USHGA Hang Gliding March 1999 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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16 You've Come A Long Way Baby by Ctrol Graham, sidrb11r by Curt Gmham A brief history oflearning co fly in New Mexico and rhc '' Boom Bar" si mulator.

23 Flying In Heaven artidt and photos ~y Bart.on Davidson

Make plans th is year to Ay Yosemite.

28 Better Launches & Landings -

Part VII

a program by Pat Dem~vm1, artidt and iffustratio11s by Greg Shaw

Part two on landings: final approach.

34 Troubleshooting Your Parachute System by Bet~y P.feiffe,: illustmtions by Russ Brown Stuff m look our for and what LO do about it when you discover ir.

40 Flying Pikes Peak by Jeff by

!-Iinshaw, photos Michef Chirou.x Launching from 14, I 10 focc

47 The 1998 Region 9 X-C Contest bJ· Pete Lehmann Fifry-nine pilots cnrered four classes last year rn be recognized for rhe single longest llighr of the year in USHGA Region IX.

Columns

Departments

Editor's Corner, by Gil Dodgen ........... 13

Airmail ............. ......................................4

Incident Reports, by Bill Bryden .........62

Update ... ................................. ................8

Product Lines, by Dan Johnson ......... 63

Calendar of Evenrs .................... ........... 14

Ratings ..................................... ... .........44 Classified Advertising .............. ............ 51 L1dex to Advertisers ................. ............61

MARCH l 999

Gil Dodg<,n, Dave Pounds, Ari John Heiney, Gerry Charlebois, Leroy Grannis, Mark Vaughn, Bob Lowe Pholographors Harry Martin, !llustra/or Dennis Pag<m, Mark Stucky, Geoff Mumford, G.W. Meadows, Jim Palmicl'i, Staff Writers Phil Bachman, Executive Director, phbachnmn@ushga.org Jeff Elgal'l, Advorlising, jjelgart@ushga.org Joanne Peterson, Member Services, rjpe1erson@ushga.org Elaine Elgart, Web Aclministralor, en10lgmt@ushga.org Nalalie Hinsley, Merchandise Sr.'1vices, njhinsley@ushga.org John Halloran, Ad111inistr;1fiw Director jghallor;1n@ushga.org

Air Mail

Dear Editor, Acrorowing bas been touted as one of the biggest and best things to come along in the sport of hang gliding. fn addition, hybrids are sharing the limelight because they arc easy to fly and have much better performance than conventional flex wmgs. Acrotowing is fine for some, but J would rather drive up some dirty, rough road any day than acrotow. Foot launching from mountains is the way I like to fly, no matter bow many people praise the great airparks. ln addition, I have no desire to own or fly a hybrid. I love the way flex wings fly, even if they have less performance than hybrids. Outright glide is not what those of us who really love bang gliding arc looking for, othe1wise we would be flying sailplanes. I am a hang glider pilot, prcfor ro li.iot launch, and prefer flex wings.

experience, however, l have not found any pilots who follow the comperition scene with zeal akin to following the Rams or 49' ers. The vast majority I am acquainted with couldn't even tell you who the last World Champion was, let alone the lJ.S. Champion. Competition is fun, exciting, and most of all an outstanding lcnrning experience for those who participate, but it is indulged in by a small minority of pilots. If l need information about who placed where, in which meet and on what machine, all I have to do is read the glider ads. The rest of the competition coverage in Htmg Gliding is perfect in quantity, content. and extent, just as it is, for my money. I'd rather read articles about safe flying techniques and accident prevention, tuning and tweaking, and pilot reports on new gliders. Jules Gilpatrick Lakeview, OR

Aaron Swcpston Sumner, WA

INTERNATIONAL COMPFTITJON

come.

and il/ustr0,lio1ns crmcerning the material is lo !)(i return envolope must be made of submission lo other hang HANG GUDING magazine cor1tritmlions where necessary. The ,md nol ,1ssume rcsponsibil ity for the rnalcrJ .. or opinions of contributors. HANG GU DING cdilori· al offices: 31441 Santa Suite A·2S6, Rancho Santa ('WJ) Bfla.. 7363, fox ('Ji19) cw,:,,1-rM, GilDodf(c,n@aol.co111 The USHGA is il rnember. umirolled sporl organization and promotion of all facets dedicmcd to ihc of unpowmcd flight, and to the edun1tio11, and membership. is open anyone in this realm of for full mombership am (of lo the publication subscription rates Chang(,s o( address be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHGA number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue.

(7'19) ,o,:,o . :>l/U.

POSTAGE is Colorado Springs, CO and at addition,11 mailing POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDl,ESS TO: HANG CUDING, l'.0. 130X 1330, Colorado Springs,

Dear Editor, fcaro is quite correct regarding coverage of imcrnarional events in Hang Gliding: l suspect, however, that there is a good reason fcJ!' rhis lack of coverage lack of interest on the part of U.S. pilots in general. Speaking for myself, I would not be at all interested in reading about some free flight meet in some part of the world with which l am unfamiliar, flown by pilots with whom f am unacquainted, on equipment I can only dream about. I don't mean to sound xenophobic, but my time is limited and I have a hard enough time keeping up with free flight events in the U.S. flown by pilots I know. I have had the pleasure and honor of competing in several Nationals against pilots like Tomas and Manfred and am in awe of their skills, a, I am in awe of the skills of pilots like Chris Arai, Larry 'fiJdor and Jim Lee. In my 21-ycar free flight

Dear Editor, In my opinion the magazine devotes more than enough space to reporting on comperitions. I also believe thm such arti· des should focus on providing useful information to the readership (the week. . end pilo1) rather than a blow-by-blow recounting of events. Alrhough I've never rhought about it before, I suppose that I do agree with lcaro that the coverage tends to be very U.S.-centric, and that more of that space should be allocated to coverage of international meets. Of course, you can only print what authors submit. I very much appreciate the efforts of those who donate their rime and energy to submit articles and then have to put up with criticism from the likes of me. Tyson Richmond 'fampa, FL

CO BO'JOl-1330.

MARCI I 1999 VOLUMF 29, ISSUE No. 3

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Air Mail LANDING Dear Editor, Bad landings arc ofrcn rhc result of mistakes made minures before touchdown. Hang gliders have evolved from easy-to-Ay "kites" to complex aircraft, and as a result we need checklists ro set up, preflight, launch, land, and break down our wings. My landing checklist includes: 1) VG at 50 percem, 2) radio off, 3) rotated in harness ro maximum head-up position, 4) harness unzipped, 5) drogue chute deployed, G) enter the box landing pat-tern. This checklist includes steps for Aight systems some people don't have or need. I fly with a radio, a glider th;1t lands best with 50 perccm VG, an adjustable harness and a drogue chute. All these systems make landings more complicated to perform, but help rne fly better and more safely. This is especially true of the drogue chute; my landings have improved 100 percent with one! Complete these steps before entering the pattern if you want to concentrate on the landing. 'T'his means finishing the list before entering the approach pattern (downwind, base and final). J arrived at the checklist order by trial and error. 'Jypically l mess up my landings when l do things our of sequence or forget something. Por example, the radio is off sol c:m concentrate, I'm rotated in

rhe harness so I am completely vertical, and the harness is unzipped so l don't have to kick my way out five feet above the ground. Finally, getting the drogue chute out early is imporran t because [ need to know if my glide angle will be 12: I or 7: 1 while landing. Consider creating your own mental checklist for landings. You might be surprised how much it helps!

launch, but my foot-launch skills have never been a problem. l normally do take the time to shake off the rust at a training hill before going to the mountains. John Tjaaland Milwaukee, WI

J'!l asle our authors to help address this issue. -~-Fri.

Crant Hoag lrvine, CA

LAUNCH/LAND Dear Editor, [ wanted to let you know how hclpfril and appreciated the articles regarding better launches and landings have been to me, and to rnany others l'rn sure. My suggestion or hope is that you will also address how to respond when things go wrong while launching, such as a wing being lifted, etc. My request is the result of a personal experience this past flying season. I almost blew a launch and it shook me up. [ tried to get answers fi-om other club members and instructors and found the advice to he incomplete and conflicting. I consider myself to be a cautious and competent Hang[][ pilot. I will admit that the majority of my flying hours arc from tow-

Dear Editor, On a recent trip to Arizona l had the pleasure of meeting and Aying with Rob Richardson and Corey Burk of the Arizona Hang Gliding Center in Dewey, AZ. My student, Dale Kernahan, was with me and I wanted her to get a tandem flight while we were there. We caught Rob and Corey on a day when the shop was normally closed, but they went out of their way to accommodate us. It turned 0111 t:o be one of those days thar is unique to hang gliding, and nor only did Dale get her tandem flight, I took one too. l rccornrnend the Arizona Hang Gliding Center to any pilot visiting the area and wish to thank Rob and Corey fc:Jr the fun time we had. John Stokes Sevierville, TN

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Coloracjo Springs, CO 80901 1-800-616-6888 fax (719) 632-6417 www.ushga.org

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Update LARRY SANDERSON ELECTED AS USHGA HONORARY DIRECTOR t the 1998 USH GA fall Board of Directors meeting, the Directors elected Larry Sanderson an Honorary Director of the USHGA Board. Larry has been the Executive Vice President of the Soaring Society of America since 1984 and was elected as its President in 1997. He has been instrumental in SSA's evolution and modernization into the present highly-effective 15,000-member organization. Larry and the SSA have had a long-standing working relationship with USHGA, exchanging information and assistance on publishing, merchandising, management systems, site preservation and regional, national and international policy issues. Larry graduated from Michigan State University in 1973 with a B.A. in political science. He earned a Masters degree in management from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. As an Adjunct Professor of Management at the College of the Southwest, Larry manages to include part-rime teaching assignments in his busy schedule in the areas oflmernational Marketing, Principles of Management, and Marketing and Strategic Management. Prior to joining the Soaring Society of America, Larry managed his own firm specializing in marketing, public relations and political organization on the stare and national levels for individual and association clients. Larry and his wife Linda have four children, Mandy, Angie, Brandon and Steven. Larry has been recognized at the international level for his service on behalf of sport aviation as the recipient of the Tissandier Diplome from the FAl and at a national level as the two-time recipient of the Exceptional Service Award from the SSA for his work in governmental affairs and international compennon. Always willing to lend his support, Larry attended the last USHGA Board of Directors meeting in Colorado Springs

and participated in several of our committee discussions.

THREE NEW GPS UNITS FROM GARMIN

armin International has announced three new GPS units in their recreational line: the GPS 12CX, GPS III+ and NavTalk. The 12CX is based on the popular GPS 12 and 12XL. The 12CX boasts Garmin's new color LCD screen which displays characters, tcons, numbers and letters in crisp red, green and blue, making it ideal for differentiating between nearby waypoin ts and tangled track logs. Other noteworthy features of the 12CX are submersible waterproof construction, a 10year lithium battery to preserve stored data, greatly improved battery life (up to 35 hours) and position averaging. The GPS III+ is based on the GPS III, bur with enhanced cartographic capabilities formerly found only in high-end automotive navigation and marine chart plotting units. The GPS III+ base map, similar to the map in the GPS III, contains over 10,000 additional towns as well as airport locations and secondary roads. The GPS III+ also offers an innovative CD ROM feature. Simply plug the III+ into a PC and download data from Garmin's optional line ofMapSource CD ROM's. Some of the other noteworthy features of the III+

are submersible waterproof construction, a 10-year lithiun1 battery to preserve stored data, greatly improved battery life (up to 24 hours) and position averaging. T he NavTalk is the first two-way communication system to combine electronic mapping and GPS-to-cellular technology. The NavTalk has all the functions of a full-featured cell phone as well as the electronic mapping functionality of the III+, including the abi)jty to upload derailed maps from CD ROM. Some of the other noteworthy features of the NavTalk are submersible waterproof construction, Dual Tone Multiple Frequency (DTMF) location reporting, DTMF numeric paging, a 100-entry electronic phone book with spell and find, and NiMH battery with 160 minutes talk time (12-hour standby with GPS on and 26-hour standby with GPS off). W ith tlus unit, X-C retrieval will be as simple as dialing your driver when you land and pressing a button . Your exact position will instantly be displayed on his moving map. T he GPS CX, III+ and NavTalk will prove to be invaluable tools for the serious X-C and competition pilot as well as recreational pilots who want the latest cool electronics. For more information on these exciting new G PS uruts as well as the complete Garmin recreation, marine and aviation line contact: Flytec USA, 1800-662-2449, (352) 332-8675, fax (352) 332-8676, usaflytec@aol.com

FLYTEC GPS ADAPTER BRACKET

lytec USA is pleased to announce their GPS Adapter Bracker for the 4000 series varios. While instruments for hang gliding and paragliding have been electronically GPS interfaced for some time, it has been left up to the pilot to figure out how to attach the GPS to me glider. Flytec USA has solved tl1e problem with their GPS H ANG GLIDING

Adapter Bracket. The bracket weighs just three ounces, installs in secon.ds to the standard Flytec val'io bracket arrd will accommodate the Garmin. GPSI1, II+, HI, I1I Pilot and the new GPS UT+. The bracket places the GPS. in-line and in front oft:he Flytec 4000 varlo for the most aerodynamically strean1lined instrumen.t package available. The bracket also takes into com;ideration the need for LCD screens to he properly angled to be easily viewed l)y securing the GPS at the optimum viewing angle with to thevario. The Adapter Bmcket is made from sturdy aluminum which affords considerable protection to the vario and GPS in the event of a less-than-graceful landing. The bracket also simplifies instrument setup by cHminating the separate GPS bracket and safety lanyard. The. complete instrument package will also stillfit inthe standard Flytec protection c.irry bag. When the Adapter Bracket is used with the Flytec 4030 GPS Access Vari" ometer, the X,.,C and competition pilot willhave the edge user friendly speedto-fly information it1 the smallest, light_. most rugged andeasy-t<:H.ise il1$tru". rnent package. The brac;ket ls riot .only for top-of-the-line varlos, ir will .also work with the rest of the Plytec 4000 series as well as tbe 3005 and rhe 3005SL F01' more info contact your Flytec dealer or Flytec USA, 1-800-662-2449, (352) 332-8676, usaflytec@aol.com, www.flytec.coin.

of the 1999 Regional ....,,,,_..,,,,!'· Elections are in. We'd .like

to i;:ongratulate the foll<>wing who elected to.serve on the USHGA Board of Diwctors.

REGION 1: Bill Bolosky REGION 2: Ray Leonard REGION 3: Ken Baier REGION 4: Mark Ferguson REGION 7: BiU Bryden REGION 8: Doug Sharpe REGION 9: Geoff Mumford REGION I 0: GW Mead<>WS REG1()N 12: Paul Voight

Please see the B<>ard of Directors pagein this magazfoe for a complete listing of all Regional, At-Large and Honorary Directors;

eptember 2-8 1999 ···-Aspen, Col~ orado, Red Bull Energy Drink is proud to present rhe second "Red Bull Wings Over Aspen." The 1999 event will feature the same format as the highly successfoJ 1998 event. Red Bull Wings Over Aspen will host the U.S. National Paraglidhig Championships as well as a hang gliding aerobatics competition. The para1~iding competition will include an Open Class and a DHV 2-3/Afoor Perform:mce Class. The total prfae money purse is $25,000, with win·· nlngs ,,warded down to )0th place .in both hang gliding and paragliding. Cornpli~ menting the great flying will he nightly parties, live and big fun. Register early to. e11stu::e ,t position! For more information and registration contact: Red Bull Wings Over Aspen, P.O. Boxl0835, Aspen,C081612 (970) 61 3038, fax (970) 544-6522, reclbullwoa@aspen.com, Aspen .com/xed~ bullwoa.

er a great circle distance of 25·1 miles from Hobbs, New Mexico to Texline, 'Icxas. Flis flight began with a 1,500-fi><>t aemtow at the Hobbs Industrial Aitpark from which he flew due north for nearly eight hours, eventually landing. when a wall of overdevdoped clouds blocked his path just short of Oklahoma. There was a light 15-mph tailwind during the flight and his altitude never reached.more. rhan 6,000 AGL. This flight doesn'.tbeaJ Larry 'Ibdor's Class 1 open dist,mce record of over 300 miles, htit R;:imy is eager to ny again this year and he's. hoping for bettel" weather and a stronger tailwind. Bright Gliders congratulate$ Ramy on his new world record and his first-place finish in the 1998 Atlantic Coast Championships. Pilots interested in finding out more about the Blight Star Millennium may call (707) 576~7627 or visit www.sirios.com/ ~rnibco/Millennium.html.

his award is in. recognif.1onof. out.standing contributions by inclividu~ a.ls and/or .organizations who deserve recognition fc>r what they are presently doing or have done iiJ the pa.st for the bet~ tennent, safety, progress, recognition, pro motion, growth and development oflowspeed flight. award was .established. in 1997, 0

riser on. its. di:rtg chutes. Less of the drag chutes Aeros a problem with the main even this problem was found during static testing. Aeros drag chute owners should contac.t U.S ..Aeros for an immediate replacernent riser which takes about seconds and no tools whatsoever to This riser will be provid,. ed and shipped free of charge. Aeros does not be.lieve the problem is widespread, but .in keeping with its custo.mer service policy, they wjl! the main riser on all Aeros drag chutes curren.tly in use. Contact U.S. Aeros, (252) 480-3552, aeros@justfly.com for mom info;

Yanet:i. of Israel recently set a new 2 Open Distance World Record flying a Bright Star Millennium hang glide:

RULBS'ANIJ RHGULA.TlON.5 l. 'I'he individual and/or organization's contributions must be an. apparent service ro the development and/oJ' promotion 9f low-speed personal Hight, 2. 'T'his service must transcend the individual's a.nd/or organization's financial gain. 3. An candidate.one year may be re-nominated for the .Award the following year, or for any number of.sµJ1~ sequent years. 4. IC Jn the opinion of the Awards Committee,· there is no qitalified candicktte for the .Award during any or1e year, it !s understood.the Award is not tohe made during that year. Continued o.n p(1gf/ 57. HANG GUDINO

ME p

PHON

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In consideration of the benefits to be derived from membership in the USHGA, (PilotJ and the parent or legal guardian of a minor, for themselves, their personal representatives, heirs, executors, next of kin, spouses, minor children and assigns, do agree as follows: DEFINITIONS - 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. means injury, and/or or fim1ncilal injury sustained by Pilotas a result of THE SPORTand/or as a result of the administration of any USHGA programs (for example: the Pilot Proficiency System). If Pilot is under 18 years of age, the term nPr'«.n111;i1 injury, bodily injury, death, and/or Pilot as well as mJury, death, or tin~1nr,,,,1 sustained by Pilot's parents or legal guardians, as a result of THE SPORTand/or as a result of the administration of any USHGA programs. 3. ru::,1L.cJJ.1.Jtt::.v P.'AR.TIE.'S' means the following, including their owners, officers, directors, agents, spouses, employees, officials (elected or otherwise), members, independent 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 Pi/ot:S-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 Pi/otlaunches, flies and/or lands; e) Each of the property owners on or over whose property Pilotmay launch, fly and/or land; All persons involved, in any manner, in the sports of hang gliding and/or paragliding at the site(s) where D 11 AII persons involved 11 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 FOIRBfER 1ru:;;;1..u;;r1,n;; AND DISCHARGE the PARTIESfrom any and all liabilities, claims, demands, or causes of action that I may hereafter have for J:P,'1R1r.r IJV/lJWIJ.:'J'. however caused, even if caused by the negligence (whether active or passive) of any of the n,:;;.11.,:;;11.JJa;;u PA,rm:S. to the fullest extent allowed by law. C. I A against any of the loss or damage on account of CP,'1R;rc /JV/IJWIJ.;S. If Iviolate this agreement by filing such a suit or making such a claim, I will pay all attorneys' fees and costs of the ...........,.~.....v P.481/EJ: I this shall be and cm11strued dis1put1es and matters whatsoever arising under, in connection with or incident to this Agreement Court located in U.S.A. to the exclusion of the Courts of any other State or Country. E. 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. F. I THAT Pilofo at least 18 years of age, or, that I am the parent or legal guardian of Pilot and am making this agreement on behalf of myself and If I am the parent or legal guardian of I AND the for their defense and indemnity from any claim or liability in the event that 1'1/ot suffers IN even if caused in whole or in part by the negligence (whether active or passive) of any of the n,;;;1r.,;;,i,,1,J1x.;.u P.:4R;r/E.f.

Pilot if

..... .,.,11..JI~ KNOWN AND UNKNOWN,

I have Arftilt Pilot's Signature

Date

Jignat11re ofMot's Parent or Legal Guatdian tlPrlot 11nder 18years ofage.

Date

MMR 11-97

by Gil Dodgen, Editor soteric special--intcrcst publications like Hang Gliding arc in a unique situation: The only people who have anything of interest to say to hang glider pilots arc other hang glider pilots. We thus rely to a great extent on comribu-tions from our readers, the USHCA membership. !-fang G!idingwclcomes contributions of all kinds: articles, illustrations and photographs. We do receive a !or of material and greatly appreciate it, hut unfortunately we can't use it all. Space is always a limitation, and a large number of factors must be taken inro consideration - article balance, time sensitivity, the quality of the material, how long contributions have been in our editorial pipeline, etc. ln addition, unanticipated last-minute problems or changes often cause difficulties and require a sudden change in publication planning. Space availability is ofrcn difficult to predict well in advance, because our "must-include" material varies from issue to issue: display and classified advertising, calendar items, ratings, incident reports, news items, USlIGA business, ere. Publication planning is ofren a bal--

ancing act on a moving tightrope. This article is part of an effcm to improve our system of dealing with contributions and contributors. All advertising materials and queries should be directed 10 Jeff Elgart at USHGA Headquarters. Editorial material (news and calendar items, articles, photos, etc.) may be submitted directly to the cdiror at the addresses below by regular mail or c--mail. Please include a sclf~addrcsscd envelope for the return of materials, and a phone number or e-mail address is grcady appreciated so we can comact you easily. Ar this writing we have implemented a system of logging contributions that do 1101 appear in the issue under consrruc-tion, and we may wish to hang on to your material for some time with the idea of publishing it in the future. As mentioned, we receive more editorial material rhan we have room for, and we may eventually need to return your article or photos. Please accept our apologies in this event, and know that we greatly appreciate your effort. When submitting e-mail it is best to paste the article copy directly into the

body of t·hc c--mail message as texr--only (ASCII), prcforahly withom cnd-orlinc hard returns. Anachmcms arc oft:cn prob--lcmaric because of word processor, software version, and operating system incompatibilities. (We use Macs, since the publishing industry is standardized on this hardware and OS.) hlr color reproduction, transparencies (slides) arc best, but we do use a lot of' col-or prints with articles. We virtually never use prints for rhc cover or ccntcrsprcad. E-mail submission of photos is not recommended except for review purposes. Typical jpcg and tiff files (which look great on your computer monitor) rarely contain enough data for reproduction at the resolutions required for four--color printing, unless they end up very small in the magazine. It is best to submit original photos and !er us scan them. Phoro CD scans will usually be acceptable for reproduction, but please do not c--mail them because of the size of the Hies. Thank you for your contributions 10 Hang Gliding; We greatly appreciate the time and effort expended on bchalr of our readership.

The editor may be contacted flt: Gil Dodgen, 31441 Santti Mtlrgarita Pkwy, Suite A-256, Rancho Stlnta Marge1ritrl, CA 92688 (949) 888-7%3 (phone), (949) 888-7464 (jiix), Gil!)odgen{f_ilflol.com. II

Cloudbase 100

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MARCIi 1999

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r Caleudar ofcvents items WILL N()'f be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later rhan six weeks prior rn the cvem. We request 1wo mond1s lead 1ime for regional and national meets.

APRJL 18-24: Wallaby Open Cross·· Country Hang Gliding Competition. 450-poim acrotow meet ar Wallaby Ranch, Florida, site of the 1998 Atlantic Coast Championships. Mce1 Director: Jim Zeiset/J.C. Brown. $5,000 cash prize, welcome barbecue and grand awards ceremony. I·lotcls within two miles will be offering a disco11n1cd rare for pilots. Great food on site all week! Come early and fly with World '!cam Academy's Mark "Gibb(i" Gibson and M ikc Barber. Contact: (941) 424-0070, fly(r.i)wallaby.com. APRIL 25-MAY 1: 1999 U.S. flang Gliding Nationals and ii tlcmtic Coast Championships, presented by Creal WorldClass Meets at Quest Air Soaring C:cmcr near Orlando, Florida. Four-class acro1owing competition: topless flex wing, kingpostcd, wings, singlc-surfocc. Fun daily crosscountry competitions and spot landings, bomb drops, etc., for non-·scrious competitors. Lots of fnn stuff for the entire family. Contact: G.W. Meadows 480·3552, fax 480-0117, www.j11sdly.com. APRIi. 30-MAY 2: The /.1,1Jt Air Nace of'

the Century/World Open Invitational. 'T'he Fort r:unswn Air Races arc hack! Five-mile out-an<l-rcrnrn course. Think you arc fast? Prove it! Come fly and race witl1 the best. Cash prizes, awards, Tshins and barbecue. Fmry fee $1 50. Emry must he received by April 16. For more information con·

tact: David Ruiz, 1268 A 25th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122 (41 5) 564. 7203, davidr(r7lroscwood.his.ucsf~El )U, or e-mail Alan Sakayama at av8cr_207lya hoo.com.

(970) 618· 3038, fax (970) 544-6522, redbullwoa(t1Jaspcn.com, Aspen.co1n/rcdbullwoa.

JUNE 18-20: I 0th ilrmual Wild, Wild Wr:st Regional.,,, X-C flying suirablc for all skill levels. Party, hot springs, 'T~shirts, lots of fun. Great for competition training. $100 umil May 23, $12 5 thereafter. Contact: Adventure Sports 883-7070, advspts(rhpyramid.nct, www.pyramid.net/advs1irs.

APRil, l 0-11: First Annual Hearne Spring 'frJw-Fest, municipal airport al Hearne, TX. Fun competition and

JULY 5-10: C'helan Cross Country Cl11ssic. Pilots create their own tasks from among triangle, ouhmd-·rcturn, and open distance. Extra points for coming back. $70 ($65 before June 15). Cheap camping available at the airport and above the high school football field, showers. Contact: Peter Gray at petcrgray@foxintcrncr.net, (206) 270 8642. Write to: 4532 36th Ave. W., Seattle, W/\ 98199-11

APRIL 29-31: Star Thistle Fly-In. HG and PG, Woodrat Mountain in sou1hcrn Oregon. Barbecue, prizes, cxcellenr flying and a whole lot of fun. Contacr: (541) 8997:327, chriswic(rilshared.ner.

AUG. 7-8: Regiomd J J ]hw Contest, municipal airport at Hearne, TX. Fun competition and taxi .. way party. Hang gliding and p:iraglicling. awards for spor.. landing, ' duration, ere. Camping at Contact: Len Smith (281) 693·73 I 1, leonard.srnith@stoncwcb.com.

SEPT 2-8: Red Bull Wing!' Over Aspen, Aspen, CO. U.S. National Paragliding Championships and hang gliding acrobatics competition. Open Class and DHV Performance Class 5,000 in prize 111011 for paragliding. cy awarded down to I 0th place in bo1h hang gliding and paragliding. Nightly live music, hig fun. Register to ensure a position. Contact: Red Bull Wings Over Aspen, PO. Box I Aspen, CO B1612

raxi-way party. 1"lang gliding and paragliding. Awards for spot-landing, X-C, duration, etc. Camping al air.. port. Contact: Len Smith (281) 693 731 I, lconard.smith@stoncwcb.com.

MAY I .. 2: J\,foyD11y Ply-In cu the Point of the Mountain, to raise money for local charity. All frec··flycrs welcome for a weekend of fon, food and fancy. Only $20 plus UHGA membership. Contact: Lisa Verzclla at altair@rnicron. 11ct.

MJ\ Y 7- l 0: Annual Hang Gliding .~;m·ttJculcir find Air Garnes at Jockey's Head, NC and Ridge State Park, Currimck County Airport, Currituck, NC. The oldest continuous hang gliding competition in the world and airsports expo including skydiving, paragliding, ultralights and more. Dunc competitions begin on the 7th. Demonsrrations, aerotow competition, street dance and awards ceremony. Contact: Ann Thompson, Kitry Hawk 441-4127 ext. 11, Kites, Inc. an n ieCtDkit ryhawk.com. MAY 14-16: 1999 South Carolinll at Glassy Mountain near Greer, SC. Come enjoy flying and competing (spot, duration, X-C, balloon loss, c1c.) at this bcamiful

HJ\NC CUDINC

south--facing mountain. Plaques awarded to all I st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in all competitions (except balloon toss). $20 entry fee for competition flying, $ l Cl for fun flying. Fly-ln T-shirts and sweatshirts available. Classy launch is 1,500' AC l .. Contact: Paul Peeples, l~O. Box 2121, Brevard, NC 2871 (828) 885-25%, pbrannenp@Dcitcom.11e1.

UNTIL APRIL: Winter Flying Mecca in Mexico. You've heard of Valle de Bravo. Packages by the clay. Come for a day, a week or a month. Contact: 1-800861-7198, www.flymcxico.com, jcffCtilflyrnexico.com

UNTIL MAY: Mosquito Clinics, presented by Bill Fi for throughout North America. Call (6 I 6) 922-28/i4 for scheduling infrmnation in your area.

available. Contact: lkaros Sport Aviation (718) 77'7·7000, fax (718) 777-3621, ikaros I I (tlJaol.com, www.flyforfun.net.

APRIL I 0-11: Aero tow clinics. Please hook in

MARCH 20-21, 27-·28

advance. $ J 50. Comact Gregg at GrayBird AirSpons, 245-8263 or (352)489-9969, fly(!"hgraybirdairsporrs.com.

25-27: 11th 1-'A Ultmlight Fly1n, Ickes Public Ulrralighr Air Park, RT. l, Box 300A, Osterburg, PA 16C>67. Sponsored by EAA Ultralight Club #U64. Contact: (814) freeflyr(t,)nb.ner, or send SASE lo address above. AUG. 16-22: 26th Annutd Telluride Airmm'.r Rendezvous. Contact: Nick Kennedy (970) 728-3905.

OCT 1-3: October's Rest fly-In, at Sauratown Mountain near Winston-· Salem, Nonh Carolina. The evem's eighth cdirion welcomes paragliding for the first time at a new slope launch on the mountain's top. Still featuring the East Coast's fo1est cliff launch, "flow-through" ramps, a variety of' usable wind directions. Aerornwing returns for a second year as docs a f'ulltirne cafotcria in the LZ. Events start J:riday morning with judging Saturday ;ind Sunday. For skill level and odier info contact: Doug Rice (336) 994 Appa Photo(/1\wl.com (hang gliding), or Ben Thomas (:BG) 7230824, k4zep@lbcllsomh.net (paragliding). Web site linked to US! !GA.

UNTH, MARCH: Valle de Bravo, Mexico tours. HC and PG. C:onsisten1 weather for great flying. Daily rates, rental gear. Contact: I ·800-86 I 198, www.f1ymcxico.com, jeff(f1)flymcxico.corn.

MARCIi 1999

THROUGH NOV. 1999: "Owens Vfllley at its Best" Cross-Country. Thermal guide to the Owens Valley with Kari Casile. One·· to nine-day adventures. Private one-on,-one flying, guide servin: and instruction also available. Hike 'n' fly the peaks of the Sierras and White M ts. Contact Kari for more information: karicastle(tDtclis.org (760) 872-2087.

MARCH 1. APRTL 17: Floridcz cross-

country tune-up flying for 1999. Florida X-C: meet and the Nationals. Contact Cregg at CrayBird AirSpons, 245-8263 or (352) 489-9969, fly@graybirdairsports.com.

MARCH 6-7: Dunlap Flying Safr.1.ri. per day, Hang Il's only. MARCH 1921: Basic Instructor Training Program (TTP). $250. APRIL 3: Taunch and /,anding Clinic, by Par Denevan. Covers all aspects: weather, equipment, pilot habits. Includes lecture, simulator practice, hillside training.

$125. Advance reservations required. Contact: Mission Soaring Ccmcr, 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035 (near San Jose), (408) 2621055, fox (408) 2621388, mscl1g@aol.com.

MARCH 19-22: /CP with Michael

Robertson and Steve Ma/rrinos at lkaros Sport Aviation facilities. Please book in advance. per pilot. 'lc)wing

MARCH 20·28: N11tional instructor

Fly-In and !CP Super Clinic at Lookout Moun1ain Flight Park. Contact: (706) 398-351, I, www.hanglide.com, fly@hanglide.com. MARCH 26-28: IC'P with John Ryan in

San Diego, CA. Both Basic and Advanced, and recertifying. Contact: The Hang Gliding Center (6 J 9) 461 1441 APRIL 2-li: Tandem Clinic with John Ryan in San Diego, CA. Contact: The Hang Gliding Center (619) li6 I

1441. APRIL 24: f>tm.u.·hu.t1' Clinic by Betty Pfeiffer. includes clinic, repack, practice deployments and lunch. Specially discounted aerotows for clinic participants. Reservations advised. Comact: Roh Richardson, Ari:,,ona Hang Gliding Center, (520) 6:324114, ahgc(tilnorrhlink.com.

MAY 13-16: !CP 1md fnstructor'.1 Workshop at Tck Hight Produus. Preregistration required. Contact: Ben or Alegra Davidson, 'Jck Flight Products, Winsted, CT 06098 (860) 379- l 668, tck(t1Jsncr.nct.

by Carol Graham

You've Come A

The year was 1981. I was 25 years old and totally enamored with a skinny hang glider pilot and ski instructor in Ruidoso, New Mexico named Curt Graham. Curt and his friends who flew the giant kites had suckered me into being their driver for a couple ofyears, with truck-stop dinners on the way back from the flying site and all the beer I could drink. After two seasons worth oftrips do and its home site, Dry Canyon -

mainly to Alamogor-

up and down gnarly four-wheel-

drive roads, traveled only by committed pilots and their gullible girlfriends and compadres-at-large, I figured out that the pilots were having much more fan than the drivers.

hey, after all, could fly down. I was left to spend 45 minutes driving down a teeth-clenching, brain-jarring, heart-stopping path, trying like hell to keep the '74 Land Cruiser from rolling over without breaking an arm in the lurching steering wheel in the process. Surely flying a hang glider was easier than chat! I stood many times on the sheeredged cliff at Dry Canyon, holding the nose of the gliders until the pilors yelled "CLEAR!" and I'd slam myself flat on the rocks as they launched into the air behind me. I saw how they flew like birds into the sky, and decided that I wanted that look on my face. I swear, by this rime I felt con£denr that I knew how to thermal, because I'd heard their stories and wacched their flighcs so often. I rarely got co see any landings; I was always still launching the last guy or making my way down, often lace in the day. But takeoffs and ridge soaring I had down pac. I could do this, I decided. "Teach me how, Curt. I want to be a pilot," I finally asked. Luckily for me, I was in love with the right guy (not so much that he was the greacest pilot in the world, although I was sure he was a contender). Cure

had been teaching skiing for seven years at thac point, and as everyone knows, skiing is one thrill sport chac has its ducks in a row when ic comes to markecing itself. How do you gee people from three co 83 years old, from places where there aren't even any hills, to crave! great distances and spend big bucks co strap long, narrow boards to cheir feec, stand at the cop of icy, slippery slopes, and hurl themselves down trails where its almost guaranteed they're going to fall, frequently and hard? Do yo u line up a staff of world-class racers? No. You gee young people who enjoy the spore, and (here's the key) reach them how to teach. You show them how to get a bunch of frighcened flaclanders to a) be safety conscious, b) have lots of fun , and c) (the third priority) learn something. This is the formula ski instructors have been refining over the yea rs char has made the sport grow steadily and become a huge money-maker. Fairly frequent accidents and occasional but wellpublicized fatalities have not deterred vacationers from traveling all over the world to pur whole families, including little children, on skis. Teaching people how to maneuver safely and have big

fun is the key to motivating them to return year after year, move on to more advanced (and expensive) equipment, and stay with the sport. There's a distinct progression in reaching skiing successfully (or anything else for chat matter). Curt descri bes it like this: "First, I asked folks, 'Can yo u walk?' Yes? Now try it wirh skis on your feet. Now we'll add a slight slope. Goe that down? Okay, now we'll add another H ANG G LI DING

Long

skill - turning. Comfortable? Now, on to slightly steeper terrain. The key is a progression of small steps leading from unskilled to skilled. The biggest mistake an instructor can make is to rake a student up rhe hill too high, too fasr. Ir's like stepping-stones across water. The stones have to be close enough for people to feel secure enough to go on. If rhe srep looks or feels too great, they turn around and go home - and they don't MARCH 1999

ay, Baby!

Pilot pushed out, nose tether taut, ju.st past neutral trim.

Note tow bridle on top ofbasetube. Side tethers consist ofhalfinch bungee with four-millimeter perlon to limit travel.

L--'"""'::::,_....;iiiiiiiii=:::::=:=~........;;.........l..il 17

Boom, window and side booms are

alJ attached with quick releases to change to a tow rig.' ·Talk about

platfonn p ayout towing! Note the retractable nose boom in action. I

--~

APRIL 18 - 24, 1999

CROSS COUNTRY HANG GLIDING COMPETJON Site of the 1998 Atlantic Coast Championships S5000.00 Cash Prize. Meet Direction: Jim Zeisct I J.C. Brown Contact \Valla by Randi : (941) 424-0070 or fl),rq;wallab)·.com

co me back. Teaching skii ng caught me that a comfortable, do-able progression of small steps will keep people excited abo ut com ing back and staying with the sport. " When it came to hang gliding (back in 1981 ) Curt used these teaching skills and the available terrain and equipment. The progression he used to teach me went something like this: 1) I hoisted the glider (an old ASG 20) onto my shoulders and ran up and down on the flats. 2) Having "mastered" that, I moved a little ways up the hill, and my feet would leave the ground for one or two seco nds. I did this until I was exhausted. 3) I kept moving higher up the incline and achieved ever-longer periods of flight, up to about six or seven seconds. This progression, used by enlightened hang gliding instru ctors of that era, provided the bes t means of attracting new pilots and promo ting the sport. Problems, however, d id arise. In m y case, my hang gliding career was arrested when, while runni ng down a hill with occasional rocks and flora in my path, I tripped and uprooted a cactus with my hip. I spent the next two days having thorns removed from my butt and gave up learning to fly. My co mfort level had been exceeded. Other potential pilots had slighcly different but equally discouraging experiences . Often, studems would be very successful when it came to launching, because they had gone through th e launch progression on the training hill, but never really succeeded when it came to developing actual flying skills, primarily because the flights only lasted a few seconds. Cun, however, cam e up with another plan for gening me into the air. The following year, during the summer of 1982, he bought a giant ProAir 220, a double-s urface Co met clone that would accommodate the two of us . By this time I was a pro at wire-assisting on launch, and had learned that a steady, fai rly stiff wind made launching easier with less running. (My experience on the training hill had taught me to believe th at the less running, the bener.) With this in mind , I passed up my first tandem opportunities a d waited until a particular Sunday when the wind was howling as we drove up D ry Canyon.

Suffice it to s:1y, 1 went 011 rhc rowdiest rodeo ride of my entire lifr and threw up in the turlmlcnt air over New Mexi · co. I would not fly in a hang glider again until 1993. The lesson learned from this by Curt was very clear. Although tandem flight secrned like just the ticket for teaching flying skills, taking a swdcnt up in soaring conditions was rhc equivalent of taking a beginning skier up rhe slope too high and too fost. Their ability to learn would shur down, and he'd lose them. A much more effective teaching method arrived when Jerry Forburgcr came up with his p:1you1 piad<Jrm towsystem fcir hang gliders back in 1986. Everything changed :11 that point. There was now a much easier w:iy to get fcJlks involved in the sport. First, no four-wheel-drive roads prevenred inrcr ested bystanders from seeing how it all works. In facr, no moumains or cliff bunches were required at all. Second, tandem towing as a means of'gcning studenrs into the air permitted many hassle-free, gentle, safe, frm-fillcd flights in smooth conditions. Tc)wi ng also made previously unimagined flight distances possible by bringing hang gliding, and jmt recently parnglidiJJg, to the flatl:mds like Hobbs, New Mexico, where C11rt now h;is his school and rowing operation set up. Lirry Tbdor and Tiki Mashy have both proved this with their world-record lv\i\1,CI I I 999

r(~h t! The Is in the center o/the window

fellow Moyes

1998 Women's World Chan1pion

r just soar the local dunes with a couple of mates, there 1s a Moyes glider for

Become part of the Moyes familyFly a Moyes

hang gliding flights from Hobbs, as hc1s pc1raglider pilot Will Gadd who set a new world record there. '] 'his flat, wide·· open area has proven to be unequaled in offering the best possible conditions for soaring and distance flights. Just as exciting, however, are oppor-tunities to tec1ch the sport. Curt has now added a significant dimension to his well-thought-out progression for teaching hang gliding that evolved so long ago from his experience as a ski instructor. He calls it the BoomBar. The BoomB:u came into being because, even with towing, a beginning student might still get "too high, too fast" by starting out with a tandem /light and shooting up 2,000 fret rigl11 off the bat. Curt's idea for placing the stepping stones a little closer together is a tethered flight system. He doesn't call it a "simulator" because the glider actually flies. Tt is a vehicle (resembling a clumsy barmobile more th,m anything) with a 13-foot boom that c1rticulates freely from a universal joint in the nose of the beast. The boom extends back through a steel frame that limits its up-and-down and side-to--side motion, and it is attached to the CG of a hang glider. The boom holds a rotating shafr with another universal joint that allows this setup to accommodate all three axes (pitch, roll and yaw) required for the hang glider to truly fly. The student climbs into a harness, hooks in, and is driven up and down

the runways of Hobbs Industrial Air Park, where Curt's school is located. The new pilot actually "flies," tethered to the BoomBar, with Cun in the driver's seat, explaining and giving instructions. Withom the anxiety of being 2,000 feet off the ground, the studen1 can relax and focus on what is required to successfi.illy steer the glider. When both student and ins1ructor feel ready, a tandem flight in calm conditions comes next. What a difference from my learning experiences in the early 1980's! Curt's 13 years of experience teaching skiing, coupled with some trial and error (life's constant coach!) in the hang gliding arena, have brought his school to a point that we didn't even imagine back on that training hill near Ruidoso so long ago. The use of video as an advanced learning aid bas also been added to his arsenal of teaching tools. Being openminded about learning from others and pursuing new technological ideas will help secure a place for hang gliding in the future of sport: aviation. I've become, once again, a big proponent of hang gliding and an avid tandem passenger. I've seen the looks on the faces of hang glider pilots when they fly, and it's contagious. We've come a long way. Who can possibly imagine what's next? Iii

. . Fl

,-,.-..,he reason my BoomBat vehicle looks the way it. does is that Iny go,d was to kill twci birds with one stone: tethered flight and towing. In the front, I imtalled a winch for towing (not a component of the BoomBar of course). A basic pack" age that could be added to any pickup truck would begin with a heavy-duty brush guard in the front tQ ho.Id a w1iversal joint. Since up-·and-down and side~to-side motion are all that is required here, a simple truck drive shaft universal joi11t is that's necessary, for the boom, because of the need for light weight, I chose a 2'' x 4" x l/8" thick length of continuous recta1igukir aluminum tubing, 13 Jong. It ex:ternjs through an adjustable vertical and horizontal "window." Where the boom hits the window I added extra alu·· min um -c.. essentially a skid plate to protect the boom from inevitable chafing. (Improvements could be made in this area.) The width of the window is dictat~ ed by the width of the platform; the student feels most cornfot:table Hying over the deck. I found that the of the boom needs to be between and 65 degrees. (Below degrees; the flying wires chafe. Above 65 degrees, the pilot, especially a i:all one, bumps his head.) On hang glider end of the boom there is a.nother universal joint. This u-joint is a smaller one, and is attached

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HANC CI.IDINC

by Curt Grahan·t to a shaft which rotates on a bearing at

the end of the boom. This allows the third axis of control (in this case, roll). I had a block of alumimun bored to the diameter of rhe keel, then cut in half, creating a large saddle that damps around the keel at the center of gravity. '[his is boI ted to the end of the universal joint and allows the attachment of the end of the boom to the glid-

er. A short tether from the nose to the boom is set so the pilot can't push out any farther than neutral trim, to reduce loads on the system. The last of the mechanical parts of this useful contraption are the side booms, whose main function is to keep the glider's wing tips om of the dirt. work properly, the point of teth1:r of these booms rnust be as wide as the lead·· ing edge crossbar junction.

'lo

'U 11:,,-.1·1., ll " "

THE BOOMBAR

I chose a Falcon l

for use with the

bec:am,e of its wide pilot I've had "pilots" weighing pounds. I've even gone tandt:m on it.

Just as in towing, the glider seeks a higher angle of atrack relative to the horizon. Therefore, the pilot is hooked to a tow bridle which is attached to the boom, which then pulls his weight forward so the bar is still in a proper position relative to the pilot's body. Without the bridle, the control bar would be om of the pilot's reach at trim speed. This tethered flight simulator acmally simulates a tow rather than free flight. I foel that this is one of the harder skills to master. My system allows a student pilot to acquire steering skills here, rather than during many costly and time-consuming randem flights. It is a stepping stone in the progression. I've found that it generally takes an hour or so on the BoomBar before skills are adequate. Once a student gets the hang of it on the simulator, he is ready for the next: step. 'fhe BoomBar also serves as an intcrm.ediate step an experienced foot-launch pilot who is just learning to tow. 'The goal when driving the BoomBar is to keep the glider flying bar neutral, with the pilot fbe··tuning his skills in flying straight and level. Because the window is small, the boom from

bumping its sides requires subtle and precise steering and pitch control skills. The proper airspeed at which to drive the BoomBar depends on the pilot's weight, 'The heavier the pilot, the faster you drive. This is ideally the speed at which the pilot can keep the boom in the center of the window with no p.itch input, or trim speed, Good communJ,. cation and an tmderstanding of trim speed is important to prevent the vicious cycle of driving too fast, which causes the pilot to pull in, which causes the driver to speed up, which causes th~: pilot to pull in more. 'The BoomBar has by no means been tested by engineer~. My system is the product of trial and error and feedback from many sources, and it is sub,, ject to change without notice. Jim Nye, back in I 986., wrote an article about his "Vol Captif," that along with an article by Tbny Dennis in a 1994 issue of "Instructor Tb Instructor" became the seed for the BoomBar. It has taken a long time to germinate, and is an important stt:p in .my teaching progression. Come fly with us in Hobbs, New Mexico, and check it out! II

Dedicated to Francis Rogallo Over 500 pages Articles, Poetry and much more •• , Editors: Jim Palmieri & Palmieri Illustrator/Cartoonist: Mike Vorhis

MARCH 1999

Tracie Fifer-Welch (H - 99) PO Box 8225 Jackson WY 83001 (307) 733-6823 REGION 6 Jeff Sinason (R 99) 12954 Ballantine Ct Saint Louis MO 63146 (314) 542-2473 jsinason@itdcomm.com

USHGA BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGION 1 Bill Bolosky (R - 00) 24622 SE Mirrormont Dr Issaquah WA 98027 (425) 557-7981 bolosky@microsoft.com Steve REot i {fA- 99) ve 3024 N- 18 Portland OR 97212 (503) 284-0995 paragliding@compuserve.com

Paul Klemond (L - 99) (PG Accident Chair) 3612 NE 43rd St Seattle WA 98105 (206) 525-5765 paul@kurious.org Gene Matthews (H - 00) 15308 111 111 Ave NE Bothell WA 98011 (206) 488-1443 skydog@gte.net Bob Hannah (H - 00) 9920 51 51 Ave S Seattle WA 98118 (206) 328-1104 paraskr@aol.com REGION 2 Ray Leonard (I~ - 00) 3650 Research Way #22 Carson City NV 89706 (775) 883-7070 advspts@pyrarnid.net Russ Locke (R 99) 868 S Mary Ave Sunnyvale CA 94087 (408) 737-8745 rsslok@aol.com Scott Gasparian (f~- 99) c/o LWHS 755 Ocean Ave San Francisco CA 94112 (415) 282-2753 gaspo@igi.org Ed Pitman (H - 00) PO Box 188 Shasta CA 96087 (916) 359-2392 epitrnan@c-zone.net Ken Brown (H - 99) 1795 40 111 Ave San Francisco CA 94122 (415) 7 53-9534 kennyb2u@aol.com

REGION 3 Ken Baier (R - 00) 253 Rodney Ave Encinitas CA 92024 (760) 753-2664 airjunkies@worldnet.att.net John Greynald (R 99) 2774 Puesta Del Sol Santa Barbara, CA 93105 (805) 682-3483 throgrog@aol.com Gregg Lawless (R - 99) 9127 Bittercreek Ln San Diego CA 92129 (619) 484-2056 glawless@sempra-slns.com Rob Kells (H - 00) 500 Blueridge Ave Orange CA 92665 (714) 998-6359 rob@willswing.com Alan Chuculate (H - 99) 6709 Salizar St San Diego CA 92111 (619) 292-1552 g_achucu@qua\comm.com Gil Dodgen (Editor) 31441 Santa Margarita Pkwy Ste A-256 Reho Sta Marg CA 92688 (949) 888-7363 gildodgen@aol.com REGION 4 Mark Ferguson (R - 00) 1173 Ridgeview Cir Broomfield CO 80020 (303) 931-8075 mark@ballvarios.com Jim Zeiset (R 99) 13154 County Rd 140 Salida CO 81201 (719) 539-3335 jimzgreen@aol.com Larry Sanderson (H - 00) Soaring Society of America PO Box 2100 Hobbs NM 88241 (505) 392-1177 Larryssa@aol .com REGION 5 Frank Gillette (R - 99) 903 East 500 South Declo ID 83323 (208) 654-2615 Watercyn@cyberhighway.net

(01/2"//99)

REGION 7 Bill Bryden (R - 00) (HG Accident Chair) 6608 North 100 East Rd Seymour IN 47274 (812) 497-2327 hrn bbryden@hsonline.net Dan Johnson (L 99) 8 Dorset St St Paul MN 55118 (651) 450-0930 CumulusMan@aol.com REGION 8 Douglas Sharpe (R ·· 00) 401 Silver Hill Rd Concord MA 01742 (978) 318-9714 dsharpe@tiac.net Randy Adams (H - 00) PO Box 369 Claremont NH 03743 (603) 543-1760 randyadams@cyberportal.net REGION 9 Pete Lehmann (I~ 99) 5811 Elgin St Pittsburgh PA 15206 (412) 661-3474 LPLehmann@aol.com

Geoffrey Mumford (R - 00) APA/PPO 750 First St NE Washington DC 20002 (202) 336-6067 gmumford@apa.org Dennis Pagen (L - 99) RD 3 Box 2548 Spring Mills PA 16875 (814) 422-0589 hrn pagenbks@lazerlink.com Chris DuPaul (H-00) PO Box 801 Gloucester Point VA 23062 (804) 325-1051 Krisdupaul@aol .com Art Greenfield (X) 1815 N Ft Meyer Dr Ste 700 Arlington VA 22209 (703) 527-0226 NAA@ids2.id son line .com REGION 10 G.W. Meadows (R - 00) 1125 Harbor Vi(1W Dr Kill Devil Hills NC 27948 (252) 480-3552 justfly@interpath.com Matt Taber (R - 99) 7201 Scenic Hwy 189 Rising Fawn GA 30738 (706) 398-3433 airwave@voy.net

David Glover (H - 99) 1696 Creek Rd Wildwood GA 30757 (706) 675-8485 dave@hanglide.com Greg De Wolf (H 99) PO Box 1268 Stanardsville VA 22973 (804) 990-9071 DeWo1f7@aol.com John Harris (H 00) PO Box 1839 Nags Head NC 27959 (252) 441-4124 ucanfly@outer-banks.com Steve Kroop (H - 00) 14018 NW 23'd Ave Gainesville FL 32606 (352) 332-8675 usaflytec@aol.com REGION 11 Dave Broyles (R - 99) 211 Ellis Dr Allen TX 75002 (972) 727-3588 broyles@psuedospace.com REGION 12 Paul Voight (R - 00) 5163 Searsville Rd Pine Bush NY 12566 (914) 744.. 3317 ryanv1 OO@aol.com Jan Johnson (L - 99) PO Box 282 Bullville NY 10951 (914) 747-7845 ryanv1 OO@aol.com Paul Rikert (L - 99) 101 N Broadway# 28-3 White Plains NY 10603 (914) 946-9386 hm Lars Linde (H - 00) 954 W Front St Red Bank NJ 07701 (732) 74 7-7845 larslinde@compuserve.com REGION 13 (lnt'I) Jan Johnson (L - 99) SeeReg12 Michael Robertson (H - 00) RR 5 865 Con 7 Claremont Ontario Canada L 1Y 1A2 (905) 294-2536 flyhigh@inforamp.net

USHGA Executive Director Philip Bachman PO Box 1330 Colo Springs CO 80901 (719) 632-8300 wk (719) 632-6417 fax phbachman@ushga.org ushga@ushga.org EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President-Gregg Lawless Vice Pres.-Chris DuPaul Secretary-Russ Locke Treasurer-Geoff Mumford KEY: (R)-Regional (L)-At Large (H)-Honorary (X)-Ex Officio

e found ourselves at 7,200 feet MSL, on top of a granite rock called Glacier Point, looking across the valley at Half Dome. The air was cold and still and it was 7: 00 AM. In order to fly here yo u must launch between 8:00 and 8:30 AM (U.S. Forest Service rules). As the day progresses, the winds grow stronger and come up the valley, and the LZ is three miles away around the cliff and down the valley. So, to ensure that everyone makes it co the LZ, pilots must fly early in the morning. In addition, the Park Rangers do not want us to "get up" and fly into the back-country. It would take a long rime for rescuers to reach yo u, and a long hike with your gear to get out. A shore walk was required to bring our gliders from the vehicles to the setup area, and then our focus turned to the cask at hand. We were here to fly one of the most beautiful places in the wo rl d.

M ARCH 1999

It seems that every year the desire to fly in Yosemite N ational Park is greater than the year before -

the beauty one exp eriences defies

description. Last year was no exception, and 2 0 p ilots fro m the Sy/mar H ang Gliding Association in Southern Califo rn ia p ut their names on the waiting list. Finally the day arrived. The flight would be shore, but the visual spectacle would be remembered for a long time. This is Yosemite ational Park, one of Mocher ature's great wonders. Eves Tall Chief and Dwane Richardson were there chat weekend performing their duties as Site Monitors, preflighting all the gliders. Eves' wife, Denise, cook care of the waivers and paperwork. Ir was a busy morning, and after business was taken care of it was rime to get to launch and begin our flights .

It is a tricky waik to launch, in fact, at times more dangero us than the flying. Eves Tall Chief and Dwane lined us up and walked us out to launch . T his commands all of your attention as yo u get closer to the takeoff spot. Your heart races and yo u get a little shore of breath due to the altitude. T he slope descends at a 45-degree angle, which makes you wish you were a mo untain goat as you walk out to the cliff, balancing your glider on your shoulders. Once on launch it was time to hoo k

in and get ready for one of the most exciting flights of my flying career. Eves and Dwane performed their final preflight checks, and as I looked down into the valley all I could see was heaven. In front of you is 15 feet of granite that drops down 10 feet for another 20 yards before a final drop of 3,000 feet. Right in your path is a tree char you know you will end up in, bur in reality it is far enough below you char it doesn't present any danger. Across the valley is Half Dome and to rhe right are Vernal and Nevada Falls. The first pilots to launch were those who had flown here before. (The experienced ones show the neophytes the way to the LZ.) The Park Rangers get real unfriendly if you do not land in the designated field. We do not want to jeopardize our privilege and lose this wonderful sire. As you clear Glacier Point the valley floor opens up and you look down into the majestic canyon. The 300-foor-tall trees below you appear as tiny little sticks, and you can see smoke from campfires weaving through the branches. The Merced River winds its way down the valley. The air was still and it was rime to enjoy the sights as I made my way toward the LZ. Along the way I had chosen to fly across rhe valley and work my way toward Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America - over 2,000 feet straight down . As I made my way rhe morning light revealed a wondrous view. The sight of rhe falls was humbling. I sponed hikers on a trail leading to rhe top of the falls, so I pulled in and brought on some speed to perfo rm a couple of wingovers for them. As you make your way toward the LZ the trees start to grow. These are tall trees, they surround the LZ, and they are everywhere! You begin your landing approach and realize that the flight is over, although it seems like you just launched. As you begin your downwind leg rhe trees get really big and you do nor warn them to catch you. While on final you remember char you are landing at 4,000 feet MSL and char flare riming will be imporranr. You fly just above the tall grass and float in ground effect, trying to eke our every 24

Looking at HalfDome on the way to launch.

H ANG GLIDI NG

Eves Tall Chiefand me watching Dwane Richardson performing a final glider inspection.

The hustle and bustle ofsetting up.

M ARCH 1999

foot you can. It can be a long walk co the breakdown area and the grass is usually wee with dew. There are big smiles on every face in the breakdown area, and park visitors who are out for a morning walk watch in awe as pilots come in for their landings one by one. A5 we break down , our families arrive from launch with our gear bags. Once again we have committed aviation in heaven - Yosemite National Park. We look forward co the rest of the day, relaxing and spending time with our families. There is so much to do here: float down che Merced River, ride bicycles around che valley, hike miles of trails leading in every direction. And everywhere you look, the view is awesome. If you ever plan to be in the area, call USHGA Headquarters and get your name on the list to fly Yosemite. I am cold chat there are normally just a few pilots signed up for each of the weekends the launch is open. We need to take advantage of the opportunity to fly here in order to demonstrate co the U .S. Forest Service that we want chis site to remain open to hang gliding.

News Flash!

Left to Right - Third Row: Grant Hoag, Barton Davidson, Ike (.from Oakland), David Froschauer, William Russ, Gayle Elliot, Mike Knapp, Mike Macon andJose Lopez. Second Row: Katna Darmali, Kelly Davidson, Rome Dobson, Miguel Dejesus, Toby Fabio, Lourdes Knapp. First Row: George Stebbins, Tamale, Dave Boyer, Erwin McDavid. Lying on the ground.· Dwane Richardson and Eves Tall Chief I would like to than k the Yosemite Hang Gliding Association for providing monitors, USHGA Headquarters for handling the reservations, and most of al l

the National Park Service for allowing us to fly Yosemite.

It is truly wonderful to have the opportunity to "fly in heaven." •

Mark Gibson "Gibbo" and Mike Barber join Personal Fl i ght, Inc.!

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a program by Pat Denevan, article and illustrations by Greg Shaw his article is the second part of our landing discussion. Following the organized approach we used to understand the launch, we break the landing sequence down into a series of steps that we can talk about one at a time:

I. Pick a final approach path. 2. ESTA BUSH a stable glide on the final approach path. 3. ROTATE to an upright flying position. 4. ENTER into ground effect the roundout. 5. Maintain course and altitude as glider bleeds energy. 6. Detect the opening of the flare window. 7. Move hands up to the flare position. 8. Push om from center of mass to flare.

flNAL APPROACH GUDE In the last installment we finally launched into a discussion of the precision landing. Flying a tried-and-true aircrafr approach brought us down the downwind, across the hase leg, to a comfortable 90-dcgree turn onto final approach. Our task now is to set up a stable final glide that will bring us to the desired touchdown spot with minimal corrections necessary. If we can reduce the number of surprises in this

manner, we can apply our full attention to that sometimes elusive flare window. 'fbe turn onto final is the third of four aircrafr approach "keys," and our position 011 the desired glide path should be nearly perfect by this point (Figure l). We do not want to attempt major corrections of speed, altirude, or position on final approach. Flying in an upright position and our proximity to the ground severely limits our options, Radical moves become, at best, dangerous, and, at worst, impossible. The landing spot arrives quickly at this point, and we should be focused on setting up ideal conditions for touchdown, rather than on low-altitude aerobatics.

SEf YOUR COURSE Our focus on final approach must be on three variables: course, airspeed and glide. The course is a flight path rhat is aligned with the imaginary "runway" you chose when you settled on a flight plan. Achieving a stable glide along this path is a critical factor in landing success, and it is the secret to easy crosswind landings. Tf there is any crosswind over your path you will drift off course, unless your glider points somewh::it sideways, or "crabs" inro the wind. There is no need to

Base Key

Downwind Key

Windsock

----

Final Approach Key

understand rhe crabbing details of headings and angles; if you drift from your course, just turn back to your chosen landing line. Note that in a steady crab you are nor rolled into a turn. The glider is simply pointed in a direction that keeps your flight path aligned with the landing line. You will continue to make adjustments, pointing your glider closer to or farther from your path, if the wind changes direction or speed closer to the ground. If this seems a little mysterious, just think abom ridge soaring, As you fly down the ridge, you fly the path necessary to keep from drifting behind the ridge. You will be "crabbing" more or less sideways down the ridge. But you don't focus on the direction your glider is pointed. You don't worry about trying to calculate what the wind will do. You keep your focus well down the ridge "line" so you can dcrect any drift, and you fly your desired path. 'J'he same technique applies to the landing line. If you arc flying steadily on course you arc on the path to a successful landing.

SET YOUR SPEED The second issue is airspeed. Modern gliders have enough of a speed range that precise airspeed control is necessary for a "perfect 1O" landing. Again, it is worth looking over the shoulders of our power pilot friends. Airplanes come with rnanuals that descrihc exactly what speed to fly at each point on the approach, for every condition orloading, wind and altitude. If a pilot can precisely "fly by the numbers" he will be almost guaranteed a touchdown to be proud of. Tc)day, we need to fly the aircraft way. Unfortunately, our manuals aren't quite as specific, and you will have to discover a set of airspeeds for your flying through experience and experiment. For every glider and sirnation, there is a best speed for final approach and for the transition to skimming rhe landing field in ground effect (called the roundHANC GLIDINC

out). Our desire is to maximize safety, control and options. On final we have competing demands for fast :md slow airspeeds. The answer is not always "as fast as possible"! We must account for the glider, wind conditions and the nature of the landing area. The steep approach and minimum ground skim required for a restricted landing area may demand speeds near minimum sink. I ligh winds and tmbulence might require speeds near maximum. The answer also changes ar different points along the path. For example, as we reach the point where making the landing zone is certain, we can put more emphasis on a speed rbar minimizes the time spent bleeding o/T energy while ground skimming after the roundout. At this point, we need no longer worry about glide. \X/c do need to worry abom limitcd options near the ground. As we enter onto final, we set a speed to deal with turbulence (gusts) and gradient, minimize the chance of oscillations, and allow some glide-slope control. As prevailing wind speeds increase, wind gradient can become pronounced. Wind speeds of 30 mph at altitude may drop to 15 or less on the ground. That is a sudden reduction in speed of 15 mph. A glider flying 30 mph will suddenly have an airspeed of 15 and he stalled with no room for recovery. Fly /i() mph, and you arc left with a comfr)rtablc 25 mph. Wind gusts or turbulence can be the source of big changes in airspeed as well. They can dramatically affect your glider's ability to follow that path you had in mind, if you arc flying too slow.

SET Tlrn GUDE Choice of airspeed also affects your control of' glide slope. Above or below best glide speed, the glide slope of your glider degrades with speed. Fly at best glide, and you can only shorrcn your flight. Set your glide at a speed above hcst glide and you can srrcrcli or shrink the length of your path by flying faster or slower. Always opt ltll' more options. Unlike a sailplane with flaps and spoilers, unless you fly a semi-rigid wing, you have very few tools available to control your glide. That will probably need to ch;:mge soon, as gliders become slicker, faster and more reluctant to bleed off energy. Seedwings has made a first step in this direction with the model 610 F (wirh MARCH '/ 999

Upright Position

Alternate Position

Figure 2a. flap--like trailing edge deformation). And several businesses, especially in Europe, arc offering small glider- or harnessmounted drogue chutes. The increased drag of a ch utc allows a steeper glide into a small field, and shortens the time in ground effect required to bleed o/T airspeed before the flare. Its effect increases with speed, so it acts to limit the speed buildup that normally rcsulrs from a dive. The other drag inducer we have available is the harness/pilot system, which becomes a better drag sou rec when rotated to the upright landing position, and can be considered when trying to nail that spot. How do we know when the landing spot is nailed? When it's no longer a mewing target. If we are looking ahead, instead of down, ro get the big picture, the spot will appear to sink if our glide will take us beyond it, and rise if we are coming up short. ff our final glide is set jllst right, with no drift, undershoot, or overshoot, the spot will be frozen in space :rncl you will experience that heanwarming "can't miss" feeling. The more obvious reason ro rornt.e upright, of course, is to get yom feet down. There is a good deal of contention over when the best time to do this is. Some swear by the need for maximum control provided by the prone position on final, rotating up only at the last second in the roundout when entering ground effect. We prefer a rotation earlier on final approach. The rotation is a tricky transition.

Fi7,ure 2b. Since the glider is usually pulled in, bar pressure can pop the nose up when shifr.ing hand positions. Any unwanted roll will be exaggerated if that happens. Osei] .. la1ion, grabbing a handful of air instead of a down tube, or some other problem, is easier to address with several hnndred feet of altiwdc and at least a few seconds of time before having 10 deal with the ground. It also allows time ro settle inro a stable landing configuration, wirh airspeed and glide set, and yom focus on the landing task ahead. Our students prepare for this task by practicing the transition in our shop, using the hang glider simula10r until they can rotate upright smoothly without affecting the trim of the glider. Control authority is usually not an issue with good technique. As always, a light touch and relaxed muscles help. A lighr touch allows a good sense of glider feedback, faster pilot response and reduced need for big control movements just like riding a bike. The more quickly you respond, the less you have to do; a skilled bike rider doesn't even notice she's making corrections. Relaxed muscles make your arms seem longer, a frarurc rhar will come in handy at flare time as well (rernembcr how our strides gor longer with less muscle tension). Keep your hands comfortably low on the downtubes for maxirnmn range and leverage (Figure 2a). You may find that one hand on a dowmubc and one on the basctube will you a little more pitch when max speed is needed (Figure 2b). Roll response is enhanced with a low

downtubc position as well. 'li-y this technique. TcJ initiate a roll, imagine you arc pulling the corner 01 the control bar towmd your cemer of mass, a spot buried two inches behind your n;ivcl, more or less (i:igun: Imagine rhat you ;ire rorat· ing the wing abour your body, rather than trying to swing your body toward one side of the glider. It works, especially if you maintain that light touch. Locked arms result in some truly strange body movements that aren't very effective.

THEROUNDOUT Upright, stable in roll and pitch, on a steady glide path without drili:, and you arc ready for the foirly complex changes that must be made when the glider nears the ground the roundout. As the field is made and you drop into a potentially stronger wind gradient, adjust speed. A strong gradient may actually require that you increase ;1irspeed to avoid a disastrous stall as the wind drops off near the ground. Light winds with little gradient may allow you the luxury of slowing to reduce the energy you will have w get rid of while skimming the earth in ground effect. In windy, turbulent condit-ions, air-

plane manuals usually recommend adding abom five mph plus a gust foctor (the difference between highest and lowest wind speeds at a spot over time) to your norm:11 approach speed. From this point, the glider's rate of· dcscctH 11111st be brought to zero at a few foer oil rhe ground while fci1ward speed is reduced to landing speed and a flare can he initiated. Gradient and ground effect, and the narural tendency to push away from the approaching earth, tend to work in your fovor, making the task easier than it seems. Wiud gradient, as noted earlier, tends to reduce your glider's airspeed closer rn the ground. Ground effect (the restriction of air movement under the wing near the ground, increasing the effoctive lift ar a given angle of atrack) slows your glider's descent. The pitch change to increase lift to stop the glider's descent also reduces airspeed. Soumls complicated, but the task is simply: let out the bar and don't hit the ground. Another fovoritc point of corncmion in landing debates is the altitude over rhc ground that the pilot should fly afrer roundout. Some prefor a control barscraping ground skim, maximizing

ground effecr, while others like a few feet

of altitude under their foct. But this is acrnally a choice to he made in ;1 given situation. Consider il not as a problem, hut a rool. Flying higher reduces the ground eflc:ct and, therefore, rhc tendency ro zoom upward with an early flare. Flying higher reduces ground skim and makes the flare window dfectivcly wider just the ticket for a restricted landing zone. 'Jhis is also recommended if the landing field is full of thrcc-foot-·high sage you mistook for six-inch scrub. On the other hand, if the flare must be delayed to the last possible moment, a low ground skim will rake full advantage of the ground effect cushion, stretch that last joule of glide energy, and still give you a puff of' air brake in the flare. Spotlanding champions have been known to use this trick as have those pilots desperately trying to make it to the lake shore. We are now in the home stretch to that gracdid touchdown. lt is time to consider the Zen of flare consciousness. And like all good cliffhanger novels, we will save the exciting conclusion umil next time. Stay tuned. Ill

I IANC GUDINC

Altair

The Art of Flight

hat does Altair mean? Altair is an ancient Arabic word meaning "the bird" or "thing that flies ." Known as the Bird Star, Altair is the brightest star in Aqu ila, the Eagle constellation. To us, Altair also means " people who fly," the people connected with Altair hang gliders. It means the crew that works at the Altair factory, the staff at Dick Cheney's sail loft who make the best quality hang glider sails in the world, and all the pilots who fly Altair wings. Altair also means the excellent facility in Draper, Utah, at which we build the gliders. C on~idering the fast-growing popularity of the new Saturn novice wing {in two sizes) and the lasting acceptance and value of the world-class composite-frame Predator high performance wing, Altair is becoming a very meaningful word for many enthusiasts of foot-launch aviation .

predator

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TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR HA by Betty Pfeiffer, illustrations by Russ Brown n the early l 980's, during my very limited dabbling in competition, I would hear Rich Neiffer psych-out the competi tion by declaring, "I have a parachute and I am not afraid to use it so you had better not gee in my way! " With more than 1,000 skydives and several skydiving championships under his belt, everyone knew he was serious. Ac char rime parachutes were a fairly new addition to hang glider safety gear, and pilots wou ld wear them with a false sense of security. Many th ought chat they could gee away with crying anything they wanted in a hang glider because they had a parachute chat would save chem. Today, we know chat pilots are sometimes saved by their parachutes, but not always. In chis article I will address che issues of parachute/harness/deployment system compatibility, system strength requirements, and routing/rigging iss ues. For a clear understanding of when and how to use your parachute please . refer to the following articles ) which have appeared in Hang Gliding magazine: How To Save Your Life (Jan. 1998); Parachute Basics For All Pilots (June 1995); M isconceptions Abo ut Parachutes (July 1993); The Ballistic Controversy (1994) ; Parachute Quiz (August 1993).

~Bridle Broken Glider

SYSTEM COMPATIBILITY Pilots today muse be proactive. Know your equipment! In order to open your parachute you must be able to get it out of your parachute container. The ease with which chis can be achieved is determined by handle location, handle length, safety lock design, flap closure arrangement, and parachute location relative to the handle. The best way to determine if your arrangement is adequate is to suspend yourself from a rope, hang in flying position and pull the parachute handle. If the safety pins release smoo thly and your parachute container opens, your

H AN G GLIDI NG

;

sysrem is probably good.

TRY TO MAKE IT J•'AIL It is jnst as important ro know how your container will not open as it is to know how it will. 'Ii-y to open your parachute comaincr by pulling the handle in many diffcrcm directions and seeing wli:n happens. 'I '.1hle 1 outlines some common para·· ch11te container problems. The irnponance of being able to easily extract your parachute cannot be ovcrcrn·· phasizecl. Several years ago a pilot found himself rumbling violemly. He wcm For his parachute brn could not get ir out of the container. As he continued tumbling he remembered hearing ;ibom a pilot who tumbled, righted herself and was able to fly the glider down. I le then wcnr back to the control bar, hoping to reg:1in comrol, bur kept tumbling. At this point he dccid· ed to go for his parachute again. By the time lie finally got it out he was roo low for a foll deployment. The big issue here is, Why couldn't he get the parachute out of the container? This pilot had attended a parachute clinic six years prior to the incidcnr, at which time he practiced deploying his parachute. Two years before the incident he had purchased a new harness and parachme. He never prncticed getting the parachute out of his new harness. I-le assumed that the same pull-direction he used on his old system would work with the new harness. This was a big mistake.

Vl\RY IMPOR'fANT! Any tim<: you change your harness, parachute or deployment bag, gain or lose weight, or suffer an arm or shoulder injury, be sure to practice getting your parachute om! Make sure all yom safoty system components arc compatible. Prac.. ticc the parachute from your harness container while suspended in both prone and seated positions. Practicing parachute extraction docs not mean you have to repack your parachute; just get it out the harness container.

STRENGTH fSSUES Your safety system includes your para .. Mi\l~CI I 1999

bridle, paraswivcl, c;nahiner, hang straps and harness. It is 011 ly as strong as the weakest link. How strong docs your safety system really need 10 be? Your system needs to be strong enough to survive in the worst of situations. This may be a crossbar friilurc with yom wings folded up, or even a situation in which you flnd yoursclfseparated from the glider and in free-fall. If you have a high-pcrfcHrnance glider you can conceivably reach speeds upwards o{90 mph. Your safety system needs to withstand those forces without failure. In order to determine your personal strength requirements we will assume a rnaxinHtm paraclrnre-opcning load oF five C's afrcr free-falling seven seconds. Mul· riply your total bunch weight (total weight of"your hang glider, harness, para .. chmc, clothed body, water, instruments and anything else with which you fly) by five. Multiply that number by a safety facror ol' 2.83. The final number tells you how strong the weakest link in your system must be.

2}l3 * (launch weight* 5) strength needed for the weakest link systems can lose Remember that strength due to environmental damage (i.e., rust, alm1sion, exposure to UV, extn:mcly wet climates, extremely dry cli· mates, freezing and thawing, ere.).

HOW CAN YOU IDENTIFY CONSTRUCHON? Examine: your harness. Peel for cominu· ous webbing structure or con .. suit the rnanufoctllrer about harness strcngt h. I nspcct all of rhc stitching for frayed or p11lled stitches. Be wary of worn or fodcd areas on your har·ncss. J ,nok al rhc bridle routing and

bridle attachment point 011 your harness. Pay special at Lemion to the harness lines or areas that rub. Consult 'fables 2 and 3 if you identify problems.

PARACHUTE BRIDLE ROUTING Sometimes we know intcllecmally that something bad can happen, but arc con .. fldcnt that it will never happen ro us. Sometimes we sec a potcmial problem in a system, hm since it never seems to be an issue in rea/ .. ]ifc situations, we mini· mizc the danger. Sadly, last year we learned an important lesson that cost one pilot his life. That lesson is this: The way in which your

parachute hridle is attfllhr:d to your harness or routediom your harness can !?ill you. We strongly recommend that your parachute bridle be attached directly ro your carabincr, routed down the outside of your harness ;ind into your parachute container. Sec 'fable Ii. The lasr item in 'fable Ii is extremely important. When the pilot is in between the parachute and the wreckage, this is what can happen. The force of the p;ira·chure opening is transferred down the parachute lines, through the paraswivcl, down the bridle, through the pilot's liar.. ness, to the carabincr, ;ind finally ro the wreckage. When the parachute opens, the pilot will be jerked in the direction of the p,irachute. If there is ;inything in the way (tubing, control bar, cables, s;iil) the pilot may risk broken bones or snapped extremities, including a broken neck or hack. Even if the parachute opens without injuring the pilot, the pilot will he

3r;

descending with rhe wreckage at the same level or even slightly below him. broken gliders can be ext:retnely erratic and violent, th is increases risk of injury. The conventional para-

chute bridle attachment at rhe carabiner allows opening forces to be absorbed by the bridle and transferred via the carabiner to the wreckage, rhen via the hang strap to the pilot's harness. lf a pilot descends below the wreckage there is reduced risk of injury from flailing wreckage.

Please note: Damaged gliders can behave very violently even with the parachute open. An argument for the pilot being above the wreckage is that he can use it to decelerate during impact. An argument against that approach is the possibility of the pilot becoming impaled on broken pans. T'he bottom line is this:

1 Problem

Possible

Remedy

Cannot grab the parachute handle.

Him~y handle is caught on ve!cro. Hrmdle loop is too srmill Flrmdle is in a bad location.

Add stijfem:r to handle and preflight. Have handle replricedby a qualified person. Have the parach14tc container moved to a more suitable location.

Difficulty opening Velcro is too wide. Cover a portion ofthe velcro hook to achieve desired velcro strength. Remember that the velcroed parachute longer velcm sits hooked together the more it grips and the harder it is to pull apart. container. Parachute contttiner velcro is buck- Have chute container secured better to the harness, or insert stiffener between back of lingwhen you pull the handle velcro on flap and the harness material. 'This is done only on the edge of the container instead ofpeeling open. with the grommets. You pull the Yourprtrachute hrmdle is too short handle but your for your harness container design. safoty locks do not release. Your safety locks are in a poor location for your container design.

Hiwe a longer handle installed on your parachute container by a qualified person. NOTE: 'J'here have been cases in Europe in which pilots had "homemade" handles that actually ripped off during attempted parachute deployments. Have your safety locks relocatedby a qualified person.

T'he grommets on your parachute Have the grommets rclocatedby a qualified person. containtr are too.far apart or too close for the location of the safety locks on your handle.

Yourpam:chute is too small.for your Addfoarn or other.filler in the bottom qfyour JHtrachute containerto help hold tbe paracrmtainer and slides down too chute in the proper position. Make sure the filler does not interfere with any aspect of much while you are in an upright the deployment process. Or, have your parachute container made smaller. position. }ou have cotter pins that do not Replace cotter pins with standard curvedsafaty pins. NOTE: Cotter pins are very danrotate properly for an easy release. gerous for the following reasons. They can bind instead of releasing properly if pulled in rhe wrong direction. In time they have a tendency to flare at the tips which can keep them from releasing. They can bend easily which can cause many problems. Some have very sharp tips that can puncture your parachute container. T'he loop holding your pin is too Replace the loop. NOTE: Over time your bungee loops can lose their elasticity or your tight; rubber loops can tear. Your parachute is placed in the Hip the parachute over with the handle toward the outside of the container and try harness the wrong way. again. Your safety locks keep slipping out of their holders.

Loop is too large.

You pull the Vou arc pulling in the wrong handle but the direction. parachute will not Your parachute container is poorly come out of the shaped or poorly placed for your contain er. deployment hag.

Jfyou have a bungee with a knot in it move the knot to make the bungee smaller or add washers to make the loop smaller. If you have a diffc.;rent system, reduce the size of the loop or the loop. Hy peeling the velcro downward with the handle, then extracting the parachute. Repltice theparachute container or deployment bag with an appropriately shaped one.

Hi\NC GLIDING

There is no one perfect way to route the bridle that works best in all possible situations. The best we can do is to consider incidents that have occurred with hang gliders of similar performance, and rry to decrease risk accordingly. We believe that attaching the bridle to the carabiner in such a way that it does not include the

harness is the best arrangement for most situations. As hang gliders continue to evolve and we continue ro analyze parachute deployments, WC may find that a diffc:rent approach to bridle routing or parachute deployment systems will be beneficial. I believe that it is your responsibility lo

2 Possible Too fow stitches

Sewing machine operator andfinril inspector L~oofed. holding a structur- Harness design inadequate. al component of Heavy weight thread was used with the proper stitch the harness. pattern and stitch size but it just looks weak to the untrained eye. Stitching coming Sewn in a bad direction relative to the forces being undone. applied in use. Abrasion hcl, wealeened the stitching. Parachute contain- Stitching hcts come undone. er is falling off. Parachute container has torn. Parachute contain- Weale velcro. er keeps opening. Stitching on velcro has come ~fI .Harness does notfitproperly. Harness container is the wrong size for the parachute. Harnessparachute container is the wrong shape for your parachute. Bridle is pulled too tightly into tht prirachute container.

Remedy Return harness to be sewed properly by the manufacturer. Have qualified person reinforce the weale area. None needed.

Have it reseum by rt qualified person using the proper stitch par.. tern and thread. Resew. Resew. Resew. Replace velcro. ReseUJ. 'fry loosening the kg straps or adjusting the harness lines a different way. Adjust or replace your parachute containei'. Repk1ce deployment bag or container.

Detach or reroute the bridle lljier the tow.

Allow enough svicle in the bridk before it enters the Jwachute contain .. er to accornmod,1.te the harness stretch when your body wei,e;ht loads it Use a bungee cord to pull the bridle away from parachute interference or consider differcut handle placement on you parachute container (consult your harness manufacturer),

Zipper on legs of enclosed style harness will not zip all the way up.

Your rum i's too short to pull the length ofthe ZI/Jper. YrJU are looleing down at the zipper forcing the zipper to stay wide open at the top. Your leg straps are too tight.

Grab the cord to malee a shorter distance to pull. Arch your legs up as you ZljJ to allow the complete length of the zipper to close. Loosen your leg straps.

Difficulty in ping your harness up.

Your harness zipper has been damaged due to excessive strain when you fold it for storage.

Parachute handle is not accessible

with aerotow bridle attached.

Your jacket,·style zipper opens clur·

Fold your harness u1ith the least amount ofbend Jn the zipper. 'fiy keeping the zipper open during storage. If you see damage in the coil or teeth, you may need to replace the zipper. Your ptmt legs or shoe !J1ces are getting crmght in the zipper. Wear tighter clothing 'Tie your shoes with short laces behind your heel or cover up your shoelaces to keep them from hanging. Yrmr harness ir not adjusted properry. Loosen the leg straps. If you have them too tight they can be holding the zipper open. The extra webbingfrom your adjustable leg loops is getting Tucle the excess leg strap webbing into the legprid or secure it in 0thcaught in the zipper. er ways. YrJUr zipper is notproperly inserted into the slider. Malee sure your zipper is inserted all the way into the slider before zipping down.

ing flight. Your leg strap buckles keep slip-· ping. MARCIi 1999

Webbing is too slijJJJeryfor the buckle to grip. Buckle is attached the wrong direction. The direction of)ressure on the buckle allows it to slide.

Have qualified per.ran sew on additionrd layers ofwebbing. Have the buclele rerittachedproperly. Tade the strap in place kY sewing an X at the proper length. 37

keep up with new developments. Remember, different is not always better. Somctirncs solving one problem can ere-arc a whole host of new ones. Evaluate each change with a critical eye. And also remember, it is your life we are talking about! Fly safely.

THANKS This article was inspired by problems we discovered while doing parachute clinics around the country. I would especially like to thank members of the Maryland

Hang Gliding Association, Roanoke Hang Glider Pilots, Rouge Valley Hang Gliding Club, Sky Sports Acrotow Club, Inc. of Whitewater, Wisconsin, San Diego f-Iang Cliding and Paragliding Association, Orange County Hang Glider Pilots, and Arizona, 'Jcxas, Florida and Michigan hang glider pilots who attended the clinics. In addition, I would like to thank all tbe High Energy Sports dealers and customers who have passed along their words of wisdom about solving harness problems.

Table 3 Accidental dep]oy-- S'lljr:ty pins not in place. Prejiightyour safety pins beji1re er1ch laumh. mcnts. Ptirachute handle is located too close to the zipper pull cords. Change your pttrachute conMiner to locate handle in a better position. Freshly pttcked parachute has not compressed and pushes Sit on your pmitchute (lfier each repack to squash 1iir out. Do a knee the container open. test before you fly. Be sure vekro is secure. Body entanglemcnt inside the harness.

Poot gets caught on rope or bungee system, inside the har-

Have a protective sleeve sewn ro cover places of poten rial entangle--

ness.

ment.

Harness gets eanght on cables.

Instruments or other items tire l.ocated on the side ofthe h11rne.1:r.

Move the item offthe side ofyour hcirness.

Table4 Problem

Possible

Bridle has slipped

Bridle has a large loop where it comes out qfthe parachute Attach velcro loops or a velcro strt/J to the harness to secure the bridle. container.

out ti the container.

Remedy

Bridle looks frray Velcro hook where it goes into parachute container. During deployment, bridle gets nicked or cm through.

Replace bridle with ti new one that hcL,

Cables interfere with deployment. ff your cables are coated !fiJo.1:rible, deploy into cables. you have a better chance of not severing your bridle. If uncoated you can cut all the way through your Type 18 (flat webbing) bridle. Yrm have 11 tubular nylon bridle that, when nicked, will Replace tubular nylon bridles with a flat webbing oF the appropriate tear across the width of the webbing. st.rength sucb as Type 18. Slideyour bridle up your carabineropposire the gate, and secure it

Bridle keeps wearout at the cara-bincr. Parachute opening force is transferred to the pilot before it goes to the broken glider.

:rn

wirh a rubber tube, bungee or other method.

Bridle i, sandwiched inside the cover ofthe mains on your

Route your bridk on the outside rfthe harness up to the cmnbiner. Be properly. sure to have vclcrocs or staged attachment points so your bridle is Bridle is routed inside the harness, then u:p to the c11rabiner. snug to your harness.

harness and rhe weak stitching docs not

Bridle is attached to the harness r!.l the hz;1. Bridk is tittached to a or doubk loop on

bade or

HANC GUDI\JC

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Late last July I accepted a job that would take me out of Colorado and probably end my flying for the 1998 season, so I decided I needed one more memorable flight to hold me over until 1999. Looking to the west, towering over everything else for nearly 100 miles, I saw what I wanted to fly - Pikes Peak!

had flown "the Peak" once before, in 1996. Although I had only managed a sled ride on that flight, ir was still fantastic. From launch it is more than six miles to the nearest LZ in Manitou Springs. The terrain from launch to LZ is rugged and gorgeous, offering incredible views during the 30minute glide. I called some friends to see who else would be interested in flying the Peak. Steve Dewey and Tracy Tomlinson were immediately interested. Steve had flown the peak with me two years prior, pulling off a two-hour flight and a short crosscountry that ended with free ice cream from a vendor who had seen him land. Tracy had never flown the peak, bur has super launch technique, great landing skills and exercises sound judgment. The launch is at 14,110 feet MSL (the peak of the mountain), directly over an area known as the "bottomless pit." This is an appropriate name, since it is about 3,000 feet straight down! The LZ known as the ''Aircrafr Carrier" because of its small size, 200-foot drop-offs on three sides and a highway on the other offers little room for error. Fortunately, no one had to land there the last time we flew the Peak. We met early at my house in Col-

HANG GLIDING

Ii -r

-) by JeffHinshaw, photos by Michel Chiroux

M ARCH 1999

orado Springs, went for a quick breakfast and headed for rhe mountain, arriving at rhe gate just after rhe road was opened. For chose unfamiliar with Pikes Peak, the road to rhe top is rhe highest toll road in che United States and is usually open year-round, weather permitting, bur only

during daytime hours. The park personnel were friendly and offered the normal commentary: "Be careful. There's no way I would ever do chat!" We arrived at launch (the summit) at about 8:30 am, and found the wind coming straight in at seven mph - absolutely

perfect! We were all pretty excited and began to set up. It cook me a while to assemble my glider in the thin air at 14,000 feet but had it ready to go by about 9:30. I felt pretty strong for about the first 20 minutes but then the lack of oxygen hit me hard. I started taking occasional breaths of oxygen and did a few short sprints to get my legs ready for the short run. There is only room for about five seeps before leaving the ground and I wanted to make sure they were good ones. I fiddled around for a while, hoping someone else would launch first and test the wind, but no such luck. No one wanted to play the role of wind dummy chis day. I held out until around 10:30, waiting for a little more heating, but finally decided chat it was time to go. It had been blowing in at five to eight mph all morning, and we all felt that thi s was perfect. To have waited for some convection while expecting the winds to remain ideal would have been greedy. I punched off first, and felt like I had a good, aggress ive launch. I was scratching H ANG GLIDI NG

on the cast face about 1,000 fc:cr below

launch when l found some very light lifr. [ had always heard that if you find any lifr in the cast howl you should stick with it, no matter how light it is. I heard on the radio that 'l1·acy had launched next. Reports indicated another good launch, but he was unable to find lifr and was heading for the Aircrafr Carrier. I was at about 15,000' msl when Steve launched. Again, I heard reports of a great launch. Whew, everyone got off the mounrain with 110 problems! Steve was also unable to find workable lifr and headed out ro land, but my small thermal event11ally rnrned on and I man-aged to reach almost 18,000' msl and headed south, over the back. 'Ibey radioed that he had set down on the Aircraft Carrier and chalked up ;i perfect landing. Srevc landed a litrlc while later, somewhere near Bear Creek Park in Colorado Springs. l decided to conrinue heading south, managed to find a frw more thermals, and eventually turned wutheast to make for an easy retrieval. The clouds looked

much bener ro rhe south and south-west, bill heading in thar direction probably would have added a couple oF hours to the retrieval, even if I only flew 15 miles. l let everyone know that I was heading for Pueblo and would land somewhere alongside Highway 115 or 50. Once I left L11e !,efi to right: Tracy 'lrnnlinson, Steve Dewey, Jeff Hinshaw. mountains l found absolutely no lifr. l had an awesome probably could have found more lifr along the mountains and gotten a lot glide, however, from about 17,000' to more miles. Unfortunately, I was not too Pueblo which is around 5,800' rnsl. I was only sinking at about 100-300 ft)m and familiar with rhc roads in thJt area and ended up with a 20-mile glide! I eventubad lost radio co111act. l ralkcd with a friend a couple of days hirer who was in ally landed in a field on Highway 50 in his sailplane that clay, and he said that it Pueblo West for a 38.lt--milc flight. Looking bad<, J should have headed was really great over the Wet Moumains sourh along the Wet Mountain Range. I that day. Oh well, maybe next year!

Region 9 MARINO, GREGORY: Shohola, PA: C. Black/Mountain Wings lnc. Region 7 BRIGHT, STEVEN: Pontiac, IL; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

MC COY, HlJGH: Kensington, MD: M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

Region 8

Region 10 BROOKS, BRENT: Tucker, CA; C. Thoreson/I.ookom Mm FP

LUND, DAVID: W Brookfield, MA; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

CANADA, FERNANDO: Miami Beach, FT.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch CROUSE, CHARLES: N Ft Myers, FL; J. Tindle/Miami He;

Region 9

GAMBLE, BOB: Summerville, CA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mrn FP

MC COY, HUGH: Kensington, MD; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

HARF, DANIEL: Orlando, Fl.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

Region JO

MOSELEY, BENJAMIN: Orlando, fl.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

LOPEZ-URBINA, RAFAEL: Bayamon, PR; R. Hastings/Team Spirit HG CANADA, FERNANDO: Miami Beach, FT.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

TESTONI, MARCI 0: Davenport, Pl.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

HARP, DANIEL: Orlando, FL; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

WILLIAMS, JEFFREY: Orlando, FL; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

MOSELEY, BENJAMIN: Orlando, Fl.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch TESTON!, MARCI 0: D.ivenport, FL; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

Region 11

WILLIAMS, JEFFREY: Orlando, FL; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

HARDY, RON: Cedar Park, TX; S. Burns/Austin Air Sports

Region 11

Region 12

HARDY, RON: Cedar Park, TX; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

KAMP, JOHN: Yulan, NY; c;. Black/Mountain Wings Inc.

SAXTON, MALANDA: Prarievillc, LA; S. Burns/Ausrin Air Sports Region 13 Region 13

BRAUN, OLAF: Germany; M. Jones/Wallaby Randt

BRAUN, OLAJ:: Germany; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch SIAMI, MEHDI: UK; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

SIAMI, MEHDI: UK; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

Region 2 DE BUSK, DANTEJ.: Colfax, CA; R. Leonard/Adventure Sports

Region 2 ORMOND, JAMES: Sunnyvale, CA; D. Younr/Mission Soaring

GROLLIMUND, BALZ: Palo Alto, CA; P. Harlow/Mission Soaring

Region 3

HERRICK, DON: Sunnyvale, CA; A. Mclean/Mission Soaring

BRITO, DARIO: Ontario, CA; R. McKenzie/I Iigh Adventure

HOYT, LARRY: Turlock, CA; P. Denevan/Mission Soaring

CHIN, RANDALL: Anaheim, CA; R. McKenzie/High Advenrurc

LANTINGA, SAM: Pleasanton, CA; D. Burns/Mission Soaring

CURTIS, TIMOTHY: San Bernardino, CA; S. Donahue/Vegas Airgazurn

LINE, STEVEN: Danville, CA; A. Mclean

DE GROOT, ANTHONY: Sama Barbarn, CA; J. Gardner/fly Away

OWEN, HOPPER: Menlo Park, CA; D. Bums/Mission Soaring WHITTINGTON, AARON: Modcsro, CA; CD. Prather/Dream Weaver HG

Region 6

WIPRUT, DAVID: Menlo Pk, CA; P. Harlow/Mission Soaring

AVROIZ, JAVIER: Sr Louis, MO; F. Fori/Miami HC

Region 3 BRITO, DARIO: Onrario, CA; R. McKenzic/1 ligh Adventure

Region 7 BRYNGELSON, BEA: Shoreview, MN; R. Brown/Quest Air

CHIN, RANDALL: Anaheim, CA; R. McKcnzic/f-ligh Adventure DE GROOT, ANTHONY: Santa Barbarn, CA; J. Gardner/Fly Away

Region 8 STOBBE, BRUCE: Winsted, CT; B. Davidson/Tek Flight Products

Region 6

TAURINSKI, BRUNISJAUS: B11rlingron, CT; B. l)avidson/Tek Flight Products

AVROlZ, JAVIER: St Louis, MO; F. Foti/Miami HC Region 9

Region 7 BRIGHT, STEVEN: Pontiac, IT.; M. Joncs/Wallahy Ranch

ARKH~LD, ADAM: Winchester, VA; J. Rowan/Mountaineer I !CA CHlTTEN DEN, MK '.I lAEL: Spriug{lcld, VA; J. M iddlcton/Silvcr Wings l nc. MARINO, GREGORY: Shohola, PA;(;. Black/Mountain Wings lnc.

Region 8

O'ROlJRKE, AI.ANA: Norristown, PA; J. Harper/Valley Forge HC

UJND, DAVID: W Brookfield, MA; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

TUTOR, GEORGE: Westminster, MD; R. l Tays/Maryland School oHIG

STOBBE, BRUCE: Winsted, CT; B. Davidson/Tck Flight Products TAURINSKI, BRlJNlSI.AUS: Bmlington, CT; B. Davidson/Tck Flight Products

HANC CLIDINC

Region 10 BROOKS, BRENT: Tucker, c;A; C:. Thoreson/Lookout Mm PP CAMMARATA, RONALD: Chapel Hill, NC; J. Tindle/Miami l IC CROUSE, CHARLES: N Ft Fl.; J. Tindle/Miami HC GAMBU.:, BOB: Summerville, CA; C. Thoreson/Lookout Mtn FP LOPEZ-URBINA, RAFAEL: Bayamon, PR; R. !lastings/Team Spirir HG 0 NEJL, KTM: Lookout Mtn, CA; C:. Thoreso11/l.ookour Mtn Fl' TESTONJ, MARCIO: Davenport, FL; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch WOODWARD, DOTTIE: Pittsboro, NC; M. Wall/Lookout Mu1 FP Region 11

MC COMBS, DALE: Ovilla, TX; J. Hum/Co ... Hang Gliding PHILLIPS, DAVID: Austin, TX; S. Burns/ Austin Air Sports

Region 4 DEHRING, PETER: Morrison, CO; M. Winclshcimcr/Airrirnc Above HC; Region 12 MC COY, JR, JOSEPH: I Iopcwcll Jct, NY; M. Lassachcr/Acromax

RATINGS Region 10 IRBY, ROGER: Roanoke Rapids, NC; R. Bachman/Kitty Hawk Kites Region 11 RODRIGUEZ, CHARLIE: Austin, TX; R. Kenney/Prairie IIC

Region 12

KAMP, .JOHN: Yulan, NY; C. [llack/Moumain Wings Inc. Region 13 BRAUN, 01.AF: Germany; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

1999 TOP 10 SCHOOL/CLUB LEADERS IN BEGINNER (HANG I) RATINGS ISSUED

RANK SCHOOL ........................................... Bh'GTNNER Wallaby Ranch ...................................................... 50 Lookout Mountain Flight Park .............................. 30 2 Kitty Hawk Kites ................................................... 13 3 Mission Soaring Center ......................................... 11 4 IIigh Adventure ....................................................... 9 5 Morningside Plight Park .......................................... 9 5 Miami Hang Gliding ............................................... 5 6 Austin Airsports ......... ,............................................. 4 7 Mountain Wings, Inc ............................................. .4 7 Silver Wings ............................................................ ·:, 7 l

Region 2 AYAOPOULOS, JACK: Alameda, CA; J. Borton/Thin Air Designs Region 3 STEVES, VINCE: Haiku, l JI; F. Foti/Miami J IC WILL, JAMFS: Honolulu, HI; J. Forbus/Clouclba.1·e Enterprise Region 7 CARROLL, KELLY: Belleville, Ml; T. Tillman/C:loud CJ Sport Avairion

Region 8 HARDIE, D FOS'T'ER: Somerville, Mi\; M. Joncs/Wallahy Ranch KOEHi.ER, STEPHAN: Cambridge, MA; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch Region 9

RENO, EDWARD: Cheverly, MD;J. Crcgor Region 10 AGOSTI NH 0, FIJ.IPf,:: Coconut Crcive, FL; J. Tindle/Miami IIG PERRONE, CARLOS: Chattanooga, TN; M. Taber/Lookout Mm FP TESTON!, MARCIO: Davenport, Fl.; M. Jones/Wallaby Ranch

1999 TOP 10 SCHOOL/CLUB LEADERS IN NOVICE (FIANG 2) RATINGS ISSUED

RANK SCHOOL ................................................ NOVICE Lookout Mountain Flight Park .............................. 32 2 W11laby Ranch ...................................................... J 2 3 J-figh Adventure ....................................................... 8 4 Mission Soaring Center ............. ., ............................ 7 4 Mountain Wings .............................................. ., ..... 7 5 Kitty Hawk u 5 Miami Ifang Gliding ........... ., .................................. 6 6 Raven Sky Sports ..................................................... 5 7 Fly Away Hang Gliding ........................................... 3 7 Fly High ......................... ,. ....................................... 3 7 (~uest Air ................................................................. 3 7 Windsports International. ........................................ 3 J.'scll.C) ......................,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,............

Region 3 BERGER, GREG: Kula, I II; A. Engert/Hang Gliding Mani TURNER, JESSTON: Lake Elsinore, CA; M. Bell/Discover Flight Inc.

Rrmleings were compiled.from ratings published in the January to March 1999 issues o/Hang Gliding magazine.

MARCIi 1999

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(formerly

SEE I IN KN

ILLE UNTAIN

THE 1998 REGION IX

Yearlong X-C Contest by Pete Lehmann

raditionally, che longes t Region IX flights occur during rhe months of April and May, bur last year chose months suffered from unusually wee weacher. As a result, it was to be the month of June chat provided much of the best flying. In particular, the first part of June provided eight consecutive, unscable northwest days thac enabled the two longest flights of rhe year. In addition, there were a couple oflong flights in July as well as a surprisingly long one in Occober. All in all, the year was at besc an average one for cross-country flying in chat there were few spectacular flights. However, the increasing prominence of aerotowing and rhe generally dry summer and fall seasons allowed a large number of shorter flights co be made. Indeed, flying almost exclusively on weekends, Larry Huffman managed to accumulate an ascounding coral of 804 cross-country miles within the Region.

OPEN CLASS The longest flight in Region IX last year was one of 102 miles char I made on June 4 from my home sire of Templeton to Lewistown, Pennsylvania. Flying a Wills Wing Fusion, my flight began at the lace hour of 3:30 pm wich a spectacular climbouc in a thermal that Mike Neuman and I had encountered moments after launching. It was one of the strongest sustained thermals I have ever seen in che Ease. It began at 300 fpm , and in stages increased co a soli d 900 fpm co cloud base at 5,700' over launch. Ac firsc che clouds were reasonably useful, bur by abouc 25 miles into the flight they began co deceriorace, becoming less well defined and more shortlived. At this point I miscakenly pushed on ah ead while Mike played it a bic more carefully. As a resulc, I got low and Mike scraped me off as I scratched to scay alive. Still struggling as I approached che Prince M ARCH 1999

The Region IX Yearlong X-C contest recognizes a pilot's single longest flight of the year, including weekday flights. Participation in 1998 's contest was gratifyingly large. Fifty-nine pilots entered the four classes, including a few, such as New Hampshire's Tim Donovan, from outside the Region. Of those who entered the contest, fully 41 ofthem had cross-country flights to submit, including one ofa hundred miles.

Galliczin reservoir ac about 5:00 PM, wich only rare clouds and che intimidating Allegheny Mournain woods beyond the reservoir, I figured I was coasc. Bue chen in che least likely spot co find it, on the lee, shady side of a complecely leaf-covered ridge, I hie by far the best thermal I had seen since leaving launch. Ir was 700 fpm and fat all che way co near the base of a forming cloud at 5,900' agl. On the strength of char climb I finally caught Mike on the edge of Allegheny Mountain, bur he promptly again scraped me

off when I smpidly went back upwind looking for his thermal. H e crossed che mountain while I groveled in miserable life hoping to gee high eno ugh co fo llow hjm. I evemually did manage co cross over, bur in the meantime Mike was in trouble on the far side of the mountain and evenmally landed in che apdy-named Sinking Valley for 65 miles. My experience in the mountains was better chan his, and confirmed my general view char X-C flying in the mountains is much easier than over

1998 Region IX Yearlong X-C Contest Class Winners OPEN CLASS

1) 2) 3)

Pete Lehmann ............ Wills Wing Fusion ............ .. .... 102 Larry Huffman . ... . ... .. . Moyes CSX3 ......... . .... . .... .. .. 74.7 Eric Shiever .. ... . ........ PacAir K5 ......... . ....... .. ....... 73.6 SIXTY MILE CLASS Eric Shiever . ... ....... .. . PacAir K5 .. ........ . . .. ... ......... 73.6 Tom McGowan .. ... . . . ... Moyes Xtralite ..... . . ............. .. 51 .3 Marc Fink .. ... .. ........ Laminar ST .. ... .. ...... . .. ..... ... 46.3 ROO!<IE CLASS

1) Joe Gregor ........... . ... Wills Wing Fusion .. . ... .. . . ... .. .... 51.9 2) Kevin Madden . ........ .. . PacAir K5 ...................... . ... 32.2 3) Marvin Presley .... .. .. ... . .. Wills Wing Sport ..... .. ..... . ....... 21 PARAGLIDER CLASS

1) 1)

LE Herrick .... .. ......... FreeX Spear M .... .... .......... . .... 6.75 Ben Herrick .... . ...... . .. ProDesign Pro Feel ......... . .... . . . ... 6.75

open country. With light surface winds, each mountain ridge was producing lift and extremely reliable late-day clouds. Climb rates were at best 350 fpm, but the lift was easy to work. I continued past Mike, passed over my pilot friend Ron

Dively's house, and across the Jack's Mountain launch before landing at 7:05 PM at Lewistown for 102 miles. The flight took 3:35 for an average speed of 28 .5 mph. In second place was Larry Huffman

flying a Moyes CSX3 cha r he had received just in time for the spring flying season. He managed to do very well with his new glider, flying 58 and 54 miles during his first two flights on it. However, for the purposes of this contest h is best flight was a considerably longer one made during the spectacular first week of June. On June 6 he flew 74.7 miles from Templeton to land southeast of Altoona, Pennsylvania. Larry's flight was distinguished by the fact that it was made under largely overcast skies. The sky that day in no way resembled the stereotypical cumie-filled cross-country sky. Larry observed that this, and ocher flights he made in similar conditions in 1997, should serve as lessons rhat even overcast days have considerable potential. Too many pilots are hamstrung by their belief that a long flight is only possible in ideal conditions. Despite the overcast skies, Larry encountered good lift in the 400-500 fpm range and cloudbase was high enough at 5,700' agl for Larry to easily get over Allegheny Mountain. He then continued across Dunning Mountain before landing in the broad valley behind it.

1998 Region IX Yearlong X-C Contest Results PLACE PILOT

Pete Lehmann at the end ofa very long X-C. Taking third place in the Open Class, and also the winner of the Sixty Mile Class, was Eric Shiever with a flight of 73.6 miles. His makes it a Templeton trifecta for the first three places in the contest. Eric's flight was made on April 5, one of the very best days seen during an otherwise mediocre spring. Flying a PacAir K5, Eric had the distinct pleasure of flying further than the top lesses of Larry Huffman and myself Despite his pigsticker, Eric managed to easily cross the Allegheny Mountain trees and then get past Dunning Mountain. He actually had spiraled down and blown off 3,500 feet of altitude to land in that safe open area, as he was wisely reluctant to continue on into the difficult country beyond. During his flight the winds had picked up to such a degree that landing in the mountains would have been extremely unpleasant and dangerous. From launch to landing, and including blowing off all that excess altitude, his flight took only 2:23. The flight was made in otherwise excellent conditions, with nearly 7,000-foot gains and superb climb rates. In 1997 Eric eleverly remained in the Sixty Mile class by only going 59.8 miles, bur he's now promored himself to the big-boy class where he'll be flying in 1999 with a new Fusion. In fourth place overall was Nelson Lewis, occupying one of his usual positions at the top of the standings with a flight of 73 miles from Peter's Mountain, West Virginia. His flight began at 3:30 PM and ended at the extraordinarily late hour of7:50 PM on May 17 . His last thermal was found at 7: 15, after which he glided along Rich Mountain before landing near Tazewell, Virginia. I have now read several accounts of the Peter's Mounrain run, and must say that they sound decidedly sporty and difficult. The narrarives always include gliding across heaps of trees, h anging out at gaps, and making multiple attempts before successfully crossing, and sometimes having to work MARCH 1999

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

CLASS

Open Pere Lehmann Larry Huffman Open Eric Shiever Sixty Nelson Lewis Open Claire Pagen Open Rich Lawrence Open Open Larry Ball Open Will Jenkins Rookie Joe Gregor Tom McGowan Sixty Ron Dively Open Sixty Marc Fink Greg Mick Open Wayne Sayer Sixty Randy Newberry Open Mike Balk Sixty John McAllister Sixry Open John Alden Kevin Madden Rookie Tim Donovan Open Larry Wright Open Christy Hudd1e Sixty Mark Gardner Sixty Ric Niehaus Sixty Sixty Jeff Seruset Geoff Mumford Sixty Sixty Ralph Eckart Dave Salmen Open George Price Sixty Sixty John Dullahan Marvin Presley Rookie Pat Brooks Open Baell Dickert Rookie Randy Queen Rookie Dave Proctor Sixty Stephen Hull Rookie Rookie Judy McCarty Steve Turner Rookie Ben Herrick Para LE Herrick Para Doug Wakefield Rookie

GLIDER

DISTANCE

DATE

SITE

Wills Wing Fusion 150 Moyes CSX3 PacAir KS Moyes Xrralire Aeros Stealth KPL Moyes Xrrapokey Moyes SX4 Wills Wing Fusion 150 Wills Wing Fusion 150 Moyes Xtraheavy 164 PacAir Klassic 144 lcaro Laminar ST Icaro Laminar Aeros Stealth KPL 142 Aeros Stealth WillsWing XCl 55 PacAir Klassic 155 PacAir Klassic 133 PacAir KS Sensor 610F Predator WillsWingXC 132 PacAir Klassic 144 Wills Wing Fusion MoyesXS 155 PacAir K5 Wills Wing HP AT 145 TR3 Wills Wing XC155 Wills Wing HP AT 145 Wills Wing Sport 167 Wills Wing XC 155 PacAir Vision Mk. 4 RarnAir 154 Moyes Xrraheavy PacAir Pulse PacAir Klassic 133 Moyes Xrralire ProDesign ProFeel FreeX Spear M Wills Ulrrasport 147

102 74.7 73.6 73 68.9 68 67 59 51.9 51.3 50.6 46.3 42.7 40 39.7 38.7 38 33. l 32.2 31.2 29.5 28 28 26.l 25.1 25 24.5 24.1 23. 1 23 21 15.2 14.7 14 12.5 12 9.8 8 6.75 6.75 4.4

4-June 6-June 5-April 17-May 17-May 10-0ct. 24-April 16-May 12-July 11-July 17-May 15-March 11-April 11-April 7-Nov. 7-Nov. 17-May 12-April 15-Nov. 11-May 11-April 15-March 5-April 17-May 12-July 12-July 11-April 22-March 5-April 25-April 5-Sept. 15-March 13-June 20-Sept.

Templeton, PA Templeton, PA Templeton, PA Peters Mt., WV Big Walker, VA Peters Mt., WV High Point, WV High Point, WV TowFarm, MD Pulpit, PA Big Walker, VA Woodstock,VA Mount Vale, VA Big Walker, VA Big Walker, VA Woodstock,VA Woodstock,VA Fayette Airport, OH High Rock, MD Big Walker, VA Fayette Airport, OH High Point, WV Woodstock,VA Templeton, PA Templeton, PA Tow Farm, MD Farview Airport, OH Pleasant Gap, PA Woodstock, VA Woodstock, VA High Point, WV Pulpit, PA Woodstock, VA Sod Farm, OH Fisher Road

15-Nov. 8-0cr. 18-May 18-May 31-0ct.

Woodstock, VA TowFarm,MD Woodstock, VA Woodstock, VA Woodstock, VA

upwind to traverse gaps. SIXTY MILE CLASS

As mentioned above, Eric Shiever took first place in this Class. Tom McGowan, flying a misnamed 164 Moyes Xtralite, took second place in the Sixty Mile Class with his 51.3-rnile flight from the Pulpit on July 11 . Tom's flight is notable in that it is one of the longer flights ever flown from the site, and it took an unusual southerly track which, had he

gone much further, would have run him into airspace problems. Marc Fink's Laminar ST took him on a patented Woodstock, Virginia ridge run of 46 .3 miles, good for third place. ROOKIE CLASS The Rookie Class winner was Joe Gregor who flew a Wills Wing Fusion 150. Joe flew 51.9 miles from the Maryland Tow Farm on July 12. His flight began with a premature release at 1,200' agl when his

Pete Lehmann getting his WW Falcon ready

miles from Big Walker just scraped in under the wire as he made it on Novem-· ber 15, the last day of the contest. Will Jenkins had a 59-miler flying his Pusion from High Point on May 12, and Ron Dively on a Klassic went 50.6 miles from Big Walker the same day that Claire Pagen had her long one there. Tei complete the top l O flights, Larry Ball on a Moyes SX4 had a wonderful 67 -mile flight from l'Iigh Point that took him to near Frederick, Maryland. After

landing he saw a car drive up and stop. Larry figured it was a bunch of wuffos, but it turned out to be Rich Biegel, a pilot who now lives in Massachusetts. Rich had been sitting outside drinking beer at his brother,in-law's place and explaining how, judging from the sky, he wouldn't be surprised if a hang glider would fly over them. Right about then Larry came cruising over for a nearby landing. Ill

for a 1999 XC. Photo by l:ynn Meadows. aerotow bridle self-destructed. Fortunate·· ly, he found a thermal while gliding back to the tow field and climbed out to 6,200' agl with it. Constantly working southeastward to avoid the airspace of the Navy's Patuxent River 'fest Center, he finally landed near Rehobeth Beach after four hours in rhe air. Joe's flight repre-· sents personal distance and duration records, and is also the new site X-C record. The ·row Farm is a new site, and has become a focal point for pilots flying in the Baltimore and Washington areas. His flight and other tow flights made there and at aerotow sites in Ohio during the light-wind, dog days of summer, highlight the immense contribution aerotowing has made to Eastern hang gliding. Kevin Madden took second place with an 1musual, and personal-best flight from High Rock, Maryland on April 12. Kevin and his PacAir followed the main South Mountain ridge to the southwest for a considerable distance before finally bailing over tbe back. In third place was Marvin Presley who flew his Wills Wing Sport for a personal-best 2 I miles from High Point, West Virginia on April 25.

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PARAGUDER CLASS The only two pilots to enter flights in the Paraglider Class, and thus the co-winners, were LE and Ben Herrick with the identica 1 6.75-mile flights already mentioned in the previous article on the Regionals.

BEST OF THE REST Pinally, some individually notable flights included Claire Pagen's fine, Stealthy 68.9-milcr from Big Walker in the spring, and Rich Lawrence's 68--miler which was made exceptionally Lu:e in the year when he flew his Moyes Xtrapokey ;ilong Peter's Mountain on October 10. Even later in the year, 'Tim Donovan's flight of 31.2

I IANC CUDINC

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County Road ll, 9:315, gmmisonglidcrs.com

CO 812:00. (970) 6/i I

lllCH FNERCY POD ll/\RNESSES Sizes & srylcs $l00-/i00. cc; l (}()(l's $250. Cocoons LMFP pod, 5'9" $400. Knecbangcrs & stirrups also available. (Ii Iii) lt?.'3-8800, bracW>ha11µ,gliding.cotn

MOYES XTRAUTE U7 Good shape, small control bar$l,500. (9'70) 6/il-5(,5/i, ndriver('1 t1sa.ne1 MOYES XT PRO 1(,'5 Novice/intermediate douhk surfoce, lwo avail:1blc $1,600., $2,:JOO. (Ii 1/i) 17:l8800, brndG1lha11ggliding.co111

P/\C:J\fR K5 118 l .E, black /\irwave wheels, helmet $ J ,'750.

wllllc/gray, pink 19%,

] 00 in srock. Lookour Moun1:1in, (706) 398351i l, www.hanglidc.com UJTRASPOR'J lli'7, 1(,6 - Rental gliders at flight park, low hours, clean, priced to sell. (Ii I Ii) li?.'l-8800, brad~ilhanggliding.con1

UP COMET II ,Y Sensor, $500 each 0110. Will take to Owens. (702) 597 I l 98 I ,as Veg:1s.

PERSONAi. FI.IGHT FLORIDA The Exclusive lmponcr of the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CUDER the LI\ MOUETTF TOPI.ESS :rnd TOP SECRET Rigid Wing. It Kicks Ass! Just ask Mike ll:rrbcr. J\vaibl,lc in three sizes: 121, Iii I :md lli8sql't. Introducing rhc TOP SECRET, 2nd tion Rigid Wing. Don't waste your lime on old sruff. Dealer inquires invited. Contact PERSONAL FLIGHT FLORIDA and ask l'or Gibho,

VISIONS & PULSFS Boughr.Sold-Tradcd. Raven Sky Sports (Ii 14) 1738800, brad(irlhanggliding.com WILLS WING ATTACK DUCK 160 -· Good con· dirion, 50 hours $500 OHO. Call Bob aiicr 6pm EST, (814) 885-6 I2S. WILLS WlNC: FALCON 22.5 J/i hours, bluc/magcnra, folding specclh:1r, Wills wheels, 2 down n,l,cs $2,/i()(), Dale (702) li:l5-250 I Las Vegas.

TlRED OF TOWING? Tired of to !lying sites? Create your own, power up the way with SWEDISH AEROSPORTS MOSQUITO HAR NESS. powerful, affordable and most 11111,onanrJy.J•on! Call BILL of T.C. HANG GUDyour US SUPPLIER ar 616,922-284/i. I'S: SEEING IS BELIEVING, new video made by Fast ( :o,rst Video, now available $ I :l includes shipping. 'J'changglidcr(:i)jt1no.con1 1

PARAGUDERS IK/\ROS SPORT AVIATION WWW.FLYFORFUN.NEl' RIGJD WINGS

WWXC l Ii), J 55 I,nw hours, dean and nice condition $:I, I 00 each 01\0. (Ii 14) li?.o-8800, brnd~i>Jiangg· liding.com PULSE 'lM

Very good cond., low rime, must sell

$1,500 OHO. Phil (505) 286 8017.

Fxcl'llent condition, 2') hours, white upper, X(: 1'i') rccl/or:rngc lower $7-,700 OBO. (108) 'l'J'S 2209.

PULSES & VISIONS Bo11gl11-SoH· J'radcd. Raven Sky Sports (Ii J Ii) lt73-8800, bradcrlhanggliding.rnrn SPECTRUM 1/,'i rcd/oran1;c/white, 16/i7,kns.a11clerson4t~>g1c.r1e1

"50 honrs, (.,03) 'l:',2-

EMERGENCY PARACHUTES CORE l'I )A w/swivcl $420. 20 gore $19'). more available. R,tvcn Sky Spons (Ii I /i) fiTJ.

Two 11re·o1A111c,t1, very .special prices. David ('706) (S! 8485.

classified (719) 17. r)2

HANC GiJDINC

IXBO horn Tecma. Yom best choice of' production rigid Flawless !Jt and flnish, super pcrfonnancc. Why for anything less than an IXBCV Call for derails on a test flight. Sec rhc IXBO on Tccma website: lrnp://memhcrs.aol.com.tecmasport/ Distrihllted in USA by Ken Brown DBA Moyes America, (Ii 15) '/5'.l-95:lli 1:ly:11'vloycstiilaol.co111 MILLENlUM can touch it, sink or Nearly new with custom skid shoe and Tri-gear too. Extras. $7,:lOO. Might deliver Wa/Or/N.C:a. Evenings (%0) 56')-2:JB/i.

TOP SECRFT Rigid wing, almost here. WALLARY RANCH (9/i 1) /i2/i-0070.

MAGIC AIR--· Located in Northern C:dilornia. Lessons, sales, service. (707) 96:J-:lli55.

SCHOOIS & DEALERS ALABAMA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN 1:1.1CHT PARK ad under C;corgia.

Sec

ROCJ<J,;]' C:lTY Al RSPOR.TS The fon, safe place to learn to We help you learn quickly and safely with USHCA certified profcssinnal instrnctors. Creal place for first cross country flights. Three sites and a Moyes-Bailey aerotug for those "other" Learn to acrotow and earn ynm AT raring. Mention this ad, bring a {i·icnd and receive nnc lesson ' price. C:all (256) 880-8512 or (2'56) n<i-')995.

Our comprehensive instruction program, located ar the San Francisco Bay /\rca's premier site, frat mes gently sloped "bunny hills," and comfortable training harnesses! pnc-sent;;1uc,n of our beginner lesson program, is availfor only $20 including shipping (m11y he 11;,piicrl to your ji1t11rt lesson p1achr1sts). Om deluxe rcrail shop showcases the latest in hang gliding innov;11ious. \Xie

ULTRALIGI ITS

stock new and used Wills, Airwavc and Moyes gliders, PLUS all the hottcs/ new harnesses. Tracie-ins arc welcome. Take a Jlight on our amazing new VI RTUAI. REALITY hang gliding flight simlllator! 1116 Way, Milpitas (ncr1r Srm Jost) CA 950:l5. (/i08) 1055, fax (li08) 2(l2-t:l8B, MSC:J!c;r11aol.com www.l1ang-gli<li11g.corn

ARIZONA

ANTARIFS TRIKE 80 hours, loaded, set up for call f,lr more details $10,000 OBO. (.'33/i)

IKAROS SPORT AVIATION WWW.FIYFORFUN.NE'J'

PERSONAi. Fl.lGHT FLORIDA 904.441.5458 The Exclusive Importer of LA MOUETTE/COSMOS ULTRALIGHTS. Introducing rhc SAMBA. The truly soarablc liglnwcight trike. Fits most gliders, 2 I.a Monette wings Topless & single surfocc, durable landeasy ro fly, in-air restart. The Cheapest Flight MDlH'Y Cw Bny! C:ontan PERSONAL FLIGHT FLORIDA and ask for Cihbo Ph & l'x: 904 .!iii I. 5/i 58,

WANTED 01.1) HANC CLIDFRS WANTED !'or display only. Sail rnnst be in good condition. Contact Bruce Weaver l--800-:l:lfi-,i7T7 or (7-52) 4/i 1··2/i2(,.

HJLI. SERVICE SHOP Sales, rentals, repairs, guide service. hec brochure. (520) 6:l2.-li I ht tp://www.northlink.com/,·ahgc (256) '776-9995.

2800 Torrey Pines Drive San Diego CA 92037 Sinee 1928 JIANC CLIDINC AND PARACl.!D!NC; USHCA certified instruuinn, tandem instnrc

ARKANSAS

rion, sales, service, repairs, parachute

OZARK MOUNTAIN I !ANC CL]])ERS Sales, service and instruction. 160 Johnston Rd, Searcy AR 72.Hl. (501) 279-2/i80.

DREAM WEAVER l lANC: GLll)JNC Sales, service , instruction. Area's most INEXPENSIVE prices. Ideal training hill, new and nsed cquipmmt. Dealer for Wills Wing, Altair, I ligh Energy Sports and more. Tandem instruction. US! ICA Advanced instnrctor Doug l'rathcr. (209) 556-0li69 Modesto CA.

out at lmp://www.flytnrrey.com

Elsinore and training sites. Vacation 1r:1ining,

and glider .,ales The most

and equipment, new and

nscd in Trade in your old equipment. .l25 days each year. Corne fly with us! 161 /i5 Victory Van Nnys C:A 9lli06. (8 l B) 988 .. () 111, hrx (818) 9881862. COLORADO

Tl IF I !ANC CLIDINC CENTER 2181 Charles Way, !'I ( :ajon CA 9207-0, ((, 19) ii<, I I !iii I.

lessons, sales, service. Colorado's most experienced!

I lang gliding, paragliding

C::ilif'ornia's mile high site, Crestline. US[ !CA lnstmctor Rob McKenzie. lly appointment year round. (')()')) 88:l-8ii88, www.ecc.org/hus/high_advenllrre

AIRTIME AHOVF IIANC CIIDINC

LAKE ELSINORE SPORTS FULL SERV!CE SHOP with a f,,cus on stltdenr pilot needs. We ARE the area s nnly walk-in shop. Open 6 days a week I O:un-6pm, clnscd on Moltdays. (')09) 6'/li -7-li 53.

hrll-tirnc

Wills Wing, Moyes Altair, I ligh Energy, Ball, karo and more. (.'lO:l) 67/i 2/i5 I, Evergreen, Colorado Airtime! !Cv1.l:1ol.corn CONNEC:J'ICUT MOUNTJ\IN WINCS

MAl,CI I 'I t)99

including lodging and

1:1.y AWAY ITANC: CLID!NC:/PARACI.IDlNC: Santa Barbara. Tammy Bmc:u (805) 697--9908.

school. Equipment sales, service, r-entals ar Southern

WANTED -- . Winglers for R:un/\ir 155, reasonably priced. (90 I) .$82),391.

and site

rnurs. San Diego's world class soming ccnln. Visa ;rnd Mastercard accepted. C:rll (619) li52·985fl or check us

WINDSPORTS I.A's largest since 197/i. Fil"tcen minutes from LAX. Central to Sylmar, Crestline,

CALIFORNIA

I 11< ;JI ADVENTURE -

MK!i needed. I 800-6BB-563'7.

DEf~POF?T

Look nnder New York.

ifi l'LORlDA

GFORGIA

'] 'he Aerorow Flight Park Satisfaction Cuar,.rn tced

JUST 8 MILES FROM D[SNFY WORLD USJlCA CERTil:JED TANDFM INSTRUCTION McNarncc. Aerorow training & rntings. and ,1crorow equipment, I. 5 Di,,n,·1cworld. Call (:,52) li8'J-9%9. flyQhgray\,irdairs1,ons.com, www.graybir<birsports.com LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLICllT PARK

Sec

ad nndcr Ccorgia. Nearest n101mtain rraining center to

Orlando (only 8 hours).

NO MORE BUNNY... THE HILL WITH IT!

] .8()0,803-7'788

• YEAR ROUND SOARING • OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • FIVE TUGS, NO WAITING • EVERY DlRECTlON

FULL HOOK.UPS

1.atmdry, propane, recreation

room. 1 ·800·80.1 ,7'788.

50, lliCE demos to fly: Topless to Trainer Gliders: Laminar, Moyes, Wills, i\irbomc, Airwave, Exxtacy, Millennium La Mo11c11e, Sensor; also harnesses, varios) etc.

Ages 13 To '7:3 have learned to fly here.

LOOKOUT MOlJNTAIN l'L!Cl IT Pi\RK -·- Sec om dispby ad. Discover why FOUR TIMES as many pilots earn their wings at Lookout than at any other school! We wrote US! IC/\'s Oflicial Training Manual. Om spccialty-cusrnrncr satisfoctio11 and fun with the BEST FACILITIES, largest inventory, camping, swim ming, more! h,r a {lying trip, intro flight or lesson

No one comes close to our level of experience and sl1cccss wid1 tandem acroi-ow i11struction.

f,ookout Mountain,

Chauanooga, yom COMPLF rF ter. Info? (800) 688-LMFP.

ou1sidc ccn ..

A GREAT SCENE FOR FAMILY AND FRIFNDS ...

ii~J!l<Kili"llll IJ:J(/.Jfj!JC(IJ f.'l:\111H0llii\JCsj WF IIAVF The most advanced rrnining program known to hang gliding, leaching you in half the time i1 takes on die trnining-BUNNY HILL, and with more in-fligl1t air time. YES, WE CAN TEACH YOU FASTER AND SAFER. Pot year-round 28'> the sun, call or write Miami I laug Cliding 8978. 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconnt Grove, Florida 331 ll.

IO morels &. restaurants within 5 mins., camping, hot showers) shade trees, sales) storage, ratings) XC

retrievals, great weather, climbing wall, trampoline, DSS 'IV, ping pong, picnic rah ks, swimming pool, etc.

Flights of over J 67 miles and more than 7 hams. Articles in I!rmY, Gliding, Kitplanrs, C:ross Count1yand others. Fcan1rcd on 1111mcrous shows) including ESPN2. Visit us on the Web: http://www.wallaby.com Please call us f,,r references and video. l 805 Dean Still Road, I )isncy Arca, FL 3.3837 (911) li2li-0070 phone & fax ( :onscrvative • Reliable• Stare of' the Art F.H.C. INC./FlYJNc; FLORTDA SINCE 197/i

BUNKHOUSE WARM & COMFORTABLI'··bunks, hot showers, open all year, 2/i hour self registration. 1·800-803-'/788 1 HAWAil BIRDS IN PARA])]SF - I Jang gliding & ultralight flying on Kauai. Certified tandem instrnction. (808) 822-530') or (808) 6}'J. J 067, birdip~tla]uha.nct

v,rww.birdsi1111:1radisc.corn

Malcolm Jones, Clover, ( :ados Bcssa Mike'/., Lamie Jeremie Hill, Kerry I .loyd, Tom Ramsem, Rog,cr Slicrrod, Rhett Radf,ml

QUFST AIR SOARING CENTFR Yom vacation hang gliding location. 052) 429-02 rl, fax 052) li29· IJ-81J(). Visit our website at: www.qucstairf(ncc.com or

email us: qHestairC"sundial.nn

Our advertising two-month

plan

ILUNOlS llAN(; Cl.llllNC: SFRVJC:ES Acrorowing thrn Prairie Soaring ,11 Leland Airpon, 1 hour west of' Chicago. Tandem instruction. Airpon (815) li95· 2821, home (815) '7/il-22'50. RAVEN SKY SPORTS·- (112) )60.0700 or (414) 90 minutes from [',]gin, Palatine or best instmctors, the results in the midwcsr. best equipment, the Training program for combined/integrated loot launch and acrotow certification. Apply IOO'Yc, o/' yom intro lesson costs to certification program upgrade! Please sec

our ,td under WISCONSIN .

.S4

HANC Gun1Nc

Classifieds ~~ TN DIANA

NEVADA

RAVEN S KY SPORTS - (4 14) 473-8800. Please sec our ad under Wisco nsin . brad@ha ngglid ing.com

ADVENTURE SPORTS - Sierra soaring at its best. Tours, aerotowing, tandem, USHGA certified instruction for hang glid ing/p,iragliding. Sa les a nd se rvi ce . 365 0-22 Resea rch Way, Ca rson C ity, NV 89706 (775) 883-7070, www.pyramid.net/advspts

KANSAS PRA IRIE HANG G LIDERS - Fu ll serv ice school & dealer. Great tandem instruction, towing & XC packages. (316) 375-299 5, kenney@pld .com

LAS VEG AS AIR.BORN WATERSPORTS - Hang gl id ing & paraglid ing tours, lessons, sales, serv ice. (702) 566-394 5 www.vinualhosts.net/skysail/main .htm

MEXICO

SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK - C ooperstown, NY. Ce rtifi ed Instruct ion, Sa les and Se rvi ce for a ll major manufacturers. 40 acre park, 5 tra in ing h ills, jeep rides, bunk house, ca mping, ho r showers, 600 ' NW ridge. We have rhe best facili ties in N. New York stare ro tea ch you how to fly. c/o Dan Guido , Box 29 3 Shoemaker Rd, Mohawk NY 13407, (.315) 866-6 153. NORTH CAROLINA

KITTY HAWK KITES

NEW JERSEY

iii MEXICO !!! HANG GLI DING

PARAGLIDING

BEAUT IFUL VALLE DE BRAVO - Open to all , re nt or bri ng hg/pg . Bas ic packages : $ I 00/day hg, $69/day pg. 1-800 -86 1-7 198, jeff@flym ex ico .com

MOU NTAIN W INGS -

Flight Park Look under New York.

NEW MEXJ CO CROSSROADS WINDSPORTS - Stare-of-the-an rrain ing with sta tionary simu lato r, BoomBa r, tandems, vid eo coach in g. ·rowin g fo r hang and paragliders. Rentals. Cam ping on rhe Airpa rk' Call C urt Graham (505) 592-8222.

www.flymexico.co m

MICHIGAN CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - Aerotow specialists. G liders, eq ui pment and launch cart kits ava ilable. Ca ll for fa ll /winter tandem lessons and fly ing appo intme nts with t he D raac he nF li egc n Soar ing C lub at C loud 9 fie ld . I I 088 C oon Lake Road We st, W e bb e rv ill e M I 48892. ( 5 17 ) 22 .3 - 8683. C loud9sa@ao l.com http://members.aol.com/ cloud9sa

TANDEM

H/1·.i\JG G L I D I f\J C

NORM LESNOW'S FLY ING ADVENTURES Since 1978. Experience & safety are# I . Presenting the rurbo d ragon fl y. Introductory fl ights and fu ll range of lesson programs for beg inn er to advanced. Aerotow clinics & USHGA appropr iate ratin gs avai lab le. US HGA certified sc hoo l. P lease c o n tact No rm Les now-Master Pilot, Exam iner, Advanced Tandem Instructor, Tow Admi ni s t rator. (248) 3 99 - 94 33, FULL-T I ME sc h oo l. www.S e r io u sS ports .com nlfa@juno.com TRAVERSE C ITY HANG GLIDERS/ PARAGLIDERS - FULL-TIME shop. Certifi ed instructio n, foot launch and tow . Sa les, se rv ice, accessor ies for ALL major brands. VISA/ MASTERCARD. Come soa r our 450' dun es! 1509 E 8th, Traverse C ity M l 49684. Offering powered paragliding lessons & dealer for the Exp lorer & used u nits. Ca ll Bi ll ar (616) 922-2844 , tchangglider@juno .com. Visit our paragliding school in Jackson , Wyom ing. Call Tracie at (307) 739-8620. MINNESOTA RAVEN SKY SPORTS - (6 12) 340- 1800 o r (414) 473-8800. Please sec o ur ad u nder WISCONSIN .

MARCH 1999

MOUNTA I N W EST HANG G LI D ING Fa rm ington 's on ly fu ll se rv ice school and Wi lls W ing dealer. Offering row and tandem fl ights. (505) 632-844 3. UP OVER NEW MEXIC O - Instruction, sales, service. Sa n d ia Mounta in g ui des . W ill s, Airwavc . Albuquerq ue, NM (505) 821 -8544. NEW YORK AAA FLIGHT SCHOOL - MOUNTAIN WINGS, INC. -22 yea rs ex perience, fo ll time/yea r ro und . Fu ll se rvice shop , 4 tra ini ng areas and a 4,5 00' tow fi eld. W inch and aero towi ng, randems and two-place training. W e se ll : M il lennium , Exxtacy, Airwave, Alta ir, Moyes, Aeros, Fl ightstar, trikes. Woody Valley harnesses in stock. Save $$$-ask us abo ut Aying the mountain ar a discount. We do it all and we won't be undersold. (9 14) 64 7-3377 WWW.FLIGHTSCHOOL.NET, ema il MTNWINGS@AOL.CO M or vis it us ar 150 Ca nal Street, Ellenv ille NY 12428.

ELLENVILLE FLIGHT PARK - Sa les, serv ice, USHGA certified instruction . Dealer for AIRBORNE, LA MOUETTE TOPLESS, APCO, UK DISCOVERY, instrumen ts, accessories. 80 H ang G lider Road, Ell env ill e NY 124 28 . C a ll To ny C ovel li or Ja ne, phone/fax (9 14) 647- 1008. FLY H IGH HANG GLIDING, INC. - Serving S. New York, Connecticut, Jersey areas (Ellenville Mm.) Area's EXCLUSIVE W ills W ing dcaler/speciaLst. Also all other major brands, accessories. Certified school/insm,ction. T eaching since 1979. Area's most IN EXPENSIVE prices. Excellent secondary insi:ruction ...if you've fi nished a program and wish ro continue. Fly the mountain! ATOL towing! Ta ndem fl ights! C o ntact Paul Voight, 5 163 Searsvillc Rd, Pinc Bush, NY 12566, (9 14) 744-33 17. IKAROS S PORT AVIAT ION - NYC s fi rst a nd o nly ce rtified han g glid ing, paraglid ing, m icroligh ts (rrikcs), powered paraglidi ng. Distributors for Avian. Dea lers for most major brands. Full service and equ ipmem at bes r prices . The most friend ly service in the area. Store address: 29 3 1 N ewtown Ave., Astoria NY . Phone (7 18) 777-7000, WWW.FLYFORFUN .NET

• TANDEM INSTRU CT ION • AEROTOWING • BOATTOWJNG • PARAG LID ING • MOUNTAIN C LI N ICS • FOOT LAUNCH • OPEN YEAR ROUND • BEAC H RESORT • EQU IPMENT SA LES AND SERV IC E

(800) 334-4777 NAGS HEAD, NC Internet Address: http://www.kirryhawk.com E-Mai l Address: hang-glidc@ourer-banks.com LUMBER RIVER HANG G LI D IN G - USHGA certi fi ed instructio n, winch rowing, au thorized W ills W ing dealer. Lu mberto n, NC (9 1O) 618-9700. PEN NSYLVAN IA AEROTOW ING PH I LADELPH IA DRAGON FLIERS 1 - Tandem, foor la u nc h & para g li d ing instructio n! (6 10) 527- 1687 . MOUNTA IN TOP RECR EATION - C ertified inst ru ction, Pittsburgh. (4 12) 7 67 -4882. C'MON OUT AN D PLAY! MOUNTAIN W INGS -

Look under New York.

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO - T eam Spirit Hang G liding, HG classes da ily, ta nd em instruction ava ilab le. W ills W ing dealer. G lider rentals for qualified pilo1s. PO Box 978, Pu nta Santiago, Puerto Rico 0074 1. (787) 8500508, tshg@coqui.ner

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Continued from page 10. 5. The Awards Committee, in official session, may nominate, with majority vote of the Committee, a candidate for the Rogallo Foundation Hall of Fame. 6. The Award will be made ann ually at the Hang Gliding Spectacular. 7. No former winner of the Awa.rd may receive the Award a second time. 8. In the case of an organization or business receiving the Award, the principal officer of such organization, or business, shall be designated as the recipient. 9. In the case of an organization or business being considered for this Award, their contribution must have materially benefited low-speed flight internationally. 10. Rogallo nominations may be made from January 1 through April 15. 11. The Awards Committee will select the Recipient of the Award at a meeting called for that purpose. 12. When possible, the Rogallo Foundation Executive Committee and/or Board of Directors shall approve the selection of the winner for the Award. 13. The type of Award shall be decided by the Awards Committee. 14. The work of the Awards Committee shall be of a con£dential nature only to itself, the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors of the Rogallo Foundation. 15. A photo of the recipient with a review of the recipient's contributions will hang in the Rogallo museum. Please send nominations to: The Rogallo Foundation, Awards Committee, P.O. Box 1839, Nags Head, NC 27959. Include the name and address (city, state, zip) of the nominee, and the nominator's name and phone number. Include a written explanation of the reason for nomination. DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS APRIL 15, 1999.

PLEXICOVER AND NEOCOVER FROM BRAUNIGER rauniger now offers two new products to protect your flight instruments from scratches and other damage. The PlexiCover protects LCD displays and is made of clear, tough, scratch-resistant plastic. It is molded to the shape of the instrument for a perfect fit and all buttons and connectors are easily accessible.

M ARCH 1999

The NeoCover protects the body of the instrument. It is made of high-quality neoprene which offers lIIlpact protection. The cover is black on one side and purple on the other, and can be turned inside out. All connectors and fittings remain accessible with the NeoCover. Contact: Aerolight USA, (305) 6393330, fax (305) 639-3055 , paragliding@aerolight.com, www.aerolighc.com.

PILOTS EXPLORE MORE THAN AIR IN LAKE COUNTY ilots and their families who are parricipating in the U.S. Hang Gliding National Championships at Quest Air in Lake County, Florida can enjoy plenty of off-the-beaten-path family attractions and sporting activities during their visit. Lake County visitors can enjoy a plethora of attractions including: the National Presidents Hall of Fame, which features a miniature White House exhibit and wax presidential figures; La.keridge Winery and Vineyards, which offers visitors a free winery tour and wine ta.sting; Uncle Donald's Farm, where visitors can pet and feed farm animals; and Austin Carriage Museum which fearures antique horse-drawn carriages. For the sports enthusiast, Lake County offers visitors a choice of golfing at one of its many award-winning courses, water skiing at one of two ski schools in the county, or fishing on one of the 1,000 pristine lakes. If visitors want to experience the "real Florida," they can visit the wildlife preserves, state parks and nature trails for hours of outdoor fun. Visitors can explore woods and waterways on foot, by bicycle, by boat or on horseback. For a free Lake County vacation guide, call (800) 798-1071 or visit the county's home page at www-.la.kecouncyfl.com. •

join tomorrows Flight Design ... hang gliders, airplanes, paragliders and the exxtacy. For all pilots who dream our dream of flying!

FLIGHT DESIGN

North American Paragliding, Inc. Post Office Box 4 • 111 East Fourth Ave. Ellensburg, WA 98926 USA email: napi@eburg.com • www.fun2fly.com PH : 509.925.5565 Fax : 509.962.4827

1.800. 727.2354

~~ Classifieds TENNESSEE

VlRGIN!A

HA WK AJR S PORTS IN C - P.O. Bo x 9 0 56, Knoxv ill e, TN 3794 0-00 56, (423) 2 I 2-4994 . H ang Gliding and wo rld fa mous W indsoks.

BLUE SKY - H igh quality in srrucri on, eq uip ment sa les, sewing, cowing supplies, Gli der Savers. Call Steve Wendt, (540) 432-6557. KITTY HAWK KITES -

Sec No rth Caro li na.

FROM " BREADPAN " MAKER NEW SMALL COMBO UN I T POR HANG GLIDING AND PARAGL I DI NG .

My wel l-loved lightnin g qu ick vario marri ed to an excell en t al tim crcr th anks ro new ge nera ti o n lase r-

LOOKOUT MOUN TAIN FLI G HT PARK ad under Geo rgia.

Sec

SILVER W INGS, INC. - Certified insrrucrion and equipment sales. (703) 533- 1965 Arlin gron VA .

TEXAS

W ISCONS IN

AUSTIN AIR S PORTS IN C. - Ce rrifi cd foot launch, row & tandem training. Sales/service, Steve & Fred Burns WIND EMERE (830) 693-5805. HOUSTON (28 1) 47 1- 1488. AustinAi r@aol. co m

RAVEN SKY SPORTS H ANG G LI D ING AND PARAG LIDI NG - The midwcsr's Premier aerotow Aighr park, founded in 1992. Featuring INTEGRATED INSTRUCTION of foot-launch and aerorow ra ndem skil ls, at package prices ro beat any in rhe USA. Seven beautiful, grassy tra ining hills fac ing all wind directions. Four DragonAy row planes, no wa iring1 Th ree tandem gli ders o n whee led underca rriages. WW Fa lco ns fo r tra ining from the very fi rsr lessons. USUA ultralight and ru g in st ru c ti o n. l' a ra glidin g row s. Free camp ing. Sa les/se rvice/accesso ries for all brand s. O pen 7 days a week. Conracr Brad Kushner, 1'0 Box IO I, Whi tewater W I 53 190 (4 14) 473-8800 phone, (4 14) 473-880 1 fax, www. hanggliding.co m, brad@hanggliding.com

GO ... HA NG G LIDI NG' !' - Jeff Hu m, 48 11 Red River St., Austin Texas 7875 1. Ph/fax (5 12) 467-2529 jeff@Ayrexas.co m H ILL COU NTRY PARA G LID1 NG INC - Learn co mp lcrc pi lor ski ll s. l'crso nali zed US HG A ce n ifi cd m1 ining. ridge soari ng, foot & row laun ching in ce nrral Texas. MOTORI ZED PARAGLIDING IN STRUCT ION & EQU IPM ENT AVA ILABLE. (9 15) 3791185. Rr I, Box J6F, Tow T X 78672.

trim med tra nsduce rs. Squeezed inro rough linl e RFproof bo x on ly 5x3x 1.4" st ill has rese rve harrcry1 lnt crcha ngea blc bro ad Velcro straps or ba se tub e mounring hardware. $295 Shipping inc. (8 05) 6821088. Bread pan unit s still $295. Liser trimmed rerrofi1 ava ilable $85. RO BERTS G LID ER INSTRUMENTS 3340 C LI FF DRI VE SANTA BARBARA CA 93 109 FLI G HT CONNECrJ ONS, INC. PTT II

PARTS & ACCESSO RI ES KITE ENTE RPRIS ES -

Fo or laun ch. pl atfor m

laun ch and acro row instru cti o n too. Tra in ing, sa les,

renta ls and repai r. Airwave & W ills Wi ng. Dallas, Fon Wort h and no rth T exas a rea. 2 1 I Elli s, All en TX 75 002. (972) 390-9090 nights, weekends, www. kire-

AEROTOWING ACCESSORIES - Sec TOWIN G. THE WALLABY RAN C H (94 1) 424-0070. •Newa nd Improved (nor shown) • Wa rcr/Dust Resisranr Push Button • Field Replaceable h nger Switch • Heavier Gauge Wire/1 mproved Plugs • lncrc;1scd Strai n Rel ief at ALL Joinrs

cnrerpri ses .co m

T O TAi. AIR SPO RTS - Area 's OLDEST W ill s W ing dea ler. Ce rrifi ed instru ction ava ilab le. " I onl y DEAL wirh WlLLS ". 16 12 1 Lakeview. Houston T X 77040. (7 1.3) 937-86 14.

Jnrroductory price $89.95. Ex rra finger swirch $ 14.95 w/pu rchase. Dealer inquiri es welco me. Ca ll (91 3) 2687946. M C/V isa. V isit o ur we bsit e at www. fl ighrconn .co111

UTA H THE SOA RING CENTER -

1-888-944 -5433. TH IS

WASATC H WINGS - Utah 's only full service hang gli di ng school, Poin t of the Mountain, regional mou nra i n sires, row in g. Dealer for Aeros, Alra ir , Wi ll s Win gs, Moyes. Airwavc and mu ch more. C al l Zac 576 -0 142, wi ngs@w asar c h.co m (8 0 I )

di sco un ts. Imm ed iate del ive ry. Loo kout Mountain ,

www.wasa rch.co m / ..- w ings

(800) 688-LM FP.

www.po intofthemountain.com - For great in formation on one of the top U.S. hang gliding and paraglidin g, trai ning and soa ring sites• Point of the Mou ntain Paragliding, (801) FLY-AWAY.

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

NOT T H IS

BEST 12" W H EE LS AVA IL.ABLE - Super tough, li ghrweighr, a must for rrai ning, ra ndcm Aying. Buil t-in bushi ngs . On ly USA-built 12" wheel. $4 2.95, quantity

GATE SAV FRS - Sen d $5 plus $ I s/ h 10 Rodge r Hoyr, 956 C lengrove Ave., Centra l Point O R 97502, (54 I ) 664 -59 15

H ANG G LI DING

Classifieds ~~ G IFT S & TROPI-I IES - Un ique, unusual & creati ve hang gl id in g related gifts and t rophi es. Free cara log! Soa rin g Drea ms, 117 16 Fairview, Boise Idaho 837 13. (208) 376-79 14.

11(4 -• •

G~IDIRBAGZ GUNNISON GLIDERS

H EAVYDUTY, WAT ERPROOF PVC - Full # 10 zip per, $ J 07 ppd. XC-Camo or white. #5 zipper $65 ppd. G unn iso n G lid e rs, 1549 Coun ty Road 17 , Gu nn ison CO 8 1230. (970) 64 1-931 5, gunnisongliders.com G ROU ND W IN D D IR ECT ION IND ICA TORDrop ir over yo ur landing spor. it detects wi nd direction like a windsock, exrremely visibl e, environmenrally rri end ly, resets in seco nds. Chea per th an downrubcs and broken egos. $35 each, $65 for 2, plus s/ h. (51 O) 223-6239. Se nd check or mon ey order : C.W.D.I. , c/o Bob O rti z, I I 03 Ma nor Rd ., El So br:tnre CA 94803.

HANG GLIDING A CCESSORIES BAR M ITTS: EXPLORER No map packer $40.00 NAVIGATOR Upper map pocket $50. 00 CO MPET ITOR C ircula r map cuff $60.00 G LIDER BAGS-H EA VY DUTY 600 de nier polyester. Wate r & UV protection. #I O zi pper Reinforced ends. Tape red des ign. Co nrinuous loop handles. Red or blue. $ 100.00 C ROSS COUNT RY 2 10 denier nylon, stro ng yer lightweight. #5 zipper. Tapered. Red or blue. $90.00 RAD IO POUCH ES Vi nyl window. Safety strap. Ad justs to fir most rad ios. Velcro's onto shou lder st rap. Red or blue. $ 15.00 HARNESS BAG Roo my-S tron g-Co mfo rtabl e. Ad justable waisr belt & shoulder stra ps. Red or blue.$45.00 Barren Bags $ 12.00 Sa il Ti es (2.'widc) $ 1.00 per IO" Wing Tip Bags $5 ca. or $8/p r. MASTADON DES IGNS Box 665 5 S. Lake Ta hoe CA 96 157 (530) 542-3853 KMJD7@thegrid .net

BUSIN ESS & EMPLOYMENT

OXYGEN SYSTEMS XCR :: ij Cross Co untrv Racer · Mountain High E&S Co.

800-468-8 185 Fa.: 80 1-364-6207

HI G H PERSPECTIVE W HE ELS - Rea l li fe savers! 12", light , w ugh. Firs all gli ders. Sen d $4 1.95 + $4 .50 shippi ng per pair to Sport Av iatio n, PO Bo x IOI, Mingov ille PA 16856. Ask about our dealer prices.

FAX your classified ad, membership renewal or merchandise order:

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

M ARCH 1999

DON 'T GET CAUG HT LA ND ING DOWN W I ND 1 - 1.5 oz. ripstop nylon, UV trearcd , 5'4 " lo ng w/ I I " thr oat. Ava ilable co lors Fl uor esc en t pi nk/yellow or Au orescent pink/w hite. $39.95 (+$4.75 S/1-1). Se nd to US I-I GA Windsok , P.O. Box 1330, Co lorado Spri ngs, CO 80901 - 1330, (7 19) 632-8300, fax (7 19) 632 -64 17 , ushga@us hga.o rg VISA/MC acce pted. C heck the merchan dise secti on of our web site www. ushga.org for a co lor picnrre of this awesome windsok.

SyS1ems srnce 1985

FLI G HT PARK MANA GE R -

Fu ll- t ime, yea r

round posirion which incl udes benehrs such as hc;1 lth ,

40 I K, and vacation ro name a few. The successfu l ca ndid ate should have so me ma nagerial skil ls (i.e. budgetin g, payroll & sched uling). Must be wi ll in g ro navel as needed and have one or more of the fol low ing ceni/-, catio ns: ta ndem pil ot, tand em instructo r, :1 11 d/o r ultralight pil ot. All in terested shou ld conracr Bruce Weaver ar (25 2) 44 1-2426, or mail res um e to: Kitty Haw k Kites, Inc., PO Box 1839, Nags Head NC 27 959, Arrn: Bruce Weaver.

The wo rld -c lass XC R- 180 opera tes up to 3 hours @18,000 fr. and weighs onl y 41b. Co mp lete kir with cyli nde r, harn ess, regularor, cannula and remote on/off fl ow mere r, only $375. 00.

SAN FRAN C ISCO HANG G LID ING CEN TER ls accepti ng applica tions from certified ta ndem instructors in te reste d in li vi ng and working in t he Sa n r: rancisco area. To p dollar, no trai n in g hil ls, o nl y tand ems. (5 10) 528-2300.

SMALL HELMETS - Dea ler overstock on sma ll /xs kev lar fu ll face helmets. 25% offl Raven Sky Sports (4 14) 473-8800.b rad@hangglidin g.co m

WANTED - Ce rt ified hang glidi ng in srr11 cror. Lumber River Hang G lid ing, Lumberton, NC (9 10) 6 18-9700.

TEK FLIG HT PRODUCTS

WANTED - Han g G lidi ng/Pa ragli ding instructo rs. Imm edi a te fu ll rim e ope n ings ava il ab le. Li ve th e Ca lifo rni a drca m ... in s tru ct stude n ts a t t he Sa n Fran cisco Bay area's prem ier train ing sire. Service shop employme nt is also ava il ab le. Ask for Par Dcneva n (408) 262- 1055.MSCHG@aol.com www. hang-gliding.com

t t .L P B

mounts

•

remote

6"& 8" h.d. wheels Ca mera moun t $48. 50. Camera remote (as k about rebate) $45. Va ri o mount $ 15. 6" whee ls $2 9. 75, S& H incl ud ed. TEK FLIGHT Products, Co lebroo k Stage, Wi nsted CT 0609 8. Or call (860) 379-1668. Email: tek@s net.net or ou r page: http:// mem bers. rri pod .corn/- rekFligh r/ind ex .hrm I

Classified advertising: new life for your equipment and cash in your pocket. What a deal!

E~ Classifieds PUBLI CAT IONS & ORGANIZATIONS

C LOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION -

Han g glid in g

eq u ipm e nt and a. erorow in g accesso ri es. La un c h carts

CA LL US HGA - For a magazi ne back iss ue ord er for m. From rhc earl y Ground Skimmer ro the present /-fang (,'/iding. (7 19) 632-8300.

$5 00 , part ial ki ts Cl oud 9SA@ao l.com

$35 0.

(248)

887-45 16

VID EOS & FILMS

lFERFORMANCE

JFLYING

GUD/11&

S P EED G LIDI NG: T EAR UP TH E SK I ES By Advenrure Producrions $24.95 Covers the speed glidi ng co nresr in Ka mloops, Brirish Co lu mbia and rh e n o tiro Te llu rid e, Co lorado . Superi or gra phi c animar io n, grear ca mera angles. 24 minut es

BAG IT 1 - If you do n' t have your copy of De nni s Page n's PERFORMAN CE FL.YING ye t, ava il "blc through US I-I GA Headquarters $29. 95 (+$5.5 0 s& h for UPS/ Pri o rity Ma il delivery). US I-I GA, PO Box 1330, Colo rado Springs CO 8090 I. 1-800-6 16-6888 www.us hga.org

G REEN PO INT FLYERS - N EW FROM EAST COAST VID E0 1 Way ne's best vid eo ro dare. Shor along rhe .300 mi le Lake Michigan coasr , from eighr d iffe rcnr sires. Li ghrwave 3 D anim arions and som e grear morphin g that yo u have ro sec. 5 1 minu res of hang glid ing, pa ragli ding, moto rized paragliding, rug & srari c

So mcrh ing Completely Different'

towi ng, m oror izc d m os quiro ,

Sw ifr , a nd

Bu ckeye's powered pa rachu re. Hum o rous rrainin g s ho rs, g rear air to air vidcography and mu c h more.

Video $32. 00 high qualiry, di giral and srereo. Anybody in rcresred in lire aircraft , thi s vid eo is a must! Se nd check or mon ey order, +$3 shippin g ro : East Coas t Video, 80 E. Linco ln, Mus kegon Heights, Ml 49444. (6 16) 739-5363. (Wayne's other video , Point of the Mou ntain , is also ava ilable for $29.)

SELECTED WORKS - A chronicl e of o ri gin "I, un co nve ntional. non -roga ll o, fl exw in g H G des igns, built/rested berwee n 1982 and 1997. See rev iew by Dan Johnso n in f'rod11e1 Li,mcNovember 1998 issue of HG magazine. T he fo nnar is ;l cross between an engi-

nee ri ng report and an arrisrs portfoli o. 8.5"xl I", 100 pages with 57 full page ill ustratio ns and 12 color pla tes. $60 in cludes ship pin g, chec k or mo ney order. Bob Rouse, 7 14 Woodrow# 13, Housto n T X 77006. Pl ease allow 3-4 weeks fo r del ivery, I am prin ti ng/asse mblin g each of th ese mysel f. SO AR ING - Mo nthl y magazi ne of T he So ar ing Society of Ameri ca, Inc. Covers all aspects of soari ng fli ghr. Full membership $55 . Info . kit with sa mp le co py $3. SSA, P.O. Bo x 2 100, Hobbs, NM 8824 1. (505) 392- 1 177. TOWING AEROTOWING ACCESSORIES - Headqua rters fo r: Th e fin est rel eases, secondary releases. Specrra "V" bridles, weak li nks, ra nclem wheels, launch ca rr kirs, ere. T HE WALLABY RAN C H (94 1) 424-0070.

' NEW' AERONAUTS - HANG G LIDI NG MASTERS, by Phorographi c Ex pcdi rions. A documentary o f ha ng glidin g toda y. Superb foorage, graphi cs & interviews. Th is is rhe video you show your fami ly and fri ends! 43 mi n $29.95. G REEN POINT FLYERS - by Easr Coasr Vid eo. T hey II fl y anyth ing in Michi ga n. Enre rrain ing, grea r graph ics, 50mi n, $32. 00 PARTY AT CLOUDBASE - A hang glidin g mu sic video by Adventure Producti ons $ 19.95. HANG GLID IN G EXTREME & BORN TO FLY by Adve nture Produ ction s, gre,11 hg acr io n $34.95 each. HAWAIIAN Fl.YIN by Space 9, soa ring in paradise, amazing launches $33.00 Call US HGA (7 19) 632-8300, fax (7 19) 632- 64 17, email : ush ga@ ushga.org, or order off our web page www.ushga.o rg. Pl ease add +$4 domes tic s/h (+$5 fo r rwo or more videos). G rear ro impress yo ur fr iends or for th ose socked-in days. Perfect gift for rh e launc h po raro rurn ed couch potato. Also, ask us about our paragliding videos'

Can't afford new equipment? Find great bargains in our classified ad department.

T ELLUR I D E SPEED G LIDIN G: By Tarum Produ cti ons $ 19.95. Com pl ete coverage of this eve nr. T he sound of the gl iders passing rhro ugh the co ntro l gates is rorally aweso me. 33 minutes Ca ll USHGA (7 19) 632-8300 , fox (7 19) 6.32-64 17 , o rd er from ou r wch sire www.us hg:1 .org. Pl ease add

+$4 s/ h in rhe USA.

T;k\Y!JPE ~~ Fro m rhe firsr T elluride Fesrival in 198 1, ro rhc modern day freestyle co mperirio n. Follow the hisrory or rh is dyna mic ga theri ng. $24.9 5 Ca ll US H GA (7 19) 6328300 , fox (7 19) 632-64 17, order from our web sit e www. ushga .org. Pl ease add +$4 domesti c s/ h. MISCELLANEOUS

"AEROBAT ICS" - Fu ll co lor 23"x 3 1" pos rcr featuring John Heiney doin g whar he does bcsr-LOO PI NG' Ava ilable rhrough US HGA HQ fo r jusr $6.95 (+$4.00 s/ h). Fi ll rhat vo id o n yo ur wa ll ' Se nd ro US H GA Aero barics Posre r, PO Box 1300, Co lorado Sprin gs CO 80933. (USA & Canada on ly. So rry, poste rs arc NOT AVA i I.AB LE on inrernat io nal o rd ers. ) SPEC IAL-Aero ha rics posrer & Er ic Raymon d pos terBOTH FOR$ I O (+$4 .75 s/ h). Check rhe merchandise sccrion of ou r web sire www.ushga.org fo r :1 co lor pic-

rure of these beaurihtl posrers.

H ANG G LI DING

Classifieds ~~ VIDEOS BOOKS & POSTERS - Call US HGA fo r your Merchand ise order form (7 19) 632-8300 , email : ushga@ ushga.o rg, o r c hec k ou r we b page www. ushga.org DON ' T LEAVE YOUR GROUND - BOUND EQU IPMENT SITTING IN THE GARAGE. SELL IT IN THE I-IANG GLIDING CLASS IFIEDS. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISIN G RATES The rare for classi fied advertising is $.50 per word (or group of characters) and $ 1.00 per word fo r bo ld or all ca ps. MINI MUM AD CHARGE $5.00. A fee of $ 15. 00 is charged fo r each line arr logo and $25. 00 fo r each phoro. LINEART & PHOTO S IZE NO LARGER THAN 1.75" X 2.25". Please un derline words ro be in bold prinr. Special layouts of tabs $25. 00 per column inc h. Phon e nurn be r=2 wo rd s. Email or web add ress=3w ord s. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, add itions and cancellations rnusr be received in writing I ' months precedin g rh c cover date, i.e. March 20rh for the May issue. Please make checks payable to USHGA , P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 8090 1- 1330, (7 19) 632-8300. Fax (7 19) 632-64 17 or email : ushga@us hga.o rg your class ifi ed with yo ur Visa o r Maste rcard . ASK US ABOUT ADVERTISING ON OUR WEB PAGE. WWW.USHGA.ORG

STOLEN W INGS arc lisred as a service ro US HGA members. Newes t entr ies are in bo ld . ·rhere is no charge fo r th is service and lost and fou nd wi ngs or equ ip ment ,nay be call ed in (7 19) 632-8300 or fax it in (7 19) 632-641 7 for incl usion in Hang G liding magazine. Please ca ll ro can cel rh e listing when glid ers arc recovered. Periodica lly, this lisring will be purged.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS Adve nture Producrions ....... .. ..... ... ..... 13 Alrai r ...... .......... ...... .... .... ................... 3 1 Angle of Arrack ..... ............................ 6 1 Arai Design ................ .... ................... 62 Flyrec .. ..... .. ... ......... ... ... ......... ............ 39 Hall Bros.. .. .... ................................... 6 1 High Energy Sporrs ..... .......... .. ........ ..46 lcaro .... .... ........ .. .. .. .......... ... ....... ...... ....7 Just Fly .. .. ... .... ... ... ... .. .. .................... ....5 Lake Co unty ........ .. ............. .... .......... ..9 Lookout Mm. Flight Park ......... 5,20,46 Moyes ...... ........... ... ....................... .... 19

STOLEN WINGS & TH INGS

Nei lsen -Kell erman ...... .... ........ .... ........ 7 HPAT 158 - Stolen from dese n cast of FALLON, NV o n Au g usr 15 th , 199 8. W h ite LE , purpl e/ lime/magenta undersurface . Also CG - \ 000 harness (purp lc/w hi re/rnagenra ) and Ta nge nt . Dav id, (5 10)525-4 687

No rth Ameri ca n Paragliding .... ...... ... 57 North Wing .. .............. ........ .... ... ..... ..39 Perso nal Flight ... ........................ .. ..... 26 Sky Dog Publi cations ..................... ...21

MOYES FLEX HARNESS & BAG - Stol en from locked up tru ck cab in PHOENIX, AZ on Augusr I 2rh, 1998. Moyes harn ess bag is black with dark blue "Moyes" design. Moyes Flex harn ess is also black with dark blue "Moyes" design. Also, 22 gore chut e, white he lrn e r. Kar l, (602)97 1- 9 0 52, Uv ex karl Ai ps@emaiI.rnsn.co rn

Sport Av iation Publi ca tions ......... ..... .46 U.S. Aeros ........................................... 2 USHGA ....................... 7, 11 ,22,27,39,50,56 Wallaby Ranch ........................................... 18 Wi lls W ing ...... .. ... .... .. .... .. 6,Back Cover

The Hall \

Airs peed IndicatorTM

A precis ion in slrument fo r ihe seriou s pilot. Rugged. dependable and easy to read.

·'

Airspeed lncli ca lor ... $23.50 Lo ng Bracke l .. $7. 00 Shor! Brac ket ... ......... $6.50

NEW! SMALL HALL Gre a l for hand -he ld w in d meas urc me nl o r pa rag li cle r Ai rspeed In d ica to r us in g Bracket. Smal l Hall ... ..... .. ... ... $2] .50 Pa rag Iidcr Brackel ..... $6.50 Now av a ilable; S mall I ta ll fo r h:111g g lide r~. 0 in 70 mph

5" Dia. ABS Plastic Whee ls $24. 00/ pair

M ARCH 1999

Hall Brothers. P.O . Box 1010-1-1. Morgan . UT X40SO. USA• Mastc reard/V ISA/C.O.D.

Phone (XO I ) X29 -.12:i2. Fax (80 I J X2 9 -6J49 hal I hros@carthl ink .11 c 1

l1J 1ncident Reports by Bill Bryden ortunately, we do not have any recenr fatalities t:o reporr chis month. However, we will reference one from about rwo yea rs ago ro furrher this month 's discussion. T he accident occurred in Apri l of 1997 whil e the position ofUSH GA Accidenc Review Comm irree C hairman was vacant. Co nseq uen tl y, the important lesso ns were nor reported in rh e magazine; lessons rhar the pi lot, Tom Sapienza, wou ld certai nl y have wa med others to lea rn, co nsistent with his spirit as a ilne instructor. I also know char his fam ily wo uld like his story to be cold , and I apologize fo r ir having taken rhis long. T his in cident also has a degree of sim il arity with an accidenr I recentl y learned abo ut (reported by our fri ends from the New Zealand Hang G lid ing and Paragliding Association), which is in parr why I chose to discuss it here. Tom performed a hang check and proceeded to foot- launch his com petition glider from rhe ramp normally. As he cleared the launch area he transitioned to a prone position and shouted a thank yo u to the launch assista nts who turned away, and who thus fa il ed co witnesses the events that Fol lowed. Derai ls are nor precisely known , bur the co nclusion is chat Tom's harness detached from the glider. He held on to the control bar, which possibly in ve rted and dove th e glider into ra il trees wel l below the la unch area . He fell approx imarely I I O feet to the gro und below and died four or five hours late r afrer a lengthy evacuation to the hospital. T he myste1y is how his harn ess separated from the glider. T he ca rabiner was found closed and locked, and the hang loops on th e glider were intact and properly co nnected. A search of the launch area revealed a third intacr hang strap on the gro und midway between the laun ch and crash si tes. Prior co launch, Tom had to make some hang loop adjustments to accommodate the shorter straps on the harness he was using. Ir seems that this third strap was used ro make the ad justment. Vario us methods we re tried to recreate likely modifications and determine the most probable cause of the Failure. Ir wo uld appea r that the third strap was looped three rimes ro extend th e main and back up hang

straps, and that To m only hooked inro two of rhe three loops. Ir appears that no additional backup or red undancy system was used. When recreated, this arrangement co uld support some weight mom entarily, bur rhe scraps wou ld eventually sli p and sepa rate. T he New Zealand accident began in a strikingly simil ar fas hi on. The pilot had acq uired a new harness and adjusted the hang loops on rhe glider to accommodate it. However, he elected ro use his old harness for rhis Aighr which hung at the wro ng height. The pilot attempted to address this and determined char by clipping the harn ess to rhe spreader bar (presumabl y it was fastened securely to rhe main hang strap as opposed ro sli ding like so me designs) he'd hang at the co rrect height. After a hang check with som e difficulry on launch , a backup carabin er was installed which likely resulted in rhe carabiner being put through the same hang strap as the first instead of the backup. Near the completion of th e Aight, the pilot performed a wingove r prior t:o land ing and the spreader bar Failed from the resultant higher C Forces. He was detached from rhe glider bur successfu lly deployed his parachute and landed with on ly min or lllJUl"l eS.

T he message is quite clea r. To articulate ir bluntly, you should never Ay with equipment that has to be ju1y-rigged ro make it work. T hink For a moment. Over the course of yo ur Aying career, how man y times have yo u rigged something "to make it work", The incidents men tioned above highli ght haza rds associated with hang loops that aren't right, bur the lesson app lies ro eve1y other pi ece of equipment, including row releases, parachu te bridles, carabiners, batte ns, parachute co ntain ers, harness zippers... th e list continues. Tom and the New Zea land pilot were not any more ca reless, reckless, or d ifferent than most of the rest of us, just maybe less lucky. They we re likely even more ca reful than most of us when it came to their hang checks before these Aighcs. However, they ex perienced Failures, the potential Fo r which normal inspections and hang checks wo uldn 't reveal beforehand. The on ly way to avoid situations like this is ro neve r Ay with any gear char isn't rigged perfectly "normall y." •

l\no P.r busy season ... hris f.. Slade WP.rP. top 2 US pilots in Clan I at thP. Nats. Ramy, Cluis l. Mike were top :i ilt the l\C:C. Swamp Tlmng breaks his Florida record . Tangents on top again. IF c:onsistent suc:,:en doesn't c:onuim:e you, how about this:

SPECIAL

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ST. PAUL, MINN. Before we get started this month, I want to make note of HG editor Gil Dodgen' s passage into his third decade of preparing our month l y magazine. If me mory serves ( and i t occasionally doesn ' t these days ) , Gi 1 has logg ed 21 years as this is written. Start in g in January 1 978, he preceded my own e n try by a year or so. "Pro duct Li n es " is approaching a big birthday as well, clocking a full 20 years wi t h t h e up coming May i ss u e. Geez ! Twenty years of a column a mont h (I think I missed only one along the way) ... gosh, are we all getting old? Naaah! We ' re all getting higher in better g l iders and with greater ease than ever. What ' s to lament? So , on wi t h the s h ow . ••• In fo arrived from a s mall s u rvey of lead ers in the worldwide hang gliding co mmunity coordinated by Dut c hma n Bart Doe ts , whose writing I long fo ll owed in Britain's SkyWings. He was as k e d to do th e research by a fe l l ow Netherlander who was considering an invest ment in a h ang gliding business. Al t h oug h t h e answers co u ld have a low confidence factor ( sampl e size too small ) , some highlights may sti l l interest you . • Esti mates run fro m 10 - 40 , 000 pilots worldwide to aro und 7 0, 0 0 0. However , when they defined "active " as 25 hours a year , some resp ondent s believe the number fal l s to 5- 10,000 p ilo ts . • They further estimate from 2-4 ,000 gliders to as many as 12,000 gliders are so ld every year, in cludi ng sa l es of perhap s 5 00 Class II h ang gliders with Exxtacy no doubt l eading this char ge. I f the h igh fig u res are used, the wor ldwide hang glider building industry generates perhaps $50 million . • One of the most poignant state ments came fro m stats contribu tor , Harr iet Pott ing er of England: " I a m f ull of admiration for anyone making a li ving o u t of h ang gliding these days!" ••• Te ll it to Matt Taber whose Lookout Mountain Flight Park, o n e of o ur largest HG businesses, re po rtedly grossed a million dol lar s in ' 98, their best performance ever ! Congrat ul at i ons, LMFP ' ers. ••• You could work nearly 2 0 years like Matt Taber has done while bui lding LMFP into a powerhouse . Or you co uld just buy an enterprise . A " formal n otice " was posted for a boat tow-launc h ed operation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Wit h a tour i st draw reported l y over 2 million and good local flying conditions , the e nt erprise claims to be the " first and o nl y legal operation of its kind" in Mexico. For an undisclosed amount of doug h, you ' d get the Mexican corporation , excl u sive beach co n cession permit, boat, and know - how. I loved P.V. on a vacation a couple years ago and the M ARCH 1999

opportunity sou nd s alluri ng. If yo u' re s imil ar ly i nt erested try rainbow@ cadvi s ion. com or cal l Derek Holmes at 40 3 660-9577 for mor e inf o . ••• A good t hing happ e n e d in Santa Barbara in early J a nuary . Th e "N ew Year ' s Day Hang Gliding and Paragliding Airs h ow " was h e ld at L os Po si ta s Friends hip Park. This was a fu ndraiser for Hang Gliding Hill t h at h as provided laun c h and landings for man y years. The 1 36-ac re undeveloped portion of the park fini s hed purc h ase payments and is u si n g new f und s raised for operational costs. With the i r in-town prize of a site , n o wonder a good crowd s howed to help with the upkeep for HG Hi l l as part of the over al 1 Friendship Park. Th eir efforts garnered splashy color photos and text in the loca l News- Press paper as the n ew year began. ••• Moyes America i s focusing on aerotowing, announcing that Dragonfly tug kits from Australia are n ow in stoc k in the USA. "The pri ce o f the basic Dr agonfly kit is $10,800," t h ey repo rt. " F or an a dditional $2 ,00 0 your kit can be assembled by [Dragonfly d esi gn er) Bobby Bailey , at your s ite or at [Bail ey ' s home base of ) Qu est Air n ear Orlando , Florida, " sa id a new year mai ling. Mor e info on the web at www.zip.co m. au/- mo yes. ••• Th e club in Superior, Wisconsin ( Dulu t h, Minnesota area) is l ooking forwar d to a n ew season of u si ng t h eir D-f l y. Last year they acce l erated past 75 hour s on the tug and had done hundreds of tows and tandems . A loca l FAA inspector was "very impressed with our l eve l of preparation, " said c lub officials , and the Duluth a irport control tower manage r also gave a thumb s u p . "Lif e is good !" t h ey exclaim whil e taking care to thank lot s of HG l ea d ers for help in get t i ng them airborne under tow. Inf o: 218-62 4-4500 or 723-1738. ••• Another recent starter is th e Cloud 9 Field in Webbervil l e MI . This group, u sing a "Turb oTug " ( D- fly with Rotax 914 turbo e n gine ), announ ced a "uni ve r sity- d esign ed Cl oud 9 GLV-B launch cart." They have carts on h and and ready to s hip. Fully assemb l ed , they cost $500 or you can ta k e a part i al kit for $350. Operators Tracy T i l lman and Li sa Co l l e t t i say that last year t h ey so l oe d a l ot of n ew st ud ents ... and our DraachenFliegen Soaring Club me mbership ha s grown tremendously. " As if it n eeded to be sa id, they added, "We are having a b l ast up h ere in Michigan . " Info 517-223-8683. ••• Out ta room once again. So , got n ews or opinions? Send ' e m t o 8 Dorset, St . Paul MN 55118 . Voice mai l or fax to 65 1 - 450 -093 0 (n e w area co d e is now mandatory). Send e- mail to Cumulus Man@aol.com. THANKS! 11

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