negative ? Most people haven ' t, because paragliders usually do what you expect them to. But sometimes your wing conspires with the wind to remind you that you can never be complacent in the air.
H
My last reminder came in the spring of 1993 when I was flying with a group of fri ends in one of the gorgeous and little known mountain ranges between Oswestry and Bala. The site we chose was a deepish valley running north-west, south-east, and about a mile wide. It was a site I had flown many tin1es before. l\1y very first soaring flight had been off the same hill side, but today the weather looked a little odd. The wind was from the north, very slack in the bottom of the valley but 15 mph, gusting occasionally to 20, at the top of the valley side. There were broken clouds everywhere which gradually thickened during the course of the day, but our valley was charmed. It had its own little hole in the cloud which refused to fill no matter what was happening elsewhere. We thought thi s was a good sign. The only potential problem was a possible shear layer close to the ground, where the wind coming over the top of the valley dipped and met the still air at the bottom.
Straight flight . Canopy slowly
turning right.
Left wing tip has swung round and down. Pilot and canopy moving backwards.
Canopy now spinning quickly. Left lip starts to dip again.
PAGE 12 • PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE
Left wing tip drops very quickly. little forward momentum.
Undaunted , we walked to the southern slope. I watched a friend on an intermediate 'chute take off close to the bottom and gain a lot of height very rapidly. I was flying a high-performance wing and, thinking I'd have to do better, I followed him from a point roughly 500 ft above the valley floor. The lift was awesome. Smooth, powerful and utterly progressive. The further you went out into the center of the valley, the less lift there was . If you wanted more height, you just flew back towards the valley wall and up you went. "Thi s has to be a wave," I thought as 1 popped up through our own personal bole in the cloud. I topped out at 2,000 ft agl, some 500-700 ft clear of the cloud tops . Spread out before me in sparkling sunshine was a brilliant white, billowing blanket of cloud covering the whole of North Wales. On the horizon to my left I could just make out the top of the Snowdon range puncturing the smooth, gently rippling surface. Admiring the little rainbow halo that surrounded my shadow as it was cast on the top of the clouds, I soared above the valley for just over an hour before a combination of brain overload and cold made me decide to come down. I B-lined for about 400 ft and then , wanting to slow thing s down , I pulled in the big ears. This pa1iicular canopy liked big ears, and if I let go of the A-lines it would happily sit there with the tips folded in until I hit the ground. It often took se veral hefty
Pilot and canopy still moving backwards . Left wing tip dips sharply.
Pilot is level with left wing tip before starting to swing back underneath the canopy.
Canopy just starting to collapse. Pilot is well above left wing tip.
Pilot now beneath canopy. Momentum is still spinning it.
Al most no lorward momentum . Canopy suddenly twists and wing shape is lost. Left wing tip very close to ground before pilot and canopy hit.
pumps on both brakes to get the wing fully inflated again. The lift was still very strong, and each time I pulled out the ears to see whether the canopy would descend without them, I went back up. In came the ears again for another few hundred feet, then I pulled them out to check the lift once more. I did this perhaps three times on the way down without any problems at all. At about 250 ft above the valley bottom I pumped the brakes to pull the ears out for the final time, ready for my landing approach. The canopy swung behind me as usual, but this time it didn't come back when I let up. Instead, it suddenly dipped to the left and started to spin me backwards. I tried correcting the spin, but the brakes had no effect. The spin worsened, and turned into what I can only describe as a backwards spiral dive. The transition, from floating smoothly down to a nightmare of flapping nylon and tangled lines over which I had no control, took maybe two seconds. A friend caught most of what followed on video. I haven't been able to take good still pictures off the TV screen, but I hope the sequence of drawings taken from the video will give you some idea of what was happening. They show the chute dipping behind me and twisting, then diving forward over my head. Still twisting, I am thrown backwards and horizontally outwards. The sequence is then repeated much more violently until the canopy collapses completely and I free-fall maybe 20 ft to the ground, landing on my side. It's probably significant that during the whole event the canopy's forward airspeed dropped to practically
nothing. I hit the ground on my right side, landing in a soft, boggy patch with tall grass. For reasons which I cannot adequately explain, I was completely unhurt. My friends who saw the incident thought that the canopy had been hit by turbulence while at a high angle of attack. Having started to spin, it did not have time to recover before I hit the ground. I was surprised that it didn't recover, but it appears that much of the wing was flying backwards. Hence the switch into negativity and the loss of control. Short of inducing a full stall and recovery, which is what I would have done had I had the space, I don't know how the canopy could have regained enough airspeed to give me control. The only way out would have been to throw my reserve. I didn't do this because I did not recognize it as an unrecoverable situation. By the time I realized the canopy wasn't coming out, it was too late. I believe the turbulence was either the shear layer I mentioned earlier, or possibly rotor in the trough of a wave, or a combination of the two. The main conclusion I draw is that if you even suspect turbulence at that sort of height, you either pull out the ears higher up and put on speed to get out of the lift and through the bumps, or you keep the ears in right down to the ground and prepare for a hard landing. And if your canopy is doesn't recover instantly from doing something you don't like at that height throw your reserve first and ask questions later! (reprinted from SKYWINGS)
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I am writing this letter to raise a concern about the entire Point of the Mountain, North and South sides. With a desire to learn how to paraglide, I called various top "names" in the sport, to find out where the best conditions and best instruction could be found. I was unequivocally, directed by several of the "names" to Point of the Mountain, both for the consistency of the conditions necessary to safely learn the sport and the quality of instruction to be found there. Availing myself of the fare wars, I managed to purchase a ticket for under $500 which allowed me to rent a car for the fifteen days I was in Utah. Needless to say the flying was incredible. I achieved my Class I certification and by the end of my stay I was launching off the top of the North side. As a result of this trip I am planning to relocate to Salt Lake City in January primarily for the flying. While this will not be everyone's experience who takes up paragliding, it is important to recognize trends. Ten years ago sports like rock climbing, white water rafting and sky diving were relegated to a small niche of our society called "thrill seekers". At that time few people had the vision to anticipate the growth in popularity that these sports would achieve in the 90's. With education and experience we have come to learn that adventure sports can be practiced safely, hence their appeal to a much broader section of American society. Currently these sports generate huge revenues to the locales in which they are practiced, giving business to local retailers, merchants, towns and cities as well as equipment sales and manufacturers. A local example of this is Black Diamond Equipment which is an employee-owned company producing internationally recognized climbing gear. Black Diamond currently employs 170 people and is headquartered near Salt Lake City. This is no coincidence, as some of the best climbing in the United States is within twenty minutes of downtown Salt Lake. In Europe and Japan there are over 90,000 certified paraglider pilots, while in the U.S. there are less than 3,000; clearly this sport is in its infancy stage our country. The American public presently views paragliding the way rock climbing was viewed ten years ago. With the
presence of safe, regulated learning conditions combined with professional instruction this view is bound to change rapidly, as the tendency in our society has become increasingly geared toward personal challenge and achievement. On the subject of trends, just ask Snowbird how much business is generated as a result of climbing competitions. My point is this: when those in a position of power decide that change or intervention is necessary, then and only then will the appropriate steps be taken to implement change. The North side needs very costly improvements to meet the requirements of the land developers. As I understand it, funds are still lacking. The South side seems to be in danger of being carted away as gravel. The importance of the South side to the North side is integral. All lessons and instruction for beginner students are conducted on the South side. While the North side is the "gem" for the experienced pilot, the South side provides a livelihood for several paragliding and hang gliding schools. Conditions on the North side attract world class pilot-instructors, and students like myself will travel across the country to learn to fly from these pilot instructors. During my lessons I met people who had come from as far away as Antigua to learn how to fly, as well as a father and son who lived within view of the Point. While paragliding and hang gliding will probably never generate the revenues of the ski resorts, clear! y there is value added to the Salt Lake community by keeping the Point of the Mountain intact as a destination for beginner students and expert pilots alike. My request is that those who can have an impact on this issue do something to ensure that this goal is met before it is too late. Sincerely, Alexander S. McAlister
Dear Editor, I am writing in response to a letter from Jim Martyn, published in the May/June '94 issue. In this letter Mr. Martyn expresses his concerns about improper and over use of the hang gliding and paragliding sites on Maui. He also provides a list of
rules to be followed by visiting pilots. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hawaiian Hang Gliding Association, I have several remarks and observations which may be of interest to those at whom Mr. Martyn's letter is aimed. Mr. Martyn states that "every launch ... and virtually every possible landing zone is privately owned .. there is no State or Federal park land suitable or available for flying." Unless Maui's many and frequently landed upon beaches are considered unsuitable landing zones Mr. Martyn is mistaken. No beaches in Hawaii are privately owned and, except for those which lie within State parks, all shoreline areas arc open to the public, for public use. While launching within Haleakala National Park is prohib-· ited (as it is in all National Parks, except Yosemite) the paragliding and hang gliding launches near the summit of Haleakala are within State owned areas. Mr. Martyn then seems to contradict himself, stating that site access comes through relationships with government officials It may be of interest to the readers of his letter that Mr. Martyn's company. Paraglide Maui, Inc. has attempted unsuccessfully to obtain use of various sites from the landowners. Although he implies that he and the Association have obtained such legal use, this is not the case. The summit area of Haleakala has been used as a hang gliding launch for over twenty
years with no official sanction. Mr. Martyn and his Association have no more authorization to use the site than the hang glider pilots. mountain bikers, and hikers who frequent the site. The site which Mr. Martyn currently uses for training his students has been denied to him in writing. In truth, the island of Maui has but one officially sanctioned USHGA site and, at the request of that landowner, paragliders arc prohibited from using it. Perhaps a better title to his letter would have been- NO AUTHORIZED FL YING ON MAUI-, at least for paragliders.
Dear Editor,
•'The Edel has Landed " by Greg Smith •"The Ridges of Radical Mounties" by Chris and Willi Muller • "A Boy Named Sue" by George Greer •"My life as an Air Hog" by B.0.B. Schick •"Natural Born Thrillers" by Chris Santacroce and Fletcher Anderson
Why does Dennis Pagen do all the writing in the paragliding world? There are so many good pilots with a wealth of knowledge in our sport' Articles could be excerpted or serialized in the magazine from the books written by these specialists. Maybe with a little prodding for inspira tion some of these guys would put pen to paper, so in that spirit, here's a few of the "books I'd like to sec" or "music I'd like to hear" and even "films l hope Lo see" in the realm of our sport! • "Twas the Flight Before Christmas" by Dick Jackson • "The Old Man and the Challenger C" by Mike Hanrahan • "Understanding this Guy" by Todd Bibler • "Estrangcrs in the Night" by John Bouchard • "Yawn with the Wind" by Jan Centerfold •"Lake Water for Chuculatc" by Alan Chuculate • "The Joy ofZX" by Jay Jamison • "Sudden Impact" by Tim Domenico • "Peter Fan" by James Miller • "Jaws" by Monte Bell and Terry Hawkins
... and so on! 1' m sure others could provide more inspiration for the rest of us, especially those who have been in the sport long enough to appreciate the above list! The sport has remained small enough in this country as to create a sense of familial intimacy with most of it's participants whether we like it or not, so c'mon! Today Paragliding the Mag. tomorrow Geraldo and Oprah' What tales we will tell' We arc the largest sewing circle in the world. let's make some money off it' Don't exclude the nice guys who just fly for fun ... tcll'em "you'll never fly this town again!" Like it or not friends, the biggest fish in this sport are merely guppies in a sea of oblivion so we all might as we' II at least enjoy the swimming. See you at next week's Bridge meeting where you'll hear newly construed propaganda about site rules, defective equipment. dubious collapse stories and all the reasons why Jr. Birdman says "you'll never fly this town again'" Sincerley , David Prank - The illegitimate love child of Fred & Claudia who is trying to divorce his parents
Dave Neto at (808) 575-9775. Samuel W. Nottage Chairman of the Board of Directors Hawaiian Hang Gliding Association
The only body of any substance in the State of Hawaii is the Hawaiian Hang Gliding Association. This organization has been in existence for over fifteen years, is a chapter of the USHGA and is the controlling authority of all sanctioned sites in the State. Mr. Martyn has never contacted the HHA with inquiries of site access or control. In short, Mr. Martyn's assumed authority and association exist only in his mind. While his expressed concern in maintaining flying sites is a noble one, Mr. Martyn is not alone in this. In over twenty years of hang gliding, I have found that the great majority of pilots share a respect and sensitivity to flying sites. Jim Martyn has no authority over Maui's flying sites. Pilots (hang glider or paraglider) intending travel to Maui would be heller advised to contact Maui's HHA liaison,
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while he is undergoing a sex change and learning to fly a hang glider all at the same time.
Dear Editor, In response to Larry Keegan of TBT Inc.' s letter, I must say that I was responsible for only one of the comments (the other comments coming from Alan, who has had experience towing with the TBT system). My comment "a problem with the TBT system due to an excessive change in effective reel diameter over the entire line length" still holds. Larry states that the 300% change in effective diameter is "an advantage not a disadvantage". This is an error on his part. He then goes on to say the narrow reel is an advantage and I agree with him. There are several tow systems using the narrow reel (see the photographs of Ed Pitman's excellent tow system in this issue). All but the TBT system limit diameter changes to about 40%. Anyone with a knowledge of simple physics will recognize the reason for this. For a given brake or hydraulic tension the effective spool diameter changes will cause the line tension to change. Large changes are a nuisance: the tow operator will have to keep changing the brake tension or the safety link may break part way into the tow operation. I see no place in the article where the authors state the TBT system "does not work". A 300% change in effective reel diameter is simply not as good as a system with a 30% to 40% change. For most light weight tow line this 30% to 40% change in diameter compensates for the weight of line payed out. As to Mr. Keegan's claim that he has "a sneaky suspicion that Jan Ala may be more than a little biased towards the Smart Tow System ... " I feel the astute reader will notice that while the Smart Tow System is no longer sold commercially and my involvement was limited to design and testing (not manufacture & sale) Mr. Keegan lists himself as the owner of TBT Tow Systems. This same astute reader will then probably wonder if Mr. Keegan does not have a greater interest in selling his product than I do in selling a product I was never selling. Sincerely, Jan Ala USHGA Tow Administrator
PAGE 16 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
Dear Editor and Readers, This letter is a rebuttal of Steve Roti's letter to the editor, published in the September /October issue of PARAGLIDING THE MAGAZINE. I am amazed to find that I have been attacked with such acridity by an individual whom I have never met. If hate mail is the highest form of recognigiton, then surely Mr. Roti does me great service in announcing me a celebrity. Come now, Steve; bold insipience brings you no honor. You might have at least confronted me directly with your misgivings before rushing, headstrong and illinformed, to publish your diatribe. Most unsporting of you. There are several important issues raised in Mr.Ro ti's letter to which I feel I must respond. Firstlty, the matter of my status as a paragliding Instructor. Mr. Roti writes, "I would like to present some facts ... Jim Martyn does not have an instructor rating". He goes on to say "So what we have here is someone who has been flying less than a year, someone who is instructing outside the system and turning out unrated pilots?. This is remarkable! How am I going to explain to the fine pilots I've signed off that their nice, laminated Class I cards are not valid? This is terrible; Mr. Roti (or should I call him Mr. Woodward or Mr. Bernstein?) has exposed me! Oh, the shame' Maybe Steve would be kind enough to wave his magic Class fII Observer's wand and make everything OK for these poor, unususpecting students. Maybe not. Get serious. The truth is that I hold a valid Paragliding Instructor certificate from the USHGA, dated April 17, 1994. I'm not sure what Steve's sources were - if indeed he checked any at all - but this certificate is real and undisputable. Mr. Roti's colubrine investigative reportng amounts to nothing more - and nothing less - than LIBEL. While this is not an appropriate venue for discussing the legal ramifications of libel, let me make it plain to Mr. Roti that I consider his damaging statements to have been intended in the most serious way, and I will deal with them as such. Enough said here on this. I am wondering what Mr. Roti meant to imply with his accusation that I had only received my Class II ratiing in November, 1993. Was it intended to suggest that I am not entitled to partcipate in the management of local sites here on Maui? I have met many fine pilots over the past few years who either had no USHGA ratngs or who had only recently received
their Class 1 ratings. We are all aware that a rating card is no definitive measure of pilot experience or competence. Unfortunately, Mr. Roti seems to suffer from the same snobbish attitude that is so often shown to these pilots by cetain instructors and upper-rated pilots. Mr Roti has accused me of selfishly attempting to monopolize access to flying on Maui. He suggests that the policies described in my article, "No Unauthorized Flying On Maui" were intended purely to extract fees from visitors. This accusation is absurd. How could it possibly benefit my business to advertise Maui as a hostile place for visiting pilots? In fact, the policies were instituted by a majority decision of the local pilots (both hanggliders andparagliders), and the unpopular task of communicating that decision to visiting pilots became my responsibility as the resident local paragliding instructor. Furthermore, I find it quite suspicious that Mr. Roti failed to mentfon in his letter that the restrictive flying policy has since been eliminated, partly the result of the positive cooperation and selfrestraint shown by many visiting pilots In recent months. Certainly Steve must have been aware of our new "Open Flying Policy-, since an advance copy of that press release was mailed to him several months ago. To put it quite simply, the rules, management and preservation of any local site are established and maintained by the diligent efforts of the local pilots who fly that site regularly, regardless of their individual ratings. (The obvious exception to this is the rare case of a site for which some person or organization holds an exclusive use permit.) Neither the USHGA nor any individual instructor or advanced pilot has any superior standing in this process, as site management is, by necessity, a democratic and local process. Mr. Roti implies that his (newly acquired) Class III rating gives him some form of seniority at any site he might stumble upon. This attitude is perhaps one of the most harmful in this sport. The administration and management of local sites is not governed by a rating system pecking order, neither here nor anywhere in North America. It's about time that arrogant pilots realize that the shiny plastic USHGA cards they hold do not grant them license to interfere in the management of any sites they might happen to visit. Contrary to Mr. Roti's apparent belief, holding Class III card does
not confer upon him any special seniority in site use, neither here nor anywhere else. It seems that Mr. Roti suffers from the same " I'm on vacation and I can do whatever I want to!" attitude that has been so common among tourists visiting Hawaii in past years. Regretably, this attitude has gradually eroded and virtually eliminated the Aloha Spirit of the islands. It is a sad fact of life for the local pilots that we are generally distrusted and largely unwelcome on the most of the ranches of our neighbors. Just because Mr. Roti and others have managed to visit and enjoy the occasional rebel flight, does not in any way prove that he has the right to do so at will. Long after he and others like him have left Maui and returned to their homes, the local pilots pay the price for any upset or inconvenience done to the landowners through blatant disregard and trespass. When will these insensitive tourists come to realize that Hawaii is not Disneyland? Maui is not an open playground, put here for the occasional visitor. The local pilots who live and work in the community here have learned how hard it is to earn the trust of landowners and government officials. I noticed an article, published in the same issue of Paragliding, which beseeches us to support the efforts of the local pilots to protect fying at Cape Lookout, Oregon. I can't help but wonder how much Steve would appreciate it if the Maui pilots chose to visit and fly that site without regard for any rules or agreements with landowners or government agencies. Don't worry though, we wouldn't do it because we know all too well the sadness of losing a precious ftying site. Steve, here's a simple proposal. Don't dump in my back yard and I won't dump in yours. Easy enough? Any pilots planning to visit Maui are invited to contact me for more information on the current status of site access. Yes, visiting pilots are weicome here. But please, remember that Maui is a small community and the site use is an extremely delicate and constantly changing issue I can be reached most easily by e-mail at 75541.2576 @compuserve.com. Or, call or fax me at (808) 576- 9439. When I'm not out flying, l' ll be glad to any questions you may have. Steve, however, would probably do best to stay at home. Best Wishes, Jim Martyn USHGA Paragliding Instructor Occasional Hang IT
NOTABLE FLIGHTS COLORADO
Experience of a Lifetime 87 Year Old Woman Makes A Tandem Flight On August 24, 1994 I had the honor of sharing the air with Mrs . Bernice Gieseke of Gloucester City, New Jersey on a tandem flight at Torrey Pines Gliderport in San Diego, California. At the age of 87 she is the oldest passenger I have had the opportunity to familiarize with free fo rm flight. The conditions were serendipitous for spontaneo us soaring in a paraglider and to preclude the hike up from the beach . Steve Stackable, another hang gliding Tandem Instructor at Torrey Pines Gliderport, provided canopy inflation anchoring and assisted Bernice in gettin g into her harness seat prior to liftoff. We made a 20 minute sojourn along the coastal cliff and out over the breakers below before our soft and slow, tiptoe top landing. After the flight Bernice exclaimed " What an experience I'd go again tomorrow! " Bernice is a special person because of her willingness to live life to its fullest. She exemplifies a youthful spiri t which has allowed her to continue to participate actively in adventure recreation, even as a senior citizen. She serves as an inspiration to all, and especially to those who have yet to let their spirits soar. This encounter with someone who chooses real and rich quality in their expe1ience makes my life as a tandem pilot truly meaningful and rewarding. Thank you Bernice. Alan Chucul ate, H G & PG Tandem Instructor La Jol1a, California
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Pikes Peak, at 14,110 feet , has been fl ow n by Hang IV Hang Glider pilots . But, until recently, paragliders have only been able to launch to the north at the 13,000 foot Devil's Playground site and to the west at the 14,000 foot level. The problem is the lack of a safe launch site into the prevailing SW winds. On 28 September a rare no-wind condition transitioned into a 4-6 mph wind up the east face which produced a one-hour launch window. A Colorado Springs pilot, Bob Kooser, made a 40 minute flight to 16,600 feet on an Edel Space 24. This first paraglider launch from the top of Pikes Peak may be the highest launch in North America in 1994. Pilots planning to fly The Peak are requested to contact a member of the Pikes Peak Hang Gliding Club in Colorado Springs. Sent in by Bob Kooser, US HGA #53275
MT. DIABLO CALIFORNIA New Site record- Out and return , triangular Distance On September 24, 1994 ED STEIN, flying an Advance Omega 3, flew an out and partial return triangle flight at Mt. Diablo. Ed, who recently returned from France and Switzerland, was anxious to try out his new glider on home turf. Mt. Diablo seemed promising on this day, with unstable conditions predicted. Ed launched at 1: 15 P .M left the mountain at 4200 ft. and flew East to Byron. At Byron he climbed to 5100 ft. AGL at which
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Tandem Record USA A new Colorado State Record was set when Aspen PG tandem instru ctor David Frank and hi s girlfriend, local artist Carolin e Shifrin , fl ew from Walshes ski run ( 10,800' ) on Aspen Mtn . to downtown Crested Butte on a tandem parag lider. The flight is also one o f the lo ngest ta nd em paraglider flights to date in the U .S. The co upl e covered the appro ximate ly thirty mile di stance in two hours fo rty minutes and reached altitudes of up to 17,000 ft. According to pilot David Frank ; " W e we re o nl y a t a bo ut 11. 5 00 ove r Ashcroft (9498 MSL) when we thermalled our way over to Cathedral (1 3,943), where we ro de so me wh a t ro wd y th e rmal s to 17,000. The hikers we could easily see initi ally on the summit turned into specks and we cro ssed some ru gged terra in towards White Rock Mtn . and beyond . Once again, we got low, at times we were onl y seven hundered feet above the valley fl oor as we worked the stron g but broken lift on the ridges. It was grueling work but we pulled it out. We finally made it over to the ridge near the town of Gothic where, after about thirty minutes, we c]imed to over 14,000 ft and set out on the long glide aga inst a light
altitude the wind direc ti on was out of the NIE. Ed fl ew S/W, notin g the wind direction c hanged aga in to S/E. He then fl ew N/W , la ndi ng at 3: 50 P .M . near Mo rga n TeJTitory Road. His total di stance was 32.5 miles. The turbulent fli ght, Ed thought was d ue to th e mult ipl e w ind s hea rs between 2000 and 5000 fee t. Ed noted his apprec iati on of th e stability and prec iseness of his new O mega 3, es pec ia ll y in suc h turbul e nt co ndi tio ns. Ed c urre ntl y ho lds th e M t. Di ablo s ite o pe n di sta nce record of 4 1 mil es to Lodi California in Jul y 1993 fl ying an Ad va nce Omega 2. An added note: Twice along the fli ght Ed was g raced b y th e co mp a ny of a ba ld eagle. Yo u trave l in the right circles (thermals) Ed ! PPS; Ed seems to be on a ro ll with hi s new Omega 3 glider because 4 days after the Mt. Diablo fli ght, be fl ew 24 miles from Mission Peak to just north of Morgan Hill . The PG distance record fo r Mission Peak (35 miles) is also held by Ed. submitted by Rudy V isaya
wind towa rds Cres ted Butte. W e we re eve n with th e top of the Butte ( 12, 162) whe n we crossed the ski area, and came into the tow n itself (8885) with about 800' over the baseba ll fi eld, where we touched down amongst the school kids preparing to play u softball. Caro line took a lot of pho tos alon g th e way and stayed optimistic the three times we go t low and it see me d it was o ve r. Aft e rw a rd s, we me t up with th e loca l Cres ted Butte parapilots fo r some celebrating. Lots of thanks to Aspen pilot Othar Law rence fo r o ur retri eva l from Cres ted Butte.
California local site record Date; Aug 2 1, 1994 Time; 2:00 PM Pilot; Tim Hall Glider; Airtek mi rage Launch; Horse Ca nyon alt. 4540 MSL Max Altitude: 10,294 ' Du rati on: 1 hour 40 min . Distance; 30 miles pilot ca ught a therm al at laun ch and left XC when he reac hed 8,200' . Was about to la nd a few mil es away when he ca ught
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PAGE 18 • PARAGLIDING , THE MAGAZINE
another thermal to 9.000' . Pilot left that thermal and caught a cloud street which took him to 10,294 ' and ended at the north end of San Felepe Valley, thirty miles from launch. It was the pilots second attempt at XC flying in a paraglider.
BITS AND PIECES New tandem paramotor by Dax.iwings in Belgium is on the market. The engine is Rotax 227 27HP. Japan XC record just over I 00 km. Sweden XC record 111.5 km. July 19th Tandem Record Straight distance 120km. Pilot Roland Wurgler Switzerland glider UP Pick-up. Tandem Record Out and Return 73 .8 km. Pilot Roland Wurgler Switzerland glider UP Pick-up. World Record from Canada Speed over a triangular course of 25 km : 16.86 km/h . Course; Mt. Seven BC, Pilot Eric Oddy Glider Apco Supra 25.
Pro Design USA now has the same paraglider line inspection and repair capacity as the Pro Design factory in Austria. With the use of a new "SHEKEL" electronic scale for line measuring, accuracy to within 2-3 mm can be obtained. This is the same sys-
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Save the Point Update tern the factory uses to insure proper trim on all gliders when they are new. New HSL electronic porosity meter is certified for use by the DHV for a bi- annual paraglider inspections. Pro Design USA can now do the most exte nsi ve paraglider repairs includin g complete panel and load rib re placeme nts. Repair and complete inspections can usually be done in less than a week turnaround. DHV requires a complete factory inspection of your paraglider every two years or lOO hours to keep your certification current in Germany . Pro Design USA can now do a complete DHV fac tory inspection of your Pro Design paraglider. DHV Factory Inspection includes; 25kg. line stretch and strength test. SHEKEL electronic line and trim check. HSL electronic porosity check of at least eight points. Visual inspection of load ribs for blow out or damage. Visual inspection of all lines and riser systems for wear. Repair of any damage or irregularities.
The Fly-In was a great success even though little flying, let alone competition, took place due to high winds. A large turnout of pilots (37entrants) and friends helped raise awareness about the need for a landing zone on the North Side to the three local television networks and government officials attending the event. Encouragement was expressed by equipment manufacturers through donation s for a ra ffle with pri zes worth over $6000! ! Pilots and clubs throughout the US also showed concern by donatin g funds , purchasing T-shirts, and attending the Fly-In . Ov er $3500. was raised to make improvements on the North Side in order to secure an LZ. This exceeded our expectations by $1000. It was amazing to see such support from all the pilots throughout the country and around the world. Letters of perso nal experiences at the Point of the Mountain still arrive daily. A sincere thanks to everyone for pulling together to help save this bea utiful flyin g site . The lon g struggle continues , but th e future looks much brighter with such powerful allies! ! Thanks.
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SOUTHWIND Welcomes Chris Santacroce!
Maui Update
Chri s Santacroce has re cen tly joined Southwind Hang Gliding Inc. at the Point of the Mtn. in Utah . Southwind ow ner Bob Schick and Chris are teaming up to offer comprehe nsive instruction and tandem flyin g . So uthwind will offe r courses year round and will provide access to the various mtn. sit es in Utah via s nowmobil e . Snowmobile access will allow more tandem flying and Class ! co urses will s ur ely progress more quickly. Clinics are planned all winter long. Chris spent the last two years as an instructor and factory rep for UP Internatinal. This recent change will allow Chris to give more private le ssons and adv anced instruction. Southwind is excited about getting you off the gro und Book your winter vacation with us now!
New "open flying" visitor policy Many of you may have heard of or read about the res trictiv e policy on visitorpilot access to flying sites on Maui. As of today, there is no longer any fee required for visitor access . Pilots planning to visit Maui are requested to observe the following rules; 1. Always use a helmet and reserve parachute while flying . 2. Fly with a local pilot to avoid unseen dangers and non-permitted LZ's. 3. Don ' t fly without a valid rating card. 4. Don't attempt to fly the Waihee Sea Cliffs. This site is open only to specific individual pilots by special permission of the landowner.
lkaros Sport Aviation Inc.
News Flash! Bob and Margo are moving December 1st. We finished the lodge and are headin g to the mountains. Southwind will be operating out of the Heber, Utah area - Lake Creek Summit. New phone # and address Timber Lakes Estates #45; Heber, UT 84032 (801) 783- 8188
PAGE 20 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
Opens New YorkCity' s First Sport Aviation Shop On Saturday Dec. 3rd, lkaros Sport Aviation Inc., will hold its Grand Opening! We have just signed a contract for a training hill and will soo n start teaching lessons. We run a complete shop, pilots
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are welcome to stop by and take a look at our radios, books, videos, and Afro flight instrumen ts. Special deals all through the Grand o p e nin g month of D ece mb er . I karos Sport Aviation Inc. is o pened Monday through Friday 10:30 to 7:30 and is located at 29-3 1 Newton Avenue, (call for directions) in Astoria, Queens. The store is open on the weekennds when the fl ying is not good. On weekends call in advance. The phone number is (718) 7777000 the fax is (212) 942-8155
Japan Report by James Brown As your Japan correspondent, I shou ld probably be wnting some thin g about the paragliding scene in Japan, but since I stayed a good part of the summer in the US, I want to say something about my visit there. I spent a weekend at the Chelan Butte Fly-In across the Cascades from Seattle where I was stayi ng, and came away completely impressed by the whole experience. I left Seattle early in the morning by car with Jim Martyn of Paraglide Maui at the wheel and headed east, hoping to find some good flying. Our first stop found a group of people sitting around sleepily at a blown out site, so we continued our drive to Chelan Butte. Coming from Japan , l was overwhelmed by the sce nery. Blackened by
recent fire s, the buttes and canyons presented a spectacle that one simply cannot imagine over here. I had been to the Chelan area before, but even so, the view from the top of the butte was ove rwh e lming to me , accustomed as I have become to scenery on a much tamer scale. The first day was too strong for me to try to get into the air, but the next morning I got in a co upl e of pleasan t flights. More than the flying, though, 1 was impressed with the helpfulness and eagerness of the guys who were running the flyin the days that I was there. Bill Gordon and Joe "Screwsloose-ski" Gluzinski were nothing short of incredible. Bill lent me a new Flight Design A-4 to '·demo" - a practice I have ne ver see n over here (in Japan). I don' t know why there is no "fly before you buy" system here, but maybe the cos ts of lending demos to all of the many schools and instructors are too great. It certainly works, because now I am thinking about buying an A-4. Both Bill and Joe were helpful with local weather advice and in formation on how to make it to the LZ in one piece. Jim Martyn , whom I had only just met the day before, was generous with his gear and took me under his wing with advice about thermal cycles , wind conditions and other points too numerous to mention. The afterhours Mexican dinner and the companionship of the other pilots was fan tastic. That little taste of flying at one of the best sites in the Northwest has whetted my
appe tite for more, and I am eage r to come back next summer for ano th er visit. Thank you for a won derful experience, and all the kind commen ts I go t for my modest flying skills. Oh , yes , a new Japanese XC distance record of 110 km was set here. There, now I've said something about Japan. James Brown 2-12-1 6 Ubagayama Niigata 950 (025) 287-4959
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E,J ~ 1J C7~ I Yl3\l r 7Jl(0)01:;CCT§ NJEW IFIPl(O)[J)11JCC1r§ ~NOYD, JCT§ f :IEw~= ])R(CIJCCC1T§ NIEW IF:R(O)[J)11JCC1T§ Instrument console Turner Marine has developed an instrument console made of soft molded thermoplastic with ridgid retaining rings, uni versal watch clip and Delrin mounts. This product was made lo withstand the rigors of scientific diving. The unit accomodales Peel Bros. 80 and 84 altimeters. most watches or a vario. An atlatched slate allows you to make notes enroule. The console was designed to mount lo the di vers or pilots forearm within easy peripheral vision. A large size version is available that would seem to be adaptable to a paraglider pilo15 thigh. The console weighs 10 ozs empty and comes with a n assortment of velcro and elastic atlatchment bands. Fo r more information call or write Turner Marine • Forearm Console, (415) 922- 8209 , 2443 Fillmore St., Box 436, San Francisco, CA 94 115.
AFRO USA Afro offers a new line of varios to North Ameri ca. ·The cockpit you can hold in the palm of your hand'' . Afro USA is a newly formed venture between Afro Fluginstruments of W. Germany and New York Ci ty based lkaros Spon Aviation. The variometers are based on sai lplane technology. using microprocessors. All instruments measuer in both meters and feet. The Cummulus line was designed for parag lider pilo1s and there are three models in the range. The easy to read instruments come with a 32
page bookl et in English. explaining the features and how to get the most out of the machine. they offer computer accessories with all models. Pictured is the Cummulus 3 which is the top of the line model featurin g: Stall warn ing adjustable at 0- 100 mph . auto flight recording up to 99 fli ghts. data recording for date -duration of fli ght - max sink rate - max c limb rate - max speed - max allitude. A uto sw itch off. time and date. vario ana log +!- 2000 ft. per min .. programmable audio on descent. volume control. sink alert (adj ustable), display of
vario average. air pressure. qui ck motion display . FA A approved baragraph and more. Dealerships are being de veloped. please ca ll for mor info. (7 18) 777-7000
Wayfinder ni Paragliding Compass The Wayfinder Thi was originally designed as a multipurpose vehicle and hand-held compass in 1991. based on technology developed by Precision Navaga1ion for the U.S. Anny. Since then Wayti nder has been sold successfully around the world. In 199-1. Precision Navagation Inc. and Flytec AG in S11 itzerland decided to work together to bring !his revolutionary technology to pilots. Nm, when you are exploring the 1'l kies ~tayi ng on course is easy and conve nient. The Waytinder continuously displays directional headings on its large liquid display. Its light weight and small size make ii an ideal paragliding navigational tool. it has already beenfield tested in Europe. In addition to traditional compass uses. the Wayfinder also has a Unique Direction Memory feature that helps 11 hen you get ready 10 return to your point of origin, the Direction Memory Pointer makes ii easy to find your way back. The Wayfi nder is curreml y available as an electronic compass for autos. trucks etc. and as a hang gliding parag liding Wayfmder wi th special use specific brackels and mounts. In addition Precision Navagation plans to introduce other con.') UITier navigation produclS to be marketed under the Wayfinder TM brand name. Dealer inquiries are welcome. please contact David Sohn m (41 5) 903-1-196 . 1350 Pear Ave. Suite A. Mountain View. CA 9.j().j3
l'AFRO"LJSA Distributed ,n North America solely by Jkaros Sport Aviation (ISA) , Mailing Address : 38-11 Ditmars Blvd. # 110 , Astoria , NY 11105 , Te l 718 .777 .7000 , Fax 2 12 .942 .8155 . Visit us at 29-31 Newtown Ave ., Astoria , NY. Exclusive dealers of MOYES Hang Gliders . Plus Paragliders , Paramotors , Aerochutes and Microlights.
PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 23
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The back o f the passenger does nm touch the seatbase
Ailes De K The Side Seat - a spec iall y designed harness for tandem flights. The side seat offers comfort and security, with main straps that have been designed in order to avoid pressure on the thighs and make all phases of the flight more comfortable. The harness has cross straps of the same type as a harness with low suspension points. Shoulder straps have rubber bands to maintain tension.All straps of the reserve parachute are integrated and protected by the harness, straps of the reserve chute are attatched with velcros to prevent them from falling out. The reserve deployment handle has a double locking pin that can be attatched on the ri ght or left side. Made or light weight, Kodura fabric , the side seat is reinforced with extremely reststant fabric strengthened with PVC coating. Designed for pilot To learn more or demo a side seat caU behind passanger. the tandem harness can be quickly converted to a solo harness using the same reserve parachute. (206) 432-8900
New From SupAir The BUMPAIR an optional addition to the kevlar back protector, or it can be used by itself, both fit all SupAir harnesses. Also from SupAir a new small sized "ladies" version of the ProtechEvolution. (not shown) And finally the Bongtent for two, will fit two persons and their flying gear. In the morning it will fold up into a 700 gram package that fits into any paragliding seat. made of MYLAR and KEVLAR great for any camping.
1JCC1r§ NJEW IFil(Q)[J)llJCC1T§ JCC1r§ NIBW IFil(Q)ID)llJCC1T§ CLOUDBASE PARAGLIDING Paul Hamiltons newest video is defi nately worth a look. Paul takes you for a pil ots eye view of several differe nt sites including Guateamala. Paul takes film clips from several years of gliders launching to give us a pi cture of how th e glid ers have changed. Then we take a look at Safety I Maneuvers clinic s, with Greg Smi th a nd Christoph Kirsh, here we get a c h a nce to see so m e grea t shots of reserve depl oyments ove r wate r. Thi s is exce ll e nt footage for using as part of a reserve chute clinic. If you' e see n Paul 's other film s you know what to expect, Paul teaches as he goes, making it a good introduction to paragliding. A pleasant change though, is the music in Cloudbase Paragliding is much softer than in some of the previous videos, better, I think, for tbe fl ying imagery . Order from Adventure Video (702) 849-9672
ASK FOR YOUR FREE VIDEO.
FROM OCTOBER 1ST THROUGH JANUARY 15TH MIDNIGHT 1995. WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT? .. .
1,100 AGENA(s) SOLD IN 11 MONTHS AND THE SALES ARE GOING STRONG. THIS IS UNPRECEDENTED IN ITV's HISTORY! THE IDEA IS TO REMOVE ALL THE OLD WINGS FROM THE MARKET AND INCITE PEOPLE TO FLY UNDER AN AGENA.
Touching Cloudbase Ian Currer bas produced this video, to go along wi th his book. This is an educational, rather than enten aining video. It co uld wo rk ve ry well as a gro und sc hoo l film , alo ng wit h reg ul a r lesso ns . Th e fi lm is sho t o n the lovely ro llin g gree n hills ides in England and Wales. Ia n dem o nst ra tes th e co rrect techniques of ground handling. kiting, launching. landing, as well as foo tage in fli g ht. There are segments that depict wind currents and other as pects of mi crometerology pilots need to learn about. There is also a how it flys segment explaining and demonstrating bas ic aerodynamics. This is a very comprehensive film meant to compliment but not repl ace your on the hill training.
Bur How, You AsK? .. . BY BUYING BACK ANY PARAGLIDER FROM ANY BRAND FOR
$700.00 TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF A NEW AGENA
MYLAR. INSTEAD OF PAYING
$3 , 300 . 00 , You WILL PAY ONLY
$2,600.00. T HE A GENA COMES WITH : A DELUXE X-LARGE BAG WITH 3 POCKETS - A SEAT DESIGNED BY S UP'A.iR. - A B ACK PROTECTION - A COMPLETE SPEED SYSTEM - 2 S UP'AIR SELF LocKING BINERS FOR THE RISERS - 2 STEEL BINERS FOR THE RESER VE PARACHUTE - ONE BUILT-IN RESERVE PARACHUTE P OCKET WITH - HANDLE AND PrN - ONE BALLAST POCKET - A STUFFB AG - A MOLDED Fm STORAGE POCKETS AND MORE .. .
1Co""P·
Order from Paragliding Magazine (503) 582-1467
THE D is t r ibute d b y : GMI Corp.
Fax : 516 I 676-0106
Phone: 516 I 676-7599
P .O . Box 451 I Glen Cove NEW YORK 11542 I USA.
Super Tow
hydralic system note the excellent on the directi o na l line guide. This system built by Ed Pitman offers very consista nt lin e ten sion s & high overall quality
photo Ed Pitman
Toeing The Line Part 3 - Lining Up /11 Part 2 of this series 011 towing we reviewed the hardware compo11e11ts of reel tow systems and considered some of their desig11 factors. Please note that the photog raphs in the previous article were courtesy of Larry Keegan of TB7; and the caption beneath 011e photo referri11g to the red toggle belongs 0 11 the other photo. Please accept ou r apologies, La rry. Here in Part 3, we'll closely examine the co11nectio11s betwee11 the towline and the pilot and su rvey towline material, size. a11d cost tradeoffs.
Safety Links he purpose of a safety or weak link is to provide a maximum limit to the possible towline tensio n that ca n be exerted on the glider. Some pilots think that the sa fety link will in breaking, protect them from lockout. This is not a reliable plan. Lockout is an accelera ting descent, significantly diverging in heading from the direction of the towline, which is not correctable by steerin g. The glider is in an accelerated stall, th at is, stalled at an ai rspeed higher than normal becau se of increased loading. This increased loading is due to the download component of the towline, and also due to the bank angle. If you ever find yourself on tow with the glider in a di ving turn, diverging in heading by greater than about 45 ° from the direction of the towline, and your toggle controls are ineffective, you are in a lockout. You should not wait for the safety link to fail. Instead, you should release immediately to regain control of your glider!
T
PAGE 26 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
by Jan A/a & Alan Chuculate
The mos t co mmo n material used for safety links is size 205 braided Dacron leech line, whi ch is made for the sailing industry and is also used for rib tensioning on the trailin g edge of hang gliders. Fishing line is also popular for this application. Whatever you choose, each newly acquired batch of the material should be tested to "calibrate" its load limit. The reason for this is that suppliers of line and cord monitor maximum rated workload as the criteria of quality assurance beca use most use rs want to know that the line will be stro ng e no ugh for their application . Thi s value can change with variations in the parameters of the manufac turing process, suc h as thread size. braiding tensions, and dye content. For our application as safety links, we are interested in the max imum breaking stren gth: the ultimate load at which the line will fa il. This va lue also chan ges as the manufacturing process variables are adjusted . However, producers generally do not mo nitor or publish thi s value beca use there is insufficient market demand to do so. Therefore, it is possible that the ultimate strength can vary from batch to batch, even if it is the same size and of the same mate1i al, and is obtained from the same supplier. It is also critical to tes t the safety link in the same con figurati on in which it is to be used when towing. Use the same number of loops or strands, the same knot(s), and the same end attachments, since these all affect the failure strength . Knottin g reduce s the stre ngt h of a ny line b eca use of th e increased ten sion exerted on the fibers on the outside of the bend
in the line. Therefore, for any type of knot, the tighter the radius of the bend in the line the weaker the knot. That's why a knot in a large diameter line will be stronger beyond the proportional increase in cross-sectional area than the same knot in a small diameter line. Similarly, when a line is doubled, then tied, the knot will be stronger than for the same knot tied in the single line. When using some generic "fineline", a relatively small diameter towline, let's say less than 3/l 6" (4.8 mm), the safety link can be reduced in strength compared to when using "fatline". The reason for this is additional load imposed by the added weight and the aerodynamic drag of the wider line when it is stretched out in the airstream during the tow. Both of these factors cause the towline to sag. This penalty of "fatline" is magnified when tow altitudes increase. The sag can begin to become noticeable as low as 600' ( 183 m) AGL with jumbo line of 3/8" (9.5 mm) diameter, and can in some cases limit low altitude to less than 2000' (6IO m) AGL. By contrast, one of the authors has towed to approximately 4000' (1220 m) AGL using a fineline. The recommended strength of the safety link for paragliding is between 0.75 Gs and 1.5 Gs. One "G" is the force due to gravity when you and your glider are in straight and level flight. For example, if you weigh 170 lb (77 kg) naked, and your glider, harness, helmet, reserve, ballast, clothes, boots, etc. total 30 lb (14 kg), then your gross weight is 200 lb (91 kg). Therefore, a 1 G load for you is 200 lb (91 kg), and a 0.75 G safety link would be 150 lb (68 kg). Values outside this range can and have been used, but a safety link within this range provides a reasonably safe baseline or starting point. It is important to realize that this sizing convention was derived empirically, that is through trial and error, using a hang glider safety link as a starting and reference point. The frame wings are better suited than paragliders at handling a strong safety link because of their ability to penetrate and fly faster. Paragliders have a narrower speed range, particularly on tow, while hang gliders have a wide speed range. So the hang glider pilot can readily reduce the loading due to the tow force simply by speeding up. It is the paraglider's smaller speed range, and particularly its slower top speed, that limits its ability to "offload" excessive towline tension. This necessitates the weaker safety link. On the other hand, because of the lower stall speed, paragliders can "weather" a low altitude, low airspeed safety link
failure better than a hang glider. Therefore, they can be towed with a weaker safety link. If excessive towline tension breaks the safety link, canopy surging does make low altitude recovery a real danger. However, use of a stronger safety link in combination with excessive towline tension can lead to low level lockout, which is even worse. Based on the factors noted above, the safest combination is a weak safety link, 0.75 Gs, used in conjunction with small diameter towline. If no safety link is used between the towline and the pilot, the "weak link" is undoubtedly between the pilot's ears.
(~) Bridle
Release Mechanism he release mechanism is what allows the pilot to separate from the towline at anytime during the tow. This device must provide a means to significantly reduce the full towline tension to some lesser value holding the release pin. Otherwise it would require excessive force to activate the release. This force reduction function provides leverage, or more correctly, a mechanical advantage, much like a block and tackle system. The release for paragliding is a variation of the three-ring type used with skydiving rigs. It allows the parachutist to "cutaway" from their main canopy in the event of a malfunction. For our application, fabric cords are substituted for the metal rings. This creates a "soft" release, with three loops , or even two loops, since the leverage needed for our application is less than that needed for the higher speeds of skydiving.
(1)
Each cord is sewn into a loop
and anchored to a piece of nylon webbing, which serves as the body of the release. The cord material for each of the two, or three, loops should be of progressively smaller crosssectional diameter to operate reliably. Stepping down the cord diameter ensures that each of the inner loops can readily pass through the adjacent outer loop without binding. Each successive loop reduces the force holding the release pin in place so that only a fraction of the towline tension is required to pull the release pin. It is imperative that the release mechanism operate smoothly and flawlessly for the full range of towline tension, from full to light. It is best to have the mechanism covered to protect it from dirt and grit.
Release mechanism body
A 3 loop "soft" release mechanism release pin and handle have been omitted for clarity.
Open mechanisms have occasionally jammed and prevented separation. (see warning drawings pg 30) A "heavy metal" release is not well suited to paragliding because of the potential hazard of the metal hitting the pilot's face if towline separation occurs while the towline tension is high. The less exposed metal the better, so the "dust cover" mentioned above serves a secondary purpose of padding the release pin and the grommet, in the event of "slapback". In addition to a soft release, pilot eye protection, that is shatterproof lenses, should be used. A cord or rope should be used between the outermost loop of the release and the weak link. (fig. 2) This cord or rope should be larger in cross-sectional diameter than the outer loop of the release which it is connected to for the same reliability as mentioned earlier. Some pilots use a metal ring instead. At best, this creates the hazard of a falling object following normal separation. At worst, if the safety link fails, you may learn the hard way that you can lose some teeth or an eye. One pilot found himself at the hospital emergency room having a physician removing fragments of a broken glass lens from his eyelid.
PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 27
Toeing The Line Part 3 - Lining Up
continued...
Two loop "soft" release mechanism Towline
Splice
Advance Omega III • Excellent stability • Clean entrance into thermals Demo: $3595.
Safety Link
Release Loop Release mechanisim body
Advance Epsilon 23,26,29 •$1.J.pervlass .Glider •Excellent Performance • lnterrriedia.te
Bridles
c~2
he bridle attaches the release to the glider. To distribute the towline tension to each set of risers equally, the bridle must split into two legs
from the release in the form of a "V". A short bridle is preferable to keep the release directly accessible. Optimum is about 18" (46 cm), so that each leg of the "V" is slightly longer than the distance between your risers, A short bridle will also keep the safety link well within reach. Since the safety link is the easiest component in the connections to cut with your hook knife, keeping it in close proximity will enhance the effectiveness of this emergency option. To reduce "slapback" recoil, bridles should be made of a relatively inelastic material, such as woven webbing, as opposed to a cord which is designed to stretch. The best location for attaching the bridle for the purpose of load application is at the riser/carabiner juncture because this is where the glider is intended to be loaded; this is where you're suspended from. A short piece of cord or webbing sewn or tied into a loop and attached in a Lark's head knot around both the riser and carabiner (fig. 3B) serves PAGE 28 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
As an alternative, some pilots have towed from the carabiners. One problem with this attachment is that the "biner", particularly the gate side, is not designed for this loading, and is therefore subject to failure. ( see fig. 3A) A worse problem that arises from towing off the carabiners is that the carabiners often become misaligned while taking up slack in the towline. This places your suspension load across the short axis of the biner. Then you're exerting at least a I G load across the gate of the biner and even if only the gate fails, you're history. By the way, when was the last time you inspected your carabiners for stress cracks at the gate hook or hinge, or for dents from such simple abuse as dropping them onto a rock? Attaching your bridle to your flying carabiners directly with another carabiner maximizes the loading on both carabiners because the metal to metal contact concentrates the load at a point, or at best on a very small area. This can cause aluminum carabiners to dent and fail. This method is only safe if all four carabiners are steel.
Release Handle
T
to both properly load the juncture and to anchor the carabiner from sliding into a side load position.
Towing off of the A-risers alone may cause or sustain a full frontal closure, so this is risky at best. Another poor choice for attaching the bridle is to the harness at the biner loops. An example of this is pictured in the May/June 1994 issue of Paragliding The Magazine on page 28 as the Sail Wings Tow Bar release. It's difficult to verify from the photograph, but usually these suspension points on the harness are designed only for an up load, not for a thrust load (forward) or a down load. So unless you add some reinforcement for both forward and downward loading, you will likely damage your harness over time. You can certainly imagine the catastrophe of having your harness fail in flight. Attaching the bridle to the harness far above or below the carabiners will tend to pivot the pilot about the carabiners, head first or feet first respectively. It is also important to ensure that the bridle connections are symmetrical on the harness, both laterally in terms of width, and vertically in terms of height. If not, you may find yourself "crabbing" through the air sideways, or constantly countering a turn. A common cause for this error is unequal length legs on the "V" of a homemade bridle.
Towline Size As the glider climbs high and steep above the launching surface, the towline sags as mentioned earlier, and it takes the shape of a characteristic arc, known as a catenary curve. The thicker and heavier the towline, the more drag and weight respectively, and
Risers
Carabiner Quick link can be inserted here for ease of rapid installation (between bridle and cord)(
/~ Strong cord or web ~
Bridle -, _- - - - -
~c:-, I
,
arness
the more dramatic the occurrence of this effect. It can become quite obvious on a payout reel system when the towline is observed paying out horizontally from the reel. This effectively limits additional altitude gain due to the ever increasing weight and drag of the towline. To clin1b higher in this circumstance, the towline tension must be increased, but to do so is a strong arm solution to the problem. This is better resolved by the subtlety and refinement of adapting, that is upgrading with advancements in technology . The development of ultra high tensile strength materials has made available " fineline s" which are much smaller than commonly available "poly-ropes. and their weight is minimal. As an example, 3/32" (2.4 mm) Spectra has a tensile strength of 730 lb (3.26 kN), yet weighs less than 2 lb (0.9 kg) per 1000' (305 m). Due to their extremely light weight, "finelines" are drag dominated; their aerodynamic drag will cause the towline to sag before their weight will. But since their frontal area is so minimal , towline sag is largely eliminated because the drag of a 4000' (1220 m) towline is minimal. "Fatlines" on the other hand require more fibers for equivalent strength and so are large in dian1eter. Since they are made of relatively soft material , sometimes they are also made thicker to reduce abrasion. This makes them heavy, so "fatlines" are weight dominated; their weight will make the towline sag before their drag. This shift from being weight dominated to being drag dominated is the distinguishing characteristic of "performance" towlines. Performance towlines are clearly more efficient, but they do cost more, and because of their small size they have less wear margin for abrasion . Unless all your towing is performed in soft grassy fields, you need to consider towline abrasion. This can be avoided
I
'I ~ IIIJIJl~l~ffll l rP
111
111 -
111m:; ;::iiillllllllllllllllllllll111 •
SABRA Uncompromised design , qua lity and materia ls. The interm ediate para g lide r for the majority of pilots .
SABRA
25
27
30
SPECTRA
25
27
30
cells
35
37
38
cells
39
43
47
pilot weight Kg 60-75 70-90 85-110 speed (Km/h) certification Acpul
20-45 20-45
A
A
Toeing The Line
The n ew high p e rformanc e intermediate sail . An original design that r eaches the best pe1formance and sets the standards of security for the future .
Part 3 - Lining Up
continued...
by using a parachute to hold the towline off the ground during the rewind. Better yet is to use a ram-air lcite to fly the towline down . Rewinding the towline while it is in the air, rather than dragging across the ground, will greatly increase the life of any towline, and is especia!Jy advantageous for costly performance towline.
pilot weight Kg. 60-75 70-90 85-110
20-45
speed (Km/h)
A
certification Acpul
20-45 20-45
20-45
A
18
A
Towline Materials ylon is a Dupont brand name for polyamine. While not reco mmended as a towline, it is used because of its low cost. It has high elasticity and moderate U.V. resi stance. Typical size would be 3/16" (4.8 mm) or larger. It is most useful as a shock reduc ing leader line when using low stretch towlines. This application is more appropriate for towing of hang gliders to cushion the liftoff loading. It' s counterproductive to use nylon as a shock reducer for paraglider towing because a firm steady pull enhances a prompt inflation, and also minimizes canopy surgin g. Polypropylene is used as water-slci towline because it floats. It is low cost at $25 to $45 per 1000' (305 m), with good U.Y. resistance, but it is relatively heavy in the 3/16" (4.8 mm) or larger size needed. It has only fair abrasion resistance. Polyester is marke ted by DuPont as Dacron . It has low stretch, with good abrasion and U.Y. resistance, but does not float. It offers a good balance between cost and performance at $40 to $70 per 1000' (305 m) . Typical sizes are 3/16" (4.8 mm) to 1/4" (6.4 mm). Polyethylene (PE) in its simple st form is produced and known in the U.S. by the brand names Tupperware and Saran Wrap. Allied Signal markets a high tenacity high modulu s (HTHM) PE fiber in the U .S. as Spectra . In Europe, thi s sa me material is known as Dyneema. It exhibits low stretch and has good U. V. and abrasio n resistance, which can be improved with coatin gs such as the gray polyurethane used on "Spec tron " by Samson Ropes . Relat e d to Teflon, it has high lubricity, but unlike its relative, it has a low me lting point, so it will usually melt before it wears due to abrasion. It is popular for boat tow operations beca use it is the only performance line that floats. It is " pricey" at over $ 100 per 1000' (305 m), but all regular users feel that it is worth the extra cost. Common sizes are 3/32" (2.4 mm) to 3/16" (4.8 mm). Polya.ramide is marketed by DuPont as Kevlar. It has very
N
s
I .The release pin can be inserted too far tlu-ough the retainin g loop.
SUPRA Simply easy. Stable and safe. Quality fo r the best price.
The best sail in the market in its category as proven by its many Worlds Records (XC Open Distance World Reco rd ) . Flying with a Supra is always a guaranreed pleasure. Eqmpped with the speed accelerator if is the Jasrest wing around.
PRIMA
24
27
30
SUPRA
25
28
30
33
cells
21
23
25
cells
49
53
57
61
pilot weight
60-78 70-90 75-100
pilot weight
60-75 75-95
speed (Km/h)
20-40 20-40 20-40
speed (Km/h)
20-50 20-50 20-50 20-50
certification Acpul
A
A
certification Acpul 28
18
85-110 18 Competition
2 .The release cord can snag on the release pin or some other part of release mec hani sm body
WARNING! These releases have DESIGN FLAWS which m
low stretch and a very high melting point. It does not float. has fair U.V. resistance, is brittle, and can be abrasive, even to itself. Silicone coatings applied during the manufacturing process can improve its handling and abrasion characteristics. It is very strong and tough and is used in tire sidewalls, bullet-proof vests. helmets, and for paragliding back protectors. Its cost is $75 to S 100 per 1000' (300 m), and as a performance towline a typical size is less than 1/8" (3.2 mm).
WORLD LEADER OF PARAMOTOR
Towline is also available as a braided core material covered with a woven sheath, much like the lines on your paraglider. The core provides the strength, and the external covering is for abrasion . contamination, and U.V. protection. It costs more. splicing is possible though difficult , but it should last much longer. While not popu lar in America, some European winch builders favor it.
Towline Splices ollow braided towline facilitates quick splicing out in the field without having to resort to tying a knot, which weakens the towline and creates a discontinuity for line guide systems. The preferred splicing method is the "finger trap" because it is clean, effective, quick, and simple. The special tool required to accomplish this splice is a fid. This is typically a hollow tapered tube, closed and rounded at the narrow end. made of plastic or metal, and available in different diameters to accommodate different size lines . Fids and finger trap splicing instructions are available where hollow braid rope is sold. Spectra is especially slippery, so when splicing this material with a finger trap, the free end of each towline piece should be extracted from the inside, then externally knotted around the outer towline to anchor the splice. This knot does not weaken the splice because the finger trap is carrying the majority of the tension . Also, it doesn' t create a bulge becau se the knot is comparable in size to the splice. A loop in the end of a tow]jne can be made with a finger trap splice of the end within itself. Alternately. doubling the towline then tyin g a figure-8 knot serves well for the towline end loop. Next time we'll disc uss the tow operation , both from the perspective of the Tow Technician or operator. and from that of the pilot. The emergency conditions of lockout, overtow. and low level separation will be analyzed, as well as different launch techniques, and the all important communication signals between the "yanker" and the "yankee" .
H
A complete range for all pilot weights
3.The release loop is under a shear load instead of under tension.
4 YEARS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN PARAMOTOR. O VER 600 CRAFTS SOLD ALL OVER THE WORLD.
For information about us dealers, ca ll Sylvie:
011 33 (1) 48 34 74 00
Graphics by Bill Bryden
1y res ult in a release failure. Such a fai lure may cause injury or death.
Adventure • Tim Auto I Parking Porte de la Yillette • 75019 Paris France Tel.: 33 (I) 48 34 74 00 •Fax: 33 (I) 48 34 76 24
PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 31
Reflection s On A Hund re d H o u rs
ca 11 1i1111 e d
cost? Oh, what courage you must have ... "
FLT #47 - "Barbara took tandem flight from Tiger Mounta in launch (near Issaqu ah, Washington) with Ken Hudonjorgensen." She liked it, and she thanked Ken kindly, bu t she's lacking the gene that drives so me of us to look for lift. That' s OK, you' ve got to have ground crew also: someone to pack the lunch, and drive the truck dow n, and chase after you on X-country flights, and to say, "Fly safely," when you go off without her.. . FLT #48 - "Fly-in to picnic fro m the top of Mt. Si (nea r Seattle) after 3-hour hike straight up. Thick fog opened just enough of a hole to laun ch through. Dropped candy fo r kids. Met Brice James and Dave Raybourn. Total fli ght time to date: 18:06" FLT #50 - "Milestone ! Longest fli ght to date. 2 hrs, 38 minutes at Palos Verdes (Califo rni a) cliffs. Had to pee or would still be up." (Closing in on 100 hrs ... )
ritmo ('rit-mo):n. Jatin for rhythm. adj. rhythmical. 1. To flow, a smooth movement or fluctuation marked by the regular recurrence or natural flow of related elements., 2.a regularly recurrent quantitative change in a variable progression. 3. order. RITMOI
.OSOLE' MIO! SML. 100-145 lbs. MED. 130-175 lbs. LGE. 165-210 lbs. XLG. 195-255 lbs. Tandem 240-400 lbs
SINK SPEED
GLIDE
ACPUL
RATIO
RATING
M/S
KM/H
7+ 7+ 7+ 7+ 7+
12A 12A 12A 12A 12A
1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2
20-43 20-43 20-43 20-43 20-43
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FLT #53 - "M et Rob McKenzie on Marshall (San Be rn ardin o, Califo rnia). Good thermals. Benched up from lower laun ch for top landing near truck. Love it. No walk! " FLT #66 - "Aborted. Too rowdy at Palos Verdes cliffs. " "He who walks away today lives to fl y another day .. ." FLT #98 - "Flew John Ninomi ya ' s Pro Design Compact at Palos Verdes cliffs. Total fli ght time to date: 59:23" John ' s a junkie pilot. I don' t kn ow what he tells his family he's doing all the time, but every time I go there, he' s there. (Pat Moody, too.) Also, as ide fro m the hang glider he used to fl y and the paragliders he now fli es, John ' s got a co uple of balloo ns, one of them a one-man job he straps on his back .. . FLT #108 - "John Tabor rotored in at Palos Verdes .. . John was flyin g a new wing in strong and gusty co nditions. One wing coll apsed in a roto r abo ut fo rty feet above and behind the cliff launch, then the other one folded. He suffered multiple hip fractures. Other pilots reacted with excellent first care, the paramedics affived quickly and John - after several months - is flyin g again. Now he' s got hard-earned experience he doesn' t want repeated. It probably made him a better pilot. It definitely made me a better one . FLT #119 - "Good thermals at Marshall with Rob McKenzie and Eric Heister and Cary Mendez .. . I keep mee tin g pilots wh o are wo rkin g to ad vance the techn ology of th e sport, and who always see m willin g to share lessons and advice about flyin g, about weather, about the site ... Rob had little streamers taped all over his wing, trying to fi gure out just exactly how much a paraglider skids in a turn ... " FLT#l21- "Lake Elsinore (California) . A beautiful flying site ! (But be ca reful , Douglas. Hard rocks below, strong air all aro und.) 60 minutes. Total fli ght time to date: 80:1 4." FLT #126 - "Class II Pilot Qualification flig ht. Ted said, "Yeah you scratched up the ridge, all ri ght, but you shouldn ' t have gotten so low in the fi rst place. Do it again, and this time do it right... " FLT #127 - "Made it. Ted says I'm Class II." That's a long way from being a student on a cold training hill. Lots of lessons learned. But more to come, surely ..
PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
FLT #128 - "Lake Elsinore. 35 minutes over launch, then sank out down the ridge. Walked up to the top of the Dome and relaunched, rattlesnakes in the brush there!" I carry some stuff in my backpack/harness when I fly in the mountains, because I used to be a Boy Seoul, I guess. A strong painkiller; an Ace Bandage; a canteen; a signaling mirror and other little things that do add to my weight and bulk but which provide me some little edge if I go into the ground on the other side of the mountain and have to haul myself out piece by piece. FLT #131 - "Check-flight at Torrey Pines (near San Diego) OK. Watched naked people. I hr, 15 minutes. Total flight time to date: 89:14." Torrey Pines is a premier ocean-cliff site which happens lo overlook a clothes-optional beach. The site is often crowded and supports a variety of aircraft: paragliders, hang gliders, radio-controlled models and winch-launched sailplanes. Aggressive seagulls, too. All in all, you've got lo pay attention to avoid mid-air collisions. (Which is a brilliant thing to do al all sites ... ) FLT #137 - "Thermals good at Elsinore. Joe Gluzinski went up and out of sight, as usual. I got 1000 over launch and top landed in an oak tree. 50 minutes. Total flight time lo dale: 92:34." FLT #138 - "Launched from Tiger Mountain (Washington). Good house thermals over the knob to the right of launch. Saw a total collapse and crash." I don't know who the paraglider pilot was. My impression was that he (or she) was riding strong ridge lift up the steep side of the mountain, flying close to the tops of a thick forest of tall
mo•jo (mo'jo) n.
a magica{ sdection of j{iglit gear from %;(,as.
FLT #146 - "Landed on Palos Verdes beach near sun-bathing Barbara. Had a picnic with her. Watched a Pacific sunset together. Sighed gratefully. Decided lo go for 200 hours. Total flight time to dale: 100 hours, 31 minutes." To go from Flight #I to Flight #146 - those 100 hours of time in the air -- look me eighteen and one-half months; 559 calendar days; 13,416 passing hours; 106 actual flight days. Just the other day Barbara and I were talking about making some meaningful longrange goals - things like retirement funds and reading personal improvement books and things like that. I said, "I agree. We should set some goals. Two thousand hours of flight time seems about right." So I'd heller gel on with my self-improvement. It's blowin' up al launch ...
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evergreen trees. (Some kind of Pacific Northwest evergreens; pines, I suppose, probably 80-100 feet tall or more.) There was a clear-cut area at a higher elevation. When the pilot reached the abrupt end of the tall trees at the edge of the clear-cul area the effect was like flying over a sharp ridge onto the lee side, and he got rotored totally. The whole front of his wing collapsed and he dove into the side of the mountain in the clear-cut area. I saw him hit into newly planted trees that were perhaps 10 or 15 feel tall. It looked like a cushioned crash, and other pilots hurried down on fool through the trees from launch, so maybe he came out of it OK, but I don't know. I'll never forget it, and my sense of rotor-watch-out is honed because ofiL
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NEW DECEMBER HOURS: MON-THURS 11AM to 7PM FRI-SAT Noon to 3PM Central Standard Time. PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 33
u~~~_u__®__d___s__u~@~~~u~®~©~~H~@-~--~--P.O.Box 8300. Colorado Springs, CO 80933
PARAGLIDING RA TINGS RECEIVED IN SEPTEMBER (Name: City, State; Instructor/school)
CLASS I Region 1 ASBELL, MARIN: Laramie, WY; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond COLEMAN, BRADLEY: Banks, OR; D. Raybourn/HG PG School of OR ESKRIDGE, TOM: Boise, ID; R. Schick/Southwind HA WK.INS, BECKY: Jackson, WY; T. Fifer/Jackson Hole PG HILL, BRAD: Vancouver, WA; J. Gluzinski HIRSCHLAND, GEORG: Wison, WY; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond HODGES, DAVID: Jackson, WY; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond JOHNSON, GREG: Cheyenne, WY; T. Fifer/Alpine World LEE, KEVIN: Wolf Creek, OR; L. Hern/Skyn4hi MAY, SUSY: Jackson, WY; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond MEYERS, ALEX: Anchorage, AK; B. Hamler/Golden Eagle PG NELSON, ANDREW: Seattle, WA; M. Chirico/Parapente USA OSBORNE, AUBRY: Newcastle WY; D. Whaley/Alpine World PANTELICH, MICHAEL: North Bend, WA; M. Chirico/Parapente USA POROTNY, MARTIN: Kennewick, WA; J. Ala/Alazzurra PG PREVOST, DENNIS: Jackson, WY; T. Fifer/Jackson Hole PG REED, MIKE: Jackson, WY; T. Fifer/Jackson Hole PG SCHILLHAMMER, GARY: Arlington. WA; S. Rich/Alpine Descents SHINN, CHRIS: Selah, WA; M. Eberle/North America PG SMITH, MICHAEL: Issaquah, WA; M. Heckler/ Para-Pilot STANLEY, MARK: Anchorage, AK: T. Hamler/Golden Eagle PG TOOLSON, MIRE: Boise, ID; M. Chirico/Parapente USA WALTHER, TODD: Jackson, WY; T. Fifer/Jackson Hole PG WAYCOTT, TIM: Jackson, WY; T. Fifer/Jackson Hole PG WAYCOTT, DIANA: Jackson, WY; T. Fifer/Jackson Hole PG WHITFIELD, SEW ARD: Portland, OR; D. Raybourn/HG PG School of OR
Region 2 CALDWELL, DANIEL: Los Gatos, CA; J. Lucas/Glidell CAMPAGNA, LEONARD: Pacifica, CA; D. Whlte/Thermax PG CHANG, MARINA: Shell Beach, CA; H. Murphy/Surf The Sky EDWARDS, SHELLEY: McArthur, CA; E. Hern/Skyn4hi PG POWELL, MIKE: Sonoma, CA; G. Banks/Parasoft GERSHON, ROGER: San Rafael, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF LEVINE, BERT: San Leandro, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF MIYAZAKI, HIROSHI: San Fransisco, CA; K. Davis/Vail PG REJLEK, PETER: San Luis Obispo, CA; H. Murphy/Surf The Sky SILVA, LAWREN CE: San Jose, CA; S. Amy/Pro-Flight STONE, DOUG: Tehachapi, CA; M. Salvemini/AairTek PG THAANUM, JOE: Cardiff, CA; S. Gressitt/Skydance PG WILLIAMSON, GLENN: Reno, NV; D. Jackson/Aspen PG WONG, KINSLEY: San Luis Obispo, CA; H. Murphy/Surf The Sky ZABETIAN, MAHBOUD: Walnut Creek, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings
Region 3 BECKER-LECKRONE, RICH: Irvine, CA; R. Pelletier/Flight Systems DOMOKIS, DOUG: Perris, CA; J. Gluzinski/Air America DUBE, BOB: Canyon County, CA; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond DYE, CHARLES: Naws Pt. Mugu, CA; M. Salvemini/Airtec PG GOERING, DA YID: Carpinteria, CA; K. DeRussy/HG PG Emporium JENNINGS, -u-ITH: Pine Cove, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings KNOWLES, LON: Perris, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings McGREW, ROBIN: San Diego, CA; M. Salvemini/Airtek PG MOODY, PATRICK: Torrance, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings NEUMEISTER, JONAS: Santa Barbara, CA; K. DeRussy/HG PG Emporium NONNAN, JAMES: Laguna Niguel, CA; M. Wright/Glide Gear OCSENAS, GARY: Riverside, CA; M. Wright/Glide Gear SARDARI, FRED: Rancho Cucamonga, CA; R. McKenzie/High Adventure
PAGE 34 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
(719) 632 ·8300 (719) 632 ·6417 fax
SHOOK, BRIAN: Ventura, CA; R. Liggett/Topa Topa PG STROUD, CRAIG: Huntington Beach, CA; R. Pelletier/Flight Systems THEIS, TOM: Garden Grove, CA; R. Pelletier/Flight Systems VOLKOV, ALEX: Oceanside, CA; M. Bell/Torrey Pines
Region4 BRAINERD, CHUCK: Salt Lake City, UT; K. Hudonjorgensen/2-Can Fly CASSATT, DENNIS: Sadona, AZ; D. White/Thermax PG HABERERN, HANS: Snowmass Village, CO; D. Jackson/Aspen PG MORGAN, WILLS: Avon, CO; K. Davis/ Vail PG SIMMONS, GREGORY: Aspen, CO; D. Jackson/Aspen PG TONILAS, BRUCE: Lakewood, CO; G. Banks/Parasoft WIMAN, MICHAEL: Golden, CO; D. Jackson/Aspen PG WOLF, RICHARD: Westminster, CO; G. Banks/Parasoft
Region 7 GRAVES, CAM: Floyds Knobs, IN; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond
Region 8 CARD, ARTHUR: Manchester, NH; S. Berk/Morningside FP CHAO, DAVID: Cambridge, MA; R. Sharp/Fight Gravity CHAPMAN, RICHARD: Borrkline, MA; R. Sharp/Fight Gravity GALLAGHER, JOHN: Ashlalnd, MA; S. Berk/Morningside FP KAYE, JONATHAN: Dorchester, MA; R. Sharp/Fight Gravity
Region9
.,
SCHADLELLR, ERIC: Greenbelt, MD; M. Fink/Si1verwh1gs
Region 10 HOLLAND, CHUCK: Orlando, FL; B. England/Aerial Action McALISTER, ALEXANDER: Clyde, NC; K. Hudonjorgensen/2-Can Fly UNDERWOOD, LARRY: Greensboro, NC; D. Williams/Soartown
Region 11 RASMUSSEN, DAVID: Arlington, TX; D. Jackson/Aspen PG
~~oou
'
BERGSTRAND, HAKAAN: New York, NY; G. Banks/Pa:rasoft KENT, THOMAS: Oceanport, NJ; L. Linde/Mountain Wings MAZE, JAMES: Trenlon, NJ; T. Mcclement
CLASS IT Region 1 HARRIS, SCOTT: Jackson, Wy; J. Gluzinski/Air America KRICH, DAN: Bothell, WA; M. Daniel/Para-Pilots LIPPERT, CARL: Seattle, WA; B. Hannah/PG Washington SCHMALTZ, ROBERT: Hood River, OR; L. Pindar/Over,The Hill
Region2 MACDONALD, SCOTT: Vallejo, CA; T. Swilzer/Skytimes PG REED, WARREN: Castro Valley, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF REJMANEK, HONZA: Davis, CA; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF SCHIMKE, GERALD: Davis, CA; N. Marsh/Chandelle SCHRAGNER, CHRIS: San Diego, CA; K. Baier/Airjunkies TERREL, DOUGLAS: Long Beach, CA; R. McKenzie/High Adventure YOST, MICHAEL: Belmont, CA; R. Ost
Region3 ANDERSON, CHRISTEN: Del Mar, CA; A. Kaiser KNOWLES, LON: Perris, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings MADJAROV, STEFAN: Los Angeles, CA; J. Gluzinski/Air America McCUE SEAN: Santa Barbara, CA; K, DeRussy/ HG/PG j:lmporium MILLER, RICHARD: Hemet, CA; C. Mendes/Compact Wings NOONAN, MIKE: Laguna Niguel, CA; M. Wright/Glide Gear NORDING, BERNDT: Oakview, CA; K. DeRussy/HG & PG Emporium WALKER, EDWARD: Kahei, HI; J. Martyn/PG Maui Inc
D
D
Region 4 GRAHAM, KEVIN: Gunnison, CO; D. Hanrahan HALL, MADISON: Denver, CO; W. Lawrence/Fly Away PG STINE, MORGAN: Sedona, AZ; D. Whiteffhermax PG SUKUT, ARLO: Sedona, AZ; D. Whiteffhermax PG ZAKOTNIK, RENEE: South Jordan, UT; T. Zakotnik/ Above & Beyond
Regions PERRY, WILLIAM: Jonesville, VT; R. Sharp/Flight Gravity ROSLER, JOACHIM: New Caraan, CT; R. Sharp/Flight Gravity
CLASS III Region 2 SASAKI, ANN: Pacifica, CA; B. Porter SMITH, BRADLEY: San Francisco, CA; J. Greenbaum THOMPSON, RONALD: Pacifica, CA; B. Porter WILLIAMS, JASON: Oakland, CA; B. Porter
Region 3
PARAGLIDING RA TINGS RECEIVED IN OCTOBER (Name: City, State; Instructor/school)
CLASS I Region 1 ANSON, CHRIS: Wenatchee, WA; M. Eberle/North America PG BOYNTON, DA VE: The Dalles, OR; D. Raybourn/HG PG School of OR BROOXS, BARBARA: Lake Oswego, OR; P. Pohl/Sky Hook Sports BUROUGHS, KELLY: Seattle, WA; M. Daniel/Para-Pilots DIENER, JEFFREY: Jackson, WY; K. Hudonjorgensen/UP Soaring MEIER, DENTON: Wenatchee, WA; M. Eberle/North America PG ROWE, DALE: Seattle, WA; M. Chirico/Parapente USA SAPIENZA, TOM: Junction City, OR; D. Sharp/UP Soaring SHEETS, JOHN: Tillamook, OR; L. Pindar/Over The Hill PG SMITH, TIM: Bellevue, WA; M. Daniel/Para-Pilots TRINKL, KIM: Seattle, WA; B. Mickel/Alpine Descents
Region 2 McQUILLIAMS, STEVE: Aptos, CA; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond
HANKINS, DAYID: San Diego, CA; M. Salvemini
Region4 FERGUSON, PAUL: Arvada. CO: C. Mendes FERGUSON, MARK: Boulder, CO; C. Mendes KELLEY, GREGORY: Vail, CO; C. Mendes
TANDEM ONE RATINGS DAYID RAYBOURN
TANDEM TWO RATINGS
Region3 FRANKLIN, BOB: Makawao, HI; J. Martyn/Paraglide Maui
Region 4 GACKENBACH, RUSTY: Golden, CO; T. Fifer/Alpine World GALLEGOS, DEAN: Lakewood, CO; T. Fifer/Alpine World HEWITI, NICK: Boulder, CO; T. Fifer/Alpine World KUBILIUS, WILLIAM: Sandy, UT; K. Hudonjorgenson/Two-Can Fly SCHILTKNECHT, JOERG: Denver, CO; T. Fifer/Alpine Wolrd SCOTT, ROBERT: Alpine, UT; K. Hudonjorgensen/UP Soaring
KELLY DAVIS
Region7
TANDEM INSTRUCTOR MIKE DANIEL KELLY DAVIS BILL GORDON
FOREIGN RATINGS Class I BROWN, JAMES: Niigata, Japan; J. Martyn/PG Maui DE JONG, LAURIE: Sardis, BC; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG KORN, RAINER: Montrose, BC; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG KOY ACIC, DEREK: Hagensborg, BC; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG KRENNER, HERWIG: Salzburg, Austria; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond KRISTOFF, IV AN: Toronto, Onterio; B. Fifertrraverse City HG PG LARARD, ANGUS: Hong Kong; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG LAUTENBACHER, MAX: Smithers, BC; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG MAILLOUX, CELINE: Arthabaska, Quebec; M. Haley/Airtek MALINS, TONY: Hong Kong; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG MAURING, ANDREAS: Erlenkamp II, Germany; J. Greenbaum/Airtime MORISSETE, YVES: Arthabaska, Quebec; M. Haley/Airtek NICOL, D M: Richmond, BC; M. De Jong/Mcscalito PG PICHA, BILL: Richmond, BC; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG PODGAJNY, PAUL: Vancouver, Canada; J. Gluzinski/Air America ROSS, YABIER: St. Johns, Antigua; T. Zakotnik/Above & Beyond SOLAJA, MICHAEL: Etobicoke, Ontario; B. Fifertrraverse City STONER, BRIAN: Chiliwack, BC; M. De Jong/Mescalito PG SUMMERS, PAUL: Surrey Lang, London; J. Hagewood/SB PG Center Class II CANTILLON, JOHN: Setaagaya-Ku Tokyo, Japan; J. Greenbaum/Airtime EGGENBURGER, PATRIK: Tribbach, Switz.; J. Greenbaum/Airtime WILDE, GEORG: Hamburg, Germany; J. Greenbaum/Airtime SF
MORAN, RICHARD: Madison WI: C. Santacroce
Region I! KISSEL, NEAL: Stamford, CT; J. Stensladavold/Aspen PG
Region 9 BALK, MICHAEL: Annadallel, VA; M. Fink/Silverwings CASTRO, CLAUDIO: Bethesda, MD: M. Fink/Silverwings Region 10 LUNDY, BO: Dyersburg, TN; J. Greenbough/Airtime SF MAGGARD, DA YID: Fairview, NC; E. Pitman/Fly America Region 11 O'QUINN, ROBERT: Sulpher, LA; N. Stanford/Hill Country PG
Class U Region 1 BINGHAM, DAVID: San Jose, CA; J. Yates/Pro Design YOUNG, GEORGE: Powell Butte, OR; P. Pohl/Sky Hook Sports
Region 3 BAKER, KEITH: Santa Barbara, CA; K. DeRussy/HG PG Emporium KELLS, ROB: Orange, CA; F. Lawley/Accelerated Flight Systems RUSSO, DAVID: Santa Barbara, CA; K. DeRussy/HG PG Emporium
Class HI Region 2 DIAZ, JACK: Berkeley, CA; E. Stein
FOREIGN RATINGS Class I COSTELLO, TIM: Road Town Tortola, Br. Virgin Isls; Z. Hoisington KRENNER, HERWIG: Ssalzburq, Austria; T. Zakotnik/ Above & Beyond
PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 35
u ull P.O. Box 8300,
The USHGA Fall BOD Meeting was held at Lake Tahoe South Shore. It was the first meeting for our new Executive Director, Phil Bachman, since he took over the position earlier this year. Phil's report left us with the impression that we have the right man in the job. He reported on all the usual financial points, growth charts and USHGA activities and made some astute observations, based on his short time on the job. Phil has some very good and innovative plans for the future. At the end of his report Phil made a special presentation to Larry Tudor, accepted by Steve Pearson, it seems that many years ago Larry Tudor qualified for the FAI Diamond Pin, and although Larry did receive the pin there was no diamond in it. Phil rectified the problem by having the pin and the diamond mounted and presented in a plaque. Congrats Larry! Committee Reports; This issue of Paragliding Magazine was sent to press on Nov. 8th, at that time we may not have had the minutes of that committee. Any issues regarding paragliding related matters will be published. For the purpose of brevity only those committees which directly relate to paragliding will be mentioned. This report is only a synopsis. If you require more information please contact your Regional Director or attend the next board meeting. COMPETITION COMMITTEE Chairman - Russ Locke The USHGA competition committee has two main purposes; 1. To promote competition in the United States and insure the quality thereof. 2. To integrate the rewards and benefits of competition into the main stream of hang gliding/paragliding. Most of the meets of 1994 were on the agenda for a report of outcome or further discussion. The discussion centered on administrative problems with sanctioned meets. In an attempt to uphold validity of future meets a new system was put into place. This new system will use an individual, called a meet steward, who may be the meet director or safety director. The meet steward will have previous experience at running sanctioned meets, each sanctioned meet will have a steward who is responsible for following the sanction rules.
PAGE 36 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
Colorado Springs,
Colorado 80933
The 1995 Paragliding Nationals at Chelan was tentatively approved as submitted by Bill Gordon and Joe Gluzinski. The tentative status is pending the research of the meet dates so as not to conflict with the US Hang Gliding Nats or the Chelan Classic competition. It was also noted that July weather in Chelan should be researched, as some of the locals pointed out that July can have some very BIG weather. PARA GLIDING COMMITTEE Chairman Ken Baier Claudia Stockwell gave a report of the paragliding JCP Administrators meeting, a work group that took place on the two days prior to the BOD meeting. All current ICP administrators attended and spent the time upgrading the ICP structure for paragliding. This was an indepth discussion process that resulted in two changes to the existing system. 1. The current system has requirements, some of which will now become prerequisites.The change; In order to pass a ICP the candidates must have, prior to attendance at the ICP, a Class II rating with 200 logged flying days, 300 logged flights, a reserve clinic, minimum 40 hours apprenticeship training with 2 unaffiliated instructors. The following requirements can be completed within 90 days of the ICP: Emergency 1st aid course (mandatory) any 2 of the following clinics; Thermal/XC, Ridge soaring, Tandem, Towing. The second item is that all paragliding ICP administrators agreed that it would be beneficial to have a two tier instructor rating system. It will be implemented as follows. I) All current instructors who hold a Class ill rating and have recertified will become Advanced instructors. 2) All current instructors who hold a Class II rating will be given until Spring BOD '95 to upgrade to Class 3 and recertify at an ICP to retain all current privileges or will become Basic Instructors. 3) All newly appointed instructors will be rated as basic instructors and will only progress from Basic to Advanced after meeting the following criteria: A) Class 3 PG Rating B) actively teaching for 1 year as a basic instructor C) recertify /assist with an ICP D) ICP Administrator approval. A basic Instructor can issue Class I ratings only. An Advanced instructor can issue all Class ratings. An instructor can recertify after 1 year as a basic instructor. Class 2 Rating was changed by the paragliding committee to read; a) 5 consecutive forward inflations with a visual check of the canopy each time. b) 5 consecutive reverse inflations
(719) 632-8300 (719]
with proper surge dampening. c) controlled kiting of a glider overhead for two minutes in a steady wind. Paragliding committee asks the BOD to appoint all current PG Instructors as Observers so as to allow them to administer the PA (radio )Exam This in place and has been clarified with office. A sub C011Ul1ittee was formed to upgrade the Class III Exam Jack Hodges to chair the subcommittee. TANDEM COMMITTEE Chairman • Ron Kenny New candidates for Tandem Administrator must make the application in writing to the tandem committee chairman at least 60 days prior to the Spring BOD meeting and must attend with written endorsement of his/her Regional Director. The Tandem paragliding program adopted a T3 check out form which will help tandem pilots when upgrading to T3 status National Fly-in Committee Chairman Dave Broyles A report was given by Jan Johnson on the Flyin in Ellenville NY. Jan offered to help anyone who wishes to put on the Fly-in in the future.(Jan and Paul Voight .can do a road show) It was suggested that future National Fly-in bids include both hang gliders and paragliders in the bid. No bids were accepted at this meeting. FINANCE COMMITTEE Chairman - Bill Bryden The finance committee alloca\ed $1400. (an amount determined by the proportion of PG membership), to develop the paragliding instructors manual. The format will use the new HG instructors manual by Dennis Pagen, and make the necessary changes in specific text and graphics relating to paragliding technology. This is an action ite.m to Claudia Stockwell. Proof copy will be,presented at the Spring BOD meeting. Safety & TRAINING COMMITTEE Chairman - Barbara Flynn At the time of this writing I do not have a committee report of the minutes, because during General Session most of this committees report was scrubbed and the minutes will be rewritten to reflect the change.But since this is an important committee I will try to briefly fill you in. The main controversy centered around a proposed rating change submitted by Jack
632-6417 FAX
Hodges. Although Jack has done a considerable amount of work and with no doubt good intentions, many felt there was not enough lead time to approve a change of this magnitude. The paragliding committee passed this item on the agenda over to Safety & Training in the effort to not be redundant. This issue needed discussion and committee input and PG felt the time would be better spent in S&T committee. That however did not happen, and Jacks proposal was only briefly discussed and a vote was called. It passed 14 to 9. Many people who have been involved with writing and implementing the paragliding programs for several years weren't present and hadn't even been consulted about this proposal. The Safety and Training Committee was held at the same time as Competition Committee and some key members were not present. After the vote and after much discussion Safety & Training referred this proposal to a sub committee to try to deal with the specific problem areas. When the Safety & Training report came up for acceptance at General Session it was still a "hot item" and the board in its wisdom scrubbed the proposal from the minutes and referred it back to paragliding committee to address in the spring. Hope to see you there.
ICARO Sizes: 6-13 (U.S. with 1/2)
The final business of this Board of Directors meeting was to elect a new Executive board. Here are the results; President - Bill Bryden, Vice President - Jim Zieset, Secretary - Russ Locke, Treasurer - Dan Johnson . On behalf of all of the paragliding membership we would like to thank Gregg Lawless for all he has done since the joining. We are certain that every decision was weighed in regard to how all USHGA members would be affected. It was a time of big changes while Gregg held office.The long standing policies were being rewritten, ethics were being questioned, paragliding was brought into the Association. It wasn't an easy term of office and the burden of many decisions fell to Gregg. It was at Gregg's suggestion that Fred Stockwell draw up the tandem program for paragliding thereby making our tandem flights legal. Also it was Gregg who came out on the Wills Wing ICP to check out this new form of flight and give it a try. Thanks Gregg for all of your time and efforts to help all pilots enjoy the benefits of our association. P.S. Thanks to all Reno Club members for the great icebreaker party on Thursday night!! We will have the outcome of the Regional Directors elections in the next issue. Spring BOD meeting Colorado Springs, CO March 16 -19 1995 submitted by Fred & Claudia Stockwell
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TEXAS
Learn complete pilot skills with Texas-style fun at Hill Country Paragliding Inc Our personalized USHGA certified Class l training includes ridge soaring, foot launching and tow launching from sites in central Texas. Motorized paragliding instruction and equipment ,s also avall· able. We offer a full range of the best paragliding equipment. towing accessones and novelties from a variety of manufaelurers.
1-800-664-1160 4800 Wlsperlng Valley Or. Austin, TX 78727
s
Accelerated Flight Systems CaII"forn1a • O
Personalized, USHGA Certified paragliding and hang gliding instruction. Courses are expertly run on a friendly, informative basis. We have been in1roducing people to the world of foot launched flight since 1976. New and used gliders and accessories. Ball, Comet, Edel, Firebird, ITV, Second Chantz, Wills Wing, and others. All skill levels welcome. (
P.O.Box 1226 Del Mar, CA 92014
•
619}
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 tor 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 Instructors will ensure you receive personal instruction and the finest training available. We provide everything you need to become a pilot; including tandem instruction and advanced training. 3314 W. 11400 S. So. Jordan, UT 84095
UTAH (801) 254-7 455
SOUTHWIND Hang Gliding T A USHGA Certified Tandem Instruction. Come learn to fly XC with Nationally ranked I I-\ pilot Bob Schick. Specializing in advanced tandem instruction, thermal and XC -
U
H
(801 } 359• 6036
clinics and custom tours of the breathtaking Utah and Wyoming scenery for both hang gliders and paragllders.Southwind is the proud manufacturer ot the Brain Bucket and Back Buddy, and new Brain Bucket Foll Race Helmet.
106 E. Capitol ; Salt Lake City, UT 84103
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SOIJTHWIND HANGGUDING
_,-,,
Thermax Paragliding Year round flying al Lhc easiest site LO learn. Drive -up wide open launches and
LZ's al 1200' volcanic craters. 10+ mile flights. 1 hr. from the Grand Canyon. Cheap lodging. Dealer for almost everything, specializing in Edel. Clac;s m instructor w/ tandem and motorized backpacks. 2 day classes from $195.
1500 E. Cedat· #10 ; Flagstaff, AZ 86004
ARIZONA (602) 526-4579
A IR 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. Accommodations, airline reservations, and transportation arranged on request. Teaching since 1989. Class Ill Tandem rated instructor, excellent safety record.
So. California (61 9) 450-0437 4206 C. Sorrento Valley Blvd.; San Diego, CA 92121 PAGE 38 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
Alf ~
PRRRGLIDIN6
S C H O O L S
Bncnantment Parag Id1ng
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, lowing, thermalllng, and X-C from USHGA certified instructors. A variety of gliders. accessories and safety equipment avallable. Euro flying Interest you? can or write for more Info. L...'-:.......- --
PO Box 1082; Cedar Crest, NM 87008
New Mex·1co
(505) 281-2759
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GOILDEN EAGLE PAR AG LIDI NG aWl!,
nx
Golden Eagle Paragliding is a full-service school s~ z~g design, edel, Ball, Brauniger, Flytec and morel Our USHGA Certified Instructors utilize the latest in techniques and equipment. Guided tours available throughout Alaska! Come fly with Golden Eagle 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 Paramotoriog 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 Co,·e • NY 11542 Fax 516 676-0106
NEW YORK (516) 676-7599
ALPINE World Adventures
COLORADO (303) 440-0803
Boulders premiere paragliding school, est. 1988. Come to team or just to fly in the Rocky Mountains. We are the U.S distributor of Firebird products, and dealer tor Ball varies and Hanwag Boots. Other accessories available in our full service shop. For more info. please call Dave Whaley or stop by.
4439 N. Broadway unit E 2 Boulder, CO 80304
Personalized instruction, small class sizes, custom scheduling. Training hill in the quiet Marin countryside. USHGA certified instruc~, tors. Lesson packages - Introductory to Class I, SA.N FRAJ'..JC::1sco " Class II, Soaring and mountain flying clinics. Full service retail shop, all major brands 1595 East F r a ncisco Blvd . Suite F ; San Rafael , CA 94901
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N. California
S.F. Bay Area 415-GLIDING (454-3464)
Personalized instruction, beginning through advanced skills.
INSTRUCTION THAT DEVELOPS EXTRAORDINARY PILOTS!
1-800-SKY PILOT PO Box 188 Shasta, CA 96087
UP SOARING CENTER
Two full seruice hang gilding and paragliding schools, l ocated at the nations most consistent sites; Torrey Pines, CR. and Point of the Mountain, UT. State of the art training gliders, eHperlenced instructors and Ideal conditions set UP apart from the rest . Tandem and solo Instruction, year round. Call for an lnformatlue brochure. COME 2 UP
IA
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So. California (619) 753-2664
So.Calif.(619) 452-3202 (801) 576-6460
UTAH 1.
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•Airjunkies just love to fly, so that's what we dot •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 PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE • PAGE 39
P A R A 6
L I D I N 6
S C H O O L S
ADVENTURE SPORTS Paragliding - Hang Gliding, learn the sport of your choice today and start
NEVADA
(702) 883• 7070
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.
3650 Research Way #25, Carson City, NV 89706
SUN VALLEY PARAGLIDING
Iii ~
§UN VALLEY
PARAGLIDING
The most experienced and comprehensive flight school. We specialize in tandem instruction. Our certified Instructors and USHGA appointed towing administrators will ensure you receive the finest training 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 wlll satisfy all of your paraglldlng needs. PO Box 5715, 301 Bell Dr., Ketchum, 10.83340 fax:208 726·1149
COMPACT WINGS
So. California (909) 654-8559
IDAHO (208) 726-3332
Located @ the famous Soboba site, which combined with other local mtn. sites & great weather, offers more in altitude gains and hours than anywhere in the USA. Year-round tan dem and solo thermal instruction (our specialty). 5 day course, $395, 8 days $595. Class Ill tandem Instructor Cary Mendes has 5,000 hours flying experience. Less than 2 hrs. from LA & San Diego.
1271 Avd. Floribunda, San Jacinto, CA 92583
AIRPLAY PARAGLIDING SCHOOL We are located at world famous Kagel Mountain, L. A. 's most popular flying site. Our full service 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. Eric Heister
805 529-7100
1329 Corte De Primavera; Thousan d Oaks, CA 9 1360
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
PARAGLIDING
Fly the "Canadian Rockies". Hali, hike or drive up to incredible mountain sites of over 3000' vertical. We offer 1 day or full certification courses. You can obtain your Canadian, U.S.H.G.A. or New Zealand ratings. tandem instruction 1s also available. Local or lntematiional tours and advanced maneurvers courses are scheduled throughout the year. { Dealer for Edel and Advance.
Canada
4Q3} 678-4973
,. ,~
Glen Derouin Box 2662 Canmore Alberta, Canada TOLOMO > Introductory -
Advanced Instruction Para TrBkkl ng Trips > Tandem Instruction > To wing Instruction > Complete Sales & Serr/ce ~
Dealers for Edel, Pro Design, Nova, Ball, Brauniger, Maxon ParaSoft. Inc. Parag/1<1u10 School • 4445 Hastinos D1ive
PRRRFLY PRRR6LIDIN6 UERMONT CAPE COO, MR
1800- PRRRFLY
• Boulder, CO 80303
• 303/494·2820
The only year round full seruice USHGR certified paragliding school in the northeast, with training facilities at Cobblle Hill in Milton UT and/or Cape Cod . Rick Sharp Certified Instructor. Dealers for Rpco, Edel, Flight Design, Fun 2 Fly, Pro Design, UP, Wills Wing, Brauniger and others.
38 Conuerse Ct., Burlington, UT 85481
FLYING SOUTHERN CALJFIORNIA?... Sleep for cheap at the beach, Mission beach. Located 300 steps from the sand 'n surf and less than 15 minutes to the closest flying site(Torrey Pines). The San Diego area offers over a dozen flying sites. Get a comfortable bunk for only $13 (ta)(es incl.) in the heart of what's considered THE BEST flying area in the States. Bring your sleeping bag and towel; some kitchen priviliges available. Reservations a MUST!
Call (619)225-8720 or write : Robert & Martha, 4822 Santa Monica Ave.#187 San Diego, CA 92107
PAGE 40 • PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE
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THE MAGAZINE (PG Division), liability insurance, ratings, and other benefits. FULL MEMBER:
D 1 Division - $54.00 U.S. ($60.00 Canada/Mexico*)($ 65.00 Int'l*) ............ . Please check one: D Hang Gliding D Paragliding D Both Divisions - $79.00 U.S. ($97.00 Canada/Mexico*)($102.00 Int'l*)
FAMILY MEMBER: (Includes all benefits except magazine. MUST reside with full member of same division.)
SUBSCRIPUON ONLY:
D l Division - $27.00 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $_ _ _ _ __ Please check one: D Hang Gliding D Paragliding D Both Divisions - $39.50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $_ _ _ _ __
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USHGA, PO BOX 8300, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80933 (719) 632-8300 FAX (719) 632-6417
$_ _ _ _ __
(09/94)
CLASSIFIEDS STEREO VARIO $100.
FIREBIRD COBRA 24
PagoJetM4
The Best Pilot's fly with 2 varios, so why don't you? Don't miss out when your vario craps out. Ball M30 analog varios w/ audio are an excellent first vario also. Cigarette lighter charger, nicad battery. $100. NEW V/MC call Todd 303 449-7351
50 - 85 kgs. Good Shape with Harness #$700. Also Excalibur 270 Brand New lines, Good Shape $500 obo. Call Dale (406) 728-2876
15 hours, Sky Systems harness 15 hours 3 props ( 1 quiet new) ITV Rubis 33 Ex Lg. extremely stable 25 hours 190-330 lbs hook in weight. All at 1/2 price - Fly's great. Call Joe at 609 266-5078
92 Airtek Flash II 25 Lime green, 130 hours, trim I speed risers. Cfass II fast & stable. Basic UP harness. Ideal for 120 - 160 lbs. $1000. Dave 619 279 8135
UPJAZZ23 Great learning glider for small pilot 110 143 lbs. Brand new lines, low hours, very good condition, $1400. Call Shari at 818 397 7359
94 Nunkie ITV Practically new glider, super performance intermediate, 11 A's 1 B Hot pink mylar sail with Sup Air harness $2300. Also ITV reserve quick ball (large) $700. Call Claudia 503 582 1467
APCO SUPRA 30 Purple, 80 hrs, new center lines. Outstanding Comp. glider foe 185-240 lbs. Speedbar/risers. $2000. Dave (619) 279-8135
Paramotor F-2 Excellent Condition, very low time, includes harness. Must sell due to health reasons. Priced to sell at $3600. OBOCall Herb (416) 265-0659 Toronto Canada
Pac Air Jive 26 Purple and green. Excellent intermediate wing certified with 12 A's. Flown for I 1/2 years mostly at the coast. Pilot wt.
APCO Starlite 26 132- 176 lbs. $800. (415) 259-8913 Excellent beginner/intermediate wing with trim tabs. New A&B lines. No tears. Just passed dealer inspection. 60 hours. Yellow and Blue. Performance and stability proven. $850. (805) 566-6204 or (805) 899-2737
Tandem Tinos 34ml Only 25 hours used, rated 95 - 195 kgs, with brand new Sup Air racer harness. For Sale or Trade for big glider (610)265-3638
Tandem Glider EDEL 40+2 Space Great Shape! Split A's and Trimmers No Chicken Logo Call Dave Frank or leave message at (801) 485-8057
Pro Design Kestral 26 sq. meter wing, speed system, only 12 flights. With harness $1000. Cliris (303) 259-5182 PAGE 42 • PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE
Airman Jazz 25 m2 70-100 kgs. Mfgd. 11/89 Exe. trainer/beginner/intermediate wing. Includes harness, helmet and backpack $395 obo Marc (815) 838-4347
EDEL SUPER SPACE 25 with soar harness Excellent condition 25 hours airtime. $2300. obo, Dale (406) 728-2876
PROFILE 27 $1400. Exact copy of Space (Profile ACPUL) with Great fabric 300 hour unconditional guarantee! Rated intermediate all A's. very stable and modern glider Very good condition, with or without harness $1400. Full trim good for ridge/coastal flying, complete repair kit, all 70 hours logged. I'll pay UPS Will (303) 440-511l(days) (303) 939-9304 (eve).
Firebirds For Sale Apache 26 $1100 obo Navajo 28 $1300. obo both in excellent condition. (303) 530-4434
Must Sen Edel 33 Exe. cond. low airtime, includes reserve, rucksack & harness. Call Art or Cecilia (305) 271-3971
UP Easy 22 Less than 50 hrs.TT New lines in 1993. Includes crossbrace UP harness, 2nd Chantz AIR reserve and bag. Excellent beginner canopy for 154-220 lb pilot. $1600 or will seperate. Call (609) 499-3045
ITV NUNKI 100 10 hours, pristine condition. At harness w/backprotector, Bell helmet, alt./vario, tandem size AIR reserve never used. Broyles/Yamaha static winch with tension gauge and 3000' spectra. Will sell all or part. Call Fred U. at 904 767-5767 or email to fredu@america.com.
PDAReserve Aerolite 20 gore $400. Joel 619 221-0910
Wanted Information on Caribbean paragliding sites, (Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, etc.) Sail Wings PO Box 5593, Little Rock, AR 72215 or phone/fax (501) 663-3166
Edel Orion 24 Superb condition. Flown less than 3 hours. Excellent beginners glider. $1000 firm. Call Steve at 404 251-0872
Navajo 28 Fire bird's High performance glider. Excellent condition. Proven XC performer. Will sell for $1600. (505) 2501918 call M-F 4:00 - 8:00 pm.
Exe. Beginner Glider VTS 27 cell, very very forgiving and stable. Fly's like new, with Sky Angel seat harness, for 1851b. max. pilot $600. obo Andy (715) 359-3362 after 5pm.
EDELZX25 This canopy is cherry. Less than 10 hours flight or UV $1200. (303) 277-9857
WANTED Edel Super Space or Rainbow in poor to exc. condition, lg. or xi (303) 277-9857
3 Gliders Nova Sphinx 126 exc. cond., pink, 4 months old, wt range 70-95 kgs. $2500. Apco Astra very good cond., purple, wt. range 65-90 kgs. 1-1/2 years old. $1750. Edel Rainbow 26 wt. range 75-90 kgs. 6 months old. $2400. call 213 874-4699
Nova Sphinx 26 Medium size, w/ competition PARACORD lines and extra set of new factory lines. Exe. Cond. 40 hrs. $2000 916-222-4606
Pro Design
CLASSIFIED AD $10. EACH ITEM ADVERTISED
Challenger C23 Exe. shape, low hours, $1000. and it's yours to fly beyond. call Carl 303 443-3012
PARAGLIDING the MAGAZINE 8901 Rogue River Hwy. Grants Pass, OR 97527
(PLEASE SEND MONEY WITH AD)
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 appropriate for the skill level or rating. New pilots should seek professional instruction from a USHGA certified instructor.
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DEALERS AND SCHOOLS CLASSIFIED ADS SKYWINGS
New Pilots Video
The official monthly magazine of the British HG and PG Association. For subscription information phone 011 44 53 36 11 23 or write lo Sky wings I BHPA; The Old Schoolroom, Loughbrough Rd. /Leicester LE45PJ England
Super new video from Touching Cloudbase author Ian Currer. Takes you through an overview of paragliding lessons, to specific ground schools on aerodynamics and micro-meterology. A great compliment to your lessons. Nicely filmed on England's rolling hills, and cliffs. $39.50 + $2.90 Isl Class postage. Visa /MC or check lo Paragliding Magazine 503 582 1467 Order yours today!
FLY THE ALPS I am an American pilot living and flying in Chamonix for six years. I can show you great flying sites. Stay with other pilots in the heart of some of the best Alpine sites in Europe. Verbier, A voraiz, Miussy, & Lake Annecy are one hour away. $600. includes 7 nights hotel, breakfast, dinner and transport w/ guide to all sites. Discounts for instructors w/ students. Call Alex Fandel 011 33 50 54 00 72 or fax 011 33 50 54 17 41
lJJLTRAUGHT AIRCRAFT New publication ULTRA FLIGHT magazine has plenty of information, pictures and stories on this exciting sport. Buy, sell.trade, fixed wing, powered parachutes, hang gliders, rotor craft, balloons, blimps, sailplanes and kit built aircraft. Sample issue $3.00 Annual subscription $36. Introductory offer of only $24. Ultra Flight Magazine; 12545 70th Street North; Largo, FL 34643-3025 'This annual magazine contains articles,
Special New Pilots Issue info, and stories geared for students, or anyone interested m learning more about paragliding. Incl. current info on motorized paragliding. To order a copy r.lease send a clieck or money order for $6.50 for orders in the U.S. $8.50 for other countries, to Paragliding Magazine/ New pilots issue; 8901 Rogue River Hwy. Grants Pass, OR 97527 Your guide to the sky! Full size, full
CLOUD CHARTS color poster. Looks great at home or office, excellent Christmas gift for your flying friends. Order through Paragliding Magazine $12.50 incl. 2nd day Atr mail Visa /MC orders call 503 582 1467 No-code Technician, Amature Radio
HAMEXAM 1m Licence study aid and test generator now available in Windows or Macintosh versions. The fastest and easiest way to prepare for the Technician Class Amature Radio Licence Exam. Available from Pro Design USA, only $39.95 Call 1800 928 3716
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 8901 Rogue River Hwy. Grants Pass, OR 97527
Christmas Sale
KENTUCKIANA SOARING
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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. Icom 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 $4 7 .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, paragliders, 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.
Save Save Save on all currently in stock items at North American Paragliding Inc. We have Flight Designs Paragliders, Brauniger Variometers, UVEX helmets, Meindl boots, T-shirts, sweatshirts, books and more. Also remember to sign up for "New Zealand '95" This tour is guaranteed unforgettable and runs from Feb. 920, 1995. Call Mike today, (509) 925-5565
Back Issues Get 'em while they are still available! We are selling boxed sets of all back issues that are available. Vol. 1#1 July I August 1990 Introduction to the Sport, Emergency Reserve Canopies, ACPULS Ratings Vol. l #2 Sept. I Oct 1990 Accident Statistics, Technique - Flying in Turbulence, Girls just wanna go fly Vol. l #3 Nov. I Dec. 1990 USHGA Board Joins APA, Aspen Fly-in, Turning the paraglider Vol. 2 #l Jan. I Feb. 1991 Panic Paranoia or Practiclc Solutions, Flight from Mt. Everest.Technique - Thermals Vol 2 #2 Sold Out - Vol 2 #3 Sold Out Vol. 2 #4 July I August 1991 1st Flight from Mt. Whitney, Encounters with Thermals,New European Testing Program, Vol. 2 #5 Sold Out Vol. 2 #6 Nov. I Dec. 1991 1991 USA Nationals O.V., Barographs, Which Winch, General Meteorology Vol 3 #l Jan. I Feb. 1992 Oregon Flying Sites, Radio Communications, PG World Cup USA, Technique - reserves Vol. 3 #2 Sold Out - Vol. 3 #3 Sold Out Vol. 3 #4 July I Aug. 1992 Under the Rainbow, More about reserves, Wing Tips, Guteseigle and ACPULS Tests Vol 3 #5 Sept. I Oct. 1992 SkyMaster Series part 2, 1992 PG World Cup, The Owl and the Eagle, Aspen Fly-in Vol. 4 #l Jan. I Feb. 1993 Vol. 4 #2 Mar. I April 1993 Vol. 4 #3 May I June l 993 Vol. 4 # 4 July I Aug. 1993 Vol. 4 #5 Sept. I Oct. 1993 Vol. 4 #6 Nov. I Dec. 1993
Get all 15 for $45. price includes UPS. Call in your order today, Visa/MC accepted, (503) 582-1467 or send check or money order to;
Paragliding Magazine 8901 Rogue River Hwy. Grants Pass, OR 97527
---- ---· ---- ---- --------PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 43
~ Aero 24 ................. 145-180 lbs .......... $750 Corvette 22,25 ....... 135-185 lbs .......... $775 Image 27 ............... 165-210 lbs .......... $800 Apollo 22, 24 ........ 100-185 lbs .......... $900 Diablo 25 .............. 155-200 lbs ........ $1000 Birdy 29 ................. 160-240 lbs ........ $1050 Athena 29 ............... 150-250 lbs ........ $1150 Malibu 26 .............. 155-210 lbs ....... $1175 Espace 33 ............... 265-400 lbs ....... $1200 Space 22, 24 .......... 100-175 lbs ....... $1475 ZX Racer 23 ........... 110-160 lbs ....... $1600 Ritmo 27,29,31. ..... 130-264 lbs ....... $2000 Reserves$350+ Vario/alts$300+ Helmets-$149+ Airmics- $125, Back Protectors- $85. 100% guaranteed. Tel: 303/278-9566 Fax: 303/750-3226 CO JL.ORADO IP ARA cG ll.JI]IJ) JIN CG "Safety is our profession, quality our promise" since 1986
RAGLIDING
A Pilot's Training Manual
$19.95 2000 Copies Sold Revised 4th Edition 140 Pages 62 Illustrations Skills, Aerodynamics, Weather, Equipment, and More Available from paragliding schools, dealers, or direct from
WillsWing 500 Blueridge Ave. Orange CA. 92665 Include $2.00 for postage and handling Calif.Residents add 7.75 % sales tax
II tD GD
' 0
by Dennis Pagen
ll!The best way lli!to improve ...
Monitor changing wind conditions. Responsive to slightest variation in wind velocity.
m PARAGLIDING il:; FUGHT-$19.95
AIRSPEED INDICATOR Use with optional paraglider mounting bracket. Maximize your performance and skill. RUGGED-Molded of super tough LEXAN" resin. Stainless steel rod. ACCURATE- Calibration traceable to National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Specify: 0 to 30 mph, or Oto 50 km/h ALrspeed lndLcator: $23.50 Paraglider Bracket: $6.50 -SATISFACTION GUARANTEEDHALL BROTHERS P.O. BOX 1010-P• MORGAN, UTAH 84050 U.S.A. Mastercard" Visa <>C.O.D. Phone:(801 )829-3232 Fax:(801)829-6349
The most widely used training manual, full of advice. 208 pages, 170 photos and illustrations
m...... and
to befriend
!Ill the air! i:iii UNDERSTANDING I\\l THE SKY-$19.95
UNDERSTANDING
THE SKY
The best guide to large and small scale weather effects. 288 pages, 270 photos and illustrations Send total for books plus $1.95 shipping to: Sport Aviation Publications Dept BP, PO Box 101, Mingoville, PA 16856
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"HOT STUFF'' There is a virus which has been known to affect each of us from time to time and every pilot should be aware of it since our life style of enjoyment is less forgiving than most. Some of the symptoms of this ailment are a slight feeling of superiority when talking to students, a nonchalant attitude towards flying conditions, and a degree of mental constipation when listening to input from others. This ailment is noncurable. It's like malaria, you can get it into remission with proper treatment but it can flair up at any time. The most visible sign of an attack is an increase in the pilot's stupidity index. If the condition remains unchecked, the usual result is a wreck which removes the sufferer from the flying scene, either temporarily or per-manently. Recently we have had an upsurge of a mutation of the "HOT STUFF" syndrome, called the "HOT WING" condition. This is brought on by the pilot's desire to go higher, faster and farther, or just to fly the latest ship on the market. 1 know this condition well, since some years ago I suffered from "Katanaitis",a form of "HOT WING" prevalent in the summer of '91. Armed with about 10 minutes of total airtime and a strong case of "HOT STUFF", I managed to herd my "Death Sword" into the air about two dozen times before it eventually tried to kill me by auguring me into the hillside. Well, that's one way to get "HOT STUFF" into remission. Nothing is more therapeutic to this condition than getting carted off the hill in a basket and spending some time wondering when (or if) you will walk again. But take heed, only death is a complete cure for "HOT STUFF" since time dims the memory of pain, suffering and financial loss. You may be able to remit "HOT WING" by asking yourself some simple questions: 1. "Am I a professional pilot?" 2. "Am I going to compete?" 3. "Do I have the skill ?" ( always ask this question of others, since the elevated stupidity index of "HOT STUFF' will always cause you to over estimate your skill level by at least 1000%) 4. "Do I have a good reserve, good
medical and income insurance?" 5. If I and 2 are not Yes, then you may ask yourself why for a small increase in performance, you would sacrifice your "let's have fun" wing for an "I am an alert, keen, competitor and I'm on top of this thing I 00% of the time" wing. 6. If still undecided, go visit someone in the hospital. The sight of those IV' s , ventilators, crutches, etc. is helpful in controlling "HOT STUFF", especially if the visitee is also a victim of "HOT WING". If you already have a hot wing, please be very careful. If you are also Hot Stuff (nobody ever admits this) see #4 again, and maybe your significant other would like to ratchet up your life insurance, double indemnity is nice. Fly high (AGL), land safe. Submitted by John Wilde Bay Area Paragliding Club
HANDLE. The slowest part of this ordeal was watching my reserve lines stretch out, the silver deployment bag hover for a second and let out a bit of white silk; then I hit ground. I did a brief check for feeling/motion in the extremities. The wind had been knocked out of me to the point that I couldn't speak, and when I finally could communicate on my radio my voice sounded like a weak impression of Marlon Brando in "The Godfather" My back began to spasm, and by the time I had reached the hospital I was wearing a barrel of pain. Here are some things this experience reinforced/taught me:
A year ago, on the third day of what was to have been an extended flying vacation, I found myself at 150 ft AGL above Aspen Mtn. staring over the trailing edge of my canopy, which was somewhere around nipple level. To get to this point I had driven four days cross country, flown conservatively for the two previous days to reacquaint myself with the site, gotten up to launch around I 0 AM, positioned myself in the middle of the group and then launched into a moderate east wind. I encountered some rough air but made two flat thermalling turns in an attempt to bench up to some other pilots, thinking this is aggressive flying, but not reckless.
1. THE ROTOR IS BOTH A MACRO- AND A MICROPHENOMENON. We are all good about analyzing the rotor in terms of spines we shouldn't cross low and ridges we should not let ourselves get blown behind. But too often we fai I to think on a smaller scale: If I'm launching in a cross wind and lay my canopy out at the edge of a stand of trees, am I likely to get a deflation and an unsafe launch? Or on a larger scale: Does the valley in front of me receive the rotor from the ridge beyond that? Will the east side of this whole mountain be subject to continuous east winds today, or is there typically a shift to the west? If so, what time does this occur? The turbulence I experienced was from dallying close to launch during the shift to prevailing winds, which typically occurs at that site around that time. The surge came because I was on the wrong side of the mountain, in one gigantic rotor.
I was unable to gain, the turbulence was worsening, and then I had two significant collapses. After I corrected these I hit big time sink, and suddenly found myself uncomfortably low. I put my wing into best glide and headed out toward the valley. There was period of calm, and then the glider surged, had a 50% collapse, and I was reaching for THE
2.DON'T LET THE MOOD AROUND YOU GUIDE YOUR DECISION MAKING. Standing, as J was, in the middle of a group that included experienced pilots, instructors, and tandem flight takers-half of whom intended to launch after me-imparted a vague sense of appropriate conditions that over-
Live and Learn by Scott Padavan (reprinted from "Glide Time" the New England PG Club newsletter)
shadowed little clues to the contrary: a frontal tuck and a botched launch by fellow pilot with perfect technique; my laid out canopy rolling over itself clown the slope.
3. THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT YOUR GEAR. Analyze it, don't simply buy it. There isn't space here to get into theories regarding my failed reserve deployment. One idea was that the deployment bag, which had a sack-like design, relied excessively on the force of the throw to pull the reserve canopy out. (By the same token I know that the identical system has worked successfully in the past.) This makes some sense to me, and I have since switched to a 4-flap design which "falls off" the canopy and exposes it to air as the lines are stretched. 4. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL DO IF (WHEN) AN ACCIDENT OCCURS. I was fortunate to be with an organized, experienced group who moved me off efficiently and safely. Some clubs sponsor members through FirstAid courses; ours would do well to devote a meeting to this topic. Self-reliance is critical. 5. LEARN. This is multifaceted. It begins with the pilot, who needs to be honest with him/herself and realize that few if any accidents or near-misses are entirety free of pilot error. You don't have to write articles about your mishap, but you shoulcln' t hesitate to discuss it and seek feedback. And it involves the rest of the group too. The worst thing we can do is blame someone to the point they become defensive, a minclframe which undermines honest self-criticism. Liability, access issues and the like often necessitate a downplaying of events to the general public, but this should never apply within the flying community. Maintain some of the humility that must come with dangling from fabric and string. Any time a pilot gets into trouble, without doing something blatantly wrong, there's a chance lo learn.
PARAGLIDING, THE MAGAZINE• PAGE 45
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