At the end or every year, as usual, it's the time of final balances, and of putting one's mind into next year's work. Taking the time to make plans, not in a hurry. We did a lot or work to improve our products offer by adding new items; and also -wherever possible- our pro·· ducts quality. We have the following new entries to submit to your attention • A new INTERMEDIATE glider, very easy to fly and flare, designed to fully enjoy flight pleasure for recreational pilots The SkyRmmcr helmets family, introclucccl late last year, that should he a best seller (according to first impressions) • ICARO's new AirUag for Paraglidcrs designed by Cygnus • The announce of a brand new line or products, coming on next spring: our SPORTSWEAI{ collection, specialized for pilots needs First, some words about Hang Gliders, our base product: 1998 will be lhe Laminar ST's year, since out TopEnd model will bcncrit from this year skill. We keep using only first quality materials, we fly .. test each glider before delivery, etc: in a word we arc actually trying to give to our Clients simply the best. And maybe we aren't so far from this targL~tl Aside can he found the record of our pilots result during lasl year: it's interesting to take a look at it, and consider whatever or our competitors Cl)tdd have been approached such a scorc 1 Moreover, we reached such results while opening the road in the field of a new technology: 110 one of our rnmpcti,tors has sold as many ldngpostlcss gliders as we have! And what about certifications? We have worked hardly -together with German and Swiss Offical
ilestone
road
Agencies· in order to pass severe end demanding tests, even establishing some new methodologies on the fly ... We have succedcd, and we have got every certification. How many could say the same'? How many have got such a skill'? Laminar ST kingpostlcss gliders arc definitely the best choice, since they arc • The most tested: DHV and SHY J'or any wing span (14, 13 and soon 12) • The most pe1:fr1rminK: sec our Winners list • The most sold, by far (more; than 400 currently l'lying all world over), i.e. the most reliable, due to the total hours m,m .. her they have been l'lown. There is one thing, indeed, where we aren't the first. The price, ··Still cheaper than the one of some competitors-, featuring the best value ror money. 1 ST 2 ND 3 RD
l ST l ST 2 ND I ST 1 ST 3 RD 1 ST 1 ST 1 ST 1 ST 3 RD 1 ST 2 ND 1 ST
l ST 2 ND 3 RD
l ST 2 ND 3 RD 1 ST 2 ND 3 RD 2 ST 1 ST 3 RD
l ST 1 ST 1 ST 1 ST
BOGONGCUP PRE WORLD
AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA
MANFRED RUHMER NELSON HOWE JOSEF ZWECKMAYR NEW ZEALAND NAT. NEW ZEALAND ALLAN BARNES BRASIL NATIONALS BRASIL CARLOS NIMEYER BETO SCHIMIDT JAPAN NATIONALS JAPAN MASAHIRO MINEGHISHJ INTERNAT. BASSANO ITALY MANFRED RUHMER GEROLF HEINRICHS NATIONAL CHAM/'. SI.OVEN/A FRANC PETERNEL EAST COAST CHAM/'. U.S. NELSON HOWE Wr/GS XCOUNTRY 1SPEED GREECE MANFRED RUHMER Al.PEN OPEN AUSTRIA MANFRED RUHMER JOSEF ZWECKMAYR GERMAN OPEN GERMANY MANFRED RUHMER ROBERT REISINGER ITAI.IAN CHAMP. ITALY CHRISTIAN CIECH AUSTRIA Ol'EN AUSTRIA MANFRED RUHMER ROBERT REISINGER WillY VONBLON DUTCr/ HANGGLIDING Cr/AMP. HOI.LAND AART DE KOOMEN JOOP BERENDESEN FRANS ICKE PRE EUROPEAN CHAMP. SLOVAKIA MANFRED RUHMER ROBERT REISINGER FRANZ HARRMAN US. NATIONAI.S LARRY TUDOR U.S. SPANISH CHAMP. SPAIN MARC UTRILLO CARLOS FERNANDEZ BRIT/Sri CHAMP. GREAT BRITAIN GORDON RIGG SCOTTISH OPEN SCOTLAND DAVE HOLBROOK AIR WOIIID GAMES TURKEY SERGE TASTET INTERNA T/ONAL IIALL Y BRAZIL MANFRED RUHMER
!CARO 2000 srl Via Verdi, 19 1-21038 Sangiano (Italy) Tel. ++39-332 . 648.335 · Fax 648.079
http: //www.icaro2000.com
E Mail: stal't@iica1·0200().c<)m
(USPS 01 7-970-20 - ISSN 0895-433X)
16 The Wallaby Ranch Aerotowing Primer by Austin Seo rt Collins, photos by Dt1vid Glover Based on inscruccional informarion developed by USHGA Tandem Tnsm1ctors David Glover and Malcolm Jones.
24 Big Game Hunting by Pete Lehmann Pete sers a 182-m ile East Coasr record.
28 The 1997 Mount Nebo Fly-In & Competition by Samrmtha Souvannakhot Great flying in Arkansas.
40 Hang Gliding Interviews: Doug Haber ~y Jim (Sky Dog) Palmieri
Instructor and dw1e pilot exrraordi naire.
48 Pilot Report: The Laminar ST © 1998 by Dennis Pagen, photos by Jesse Kaftenb11ch A look at lcaro's copies.~ entry in rhe high-performance arena.
56 Soarfest At October's Best by Mike Nester. photos by Doug Rice Four straight days of dynamite flying ar Saurarown, Norrh Carolina.
Columns
Departments
Competition Corner .................. ..............31~
Ai1·mail .. .................. .. ................. ............... .4-
President's Com er, by G.W. Meadows ....44
Calendar of Events .... .................................6
Product Lines, by Dan Johnson .............63
Update............................. .... .. ........... ..... .....8 Ratings ...................... ..................... .. ........ L3 Classified Advertising ..... .. ............... .... ... .52 Index to Advertisers ...... .. ... .. ....................62
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i'l,11111 hv -~'''" IL11l tl,111 1. l>ISCl.t\l;\IER 01' Wi\RRA:-..TIF.S IN l'llBLICATIONS: I h,· 111.11,n.1l 1m·,rn1,·d hn,· "p11l,li,l1nl ·" p.111 ol .111 111lo1 111 .11 io11 d iv,l·111 i 11,lt 1011 ,cn·i1.t· t() r ll\l H ,,1\ 111t·111hl'1~. The ll~I I< ,r\ 111.1kc., no w.11r.t111ic, 01 n:pn:,v 1H.1t illll ., .111 d .l'i\ll l l1t·:-. 110 li ahilily nllH.. L' f'llillg 1h,.: \·alidity ul ,l ll)' .nlvit1.:, opi ni on 111 tnl11n 111;,,:11d.11 io 11 l·,prl·,,t·1.I i11 th~ · 111.1tni.d. All i11divid11.1I., rl·lyinµ 11pu11 the ~1.11t·11.il do ,o .11 d1t·i 1 o\\' 11 1i J. ( :np~Tight \( l I ')\)k l l11i1nl .\t.tt,·, I l.111g ( ;1idi11g :\""" 111,. i\ ll 11ghh rnnvnl 111 //,111.~ ( ,'/i,/111g .111d 1tlll1, id u.t! , 111111ilnllor,. 1
FEBRUARY 1998
3
Gil Dodgen, Managing Editor/Editor in Chief Dave Pounds, Ari Director John Heiney, (;(irry Charlebois, BeHimi Gray, l.eroy Grannis, Mark Vaughn l'hoto15r.1phc,1:, Harry Martin; Illustrator Dennis l'ag,m, Mark Stucky, Geoff Mumford, G.W. Meadows, Jim Palmieri, Starr Writors
Air Mail DENSITY Dear Editor, l am responding to a November '97 Airmail letter tided "Close Call" by Charles S. Rebert. Twould like to remind all pilots who live near sea level to always respect altitude density! Although Charles lives here in the Bay Arca T have never seen him at our local advanced-rated sites and I'm not sure where the "aka" came from, but: if it is a coastal site I can understand. I have seen many pilots over the years visiting higherelevation flying sites (say, above 4,000') and the mistakes that follow when they forget about the altitude-density issue. When creating your "mantra" please include a reminder about this. Russ Douglas Concord, CA
ALEXIS A Dear Editor, [ was very pleased to sec a picture of Alex the wonder dog on page 9 of the December issue. Jeff is now teaching ultralight flight in Arizona, and Alex is missed by her fans. SHE is a basenji, and quite the lady, not a he. Coleen K. Brogan Pine Brook, NJ
OBJECTIVE PERFORMANCE DATA
POSTMASTER: Sl:ND Cll/\NCF OF /\!)DRESS H/\NC, GLIIJINC,, P.O. BOX 1:no, Colorado
co 80901 1330.
FEBRUARY 199B VOllJME 2B, ISSUE No. 2
Dear Editor, So, how do pilots go about choosing a new hang glider, particularly if you want optimum glide performance? Do you pick the one that's winning all the comps? When l read about the mods done for the Morningside glide comp, it seems like a bad idea. Really, stripping wires, lowering sprogs, shimming it until it won't turn this isn't very persuasive. How about those "other" comps? Perhaps the winner is crowned because he's taking chances others won't, as opposed to flying the best ship. Will the production version of' that glider be fun for you to fly? Why don't manufacturers' ads and the
glider reviews mention performance specs, but do tout comp results? It's almost like they want you to decide on the basis of comp results, in the absence of objective performance data. Soaring magazine publishes objective reviews of each new sailplane, and perfor· mance data for older models is readily available. Every manufacturer is happy to quote performance figures, and with objective reviews they are constrained from claiming something that can't be verified. Hang Gliding magazine would be doing a service for USHGA members by emulating these cflcms. Ken Ward Sanjose, CA
RISK AND Dear Editor, I would personally like to thank Hang Gliding magazine and the USHGA for doing such a magnificent job of positively promoting our sport. This magazine and the organization it speaks for arc a much needed force in the world of hang gliding. Hang Gliding magazine is an essential medium frir anyone who is interested in or is a participant in this wondcrfr1l sport. Your magazine is also a necessity for those who arc ignorant or uneducated about our sport. ft is too often that l hear someone ask me, "How can you feel safe in the air with something so flimsy?" or "Isn't hang gliding controlled free fall? I heard tons of people arc killed in ;i year doing that, are you insane?" My only response to someone like that is to show them :m accident report: in the magazine. l show them that most accidents arc due to pilot error just like common automobile accidents, and they can be corrected in the same way. People just don't realize that everything they do involves risk. l1ow is it different when I decide to fly a hang glider? T think USH(;A docs a wonderful job in pointing this out to people and educating them about the risks involved and how to avoid them. Keep up the good work. Mark Backeris Wexford, PA HANC CLIDINC
High Energy Sports offers a variety of safe, comfortable har-ness styles. Each harness is cut according to your body dimensions. You customize your harness with your choice of colors and options. We have over 30 different harness options available. You only pay for the options you order.
you can A reserve parachute is one of the most important purchases you will make. If properly cared for, your parachute will outlast your glider and your harness. A parachute can be your last hope for survival in a very bad situation. Make sure you have the best... mal«c sure you have a Quanlum Series Parachute by I ligh Fncrgy Sporls.
1521 E. McFadden #H Santa Ana, CA 92705 phone: (714) 972-Bl B6 rax: (714) 972-1430
mo
co
PO Box ColORl\do piliNqs 80901 l,800,616,6ll88 u~l1qA@u~l1qA.oriq 1Ax(719) M2,6417 MC & Vi,A
d Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact infornrnl"ion (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two mon tbs lead time for regional and national meets.
MARCH 20-25: Japan National( at Raizan, Fukuoka prefocn1re, Kyushu. AP RTL I 0-15: !taji/,i 5;;ring H{ght at ltajiki, lbaraki prefecture. Contact: miwama@imasy.or.jp, or MAH)Ol 03Qilnifryscrve.or.jp. APRTL 26-MAY 2: Atlantic Comt Championships, 450-point hang gliding meet, Wallaby Ranch, FL. JUNE 20--27: U.S. Hang Gliding NritionczL(, Dinosaur CO. JULY 11--18: U.S. Parttf!,liding Nr1tionah, Lakeview, OR. AUG. 17-2:3:
North American Summer Paragliding Championships, King Mm., ID. Contact: http://www.justfly.com. MAY 15-17: 7998 MidUJest Open Spring Htmg Gliding Championships. All pilots ;ire welcome to join us for the peak spring X-C season in the Midwest ;it Twin Oaks Airport, Whitewater, Wisconsin. Rigid and flex-wing categories, declared goal and open tasks sire record 150 miles, max altitude gain 9,700'. $50 entry foe includes temporary club membership, aerotows @l$7.50 each (limit three per day), prize money, party. AT raring required (available on site). Contact: Dinauer (608) 221-3681, Gdinaaucr@aol.com or I ,arry Bunner (815) 2:H-5388. MAY 22-25: Cosmos Cl11ssic, Cosmos, Minnesota. Lcisme and competition classes. Miles of row roads and beautiful, wideopen terrain make this one of the greatest towing flying sites in the country. Leisure class: total airtime. Competition class: X-C, triangles, race-to-goal. Last X-C record was 160 miles. Contact: Dave Alan (612) 929-7177.
JUNE 6-13: Sandia Albuquerque, New Mexico. Eighth annual li50 WTSS6
point meet at Sandia Peak. 'fhc premier meet of the season! Price includes: corry top-quality X-C tasks, glider and pilot transportation to launch, tumpoint film and processing, cornputcrizccl scoring, frill-time paid staff, free oxygen refills, gift certificates from local businesses, conve· nient meet headquarters with reduced room rates, awards barbecue, T-shirt and more! 'Irophies for Class 1 topless/kingposted, and Class 2. Sixty-pilot maximum field, 45 spots reserved for pilots ranked in the top 80 lJSI [CA or top l 00 PlRS. Remaining entries will be based on rankcompetition experience and flight experience. Firs1--tirne entrants must have: USHCA Advanced rating, all Special Skills, 100+ hours mountain thermal experience. Daraback cameras required. Oxygen and c;ps highly recommended. Early registration if postmarked thcreaficr. before May 1, Refundable umil April :30. Imerested in competing in Class 2? Call us ASAP so we can plan! Contact: Mike 1211 St. Mary's Dr., Albuquerque, NM g71 11 (505) 275-5978 or Mark Mocho (505) 2.9il-292.2. E-mail to mrnocho@rt66.com. JUNE 12- 14: Region 2 Wild, Wild West Hang Gliding Regionals. JUIY 25-AlJG. l : Wild Wr:st Hang Gliding Championships, 450-poim meet. SEP'[ 25-27: Wr·st Corist Paragliding Rc1,ioncds.
Con met: Advcntme Sports (702) gg3. 7070, advspts<rDpyramid.ner, www.pyramid.net/advsprs. AUG J -3: \1(/estern Canadian Hang Gliding Championship, Colden, BC. X-C racing ar Canada's best world-class sire, Mount Seven. $::'10 Canadian entry foe, includes traditional free Sunday night beer bash. Individual and team scoring. ]-land-crafted trophies and many prizes. Contact: Meet Director Jeff Runciman (403) 293-9027 (h), (403) 250-9077 (w), or Meet Coordinator Karen Keller (4(Fl) 293-4008, skyward@cadvision.com, skyward@caclvision.corn. Check out our Web site at www.cadvisio11.com/skyward/wee 199g.html.
AUG. 9-23: Womens World Meet, Hungary. Aug. 9--13 training days, 1li-22 comest days, closing ceremonies on the 23rd.
FEB. 7-8: !3th !lnnullf Shydog Hang Gliding Festiv,d. Terns of fun, low· key towing, spot landing competition. Platform and static line. Party and trophies. Pilot meetings and accornmodations at Barker Island Inn (1-800-34/i7571). Block of rooms reserved (mention the event). Contact: Dan O'Hara (218) 62/i-li 500, dohara<rilwrenshall k 12.mn.us, Doug Jolmson g) 723-1738.
APRTL l 0- l 20th Annual Hang Gliding ,md flttraf!,liding Heister Fly-1n at Ten Mile, southe;ist Washington State by the town of Asotin. Launch is 1,700 foet AC Lon the breaks of the Snake River Canyon. free campiug. Fun fly-in No entry with a Saturday-night potluck and barbecue on launch. Contact: Scon Johnson (509) usairbornc@ilvallcy-in tern er.net, or· forn Heathman (509) 256-3304, hcman@valley-intcmet.net. MAY 2/i-26: l 8th Annual Memorial Day Fly-In, Alamof!,ordo, NM. Sponsored by Rio Crnndc Soaring Assn. Alamogordo is celebrating its 100th birthday. Comest m fon flying, trophies, shirrs, dinner, etc. 'T'hc hcst fly-in yet! Meet at LZ ar 9:00 AM on the 2/ith. Entry $20 for comest or fun flying. Mail advance entries ro 2216 Pecan Dr., Alamogordo, NM 8831 Cl. Contact: 'fom & Cindy West (505) 437 5213 or Robin T·fastings (505) 541 .JUNE 1-SEPT. 30: 1998 Official J,akcvicu;, OR/lying season. $ I 00 each month for the longest flight registered from an official Lakeview flying site. $1,000 to the pilot with the greatest fourmomh cumulative tm:11 for the season (paraglidcr miles doubled). $50 per month random drawing just for showing up and registering! Bcautirul and plemifnl flying sites, friendly landowners, good retrieval roads, and flying great enough to
HANC GLJDINC
r set all the Cll!Tent OregoH State distance records for] IC and PC. C:omact: Lake Co. Chamber of Commerce I) 947 60/iO.
MARCH 28·29: lcmdem I, I! e'l' Ill Clinic. Team Spirit Hang Gliding, Puerto $200. Contact: (787) 285Rico. C 09%.
IA1l:cv,1eu;, OR !lnm.uil .fu611th 1'c:stivt1l !·1~~ht. One Craml X-C: comest pays 1,000 cash to the longest X·C /'light frorn Black Cap during the l;cstival. Par;1glider miles doubled. Sugar llill 1.akcvicw Ti'ophy I )ash, I st place prize $JOO. PC and HC spot-land ing contest prizes each. I .ots of family fon. Registration and pilot meeting on July l, fly awards July 5. Registration including site guide is$ I 0. Registration alone Contact: Lake Co. Chamber o/' Commerce (541) 917-6040 or Jules ( ;iiparrick (5/i I)
APRIL-MAY: XC/thermcil guide to the Owens Vcdley, with Kari C:asde. Call to schedule a clinic or rour. SEPT'.-NOV.: "Owens at its /3est, "X C!thcrmt1l guide to the Owens with Kari Castle. 'Jwo· to ninc--day advcntmes. Private onc·ononc !lying, guide service and instruction also available. Coutacr: Kari Castle (760) 872 2087, karicasde(riltclis.org.
APRIT. 3-5: l}migliding !CP. Contac1: Adventure Sports (702) 883-7070, www.pyramid.nc:L/advspts.
APR.II. 17-19: !-lcmg Gliding !Cfl. ( :011rnct: Adventure Sports (702) il837070, www.pyramid.net/advspts.
6: Rth !lnnut1l AOPA Fly-in and lJNTlL MARCH 1: Valle de l?ravoflying, Mexico (rli rec hours west of Mexico City). Hang gliding and paragliding scr· vices, rental wings, lodging, transporta· rion, multiple sites, training and tandem flights. Awesome X C: flying. Conrac1: 1 800-861 · 7 l 98, flymexico(r,\wl.corn.
FEB.: clinics throughout lcx11s and the Southwest. C:omact Dave Sharp (505) 286-387 J, dsharp(r1)mci2000.com for more details and exact dates and locations. Check out www.fi.1112fly.com for a grca1 slide show of' the MARCIi 21-22: dinic in Pacific Northwest. ( :omact North American Flight Design (509) 925·556'5 ro register. APRIL 1998: clinin throuf!.hrmt Cali/rnnia and Comact Mike Eberle (509) 11api(rheburg.com for exact dates and locations. MAY 9-10: clinic tit Rt11H:n Sky S;){)rts in w1;11tcu)(t/e1~ WI. ( :onrac1 Mike Eberle (509) 9255565, napiCr;)drnrg.com, or Brad Kushner (Ii Jli) 473 8800 f<Jr dernils. FEB. 5-8: 8asic t1nd !ldvanccd JCP by Srevc Kroop, Miami Hang Clicling, Miami, Fl.. Conract: (:',05) 285-8978.
FrnlUJi\l<Y 199B
Open flouse, AOP/\ l!cadquarrers, Frederick Municipal Airpon, Maryland.
OCT 23--25: !IOPA hXNJ '<JR, Palm Springs Con vcn1ion C:en rer, Palm Springs, CJ\. Contact: Warren Morningstar (301) 695-2162, wa rrcn. morn i11gst ar@1)aopa .o rg. 31 : Rocl:.y Mountttin 1-ftmg (iliding l.ec1guc '"/()trd61 i,;1eclced Out" XC ( ;olden, B( :, ( :anada. Learn to fly X-C: and place higher in comps. Get ro know the site and practice for the Western Canadian Championship, which follows the clinic. Friendly competition format. hncr any time during the week. Nighdy discussions on flying X-C:, best strategics for X·C in the Colden, 1nvcrmcrc Valley. Prizes in many categories. l~rnry fee $20 Canadian. Camping available: (;oldcu Municipal Campground (250) %4,5/i 12 (right in town, hook Whispering Pines (250) 3/iiJ-.6680, White 'fail (250) 3415979. Contact: Ceof Schneider (103) ext. 1407 286-3770 (Ii), (403) (w), fax (103) 286· 1 seeprcr<ti>spots.ab.ca or gsch neider<tZlbl uera ngc.com.
m
Update
NEW ICARO "FLASH" HELMET
J
ust Fly announces that it has the new learn Flash helmet in stock. "It is the nicest helmet ever made for the purpose of hang gliding," claims company president G.W. Meadows, "I simply can't stress enough how nice this helmet is." Ir is full y certified and Icaro has done a superb job with the fir and finish. The Flash is available in three colors with and without a "ratcheting" visor. Visored helmets come standard with a helmet bag for keeping ir as scratch-free as possible while coring it around in a harness bag. Contact: Just Fly (9 I 9) 480-3552, ,vww.jusrfly.com.
GARMIN GPS Ill PILOT
T
he Garmin GPS III, which first introduced moving-map capabiliry ro th eir recreational line of GPS instruments, has now taken the next step by adding the Jeppesen database, creating rhe GPS III Pilot. In addition to displaying country/state boundari es, cities, rivers, lakes, railroads, interstate and stare highways, th e GPS ITI Pilot also displays worldwide airporrs, controlled airspace, VOR's and airport dara (i.e., communication frequencies, alrirude, runway headings). While iris built into rhe GPS lII housing, ir is not part of Garmin's recreational line. The GPS III Pilot is part of Garmin's aviation line and is truly an aviation navigational aid. Some of the features of the GPS llI Pilot include: 12-channel satellite reception , 500 waypoints with optional symbol and map display, super-quick acquisition rimes, base map
8
of the Americas, Jeppesen database, plotting scales of 500' ro 5,000 miles, easy-co-use menu-driven user interface and 8- ro 10-hour battery life. The unit comes complete with an easy-co-under rand user manual, adjustable mounting bracket, quick reference card and lanyard. The GPS III Pilot is rugged, compact, light and perfectly suited for the competition and X-C hang glider pilot. For more information contact Flyrec USA at 1-800-6622449 or (352) 332-8675, fax (352) 3328676, usaflyrec@aol.com.
TOWING ALOFT
S
port Aviation Publications is pleased ro announce the release of a new book entitled Towing Aloft on February 1, 1998 (subtitle: Learning ro Surface-Tow and Aerorow Hang Gliders, Paragliders and Ulualighr Sailplanes). Co-authored by D ennis Pagen and Bill Bryden, tl1is book is the fruit of20 years of rowing practice and two years of intensive research on all the cowing techniques practiced in the U.S. and other countries. All rhe latest rowing methods are covered from the pilm's and row operator's point of view. Besides actual rowing skills, rhe authors cover rowing equipment and safe procedures, and there are special chapters on launching and climbing on row with all the different metl10ds described. The material is enhanced by Safety Tips, Pro Tips, and special Caution no res where necessary. There are 10 chap ters divided into three parts: Towing Systems and Equipment, Surface T owing, and Aerorowing. Separate sections cover hang gliders, paragliders and ulrra1ght sailplanes where the techniques differ. Towing Aloft is in a large 8- 112" x 11 " format for ease of use and clariry of figures. There are 163 illusrrarions and over 173 photographs which greatly enhance understanding. The book has 384 pages and a four-co lor cover. Towing Aloft includes information on rowing equipment, rowing rigs, payout wi nches, stationary wincl1es, static-li ne rowing, aerorowing, boar rowing, safery requirements, operating row systems, fl ying rugs, checklists, launching, climbing, releasing on row, maximizing rows, airport operations, emergency procedures, and much more. A section on rowing tandem, special nores ro the student learning ro fly while rowing, and
safery recommendations make ir a great rexr for new pilots as well . If yo u haven 't rowed yet, chances are you wi ll sometime soo n in your fl ying career, as rowing is becom ing increasingly popular in the flats and tl1e mountains al ike. If rowing is yo ur means oflearn ing ro fl y, Towing Aloft will provide a complete understanding of tl1e specifics rowing brings in yo ur learnin g experience, and will make an excellent companion book ro Hang Gliding Training Manual. Towing Aloft retails fo r $29.95 . The book is available fro m your dealer or send $29.95 (+3 .50 shi pping) ro Sport Aviati on Publicatio ns, P.O. Box 101 , M ingoville, PA 16856. More information an d an order fo rm are available ar: www. lazerlink. com/ ~pagen-
bks.
VIRTUAL REALITY HANG GLIDING FLIGHT SIMULATOR
M
issio n Soaring Center introduces its Virtual Real iry Hang G liding Flight Simulator. This m ajor innovati on in simula,rjf tion technology pro// i/ . vides a dynamic way ro l,, ~ . :~ . inu-oduce our sport ro the general public. Ir also helps srudents ~ ·".v;. ,·•.··.··•··.·. learn more qui ckly, "--: ' especially first-lesson srudents. The simulator consists of a self-con rained support frame and a custom interface fo r a inrendo 64 game control un it. The frame holds che harness, the pilot, rhe control bar and/or complete glider. T he pilot is able ro make realistic hang gliding contro l movements, just like real flying! The electronic interface maneuvers rhe on-screen "N intendo Pilm ." Indoors, the simulator can be configured with a control bar and TV set. Outdoors, a full-size glider can be used in conjunctio n with V irtual Realiry Glasses and a small, shaded TV screen allowing the insrrucror ro follow the student's virtual fl ight. This setup is a dramati c attention-getter at outdoor even rs. The glider's full ran ge of morion arcracts crowds an d the high-tech connection with rh e hang gliding cyberworld truly amazes th em! You can pm chase a N intendo 64 controller and the game cartridge (Pilot W ings), and supply yo ur own television screen and glider or conrrol bar. M ission Soaring sells
i \'\ ', I
1,.~...,.,,....+. ...,.., /:ca:'~''
H ANG GLI DING
the cuscom support frame and mechanical interface for $2,800 plus shipping and handling. Delivery time is approximately three weeks. Contact: M ission Soaring Center, 111 6 W rigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 (408) 262-1055, MSCHG@aol.com, www.hang-gliding.com.
1997 COUPE ICARE
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he myth oflearus has inspired humans for over two millennia. Finally, as we end chis century of incredible technological advances, we are fortunate co have the means co enj oy the peacefulness of fli ght in the most elemencal aircraft. The Coupe lea.re in France celebrates the fun of free-flight and incorporates the creativity of costume designers. Now in its 24th year, this three-day festival, which initially involved only a few fanatics, attracts several hundred pilots from around the world. Speccacors come from far away m watch colorful comrapcions fly under para.gliders and hang gliders which are launched from the 1,500-foot cliff above Sc. Hilaire du Touvec near Grenoble, France. Costumes vary widely in their sophistication, size and symbolism . This year's winner was a homemade reproduction of a 1920's automobile, driven and piloted by two contestan ts dressed as Laurel and Hardy. The car weighed about 120 pounds and had no brakes or steering, o once the gro und crew released it, canopy control became absolutely essential. Fortunately,
FEBRUARY 1998
on both days che Italian duo launched impeccably co wild applause from che 2,000 speccacors on laUJ1ch. Equally impressive was a giant flying/floating, Chinese-style fabric fish some 20 feet in length with a mouth opening seven feet wide in which the pilot sac on the lower lip. The legend ofKaonak - che Eskimo hunter who, bedridden after having lost his legs, is visited by his God who convinces him co fly in his dreams - was beaucifu1ly depicted by a pilot and his paraplegic friend who launched tandem in a makeshift horse-drawn sleigh with six cardboard dogs - an incredibly moving sigh t! Two giant fields were covered wich used hang gliders and para.gliders, and there was an i ncernacional show of free-flight equipment with over 50 manufacnuers in attendance. During che flying demonstrations, Richard Gallon (French national paragliding champion) performed several complete loops in his para.glider.To qualify as a loop ic is required chat the lines go slack at che apex! The most moving event was d1e incroducrion of Francis Rogallo, who was invited as guest of honor by the Federation Franc;:aise de Vol Libre. 1 was interested ro learn char Mr. Rogallo filed pa.rems for inflatable, parachutelike wings as early as 1943.
The Co upe lea.re brings pilots together to celebrate rhe fun of flying and competing for the best costume. T here are no points as such; the prize goes to che pilot wh ose costume or gadget elicits th e most applause from the spectacors. Free flying is fun, and we should emphasize fun in o ur flying and our lives.
- submitted by Nicola Cauchy
WIN A FLYTEC 4030 CPS ACCESS
H
ere is a chance to gee famous. Well, maybe not famo us, but it is a chance to get your photo in d1is magazine and win a Flyrec 4030 GPS Access for yo ur efforts. Submit yo ur photos or slides (slides are preferable) to Flycec USA. If yo ur shot is selected, ic wi ll appear in our advercisemem and yo u will receive a Flycec 4030 GPS Access ($1,1 00 value). Your photos must be submitted by May 31, 1998 and will be judged on overall photographic presentation and suitability for use in advertising. A photo showing a 4000 seri es vario will stro ngly influence rhe judges (being in focus wi ll defi nitely help too) . All submissions are subj ect to comest rules and regLJations, co pies of which are avai lable by co ntacting Flytec USA at 1800-662-2449 or (352) 332-8675, fax (352) 332-8676, usaflycec@aol.com.
FIRST CSS TOY DRIVE A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
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n Saturday, December 20, 1997 the Crestline Soaring Society - in an effort to provide a positive presence in the local community, spread good will , and help chil dren who otherwise would not get a
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Christmas conducted the ftm annual "Crestline Soaring Society Toy Drive" which was a .resounding success. In the Andy Jackson landing zone nearly $2,000 worth of toys were stacked ftve high and IO wide in front of a fire depart· ment truck. 'foys included radio-controlled trucks, bikes, basketballs, baseball mitts, games, books, Barbic:s, lcmtballs, kites, coy air·· p.lanes, stereos and much, much more! were collected and presented to our local flre department in the Andy Jackson hinding zone, 'T'hesc are the guys who come out to take care of an occasional flying or landing mishap. T'hank you Captain Dave Kreske and stations 114 and #5. The weather could not bave been better for the evem one of the most beautiful and flyable days in some time. Everyone got up and could stay up and go. There was Chrlstmas music in the landing zone, a cue, and food and drinks ro everyone all afrernoon. l'herc were also picttl!'C8 and rides for the kids on the big red flrc truck Thanks to all who attended and contributed to this successful, warm, rewarding day! thanks go to contributors: High Adventure (Rob and Diane McKenzie), Wills Wing, Puffy Cloud Paragliding (Len Szafaryn), Mcfan Schwartz, Lake Elsinore Sports, Mike Meier, John Samul, Dan Hammond, Doug Hawk, Pat Moody, Platt, Dexa Wolf'. Jaunita Jackson, Robert Lett, and the many others who contributed to make rbis event a ucmcndous success. Photos can be seen on the Web at bttp://www.eee.org/bus/high-adven tu re/ 0 BS ERVE.H'TM and http://www.webpartn ers. com/ pa rag Iid ing/ submitted by Rob von Zabem
esponding to the' marketplace, GWM has instituted a lrrnr-class sysrcm for the hang gliding competitions it is producing during the summer of l 998. T'his class system will separate gliders into that recognize: a) kingpostcd flex wings, b) kingpostless flex wings, c) doth-covered "contrnl-smface" ships (e.g., Pegasus, Millennium), and d) foot··.launchccl sailplanes Pilots in all classes will fly together and be
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scored together, with class separation coming at the end of the daily tasks and the end of the contest. This separation is trn.:ant to rec.. ognize rhe flying similar wings each other. The USHGA still only recognizes two hang gilder so for national and inter,national ranking purposes these frmr GWM classes will be ptlt into their appropriate USHGA As of this writing, Sandia Classic bave agreed to use the same system. GWM competitions for the 1998 season include the Atlantic Coast Championships which will be held at Wallaby Ranch, and the U.S. Nationals which will be held ar Dinosaur, Colorado (with headquarters in Vernal, Utah). For more information on the GWM meets, call or the Web page: (919) www.justfly.com.
AND SHIPLEY . U. I998.
S. Aeros announces the addition of Milch Shipley and Ryan Glover as team members for Mitch, of Momerey, Calili:nnia, and Ryan of Wallaby Ranch fame have signed on to fly the Acros Stealth for the '98 season. Company president G.W. Meadows comrnents, "We're very pleased to have these two pilots on board. We're convinced that putting their flying skills inside the control bar (if one of the hottest gliders currcnrly on the mmket will produce some respectable results for us this year.''
ave Baxter of Morningside Plight P,nk has started an Internet multi .. player games page at: http://www.cyberportal.net/morn.ingsidc/gam e.htm. This page is dedicated to all members who like to have fun, especially during the long winter months, and. foci that "while the snows flits, so cm1 we. Tbis site offors a meeting place, game demos, and a chance to join the lCQ list: http://www.cyber.. portal.nct/morningsidclicqlist.html. The focus of the Game Page is rbe 357th Sqmidron using Nova Logic's all new "F22 Raptor" jet flghter simulation. This game can easily handle two t'O 50+ players over the giving players a chance to fly against some of the best and toughest in the country.
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Contact: Morningside Flight Park, 357 Morningside Lane, Charlestown, NH 03603 (603) fax (603) lmp://www.cyberportal.net/morningsidc, morningside@cybei:porta1 ..net.
HANG
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itty Hawk Kites presents the country's oldest condnuously-rmming hang gl.iding meet, WHO and WH.AT: An air camival, foaturing demonstrations of virtually evc1y poss.iblc form of sport aviation ultralights, paragliding, powered paragliding and sport parachuting will be part of I998's 26th Annual }fang Gliding Spectacular. Some of hang glider pilots and recm the world's ational will be among those soaring over the Omer Banks during days of competition, with demonstrations presented by Kitty Hawk Kites, the world's oldest and largest bang gliding school. Also participating in J998 will be the Air Sports Association. WHEN: Mother's Day Weekend, Friday, May 8, through Monday, May Jl, 1998. WHERE: Jockey's State Park (which features the fatst Coast's tall.est dunes), Mile Post 13 on Rome 258, Nags Head, North Carolina. The park is across the road from Kiny Hawk Kites. Flying activities w.ill also take place at Currituck County Airpark, about two miles west of the juncture of Routes 158 and 168, 50 minutes north of l·Iead. Wl'IY: year this even!' gains popu,, larity and stature among serious hang glider pilots, Last participants included worldfamous pil.ots Tudor, MiehaeI Robertson and John Heiney. 'rhis will be an opporttmiLy for hang glider pilots and of other recreational craft, including ultralights, to the thriU of soaring; above one ()f America's most scenic and historic and an opportunity for news organizations to capture those thrills 111 words and IIOW: Pilots and other visitors may con• tact KI:lK marketing director Darla Rovniak at for infimnat.ion and reser-· vations. KHK's e·mail address is kirtyhawk· kites<ibouwr,,banks.com. Media representatives should contact either Bruce C. Ebert of Goldman and Associates at 18 or Ms. Rovniak. HANG CUDING
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1ST CLASS MAIL SERVICE HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE: ($24.00-U.S., Canada, & Mexico only) ............... . AIR MAIL SERVICE· HANG GLIDING MAGAZINE: ($30.00-Wcstem Hemisphere, $40.00-Europe, $50.00-All Others) ... -······-··--···-··--·lST CLASS MAIL SERVICE· PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE: ($12.00-llS., Canada, & Mexico only) ......... . AIR MAIL SERVICE· PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE: ($15.00-Wcstcrn Hemisphere, $20.00-Europc, $25.00-AII Others) ........·-··-··-··-····-..NAA Ml!:MBERSHIP: ($10.00 annual dues) ........................................................................ ·.-...........-,-·.........FAI SPORTING LICENCE: ($18.00 annual fee) Date
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(03/97)
In consideration of being granted membership in the USHGA, '·-··---·--·---·-·--,.·--,.···-·,.--,,,,---·-····--'"--·-····--..------,.-' for myself, my personal representatives, heirs, executors, next of kin, spouse and assigns, do agree as follows: - The following definitions apply to terms used in this Agreement I. means launching (and/or assisting another in launching), flying (whether as pilot in command or otherwise) and/or landing (including, but not limited to, crashing) a hang glider or paraglider. 2. nitlrcnn".ll1 or sustained by me as a result of my as a result of the administration of any USHGA programs (for example: the Pilot Proficiency System). 3. u.,., means the following, including their owners, officers, directors, agents, spouses, employees, officials (elected or otherwise), members, contractors, sub-contractors, lessors and lessees: a) The United States Hang Gliding Association, a California Non-profit Corporation (USHGA); b) Each of the person(s) sponsoring and/or participating in the administration of my proficiency rating(s); c) Each of the hang gliding and/or paragliding organizations which are chapters of the USHGA; d) The United States Of America and each of the city(ies), town(s), county(ies), State(s) and/or other political subdivisions or governmental agencies within whose jurisdictions I launch, fly and/or land; Each of the property owners on or over whose property I may launch, fly and/or land; e) All persons involved, in any manner, in the sports of hang gliding and/or paragliding at the site(s) where I f) 11 AII persons involved" include, but are not limited to, spectators, hang glider and/or paraglider pilots, assistants, drivers, instructors, observers, and owners of hang gliding and/or paragliding equipment; and g) All other persons lawfully present at the site(s) during my B. I WAIVE AND DISCHARGE the a,111.,Tu;~r:- from any and all claims and liability for SPORTS however caused, even if caused by the negligence (whether active or passive) of any of the Kl::,l.l:J.IJtU to the fullest extent allowed by law. I MAKE A CLAIM against any of the loss or damage on account of If I violate this agreement by filing such a suit or making such a claim, I will pay all attorneys' fees and costs of the F!IIUN
and con1str1ued in accordance with the matte1rs whatsoever arising under, in connection with or incident to this Agreement shall U.S.A. to the exclusion of the Courts of any other State or Country. SEVERABUUTY. If any part, article, paragraph, sentence or clause of this Agreement is not enforceable, the affected provision shall be curtailed and limited only to the extent necessary to bring it within the requirements of the law, and the remainder of the Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
I have
Participant's fignat11re
Date MR-8/97
MIC SHERWOOD
Region l BANDA, G PAUL: Hattlcgrouncl, WA; D. Rayhoum/I-TG PG School of Oregon DOHERTY, RYAN: Woodinville, WA; K. W l C: SANH)RD, REN: Carlsborg, WA;J. Reynolds/Far Up He; Rcgion 2 ASHTON, NINA: Smmyv:ilc, CA; P. Codwin/Wcstcrn HG CRUTCHLOW, ERIC: Santa Clara, CA; P. I )cncvan/Mission FERRO, VELA NA: San Jose, CA; C Filer/Mission Soaring HARVICK, JESSICA: Modesro, C:A; CD. Prarhcr/1 )ream Weaver HC KEEHN, DAVID: Palo Aho, CA; P. Codwin/Wcstcrn HG STROMS, MARC: Santa Clara, CA; C Viler/Mission Region 3 ZAMBRANO, LUIS: l lumingron Park, CA; P. Phillips/Lake rnsinorc Sports Region 6 PYLE, MARK: Liberty, MO; D. I fabcr/I<iuy Hawk Kites STRATTON, ERTC: N Little Rock, AR; C Price/Ozark Mtn l lG Region 7 BFDDOR, DAVID: Chanhassen, MN; R. Richardson/Arizona l!G Center CARROLL, SHAWN: Belleville, Ml; N. l.csnow/FlyingAdvcmures SALVADORE, ANTHONY: Ma noon, l I.; C:. Thoreson/I .ookour M tn FP THEEKE, MICHAEL: Manitou Beach, Ml; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP Region 8 SMITH, MTCHAEl ,: Cambridge, MA; D. lt1xtcr/Morningsiclc Fl' Region 9 DAVIS JI, DENNY: Covington, VA; C Thorcson/1.ookom Mrn Fl' KNCGHT, RON: Radcliff, l<Y; R Brown/l.ookour Mm FP WAC:! AWIK DDS, RONALD: Wellshoro, PA: C. Thoreson/! nokout Mm 1:p Region 10 EDMONDS, BEN: Miami, FL; J. Tindle/Miami 1-!G HEYMAN, BRIAN: Plamation, Fl.; J. Tindle/Miami HG HICKS, CINDY: Pinson, AL; J. Cook/Rocket Airsporrs KIRCHER, TOM: C:harlonc, NC:; R. Brown/Lookout Mm FP MARLEY, CONALL: Charlotte, NC; R. Brown/Lookout Mm FP RODRIGUEZ, JUUO: Juncos, J)R; P. Rodrigucz/Boringucn Ainimc SANTOS, REY: Rio Picclras, PR; P. Rodrigucz/Boringucn Airtime Region 11 BECNEL, GERARD: Baton Rouge, IA; R. Brown/Lookout Mtn Fl' BERNARD, KEITH: Duson, LA; C:. Thoreson/Lookout M1n 1:p Region 12 DF LA VEGA, EDGAR: New York, NY; S. Makrinos/lkaros Sport Aviation VOIGHT, RYAN: Pinc Bush, NY; P. Voight/Fly l ligh l IC
Fl 13RUARY 1998
Region l BANDA, G PAlTI,: Battleground, WA; D. R.;1ybourn/HC PC School of Oregon O'NEIL, JIM: Corvallis, OR; J. Matylonck/lhiny Day JlC; Rcgion 2 BURKHOLDER, DAYTON: Fremont, Cl\; D. Yount/Mission VIZITIU, ANATOLY: Sacramento, CA; C. l hmilton/Sacramcnto HC; Region 3 FRIEDMAN, ROGER: I .os Angeles, CA; A. Becm/Windsports Im'! ROI,:, KATHERINE: Oceanside, C:A; R. Mi1chdl/Thc Fagle's WHITTAKER, DAVID: San Diego, CA; c:. Graham/Crossroads Windsports Region ,1 ADAMS, MARK: Midvale, UT; R. Cizauskas/Wasatch Rcgion 7 BEDDOR, DAVID: Chanhassen, MN; R. Richatdson/Ariwna HG Center SALVADORE, ANTHONY: Mattoon, ll; C:. Thoreson/Lookout Mrn FP ·n-IEEKE, MICHAEL: Manitou Beach, M[; C:. Thoreson/1.ookour Mrn Fl' WOLTERS, KAREL: Casnovia, Ml; B. Fifrr/Travcrsc City HC PG Region 9 DAVIS II, DENNY: Covington, VA; C Thoreson/Lookout Mm 1:p KNIGHT, RON: Radcliff; KY; Jt Brown/Lookout Mtn FP WAC!AWIK DDS, RONALD: Wellsboro, PA; C:. Thoreson/I nokour Mtn Ff' Region 10 ANDERSON, JR, G MARTIN: C:onovcr, NC; B. Burril/U!tralight Mying F.quip EDMONDS, JIEN: Miami, Fl.; J. Tirnllc/Miami I IC HEYMAN, BRIAN: PLmtation, FL; J. Tindle/Miami HC KIRCHER, TOM: Charlotte, NC; R. Brown/Lookom Mm Fl' MARLEY, CONALL: Charlotte, NC; R. Brown/Lookout Mm FP MATJASKO, JOHN: Charlotte, NC; B. Cryder/Foothills FP RODRTGUEZ, JULIO: Juncos, PR; P. Rodrigllcz/Boringucn Airtime SANTOS, REY: Rio Picdras, PR; P. Rodrigucz/Bminguen Airtime Region 11 BECNEL, GERARD: Baron Rouge, LA; R. Brown/Lookom Mm FP BERNARD, KEITH: Duson, LA; C:. Thoreson/Lookout Mrn Fl' COLLUM, TOMMY: Round Rock, TX;J. Hunr/Co .. .l lG! Region 12 DE LA VEGA, EDGAR: New York, NY; S. Makrinos/Tkaros Sport Aviation
Region 1 LAPWOOD, PAUL: Seattle, WA; T. Johns/Northwest lnst Coop Region 2 CHANCE, MALCOLM: Sunnyvale, CA; P. Dcncvan/Mission HOBBS, STFVEN: Pleasanton, CA; R. Chin/Marin County I IC WFST, TOM: Sama Cruz, CA; P. Codwin/Wcstcrn HC
1998 TOP 30 SCHOOL/CLUB LEADERS
IN BEGINNER (HANG l) RATINGS ISSUED R!INJ(.,,,.SCHOOL ...... ,.... ,.... ,...... ,., .. ,., ........... BEGlNNER 1
Region 3 BEALS, GRANVILLE: Sama Monica, CA; J. (;rchlo/Windsports I111'! MAUZY, DARREL: Valley, CA; rt Mird1cll/Thc Eagle's Region Ii LINDSEY, JAMES: Sierra Vista, AZ;' I'. Barron/ Airborne Sports Region 5 KRINER, DAVID: Inkom, JD; K. Cavanaugh MAYO, WAYNE: Boise, JD; M, Bdl/l)iscovcr Flig,ht Region MILLS, SR, ALVAH: Port:1ge, IN; A. Mantas/Spcc1rnm HG
Region l2 KENYON, BRUCE: WayLmd, NY; B.
Source
Region 2 GODDARD, JAMES: San Jose, CA; M. Connell/Wings ofRogallo JACOB, DAVE: Fremont, C:A; R. Spencer/Wings ofRogallo SOROKA, BOB: Shingle Spgs, CA: M. Lake/NCI ICA
Region Ii HAYDEN, HAI,: Prcscon, AZ; K. Robinson/Cloud.meets Region JO PEARSON, WIT l,JAM: I,cnoir, NC; 'I . Bryant/Buzzard Wings SACHNO, JOE: Lookom Mm, GA;/\, Bloodworrh/Lookom Mtn FP
Lookout Mountain Flight Park ............................... .16 Mission'"""' "'1g .........................................................,..o 3 Wasatch Wings ............. ,.... ,...... ,, .............................. .4 4 Morningside Fligbt Parlc ............................................ 3 5 I~oring~en Airtime ..................................................... 5 I:<.voluc1on .................................... ,....... ,..................... ,2 5 Kitty l-fawk Kites, .............. ,.................... ,................... 2 5 Miami Hang Glidi1r1g ....................................................,2 5 Western Hang .... ,.......................................... 2 l O Arizona Bang Gliding .................................... 1 JO Berkeley Hang Gliding ........... ,............................. ., .... I lO Cloud base Enterprises ................................................ l l O Crossroads Windsports, ...... ,.. ...... ,..................... ,. ....... 1 10 Dream Weaver ]fang 10 Par Up !fang '·"'"'"h ................................................. .. IO Ply High Hang l JO Flying Adventures ...................................................... 1 JO HG & PG School or Oregon .... ,....... ,........................ .\ 10 lkaros Sports Aviation ........... ,............... ,.................... J .10 Lake Elsinore Spon:s, ....... ,. .... ,., ................................ .,1 10 NWIC ........ ,., ................................ ,.............. ,............. l 10 Ozark Mountain Hang Gliding .......... ,........ ,.............. ] 10 Raven Sky J 10 Rocket City ............................................ ,.... ] 10 Silver ..................................... ,......................... 1 IO Soaring l 10 The s 1 10 Windsports International ............ ,.............................. 1 2
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1998 TOP 30 SCI-:IOOL/CLUB LEADERS IN NOVICE (HANG 2) RKfINGS ISSUED RANK. .... SCHOOL ........... ,,., .. ,......... ,... ,., .......... ,,.NOVlCli 1 2
3 4 4
Region 13 l'OTENES, BR1AN: Mexico; l ). Pagen/Sport Aviation
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11 ERIC CRAMBLIT DIXON WIKNER
TANDEM INSTRUCTOR RAI'INGS GEOFF CASSEL JAMES HICKS DON MURDOCH ROBERT PATTERSON
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ll 11 11 11 11 1l lI
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Lookout Mou main Hang Gliding ........... ., .............. J 1 Mission cH),cU 1111;,. ............. ,,. ............... , .................... , ...... u Wasarch ......... ,................................................ 3 Boringuen n11nJ111c ......................................................... ,:, Go ... Hang Gliding .. ,, ...... ., .... ,.................................... 2 Kitty I-lawk Kites ......................... ,............................. ,2 Maryland School of Hang Gliding .......... ., .... ,............ 2 Miami llang 1.;r11tun1~ ..................................................... L. Morningside Flight Windsports lntern:1tional .................... ,...................... 2 Adventure Arizona Hang Gliding Center ...... ,....................... , ..... J Austin Airsports ...... ,....... ,.......... ,................................ l Central Valley }fang J Cloudbase Enterprises ................. ,............................. .1 Crossroads Windsports .................... ,.... ,...... ,.............. J Eagle Airsports .................... ,........... ,.... ,..................... 1 Evolucion ........... ,. ............................ ,........ ,.... ,........... I Flying Adventures ............. ,....................... .., .............. 1 Foothills Flight Parle ......................... ,................... ,.... ] HG & PG School or ...... ,.............. ,............... 1 Ikaros Ifang Gliding ............... ., .................................. l Lake Elsinore Sports ........ ,.......................................... 1 Rainy Day Hang Cliding ........................................... 1 Raven Sky Sports ............................. ,.. ,............. ,........ .l Sacramento Hang 1 Tek Flight Products ..... ,........................................... ,.. ] The Hang Gliding Center ......................................... , J The Eagle s Traverse City & PG .............. ,.. ,.... ,.............. ,, ..... 1 Ultralight Flying Equipment ,..................................... 1
Rankings tire crnnpiledfrom rtitings published in the.famtt1ryFebruary 1998 issues ~/Tfang Gliding mtigazine. HANC GLIDINC
e 48 Acre Landing Zone
lots oy consistently good training at Lookout. winter flying An cliff launch and of ridge low time pilots. mountain soaring flight. Over Flight pilots to school in
years, Lookout Mountain over four times more e novice level than any other flight
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Oi5cover o ut Mountain ig we wrote official training r A Free Brochure call 1-800 688 01 Scenic Hwy, Rising www.hanglide.com
GA 30
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20 Miles of' Incredible Ridge
111
America's NQ1 Flight School
e 'i Aerotow Instructors 113
Aerotow Tugs
11
World's Largest Pro Shop
111
Service & Custom Worli
T H E
Wallaby Ranch Aerotowing Prime by Ausrin Scarr Collins, USHGA Aero row Pilar Based on imtrnctional information developed by David Glover and Malcolm Jones, USHGA Adv
Welcome to Florida's Wallaby Ranch/ The Ranch is the world's largest full-time hang gliding club, and the biggest aerotowing operation. We're the aerotowing (or '.JiT'; professionals; no one knows AT like we do. It's all we do, and we do it every day, yearround. This primer will teach you the basics ofAT theory and technique. Our instructors have finetuned this system over the course of many years of prudent operations. Their extensive knowledge and experience, gained while showing literally thousands ofpeople how to aerotow hang gliders, can benefit you greatly. areful srudy of rhis marerial will make your rransirion ro AT fasrer, easier, less expensive and safer. When done properly, AT is your gareway to longer, higher, hassle-free flighrs, and more airrime wirh less efforr rhan ever before.
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INTRODUCTION Aerorowing is a system in which an ulcralighr aircrafr (called an aerorug, or jusr a "rug") rows you and your glider aloft. For launch, your glider sirs on a specially designed rolling cart. This can supports your glider ar rhe correcr attirude for liftoff, and srabilizes ir until you reach flying speed. You will already be prone before you begin rolling, making failure ro hook in almosr impossible. (Your harness should remain unzipped, however, in case you have ro land immediarely.) An assisranr will connecr yo u and your glider ro a 150-foot-long rowline. Then, ar a signal from rhe ground crew, rhe tug accelerares, and as soon as you have enough airspeed (a couple of seconds), you rise smoorhly from rhe cart. You rhen essentially fly in formarion wirh rhe rug umil ir's rime ro release. The rug pilor will rry ro drop you off in rhe besr rhermal he can find upwind.
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H ANG GLIDING
r for Experienced Pi lots ,meed Tandem Instructors. Copyright© 1998 by Florida Hang Gliding, Inc.
LEFT: One offour Wallaby Ranch tugs. ABOVE: Exxtacy pilot Gemge Ferris about to tow a flex wing. BELOW Early morning tandem instructional flights at Wallaby can provide magnificent views.
photos by David Glover
FEBRUARY 1998
TOP: Solo pilot perspective - a Little high on the tow vehicle. ABOVE:
Competition pilot and Ranch hand Ryan Glover provides assistance on takeoff RIGHT Instructor David Glover and student Kim Hare planning an approach over the RanchLZ
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Besides tlie cart, you will also need a V-pull and a release. The V-pull is a piece of Spectra line which connects to borh of your shoulder straps, and ro a point 011 yom glider's keel. The bridle of' rhc V-pull passes through a ring at the end of rhe towline, joining the glider to the tug. Thus, the tug pulls the pilot and glider evenly, resulting in more natural-foding control pressure. The release handle is Vclcro-moumed on the lower control frame. When you release, rhc bridle feeds through the ring 011 the tow rope and you and rhe glider arc ld1 in free flight. A weak link connects the Vpull 10 the release, providing a safe limit on the tow force. lfyou fail to maimai n the correct tow position (centered, with the wheels of' rhc tug on the horizon), the weak link will break before you can get into roo much trouble.
LAUNCHING A Ranch Hand will assist you. Afrcr you have done a prdlighr inspection of your gear, place your glider on the can, hook in, and do a hang check. Your angle of' anack should be high relative ro the ground. While in the prone position cnsmc that there is nothing to tangle or get srnck on the wheels or frame of the cart (VC cord, zipper pull cords, loose straps, etc.). Do nor zip 11p the harness; be ready to make a quick landing if' necessary. l !old onto rhc can string with one linger of each hand. The string will hold you and the glider securely on the cart when you begin your takeoff roll. At this point you should stay prone and wait for the tug. Your vario, helmet and gloves should he 011, your V-pull and weak link laid in from or you. The tug should never have to wait. A glider and pilot pointing i11to the wind on a cart at launch is the sign;il to the pilot and staff that you arc fully prepared to row. The only thing left is for the attachment of the line. This is the Ranch definition of READY. A Ranch Hand will anach the bridle through the acrotow ring and thcn to rhc release mechanism.'] 'he tllg will move forward to take 11p slack in the towline. You will /eel it pull you forward, bur you should resist and hold your bar position just alt of minim11m sink. Hold your arms firm to overcome the initial cart drag and resist the tendency of' rhe towline ro pull you through the control bar. When you arc all set, the ground crew will a signal FrnRU/\RY 199B
and the tug will accclcratc. You'll foci the speed pick up and the glider will begin to fly. YOU WILL UFT OFF BEFORE THE TUC DOES. FLY AS SOON AS YOU HAVE FLYING SPEED. lf one wing lifrs prematurely while you arc still 011 the can, correct" so that you rise with your wings level. When you foci the cart just start to want to li/i o/'f I he gro1Jnd, Jct go of the string, and let the glider rise 10 to 1 feet. This position ;iJJows you time to land if' the weak link breaks. (If a weak link docs brc:1k while, you arc still on the can simply hold on to the string until you roll to a stop.) When the tug climbs up through your :1ltitudc, do wl1Mcvcr it rnkcs (push out or pull in, maybe cvrn aggressively) ro match the tug's ascent rate. FLYING lJNDER TOW Watch the rng and control your pitch so that you climb with it. Always try to KEEP THF WHEELS OF THE Tue; ON THE l lORI/.ON! Do not ever take your eyes off the rug during the tow. Unlike in free flight, while being aerotowed rng position is everything. Forget bar position and har pressure; focus on one thing: tug position. Do whatever it takes ro keep the tug's wheels on rhc horizon throughout rhc row. the sky is hazy, approximate the horizon.) The tug controls airspeed. Pulling in too much under tow will cause the glider to go down, possibly imo the wake of the tug. 'l<iwing too high behind rhe rug will cause uncomfortable bar pressure. IF you get above or below the ideal position, it is irnporram to make a pitch correct ion right away. There is lag rime between control input and the glider's response, so learn rn anticipate this. If you hold rhc correction too long you will overshoot the ideal posi-tion and rhcn have to make the opposite input. You will make it much easier on yomsclf if' you keep the rug's wheels on rhc horizon. The three most common mistakes made by pilots new to aerotowing arc: I) The pilor corning off the cart and too quickly above the tug, breaking the weak link. 2) Not anticipating the tug's quick climl>-··Ollt after launch, getting low, and then not pushing our for enough ro climb up. It is almost irnpossible to stt1ll under aerotow. The induced thrust vector malers trim at rl higher attitude. It ts way out; you will climb, not
or
stall. 3) Over-controlling and ovcrcorrccting. Make only snwll, relaxed, conservative movements and corrections. Should you ftncl yourself low behind the rug, you may need to actually push ou l on the control bar forcehtlly, resulting in a "past normal" bar position that in non-towing situations would lead ro ;1 stall. However, because of the "pull" of the towline, rhis action will rcsulr in a CLIMB, not a stall. Stay with the tug using pitch. lfyou arc low, PUSH OUT!
EARLY AEROTOWING FLIGHTS AT is different rhau free flight, and indeed any other form of towing. Again, it is fi:rent nor diffirnlr, just new. So even if
enerally, the weak link will.fail befiJre any situa-tion can develop to a cal point. However; it is better to recognize a lessthan-ideal situation and release intentiomdly befiJre towline tension builds to the point oftl !.Deale linle failure. you arc a Hang IV you may need some transition time. During your flrst fow AT flights you should fly in smooth and stable air on one of our easy--ro-acrotow gliders. 'faking a tandem flight is the ideal way to fomiliarizc yoursclfwid1 AT Some of the world's best pilots have done this and been glad they did. For experienced hang glider goes more pilots, the /Jrst solo srnoorldy afrcr flrst taking a tandem, and rhis may save you some embarrassment. When you begin ro fly in more active air, the tug gains and loses altitude as it cncoumers thermals or sink. 'fry to antici pare these changes and sray in position by pushing out and pulling in appropriately (always keeping the wheels of the rug 011 the horizon). Relaxing and making short, 19
Marty Rechcnbach about to launch his Sensor 6/0Fforn the tow cart. smooth comm! movements will make the tow much easier. The rug pilot will generally signal for you to release in the first good thermal or ar 2,500 feet, whichever comes first.
TURNS ON TOW It is especially important to remain in position behind the tug during turns. Wait, let the tug turn first, then follow, allowing the mg i-o draw you imo the turn, otherwise you may accelerate toward the outside of the turn like a watcr--skier "cracking the whip" behind a boat, ;md a lockout could occur. Getting too far inside of the rug's turn, on the other hand, will cause you to descend, slow clown, and pt!I slack in the line. In this case, pushing ot!I and leveling your wings will allow the glider to pivot back into position. As always, early anticipation is the key. You don't want: to rnrn more or less than the rug, just do whatever it takes to stay "tangent to the same arc."
WEAK LINK FAILURES The pilot is responsible for inspecting rhc weak link well before the mg arrives. Any fraying indicates that it's time ro replace the weak link. The weak link is designed
20
to act as a fuse, breaking the circuit when overloaded. In an excessive out.. of..posi .. tion situation, the we;ik link will snap before control authority over the glider is lost. If you should have a weak link failure close to the ground it will be imponant to immediately lower the nose of the glider, due to the relatively high angle of attack while under tow and rhc sudden loss of energy upon release. Regain airspeed and land normally. Wheels arc highly rccom .. mended. They increase your landing options, and never hurt anybody.
GLIDER RELEASE FAILURE
IF your release fails to operate or the Vbridlc hangs up (extremely unlikely) you have several options: 1) use the sec.. ondary release; 2) cut the v . pull/bridlc with a knife; 3) if you arc high above the ground, pnsh out sharply to snap the weak link. lfall else fails, the tug pilot will release the tow rope at his end (sec below). Looking away from the tug, adjusting your harness, vario, etc., can cause an inadvertent release. You may release from tow ar any time if you feel things arc not going well. Generally, the weak link will fail before any situation can develop to a critical point. However, it is
better to recognize a lcss--tl1an-ideal situa.. tion and release intentionally before towline tension builds 10 the point of a weak link foilure.
FIYING WITH THE TOW ROPE l f you arc released by the tug pilot and ldi with the tow rope (this may occur as a result of flying too high so that you pull the tug inro a dive, 11 lockout, or some kind of tug problem), the rope will lie over the control bar and trail out behind you. Remember: You may not be able to sec it. If you have enough altitude, fly it kick and drop ir over the landing field. If you arc low, release rhc rope immediately. Do not hmd with the tow rope still clan· gling if you can possibly avoid it! If you must land with the rope, do so over an open ;ire;i.
OSCILI.AfIONS Some gliders have less directional stability rhan others dming AT These gliders have a tendency to oscillate from side to side on tow, especially when flown by pilots with less aerorowing experience. This is pilor--induccd, but can be controlled and even eliminated through early anticipation and appropriate control input.
Hi\NC GiJ!llNC
II
I by Jamie Shelden y partner and I arrived at Wallaby on New
Day, hoping to
our aerotow ratings
and enjoy some of the .farnous Florida winter
soaring. Afrernoon snrface winds were unusU·· ally so we dedd,~d to watch others with '""'""'"m Mountain while we waited for calm morning conditions. Both JB and I hold Advanced are ly .higl:Htirtime pilots, so the cr,~w at Wallaby gave:: us the option of solo first flights or a quick tanden:1 introduction. This was not a hard decision for us. JB is.a tandem tor hhnself wirh ov,:r 900 tandems as pilot in comrnand, and the philosophy around our place is, "Why try to explain something when it can be demonstrated first hand?" We opt·· ed for the easy way. Over dinne1· we reviewed the "aerotowing for pilots" pamphlet that .Dave provided and of easy altitude. morning winds were near calm on the As the tug wanned up, helped .me in the harness and the crew hooked up the towline. At this point Dave began his ritual of ~c11~~~Ju1J!, the two most important points to .rernember when aemtowing: the wheels of the on the horizon and if anything feels wrong. Be.ing able to quickly fron1 the tug in any unusual situation is to towing safety, and, of course, if you have to go hunting for the in the heat of the mornent, dotis will wasted. Each time J towed, just before thought went through my head, "Jamie, where is your the wheels of the on the horizon," said as we climbed out over the Ranch. I found this more challenging than as I am used to making very smooth and small pitch inputs. "Don't be afraid to push the bar way out," I heard at the same moment I saw the tug pilot's arm pointing skyward, the that I was following the tug from too far below. went: the bar and soon I was back in the desired position. We climbed through 2,000 on our way to our release point. I marveled at how easy it really was. I relaxed and fol-lowed the tug around waiting for the signal. The tug dove away just after and Dave the bridle to
FrnRL!ARY I 99B
prevent entanglement during landing. Ahhh, at this point I was in my element:; l felt as though I had just launched from a 3,000-foot mountain. Solo t:im.e! 'T'he crew recommended a Falcon for my first flight. I .found myself repeating Dave's mantras: "wheels of the tug on the horizon" and "where is my Ryan hooked up the tow rope and the tug took up the slack. I stared at the ground for a few seconds, mentally preparing myself, looked up at Ryan and said, "Signal launch." Off we went, down the runway. The glider rose off the cart about 50 feet down the runway. I held the glider level at feet while the tug lifted off the ground. For me, this was the most uncomfi)rtable time during the tow. It was somewhat strange being in .my harness and prone so dose to the ground, but I kept hearing .Dave's reassuring words, ".Relax, wheels of the tug on the horizon." T'he glider wobbled a bit as I tended to provide too much roll input, but Dave had warned me about th.is so I relaxed and Jet the glider smooth out. Before I realized it, we were at rdease altitude.
JB and I followed similar paths through a series of gliders Palcons first, intermediate gliders next, and then on to whatever we wished to fly. JB went for a Fusion, an Aeros KPL, and a series of other high-performance gliders before moving on to one of the Ranch I chose to go straight from. the intermediate gliders to the as the crew said this wing was the easiest-towing glider at the Ranch. "A girl on an Exxtacy?" everyone wondered. JB and J were both surprised at how the flight characteris· tics of' a glider ca11 change dramaticaJly during tow. Most of my hours are on a Formula, one of the most yaw,sensitive gliders around. Because of this I didn't expect to have any yaw.stability problems. What I found is that I could a Falcon to PIO on tow if I didn't relax and let the glider fly, 'fhe Wallaby crew says this tendency goes away with tow experience and they have seen enough to know. I do think that when I first tow my Formula, I will install one of the new fins that everyone is talking about. Five days and nearly 10 rows later we packed up and headed for the airport, with new friends, new and a new special skills sign-off: aerotow. Take me back to Wallaby. •
21
A cloud street sets up over (J Jim: '11-y 110110 correct for yaw, only pitch. Don't concern yourself wirh 1he exact orientation of the glider's airframe; the glider is happy ro row at a skewed angle.) Hang glider pilots new to AT tend to over-control in roll and under-control in pitch. 'fo prevent or stop an oscillation, relax and remain still and centered on the bar. Make geudc pitch corrections. Ignore yaw. ·rhink smooth, happy thoughts and the oscillations will cease. lfyou fed like you are losing control, however, simply release and fly your glider normally. Do not try ro save some crazy siruation; if in
"Florida Ridge"
ahove V(/a//r1hy l?1mch.
douht, After your flight, ask frir helpfrd fdlow-up instruction from the Ranch sraff
SIGNALS While towing, watch the rug pilot. Ile will give you signals to guide your flight. lf you keep the wheels the tug on the horizon you will only sec the release signal. These signals arc with his left arm.
or
held bem at rhc elbow, with hand up. You must push out and clirnb.
• MOVF LOWER 'fog pilot's arm held bent at the elbow, with hand down. Yem must pull in and descend. RELEASE! 'E1g pilot's arm waved up and down. You must release immediately. 0
APTER RELEASE
Pilot 0
to the Htmg Glider Pilot
MOVE l lJGHER
T1.1g pilot's arm
www.usr1ga.org www.ushgo.org www.ushgo.org www.usl1go.org
When flying behind the tug you arc concenrrating on alignment. This may cause you to lose your ground reference. The tug will never tow you beyond gliding range of tbc Ranch. The Ranch is usually behind you or straight down. As soon as you release you should locate the landing field. Look at the tug; the pilot will most likely make a beeline for the Ranch. WHAT IT TAKES TO SOI.O Everyone is different. A conversation with the Ranch staff will determine the individual needs of each pilot. Some pilots will need only the Introduction to Aerotowing, others multiple tandems. Many Advancedand Master-rared pilots have opted for a tandem as Lhc best way to learn this new Continued on page 4 6. I IANC CLIDINC
Women's World Team Raffle Raffie prizes have been donated by: Mountain High - two oxygen systems (plus he'll be a cash donor, minimum $250) SOL - one open-face helmet, one windsok, two $100 gift certificates for SOL helmets, harness or paraglider Just Fly - one Icaro Integral helmet US Aeros - one set of hand fairings, one XC glider bag Moyes America - three $100 certificates toward the purchase of a Moyes Xtreme or Flex harness Kitty Hawk Kites - six hang gliding Tshirts Hang Glider and Paraglider Emporium three introductory paragliding lessons Fly Mexico - five free flying days in Mexico Flytec USA - a Flytec 4005 vario Fly Products - shirts and sportswear John Heiney - six aerobatic posters
Paul Hamilton - three videos from Adventure Productions Pendulum Aerosports - a two-watt radio and 12-pack of smoke bombs USHGA - books and calendars Gerry Grossnegger - nifty little string games David Beardslee - one tandem hang gliding flight Aerolight USA - one Kiwi Evolution helmet Icaro - five Icaro helmets Cameron Outerwear - three neckgaiters
Raffle drawing to be held in May, 1998.
WWT Contributors Those making donations or purchasing raffle tickets to help out the 1998 U.S. Hang Gliding Women's World Team will be listed here in upcoming issues of Hang Gliding.
OFFICIAL RULES - NO PURCHASE NECESSARY I. Raffl e open lo U.S . Reside nts 18 years or olde r. :!. Fo r every S IO donated yo u " ill receive a ticket for a chance 10 win the ii, ted prize(s). Tickets may also be obtained by writing "Go Women's Team" on a 3" x 5" card and ma i~ ing it w ith a se lf-addressed . s rampcd enve lope to Tammy Burcar. P.O . Box 3:27-l . Santa Barbara. CA 93 130. One entry per e nvelope. All ticke t req uests must be postmarked by Ma y I. 1998. The Team o r its affi liates arc not responsible fo r any U.S. Mai l or hu man error~. 3. Sec above Ji :-i t for pri ze!'.> to be awarded. Odds of winning depe nd upon 1he number of part ic ipants . ..J.. Each e nr ranl acce pts and ag rees to be bound b) these ru les and the deci-;ion of the judge;., whic h shall be fin al and binding and nol appealable. S. All Federal and State la,\S apply. 6. Void where prohibited or rc:-i ttic tl!d by l.t\\.
r---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------,
! Please send me
Women 's World Team raffle ticket(s) . Prices: $10 1 each, three for $25 , five for $40. Make checks payable to the United States Hang Gliding Foundation (USHGF) and mail to: Tammy Burcar, P.O. Box 3274, Santa Barbara, CA 93130. I
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PHONE (~~~) ~~~~~~~~~~
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182-Mile East
GAME HUNTING by Pete Lehrnmm
24
H ANG G LI DING
On Wednesday, May 7, 1997 four Pittsburgh pilots and I went to Templeton, our 480-foot-high northwest site, looking for a long flight. The forecast was ideal for our purposes: mostly sunny, northwest I 0-20 and with a soaring forecast indicating top oflift at 7,000' agl (8,500' MSL). The lapse rate was fine, indicating the likelihood ofgood climb rates.
l;
complete the picture the morning undings indicated upper-level inds that steadily increased with altitude from a moderate and safe 15 knots and 300 degrees at 4,000' MSL until they reached 42 knots at 8,000' MSL. If we could get high the strong tailwind would greatly speed our progress. Beyond the technical indications of a good day, our optimism was based upon a knowledge of Region 9 hisrory. That history has demonstrated that the unqualified best rime of the year for cross-country flying is the period encompassing the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May. This year many Regional pilots had already taken advantage of that time period to put together a number of good X-C flights including the Region's longest, Mike Neuman's 110-miler. But even his flight didn't quite qualify as "the big one." We were all hoping to break Mike's own 135mile Pennsylvania record, with the more difficult 157mile East Coast Record set several years ago by Tony Smolder as the ultimate goal. I am a congenitally optimistic crosscountry pilor, but on this day I did a number of rhings that indicated an unusually positive view of the day's prospects. First, I copied down my sister Lucie's phone number, put it in my pocket, and then verified that the location of her house was still in my GPS waypoint list. It was there - 186 miles away bearing 11 7 degrees. ext, I
FEBRUARY 1998
refolded my customary Pennsylvania road map to ignore the first, memorized 60 miles of the likely route so the map would show the less familiar far eastern parts of the state. Finally, and for the first time ever, I folded and inserted a Maryland map to cover the eastern extremes of Maryland extending out to the Delaware border.
After a frenzied setup the first to launch was Larry Huffman, quickly followed by John Fenner, Pat Brooks, myself and Mike Neuman. In light of the high winds that we later encountered, it is interesting to note that Pat and I actually sank below
launch after raking off in the moderate winds. It was sickening to feel as tho ugh I might be sinking out as my frie nds were already climbing away on what I bel ieved to be an exceptionally good day. onerheless, we all qwckly began to climb out with Mike bringing up the rear as the last to launch. My climbout to 5,000' MSL (3,700' AGL) was one of the fastest I have ever experienced at Templeton at a solid 800 fpm with a brief 900 fp m on my Tangent's 20-second averager. H owever, at five grand the climb rate diminished dramatically, presaging the conditions we were to see for the first 50 miles. That is, there might occasionally be excellent clim b rates low down, bm they eventually slowed, and it was often difficult to get much above five grand. That lift pattern was tro ubling as we would be heading into rising co untry which fo r the firs t 65 m iles was anywhere fro m 500 to 1,500 feet above launch. It was bad country to be low over, particularly as the surface wind was picking up and beginning to shred lowlevel thermals. Worse yet, the clouds were dissipating and thus removing lift cues. T he result of this was that if one were to get low it was go ing to be difficult to get back up into a comfo rt zone where lift was reasonably common, if not very good. Larry Huffman and I had been the first and highest to leave launch, and that gave us an enduring advantage over the tlu ee behind. Ir placed us in a position to just sray with tl1e trailing edge of the retreating
25
Pete Lehmann on his Fusion (above) and landing at the end of an XC flight.
line of cumulus development. The pilots behind us never quite got high or secure enough to get to the clouds, and all three landed roughly 35 miles out. Meanwhile, Larry and I progressed to the point where we had gotten in among the now betterdeveloped and more reliable clouds. Benefiting from my Fusion's superior glide and speed I was able to move ahead of Larry on his Xrralite and enjoyed a good run from about the 35- to 70-mile marks. That stretch gave me climb rates of 500+ fpm and got me to over seven grand as I approached Allegheny Mountain, the first big tree barrier which I crossed uneventfully. Behind me Larry had a bit less luck, and had to tank up on altitude to get over the six miles of trees. He did that with a
26
vengeance, and made up some ground on me as I had to work some weaker lift east of Altoona and in front of Lock Mountain. We continued eastward until confronted with Raystown Lake and the trees behind it. This tactical problem involved crossing between five and eight miles of trees and water. Historically this has been a significant obstacle, but with the strong tailwind we were experiencing I crossed the worst part of it with no problem at all. I continued on into the heart of the Appalachian Mountain chain with Larry following on a slightly more southerly track. While crossing the lake I could see on its surface evidence of the by-now strong surface winds.
We were flying perpendicular to the essentially parallel 1,5 00-foot-high mountains spaced anywhere from one to ten miles apart. As one might expect from the high surface winds, we began to experience considerable turbulence even at the moderately high altitudes we continued to maintain. What we were experiencing was the result of the mountain rotors having so shredded the strong thermals at low altitude that even at 5,000 to 6,000 feet they were still unpleasant to work. Having once been tumbled in a hang glider I have a bad case of the "tumble spooks," a feeling that never entirely goes away. I found myself hanging onto the basetube with a crampinducing grip, and just wishing that I could make the next 20-odd miles to get HANG GLIDING
Behind that town was South Mountain, the lcist rfthe Appalachian chain b4ore the Atl11ntic co11st11l plain. LogicctUy, we frJUnd thctt the l~fi in the flat~ windrwept open valley was far weaker than
seen in the
mount11ins. As one would aLw expect; the cloudr were sparser cmd less u;ell developed than in the mountttins. l was paying a price frJr my reliefft'om the mountains' turbulence. om into the open country beyond Kirtatinny Moumain. Mea11while, a fow miles behind me I .arry was doing a better job of staying high. I le reached cloud base at 8,400' MSL, the highest altitude experienced all day. l finally escaped the mountains, flying with relief over the Pennsylvania 'l1m1pikc's twin t111111els 1hrongh Blue and J<inarinny Mountains and into the 25mile--widc open valley before Shippensburg. Behind that town was South Mountain, the lasr of the Appal:1chian chain bcfi:irc rhc Atlantic coastal plain. Logically, we f<mnd that the lift in the flat, windswept open valley was far weaker rh:m we'd seen in rhc moun-tains. As one would also expect, the clouds were sparser and less well developed than in the moumains. I was paying a price for my relief" from the mountains' turbulence. This prcscmcd us wirh a problem as we dribbled across the wide valley and were confronted with crnssing the foresrcd expanse or South Mountain. I had previously crossed ir during flights from McConnclsburg, but at an easier poim, considerably further to the sourh. Unfortunately, I knew from map study and conversation with Mitch Shipley, one of rhe few pilots to have crossed it, that our present l"OlllC just north of Shippensburg w;1s going to be tough. Worse yet, Larry and I were now only gct-ting to altirndcs two to three rhousand fr:et below our previous maximums just as we really could use the extra height. The final complicario11 was rha1 our lower altiLUdes prevented us from that there was, in fact, a small, landablc, hidden valley only live miles over the back. So it was with rrcpicLnion th;1r I committed myself ro gliding imo the hoondocks after first having discerned that there was one Lmdablc l1cld pan way across th;1t I could use in an emergency. l n rhe encl the was anticlimactic, as the tailwind gave us an astonishingly good glide, and half way across I linally discovered the easily reach able, nearer v,11ley only a few miles away. FillRU1\RY 199B
I .arry too crossed easily, hm we both failed to find the big thcrm,11 I had expect· ed Oil top the leafless lll<lltnraitl. That pur us in a poor position as we glided into the open country beyond the mountain. We were now even lower rhan we'd been in the valley leading up to South Mountain, and were confronted with the same problem. The high--vclocity surface wind was scouring the ground of thermals and crcat-ing a mixing layer weak thermal frag-ments. Ir was ironic that we found our-selves in trouble just as we had completed the toughest pan of our /light crossing the entire Appalachian Mountain chain from west ro cast. In the process we had ;ilso broken Mike Ncuman's 13'5-rnilc Pennsylvania record. /\s we approached Ceu ysburg I was low, working weak, bro ken lifi, and essentially drifring and zero sinking. J /cared WC were about 10 become history, and, indeed, at ahom fom o'clock, and !Iii miles from launch, J,arrydid land. His fom-hom flight reprcscms his longest /light by and :1 historic one to boot, breaking rhc previous sratc record the cmirc motmtain range. and In the meamime, I was ever so slowly climbing, and as I climbed the lift improved a bit ro rhc point where I was back to live grand before it quit. My (;ps told me that I was not quire high enough to glide and get rhc Fast Coast record, and I was beginning to become fotigucd and frustrated. B111 l was too close to give up, and I then saw a series ofspmty clouds begin 10 form above and downwind of' Hanover, Pennsylvania. I decided that rhc urban hcat--sink was beginning ro release its warmth so I glided crosswind in hopes of finding rhc lifr needed to get me the record. At lirst all I found was more of the same garbage lilt, which I pariently worked for five rninures bdcHc ir coalesced and 1t1rncd 011 10 600 filln. It was the best rhcnnal I had seen since Raystown l .akc miles behind me.' rhc thermal got me to 7,500' MSL from which altitude the Fast Coast record was easily atrained. I now set my sights 011 the next objec--
or
or
rive, Larry B111rncr's l record for the longest flight cast of the Mississippi. I again wound 11p low as I neared that mark, and had to rcsorr ro drifting in trash lifr in hopes that it would finally turn on. Unfortunately ir never did, though I won-dcr if I might actually have been able to make it work had l been fresher. By now, ;i]most live homs in ro a flight that had involved much scratching and a lot or turlrnlence, I was exhausted and 110 longer flying at I 00 percent of tny ahility despite the shining lure of Chesapeake Bay 20 miles clistam. The CPS linally assured me that I had the record, at which point I stretched my glide umil J could reach a huge, open and slightly uphill lick! nexr to a major road. Rcspccri 11g the strong lowlevel winds, rhis was one landing l was determined to do well. And so it was, the pcdc.'.cl conclusion 10 an extraordinary flight. The Carmin measured the flight at 182 miles, a distance that had required four hours and 50 rninutcs to accomplish at an average speed of 37.7 mph. As l waited for Brcnda Huflinan to pick up I .any and come and get me I telc-phoncd the eight miles to my sister's house to direct her and my brother-in-law Fd to where I was breaking down. They came bearing beer, the cross-coumry sacrarncm, nnd, af"rcr breaking down, I had dinner with my family hdcirc the I luffinan's ;1rrivcd to begin the 300-rnilc drive home that night. In closing, let me publicly thank Brenda Huffrnan for enduring 600 miles of driving to enable Larry and me to realize our dreams. She has driven for us coumlcss other times, including the thankless days when we have driven halfway across rhc state for a damned sled ride. If it were not for her contribmion, and that of our legion of other committed and accomplished dri· vcrs such as ( :hinmcy h:rr:non and John Chester, we wo11ld never have h:1d the opportunity to develop the skills and acquire the char allowed us to enjoy these magnificent flights. Thanks to all of you from the bottom of my heart. Im
I I by Sarna ntha Souvcmnakhot (driver and tandem passenger)
Nineteen ninety-·seven was a wonde(fitl year in Arf-tansas. The summer he first day of the Mount Nebo Fly-In started with mosdy cloudy skies bur a forecast of clearing in the afrernoon, so it was decided to just have fun and ger some airtime when the skies started to clear up on Priday, and run the duration and X-C competitions on Saturday and Sunday with the spot-lmding contest Sunday morn-· ing. Some of the pilots wanted to hang around t:he mountain and pork out on airtime, so they entered the duration contest for cnmulat:ivi: airtime for two days. 'The hard-core X-C pilots signed up for the cumulative distance contest fcJr two days. Pilots cou lcl fly as many times as they desired on Saturday and Sunday, but the final results would be based only on their two best flights. Airtime for the X-C pilots did no1 count in the duration contest, rn make it fair for the pilots who did not have drivers or who wanted to fly the rnoun· tain and stay close t:o family and friends. At about 2:00 PM on Friday rhe clouds started to clear up and most of the pilots were able to get some airtime afrcr the sun started to warm up the ground. T'he thermals were light but abundam. Dave Dunning was the first pilot off the mountain and was able to climb out, so he was soon followed by other pilots hungry for some altitude. Saturday was the first day of competition and i1 was a grcat--Jooking day the skies and the thermal soaring forecast were looking very promising with very light winds our of the casr. Mark Poustinchian with his topless glider, and Phil Morgan and Ron Sewell were ready to go for some big miles. Mark was ready before 11 am and in the ,iir before noon. Ron Sewell was next and both started to climb with ease. Phil Morgan was not about to be om-
2a
was very dry and hot with temperatures close to l 00° F Many local pilots achieved personal-best flights, and altitude gains of over 8,000 J;et were not uncommon.
1 PLACE
Winners
Mountain Nebo
2
NAME
14.5 miles 2
Morgan
3
Ron Sewell
Laminar ST WW Ramait·
51.2
11.8 & 9 miles
0
1 NAME Dave Dunning 2
Baron Tony
Duration 5
Glider WW Ramair
ours & 20 min.
WWHPAT
2
1 Glider
NAME
2
Tony Darby
JO ft.
WW
Dana Dow
16
Pac Air Pulse
Tom Haggar
25 ft.
wwxc
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clone and fall behind, so he launched shortly thereafter along with Dave Dunning who was going f<:ir duration, and all four pilots started to speck 011t within a few minutes. The other pilots on rhe mountain ran for their harnesses and gliders to join in the fun. Phil Morgan and Mark Poustinchian got off to a very good start and both had excellent flights, thermaling up and gliding together almost the entire time. Phil landed at 5 J miles but Mark was able to work a couple of more thermals and landed at GO.Ii miles, fc)ur hours and 15 minutes afi:er launching. Ron Sewell,
t the end o_fsummer the prevailing windr tire usu1illy.from the east~ and this rm1lees Mount Nebo a popular placefor locals and visiting pilotr. T'he local pilots are very friendly and happy to have out-r~fst11te pilou visit their sites. who has been getting into cross-country flying lately, made two X-C flights on Saturday. He got 11.8 miles on his Firsr flight and nine miles on his second try, landing in Russellville near his house. He said he always wanted to land near his home, and that he was at li,500 feet agl when he decided to land in the famous Whataburger landing zone just a quarter mile from his house. A flight from Nebo to the town of Russellville offers fantastic scenery and takes a pilot over the Arkansas River along the way. Saturday's duration contest for the pilots who stayed around the moumain was looking very good. D;1vc Dunning had a great flight and landed afrer four hours and 4'5 minutes. Baron McKinley was second with 2: 10, and Tcmy Darby was in third place wirh 2:00 even. All
]()
the pilors and their friends were at the Saturday potluck and there was plenty of food to go around. The state park officials let us use the huge stare park grill which is designed to feed an army. Everyone had a wonderful rime and lots of stories were told around the campfire abour Saturd::iy's flights. Sunday morning dawned with nice blue skies and light and variable winds. The spot·landing contest started ::it 9:00 am and 'ferny Darby was first off rhc mountain in his Ulrra Sporr. He placed fost with a landing 10 feet from the bull's-eye. Dana I )ow from 'lcnnessec placed second wirh 16 feet and Tom Haggar, who also came down from 'frnnessec, placed third with 25
focr. Afrcr the spo1-landi11g contest was over the clouds started to build rapidly and shaded the valley by I I :00 am. The X-C competition pilots were anxious to launch, but the winds started to blow from diffcrelll directions making safe launches difficult. Phil Morgan only needed l O rnorc miles than Mark Pouslinchian to rake the lead. He lallnched in a good cycle but ended up in the I .Z after 10 minutes of scratching. Tony Darby and James Linscom soon launched, but rhey also ended up in the I .Z due ro rhe poor condilions. The rest of pilots decided to wait for condiLions to improve. lt wasn't long before Phil arrived back at bunch thanks ro the short turnaround at Mount Nebo. Only 30 minutes afrer he landed Phil was ready for a second try, launched in no wind and srnrrcd to climb very fast. Mark Poustinchian was on launch with his glider but could not get off because of' a tailwind that started to blow shortly thereafter. Finally rhe tailwind subsided and Mark got off in no wind as well, and started to work the very rowdy bottom part of the same thermal that took Phil to 6,700' agl. Mark managed to irnprovc his rnte of' climb to 600-800 ljim when he got above 3,000' agl, ;md finally left the rhennal at 5,700' ro catch up with Phil who was already about four miles ahead of him. Unf<Jrtuna1dy, the rest of the pilots missed the launch window and ended up with extended sled rides. Thanks to the topless glider's speed
and glide, Mark Poustinchian was able w catch up to Phil Morg:rn a Few minutes later. Afrcr about an hour of flying, Phil landed at 13.2 miles from Nebo and Mark landed a little further at 14.5 miles in the foothills of Petit Jean Mountain, which is another hang gliding site with a 750--foot agl northeast launch. On Sunday evening plaques and lTo-phics were awarded 10 the top three fin-ishcrs in each division. 'fhe local hang gliding club, Central Arkansas Mountain l)ilots (CAMP), was pleased to announce that this year's event would benefit the club Financially. Afrer deducting expenses there was a linlc money lcfi over that was badly needed to pay the club's bills. Mount Nebo Fly-lns over rhe last four years have been very successfol, with at least two good flyable days out of three. Nebo has south and cast launches only 150 feet apart at 1,200' agl, allowing pilots ro launch on either side in a variety of'wind directions. At the end of' summer the prevailing winds are usually frorn the cast, and this makes Mount Nebo a popubr place for locals and visiting pilors. The local pilots arc very friendly and happy 10 have out-ofstate pilots visit their sites. The record XC distance from Nebo is 84 miles which was achieved by Phil Morgan the day after the 1995 end-of-summer Mount Nebo Fly-1n. At this writing the longest flight in the 1997 Arkansas yearlong X-C conrcst is a 76-miler from Nebo by Mark Poustinchian. The flight lasted four hours and 40 rninutes and he landed eight miles into Oklahoma. Consider coming ro the next Mount Nebo Fly-In and competition you won't be disappointed. 'fhe fee is only $15 and there are nice plaques and trophies for the top three finishers in each division. T'hc locals fly here year round, but the best flying starts at the beginning of March with post-frontal conditions. The good flying lasts umil the end of October, and then the weather gets a little cool. For more information about Arkansas' various flying sites visit our Web page at
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r
1
I
rl by
Lehmann
Behind Nelson is Dave Salmen, the Sixty Mile class winner, with an excellent 72.7-milc flight from Plcasam Gap, PA. This was Dave's longest and highest-ever flight, and it is otherwise notable in that his Wills Wing Sport was hardly the highest performance glider in chc comest. Perhaps the secret of bis success lay in the winglcts he used? Following Dave, in ninth place overall and second in the Sixty Mile class, is Sreve Conner on a Wills Wing II PAT He is one of the pilots outside the DC or Pittsburgh areas LO register flights. Launching from Big Walker in Virginia, he flew 69 miles in March, an unusually long flight for tl13L month. Third place in the Sixty Mile class went ro a new-generation Pittsburgh pilot, Eric Shiever, on a PacAir K5. Eric managed to get up and out of Avonmore on a tough day that left some of his more cxpe· ricnced compatriots in the lz. His 59.8milc flight was not only his longest, but it also took him ;1cross the Allegheny Mountain barrier /c)r the first time. By coming up just short of sixty miles, he also slyly managed to remain in the Sixty Mile class fc)r next year, unlike the two pilots who finished ahead of him. Completing the top l O arc two flights made from Peters Mountain 011 the same day, October unusually late in the scaso11. The pilots are Rich Lawrence miles) on an Xtralit-c, and Tim Donovan (63.9) on a Sensor 61 OF. Their flights were made as pan of a many-years-long campaign to go 200 miles in the East using Peters Mountain and other /\ppalachian ridges ro get them down imo Tennessee. 'fhis is now the second year in which Rich has successfully completed the difficult first part of the route in less than ideal conditions. They will be trying again next year, and hoping for more suitable winds. This year the Rookie pilots contributed a large number oHlights to the final results. A roral of IO pilots entered flights, including LE. Herrick's flight of six miles which represented her first and the first paraglider flight ever entered in this comest. 'I 'hat, of course, also makes her the first Region<) Ye:irlong Paragliding Champion. The Rookie Class winner is my Regional Director colleague Geoff Mumford with a flight of 31 miles from the Pulpit on his K5. He used a remote
or
he Region 9 X-C contest recognizes a pilot's single longest flight of the year, a flight which may be made on any day of the week, from any site in the Region. The contestants, of which there were a record 54 this year, are divided into four classes, Open, Sixty Mile, Rookie and Paraglider. This year's competition produced some of the best X-C fly·· ing seen in Region 9's history, with a total of four hundred--mile flights, including the new 182-mile Eastern Record. Not only did a few elite pilots have great flights, but a record 41 contestams (76<lici) submitted flights, as well as our first official paragliding X-C entered into the results. The winning flight in the Open class was my May 7, 182-mile flight from Templeton, Pennsylvania to near Be!Air, Maryland. (See Pete's article about this elrewhere in this issue. Fd.) Accompanying me on mosr of that flight was Larry Huffman who managed to drastically improve his previous personal best flight of 63 miles by going 14 l miles, landing north of Gettysburg, PA. We were flying a Wills Wing Fusion and Moyes Xtralite 13 7 respectively. In third place is this year's Regionals winner Mitch Shipley who flew his Fusion 130 miles from High Point, near Cumberland, MD. This flight reprcsenrs his personal best distance, third eastern hundred-miler, and it is also the site record. The flight was made on a strong northwesterly clay thar began slowly. Despite a promising forecast and decent clouds, it took Mitch an hour to get out on course. Afrer that it went well, wirh one gain getting bim to 8,<)00' msl in a blue thermal that took him above ncnrby cloudbascs. lfowever, once he had left the
34
mountains and flown into the open coun · try of northern Virginia things hecame tough. Three times he had to go down to 1,000' agl before getting back up. He was unable to reach the good--lifr line of wispy curnies south of his track, and finally landed 15 miles south of Fredericksburg :1frcr a flight of five hours and 20 minmes. 'fo put this flight into perspective one should point out that until this year that flight would have been the third longest in Regional history. The fourth of the year's hundrcd--milcrs is Mike Ncuman's third eastern one. Plying his trnsty and cxrremdy experienced Wills \Xling FJP Ar from 'Templeton in late April, Mike's flight was made in conditions that were more like late winter than high spring. Ile spem much of the flight dodging snow showers under a heavily overdeveloped sky. J lis flight was clearly the toughest hundred.miler of the four in the contest. The flight took him from Tcmplcron across all but 1hc last of the Appalachian mountains to land just behind rhe Pulpit for J l O miles. ln fifth place overall, flying an Airborne Blade, is Will Jenkins with a flight of 80.2 miles from I Egh Point. Not only was this flight the longest weekend flight snbmirted, but it was also the longest flight made outside the traditional April-May peak X-C season. 1t was a very good dfort. Behind him in sixth place is Nelson Lewis, flying a Moyes Xtralite. Nelson's flight is curious in that he made it on a light somhwesterly day, unlike all of the other top 10 flights which were made on more 1radirion;il northwest days. 'This flight is also noteworthy in that ir represents a new Virginia state record of 78 miles.
1-IANC Cl!DINC
start to extend the measured distance on his flight from the Pulpit to High Rock L/.. In second place is Kelvin Pierce who made his first X C flight this year. rlying an Xrralite, his flight too was from the Pulpit to High Rock, but, unfortunately for him, he didn't quite 1mke it all the way and h;1d ro contem himself with landing one field short of the: I Z. Third place is another of the: new generation Pirtsburgh
pilots, Ric Niehaus on a F11sion. Ric c:ncered an uncommon flight in 1har it was from Fisher Road, a sm1d1e;:ist-facing sire. In addition, it was one of the latest flights in the year, taking place on September 27. He flew northwestward until he got onto the Ti.issey Mountain ridge, which he then ran ro the end, flying alrnosr until sunser. Looking at the results several general commems can be made. The majori1:y of
the flying took place in the geographic vicinity of Washington, DC. This undoubtedly reflects the fact that the DC area has the highest concentration of pilo1s in Regiou 9, and most of the contestants arc from that area. All the same, ir troubles me rhat not one flight was registered in either the eastern pan of Pennsylvania, which has a reasonably large pilot popuLirion, or in Ohio where conditions arc
PLACE
CJj/SS
GLIDER
Ff]'
STTE
DATE
1) Pete Lehmann 2) Larry Huffrnan 3) Mitch Shipley 4) Mike Neuman 5) Will Jenkins 6) Nelson Lewis 7) Dave Salmen 8) Rieb Lawrence 9) Steve Connor l 0) Tim Donovan ll) Eric Shiever 12) R.on Dively 13) Claire Pagcn lit) Steve Kinsley 15) Marc Fink 1Ci) Dave Proctor 17) John McAllister 18) Larry Ball J 9) Randy Newberry 20) Par Brooks 21) fohn Penner George Price Geoff Mumford Jeff Scruser Doug Rogers Tcim McGowan Christi,m "l'itone Kelvin Pierce Mark Gardner Ric Niehaus Steve Vogel Jim Mcssin;i John Dnllahan Jim Rowan Baeil Dickert Tad Eareckson Kevin Madden Marvin 39) LE. Herrick 40) Judy McCarty 41) Dave Powel I
Open Open Open Open Open Open Sixty Open Sixty Open Sixty Open Open
Wills Wing Fusion Moyes Xtral ite 137 Wills Wing Fusion Wills Wing HP AT 158 Airborne Blade Moyes Xrralite Will WingSS Moyes Xtralite Wills Wing HP AT 145 Sensor 6 l OF PacAir K5 PacAir !<lassie 14,1 PacAir Klassic 13.3 PacAir K4 fcaro Laminar ST PacAir Formula l Wills Wing XC 155 Moyes SX4 Sensor Wills Wing XC 155 PacAir Kit Moyes Xtralite PacAir K5 Moyes XS 155 Moyes Xtrali LC 14 7 Moyes Xtralite 164 Wills Wing Ram Air Moyes Xtralite l PacAir Khssic 144 Wills Super Sport WW Sport AT 167 Moyes J Xtralite HPAT J Wills Wing XC 1 PacAir Vision Mk. 4 Wills HP-AT 158 PacAir K-5 PacAir Vision Mld Pro Design Compact PacAir Pulse Vision Mk4
182 141 130 110 80.2 78
Templeton Templeton High Point 'Templeton High Point Virginia Pleasant Gap Peters Mt. Big Walker Peters Mt. Avonmore Pleasant Gap Jligh Point
May7 May7 May 22 April 25 July 19 Aug. 24 April 26 Oct. 22 March 23 Oct. 22 May l l April 26 March 23 April 26 April 5 April 13 May 11 April 26 March 30 April 10 May April 5 April 20 June 22 April 13 August 23 March J6 April 20 April 20 Sept. 27 April 20 April 26 April 20 April 26 March 23 April 13 21 April 26 August 3 April 19 April 26
FilW.Ui\l~Y I 99/l
Sixty Sixty Open Open Open Open Sixty Rookie Sixty Sixty Rookie Sixty Rookie Rookie Rook re Rookie Open Rookie Sixty Rookie Rookie Para Rookie Rookie
72.7
72 69 63.9 59.8 59.8 52 50.l '19.5 44.8 41.J 41 36 35.3 31 30.8 27 26.8 26.6 26.2 26 25.2 22.6 22 22 21.3 15.5 1 14.7 8.3 6 6 3
Pulpit Jacks Mt. Woodstock T·Iigh Point High Poim Big Walker
Tc::mplcton Templeton .Jacks Pulpit Templeton Pulpit Pulpit Pulpit Pulpit Pulpit Fisher Road Pulpit Joncst·own Pulpit High Point Pulpit Woodstock Pulpit High Point Woodstock Woodstock Pleasant Gap
extremely favorable for that kind of flying. h illustrates t·hat cross-country flying is a culturally determined sort of flying. l f the better Hang Fours actively fly cross--country, d1en so 100 will the rest of rhc commu-nity. With four of the ten longest flights, the small Pittsburgh club is again dispro-portionatdy represented due 10 that phenomenon. Similarly, the dramatically increased participation of DC pilots is in great measure a likely result of Mitch Shipley's active example in that area. The next conclusion is obvious. ff you can fly during the week, you will be more likely to hit good conditions. Tei the degree that one has any flexibility in scheduling days off frorn work, it is worth doing so during the spring. '] 'he Gm four places in this contest were weekday hundred-mile flights made in the middle of spring. The Region's longest weekend flight was 82 miles ... exactly ! 00 miles less than the longest overall flight. 11 is only logical that
by having to fly on weekends, representing
but 2/7 of the available days, one's chances of encountering good conditions are considerably reduced. Vinally, there is the concentration of good flights in the April-May period. Since the beginning of time, well, since the first X·C flights, it has been evident that the best time to fly in Region 9 is AprilMay. And so it was this year. Pully 65%i of the flights registered occurred during those two months. The only unusual feature of rhe distribution of l 997's flights is the large number of fliglns in March. lf you add March's flights, the figure reaches 78<Yti of the total. Within those momhs, however, there is an even narrower window with-· in which ro concentrate one's efforts. If you really want to go far in Region 9, get time off during the las! two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May. Hock the kids, quit work, and tell your spouse to find a lover. Do whatever is necessary to go
Opm Clrrss l {ufli11an
I W2 l 41
3) Mitch Shipley
BO
I) Pete I .chmann
2)
Mile Geiss 1) Dave Salmen 2) Steve Conner 3) Eric Shiever
reached peak amumn color in The I !ang Gliding Capital of die East, 35 pilots converged from north and somh, radding drives that approached 20 hours c;1ch way. The '97 'learn Challenge, announced later than usual, rounded up seven teams with monikers as strange as their members: Like a Booger; 'frrminal Ttili Thennallcrs; 'Thunder from Down Under; New England Airheads; RAF Bombers; Team XtTcme; and a last minute concoction that proved potent, Pol I ,uck. Pilots rolled in Saturday and Sunday morning under damp and cloudy skies ironic, as the week preceding had seen several X-C flights to the end of the valley and dozens ofl1ours of first--timc mounrnin flying.
36
Wills Wing h1sion Xtralirc 137 Wills Wing Fusion
72.7 WW Super Sport
69 WW HP AT lli5 59.8 PacAir KS
Rookie Clflss l)CcoffMumford 2) Kelvin Pierce
31
26.2
3) Ric Niehaus !'t1r'tl<JZ1'dt:r Cft1Ss
l) LE, 1Jerrick
nn s the
It's worth it.
flying at that time T,ots ofluck in ! 998.
(i
Pro Design Compact
11
DAY ONE ·rhc first day was wet with light south winds and interrnitlent fog, "periods of rain" that lasted about all day. Pilots amused themselves at the movies, the Big River Brewery and Chananooga's hip Mudpie Cafe, where beer and beans made for interesting retrieval rides.
DAY TWO howlon launch Another trec:zrnrf~ and no ing wind, raining sometimes chance to throw pilots off Aud probably a good thing: '!'he aptly-·monikcred wind dummies had cventli.il landings iu the gradient, some zooming to 30 foct from five, before flaring! Coal--tender Ellen Rengers waited vainly in the I.Z out fro11t for an out-and return 10 Dr. Dale's Airport ahom eight
miles down the ridge, that no one would come close to making. Only one competition pilot lurched off before the window closed and the winds escalated to .'.'.JO miles per hour. He smoked to the rurnpoint but coulcln't get back at· all. The rest of the fleld left gliders poised on uprights in anticipation of the next day's early window opening. Again, zero points aw;mlcd.
DAYTTlREE Light and variable. The wait began afrer a Mexican breakfast of burritos and pineapple, and ended with a dive for dollars. [nspired by Gibbo's 400-foot altirndc gain in the rherrnal of the day, pilot after pilot bailed, flailed and never nailed, and the gaggle under Gibbo grew to five. But as the Green Machine broke the horizon, rhc
HJ\NC GUDINC
r bubble broke and all below sledded in. Reputed to be "on his way to goal," but last seen 50 feet over launch and ever so slowly sinking, Gibbo began his dive of the day, making just over three and a half of the 25-mile task. Pilots dove, southbound. With toes tucked, thinking light thoughts, the New England Airheads grabbed 44 points, the day's highest honors. With rurnors afoot of a brass band en ro11te to launch, poor Gibbo got zero on a strict interpretation of the rules for having hacked off the ramp. DAY FOUR 'faskers deliberated over a southern grits 'n' gravy breakfast and came up wirh the call. The task was an optimistic out-and-·part· way-back, 21 miles. The day's big winner, Glidin' Greg Dinauer, would get just over frmr miles down the valley. Half the field glided beyond the cursed three-mile radius. As the sun set over light and vari-ahle skies it was another lonely day at goal. Points were low bu1 remained high as Thunder from Down Under took the day wfrh points. DAY FIVE A change of scenery afrer a rock and roll breakfast. 'Jc,nnessee 'free Tclppcrs president and local high school band director Dan Shell skipped school with his students to start the day with tunes. As the enrirc 19·piecc Sequatchie ( :ounty Band jammed on launch, the commit rec called a Whitwell day in anticipation of J ,&V winds with a little south in 'em. Goal was pegged ar the rlickory Pit, a 16-milc nm up past Dunlap. Finally, the tenders bad someone in the net. Mike Barber, h:wing lost Gibbo eight miles before, shot in on his prototype little Xtreme. Pilots were strewn along the valley, wirh B pilot Dan Walter making third at just under six miles.
DAY SIX The weather finally broke with strong sourl1casr winds, and the task was decided and rcdecided. Forty miles. No, twenty. Okay, thirty-one, As dummies, drivers and divers blasted northbound, the call seemed more and more realistic A south cross was propelling pilots toward Pikeville. A dozen dropped well before Dunlap and another I fell out of the sky from Dunlap onward. Eight made goal. Gihbo and Mighty Mikey (Barber) made two for 'lc.:am Xrrcrne. Greg Dinauer and Gary Thompson were the thunder from Down Under. Steve Lee and Dan Walter paired up on Laminars. Then came "Pig Stickers" Mike Sylvia and Stephen Krird1cn in kingposted gliders, a RamAir and a !<lassie. With both Steves at goal, the pot was indeed lucky; 400 points went to the eleventh-hour underdog, taking the day and the meet. Points '/allied l .ike a Boogcr Terminal Tub Thennallcrs 121 Thunder from Down Under New England Airheads 20<) RAP Bombers 98 Team Xtreme 27:3 Por ] ,uck plus 50 "B" pilot bonus points for a total oC 400 The day wound down with a tasty but rainy sourl1ern-stylc pig roasr as the 'free 'foppers carved the pork, cranked the tunes, stacked the firewood, and kicked off
their annual fall celebration, OktoberFest. Kathy Lee lit the smoker at midnight the night before and sat up with it 'ti] morning and through the day. lt was a wet Halloween, but the soaking spooks kept toasty in from of an intensely stoked blue-yellow bonfire. T'he rain surrendered after it became apparenr it would not dampen this parry. An awards presentation took place the following morning under Tt'.nnessee's leg· endary prc-lrontal skies. More than $2,000 in prizes were awarded from generous sponsors including Quest Air, Wallaby Ranch, Windsok, Outdoor Outfitters, Allen Sign, Moyes America, USl1GJ\, Dots Spot, Win/Bob's, Hickory Pit, Alr Air, Water Ski Shows, Inc., Hall Brothers, R. Butler, Mo Jo's, Sky Pockets, Just Fly and Hawk Airsports, Inc. 'The 'Jennessee Tree 'G)ppers arc very gratcfi.il to these sponsors for making this annual fim and educational competition possible. Bruce ] Iawk's excellent work as competition director, with the able assistance of Steve Bellerby and Dennis Felts, lielped keep it hm and just serious enough. The wcat·her wasn't great, but everyone had fi.m and some even learned something. Thanks to all who made it possible. We hope t:o sec you back next year at Henson's Gap for another October' Jeam Challenge earlier in October and with even better weather! 111111
Poi ms !lrnassed Like a Booger 0 Tc:rminal 'fob Thermallers 73 Thunder from Down Under 19 New England Airheads - 0 RAF Bombers 0 'kmn Xtreme I GJ Pot l.uck 91
FUlRU/\RY 1998
37
An by Jim (Sky Dog) Palmieri
Interview with
Doug, I have known you for several years, both as an instructor teaching students on the sand dunes of Kitty Hawk of the Outer Banks, North Carolina, and as the pilot who got the flight of the day at the Bill Bennett Memorial Fly-In from the Fisher Road site in Pennsylvania. I have watched you teach, and it is obvious to me that
In 1993, while vacationing at Nags Head, I took a hang gliding lesson ac Kitty Hawk Kites . After my chird lesson, my instructor, Lisa Alexander, invited me to become an assistant instructor che next season and I have been there loving my job ever since!
Jim: Who were your mentors and what gems did you gather ftom them?
you put as much back into the sport as you take from it. I admire that quality in a pilot and would like to share you with Hang
Gliding's readership. Would you please introduce yourself Doug: I was raised in Cinnaminson, New Jersey which is a small suburban rown about 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia. As a child, I belonged co the Boy Scours and learned ro love the outdoors through camping, skiing and sailing. At 13 I was introduced to motocross racing and sruck with it until I was 20. Ac 21, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin and attended college. I presently live on che Outer Banks, North Carolina and have been reaching hang gliding ac Kitty Hawk Kites for almost five years. I am an Advanced-raced pilot and currently working on my Tandem ranng.
40
Jim: Doug, where and when were you first introduced to hang gliding?
Doug: When I was 18, I traveled to Waynesboro, Pennsylvania to visit a girlfriend from my past. She took me to the rop of a mountain known as High Rock to do some hiking and sightseeing. We ended up ac a concrete launch pad located on the edge of the cliff. She explained to me char "crazy" people jumped off of che pad with their hand-gliders and held on eight! It sounded not only crazy to me but also very tiring. Lierle did I know that Dennis Pagen would assist me in a launch from High Rock just six years later.
Doug: Several people have influenced my personal flyin g. Bo Hagewood has convinced me chat attitude is everything! He taught me chat the lift is always there while soaring and to always take advantage of it. Andy Torrington and Sean Comer have been my relaxation mentors, even though they may not know ic. Bruce Weaver and Rob Bachman, both tandem pilots, have always helped me with my overall hang gliding knowledge. My reaching mentors would have to be Steve Wendt and Chris Tompson, both from Virginia. They have taught me to be both creative and positive in my approach to the sport. And if it were not for John Harris of Kitty Hawk Kites, well, I'd still only be dreaming of flight.
Jim: Life as a dune-pilot instructor must be tiring. What is it about teaching new pilots
H ANG GLIDING
LEFT Launchingfivm the 10-foot, sea-oats-covered dune, which resulted in a seven-hour record flight.
·· ~
S011ri11g the beach ofthe Outer Banks.
that keeps you coming back to the dunes? D oug: This is probably the most-asked question of my life . Very simply, I love to watch and help people fulfill their dreams of flight. It is my passion!
Jim: I have no doubt about your answer, Doug. It is obvious to me from watching you teach that you give each student and every flight the highest priority. As a teacher, this is the magic gift that Jew instructors possess. On my last trip to Nags Head, I purposely went to the dunes just to watch you teach. How do you compare the thrill of dune soaring
Doug Haber being himselfat the beach ofthe Outer Banks.
41
Doug: I love both. But there is nothing like skillfully soaring inches over the sand or having my wingtip drag the sea oats as I cruise down the beautiful beach and then work the lift over the roof of a house or a hotel until I am hundreds of feet above the many excited onlookers. The whole concept will always blow my mind. It's truly magic! Jim: I remember being your wire crew at
the 1996 Bill Bennett Memorial Fly-In at the Pulpit, McConnelsburg, PA. You had the flight ofthe day in my opinion, would you describe that flight?
The Outer Banks Beach Soaring Record by Doug Haber
T
he day was spent with excitement and anticipation. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew throughout my night of restless sleep that this flight was just waiting to be had. I spent the first hour of the flight getting dialed in. I
had only learned to soar the hotels in the early spring, but I had plenty of time to
get to know my glider in the 20-mph wind. The greatest discovery during this flight was finding our firsthand how amazing the lift band can be at chis coastal site. In perfect conditions the lift can extend out over the front of the hotel and even over the ocean. It is possible to gee several times
Doug: I remember chat flight at the Fisher Road site. It was a long glide to the LZ and I was flying my Pulse lOM. You were on my wires and helped me launch. It was blowing pretty strongly so my flight plan was to stay in front of the ridge and not get caught over the back. I launched and got up fa irly well while out in front of the ridge and had a relaxing one-hour flight . Meanwhile, everyone else was working for lift over the back. I had no trouble making the primary LZ and had a really great time in the air.
che height of the hotel, and I did. A couple of hours into the flight I got so high and so far in front of the hotel that I was able to safely do a 360-degree turn. Another pilot flew by and yelled for me to do it again, so I did! Lacer, I found out that he was asking ifl was the one who did the 360, and that he wasn't actually crying to encourage me to do it again. Throughout the flight I was able co do some dune skimming, some mild wingovers and see farther than I ever did while flying ac the Outer Banks. At one point, I could see over the island into the Sound and was able to spot the Wright Brother's bridge some 10 miles away. I must say, there are probably a dozen ocher local pilots who could have flown for seven hours in one flight, but these epic conditions are rare and I just took full
Jim: I heard that you now hold the record
for the longest hotel-soaring flight on the beaches of the Outer Banks. After visiting the site I realize that it is quite an accomplishment, especially since veteran pilots such as G. W Meadows, Greg De Wolf and Rob Bachman also fly that area. What was that flight like?
advantage of the radical air. The most common question I received was, "Did you get bored? " No, I had my cusrom-mounted Walkman to keep me pumped. Another question was, "Were you able to walk when you landed?" No, not very well! The funniest thing about the flight was that someone had called Kitty Hawk Kites and said I needed help to get down because I had been up in the air all day. Such are the trials and tribulations of having to live and work at the Outer Banks.
Doug: On August 1, 1997, I had a sleepless night. The weather forecast was calling for east winds at 20 mph. T hese are perfect conditions for soaring the beach. After waking up, I headed directly to the beach and set up in front of the Holiday Inn. I launched from a 10-foot dune that borders the beach and was able to work the lift until I was over the four-story motel. That flight lasted seven hours and was my longest flight ever! (See sidebar for details.)
Doug extending the lift band to the edge ofthe ocean.
Jim: As both a pilot and as an instructor, what do you see as the fature ofhang gliding? Doug: Unless we are able to build more mountains, I feel we'll have to keep mak-
Continued on page 47
42
H ANG GLIDING
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~y President W Meadows
s most of you are now aware, I have been elected to the posirion of President with the United States llmg Gilding Association. I must tell you, however, that l did not agree to take this position withom a lot of prior thought about what it would mean for the sport as well as for me personally. While taking inventory of how these dmies would affect me personally, I considered both positive and negative aspects of the position. On the positive side, it's the culmination of years of work in rhe hang gliding political arena and it gives me bunches of wann and fuzzy fceli ngs rhat the Board of Directors feel I've matured enough in the sport of hang gliding to handle the presidency of the USHGA. (It also makes rny mother very proud.) On the negative side, this position brings with it a guarantee that no matter how hard l try, some pilots will he unhappy with decisions made by me, or, for tha1 matter, the Board under my direction. Thar part or this job is a hard one to swallow. It is with this negative concern that I'd like to address the USHGA membership. Let's take a few moments and evaluate the differences between you and me.
• l love to fly, especially foot-launchable aircraft. (So far I bet we've got a lot in common.) • I simply can't undcrsrand why absolutely everyone in t-hc whole wide world doesn't fly hang gliders or parnglidcrs. • I have to make a living to support myself and my family. I like to do charity work frw my community. At this point I think we still all have quite a bir in common and, in fact, our differences are probably minimal. Where I split off from my non-hang gliding or paragliding counterparts is how I deAnc my comnrnnity. I think that a majority of people, by the time they into their rhirrics, /eel the need 10 give back ro their comnrnnities. l not only feel a need to
44
donate rime to my local community, but ro a community that l feel even closer to the hang gliding community. Since ] 986, when I fosr got involved in hang gliding politics 011 a national level, l 'vc fol t a need to donate time and effort to make hang gliding a better sport for us all. lt's a "calling" if you will, and it's one that is shared by many pilots across the country in the form of local club politics. fl's hard to describe exactly what makes a person spend so much of his time and money trying to make things better in his cornmunity, bm I can sum it up with a question that I've kept in the back or my mind for my entire adult life: !fnot me, then who? I can remember, as a child and young adult, hearing people complain about whar politicians were doing, and berating others who were om in the community doing things. I always wondered why the complainers weren't doing something to change the things they were complaining about. Ir was not many years later that I understood that there is a difference between complainers and doers. I remember rhc exact moment when, at the age of 18, I decided to be a doer. Since thar time ['vc been amazed at the things I've seen change as a result of my efforts. I have, however, had problems in this area also, namely, not knowing when to quit donating ti me to worthy cames. There has to be personal "balance." h's the curse of a doer: Other doers sec you doing and try to solicit you to do with them. I find myself in the position of "mayor" of our little community of l 0,()00, charged with the responsibility of trying to guide things in the proper direction. All the "commissioners" donating (Directors on the Board) arc doing the same thing their time, effort and money 10 try to betrcr om sports. (If 1101" me, then who?) USHGA Directors spend more than $1,000 per year of thci r own money going to Board meetings and doing what they believe is important to give hack to our sports. Arc these people crazy? Of course. They're crazy about rhc coolest kind of flying in the world, and they want to do cveryt"hing they can to make sure it's available to them and orhcrs many years from now. I really don't think there is a single member of the Board who is there for self ish reasons. Sure, many Board members are businessmen and women in the sport ofhang gliding, but is this a bad thing? Of course not. Ir's no dif'ferent than a local businessman becoming a county commissioner. [r's completely normal. 'J'he mayor of the town in which I live is also the owner of a real estate company. This makes her an even bcaer candidate for that job. She has insights into many of' the workings of our community that· only someone in her profession would. Likewise, as a commissioner, a HANC CIIDINC
local businessman has business insights and to lend to the county commissioners who arc trying to make intelligent business decisions about how a coumy should be nm. So it is with the US HCA Board. A Director couldn't get hy with a t01ally selflsh Such a Director would be weeded our in no time (and they lwve been in rhc As an ex;nnplc: Who better to help make decisions about qualif1c:a1ion for a than someone who owns ;1 flying school where lots of those arc issued? S0n1co11c in this position has a complcrc, working understanding of how rhc: current rc:quirerncnts arc being received and how they need to be a changed. This invaluable, and, luckily, this guy feels rhc need to commurnry. the small-tirnc instructor is also a Direcror ln 1he same and it all gets hashed out 10 who offors his or her point of 1he poinr where, hopefully, in the end, the Board makes the most enlightened decision 011 a part irnlar subject. All oft his is meant to poim ollt that rhc Directors who twice a year to make policy, first and f<Jren1ost, do so olll of a love fcx om sports. When I originally became a rnemher of the USI-ICA Board l owned a jewelry srorc. I made ()<Yc1 ofmy income from hang gliding. I just fdt a need to get involved. What a financial idiot I became just two years later when I started workin this sport full time. Even thongh l could have been a much more succ:cssfiil yuppie if l had smck with a "real" job, [ would never rake back the relationships with friends that have resulted from my involvement in the commercial side of the sport. About my commercial involvement in hang I can confidently say that anyone who really knows me will tell you that [ would never cross my business side with my charitable or political side. In fiict, I go out of'myway to make sure that such things don't become a problem. For since I've been elected lJSHCA President, J have (in agreement with the USTICA) canceled a business contract for with rhc Association midway through its completion, rhc purpose of away with any concerns about conflict of imcrest. By the end of' the flrs1 quarter of 1998, all residual effects of that contract will be over. I simply don't want 10 be in a posirion that has people questioning my credibility. what do I plan 10 do in the next year as President of this great group of people? Pirst and /riremost, I wam you to get i11volvcd. Yes, you! I'd like you ro ask yourself the following question: Which Lypc of person am/, a human being or a human doing? l'd like to ask you to look wirhin and sec if' you have positively to our sports. If you don't, you simply don't. if you can't take the 1ime to positively to the sports orl1ang gliding and paragliding, may I :1sk you to please refrain from being negative and detracting from them? l believe rhat most people who whine and don't offer help have no idea that they arc the way rhcy arc. I ask you to look within and sec if you arc able 10 help in a positive manner. That doesn't mean you quite the contrary. have to agree with everything 1ha1 h:1ppens
Fllll,LJ!\l,Y l 99B
Positive contributions can be made even when you disagree. Sirnply call, write, fax or c--mail your concerns with a proposed sol11rion as ro how to do it better. It's amazing the number of' people who only complain, while failing to suggest a solution to rhc problem they have rakcn the time to poim out. Not only can we make the US] I CA more representative of what the average pilot wants, we can feel more like a unified community in doing so. l have directed the editor of'rhis magazine lO stan passing on ro me letters of dissent toward the USHCA, so I cm weed through and, where necessary, chem for publication in respond to them in the same magazine. I wam to sec this publication representing rhe mulrifaccred community rhat makes up or organization. Many of the I )irectors on the Board have been rhere for a good number of years and would like 10 be replaced cornpetcm and excited members of rhc organization. That person could be you. Yes you! (ff not me, then who?) l ask you to spend some time during this upcoming year to determine if you arc willing to help our national duh become larger and more unified. We sure could use your help. I'm available ar (9 I 9) fox (919) li80-0117, jusrfly(iilinrerparh.com. Ill
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Continuedfrom pttge 22. skill. Our ftrst and overriding objective is safr:ty. 'l <) solo, you musr be able ro smoothly follow the rug and se111p a conservative appro,ich (both withom assis-· tance from the tandem instructor). 'fandem flights to determine solo capability are made in calm and stable conditions. This leaves room for only one variable: the control input of the pilot in com·
rnand.
Relax, hold still and keep the wheels of the tug on the horizon! Ill
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FINE Tbg position is everything, your weak link. Always tie down the glider, Don't blame the tug pilot ff you bomb out. Tbw the easiest glider Pick up trash. Wheels never hurt anybody. Be ready before the tug there. Start to turn where the tug pilot drops you. 'freat the release with extra care. If the weather is
you'll have a supe:r time; if the weather is bad you'll still have a good time. Chill out. Learning is easiest in smooth air. upwind, ·rhe wg pilot can't put everyone in the world's greatest lift every single time, but he'll try. Use your variometer on tow and off in lift. Y<rn are responsible for everything in your life. We're all here for the same reason: We love to fly.
AL001<;:it1rir 011/;;ing n1e Winq ;mcl Wr1y It Works Hiqr1t S1<1lls to the I evel Fliqr1L S1<111s to tric Novice 1-cvcl r lyinq ConcJitiom (jlicJinq Lquiprnen1 More c1t1out tric Pnnciplcs or 1~1iqr1t /or Altitude I li<lit Sl,irLccJ in S0r1rinq J,mcJcrn ,mci low Ir;:iinincJ I riinqs l'ilot Sr1oulcJ l<riow Ciloss,1ry of Terms BONU\ IPS Ilic Pro l'lic1"
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Hi\NC CLIDINC
Instructor Doug Haber coaching a student at launch and down the 11 Ojoot dune at Kitty Hawk.
Continued ftom page 42. ing all kinds of towing as safe as possible so we can gee people up in me air in che flat parts of the counrry. I also believe char as a flying community we need to stick together and work ouc me legal problems associated with launching and lancling areas. I believe w ith all my heart chat the sport of hang glicling h as not even come close to its peak.
success si nce its public debut in April 1995 , the new SuperFloater offer : • Excellent 15: 1 perfo1mance in sit-down soaring comfo rt (and no harness to bu y!) • Superb joystick handling • Very simple aero or winch launching (foot launch is poss ible) ... . . . all for an amazingly low price. > Fully built and test flown . the SuperFloater is shippin g now. Fl y under Pa11 103 and thermal in close with your hang gliding friends.
A
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lllflll..._
Jim: Ifyou had the power to change one thing in the spor·t, what would it be?
Doug: I would change hang gliding's overall image as viewed by me common person. I cry coo mat every day as an instructor.
Jim: As an instructor you're skilled at giving advice. What one piece ofadvice would you give to new pilots and to veteran pilots?
Doug: To new pilots I say enjoy the process of fligh t. Learn to relax, look at your target and anticipate your next move. To my veteran colleagues, I ask chat you promote rhe sport in every positive way available to you.
F
or truly independen t soaring , the C um ulus ultra light motorg lider is a hi ghl y refil1ed choice: • Soar beyond 20: 1, sink as slow as hang gliders • H andle with ease and authority • Zoom beyond 80 mph , or chu g along at 60 for better than 200 miles on less than 5 gallons of fuel. Even better. . . shut her down and soar for miles. Then, tap the electric tarter and motor home eas ily. > The C umulus is a three-year, top-tobottom design offering superb soaring compatible with hang gliders.
Jim: Doug, I thank you for your honest and candid comments. I look forward to seeing you again on the dunes and invite the readership to visit the dunes at Kitty Hawk whenever they get a chance. I am sure we will see you in the awards line at the Kitty Hawk Kites Hang Gliding Spectacular both this year and for many years to come. • FEBRUARY 1998
Call/fax to get info on these 2 great choices.
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PILOT REPORT Topless gliders appear to be here co stay. After a good, solid year and a half of in-air resting, they have shown a definite performance advantage, at lease in cross-country, connecHhe-dors flying. The Laminar ST is the seventh topless design I have flown and I must say I like nearly all of them. With the ST, "like" is too weak a word, for I wanted to cake ic home and scare a relationship. What else can you say about a beauty with such graceful lines, such gracious manners and such an ability co gee you up with rarely a letdown? I have scared my produce review policy several times over the years, bur it bears repeating now. Ifl like a glider, I write about it. Ifl don't like it, I send it back and let che manufacturer. If you don't read about a product here, it's probably because it was unavailable in chis country or I couldn't recommend it to a friend. Bue such a policy has one drawback: All the flight reports rend to be rave reviews. This Laminar ST report is similarly positive, but I will make a slight departure by looking at it critically first. The real reason for such an approach is the face that the Laminar ST doesn't fly or land exactly like the con (with) torre model, and some pilots have expressed doubts about the pitch stability of the ST and topless gliders in gener-
n 1996 the Laminar was the glider to beat. Its combination of sweet handling, daunting sink rate and reluctance to stall in a turn rendered it as elusive as a will'-o-the-wisp in thermals. Item: The Laminar was so often topped out that its insignia was placed on the lower surface rather than the upper. Item: More than one manufacturSide view looking along the leading edge.
er acquired a Laminar as a measuring stick when they developed their
al. So let's begin our scrutiny of the Laminar ST with a look at its landing characteristics followed by its handling and then its pitch stability.
topless gliders. Item: In recent times the Laminar has won more meets
RETOUCHING THE TERRAIN No one likes ro fall flat on his face in front of a merciless, whack-happy crowd. So, naturally, a glider's landing qualities attract our interest. You may have heard that the ST lands like a 300-pound ballerina and you may have heard (past tense) right. The fact
48
is, the original ST's had their uprights placed quire far forward so flare authority was compromised. This upright placement was reportedly so the glider could be laid flat by folding the control bar back. However, another problem topless gliders face is increased loading of the keel during ground handling. Farther-fo rward uprights help relieve this problem. Bue lcaro has changed the ST's layout so
Side view with "Kick Stand. "
ability ro slow w-a-a-a-y down before ir begs to be flared. In a phrase, the Laminar is on a par with the rest of irs peers in rhe landing phase of flight.
IN-AIR MANIPULATION H andling and maneuverability are well up on the list of desirable glider qualities. Good handling means light control forces and predictable, fast response from the glider. The original Laminar was noted for its handling and ics ability ro wind up in a variable thermal with a few input nudges while avoiding a tip stall. With the kingposr removed not much has changed, bue the glider feels as if some anhedral has been added, which helps turn initiation but reduces roll damping. Stabili ty is essentially the opposite side of rhe coin ro control. If you increase one, yo u generally decrease the other. The new topless gliders have added weight outboard (sprogs and washoue strues) so a bit more anhedral may be needed ro aid roll initiation. Bue roo much anhedral can lead to oscillation, and the Laminar ST has a bit of a tendency to oscillate with the VG off for pilots inexperienced with its behavior. I was aware of this tendency and still oscillated immediately after my first launch. H owever, that flight lasted for over an hour, so by the time I landed there was no prob-
than any other glider except possibly the Moyes Xtralite. '@ But now we are in the era of topless gliders and the Laminar itself has gone ST (which stands for Sanzo Torre, or without mast in Italian). The ques-
Cross-spar junction, cross spar safety.
tion is, with its own paragon glider as a starting point, did the Italian
!em despite the required speed due ro turbulence as noted earlier. The ST's oscillation tendency is only noticeable with rhe VG totally off, and I dare say it only cakes the average pilot a flight or rwo to eliminate the process. On my second Laminar ST flight I flew fast with the VG off and cried ro induce oscillations. I couldn't get ir co perform more than one oscillation cycle because I was auromarically performing the corrections with the right timing in the right phase. As most readers know, roll/yaw oscillations a.re usually caused by mis-timing of a pilot's corrections and can be normally brought ro a hair by flying slower. Of course, some gliders have more tendency ro oscillate than ochers. In a recent conversation, Joe Greblo stated
manufacturer, lcaro, come up with a design to meet the challenge of the other fine topless gliders on the block? The answer will unfold below, but first Let's Look at the overall picture. now the uprights are further back and landing is normal . My first landing on che ST was in wind and turbulence. I rested the handling more than the flare qualities. Bue subsequent landings in zero and light conditions proved ro me rhac che glider lands as easily as any high-performance glider. The flare is lire (low-cal pitch force) and the timing is nor critical. In fact, ir now lands like the kingposr-equipped Laminar with the
Tip wand cam over.
49
FEBRUARY 1998
/
he thought modem gliders with their tendencies put a greater work on the pilot which can lead to fatigue perhaps degrade safety. I think he is right in many cases. However, on Laminar I had a VG-off; in e!usiw thermals for over an hom: a high-wind, thermal-mandatory, four,. 50-mile ridge run. In neither case did experience osci.llations or foci that I had to roll corrections. (These the second and third flights I made the glider.) 'The Laminar owner's 1.nanual sugpulling on about 20 inches of VG rope takeoff and leaving iron about one-third fanding. I expect this .is intended reduce the: probability of oscillation, but J fly we launch in turbul.ent tree slots I wam my handling to be "right now"! tbe other hand, J would personally add to onc-halfVG for towing c,1.•cc.1«uv aerotowing to increase roll sta .. the chance of oscillating. One of the secrets to the Laminar's case can be discovered by inspecting leading of the set up glide1~ If you on the you'll sec that it is a couple away frorn the leading tube. fact, it doesn't contact the airframe the nose area and the tip area. In flight, leading bows more, but the sail still less leading edge contact and friction other gliders. 'fhis reduced friction the sail rotate around rhe frarnc during initiation and thus reduce roll
50
lcaro achieved design feature by si.mply cutting the sail with n1ore leading edge (luff) curve than in the mounte:d frnn1c. Another implement that aids handling is the Gerolf connection. This device is simply a swndoff on the designed by Gerolf I:foinrichs, an learn employee. This good idea has been copied by other topless manufacturers. Tn conclusion, despite the small tendency of the Laminar ST to oscillate, I like the handling very much. It is similar to that of the CSX, and both gliders are the to initiate in roll of all the topless gliders I have flown, Once banked in a thermal, you can't always go to sleep, bur you can easily make which expert pilots want to do in order to mmdmi:z.e any thermal with variations. I like handling it allowed me to scratch dose without: worrying about its response in an errant Most experienced pilots will love it. STABILITY When the hang gliding world went topfoss, there was no doubt that the biggest challenge facing was maintaining the same dynamic pitch stab.ility we have on glider's rigged with n kingpost and bridles. The trick was to use the method employed by rigid-wing narnely, fix enough washed out (twisted) area outboard on the wing so the tip force is downward at low or negative of attack. Airwave chose to a series of swinging washout struts, while all the rest of the man·· ufacturcrs, including Icaro, use a large washout strut (affectionately known as a sprog) holding up a transverse (side-to·side) batten in the rear of the sail. The Laminar supports the sixth and seventh battens from the root while other gliders support seventh through ninth. In flight, the nicely pitch positive. 'Chere was ample pressure from trim to all the way re.irward as far as 1ny orangutan arms could Such good bar pressure i.s an indication of mttic stability in tbc positive angle of attack range, but not necessarily dynamic stability. However, one of the prerequisites for good dynamic stability is good stat:ic stability to dampen pitch rotation. Om testing standards (HGMA, BJJPA or DHV) only measure static srnbili, ty, which is considered adequate for the above reason. Lam.inar version sold in the U.S. has passed DIIV testing. This is very similar ro IIGMA program except
Cros.1·..sprtrpu/l..back ('.Fype 18 webbing).
for a pitch test near 20 mph. I cannot judge its ability to rhis test, but I can state that its in,-flight foci in pitch is as good as the other topless gliders I have flown. I expect that topless gliders ln general have ample pitch stability ,1s long as their washout are not lowered belowfactvry specs. I also believe the La.minar SI' has adequate pitch stability subject to the same qualification. J must say that rny one question about tbe glider before I flew it was its p.itch stability. I no longer have this concern. FLYING We have spoken about fonding and handling, but here are some additional observa.. dons conceming the Laminar behavior i.n the air. takeoff is easy and straightforward. The doesn't use a cam VG system, so the side cables are loose on the ground., but the glider is very nicely bal;mced my test glider had the uprights moved back), and is one of the lighter topless glidets Thave flown pounds filr the according to the manu-· focturer's specs my measurements. Launching a Laminar ST' is like foreplay, for you know how rnuch pleasure: is sure to follow. The slow-·speed flight on the ST is wbere the glider shines its easy roll and good sink rate. I could consistently thermal 22 and 23 mph according to my Ball Corn11, mounted on the basetube and calibrated out of circulation This is as slow as I get on the besc..climbing high,-performance gliders. Note that low speed at a bank angle is of primary importance in thermal climb ability; since rhe lower speed, the smaller the circle and the the lift holds true no matter
Plr1.cards on the carbon.fiber cross-spar. !!ANG GLJDINC
what the ]'hat's why we can often outclimb sailplanes but get by paragliders .in thermals. The Laminar low thermaling speed it a superb climber. Finally, I must report that the top end had me flying witb tears in my eyes when I performed foll-stuffed speed runs. It w,tsn't the wind that had me since [ wear but the fact that it more than 10 mph than my personal kingposted gilder and cops a much better glide at this top speed. I measured a sustainable 63 m.ph (again, on Ball) which is as high as I've achieved with any topless glider. 'I'he Laminar seem.s to throughout its cntixc range. Tbp are tested with the full--011 of course. But polar curves plotted on the Ball Comp in still air in by Brad Koj.i indicate that there .is no detectable between full-on or half-on for speeds bcl.ow about 40 mph. Thus, you can fly glider with the VG half'.,on between thermals all the performance you plus reasonable han<Hing for swooping into a quick turn when thermal In fact, the only tirne you really should put the VG full-on is when you arc diving to goal or behind a (naughty you). I found handling to deteriorate quite quickly with application so I thct"· maled with VG fully of£ I two hours working the burbling air with partially on, and a while l got used t:o the extra input can thennal with a but why do so
We have introduced you to a number of topless gli.ders and their up in a fairly similar manner. tips a nice cam placement with
The ST sets
i.ng form keel to) allows yon to raise the back of the glicfor to avoid bending over as .much. 'The lowerarc very easy to insert since they are pushed into a slot, then simply .moved to one to be held in
LAMINAR ST SPECIFICATIONS
arc/I Nose
Laminar 13
Laminar 14
I li.2.08 sq. fr.
155 sq. fr. (I measured I
130°
130°
32.87 ft.
3/i .12 ft. 51
mtio
Oouble-surjttce arc11 Btlttens (upper and lower
(min.lmax.)
pilot
21 + 6
23
71 lbs.
75 lbs.
132/198 17.06 fr.
bag
ft.
length
Price
6
fr.
DHV
DHV/SHV
$6,300
$(,,300
tight and requires a very tight package in order to be zipped easily. The zipper is not beefy, so it shouldn't forced or you'Il have a glider oozing out scams. On the other hand, the cover, both tip bags, batten bag and basctube protector all fold up incredibly small for fitting conveniently in your harness. One of my pct peeves is gliders designed with hardware that rcqu.ires a million bulging pads and cxces·· sivcly bulky bags. Nowadays almost very pilot flies with his or her cover, so why bur· den us with excessive baggage which .may rYHnn,1·nn11a1' our running ability? criticis.m of tbe Laminar ST is that the doesn't fr>ld at the corner, since comer brackets don't swiv· 'T'hus, you must remove both comer pins of one. 1h their credit, Icaro supplies (PIP pins) to secure the b,isctubc so the job that bad. 111c Larn.inar hardware is all clean, sim·· pfo and foncdonal for non-swiveling corner brackets). Look at the photos t:o see how nke some of parts arc. Note cspetip cams and the crossbar center All arc machined in,, cAL•,.u1'>1vc factory in Lavemo, house at Italy. Not visib.lc photos is the curious bas,:tut1e. It a belly like most advanced and very durable hand grips. But a downward bow which keeps the off the ground. This feature to rock m.orc easily when
ground handling alone in wind (both a deficit and benefit, depending on what you arc trying to do with the glider). It also allows you to hang a bit lower for better roll without necessitating longer and (or weaker) downtubes, FINAL ANAlYSIS My overview of the Laminar card .is good to in all most concern avid yet pilots. In this mature phase of our sport, that hopefolly describes us all. The glider comes with a very nice sup·· port package in its very own case, 'fhis includes a a batten pattern, some promo literature and a very complete owner's rnanual. The manual should take fair with its drawings of all pans, and its 101 full-·co.lor photos demon·· strating each of setup and breakdown. As usual, I recommend that you try a Laminar s·r if you arc in the market. In short order you'll see why l hated to it back. 'T'he conclusion is that lean> has nor forsaken Lmninar heritage and we expect to be reading about the compctition success. For more contact: AVB, G'rtind Rapids, Ml 49507, J. voador(°iPinfhmagic. com (Larry 711dor), or J,888-693~6792, jravB@aolcom Oohn Rytt11;). W'l!b site:
s IIANC C:LIDINC ADVISORY \Jsed should always be disassembled before flying for rime and for bent or demed dowmubcs, mined bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nms, loose thimbles, frayed or rusrcd cables, wirh non-circular holes, and on flex wings) sails
rorn or Lorn loose fl'om
their anchor points front and back on the keel :rnd lc;iding Ir in doubt, many gliding business"" cs will he to give an objective opinion on the condition
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OZARK MOUNTAIN HANC CLIDERS Sales, service and instruction. 160 Johnston Rd, Searcy AR 72. H.3. (50 I) 279-2li80. CALI FORNI/\ ADVENTURES l/NL!MITED Or:rnr,e County's school. lJSJ !CA certified instruction and t:m· specialist. New & used cquipmrnl, Wills Wing dealer. www.artnct.net/,d,ydog/index.html (71 Ii) /i9(,. 8000. FLY AWAY HAN(; Cl!DIN(; THIS WINTER FLY SANTA BARBARA! <:onsistcnt conditions make om mountains and trainittg hill the best. USHCA ccr· ti/'icd insrrnnion. Tammy Burcar (805) % 1·2766 lttlp://www.body1rcnds.co1n/flyaway.h11n HANG c;r.IDER EMPORTUM ·· Best in the wcst 1 Full service glidi11g/paragli,ling est ablishcd I 97 Ii. PO Box I ]J9, Santa Barbara CA ')l l /i(). J:B'), cm:1il: wcllvuniv(,'"ac,J.corn (805) %5, :lTU.
TIIE IIAN(; GUDJNC CENTER Lorntcd in be:m1ifol Sat, Diego. llang gliding and par:igliding instrncrion, sales and service, conducted at TORREY PINFS and local motmtai11s. Spend tion with us. Demo our li11e and eq11ip ment at always convenient world f:m1011s TORREY PINES. We pnmdly olfor TCARO (LAM!. NAR ST), MOYES (SX), WILLS WING (XC) :111d all kinds of stuff. Makers of the DROGUE Clll/TE.
Our comprehensive instTttction program, located ar the San Francisco Bay Arca\ training .site) fraturcs sloped "bunny " superlitc gliders and com· harnesses! "FIRST FI.ICHT," :1 video ks.son program, is avail shipping (may he to yo11r fi,turr· ltsson purd){t.rts). Our deluxe shop shnwcasc's rhc !:nest in h:111g gliding innovations. We stock new and used Wills, i\irwave and Moyes gliders, Pl.LIS all the /Jotttst new harnesses. Tr:tdc"ins arc welcome. T,ke a /light 011 our am:1zing new VI RTUAI. RFAI.ITY hang gliding flight simulator! 1116 Way, Jvlilpit:ts (nmr S(//1 Jose) CA 95(l:35. (408) 1055, fox (li08) 2.62·1388, MSClf(;~ilaol com w1,,vw.hartg-gliding.com
FLY TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT 2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Dr. San Diego CA 92037 1928
BUNNY... THE HILL WITH IT!
WL HJ\VF The most advanced training program known ro h:mg gliding, you in half' the rime it takes 011 tlw HILL, ,rnd with more in.flight air time. YES, WF CAN TEACH YOU FASTER AND SAFER. For year-round 285· the sun, call or write Miami I lang Cliding 8978. 2550 S Bayshorc Drive, Coconur ( ;rove, Horida 3)1:13.
1
111\NC CUDIN<; AND PARAGLJ])JNC l/Sl JCA certilicd ins1111ctio11, 1:mdcm tion) sales, service, repairs, parachute mornrizcd instruction and site tours. San cxclu· sivc for AIRFA, APCO and SOI.. Visa and M:1S1crcard accepted. Check us our at l111p://www.fly1orrcy.co111 or call (61 'J) 1152""98'58.
(619) 56J.J00').
HIGH ADVJ,:NTURE Hang paragliding school. Eqttipmcnr sales, service, at Southern California's mile site, Crestline. L'SIIGA l11s1ructor Roh By appoimrnem year round. (909) 88:$,8fi88.
WINDSPORTS ·· minutes Crom LAX.
to Sylni:1r, Crestline,
Elsinore and trnining sites. Vacation training,
and
glider sales including lodging and rentals. most :md cquipmenr, new and used in stock. old equipment. 325 sunny days each yem. Come with us! J 61 Ii 5 Blvd., Van Nuys CA'! 1li06. (818) 9B8-0111, l':tx 988· l 86?.
QUEST AlR SOARlNC CFNTER Yom vacation gliding lomtion. (:,52) /i;,').()21 :l, fax (:l52) 429 Visit our website at: www.qucsi-airfr)rcc.con1 or email us: qucs1,1ir(ilsundial.nc1
31401 Riverside Dr.
lake Elsinore, CA 92530 909-674-2453
CONNECT!ClTI" MOlJNTAIN WINGS
l.ook under New York.
FLORIDA
HJLI. SERVI CF SHOI' Located on Hwy 7/i at the base of tbc Santa Ana mountain range. Proudly rcptc· ALI. major br:mds. Rc111als available ro quali 6 days a week '):tm·5pm, closed on Vu:a/ l'vl;1,stc:rc:trd/ A:rncnc:m Fxprcss. MAC!C AIR l.oc:ncd in .\./ortl,crn Calil'ornia. Lessons, sales, service. (707) %3-:lli5'i.
(719) t.;SHGA CERTIFIED TANDEM INSTRUCTION McNarncc. Acrorow training & ratings.
major ,rnd acrorow equipment, 1. 'i u,i,neirworlrl. Call (352) 7,/i5-8?fi3. graybird~1)praxis.11c1 J111p:l/wwvv.gyp:nc:011:1/1•:ra1rl)lrc1
54
HANG GLIDINC
s INDIANA
GEORCJA
RA Vl'N SKY SPORTS (Ii Iii) li73-8800. Please sec our ad under Wisconsin. hradCr1~hanggliding.com KANSAS PRAIRIF I IJ\NC: GLIDERS hill service school & rkdcr. Creal tandem im1rncrion, towing & XC ages. (316) ll'i-2')95. MEXICO
•••
lll
The Acro1ow !'light Park Sa1isfoc1 io11 _( ;,1:1ramccd
1-800-803-7788
Just 8 miles lrorn Dismy World• Central to Artractious
J\cstlcd in 1./ ol' nations Ill /light school at l.ookour Mountain, Tl IE LANDING offrrs 1,rivatc, ftilly lt11 nished cabins, RV sites w/foll hook-ups, camping areas a11d om uewesl addi1iou, a 52 bed bunkhouse. All
• YEAR ROUND SOARING OPFN 7 DA VS A WEEK FOUR TUGS, NO WAITING EVFRY DIRFCTION 50 1 NICE demos 10 fly: Toplcs.s 10 Trainer ( ;Jidcrs: Laminar, Moyes,WilL, Airborne, Airwavc, I-:xxucy, Millcniu111 Superlloalcr and more; al.so harnesses, v;uios, etc
Ages Ll To
have learned to lly here.
No one cornc:i close lo our level of experience ;rnd succcs;, with tandem acrot-ow ins1r11ctin11.
HANG GLIDING
fff
•••
PAF<AGLIDING
,1nd other amcnilics. \Xlhcthcr you want to ma/a If
BEAUTIFUL VALLE DE BRAVO l'rofcssimd grn11p. blmlo11s house, ala carte service. Open to all skill levels, rent or bring hg/pg. Basic ages: $100/chy hg, $6')/day pg, eq11iprncu1 trade considered. 1--800--861 7198, f'lymcxico«ilaol.com
n11wmy or jus1 em1;,c, let us help. Call Cina for more information al 1-800 80.1-//88. l .c't rn add yrrn to om grcwvi11g Jllll1llWr of friends and rcpLal patrons.
MIClllGAN
w/;1cccss to vvashcr/dryer,
showers, restrooms
J()()J(Ul!T MOUNTAIN l·LICI IT !'ARI< -- Secom dispL,y ad. Discover why FOUR TIMES as m,my pilo1s C<lrll their wings al Lookout than at any other
school! We wrot,· US! !(;A's ()(/,cial Training MannaL Our spc-cialty-rns10111er scuisfaction and fi111 wi1h tlw BFST FACILITIES, l:irges1 inventory, camping, swim ming, volleyhall, rnor,· 1 For a flyi11g trip, i1uro lligh1 or lcs:-ion packages, J,ookout Mountain, just outsidt·
A GREAT SCENE FOR FAMILY AND r:Jlll'NDS ...
I
Cha1ta11ooga, your COMPLETE training/service ccn1r-r. Info? (800) 688-LMFP.
NORM LJ,:SNOW'S 1-LYINC J\DVFNTllRES Tandem, turbo mg dragonfly introducrory flights and full range of' lesson programs bcgirll!cr to advanced. Aero10w clinics & lJSI JC;A appropriate rat-
ings available. lJSI IC/\ ccriificd school. Please contact Norm l.esnow-Mastcr Pilot, Examiner, J\dv:rnced Tandem lnstrnclor, Tow Administrator. (2/i8) :\99'lli:J:I, FU I.I,--' l'IM E school. www.ScriousSporrs.com 11lfo~1lj11110.com TRAVERSE CITY HANG CIJDERS/PARi\l;UD ERS FULi.TiME shop. Certified ins1ruc1ion, fi,ot L11mch and tow. Sale.'>, service\ accessories for /\LL major hrands. VISA/MASTI-:RCARD. Come soar our Ii 50' d1mes 1 I '509 E Bth, Traverse City lvl I li'J68/i. ( )ffcring powered paragliding lessons & dealer for new & 11sed 1111i1s, including 1hc Whisper and ilw l'ly. Call Bill at ((,I(,) 'JD 28/ili. Visi1 our parngliding school i11 J,1cbon, Wyoming. Call Tracie al Cl07) 7:l'J-8620.
l O motels & restaurants wi1 hin 1j rnins., camping, hot showers, shade trees. sales, s1oragc, ratings, X( ~ retrievals, great wc,1thcr, climbing wall, 1rarnpoli1ll',
I )SS TV, 1,i11g pong, swing, picnic uliks, swimming pooL clc. Flights of'ovcr 1/iO miles and more than 6 hours. Anicles in I Imig (,iirling, f(i1pl11r1cs, S1'ywi11g,, (;ms., Count1y and othn.'i. l•'caturcd on 111mwro11s TV shows,
i11cl11ding FSl'Nl. MINNESOTA Visit 11s on dw Wch: http://www.wallaby.com
NFW BlJNI<l lOUSF /\T I OOKOlJT'
For visit·
!'lease c1ll us f,ir refrre11ccs and video. I BOS I km Sri II Road, Wallaby Ranch, Florida Yl8Ti Yl'i8 (911 I 121 0070 phone & fox
w/m11l1iplc showers/ba1hrooms f,,r each. Call Creg al The I RV Park & <:ahi11s I 800-803-'77S8t
SPORT SOARJNc; CFNTFR/lvl!NNEAJ>OLJS l11structio11, equiprnrn1 dealc-rs fc,r Wills Wing, Airwavc & Edel. (6 I 7.) 688-018 L
I lAW/\11
NFVJ\DA
C:011scrv,uivc Rcliahlc S1atc o/' 1he An .1 LC. INC/l'IYINC IHlRl!lJ\ SINCE l'J//i
BIRDS IN PARADISE I Jang gliding & nltraligl11 flying 011 Kanai. Ccnificd 1,11,dcm i11strnc1inn. (808) 82:J. '5_)()') or (S08) 6.l'J--10(,7, birdi1(;1',iloha.m·1
ADVENTURE SPORTS -- Sierra .soaring tours and tandem our specialty. l fang gliding/paragliding lJSI l(;A certif,ed instruction. Sales ,md fit!! service shop f,,r J\l1ai1, Airwavc, Moyes, lJS Acros, Wills Wing. :J(,50--22 Rcsc:ll'ch Way, Carson City, NV 8970(, (7()),) ll8_l70/0
ing pilots. Separate female and unisex dormit<Hic-",
lvlalcol111 Jones, David ( :Jover, Rhet1 Radl,ml, Ryan ( ;I()VCf, Toni Ramseur,
( :,irlos l\essa, ( :Juis ( ;,11r, Roger Sherrod
ll.lJNOIS
email: ;1dvs111s(rt)J)yr;i1nid.nc1
RAVl·N SKY SPORTS (312) _l(,0-0700 or (Ii iii) li/.l 8800. Please sec our ad undn WISCONSIN, liradv1>J 1anggl id i11g.rn111
FiiWlJJ\l<Y 199B
web site: http://www.pyramid.net/advspts
1997 SMHGC OCTOBER'S BEST FLY-IN RESULTS f you visited North Carolina's classic autumn fun fly-in at Sauratown Mountain in 1996 you will remember three consecutive days of tailwind launches and screaming sled rides to the LZ. Bue if you attended the 1997 event you were certain ly in fo r a treat, as you were blessed with not only sunny skies but gentle, launchable, soarable winds for four days straight! Visiting p il ots began arriving on Thursday, October 2, as members of the Sauratown Mountain Hang Gliding Club prepared their site for tl1e annual even c. Chores were quickly finished or put off until lacer in rhe day, however, as the wind began to blow lightly in on launch. Conditions remained marginal at best as some of rhe early arrivals and locals gave it their best. Flights turned ouc to be mosdy long sled rides or short attempts ar soaring, but a couple of pilots were able to eventually thermal to a couple of thousand feet over launch. Friday, a.II the chores having been completed, was left as a purely fun and practice day. Unfortunately, pilots on the first shuttle up the mountain were greeted by a light tai lwind blowing over the back. A couple of hours of the ritual "Oh god of the wi nds, please change the wind around" dance (which includes repetitive kicking of
I
56
rocks and dust, loud recow1ting of surviving ra.ilwind launches, and the obligatory napping on the ran1ps), proved successful as the northeast breeze gradually died and a few southerly wisps began to drift up the launch. Altl10ugh the prevailing wind eventually became consistently southwest (launchable, buc definitely not the best direction for ridge soaring at Sauratown), several pilots got to fly with some hourlong flights lace in the day. Lacer in me evening pilots and friends were creared to quite a spectacle as the space scacion Mir was observed streaking up from me western horizon. To everyone's surprise the space shuttle soon followed, clearly visible in the cool night sky. Saturday, me first official day of the fun competition, seemed to sea.re ouc as a repeat of Friday, but began to gee better earlier as launches began at around 10:45 AM . The wind stayed light and more soumerly, and flight durations gradually increased. Visiting pilot Greg DeWolf was able to scratch out a 26-minuce flight after launching around 1:00 pm. This stimulated a series of launches and flights became higher and longer as the day progressed. Much encercainmenc was provided throughout the afternoon as pilots "went for me spot," however, only cwo pilots, Jeff Reynolds and Greg DeWolf, made
TARGET LANDING D oug Rice . . . . . . .. . 2 ft. Jeff Reynolds .. . .. . . 10 fr. , 1 in. Vic Lewellen . ..... .. 13 fr. Greg D eWolf . .. .. .. 16 fr. , 8 in. DURATION Vic Lewellen .. ...... 2 hrs., 52 m ins. Bob Scout . . . . .. . . .. 2 hrs., 22 m ins. Janlie Whittle ...... . 2 hrs., 6 mins. Jeny Ban ks . . . ... . . . 2 hrs., 5 mins. Vince Furher . . . .. . . 1 hr., 56 mins. Bubba Goodman .. . . 1 hr., 51 mins. John Ray . . . . . .. . .. 1 hr. , 38 mins. Dwight Freeman . ... 1 hr. , 3 1 mins. Paris W illia.ms. . . . . .. l hr., 23 mins. 1 hr. , 19 mins. Monce Moma . .. .... 1 hr. , 18 mins. Jeff Reynolds .... .. . 1 hr., 17 mins. Jim Wyatt . . . .. . . . .. 1 hr., 7 mins. An drew Holupka .. .. 1 hr. , 4 mins. Ben Burri!. . . . . . . . . . 58 mi ns. Filipe Amunacegui ... 52 mi ns. Jerry Brown . .. . . ... 48 mins. Robert Patterson .. .. . 46 mins. Randy Newberry . ... 46 mins. Greg D eWolf . .. .. .. 33 mins. C ROSS-COUNTRY Mon te Moma . . . . ... 9.4 miles M ike Nester .. ... ... 6.4 miles
H ANG GLIDING
qualifying landings within the target circle. Vic Lewellen demonstrated his soaring skills by capturing duration honors for the day with a flight of almost three hours. The day was highlighted by a couple of fly-overs by G.W. Meadows in his rwoplace trike. Later in the afternoon veteran sky diver Tracy Gasperini made a spectacular free-fall jump from the trike just before June Bug began serving up nis berrer-chanever barbecued chicken. Later, campers and party patrons were again an1azed by Mir as ir made its second fly-in appearance, this time even more brilliant as it soared directly over die LZ. Sunday began much like the previous rwo days except for even stronger tailwinds on launch_. This caused a few pilots to leave, heading for some of the north-facing sires a few hours away. Too bad though, because by 2:00 PM rhe wind had come around again and the thermals were cooking, with some pilots gaining up to 4,000 feet over the Sauratown launches. Having climbed to cloudbase, John Ray, Monce Moma and Mike Nester decided to try for the distance trophies. John had to turn
Mike Nester over Sauratown Mountain during 1997 fly-in. Pilot Mountain in the background. back after failing to find anorl1er sustaining thermal, but Mike made ir past the five-mile minimum to land near Hanging Rock Scare Park. Monce, however, was able to get one more thermal and take the distance prize with a respectable (for the conditions) 9.4 miles. The 50-foor landing targets were visited by three pilots on Sunday, Jeff Reynolds (again), Vic Lewellen and Doug Rice, wirh Doug stealing top place with a nice landing only rwo feet from the bull's-eye. Although there were several flights of over an hour, no one was able to march Vic's
duration challenge fro m Saturday. But when it comes to fun, everybody won! T he officers and members of me Sauratown Mountai n H ang Gliding Club would like to extend their thanks to the nearly 40 pilots who attended, the fly-in volunteers, the local merchants who contributed, Ben Burri!, W ills W ing, Just Fly and the USH GA who provided demo wings and/or prize merchandise, and the launch and LZ landowners, who collectively made chis year's October's Best the best ever! •
s NEW JERSEY MOUNTAIN WfNGS
NORTH CAROLINA
TEXAS
Look under New York.
NEW MEXICO
AUSTIN AIR SPORTS INC. Certified f'onr launch, tow & tandem training, Sales/service, Steve & !'red Burns WINDEMERE (830) 69.o-5805. IIOlJS. TON (281) 171 lli88.
Hi(J'ht Park
MOUNTAIN WEST HANG CLIDTNG Farmington's only foll service school and Wills Wing (505) 632·· dealer. Offering row and randern 8113.
IIILI. COUNTRY l'ARACUDINC INC - !.earn comple1e pilot skills. Personalized USHCA cerri/1ed tn1ining1 ridge soz1ring, foot & tow launching in central Texas. MOTORIZED PARAGLIDING INSTRlJC. TrON & EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE. (')15) 379 l 1B5. Rt 1, Box I61', Tow TX 78672.
UP OVER NEW MEXICO Tnstruc1ion, sales, ser· vice. Sandia Moun1ain guides. Wills, Airwavc. Albuquerque, NM (505) 821,8544.
KITE ENTERPRISES NEW YORK AM FUGH'!' SCI 1001. --- MOUNTAIN WINGS and EAST COAST PARAGLIDING in F.lleuvillc NY. Simply the MOST PROFESSIONAL rraining facility in the NE with 15 years experience. 7 fitll 1i11w cenifled insrrnctors, Ii exclusive !raining hills. \Xie slock everything available for pilo1s and sell & service ATRW AVE, AVS, ALTAIR, WILLS WJNc; and now MOYES, also SWIFT, SUPERFLOATER, KASPER· WING and ALI. PARAGLIDER BRANDS. l:nhcatable prices 011 gliders. Full rime towing facility, tandems, lCP, clinics. We do it all. (')11) 617,3:lT7, mrnwings<?ilaol.com. 150 ( :anal Street, Ellenville NY l 2/i28. OUR EXPERIENCE SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. Sales, service, ELLENVILLE FLIGHT PARK l.'SHGA certified instruction. Dealer for AIRBORNE, LA MOUETTE TOPLESS, APC:O, instrumenrs, accessories, 80 I !ang Cli,!cr Road, Ellenville NY 12428. Call Tony Covelli or Jane, (91/i) 647-1008.
FLY HlCH I JANG GL!DJNG, INC. ·-, Serving S. New York, Connccticur, Jersey areas (Ellenville Mm,) Area's EXCLUSIVE Wills Wing Also all other major lirancls, accessories. Certified school/instntction. Teaching since 1979. Area's mosr INEXPENSIVE prices. Exccllc11t scco11dary instrnction ... if you've finished a program and wish lo co11tin· 11c. Fly rhe mcmntain! ATOL Tandem ( :onract Paul Voight, 5163 Rd, Pinc B1tsh, NY 12566, (914) ?lili-3317.
rcn1als and repair. Airw:ive & Wills Worth and norrh Texas area. 21 1
Cooperstown, S\JSQUFIIANNA FLIGHT PARK KY. Ccrrificd Instruction, Sales and Service for :tll major m:mufac111rers. 10 acre park, 5 training bills, jeep rides, b11nk house, camping, ho1 showers, 600' NW ridge. We have 1hc hcsr faciliries in N. New York stare lo teach you how LO fly. c/o Dan Guido, Box 293 Shoemaker Rd, Mohawk NY U107, (315) 866-(il
5B
Dallas, Fort Allen TX
75002. (972) 390,9090
TANllFM lNSTRUCI'J()N • AFROTOWINC BOAT TOW! N c; • l'ARACJ.ll)JNC MOUNTAIN CLINICS l'OOT I.AlJNOJ • OPFN YFAR ROlJND • BFA< :11 RESORT E<)UIPMFNT SALFS AND SFRVICF
(800) 334-4777
RFll RIVER AIRCRAFT/CO ... l lANC CUDlNC!I! Jeff I l11nL, 1811 Red River St., Austin '] 'exas 78751. Ph/fox (512) 467-2529 rrajc/J(i1>aol.com TOT/\! AIR SPORTS - Area's OLDEST Wills Wing dealer. Certil1cd instrucrion available. "I only DEAL with WILLS". (,35/i l.imesronc, l lousron TX T7092. (713) 95(, 6 lli7 UTAH
PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN TOP RECRFATfON Certified insrrucrion, Pit tshurgh. (Ii 12) 697·/ili/7. C'MON OUT AND PLAY! MOUNTAIN WJNGS
l.ook under New York.
PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO! Team Spirit Hang Gliding. II(; classes daily. Tandem instruct ion available. Wills Wing dealer. ( ;lidcr remals for q11alificd pilo1s. P.O. Box ')78, Puma Sanriago, Prrcrio Rico 00711 (787) 285-0996. 'f 'F.NNESSEE
IKAROS SPORT AVlATlON & Sparran Microlighr Manufactming. NYC's f1rsi and only certified school for hang gliding, and 1rikcs. Distrilnnors/dcalcrs for all major brands. Manufacturer in rhe world, SPARTAN. for the BEST Kew and nsed cqnipment :tt bcsr prices. The n1ost friendly service in NY. For send $5 to: lSA, :l8 l 1 Ditmars Blvd 11110, Astoria NY 11 l O'\. Store: 293 I Newtown Ave,, Astoria NY. Phone/fox ('718) T17 ·7000, em:1i I: !bros I J ~tlaol.com l nternet: lmp://mcmhers.aol.corn/ikaros 11/fly.htm
Foot launch, platform
launch and acrorow instruction too. Training 1 sales,
LESSONS, SALES, SFRVlCF, T/\NDFMS l -888-911-5133
WASATCH WINGS FULL TIME USI IGA ccrti· lied HC insrruction at Point of the Mountain and regional mmunain sires. Dealer for Aeros, Wills Wings, Moyes, Airwavc: and much more:. Call Zac (801) 5700112. VIRGINIA
HAWK AJRSPORTS lNC P.O, Box 9056, Knoxville, TN J7'H(H)O'i6, (li2.'l) 212-199/i. [Jang Gliding and world fomotts Windsoks.
LOOKOl/T MOUNTAIN 1:ucJJT PARK
Sec
llLUF SKY High instrucrion, equipment sales, sewing, lowing s11pplics, Glider Savers. Call Steve Wendt in l T:trrisottlrnrg VA, (510) 132-655?.
:id under ( ;corgi:1.
KlTTY I IA WK KfTES
Sec Norrh C:uolin:t.
HANG GL!DINC
s WISCONSIN RAVEN Sl<Y SPORTS IIANC CJIJ)INC AND l'ARAGLlll!NG The 111idwest's Premier acrntow park, fouuded in l<J<J:,l. Featuring INTEGR/\'I' FD INSTRUCTION of /,,ot·ln111cl, and aerotow tan· elem skills, at package prices to beat a11y in the USA. Scvcn beamifol, grnssy traini11g hills all wind directions. Four I tow pLmcs, no \Vaiting! 'J\vo tandem gliders on wheeled undercarriages. \XI\)(! h1lco11s /,n training from the very first lessons. USlJA and tug instruction. Paragliding tows. Pree camping, Salcs/scrvicc/acccssmics f,,r all brands. Opc11 7 day.s a week. Cont,ict llrad l(11shncr, PO Box 10 I, Whitewater WI 5:l 190 (Ii I Ii) li7 lil800 (Ii I Ii) liTH1801 fox,
PARTS&. ACCESSOIUFS AEROTOWINC ACC:l•.SSORIF.S Sec TOWINC. Tl IF WALLABY RAN Cl I (9/i I) 12/i .. ()()/0.
1:JN( ;FRSWITC:I I RArnO I JEADSFT By J:light ( :rnrncctions. I IF/\ VY· DUTY wifingc:r m01111ted switch, cotnm11nirntc with hands 011 control bar or hrakccS. S,&r fly ing and more rcliahlc conurnmicuiolls. 90 day mfg warranty. w/irpair .scTvicc available beyond wanamy. Available for Y'1esu, Imm, Alincu, l<mwood ,'II mher compatible radios. Full Eicc or oprn hclmct.s. $8'J , $.l. 50 shipping, MC/Visa, dealer inquirL'\ invited. Kcu111ckiana Soaring /i2') N Tagg;1n J\vc., U1rkwille IN li7129. (8]}.) 2887111, fax (812) 28/i/i I 1'i SPECIALIZING IN COMMUNICATIONS. 1
TIIF NFW lNCRFDll\LE EARMIKE 5Vi, J11s1 plug it irno the outlet in your car and press the ptt h11tt011
the control piece when trans
milling. c:an be flt through yo11r 5,Jccvc and attach 10 your with Velcro. The earpiece is w:1sltal,lc. l·:arrnikc I is l,,r !corn, Yaes11, 1\li11co and more. Farmikc 1s for Kenwood. lntrodll(tory for the best mi, in tlw market is $')/i.9'i. JS;\ ph/E1x 8) 771-7000.
KENTUCKIAN/\ SOARING ( :omrnunicatio11:-i
Best Prices L'< Best ( :ustomcr S,1tisfac1 ion ( ;u,irantccd! YARIOS: F!.ICIIT DECKS NEW BALL C:RAl'I IICS Pl.US ..................... $CAI I. BALL M 19.. .. ............... $3/5.00 FJ.YTFC: ............. $CAI.I. l lELMETS
ARM;\DIU.O C:l.lllER BA(;S l'ro1ect your glider ll·om UV and all nal\11"('.S clements. ( :ustorn !l\;l(k hcavy·d111y polypropylene w/fiill le11gth zipper $1 O'i (1,lus $10 s/h.) EXC:l.lJSIVl·J.Y d1ro11gh l<en111cki,rna Soaring, 1i25 N T,1g1•,ar1 Ave., Clarksville IN li712'). (812) 788 7 I I I, fox (8 I 7) 7.8/i-li I I 5. MC/Visa.
l'FI.I .E Full Face, a li:w lcli ... retail $160 ..... Clearance $/)5
or
RADIOS ;\LI. MODELS/\ Vi\lLABLI YAFSU FJ'I IR wa11 .................... $105.00 KENWOOD Tl 17.2 ........ 'i wan ..................... $CAI.I CARMlN CPS ;l8 $Iii'!. Many otl1cr /lying :mes soric·.s availahk. Call Clud :lt (805) 569-1 (,67 for more info or visit our web site:
C:ll'TS 1\/ TROl'I IIFS Unique, unusual & creative hang gliding related gifts and trophies. hec catalog' Soaring Dreams, 1171 (, Fairview, l\oisc ld:,ho 8Y/ 1.l. (2.08) 376·7') IIi.
F/(; 5/8
lPIC 5/8 CAIN DlJC:K ANTFNNA... .. ........... $17.'J'i F:malk Kenwood ............... C:lcaran,:c- ............... $(,0.00 Yacs11 Mobile .... SO w:11 t ...................i'.105.00 TUNE lJI' w/Warranty Intact.... .. .......... $:l'i-50.00 PARAC:JIUTES WILLS WINC: 1./\l,A ... w/Par:mvivcl ........... $CJ\!.!. I IICI I FNFl,C:Y QlJANTlJM ..................... $C:J\I.I. MISC:EU.ANEOUS
,Hid ·Oll harn,·ss pouches $1 5. Accessories. C:unnison C:lidcrs, I 'Sli9 County Road I C:11uuison <:o 81 :no. ('>70J <,Ii 1 011 ',. BEST 1 WHJ:l!I.S AVAILAJll.E Super ligl11wcigl11, a rnust f(ir tr;1ining, tandem flying. n11ih•ain bushings. Only l.'S;\.lrnilt I 2" wheel. $/iJ.'JS, quantity
ARMA! ll LIO Clidcrbag .. Rcgul:11 & XC ....... $105.00 WIND ADVISORY AIRSPl'FJLW/Clamp .. $21.00 I !Al.I. PC AI RSl'FEll ...... Cbrance .............. $?.'i.00 11001< J<NIFI . . .... tlli.95 KENTUCKIAN/\ SOAJUNC: /\venue
li7129 (817) 288/111 fox (812) 28/i/il l'i
di.<;cotltlt'i. Immediate delivery. Lookout 1\1ou11L1i11,
(800) (,88 LM l•P.
us FIIWUARY 199B
I IJC:H l'FRSl'ECTIVE WI 11·:ELS Real lifi savers! I l", light, tough. Fits all gliders. Send $Ii L95 + $Ii. 'j() shipping per p:,ir to Spon Aviation, PO Box IO I, Mi11govillc I'/\ 1(,85(,. Ask about our dealer prices.
l<IT VARIO $70 1:Jy high with yo11r haud-rnadc vario. Sensor, ]Cs, PCB, C:Rs, manual, c'lc. Mfg., fox 011· 81-li'.l 2'/'J.ii677 Jap:m, KC
S9
s TEK FLIGI IT PRODUCTS
ROSINESS & EMPLOYMENT
I IC INSTRUCTOR NEEDED for spring & summer '98. Tandem rating needed, reach at the fomous Point of the Mounrnin. ( ;rear benefits. Contact Hanley & Linda Comfon, The Soaring Cemer (801) 576GliGO, fax (80 I) 57Ci,Ci482, or send resume, 12.665 S. Minurem,rn D1., 111, Draper UT 8/i020, email HI\( :3@aol.com LET Tl IE GOVFRNMFNT FINANCE Yom small business. Cra111s/loans to $800,000. Free record· cd message (707) 4/i8-0270 (FY7). MINT VARIO World's smallest, simplest vario! Clips to helmet or chinstrap. 200 hours on batteries, (). 18,000 ft., fast response and 2 year warranty. (;real for paragliding too. ONLY $169. Mallettcc, PO Box l 5Ti6, Santa Ana Ci\, 9?,7:J'i. 171 Ii) 9661 ?.40,
Camera mount, several models avaibble $/i3. 50. Camera remote (ask abou1 rebate) $15. Vario mount $15. Ci" wheels $2').'7'5. Sil I included.
LMl'I' NEFDS EXPERIENCED HF.LP shop. ( :all /\Ian or Matt (706) 398,35/i I.
in the sew
MORF l'LYJNC,MURF TIME.MORE MONEY Mark Yarnall, business mentor & SUCCESS Mi\C:A· ZINE Conrrilm1ing Fdi10r, believes pilots would ny more, if they had the rime & money. Learn how 10 have more ri,ne 10 fly and 1hc money 10 iake care of your finances. Please con1ae1 ('/02.) 88fi.fi030. QUIT YOUR DAY JOR! .. _ Buy one of the nation's paid ro fly! Rapidly growing schools and for details. Established over 5 Terms.
TF.K FUGIJT PRODUCTS, Colebrook Sragc, Winsted CT 06098. (860) 379,1668. hup://mem· bers. tripod .com/·· I ck/light/index .!11.111!
The world--class XCR· J 80 operates np to 3 hours (al] 8,000 fi:. and weighs only 41b. Complete kit with harness, regulator, callmtla and remote on/off only $375.00. Dealer overstock on small/xs SMALL IIELM ETS kevlar foll face helmets. 25'% o/11 Rnvrn Sky Sports (41 Ii) li73·8800. brad(dlhanggliding.com
30.1 SON BJ.OC:J< PROTJ•:C:Ti\NT
And Cleaner Spray Kits provide up to I 00'0, UV protection for yom wings and equipment. Fach application protects one wing up to /i() hours against UV. 100% money back guarnmee! Made in l/SA! Kit includes (I) I (,oz spray, (I) 32oz refill, wing Mail $39.95: Banners Unlimited, l'O Box 700li, Los Osos, Califomi,1 9.Vi I?. (80'i) 528,5018.
60
WANTED Hang C:liding/l'aragliding instrucrors. Immediate full 1imc openings available. l.ivc the California dream ... instrue1 students ,11 the San Francisco l\ay area's premier uaining site. Service shop employmcnr is also available. Ask for l'a1 Denevan (408) 2.67.- l 055. MSC! J(;(iilaol.corn
PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATTONS Tl IF ULTRA l.lCH'J' Ultra strong foll face pro1cc· 1ion you deserve. All sizes in stock. Only $279. Call Design at (509) 925-5'5(,5 10 order yoms today!
CAI.L US! JC/\ .. for a magazine hack issue order form. From the early ilround Shimmer ro the present !lrtng Gliding. (719) 6:12-8300.
DON'T CFT CAU<,IIT Li\NDINC DOWN WlND! ~ 1.5 oz. ripsrop nylon, llV treated, 5'1" long w/11" rhroat. Av,1ilablc colors fluorcsccnr pink/yellow or fluorescen1 pink/white. $39.95 (+$/i.75 SIil). Send to USHC/\ Windsok, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901·13:lO, (719) (i3?,8300, fox (719) 632-(,/i 17. VISA/MC accepted.
DOWNWIND From the early days of rhc 70's, 10 the big-rime air of Owen's Valley, DOWNWIND is packed with thrill and exhilaration of cross country adventure. The perfect gift for both pilo1s and DOil· pilots. SJ 11\RF Tl IF FXPERIENCF. A 1rnc s1ory, well told. Available from lJSI J(;i\ He,idqnartcrs for only $ I 0.95 (+M s/h). I'() Box 1330, Colorado Springs ( :()
R09o 1.. 1:no.
HANC CUDINC
s PARTY AT CJ.OUDBASE J\ hang gliding music video by Advrnrurc Prnducrions $19.'J'i. POINT OF Tl IF MOUNTJ\IN-J\w:ud winning by Easr Coast Video, hg/pg :iction at 1his Utah rnccc:1 $29. HANG GJ]J)[NG EXTRFMF l'x BORN TO FLY by Adventure l'rndue1ions, great hg action $:Jli.95 each. HJ\ WAJIAN l'LY[N hy Space 'J, soaring in :unazing L,unchcs $:):). Call lJSHCA (119) 63?. 8:100, fax (719) 6j;>.(,!i l /, email: !'lease add ·I $Ii domestic s/h (+$5 for two or more videos). Crear to irnprc:is your Cricnds or f()r those socked-in days. l'erfrct gifi for I he launch por:110 turned couch potato. Also, ask us about our paragliding videos! BAG IT 1 If yon don'r h"vc yonr copy oC Dennis PERFORMANCE FLYING yet, av:iiL,ble 1hro11gh US] l(;A llc:1dq11artc1s $2').'!5 (1$'i.50 s&h for UPS/Priori1y Mail delivery). USHCA, l'Ollox 1:r\0, Colorado Springs C:O 80'!0 I 1·800·6 I (,.(,888 l1sl1ga(ti\1shga.nrg
SOARINC Mon1hly magazine of The Soaring Society oC America, Inc Covers :ill aspects of so:ning tlighL Full $55. Info. kir with sample copy $l. SSA, I',( l. Box F, l lobhs, NM 8is21t I. (505) :19) ·
horn rhe first Telluride Festival in 19H 1, w the mod· em day freestyle compe1i1ioJJ. Follow the history of' rhis dyJJamic g:uhering. $2 1i.'JS Call lJSI ]CA (/19) (,32· 8300, fox (719) (,:37 .. (,I[ I email: ushgaG'iJushga.org. Please add +$Ii domcsric s/h.
CAI. CT.OVF l.ighr·wcigh1 CABRETTA I.FATHER GL.OVFS, world famous in equestrian circles, arc now popularity in the gliding, paragliding & markets. in men, women & children sizes, 9 difforcnr colors and priced i'rom $27.')'S-$39.'JS. For more info 011 these superior leadicr gloves comae!: ( '.al-GloVl', 2920 J\uburn Blvd, Sacramento CA 958)1. (91(,) li81·8/01, fax (916) 4B J. 1 168, email: cal·glovcG'iljt1t10.com
M[SCEI.IANEOUS
TOWING
AFROTOWING ACCFSSORJES I lcadquancrs f,,r: The finest releases, secondary releases, Spectra "V" bridles, weak links, 1:mdcm wheels, bunch can kirs, etc. THF WALLABY RANCH (9/i 1) /i)IJ.0070. HOT LOOKS FOR corn. WEJ\TJ [FR SOARINCt .~ !'rec Catalog. Cameron U,ncrwcar, 71 J\mherst SF., Dept C:11, Albuquerque NM 87106.JSO'i. (505) 256-7 /iO()) cuncron-c>wG'1)worldnct.at t .nc! Full color 23"x 31" poster fcarur"AEROBATICS" ing John I kincy doing what be docs hcst·f .OOP[NC! Available through US[ IC/\ I IQ for jmt $6.95 (, $:l.50 s/h). Fill tl1a1 void 011 your wall! Send 10 USI IC/\ Acrobatics l'ostcr, l'O Box I :HlO, Colorado Springs CO il09l:l. (USA l'x C:mada only. Sorry, arc NOT AVAJI.J\Bl.E on intcrn:11io11,d CJAL·Acrob:11 ics poster & l'.ric Raymond poster· BOTl! l'OR $10 (,$l.50 s/h).
DUMBO
Srnric winch system for hang gliders and
p:nagliclcrs. I .ow operating cost, pn:ci.\c line ·tension
opern1io11. Ideal for clubs, schools and resons. Operates from a small field, allows stqHowing and fi,01 i:llJnch· cs. Training "vailablc by 1r:iiners. h,r information: Distance Design, Quebec, Canada 112V .11<7, inquires welcome. d11mhowincl1Vi\10Lcom
Risk takers often ARE VOii A Tl !RILL SEEKER? rlcrnons1ratc other symptoms of ATTENTION DFHCIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER. Call J. ')()()./TJ.AI )lfl) cxt20 for screening, $2.9')/min. aver· age minutes, I 81, (liOlr) 8 lli,9009.
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VIDEOS BOOKS & POSTERS Call US! !CA for your Merchandise order form (/19) 6.12-8:lOO, email: 11sl1ga~i111shga.org.
DON'T LEA VE YOUR GROUND BOUND EQUIPMENT SlTTlNG IN TIIE GARAGE. SELi. IT IN TIIE JIANG GU DING CLASSIFIEDS. CI.ASSU:IED J\DVF.RT!SINC RATES The rate for classified is$. 50 per word (or oC char ac1ers) and $1.00 per word for bold or MINI MUM AD CIJARCE $5.00. A fee of' 15.00 is charged for each line an logo and $25.00 for each pho!O. LINFART & PJJOTO SIZE NO LARGFR THAN 1.75" X 2.25". Please tmrlerlinc words to he in hold print. layours of Jabs $25.00 per colnmn inch. Phone number- words. Email or web addrcss<lwords. AD DEADl.lNES: 1111 :id copy, instructions, changes, additio11s and cancellations 1nust
SCOOTER TOW SYSTEMS prices. (')?).) 3')().'J()'JO.
Available at various
VJDEOS & Fl!MS FlRST Fl.lGHT
Follows 1he action of' a new 1>ilo1's
be received in I J/2 mouths preceding I he cov er date, i.e. 20th for the February issue. Please make checks payable ro US! IC/\, l'.O. Box 1:3:30, Colorado Springs, CO B0901 l:l.lO, (719) GV.H:lOO. Fax (119) (,'\2.(,/i Il or ,·mail: ushgaG-1lushga.org your classified with your Visa or Mas1crc:1rd.
first lessons. This video is an cnltTtaining way to show
your friends :md how yon arni:11\y lc:mr 10 tly. VHS 15 minmes. $20 includes shipping (may ht 11pplitd to ltsson 1\1 ISSJON SOARINC CENTER, 111 (, Wrigley Way, Milpitas C:A 'J'iO l'i. (liOB) 267,IO'i'i.
FlllRUARY I 99fl
(i I
s STOT .EN WINGS & THINGS BLACK FLEECE JACKET Lost at POINT 01' THE MOUNTAIN, UT. Windrneter in pocket. Eric Promy (970) 92(,.7<,7<,, BALL GC.70 & GARMIN li5 Stolen from harness bag inside truck at BlJPFAJ.O MOUNTAIN, TALI· 1llNA, OK, on June 8, 1997. Both mmmtcd on a Ball clamp. Ball ( ;c: serial mtmher Ii I. Pete Hammer (2 I Ii) 562-lt 102, email: Pere. I lamrner@M( :J .com Stolen from VAN· SOLAR WINGS SCANDAi. COUVER, BC< '.A NADA on August I 0th, 19%. I :,.6 meters, lilac & uudcrsurfacc, blue chevrott w/crnise harness; parachute; blue vario. Nick C:ollius (GO!i) 3:31-2(,02. STOLEN WINGS arc listed as a service to US! I< ;A members. Newest entries :n'C in bold. There is no cb:ugc fc)r this service and lo.st and found wings or
equipment may be called in (719) G.12-8.:JOO or fax it in (719) G:J2 .. (i/i 17 li,r inclusion in Jiang ( ;Jiding 1mga· zinc. Please call to cancel the listing when gliders arc recovered. Periodically, this listing will he purged.
Adventure Productions ...................... 62
Mmmtain Condos ............................. 62
Acrolight: USA ................................... 31
Neilscn,·Kcllenrnm ............................ 29
Arai Design ....................................... ..
North Wing ..................................... .45
Brauniger ............................................ 5
Flyt:cc ................................................ 57
Sport Aviation Publications ............... 29
Hall Bros ........................................... 62
U.S. /\cros ........................... Back Cover
High Energy Sports ............................. 5
US Aviation ..................................... .47
lcaro .................................................... 2
USHGA ........... 5, 11,22,29,31,.37,43,46
Jusr
15
Wills Wing ................................... 38,39
J,0okour Mtn. Flight Parle ................ ]
Women's World Team ...................... 23
HOMOR! FUN! GUARANTF:ED TO MAKE F:VloRYONE LAUGH! IN GERMANY, CROSS THE "DANUBE" WITH A WING CONCEIVED IN 1809. (Bil YEARS BEFORE OTTO LILIENTHAL!) IN SWITZERLAND, SPRINGBOARD FLIGHTS ONTO A LAKE. IN FHANCE, A FROM "COUPES ICARE", ST. HILAIRE DU TOUVET FESTIVAL. 26 MINUTES
Rentals Available Again! The Mountain Condos Bunkhouse is open again, for rental by pilots and f'ricncls coming to soar the beautiful Henson Gap silc owned by the Tennessee Tree Toppers. The Mountain Condos Bunkhouse offers three private (lockable) bedrooms and a large common dining/living area. Take all three for your family, or share among l'riends for very reasonable rates. The famous Henson (lap Radial Ramp is only a 3-minule stroll away. Call on-silc manager Howard for availability ... but act soon. Space is limited and the rlying season is here!
NOW! 423/949-6609 !Toward for information on rates and availability. After all, how many l'lying sites offer you lodging at launch?
Fly Dunlap, TN ... "the Hang Gliding Capital <if the Rast!"
I\ precision
!'or tltc serious pilot. Rugged, dependable and easy lo read.
BOAT TOW IN MIAMI, FLY CROSS COUNTRY IN THE OWENS VALLEY, NEW MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMEHICA. MEET LARRY TUDOR. 50 MINUTES. $34.95
HANG GLllJJNG EXTREME CB3 TOUR CALI FOHN IA, OREGON AND COL011ADO. FLY WITH RECORD BREAKING PILOTS JOHN HEINEY AND KAHi CASTLE. 50 MINUTES. $34.95
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER WITH $4 SHIPPING. CALL, WRITE, FAX or Email TO ORDER OR GET A FREE BROCHURE WITH DETAILS ON MORE ACTION VIDEOS. ALL VIDEOS GUARANTEED
62
ADVENTURE PRODUCTIONS Paul Hamilton
4750 Townsite Road Reno, Nevada 8951 ·1 USA Phone I FAX 702.849.9672 hamilton@adventure.reno.nv.us
NEW! SMALL HALL Circat l'or hanrl-hclrl wind mcasurcmcnl or paraglidcr /\irspt·cd Indicator using Bracket. Small I !all ................ $23.50 Paraglidcr Bracket ..... $6.50 Now availa\Jk: Srn;ill I !all for hang gliders, 0 to'/() mph
Hall Brothers P.O. Box 1010,ll, Morgni,. UT 84050, US/\ Mastercard I VIS/\ I C.O.D Phone (80 I) 829 '.l232 Fax (801) 829 6349
HANC GurnNC
L1
by Dan Johnson
©
into 1998 and not:ice ol' I want to cro back comnc,nl:s I' writl:en of hang gliding. " A1 the JllV:V:t.J.JillJ, a few
abou l: th0 so Novemb0r '97 US!JGA boan5 1 c,aclers t:ook rne t:o E,xpJainecl to tlic,m, r:tat· LJFJ facts (of [actory or other ' commc,nU; about wbat miqr1L be dom· l.o " x" hcinCJ qi idinc1) doc,s not rneaIJ I 1 hink hanq qlichrKJ llarclly! What J ;:;uch Ai rwave shu LLerinq a produced. (More on tho t. bGI ow. ) 'J'o iqnore l ha I: hanCJ dinq communi ha,3 cha] to :,tick one':':" hc-,ad l:he 1 won' yet 've beun a hancJ and won' 1 Cor 2'i ,JL i LI t:<'3rrHic sport: with bright: meant was th,1t WG neeuec1 t.:o be of our shortcomincJ;; and Lo somel:hLnq c1bout them. Tl: is 1.hc-11: whi1e some and , ot·hpn, rloi rn.1 wc_:.J I Amcmq them tu only two exampl from opposi. tc, Pat: Denevan' on SoarinCJ dnd Malcolm Jones' Wal lilby Ra ncl1 F:ach n,por a I'm l ivc, more, hanq CJlidintJ bus i n,.,s'"""' thr:ivinq and tha L: 'm thankful tel linCJ me, about:. 1
of that First, Black
Airwdve i.s had "best year wi U1 WorJds. " 'm pleased l:.o hear
rl(eW
Ai:rwave 'I'l1P Lookout Mounta.:ineers developrnl tlic.' 91 we] .I cmouCJll that: Ai UK bought· l:h12 d<c,sign and will manufacl1Jrc' and under their brand nc-1mu. Ji. Black he wcis very p1eased with great: static mid j ·J'he weJJ how mud1
Italy. brand it i
harness line from U. (yeU , the
Flight h:iglier. on FrilRlli\RY 199B
Howe
updal:c dl'.Tcmgement thilt works to you puJ l your arms cJ osc,. rn f ac I:, GceCJ claimrJ, "[Jt' the most: aerodynamic harness on the markc ava:iJ able four d.i f fen:cnt models. Info: 732 · 74'7·784'i illlM BrLqhtc,t,u finned of Lhe'u· nc,w Millennium D··Cell appointing Mounl:ain WincJs I.he l:o complement Thin Air Designs v1ho has oxclusivi ty for al l J ands west of l:llo Mississippi n llmc1ci.ca and Carmda. While Wallaby i.,anch rc ,porU; brisk of t.ho D-Co1l Mountil i.n WinCJS boc-1sted EYJrly L·.hrec, :.ial.es of l:he M:il1onnium, c,ven before, any marketing occurred. One l,iq chanqe in the who··· cs-for-whom f;cene Nelson Howe j o:i ninq Wi W:inq compeLit:ion l:c;am. WW announced in tho.ir December newr:10,1· tor Lo dc,alers that: the numbPr one ranked U. pi.lot will fly with sucll top guns Jim Chris Arai, Chris MullGr, Mark Bennett, Lehmann, Mitch Sbipley, c1nd Mitch McA1 E~er. Howe was to comppte World Championsli.ips aln?c1dy pl aced sc2cnncl in Lbc, Pre, Worlds A Wi.lls reported Einishi nCJ dev0,Jopmont: "Stabilizer." They say, "It on yaw st.ahi lity, makinCJ any CJ] HLra:i CJbt, and iH c,Hpecia11y WW C3l:ab.:i 1:i.zer is dvailablo any CJ] i der, i ncludinCJ a slc,ove to modify tbe rear keGl accept_ it. 'l'l10 ld t reotai l:::; :;,86. 7.5. SE,e any WiLU.1 dealer By way, this month kickr; off act:iv:i for Wills Wing• s 25th anniversary fGat.urinq a tow Wal liJby. Into 714-99fl·6359. illlM U.S. Aeros cont:inuc?r3 to ostabl isli l~.he Ukrainian bnmc:l :in the Amer.Led, t:o by propri.ot:or G'W Meadows. Cost one advanl.aqe as the modolr, carry we! I brand I know. Stea th KPL selling exceptionally well, " mi.dd1 e 147. you road this. However, dnd Meadows list.s, a tow ot.hor att.ri (Jl'.ctllbing pilots. Accordi.ng lJJ GW, very sl:raigbt·.," Lmportant ln our :i.ncreasinqLy oric,nt:ecl JIG conmunity. Another [or tho Jes s1.1ccc1sc, s the "active camber" sy;;tem [edtured on l.h0 Stealth KPI, which L:he winq qrow fdl:ter during VG off c,ol.U and U1Lnnor dLiring VG-on sel:tinCJ,3. Unusual amonCJ hanq L:he control bar is raked aft:ward which "CJ:ivcs the pilot c1 of authorit:y" allowinq r, lanc1inCJS, say:; Meadows. U.S. Aoros sl:ocks loads ot replacc,ment. :includincJ elownt:ub:,s, whid1 can c-,xchanCJed wilJ1ouL: tools. a CJOOel, but you simply 'L· i.gnore the 1,avinCJS. oxampl0, L:o l1el p St:oa] U1 KPLs around l:ho conn l:ry, U.S. offerinCJ an doal 1.ml:.il March 13efon, Lhat elate, you order the" topless glider for only $4,320 t:hrou(Jh any o[ dedlors. Moddowf; says, "That'1, $1,700 than l.he priced toplcc:SS CJlider on the markl,t." You can bave your cboice of colors and t.ake delivery ;;ix woelrn. Seems worl:h doesn't· il:? Info: 919 !lflQ .. ),'J'M. illlM Hey! Out. ta room wi l:11 nPWc, remain i nq. ya month. So, CJOt nc::ws or opi.niom,? Send 'om to 8 Dorset, St. MN ':i.'ill8. Vma or to 617. 4'i0-0930. Send c.,Mc1il CumuJusJVIc1n[,laol uom. T~j:l! 0 ,).
0 ,\:.
"
0
63
S~E!'cc.L~h Kr-> L
Near Perfection in a Topless Hang Glider