USHGA Hang Gliding August 2000 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

As U. pilots now know, is back, and it's back with an awesome product line for 2000. Most notable of that product line for the moment the new This gli r is aimed to the intermed market and simply It flies AND TOWS like it's on rails!! Th feature does away with the need for a tail fin that other intermediate gliders must have on them to tow straight. With one of the largest flare windows of ANY glider R made, th glider is going to dominate the intermediate market soon. Get a test flight on one right away!! DON'T make a mistake and buy the WRON intermediate glider. 7075 tubing, Airfoil downtubes, speedbar and Cam VG. This glider has. all! See your dea

ntents (US I'~ 01 7· '/70 20

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16 The Moyes Litespeed @ 2000 ~y Den11is Pngm A new i.:ra of Ii Le.

21 Flying The Elsinore Blue Wave l~y RC Drwt hn111rl WaVL" flying in Elsinore. Califo rnia?

24 The 2000 Region 9 Regionals ~Y Pttr lehmr11111 I\ mixed hag of wcarher and a rnosr unusual wi nn ing glider -

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34 Pilot Report: The Wills Wing Drogue Chute /~y Mark "Frng£'1· ., Stuck)' Ocgrad ing your glic.kr\ pL'rform:mce.

3 8 The Rearview Mirror by Bob Or111isto11 Hang gliding photos made t:asier.

40 Studying The History Of Hang Gliding t~)' Jim (.fiky Doy) Palmiai Hang gliding history in .tr t.

46 Hang Gliding In Cuba by )0.l°l' Nr111///TO Returning to fly over hi.s homeland.

Columns

Departments

President's Corner, by David Glover ... 14

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

USHGA Director Nominations ...... ... .43

Calendar of Events ........... ...................... 6

High Perspective, by M. Robertson ... .50

Updare .............. .... .............. .. .............. .... 8

lncidem Reports, by Bill Bryden ......... 51

C lassified Advertising .. ............... .. ...... .52

USHGA Direcwr Listing ........ ............ 56

Index to Advertisers .............. .... ...........62

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

Gil Dodgc11 1 Dave Pounds, Ari Heiney, Vaughr1, Bob Lowe 1'11<,10,;;r,1/J/Jc,r, Harry Martin, llfuw,1tor Dennis l'agM, Mark Stucky, Rodger Moy!, G.W. Meadows, Jim Palmieri, Bill Bryden Sin(( Writers

"MEMBER GET A MEMBER" WEEK Dear Editor, Let's consider a "member gcr a member" week for USHCA! Some other business asso· ciarions try this from time rn time to increase mcmhcrshi1> wliilc rewarding dwsc who make the dforr to in new people:. \Xlhy don't we scr aside one week for all USI /CA members and follow flyers ro take an interest·· cd friend hy the hand to their respective flight park, show them the ropes, or simply them to join USHGA as a non-pilot in meantime. If half ow mcmhe:rship gets one person to join, our ranks grow by 50<Yci, and the pmcmial for a pcrccmagc of these mcrn hers pilots would be prctTy good. 'I 'his will s1rc11grhcn our Associarion while inrroducing new blood to the skies. So hir up your snowboard, skiing, rock· climbing and frcc···fall pals to get involved in a sport that is all consuming. Explain thar the ftrsr four or five lessons will he difficult bm that rhc reward is more rhan gratifying. hir those of us who arc married, maybe om wives would like to become members and we: simply haven't asked them? Perhaps USHGA could devise a reward a f'<.:w bucks off our membership, a a brand new glider ... (Just kid· ding!) Rob Jacobs Ma11cl1csrcr, NH

WHY PARAGLIDE?

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, Colori1do (719) 6:l2,/ll00. FAX

POSTJ\CE is p;iid at Springs, CO @d al addi,ional rnailing offic<'s.

l'OS'HvlA',TfR: SEND C:111\NGE OF ADDl,ESS TO: l',LIDINC, P.O. BOX J:UO, Col,m1do Springs, <lO'lOl·l:J:10.

AtJCLJST 2000 VOi LJML 3(\ ISSl/1 No. g

Dear Edimr, "Oh no, nor a letter about paragliding in Hang magazine! Will they srop ar nothing?'' I can hear rhc screams already. lim think about ir, the parnglidcr people look like li.m roo, right? How bad could it "[ fly hang glidcrs 1 What possible use would I have for those modified parachutes'" I hear you cry. There arc a !or of good reasons to rake up paragliding, and here :ire seven of them. 1) ·!'he pcrf<:Jrmancc isn'r bad for a "mod· ificd parachute." The safcsr paraglidcrs around get close to rhc performance of the hang gliders you trained on, plus yon can fly slower when you wam w hang out in a d1cr· mal. A higher-performance wing will do even better. ro admit rhcy arc convenient. up to your fovoritc :1irlinc chcck·in counter with your hang glider. A paraglidcr can be checked as just another

suitrnsc, plus, when you get there ir will fo in your tiny rcnral car withour a special rack. You can carry it on a train or bus as well. The whole world's flying sires open up to you if you paraglidc. If'spontancity is your thing, par;1gliding should be too. 3) Paraglidcrs arc easy ro learn how to You already know rhc advanced srnff..-- how to thermal: what to watch out fr>r, how ro set up an approach and so on. Doing iron a paraglidcr is a cinch. A few days of lessons wirh a good instructor and you should be up there with the best of them. 4) more comfonablc to fly than a hang glider. No kidding, they really arc. You sit up in a very comforrablc scat wirh your wing way over your head. The view is better, and you can get at your camera and snacks more easily too. 5) There is less pressure on landing as well. f\ paraglidcr can land in a little LZ with no problem. If you miss and into some trees, you're moving so It 1s mually only embarrassing,, not injurious. You arc in a hcads·up frct·down attitude all the time, so d1crc is no 1ransition ro make ar this deli· care poim. ( :heck the injury reports: Paragliding injuries arc to the feet and legs, hang gliding injuries arc ro the arms and head. I'd rather break my than my head, thank you very much. (i) Cross,country? Snrc, hang gliders will out.fly paraglidcrs in this department, but paraglidcrs have a pretty respectable record too. A couple oflnmdrcd kilometers is enough for most people. Also, when you land sl1all we say, "away from where you wam 10" who w:mts to hike out with a hang glider? 7) Hang glider pilots have to fly with paraglidcrs all d1c time. On some days it might be better to join them rather than try to work around them. Sec? lt wasn't that bad, was ir' After all, we arc in this like it or not. 'J 'ht,rc's too much "us versus them" mcnrality ;is iris. Tfwc gave up the silliness of' uying ro keep two magazines going il)r our sport:, you would be able to read what I wrote for rhc paraglidcr pilots ;1bout hang gliding. Try paragliding and find our how much li.m i1 can he! James B. Brown Niigara, Japan

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Calendar of even rs items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact infimnation (event, dare, conract name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two monrhs lead rime for regional and national meets.

UNTIL SEPT. 30: Slide Mountain CrossCountry Ct;1rllcnge XCook Season-long X-C challenge. The ch;11le11gc is to break the late, great Doug Cook X-C records. Doug holds Dex-wing disr:mce records of 1.'31J, I21J and 94 miles in three directions. (l k was killed in a motorcycle race.) Entry $20 wirh the total divided among winncr(s), Slide Mountain maimenance, and Doug's family. Contact: www.advcnturep.com (click on "Pilots Advantage"), or e-mail Paul Hamilton, pilotsadva11tagc(c1\ldventurep.com, or call Paul at 7IJ7-017'5.

UNTIL DEC. 31: Thf' Mith1iel i\'lorld X-C Challenge. No cmry foes or preregistration requirements. Open to paragliders, hang gliders, rigid wings ;md sailphmcs. For more details visit the contest's Web sire at http://www.hanggliding.org or contact: John Scott (310) 41J7-6234, fox (31 O) 41i76237, brcttonwoods<\hemail.msn.corn. UNTIL DEC. 31: Fourth Annual Frdcon XC Contest (the fifrh will stan in April of 200 l ). Prizes awarded in four national regions and one world region (in which all arc entered) in all of three rating--bascd classes: Pro, Am, Rec. No cnuy ft:c. Prizes donat-ccl by Wills Wing, High Advenrurc, '] 'ck Flight Products and Palcon Flyr. Sec your local school/dealer for additional prizes. Visit http://www.angclfire.com/ ct/i nstrucror/ falconxc.html for entry and landing forms which may be submitted by e-mail (our ] 1or the electronically impaired write Tek Flight Products, Colebrook Srage, Winsted, CT 06098 including an SASE and request the forms. AUG. 13-19: Lone Stflr ChmnpionshijJS (ISC), a foll NTSS and World Team Qualifier organized by Austin Air Sports (AAS), with Sreve Burns as meet director, Hearne Airport, Hearne, Texas. Acrotow meet open to 60 pilots, triangles, multi-leg and srraight-·linc races to goaL Pilots must have J\'T sign-off prior to the meer. Aerorow clinics available before rhc meet. GPS turnpoim verification and Race scoring system. Entry $17'5 until July 28, $22'5 alter.

Contacr: Caye Roach at (979) 279-9382, or Steve Burns at sburns@alplia I .net, www.a11Sti11airsports.com/lonestarc01np.htm Hotels as follows. Request !.SC rates: Executive 11111 (979) 279-'534'5; Oak Tree Inn (')79) 27')-559'); Brazos Valley Inn (979) 279-3441. AUG. 26-SEPT. 3: Pr:m Jlrnerican (,'};11mpionships (C:ontinental Championships), Dinosaur, CO. Contact: C.W. Meadows 480-3552, www.jusdly.com. AUG. 30 SEPT. 5: Hird J!nnual Red 8ull Wing, Oucr !!.,pen. USHGA Narional Paragliding Championships, hang gliding acrobatics/speed runs, skydiving expositions. Cash purse of$2'5,000. Subject ofa television special on USA Network's "Core Culture" this foll. Contact: www.rcdhullwings.corn.

SEPT. 23-24: and Bike Chelan, WA. Spot-landing comest at Chelan hills Park, scored on accuracy and landing form. Three bcsr landings count. Contact: Marilyn Raines ('509) 682-2251. For accommoch tions call Chelan Chamber 800-4CHELAN. OCT. 1-8: Tennessee Tree Toppers Team ,,oun,cnp·c. Sequatchie Valley. X--C competi · tion in which pi[ms fly togcrhcr on tcarns and arc scored according to their experience. Always a fun and educational experience! X-·C, safely and skills seminars. Prizes and generous purse for top .. placing teams, daily draws. Emry before Aug. 30 is $85 ($100 afrer), and includes T-shirt, Octobcrfcst beer, southcrn··stylc breakfasts and party. Contact: sbcllcrby@aol.com, mk Ist(cl\:ompuserve.com, (416) 588-2.396, l1ttp://Wcb. InfoAvc.Net! ~danshell/trectoppers.

FUN SEPT. 2-li: E-Tcarn Big~Money XC Competition, Like Elsinore, Califr>rnia. $500 fosr pri·;,c, killer trophies, more cash top places, prizes, free T-shirrs ro competitors, free barbecue, women's and novice trophies. Excellent first cornp. Enjoy Lake Elsinore's I0,000' days, Free camping, activities galore, fon! $'SO prc-c111ry, $60 day of mcer. All glider types okay; handicapping of gliders a chance. Contact: Mickey at (909) 677.-%04.

SEPT. 7- l 0: Jackson Hole Aeroextreme 2000, USHCA-sanctioncd spced--gliding and acrobatics comest. Ride the fahulous Jackson Hole Aerial Tram for access ro the best and tallest speed-gliding course (Ii, 100' vertical) on several continents. Open a11d Sport Classes, prizes and panics. Experience the wild life Jackson Hole is famous for! Contact: Scot Trneblood, (307) 734--87.30, Hang4av8r@aol.com,www.aerocxtreme.com.

SEPT. 15-] 7: 2000 M11strm of'Freestyle Gliding Contest, San Diego Bayfoir event. Bayfair is a 3:3-year-old event that presents the World Series of Power Boar Racing, held in 4,600-acre Mission Bay Park, attended by over 1'50,000 people. Four contest rounds flown with a maximum of 1'5 contestants, Interested pilots must have freestyle contest experience :ind aerotowing experience. Previous Masters participants given preferred consideration. fee $.300. For general event information www.bayfair.corn. For contest inf<mnation conracr: Aero Evcms, (818) 715--963 l, dinoddd<Zl1juno,com.

UNTII. SEPT. 4: Yosemite National Park flying, Hang glider flying every weekend, Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. (Sorry, paragliders nor permitted in the Parle) 16 pilots per chy. Meet at Glacier Point at 7:00 IIM sharp for sign-in and orientation with site moniror. Official YHCA monitor must be present ro fly. Must show current TT.mg 4 card. $'5 donation. Monitors arc volunteers from the Yosemite HGA. Call USI !CA office at (719) 632-8300 hir reservations and info. AUG. 26-27: Annual Mt. Neho End Of Surnma Mt. Nebo State Park, l)ardcncllc, Arkansas, sponsored hy the Central Arkansas Monmain Pilots. Current Hang]][ or better required. Camping or cabins available through rhc State Parle Co11tact: James Linscome (501) 890-IJ849, wispyG'.iltcaintcrnet.com, or Dave Dunning (501) 967-0'570. SEP'I' 1-3: 201h Annual Millennium Lcthor Day F!y-.Jn. Rescheduled from Memorial day. 'The Rio Crnnde Soaring Assn. is celebrating 20 years. Fun-flying competition, bomb drops. Dealers and demos available. Camping and discounts on rooms. We are shooting frir l 00 pilms. Come join us for three days of nothing bur fun! Entry fee of $25 includes dinner and awards party, free beer and lots of fun. Many prizes awarded. 'T-shirts and other apparel available. Come Dy Dry Canyon and help celebrate 20 years with the RGSA. For more info or early entries contact: 'Tom and Cindy West (505)

HJ\NC GUr:JtNC

437-52 13 or mail Rio Grande Soaring Assn., In c., 22 16 Peca n Dr. , Alamogordo, N M 883 10. SEPT. 9: 34th Armiversmy Dockwei/er Beach Reunion/Fly-In, 10:00 AM to sunset. Free adm ission (parking $6). Meet our sport's pioneers, see historic hang gliders fl y (I ca rus V, Icarus 2, Batso, Sta ndard Rogallos, Seagull 3 & 5, Q uicksi lver, etc.). Fly old and new gliders. Fly seared , prone, supine, skyfl oating. Bamboo Batso LID co ntest. Bring yo ur current USHGA membership ca rd . Contact: Joe G reblo (818) 988-0 I I I or vis ir www.winclsporrs.com/reunion. SEPT. 16: High Rock 25th Anniversmy Party. A fun fly-in nea r Thurmont, Maryland . Ex perience the longest contin uously operated launch on the east coast. Bonfires, food , ca mping and contests are all planned. Contact: Bri an Vant-Hull (410) 889- 1646 or Brianvh@marlowe. umcl .edu. Also check our our website rhis summer: www.mhga.com. SEPT. 29-0CT. 1: Grandfather Mountllin 2000 Hang gliding Experiment and 20th Cent1.t1J' Reunion. I nviration to all 20th Century G randfather Mm . Eagl<.:s, Ravens, Team Members and Masters comperirors and pilots. All pilots welcome. M usr RSVP. Weekend offesri vities. Photo ex hibit and co nresr, seminars, clinics, hiking, dart tourney, li ve music. Registration by mai l onl y. Send $ IO and SASE to Country Hang Gliding Pilors, 792 1 Park Road, C harlotte, NC 282 10. SEPT. 30: Octobe1fest in September, hosted by th e Tennessee Tree Toppers. Plan ro parry until the wee hours of Ocwber I . Co ntact: Mark Furst, mk I st@compuserve.co m, (423) 949-4999. SEPT. 30-0CT. 1: Eighth Annual

McC011nellsburg Hang Gliding Festival, McConnellsburg, PA, Regio n IX. Fun fl ying for Hang II (wirh Observer) to Hang V. Cap itol Hang G lider Association and rhe Maryland Hang G liding Association will don ate proceeds to McConn ellsburg Fire and Rescue. Co ntact: Carlos Weill (240) 63 1-3 82 1, www .mhga.co m. OCT. 6-8: October's Best Fly-In. The ninth Sauratow n Mountain, North Carolina classic will use a new fo rmat. Competition begins Friday at 2:00 l'M with a half clay, and ends Sunday ar 2:00 l'M with a half clay. Also, a new accumul ative point system will be used. As always, great Friday and Saturd ay night

A UGUST 2000

dinners, brea kfast and lun ch in the LZ Saturday and Sunday, free ca mping and ho t showers. Contact: Vi c Lewellen (336) 5956505, or Tony Salvadore (336) 732-7783. Visit th e SM HGC website for skill level req uirements and direcrions: www.geociries.com/pipeline/dropzone/5650/. OCT. 26-28: Gerryi· Kids £- Team Fly-In. Come ve nture to Big Sur, gather ' round the glow of road fl ares and co nfess your affi liations with th e E-tcrnal fat her of rh e E-Team , Gerry Sm ith. Prize for best true story, best tall stoty and hesr srory relier. $ 100 prize for best cusrom hang glider sa il. Gerty says, "no fees." Contact: Rich Collins, (805) 9664222 (h) , (805) 963-065 1 (w), rco llins@d udek.com. OCT. 28-29: Womens Hrtlloween Costume Fly-In, C helan, WA. Prizes for best costume, best food , best fl ying co ntraption and more. Contact: Marilyn Rain es (509) 68 2-225 1. For accommodations call C helan C hamber 800-4CHELAN.

CLINICS/MEETINGS/TOURS 2000: Ffyi11g i11 Brazil 2000. Wonderful wa rm weather, fl ying in an exotic setting. Be part of the Aclvcnru re Sports trip to Govenador Va ladarez, Brazil. Experienced instructors and guides. Take side- trips ro Ca rni val or any of the beautiful beaches. 12 days, $ 1,200 for paragliclers, $ 1,400 for hang gliders. Inclucles room with breakfast and lunch, ride to launch, retrieval and guided tour. Conracr: (775) 883-7070, www. pyra mid . ner/ad vs pts. OWENS VALLEY 2000: Fly with rt Worfcl Champion, I 0-rime National C hampion and X-C world record holder l(a ri Castl e as your guide in the Owens. Private one-on-one or group instruction ava ilable. Further your fl ying education . Conracr: Kari Castle (760) 872-2087, karicasrle@rel is.org, www. north wesro u tdoo rs. co m/ fl yI UNTIL NOV.: Celeb1nting Life, 7he Safety Four, with Michael Robertson will be offering IP's, seminars and inspirational talks. Contact: High Perspective, (905) 294-2536, sra ff@fl yhigh.co m. AUG . 18-20: Tandem HG' Clinic at Fly Away HG , Sa nta Barbara, CA with Tandem Administrator Eric Beckman . Conracr: (805) 95 7-9 145, tburca r@juno.com, www.fl ya boveall. co m/fl yaway.hrm .

Update GARMIN ETREX SUMMIT armin has just released the ultimate outdoor electronic device, the new eTrex Summit. In_the smallest package available, Garmin has integrated a powerful 12channel receiver with an electronic compass, altimeter and barometer. Unlike a traditional GPS that requires movement to show a heading, the eTrex Summit will provide a heading while the user is standing still. The integrated barometric pressure-type altimeter provides extremely accurate altitude and barometric pressure information.

Some of the noteworthy features are: • 12-channel receiver, differential ready • Electronic compass • Barometric pressure altimeter • Four gray scale display • Automatic 12-hr. pressure barogram and display • Up to 16-hour banery life using 2M • Permanent user data storage (no memory batteries required) • Display of current elevation (one-foot increments) • Graphic elevacion trend display (2 mins. to 2 hrs.) • Ascent/descent rate, max. and min. altitude • Total ascent, average ascenr and descent races • 500 user waypoints • Automatic 3,000-point track and alcitude log • Submersible construction • Compact size (4.4" H x 2.0" W x 1.2" D) Tracklogs from the eTrex summit may be downloaded to Garmin's MapSource program and viewed on real-world maps along with altitude and heading inform ation. The data/power port for the eTrex summit is the same as the emap, which is different from the standard Garmin port. Flytec offers custom interface cables for the eTrex/emap and 4030. TheeTrex Summit will prove to be an invaluable tool for the serious ourdoorsmen and pilots al ike. For more information on this new GPS unit as weU as the complete

Garmin recreation, marine and aviacion line comacc Flytec USA, 1-800-662-2449 or (352) 332-8675, fax (352) 332-8676, info@flytec.com.

ADVENTURE PRODUCTIONS NEWS The Complete Airspace Review

A ~vemure Produc1"\nons 1s now carrying "The Complete Airspace Review" produced by King Schools. This comse helps you learn how to use the airspace to your advantage and stay safe and legal in the complex USA airspace system. The video thoroughly covers the FAA's imernational alphabet soup of airspace requirements, classes A-G, plus TRSA's, MOA's and MTR's, and converts ir into easy-tounderstand information. You'll actually see on-screen how the alphabet airspace system is designed and what each class means to you. You'll learn a foolproof and fun way to remember specifics about each class of airspace. You'll also review other kinds of airspace you should know about: Special Use Airspace, Controlled Firing Areas, Military Training Romes, Temporary Flight Restrictions, Special Conservation Areas, and more. The video's running time is 115 minutes and it is available for $29.95 plus $4 shipping (USA/Canada/Mexico) and $10 shipping to all ocher countries.

www. weathertofly com

raccicing good judgmenr is critically imporrant when it comes to the weather. The "Weather to Fly™" website ar w,;vw.wearherrofly.com, offered by Adventme Productions, helps pilots to look at the overall wind picture in addition to local conditions in order to interpret weather

information accurately and develop a clear picture of conditions affeccing their flying. The links were specially selected to help pilots make smarter decisions and avoid life-threatening mistakes and pitfalls. The site is organized in a manner similar to that of the recently released Adventure Productions video, Weather to Fly™. The site features overall wind conditions, the jet stream, satellite images, surface and alcitude analysis, local conditions and forecasts, soaring fo recasts, and local forecasts for the srare of Nevada, with other locations to be added in the future. More featmes will be periodically added to the website.

Weather To Fly TM Collection he "Weather to Fly™ Collection" includes the video, Weather to Fly, Basic Concepts For Flight With Dixon White, the Weather to Fly Calibrated Windsok, and the Flyrec Alti-Windwatch . The video sells for $39.95. The windsock was produced for Adventure Productions by HawkAirsports, and is calibrated in mph so you can look at the angle and judge the approximate wind velocity. It is fully extended in 25-mph winds and indicates velocities down to five mph. It has an 11" throat and is 64" long. The price is $3 9.95. The Flyrec Alti-Windwatch is the smallest portable weather station available and includes an integral altimeter witl1 threefoot resolution. The barometric pressure tracker is perfect for viewing a graphic of the pressure over the last 16 hours to look for rising and falling pressures, an important weather-to-fly concept. In addition, it offers precise and reliable measurements of altimde, wind speed, temperature, windchill and cime. The price is $174.95 . Shipping for each item is $4 (USA/Canada/Mexico) and $10 all other countries. Order directly from the website at www.adventurep.com or from Paul Hamilton, Adventure Productions, (775) 747-01 75, paul@adventmep.com, 6553 Stone Valley Drive, Reno, Nevada 89523.

MARC LAFERRIERE CONTACT INFO

n our April issue we p ublished an interview with French Ca nadian pilot and artist Marc Laferriere, "a pilot with a passion for flight and paincing. " He may be H ANG GLIDI NG

u contacted at: Marc Laferriere, 179 Demers St., Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada, G6G 2M6, (418) 335-091i3, laforr(tilmega11 tic.net, www.minfo.net/maxlaf/

COVER 1e July 2000 Hang Gliding cover photo was taken by Gerry Charlebois, but the pilm is Klingerstown, Pennsylvania's own Karen Leal Gorrie on her new \Xiii ls Wing which was a birthday present from husband Joe (;orrie.

Sunday, August 27, 2000 at I 0:00 Fellow Feathers will hold an auction of21 unclaimed hang gliders left in its clubhouse. The auction will be held at the Funston clubhouse and conducted hv clubhouse manager Tcrn1 T,illcdahl. All sales arc "as is" and will he final.

ANNUAL

N.Y. FUN MEET!

nce again pr.cparations arc already underway for another" Labor Day Fun Meet'' and Hy-In, hosted by the Southern New York Flang Glider Pilors Association and landowner 'fony Covelli. Held annually at Ellenville Mountain Flight Park in the southern Catskill Mounrains of New York, this year's event dates are Priclay, September l (practice day) through Monday, September 4 (rain and awards day), with Saturday and Sunday being the main cvcnr days. Saturday evening will, of course, be set aside for d1e infamol!s fun meet LZ party. This year's event organizers will attempt to top the previous 11 events with an all-out, Libcr-

ty-Millcnnimn Extravaganza that would have to be seen to he believed. The event is open to all pilots rared Hang 11 (mmm-tain capable) and up. hir specific in for-· mation and early registration call Pal!l Voight, Fly High I hng Gliding, (845) 744-3317.

KARI '-".JuJA.JL,L,WINS WOMEN'S WORLDS! '-Vlc arc pleased to report that Kari W (:astle has won the 2000 Women's World Hang Gliding Championships on a Wills Wing Fusion. Congrats Kari! Stay nmcd for more info in our next issue. CASTLE, Kari (Wills Wing Fusion) US/\ 2) MOC:ELLIN, Francoise (Wills Wing Pusion) fl<./\ 3) BULL, Neva (learn Laminar) /\US Ii) BRAMS, Rosi (Bullen Cut RCS) DEU 5) SC:HWIEGERSHAUSEN, Corinna (Moyes Lire) DFU 6) KHAMI.OVA, Natalia (Aeros Stealth) RUS 7) MERILL.ON, Stella (lcaro Laminar) FRA 8) BAFUMER-HSCI !ER, Sybille (Acros Stealth) DEU 9) GI.AS, Regina (Sccdwings VI4) DEU 10) CAMERON, Patricia (/\cros Stealth) USA 13) PAGEN, Claire (Wills Wing Fusion) USA STURTEV/\NI; CJ. (Acros Stealth) USA 23) HILDEBRAND, Judy (Acros Stealth) USA 1)

2000 HANG ......

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ero Events is bringing the 2000 Masters of Freestyle I-fang Gliding Contest to San Diego's Mission Bay during rhc 33nd annual Bayfair event September l 5·-17. The event is expected to draw 200,000 spectators to make Bayfair San Diego's largest annual sports competition and family event. Mission Bay Park encompasses more than 4,600 sun-splashed acres and is rhc world's largest manmadc aquatics park. The park offers myriad boating and water-related recreational areas, bike paths, miles of sparkling white sand beaches, and Sea World of California. Never before have so many spectators witnessed a freestyle hang gliding contest. !\s in all four past Masters Contests, acrorowing will be used ro increase the fairness and validity of' rhc competition. The gliders will he rowed up from Fiesta Island located in the center of Mission Bay. Pilots will begin their freestyle routines at 2,000' above the center of the hay between Vicsta Island and East Vacation lsland. RC Dave freund will once again accept duties as the Masters contest principal Judge. In addition, the Masters of Freestyle will be held along with the World Series of Power Boat Racing. You wanna see powerboat racing? They've got unlimited hydroplanes, drag boats, formula one, offshore racers and more. The appeal of the whole event is multiplied with both of these extreme sports appearing together. Event announcers will call the audience's attention alccrnardy to the water,

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In consideration of the benefits to be derived from membership in the USHGA, 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: ~ The following definitions apply to terms used in this Agreement: I. PAiflTJrCIJ'AJ10irf 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. or rP11111r,,n,4 I", as a result of the administration of

sustained by Pilot's parents or legal guardians, as a result of Pil,,t'j, P)IR}'"JCJ'PATIGW ,w administration of any USHGA programs. 3. n,;;;,v..,:;,.,.,cv P.4Rir/E.f' 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 Pilot'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 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 "All persons involved" include, but are not limited to, spectators, hang glider and/or paraglider pilots, assistants, drivers, instructors, observers, and owners of hang gliding and/or paragliding equipment; and g) All other persons lawfully present at the site(s) during DISCHi~R(iE the PJJ,'1TJ1="<'l:rnm any and all liabilities, claims, demands, or causes of action that I may hereafter have for INJ'UR,IES. however caused, even if caused by the negligence (whether active or passive) of any of the n,:;;,1.,:;,.1.;.i;;u PAJ7lll:.~ to the fullest extent allowed by law. C. I A against any of the loss or damage on account of If Iviolate this agreement by filing such a suit or making such a claim, I will pay all attorneys' fees and costs of the n,:;.11..,:;_,.1.,c:u P.4R17ES. I shall be and rnn,c:tW'II io:>ri matters whatsoever arising under, in connection with or incident to this Agreement r::illifnrni.::i. 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 at least 18 years of age, or, that I am the parent or legal guardian of am making this agreement on behalf of myself and If I am the parent or legal guardian of I the for their defense and indemnity from any claim or liability in the event that Pilot suffers SPl'JR1"S IJVJU'R/1:.::s' even if caused in whole or in part by the negligence (whether active or passive) of any of the ne;;,r.LJ'f.JILIU' P..IIR:r/E.S:

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MMR 12-97

then (0 rhc sky during the three days or rhe event. First, rhc power boats will roar loudly down the racecourse and pom inro rhe turns trailing tall roosrer rails of spray. Then the gliders will silently dive and climh as rhcy perform loops, rollovers and spills with hright tails of colored smoke tracing their paths aeross 1hc sky. Wowic! !;or general event illforrnation check our the Bayfoir website at www.bayfair.com. For comest informal ion contact: Aero Events, (818) I 5-9(i:'\ l, d inoddd<rrlj uno.com.

])oc/nwiler Stcltc &11th 31th !1rtrtl1!'C/'S,1n> Celebration Vin/117,c Hy.Jn and !'i/01 Reunion Angeles 97(), as part

On rhc Fourth ofJuly,

or 1hc U.S. biccmellnial

weekend cclcbrarion, pioneering Australiall hang gliding pilot Bill Bell nett launched his glider from a boat just off Fllis Island in New York 11:irbor. I le srmrned rhe world when he circled I he Sta me of' Liberty and landed 011 I .ibeny Island. lt was this kind of high-profile srnnt that popularized the sport in the mid- I 970's. 'f 'har same week, pioneers 011 the wcsr coast were launching and soaring hang gliders off the sandy dunes of Dockweilcr State Beach in Los Angeles. Bennett went on ro become a wellrespected manufocturcr of modern hang I-le ;111d many of his peers went on 10 successftd careers in aviation and aerospace. It's taken over a dozen years of efforts by Cll th usias1s to make Dockweilcr Beach the officitd hangglidingparkjrJr the After a long hiatus, this past May 31 rhc city and county of I .os Angeles, along with the Stare of California, formally reopened the park. The celebration was widely covered by local TV and was featured in narional radio srOl'ies. This was ;1 major victory for the sport; now I .os Angeles can once again enjoy the colorf'ul, enchanting sport of hang gliding on its local beaches. W(' arc in the h11al planning srnge of'a historic gathering at Dockwcilcr. On September'), 2000, the Southern California hang gliding community will gath;\l)c;LJST 2()()()

for more infomation visit...

er for a vintage gliding fly-in. This colorful evem will overflow with human interest, history and firn. Along with Bill Bennett, hang gliding pioneers such as Joe hms1 (founder rhe U.S. I lang Cliding Association), 'J\iras Kicrniuk, Jr. and Sr. (designers of early hang gliders), and Joe Crcblu (rc11owncd srunt pilot and insrrucrnr) have been invited lo art end. We will also fly a wide range vimagc and modern hang gliders, from the wellknown "Bamboo Burrerfly" co11srruc1cd of' bamboo, plastic sheet and dr1c1 tape, ro stare-o/:thc<HI gliders made of c1rbo11

fiber and Mylar. We would he honored to have you join us for this fly-in and reunion. Directions: h·om the li05 go west on the I 0'5 until you reach Visr:1 Del Mar and turn lcJr. Travel a half' rnile and rnrn right into the parking lor on die right. Tlic gliding area is at the somh end of the parking lor and across the highway From the giam red ;md white smokestacks. Contact: I .y1111 McLaughlin, (818) lJ55-5C,3lJ, (818) 7C,0-38l)l, Windsport s(rilearthl ink. net.

D,1vid Glover seuemlycars and pound, ago.

l~y US'l!GA President David Glover

n lyin NOTES Congratulations to Kari Castle, the 2000 Women's World Champion, and to the U.S. Women's World Tc:am ftir their third-place finish in Greece this June. Also in Greece this surnmer is the World Speed Gliding Championships at Mount Olympus. I am going to predict (I am writing this in early July) that John Borron, the Unfred States' number-one speed gliding pilot, will be the new world champion. I know how much time and effort JB has put into this event and can· nor irnagine anyone having the same equipment, knowledge and drive. While J am here playing psychic, a dedicated group of record-breakers arc trying for long distances at new locations in the U.S. Maybe there arc new records in Class I and 2 hang gliding by now. They arc headed by an expert in weather and record-breaking. Check for this news and other goings--on in the "news" section of the ushga.org wcbsi te. 14

FLYING NOTES Would you like to have longer flights, catch more thermals, check our rhc scenery and have possibly safer landings? I think that the 1rn1jority of pilots would havc better anc1 more cnjoyahlc flights if they flew seated (either supine or suprone). Why do we almost all fly prone? Probably because we learned that way and we bought a prone harness. Usually, aerodynamics is the reason people to explain why prone is better. ls that why we fly, to be more aerodynamic? l think flying seated offers more advantages that overcome the slight bit of added drag: • It's more comfrmable. • You can sec cloud development better. • You can see birds better. • You can see other thermaling gliders better (except above you). • You're not looking down as much (ground suck). • You're in a more upright landing position. 'There is almost no activity (except flying prone) that has us flat 011 om stomach with our heads looking out. While flying seated your awareness goes up. It takes less effort to crane your neck to check out what is going on around and above you. Most X-C flights occur downwind and therefore rbc extra bir of drag has little effect. I believe more people would stay in the sport longer and have better, more enjoyable flights if they flew seated. All you need is a paragliding harness and a spreader bar. You will look goofy, bur almost everyone who tries it likes i r better than prone.

AEROTOWTNG NOTES Much of acrornwing is knowing how to stay in the middle. The extremes arc where the difficulties can occur. Yom nose angle on the cart can be too low or too high; hoth can cause problems. You can rel! Lhcsc positions while you arc lying in your harness on the can. [fyou arc at a past--stall or past-bcst--glide arm position you may need :rn adjustment to the cart. Another problem is pilots coming off too early or holding and pulling in for too long. Most carts arc not designed to operate at high speeds. Pushing om to come out early can have you mushing om of the cart without good handling speed. Pulling in to stay on the can too long can gcr the cart wheels into a shimmy and have you ejected from the cart improperly. Most aerotow professionals can help you find the golden mean while aerorowing. A side note: If you talk ro people who fly tandem and have many flights in different disciplines (foot, truck and aerotow) they almost all think aerotowing is the safest way to launch. NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH Otto Lilienthal made both his early flights and died in the month of August. As of now hang gliding has experienced fewer fatalities so far this year than almost any year since the sport began. Be cardi.d yourself and help teach good judgment to another pilot.

D,wid Glover ccm he reachedfy;r comments or questions tlt dt1vid(ri>davidglove1'. corn or (706) 657-8185. II

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1998 Women's

r just soar the local dunes with a couple of mates, there's a Moyes glider for every occasion.

Become fJart of the Moyes familyFly a .Moyes

n che pasc chree years or so che advenc of rnp less gliders sparked a flurry of new designs wich incremencal improvemenrs. Mose of che mp companies have second- or chird-generacion offerings rhac are fine gliders. Bue if I read che cea leaves correcdy, I believe we are encering a new era: che era of che Licespeed. The Lirespeed is a Moyes glider firsc and fore most. Ic has Moyes quirks and characteriscics, some of which are assecs and some of which render ic less chan perfect. As we shall see, the benefits far outweigh the deficits and the Litespeed is an amazing amalgam of current design technology. Here's what we found our.

We define eras by their singular characteristics. In the microcosm of hang gliding there have been a number oferas in the past two decades definable by specific gliders that either redirected design progress, dominated competition, became immensely popular or all three. Since 1980 copyright © 2000 by Dennis Pagen

LITESPEED OVERVIEW I first flew a Litespeed prototype for a couple of days during the last World Meet in Iraly. My impressions were: greac handling, good performance, easy landin g and a different pitch characceristic chat requires some familiarization. Since chat rime I've had the generous loan of a Dacron-sail Litespeed from Bill Watters and acquired my own Mylar sail glider. I've flown the Licespeed in most conditions anyone wo uld care co fl y a hang glider. The Licespeed carries on th e Moyes cradition of a well-built, beefy, no-non sense, curved-tip design. It comes in relatively large sizes (I flew the 155) because it handles so well and has such good cop-speed performance . A pil oc can afford co move up fi ve co l O square feet in area and reap a sink-rate bonus. Despite che nod co Moyes cradi rion, there is a good deal of oucside influence. Moyes hired Gerolf Heinrich, Auscrian team pilot and ceni-

fied aerodynamicisc, to head the Licespeed project. le is no secret chat Gerolf's main goal was to create a glider char wo uld best Manfred Ruhmer's worthy Laminars. Only rime will reveal rhe results of this quest, bur certainly rhe flying public ben efits from such single-minded comperinon. We' ll discuss perfo rmance specificall y below, bur here lee's list some of rhe design's highlights chat render rhe Licespeed a leading co ntender. Perhaps the most imponam feature on the Litespeed is its innovacion: solid, auromaticallyco mpensanng sprogs. The dean, wide tip keeps the Litespeed flying slowly in turns. These sprogs (pitch

A NEWER stability devices) automatically lower when the VG sys tem is pulled on so that the glider achieves enhanced high-speed performance. In addition to being movable, th e sprogs and washout struts are made very solid with what's becoming the industry standard cable-supported tube swiveling off the leading edge. The cable on th e movable sprog connects to rhe crossbar to affect rhe se tting change when the crossbar m oves fore and aft. The addition of beefier leading edges with attention to improving their rnrsional (twisting) rigidity improves pitch stability. Ir is my assessmenc that the current flock of topless designs are much safer in curbulence than cheir predecessors because of chese design faccors. We have H ANG GLIDI NG

we can list the eras as that ofthe Comet, Sensor, Magic, HP's (JI and AT), Xtralite, and the Laminar. (We are not considering rigid wings here and are generally confining our discussion to the US., which is why the HP supplants the XS.)

LITESPEED

A OF LITE learned a lesson from rigid wing construction. With more rigid leading edges and sprogs holding a minimum amount of washout, a potential picchover event is dampened sooner and more surely. Of course, such improvement doesn't render any of these gliders invincible, so normal operating limits still apply. Moyes has an enviable record of pirchover resistance and structural integrity throughout their design history and che Licespeed will likely co ntinue chis legacy. Other items worth noting are the wing's elliptical layout, the extensive crossbar travel, the tailored airfoil and the mulricude of sail-control devices. In the course of measuring gliders for the Speed Gliding World Meet, I have compared A UGUST 2000

and low-speed performance. Finally, rhe sail-conuol devices which include shear webs , leading edge loops and four undersurface barrens per side keep the lower surface in the optimum shape for various angles of arrack. AJl of rhese derails are significant when taken as a whole, since performance gains on today's gliders depends on attention to mmuuae.

LITESPEED SETUP Mose of today's ropless gliders ser up similarly. There are only a few differences in rhe nuts and boles. The Licespeed follows rhe typical - erect control frame , stand up glider, spread wings, stuff barrens, haul back crossbar, insert rips and tidy up nose cone - ritual. However, it is with the setup that my few criticisms of the Licespeed lie. Nore that I have never reviewed wh at I consider to be a perfect glider. These considerations are based on my preferred prejudices of first, top performance in all categories including handling (see below), ease of setup, light weight, ease of landing, durable construction and convenient packaging, more or less in char order. Each pilot may have different priorities in rhis list, bur perfection is perfection . With the Litespeed it seems as if Moyes spent irs considerable energy in developmenr on improved performance and handling while seeding for less than perfection in setup. Here are my main gripes. The faired-in belly bar requires atrachmenr wirh a bolr, casde nut and safety pin. Sure, that's standard Moyes procedure, bur wi th rhe round basembe yo u can easily replace the bole and a nut wirh a fast PIP (p ush-button) pin and

rheir planforms with the ideal elliptical area distribution. The Lirespeed comes closer co chis ideal than most other designs. (An exact elliptical distribution makes it difficulc co hold out rwist on a flex wing, so it is nor used.) The crossbar travels so much rhar with the VG right you can only go straight and VG loose yo u can grab a ruck of sai l at the root. This feamre means you have rop performance at rhe top end and good handling ar the low end. The airfoil has been designed, rebenc, reseed, tweaked and tuned w each station w provide rhe best compromise of high- A look along the leading edge showing the clean, thick profile.

An interior shot shows the holdback cable, the shear webs, one ofthe leading edge loops and the big round crossbar. keeper. Nor so on rhe faired basebar since rhey chose ro run rhe hole venically. A PIP pin would fill wirh din or be pushed our in rhe ground handling. Ir would have been easy w make a firring char acceprs a horizontal hole. Perhaps Moyes doesn'r rrusr rhe integriry of PIP pins, bur over rhe years rhey have proven safe. Afrer dropping rhe nur in rall grass and fumbling wirh cold fingers a couple of rimes, I'm begging for a bener way. The nexr point is rhe sprogs. A couple of manufacrurers (Aeros and Wills Wing, for example) have incorporared a quick 'n' easy sysrem whereby rhe sprogs are auromarically caprured when you close rhe undersurface zipper. Wirh rhe Lirespeed yo u srill must pm a loop over rhe sprog. This process isn'r difficulr, bur an increment of rime is required ro find rhe loop and anach ir. Apparendy rhe inboard sprogs need chis loop since rhe support cable is offser and pulls rhe rod sideways a bir. Bur rhe ourboard sums

could have rhe easy rreatment. Firsr, I'll nore char rhe undersurface banens have been improved from the rraditional Moyes anachment merhod of cantankerous linle bungees rhar liked w crawl up into rhe sail. These barrens now shove in a litde hole cur in rhe lower surface and rhen rheir rear end is pushed up in the pocket and pulled back for securiry. This system is char used on the Laminar. A much more convenient (and faster) method used by other designs simply involves sewing the fro nt end of the barren pocker tight so the batten is held securely by friction . The insertion and removal of the battens are rendered brainless and painless. This brings us w the Lirespeed's curved battens. I have no complaints, bur wish w point out that the pockers are relatively eight for airfoil control. T he front ends of the pockets are curved inward on rhe sail pattern so rhe banens end up aligned with the keel when they give the sail its

The haulback catch looking curiously like the nose catch. 18

The standard Moyes Bailey catch.

rhree-dirnensional shape. This feature may assisr performance by smooching airflow and providing bener leverage against rhe leading edge for limiting rwist rhrough sail tension. Because of these eight pockers, it is not wise w shove in or pull out rhe banens in hasre ar rhe risk of melting banen ends or pocket marerial. This factor and the marters discussed above mean yo u won't be rhe first one off rhe hill on a primo day. The batten ends are what's becoming the standard: spring-loaded inserts. The spring tension on the Licespeed barrens is noriceably higher rhan on the CSX. It is also tighter at the root and tips, which has proven the best for a good handling and performance balance. The last barren is anached with a string, since chis banen should be very tight on all gliders. I find char the sprin g inserrs are attached very easily by using the srandard trick of ripping up the trailing edge. The increased banen tension and arrangement in gener-

Moyes offers an optional aluminum faired basetube. H ANG GLIDI G

al may be responsible for some of the improved performance over the CSX. Before we leave the setup subject I'll make two points: I have become fond of the Litespeed's kickstand keel that Folds down and lets you set up or break down without excessive bending over. Wirh respect to convenient packaging, the I .itcspecd cover is about optimi'1.cd in terms of weight and protection. Gliders that come in heavier hags end up being less well protected because pilols rarely use them, but replace them with flimsy cross·· country On tlic other hand, I'm not overjoyed at the I .itcspccd's plethora of pads. They make qui1e a bundle rn be packed in today's slim and slippery harnesses. It is mainly protruding hardware that requires these extra pads.

UTESPEED PERFORMANCE This is what WC come /cir. Ultimately, we powerless pilots arc rabid for performance. We buy a wing based on our per .. ceprions, accurate or nor, of how readily it will carry us ro rhc top of the stack, Ll1e front of the pack or across a goal line, hopefully witho\lr embarrassing us in the landing field. Regarding the Litespced, let me begin with two opinions. I believe that this glider is an improvement in all respects over the Moyes' previous topless offering. l also think thar the l.itcspccd has one of' the if not the best, all-around pcrfimnancc packages avail· able. Let me fill in the dcr;1ils rhat bring me ro these conclusions. Handling We include handling in pcrfor .. mance because if you can't put a glider where you want ir you won't maximize the vertical potential in the air. The Dacron-skinned l .itcspccd has about the easiest handling of any high-performance glider I have flown in recent years. On one scratching flight r rccall rurning a 360 immediately alter launch in a weak thermal. The response and prcdicrabiliry of rhe glider id lowed me to do rhis safely, an act I wouldn't anempt on most gliders. You can apply this to foisty thcr mals or crowded wirh equal benefits.

The Mylar sail model is slightly less responsive bur still nice ro handle. [11 foct, f typictlly thermal with a\io11t Olle··quartcr VC pulled and still have good han· dling. The rcaso11 for the VC application Auc;usr 2000

The standard Moyes corner bmcltets. is 10 make the glider more rock solid in thermals. lt seems contradictory to pull Y(; to get ideal handling, bur with a bit applied you actually have to do less corfor lifted or dropped wings. 'l<i sure, the glider has a smidgrn of oscillation tendency with the VC foll off: But it is not as much as widi the CSX and it is a mancr of pilot experience at fosr flighr control. The Lirespecd rows rncdium .. well due to lhis tendency. It is much bcncr rhan the CSX in this respect, perhaps due to the tightening of the sail. One of the main reasons! like to thcr .. rnal with a bit ofYC applied is that this arrangement brings rhc basernbe back roward my chin f'or bcucr ergonomics when making roll controls. The new top .. less gliders all seem to undergo a large hasebar position (and speed) rrim change as VG setting is changed. With the ye; off the bar is trimmed about ar your fore .. head. With it lt.dl-on the position is ar your chest. These arc the pitch characteristics that require familiarization which I alluded to in our oprning discussion. Once you arc attuned ro this matter you can learn to appreciate the light har pressures for long, fost glides. One calm morning during rhc Quest Air rncet l took a row to .°3,000 fret and tried some experiments on the Litespccd. 1 put the glider in a 20- to 30,clcgrcc bank (typical of' a thermal turn) and started pushing out. With my inside arm fully cxrcndcd the glider eventually indicated stall by small pitch excursions, bm it

refoscd ro drop a Thar was witl1 the VG ofL I repeated the same thing with onc.. quancr V(; and the result w:is the same. With full push the airspeed was barely dcicctablc. Naturally, you cannot fly so dclicioLJsly slow in active air, but this expcrimcm demonstrates rhar the Litcspccd has less tendency to stall and drop a in a rhcrrnal than other designs. Also it may well mean that it f1ics slower in a thermal, which leads to a better climb rate. The glider's area distribution, airfoil at the rips and the curved, flexible wand all con .. tribute 10 its benign behavior in thermal mode. One improvement over the CSX is a removal of rhc tendency to slip surp1·is· ingly when a pilor makes a half roll control, then pulls in. The Lircspcccl is more predictable in such a sitllation, so comfortable diving tLJrns can be made for landing setup. Lrnding itself is easy for qualified pilots on the Litcspced because of its handling bcndirs and rhc very loose sail with the YC off. The flare window is wide and the glider slows admirably typically Moyes. lnexpcricm:cd pilots arc cau· tionccl Oil two points: With rhc vc; o/T there is plenty of pitch .. positivc force. Don't get complaccm and let the trim effect slow your approach. On the other hand, be aware of the possibility of oscillations if you come in fast withour kno,V· ing the glider. Only lesser·-·c,qJ<:l'l(:11(:Cc.1 pilors will need to rake norc of 19

these matters since other current gliders exhibit similar behavior.

Sink Rate The sink rare/climb rate performance of the Litespeed is one area where it excels. Climb rate is a glider's rate of climb in a parcel of air rising ar a given rate. A glider with a good climb rate can be made to maximize the lift in a thermal better than one with a mediocre climb rate. Climb rate is dependent on a glider's inherent sink rate, its stall speed in a turn and its handling. 'fhc Litespeed is superior when it comes to all three of these factors. Ir is my contcnrion that former topless designs have nor brought improvements in the climb rate department. In facr, many old HP AT's, f<lassics, Xtralites and Larninars get as good or better a sink rate :is rhe ftmner topless gliders. But this year's batch of new designs present a couple of offerings with improved climb rare. The Lites peed is one of them. J have a few test gliders and pilots at my local sires which I use as bench marks to compare climb rate. After a few thermal flights with them l can get a fairly good idea of comparative performance. The Litcspeed has shown me that it outclirnhs everything else I have tested so far. Parr of this success is due ro its slightly larger size (ar 155 square feet) and ability to slow wa--a-ay down.

Glide Pe~fvrnumce

l have had the occasion to compare the Litcspccd's glide with an Exxtacy 011 two f1ights. If the Litespecd gives up anything in glide nt various inter-thermnl speeds,

it's very little. This is a remarkable improvement from a couple of years ago when the Exxtacy was blowing every flex wing out of the sky except for Manfred R.uhmer's. Of course, best glide and fast glide borh interest pilots. 'fhc best glide is no doubt stare of rhe art, which is perhaps a couple of points better than that of'king-· posred gliders. The high speed glide of the Litcspced is excellent for several reasons. Virst, the aforementioned movable sprogs reduce enforced twist and thus drag with the VG 011. Second, the leading-edge tension keeps the from of the airfoil very stiff and resistant to indentation at low angles of attack. Third, the batten profiles flatten considerably when the VG is foll on U1 la RarnAir) to create a faster airfoil. Finally, the stifler leading edges reduce the bowing effect of drag at high speeds. Most new topless designs arc using larg-er diameter leading edges to help achieve the cffr:crs outlined above. The Lircspeed's

arc 62 mm 6 inches) in the fore part. 'I 'be entire airframe is 7075 alloy which is lighter and stiffer th,m cheaper 606 l or 60<i3. As it stands, the Litcspeed flouts, not flaunts, the first half' of its name. It is much lighter than the CSX, and weighs about the same as a Stealth. Jncidcnrally, I flew the 1,ires peed in stock configuration when doing my comparisons. The owner's manual says there is no premium in lowering the sprogs since they selfadjus1. I hclicvc them and am happy to think that there is perhaps a way out of that dangerous practice. Bur there arc adjustments you can make ro tweak performance or suit your style. The leading edge junction and the tip wand inserts have non-concentric holes. By turning these inserts you can play widi the dihedral adjustment of the outboard leading edge and wand. The owner's manual details the adjustments and the tradeoffs. We arc perhaps entering a new era of Lite. Certainly Moyes has been around a long time with quality gliders and is due a big winner. You can take my ravings about the glider as an aH1nnation of its candidacy. I'm u nabashcdly excited about this year's flock of designs and l think the Litespeed has the all-around pcrfi:innancc robe a lead bird. But you must find out for yourself. 'Eike a couple of demo flights and enjoy rhc Lite handling as well as the dark power of' penetrating speed.

'1<1 connect with a Lites peed contact: Moyes America 1795 li01h Ave. San Francisco, CA 94122 'lei/Fax: (415) E-mail: FlyaMoyes(tilaol.com Weh site: www.moyes.com.au Ill

HANC Ci IIJINC

arly d1at morning the soaring forecast said we should go flying in Lake Elsinore with the infamous "E-Tcam." First l wanted a sled ride to check trim in smooth air. Bill Soderquist, my X-C: guru, drove me up rhe hill and threw me off the Edward's launch, one of the two main Elsinore launches. I was quite nervous abour rhc number of ulltesred features on this full-race m;1chine but could think of no more reasons ro delay and ran off the edge of the planet. l r flew! From what I could tell it flew pretty well for six minutes and 1/iOO feet vertically. The landing was good enough. There was adjusting to do before the nexr flight but I was euphoric and in no hmry. It was already a successful day, and there was no point spoiling it by rushing and making a stupid mistake. By the time we got back ro launch ar rhe "F' it was starring to blow down. As a long-time "E" pilot l knew this was the sign ro set up fast and get off the hill before it was impossible to do so. With help from friends who risked missing the launchablc morning window the "F" is famous for, the Sensor and I were soon circling low at the "F, Cone" and starting to climb. I looked for Bill but he was long gone; the only way ro follow him was frorn above and in f1w1t! /\t about 5,000 fret MSL I met trafilc and decided to sray clear. Not the best decision, to leave lift, hut safety firsr I thought. That choice cost 10 minutes as I fished for AL JC UST 2 000

by RC Dave

April 2 was a special day for me this year. It had been raining in Southern Cal1;forniafvr a week and my new Mylar Sensor 610 with

shccir ribs (11 la Thomas Rauch) was waiting~ unfiown, for

better weather. I was particularly anxious to .fiY. another therm:il over the Ranches. /\s usual, the "E" provided lift and the ceiling pmmised to he high. The thermals were bouncy and spring-like and rhe Lipse rate was good as the Sensor climbed through the first and only glider l would pass all day, an Exxrncy being flown frlr the first time by its new owner, i:h1kcy John. l .uckily for me he was turning circles the size of l .ake Elsinore and we h:1d no problems together. /\s I went through 7,000 feet the trusty Briiuniger showed rhar rhe lifr was solid and it was slowly getting smoother. Passing 8,500 feet rhc air became positively serene! This was tmus11al. I was alone hm sponcd a sailplane a fi..'.w thousand lcct above me and slowed way down in air smoother than the famous coastal soaring air ar 'forrey Pines.

The !Q's averager showed a steady 280 ffXrl as I flew with two lingers, checking stall and trim speeds. Altho!lgh rhe airspeed indicator read plenty of speed, l seemed to be making little progress forward over the Ranches. The GPS read 6.8 mph gro!lnd speed sol was comfortable knowing I could still escape the increasingly strong wind. 1was starting to really like rhat GPS. J:inally 1 sported Bill flying formation with "Crin1 Jim" in his old, familiar Exxtacy a mile upwind and above me, poimed into the now strong north wind. /\s I had no radio, I decided to drifr forward wward them to say hi rather than burning off alritudc to get rhere quickly. l flew .slowly in their dircCLion, climbing well above them. Soon they crossed my path and disappeared

Seedwings Sensor 610 CF with custom Mylar sail and too many ribs awaiting its first 11zr;;h1:. upwind across the lake going cross-country. The lifr got better and it dawned on me, this was the rare Elsinore -wave! Occasionally, on certain north·wind days, some little hill upwind sets up a wave and it seems to be in sync with the range at Elsinore, or something like rhat. It is not common and always "blue," so it seemed like a good idea to hang around and see what would happen. Well, the higher I got rhe stronger the wind wns. Still the lifr was there, steadily getting weaker. l;inding what seemed like the edge of the wave, I looked for the sailplane and flew in that direction assuming that its speed allowed it to survey the area few the best lifr. This turned out to be a really good idea and soon the cool, new Sensor and I were climbing through I 0,000 fret. Abour this time I saw that rhc GPS was still indicating 6.8 mph over the ground but rhe final glide calculator on the IQ told me I would no longer reach the landing zone with more than 6,000 feet ACL. In fact, it now said T wouldn't get there mall! Quite strange, it had always been correct in the past and the zone was still there at no more than Ii/ 1 glide angle. Slowly it occurred to me thnr the wind h;id picked up 15 mph more and the speedy little Sensor and l were going backwards at 6.8! Well, rhar was interesting! I thought that it was time to either turn downwind straight toward Camp Pendleton Marine Ba,c or check the glide of this machine at a higher speed and try to find Bill. Well below me, it was clear that other gliders were blow ing off the hill in about a 15 mph wind in the opposite direction as the marine layer came through low under the wave. There was lirrle danger of not getting to the I ,Z and the IQ_ was again saying we could get there ... evennwlly. (! love these new-fangled flight instruments!) "Eventually" came 30 minutes later. As l dropped down to lower altitudes the wind

1'00

1:24

No. 10113, Date 02.04.2000, Tuna of St.irL 12;04, Ar@ff Yh-0 E, Ta,sk: WM@ Flying in new 010 Pilot' DAVID fNCUND, D1m"1tion. 01:25, He!Qh1 10108 ft. Clirnb--,f{ntr.i· 885.G ftlm1n, S1nk~Ratir ~1672.8 ftlrmn, Spoed. 63 MPH

decreased and slowly the GPS ground speed began ro agree with the indicated airspeed. Surprisingly, there was none of the awful turbulence so common in wave flight and shearing air m;1sses. ·J 'his was a good opportunity to check d1c pitch pressure at speeds over 60 mph (they were acceptable). The flags in the LZ seemed steady, although rwo of the three gliders landing ahead of me whacked so I was careful to avoid any extra risks rnch as the o:1k tree rotor or Mr. Death (the rather spiky landing spot marker). Other than missing rhc last 90-degrce turn onto final in a little turbu-lcncc rolling down the field, the landing was as mediocre as the earlier one had been, only further away from the beer. Of course, no one had seen me up there so there was little of rhc usual abuse from the local "F-'karncrs" and they even shared cold fluid nodules

with me. Thm night, as I pondered the auspicious signs of a super first flight on an attractive new diver mid downloaded the flight data into the PC: Graph logbook/flight cvaluarion program, l saw rhe only visible signs of the wonderful blue wave from that clay. It was clear from the three traces of the barograph record where the wave began as the curves clearly smoothed oul for rhe vario and airspeed. Fven the altitude trace smoothed out to gentle curves up high. This is the firsr clear physical evidence of the Elsinore Wave I've ever seen, and now l can show my friends that it's true and really docs exist. Bill and Crim knew they felt it and my IQ recorded the event. Sec for yourself~ It blew down early the next day bur thar's okay, ir all comes out in the wash. II Hi\NC CIIDINC

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The 2000 Region Nine Regionals:

WHO NEEDS A TOPLESS? by Pete Lehmann

The Y2K version ofRegion Nine's Regionals experienced a decidedly mixed bag of weather conditions and a most unusual winning glider, a Falcon. The contest counts a pilot's three longest weekend cross-country flights that take place during the two and a half months from mid-March to the end of May. There are three classes offlex-wing contestants, as well as one each for paragliders and rigid wings.

LEFT: Ric Niehaus on the dolly at Ridgely airfield Photo by Karen Niehaus. RIGHT:Pete Lehmann in font of the Avonmore, Pennsylvania launch. Photo by Annie Valdes.

his year chere were 52 flex-wing comescants, buc insufficient paraglider or rigid enuams to score chose classes. Reflecting che poor weacher only 21 pilocs actually entered fliglm chis year, and of chose 2 1 on ly 12 managed rn accumulace che contesc's maximum of chree flights. Meceorologically speaking, che dominant feac ure of che spring weacher patterns was chac chose areas of che Region lying closesc w che Adamic had cheir flying drowned by a number of persistent lows which slowly migraced up che coasc. The iro ny was that many of chose wee coastal weekends produced good inland flying. As a consequence, che contesc's first chree spocs were occupied by inland pilots benefiting

from chat advantage. Fourth-place pilot and Sixry-Mile C lass winner Ric Niehaus did a very creditable job of making che best of the mediocre coastal conditions when opponunicies presented chemselves.

OPEN CLASS Lase year I emered chis contest flying a Wills Wing Falcon our of a curiosity to see how well a single-surface glider would work as a dow nwind cross-coumry glider. I enjoyed some success in the effort, however, much of char season had been spent in learning how w live within the limitations of che glider. Wich che benefir of lase year's experience I felt chat chis spring I had a chance co do m uch be[[er wich che Falcon , so I decided to cominue che experimem for

one more co mest season. Amazingly, noc only did the Falcon do better chis year, bm it actually won th e comest wich a weal of 177 miles for an average of 59 mi les per fli ghc. The longest of my flighcs was one of 66.6 miles from Avonmore, our licde so uthwest sire ease of Pimburgh. In truth, the day was actually a lighc northwest one, and wich thac crossed wind direction Avonmore is miserably difficult w fly. I was firsc in line chat day and had che luxury of being ve ry picky in m y choice of a launch cycle. As crumm y as it was, no one wanted rn replace me at che from of che line. After carefully waicing 10 minutes I saw my indicato rs and jumped. Almost inscandy I was climbing off the 430-foot ridge ac 300+ H ANG GLIDING

Pete Lehman launching at Avonmore, Pennsylvania. Photos by Annie Valdes. fpm in a decent if not spectacular thermal. Ir didn't go very high, bur there was no way I was going to risk rernrning to the ridge for an almost certain flush. After leaving che ridge rhe first 20 miles over the back continued to display similar, shore-lived thermals and unreliable, poorly formed clouds char never allowed me co get near base. Thar frustrating paccern began to change after the first hour as I got beyond Chestnut Ridge, the first of the Appalachian Mountains. The clouds became more rel iable and the climb rares more sustained, bur I sti ll couldn't get over 6,000' MSL/4,700' over launch. The improved life was fort uitous because my initial track was going to tal<e me straight into rhe Class D airspace of Johnstown airport. Thinking it would be a hopeless effort, I began che necessary detour around the airport. I was unhappy because major course deviations are extremely difficult on a Falcon, particularly if chey involve a street crossing as I would have to accomplish to avoid che airport. Bue it was my day. I slowly worked my way northward and succeeded in reaching a cloud line crossing Laurel Mountain and getting me around the airport. The next obstacle was the infamous Allegheny Mountain barrier, something I had not yet succeeded in crossing on a Falcon. As I hit the mountain I was low and down to my last possible LZ when I began to gee hints oflifr. I pushed on just a couch further into rhe mountain and the life became a solid 150 fpm up. Ir wasn't much, but ic was enough ro commit into che trees knowing that I had a ferry char would at lease gee me to che next LZ before again fac-

ing a go/no-go decision. Fortunately, chat next decision was an easy one as my thermal had improved and eventually goc me to my day's best altitude of 6,800' MSL right over the 3,000' MSL crest of Allegheny Mountain. Even a Falcon can cross easily ac char height. By then, however, the clouds were begi nni ng co die and the last 15 miles were a struggle before I landed north of the Fisher Road site after 3.5 hours in the air. My second longest fl igh t was made in the company of John Fen ner, rhe contest's third-place finisher. I had been the first to leave Templeton on a blue day chat eventually bordered on che limits for flying a Falcon. Soaring che 480-foo t ridge had been quire difficul t, flushing some pilots while I had twice to p-landed just in cime to escape their face. O n my third fl ight I became che first pilot to climb off che ridge, although John soon caught me over che back. I was groveling in 50-fpm life at about 1,000' AGL. He was some three grand above me ac chat point, buc my thermal soon curned on and I managed to hook up with John a few miles down che road. For che next 40 miles we stuck together as an odd couple, che Falcon and che XC, fi nding life fo r one another and acting as thermal markers in the wandering blue lift. As we approached Laurel Mountain north ofJohnsrown I was becomi ng uncomfortably low as I pushed into the mountain, figuring rhac it had to work. If char tactic hadn't panned out I would have had to accept an ugly strip-mine landing. But the face that I was flying an easy-landing Falcon made me reaso nably comfortable with char possible outcome. H owever,

a landi ng becam e unnecessary as John and I hooked a good thermal and climbed out co an unusual blue altitude of 8,5 00' MSL in what were clearly improving thermals. At char rime other pilots were reporring gains of over 9,000' MSL and I felt chat John and I wo uld easily get over the next obstacle, Allegheny Mountai n. Bur ic was nor to be. We glided all rhe way across che valley to the base of che mo untain where my Falcon's poorer glide forced me to land fo r 58 miles south of Portage, Pennsylvan ia. T he landing fi eld involved a half-mile carry-our char made me graceful I was only carrying a Falcon. John's superior glide on his XC got him 6 1 miles, but he chen had to land just shore of the mountai n's crest, being unabl e to make ic over the back. My chird flight was a 52.4-miler fro m Templeton. The day had decent clouds, climb rares, and alcicudes of 8, 100' MSL. But rhe clouds were fairly far apart, and che Falcon's poor glide was something of a handicap. I was repeatedly arriving low at the next thermal, and then having to scratch fo r a while in the broken, low-level lift before getting high again. D espite the fl ight's length it was a frustrating day as I was always struggling, and almost never cruising comfortably. In second place overall was D ennis Pagen flying a Moyes Lirespeed. D ennis's longest fl ight of 99.5 miles was also the contest's longest flight by far. H owever, despite che fact that his flight was over 30 m iles lo nger than the next longest fli ght in the contest, D ennis was narrowly edged out of firs t place. Unfortunately for him, his H ANG G LIDING

second-and third-place Oighrs were not 11p 99. 5 miles. He bad been tantalizingly close to the standard of that Arst one, producing to the magic 1()() . mile mark that he could a d1rce-flight total of 165 miles. have easily attained had he just glided Dennis's flights were all made from his downwind with his remaining alrirnde. northwest home sire of Pleasam Gap, Pen11Dermis's second-longest flight of 36.8 sylvani;1. Whm distinguished all rhrec miles was, in truth, a gift from Ron Dively. flights was that rhey were done on wesrDennis and his wife Claire have an arrangecrossed days, a direction for which the site ment whereby they trade off cross--counrry is ill suited. The long flight was also unusudriving duties. On al in that it was not a classic cloud-hopping, char day it was ro downwind thermal flighr. Instead, Dcnnis have been Dennis's curn to drive. spent much of rhe flight struggling 1~iifj~,~,r~~!i:~+'3;, to stay ahead oF one Dennis and Ron slow-moving had launched storm cell. After more or less having climbed out together, and and headed downbeen fl us hed wind he would typioff the cally only find weak, l 00-fpm lifr umil the cell gradually caught up with him. At rhat only to point the climb rates watch would accelerate dramatiDennis cally and by the time he pull off reached 7,500' MSL it a low would have become time to save run downwind before matand ters becmne dangero11s. begin to climb Because the flight took ;rn out. Generously, Ron unfamiliar rourc eastward from offered to take over the driving duries, Pleasant- Cap, and because visifreeing Dennis from bis marital driving hiliry was so poor in the stormy conditions, obligation to head over the back with Denn is was largely lost for mosL of the Claire. flight. Along the way he did realize he had llis Anal flight was a biL frustrating. passed over the well--lrnown 501 sire, bur Dennis left the hill early in the day, but didn'r realize how far he had actually flown. then landed for 28.7 miles nfrer encounterAs a result, he burned off his last few huning a lifr-frec blue hole. Sadly for him he dred foct only to discover that his flight was later had to hear his visiting Florida friend, AUGUST 2000

Gary Thompson, effonlessly head on the way ro a 116-mile In third place with ;i total of' 1 miles was my regular flying panner John Fenner 011 a Wills Wing XC:. He made all three of his flights from 'frmplcron, the longest one of 61 miles having becn described above. I lis second- longest flight of 57.8 miles was also made on the day I got one of my long flights. 'I'hc, difference was that John had been flushed on his first flight, and then on his rd1ighr he lcfr the hill long a frer I had done so. l was a !ready on the ground and brokcn down when l heard Jolin on rhe radio, steadily working his way eastward and finding spectacular lifr under the late--clay clouds, ro 8,300' MSL very late in the evening. Unfortunately for him those clouds came to an abrupt, blue end as he approached Allegbcny Mountain, and he was forced to land at its base in the same reclaimed mine rhat [ would land in the lollmv1r1e: weekend. John's third flight, while nor terribly long, was extraordinary in its own righr. After having been flushed to the main LZ, he relaunched \arc in the afternoon into rare conditions. Shortly after 6:00 PM John made it to cloudbase at 9,800' MSL (8,500' over launch) to set a new site alri · tucle record, with an exceptional hy eastern srarnfords.

SIXTY MILE CLASS The winner of the '"'n, __ ,v,11,, fourth overall was Ric flying a Wills Wing h1sion. In his quest for distance, Ric greatly bcnefaed from rwo rhings, his eccentric flying schedule, a con-sequence of his job as a US/\ir pilot, and the willingness of' his wife Karen to drive for him. Ric made the best of his erratically occurring "weekend" days driving with Karen up and down the eastern parts of'thc Region in search of a suitable flying site. liis strategy was straightforward: He selected the day's best site, went there and then flew far. Karen picked him up. Very simple. Ric's total of 142.2 miles inclmlcs two successive site records from Highland Aerosports' Ridgely tow park. Last Ric and Karen bought a house only 25 miles from the aerotow park, and his first sire-record flight from Ridgely resulted from Ric's initial attempt ;ir flying hack to rheir new home. It took him a couple of tows to finally get up and away from the tow field, and at that it was a garbage departure thermal that never went very

Ric Niehaus being towed at Ridgely airfield Photo by Kctren Niehaus. high. He kept scratching his way northward, aided greatly in his searches for lift by rhe presence of many soaring rap tors, including one bcamiful bald eagle. He eventually reached his house, bur not seeing Karen in the yard he decided to press on ro make some Regionals miles. After a further 18 miles he landed with a new site record ofli3.2 miles, accomplished on a crummy day. Ric then broke his own record with a flight of!i8 miles on his last scheduled contest clay. It was an undisting11ishccl blue, windy, low-altitude clay, although this time the thermal indicators were swirling wheat fields, not hirds. Afrer a low-level flight across the flat eastern Maryland countryside Ric ended the flight when he ran into the Atlantic Ocean. He glided southward across Rehoboth Bay and landed on a quiet beach. Providentially, that beach was occupied by a lone Budweiser sales representative, a gentleman amply supplied wit:h product: samples and ;i Polaroid camera with which to celebrate and immortalize Ric's flight.

Ric's final Flight was a 51 mile ridge-run from the Woodstock launch on M,1ssanutten Mtn. The day displayed Ric's winning altitude. The fcirecast was unpromising, but obeying his friend M ikc Ncuman's dictum of"ya gona be there," he and Karen continued driving under a windless, overcast sky. However, by the time he was setting up, the sun began to peck through and cycles began to blow Lip the hill. Af'ter launching he headed north l O miles to the end of the ridge where he took a start photo and began to head back to the south. He soon discovered that the winds had picked up and he was now fighting a quartering headwind that greatly slowed his progress. Afrcr two hours in the air he had only managed to accomplish the l 0-rnilc leg back to launch, but he persevered and afrcr almost hours in the air he landed at the south end of the ridge. This was only his second night at the site, and his only otbcr flight at the site last year netted an almost identical distance. Not a bad average. Second place in the Sixty-Mile Class was taken by 'T'hc Cardinator (a.lea. Mark

Gardner), flying a PacAir Klassic. To go flying on Mother's Day, Mark displayed considerable cunning, masquerading as love for his mother. He took care of his Mother's Day oblig;itions one day early, thereby leaving him free to fly with a clear conscience on the actual Day. 'fhc deities acknowledged the virtue of tfo1t act, and provided Mark with an excellem 42-mile flight from the Pulpit. 'The flight took him across the 25-milc-widc valley behind launch and then over the rarely crossed South Moun-tain before landing cast of Emmitsburg. T'hat flight also represents Mark's longest flight in the cast. His second flight was one of 28 miles from High Point, Maryland, to the exact field in which he'd landed last year, The third flight represented a minor matrimonial challenge as it occurred on the first weekend after his honeymoon, and he had abandoned the visiting in-laws to go flying. The gods were again watching but judged this behavior less meritorious than that on Mother's Day, Therefore, afrcr Virsr permitting a 22-milc flight, the capricious gods punished Mark by blowing up his truck's engine on the retrieve. Sometimes life really is complicated. Third place in the Sixry-Milc Class went to John McAllister, flying a Fusion. Flying in the wcathcr--bcnightcd southern pans of the Region, l [omcr's longest flight was a Woodstock ridge-run like Ric Nichaus's above. And like Ric's flight he had an early struggle against a quartering headwind, something rhat made the Edinburgh Gap crossing quite diH1culr. His second flight of 23.7 miles was made from High Point, Maryland in overdeveloped conditions, which eventually put him on the ground after he had to run from a developing cu-nim. The /Jnal flight was from Woodstock, bur he went. over the back rather th;in along the ridge. Unfortunately, that innovation was not too successful as John wound up being pinned against the Blue Ridge for half an hour before he managed to get out to land for IO miles near Luray, Virginia,

ROOKIE CLASS 'T'hc poor weather in the Region's southern ricr hit the Rookie pilots particularly hard as most of them live in that part of the Region. Nonetheless, the Rookies did try, and Dan 'li:Jmlinson was rcwarclecl for his efforts by becoming the Region's Rookie Champion with two flights from Woodstock totaling 22.2 miles on his Vision

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Pll.OT

Cf ASS

GLIDER

Pere I .chmann

Open

Dennis Pagen

Flight 2

Flight 3

Wills Wing Palcon 195

66.(i

52.4

Open

Moyes Litespeecl

99.5

36.8

28.7

165

John Fenner

Open

Wills Wing XC 155

57.8

25. l

l 43.9

Ric Niehaus

Sixty

Wills Wing Fusion 150

43.2

11.2.2

Claire Pagen

Open

La Mouene Tiny 'fopless

49/i

li3.2

18.8

111.4

Mark Gardner

Sixty

Pac Air Klassic 144

John McAllister

Sixty

Pac Air Klassic 155

John Dullahan

Sixty

Aeros Stealth

Pat Brooks

Open

Wills Wing XC l 5

53.7

Christy J-Iuddle

Sixty

Wills Wing XC 132

Nelson Lewis

Open

Aeros Stealth

Ron Dively

Open

Pac Air

Randy I .eggctr

Sixty

Avian Comp

1<im McGowan

Mike Balk

1 (i

Dan Tomlinson

Eric Shiever

23.7

92 10

81.1

11.5 7

CiO.

4.2

59.6

21. l

()

51.4

Moyes Lirespecd

4.(i

Sixty

Wills Wing XC 155

(J .Ci

3 I.6

Rookie

PacAir Mk.4

13.2

22.2

J 41

Open

Wills Wing Fusion 141

1.4

Spencer

Rookie

Wills Wing Ultra Sport

()

Larry Wright

Open

Predator 142

20.6

()

20.6

Marvin Presley

Rookie

Wills Wing Pusion 150

15.1

2.8

17.9

Bacil Dickert

Rookie

Pac Air Vision Mk. 4

3.3

9.Ci

Steve Turner

Rookie

Moyes Xtralite

Sheila Boyle

Rookie

Pac Air Pulse

Mark 4. His longesr flight was one of 13.2 miles along the ridge. Beyond its length the flight was notable in that he even got a ride back to the hill from a very attractive local woman. Ffis second flight began with a spooky takeoff out of the Woodstock slot launch. He recovered from that to then go nine miles along the ridge. l n second place was Terry Spencer. Terry managed only one flight from Woodstock on his Ultra Sport, but he made it count. At 21 miles it is this year's longest Rookie flight. Following Terry into third place was Marvin Presley on his Wills Wing Fusion. His longest flight was 15. l miles from \X!oodstock, followed by a 2.8-miler from Bills Hill. CONCLUSION

Tc.) round out the top five placings in the

:rn

'fotal

Flight I

Rank

conrcst Tshould mention (Jaire Pagcn's flights on her La Mouette 'finy-Tcipless. It is unusual to have husband and wife contestants, but unheard of for two of them to place in the top five with totals of over a hundred miles each. Claire's total of 111.4 miles includes a best flight of 49.4 miles from Pleasant Gap on a day when she beat Dennis, but was rhcn decked by a blue hole. Her second flight was a freezing 43.2-mile Jack's Mountain run, flying the entire distance with her buddy Ron Dively. Finally, she had an 18.3-mile flight from Pleasant Gap. She'd gotten our of launch well enough, but was then stopped by the huge exp;rnse of rrces on Seven Mountains. The final noteworthy flight entered in the contesr was that of Randy Leggett who experienced astonishing conditions on a topless Avian Java. Flying from I .ittlc C;qJ in

eastern Pennsylvania, Randy launched into unprornisingly crossed conditions, but quickly got over launch and lefr. It wasn't until he was over the back and "hooked rbc big one" that he discovered what a screaming day he had on his hands. The themwl began at 200-400 up and steadily improved. At 7,000' MSL it was 700-800 up. He goes on to report: "It became just unbelievable to 9,500' MS!.. Then I was at 10,400' in a heartbeat and realized I was climbing at 1,400 fpm and ... probably 1,500' imo rhe dome." Afrer an attcntion--getting, arms-locked, bar--stuffing dive om of that neigh borhood Randy continued 011. He expcricnced what he describes as the most beautiful street he'd ever seen in Pennsylvania and spem an hour cruising between 7,500' and 9,300' before finally landing 15 miles west of Valley Pennsylvania for 51.4 miles. Ill ~-L\NC GIIUINC

ATOS

Pre-American ........... ............. 1st

Distributed by Altair

Altair 12379 South 265 West, Draper, Utah 84020 (801) 523-9544 Fax 523-9688 altair@micron.net ?REDA.TOR

Saturn

ATOS

ut fo r those of you with a raste for adventure there still remains an illusive aviation quest: the abili ty to consistently land a high-perfo rmance hang glider well. Achieving chis goal takes experience and practi ce. If yo u add to rl1 e mixture a few spices like a restri cted LZ, calm winds, high-density altitudes and thermals, you have a recipe fo r true adventure. O kay, perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration but there is no denying that consistent, precision landings are more difficult today than they used to be. Early hang glider co mpetitions ofte n involved spo t-landings and co ntesrants routinely landed within the confines of a discarded automobile tire. This is more difficult now because we co ntinue to ask for higher-perfo rming flex wings, wings that must respond to weight shift without aerodynamic control surfaces. Modern competition gliders have glide ratios nearly twi ce those of the early blade wings and rerain th eir outstanding performance across a b road speed range. The first time I flew a modern ropless wing I observed an other pilot on his first topless demo flight trying to land in the Crestline, C alifo rnia LZ . C ircling overhead, I watched as he turned on final with good speed to combat the midday turbulence. T he shadow of the glider chased him as he dropped down lower and lower, but the shadow never caught up, and the glider covered th e length of the LZ at several fee t of altitude without ever touching down, leaving the hapless pilot scrambling to keep it above the scrub brush as he skimmed hundreds of yards along the downward-sloping terrain until he could pull off a landing on a dirt road. As glide ratios increase, the difficulty of accomplishing a smooch, precision landing increases as well. Not only is hittin g the "spot" more difficult, flying extended distances in ground effect can leave you susceptible to turbulence that can spoil your approach without adequate altitude to make the required corrections. Whether th ey use spoilers, flaps, or tip rudders, the new breed of rigid wings all use some method to decrease lift-to-drag ratio . Flex wings could also benefit from a similar type of glide-path control. O ne simple way to decrease the LID of a flex wing is through the use of a drogue parachute. Drogue chutes on hang gliders are not a new development, but H ANG GLIDING

REPORT

by Mtirk As we

a new

have been met. than a rifle bullet,

there are those 1uhofl!el that al! of'the great auiation challenges hrwe soared to the reaches of'Jpace, achieued speeds many times faster the glohe non-stop

until recently there haven't been any mar-kcring successes. Drogues first appeared on the market in the late 1970\ shortly after rhe advent of higher aspect ratio gliders and I JD's approaching double digits. These early drogues were mounted in a srnall canister attached to a rear flying wire at the base of a downtuhe. When the pilot deployed the churc it would slide up and alt along the wire, inflating behind the keel. So didn't the drogue chute catch on? For one thing, the drag vector of the drogue was offset above the aircraft's cenrer-ofgravity (CG), resulting in pitch trim ch:mges as well as altering the handling characteristics of the glider, especial· ly during slipping turns. lf the chute somehow fouled during deployment i r cou Id inrerfcrc wirh glider control while being out of' reach of' the pilot. Some models included a line anchored to the apex of the parachute so the pilot could collapse the drogue if desired, bur this added complexity. lt wasn't a perfect system, however, and the single-surface gliders were not that high performing so the drogue never really caught on. 1n the last several years there has been a resurgence in drogue chute devclopmen t. Michael S:mcllin designed and manufactured a kccl-rnmmted drogue (Hang Gliding, Feb. '92, April '96, http://home.att.11et/-·m---sandlin/pad.ht m). Bob Ormiston designed a keelmmmtcd "Variable Dive Brake" that looked like a beach umbrella on steroids (11,mg Gliding, March '92). learn is currently selling the "Delta Stop" drogue and Just Fly markets the similar Acros "Drag Chme." A couple of yc:irs ago Wills Wing ALJCUST 2000

Stucky

and the list goes on and on.

decided to define what they would want in a drogue clrnrc. Of paramount import:mce was a design that was of' adequate size while still being simple, reliable and robusr. They wanted the simplicity and reliability of a harness-mounted drogue bm wanted to minimi,.e any possibility of the drogue snagging on any glider hardware such as the keel or a batten, which could imerfore with the pilot's ability to weight shift. After a good deal of experimentation they decided to marker their design, the Wills Wing Harness-Mounted Drogue Chute. Wills Wing is confident that their drogue increases the and case of hang glider landings. Their owners manual st:atcs:

the drogue allows you to set up much higher, ma/:,ing it easier to avoid obstacles (I/ the approach end of'the landing area. Second, the steeper glide path the drogue prouides makes it much easier to set up tm t1.ccurate approach to the target; because the same error in altitude result:, in tt smaller error in traueled. '/ 'hird, ifyou do fi'nd yourself'too high afier flnttl, the you a much greater ability tD shorten your glide hyflyingfaster. Finally, afier you round out, the extra drag from the drogue will makeyou slow down to landing speed much more quickly. As a you will spend less time in that 1mlnerr.ible phase of'the ltmding where you are '.'floating" across the !], at near minimum controllable ctirspeed. Also, because you will slow down more quickly, it will he easier to time yourflare and make a good landing. When Wills Wing first told rnc about their drogue my initial thought was that it

was an inelegant solution a poor man's substitlltc for flaps or spoilers. T also fly sailplanes and modulate rhe spoilers in the landing pattern as if they were a throttle, continuously fine-tuning my LID ro enable touchdowns exactly where l want. With the drogue chute l perceived an inability to modulate the drag. After one flight T began to change my tune. The drogue is a five-foot--diametcr, pull-down apex (PDA) canopy with comparatively short lines attached to a swivel and a short bridle. The PDA design, swivel and short line length arc what differentiate Ll1e Wills Wing design from other harness-moumcd drogues. Upon initial inspection I was impressed by the quality of construction. This is not a surplus canopy used to lower batdd1eld flares; it has rhe quality of construction of' a foll-size reserve canopy. lt was no surprise to find out that the canopy is rnanufactured by Free Flight Enterprises, a long-rime respected maker of personnel parachutes. The drogue is attached to the anchor point of one of the harness mains by sirnply looping the bridle back through itself in a lark's head knot. Although the drogue can be stuffed into any harness pocket within reach, it is sold with a small stretch pocket that should be sewn to your harness at hip level on whichever side you plan to throw ir from. The elastic construction makes deployment a simple matter while retaining aerodynamic sleekness. You don't need a manual or rigger experience ro pack your drogue. I simply collapse it, fold it into thirds, try not to tangle the lines and stuff it in the pocket total pack time, 5-10 seconds. Deployment is a simple matter of reaching in, grasping chc chute and tossing it down and afr. Inflation is rapid and characterized by a steady pull force on the harness. The pull force is light at low speeds and increases exponentially with increasing airspeed. 1 flew with the drogue on various models and si,.es of' gliders ranging from the Falcon to the Fusion. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the effectiveness of the drogue in not only controlling the glide angle bur in making landings easier and safer. i:irst, I found that the drogue deployment was simple and 1oocYci reliable. The canopy inflates at an upward our

Control is eflsy and jrHces light flt normal ripproach and away from your body staying rclarivc·· ly clear of pilot or wing LUrbulcncc. This offset deployment seemed natural and did not induce any unusual forces or trim conditions at nonnal speeds. The chute sometimes oscillates slightly but rhis docs not detract from flying. I never not iced any spinning of the canopy although this may occur as the canopy ages, hence the reason for including a swivel. Once deployed, rhe eHect on drag is very noticeable but 1101 u1111:1tural, the glider simply starts corning down more steeply. The drogue effectively reduces whatever class of glider you arc flying by one notch, so a competition wing will now glide like an intermediate doublesmfoce glider, an intermediate glider like a Falcon, and a Falcon like ,m antique. Since the parasitic drag increases with rhe square of the veloci ry, the effect on glide is dramaric at h ighcr speeds. Conversely, with the drogue deployed, if you need to extend your glide you should slow up as much as possible (below normal max LID speed). lt is easier to perceive your glide at these steeper angles, and controlling ir via airspeed is intuitive. In practice I found that varying my speed to modulate my glide was very c/Tcctivc and easier than trying ro move a lever or pull a string while trying to control via weight shifi. Some people recommend waiting to deploy rhe drogue umil on 1111al, but l agree with Wills Wing that earlier is better. I normally deployed the drogue shortly after unzipping my harness at approxi-

ma rely 500 feet AC Land would fly the entire landing pattern with it out. Once deployed, the sink rare for ;1 given airspeed doubles, so you need to consider the effects this will have on your landing pattern. Normally the landing sequence is dictated by height above the ground with the lowest glider expecting to land first. Yon could wreak havoc wirh the tranic flow i(you deployed the drogue ar 500 feet with a glider on downwind at 250 feet and another rurning base at 175 foet. (You rnighr land first!) The manu,11 recommends that yon wait to deploy until you arc the hottom glider. In cases where this is impractical you should wait until the glider you arc following is less than half your height above the ground. The drogue reduces rhc horizomal ground-skimming distance dming landing by roughly half: Flare riming is easy: When the gl idcr slows 10 trim speed flare wirhom delay and the extra drag will kill your ground speed more quickly and reduce or eliminate any ballooning. The manual recommends only gentle maneuvering with the chmc deployed. I fcnmd rha r steep turn reversals could sometimes cause rhe chute to switch sides behind me, an effect thar was interesting but had minimal impact on the drogue's performance. lf l felt like it, 1 could move the drogue back to the original side by sticking my hips out in the desired direction or by reaching back and pulling it over with a single shro!ld line. One inlc:rcsting dTecr that was dcpen-

dent upon both the glider rnodel and size was d1ar at high speeds the bridle could pull upward against the afr flying wire on that side, inducing a small hut noticeable rolling moment away from the drogue. This turn was of little consequence since it could be easily countered by weight shift and only happened at the kind of speeds at which you wouldn't he flying close to the ground anyway. Some of the aforementioned drogue articles went into detail about aerodynamic theory and included graphs predicting glide angles and descent rares at various speeds. 'l'11cory predicts that if you really want to get down fast, a highly banked spiral with the drogue deployed will be your best ticker down. 'This brings up the question of escaping cloud suck: Should you use 1he drogue and is it better to /ly fast and/or to spiral? l had no trouble flying with the drogue deployed at high altitudes as long as I kept the speed i11 the rnid-20's. Spiral descents at these speeds resulted in a brisk but not cye··Watering rate of descent. Trying to fly faster for extended periods with the drogue deployed is more diffirnlt. The increased drag requires a strong pull-in force on the control bar, and trying to maintain it is fatiguing. The high drag reduces the glider's maximum speed; on the new Eagle this equated to nearly IO knots. I did l!Ol quantify the effect Oil a topless but expect it would be greater. Because of the slower rop speed, increased pitch forces and the possibility of wanting to rcsrow the drogue at a low-er altirndc, l don't recommend using it as a standard escape device. My rccomme11dario11 is that if you want ro go fast or get down ASAP from more than a few hundred feet, do not deploy a drogue. You can sustain extreme rates of descent more comfortably wirh a slipping, high· speed spiral without the drogue. 1 think iris important to point out that I don't know of any c\r;ig device in use on flex wings that doesn't provide a signiFicanr pitch-up moment at higher speeds. Although keel-mounted drogues arc close to the CC of die glider, they arc relatively far from the CG of the glider/pilot combination. There is a EuropeatHnanufactured drag device that mounts atop the kingpost and opens like a clamshell, but this would be even fur-rher from the cc; (as well as tough to H/\NC, CUDINC

inst:dl on a topless glider). In my mind the drogue pays its great· est dividends when you arc trying to get into a restricted LZ in light winds and strong thermals. In effocr, rhe drogue makes the glider fly as if it were in a moderate headwind. In actual windy conditions rhe drogue isn't needed for glide path control bur it can still come in handy for minimizing time spent transi-· tioning through wind gradienrs and rotors. Your speed for maximum I.ID over the ground increases in a headwind, and with the drogue deployed you can really come down steeply (e.g., vertically). l f you keep a right pattern there isn't a problem diving into a small LI.. I found that getting within several wingspans of a spot-landing wasn't 100 difficult, bur getting within a fow foer of the hull's-eye was more difftcult in windy conditions with the drogue than wirhom it. Since rhe drogue makes level landings seem like c:tsy uphill ones, I thought I should try my luck at a downhill landing, sol aimed to land on a dirt road that sloped away at a shallow 8/ I slope. I thought if' l flew a low and slow approach to rhe top of the slope l should be able rn plunk it down somewhere before the bottom. Unfi.lrtunatcly, rhc winds were switching about d11e ro midday thermals so I lclr some excess speed was warranted. I was able to drop down to the road, but each rime 1 started ;1 flare the drogue collapsed slightly with rhe low airspeed and I would start to climb uncomfort:1bly high. [ pulled in to recover flying speed and ended up repeating the process several rimes before eventually landing at rhe base of the slope. Perhaps a downhill, running landing could be done, bm l would recommend rhar yo11 avoid downhill landings, with or wirhour a drogue. Some drogue users have adapted quick releases to rhe bridle so rhey can jenison ir if required. Wills Wing recommends against doing so because of' the remote chance the drogue coulcl carch on the glider om rhe reach oF the pilor and interfere wirh control. I rhink another hazard of jettisoning the canopy would be the remote chance of another glider snagging it. Although the manual warns against doing so, ir seemed perfectly easy and safo for me to collapse the drogue by reaching back and pulling a single shroud line forward. I would cup a few inches of f:.tbric under om: hand on a downt:ubc

Aucus1 2000

Landing consistently close to your aim point is significantly easier in light wz'nds when you use rt drogue.

and the srreamerecl canopy produced effort. l n the evcm you ever made such a minimal added drag. l often did rhis to grievous mistake don't try to muscle the extend a glide on short final and then let canopy back by pulling on the bridle. All the canopy go when I was ready ro f1are. you have to do is reach over the bar or !r always deployed instantaneously and wire, grasp a single shroud line and pull made the landing easier. it back to your waist. The canopy will 1n fact, if l do have one beef it is immediately follow and deploy in the wirh rhe caurious rone of the owner's normal position. manual. l found Wrlls Wing's recomIn summary, J agree with Wills mendations overly conservative and Wing's assertion that their drogue think they might scare some pilots into enables safer :md more consistent land1101 using a drogue or limiting what they ings. I found it easy and fun to use and l can do with ir. The manual docs a great am a drogue convert. The Wills Wing job of pointing out the possible hazards drogue is now a parr of my normal landa drogue. Perhaps the worst thing that ing routine and J enrhusiastically recomcan happen is for the pilor ro deploy lhc mend that you check one our. The chure over the basetube or around a side drogue retails for $97.50 and harness wire, inducing a dive and/or turn. There installation is an additional !;or have bee11 at least two serious accidents more information contact your dealer or of this type in Europe, one fatal. visit htrp://www.willswing.com/. II Although this type of misuse is possible with the Wills Wing drogue, it would be more difficult because of the short li11c length. From a norrnal trim condi·tion I could only ger a corner of the canopy up to the bascmbe. Acrually, deploying ir over USHGA, PO Box l 330 the hasetube would Colorado Springs CO 8090 require conscious l -800-616-6888 fax (719) 632-641 7 and dcd icatcd

by Bob Ormiston

Spring in the ,San Francisco Bay Area is the most beautiful time of year. Winter rains turn the hill<; and valleys ofthe coastal range emerald green, sprinlded with color from all kindr of wildflowers. The popular iVi'ngs ofRogallo flying site at J:i,a Levin Park is nestled in the midst ofthis beauty and J've long wanted to capture it as a simple but classic scene from my hang glider. IIIIF---""he shot l had in mind turned out to be more challenging than l expected and it took six flights over a period of two years to ge1 it right.In the end I needed a new tech-nique to make the shot really feasible, and one that should make hang gliding photography much easier in a 1111rnher of other situations.For my Ed Levin picture J want·· ed a fronr shot of my glider in a steepbanked turn, the sail back-lit by the sun, and with the hang gliding area and Sandy Wool Lake framed just beneath the lower wing. Normally, this would mean taking a continuous series of shots as I went around the tum, hoping to luck out and get the background scene correctly positioned in at least one of the pictures. But with the back-lit sail I'd need a fill--flash to illuminare the wing-shadowed pilot, and since the flash unit would take six seconds or so to recharge, l could only take one exposure for each 360° tllrn of 1bc glider. With only about a half.dozen %O's possible per flight (remember rhis is Sled Levin), l needed a way \0 make each one count by triggering the camera shutter at the precise point in rhe turn when everyrhing in the pictt1rc lined up. Enter the solution: the "Hang Gliding Rearvicw Mirror." The ide;1 was actually suggested by Marc Solari, a photographer friend, and [ decided to give it a try. Using a simple, adjustable clamp, I anachcd an

inexpensive mirror (from an automotive or hardware store) to the nose-boom that car-· ries the camera. Positioned next ro the camera and properly aimed, it gives a per-feet view of rhe glider and background scene, just as the camera secs it. And it's very easy to use. After flying to the proper location J just rolled up into a rurn, adjusted the bank angle by sighting the camera body relative to the horizon, and watched in the mirror as the background panned around behind the glider. At the proper instant: bingo, 1 hit the shutter release and then continued going around for the next shot. On my second "mirror" flight it all came together and I hit seven out of seven shots right· on the money. I've already started experimenting with this technique for other situations, includair--to-air shots of other gliders wirh a front--moumecl carnera. [t should also work well for air--to-air shots using a wingmounted camera pointed to the side. Now you can look away from your wingman to face the camera and then trigger the shutter whenever he's in the right position. No more wasted shots with your wingman hidden behind your body, downmbes, or wing tip. l cncourage you ro experiment witb this rcclrniquc, l think you'll be pleased. One camion, however, make sure to use a mirror large enough ro show the derails you need to sec. Cood luck ;rnd good shooting. 1111 H/\NC GIIDINC

Camera boom extendingfrom the keel of the glider showing mirror mounted between the camera and flash unit and attached with adjustable spring clip.

Close-up ofthe camera, flash unit and rearview mirror mounted on the end ofthe nose boom and clear/,y showing a view of the glider in the mirror. A UGUST 2000

STUDYING THE HISTORY OF HANG GLIDING

Points To Pon er Jim (Sky Dog) Palmieri

any early pilots attempted flight. One thing I learned while researching and preparing for our second book, Sky Adventures, Stories Of Our Heritage, is chat few people agree abo ut the origin of our sport and most have little idea of the complexity and transition which existed during the early days. A prime example exists when one asks, "Who is che Father of Hang G liding?" Most will report witho ut hesitation: Francis Rogallo! When interviewing Francis Rogallo (Rog co his close friends) I referred co him as the Father of Hang G liding. I was immediately reprimanded. Francis cold me chat he considers himself the Father of Paragliding. He told me that he was on che sand dunes of Kitty Hawk when he saw his first hang glider. So, who is the Father of Hang Gliding and why are so many of our pilots confused about the history of our sport? Prior co the development of the Rogallostyle hang glider, parachute enthusiasts were running down ski slopes trying to gee five or ten feet of air until one creative parachutist des igned a chute using a Rogallo-style flexi-wing design. He got over 150 feet of air. One pilot actually soared a mountain cliff face in a modified parachute. Dan Poynrer's numerous books reflect this interesting aspect of our history. In 1963, John Dickenson built a modified flat-winged water-ski kite and flew it at the Annual Jacaranda Festival held in New South Wales, Australia. This gl ider was based upon the NASA-developed Rogallo flexi-wing. Ir had wooden leading edges, aluminum cross-booms, a steel A-frame with a single hang point and a sail made our of blue plastic sheering (lacer, nylon sail material was used). This represented the first hang glider as

So, how does one study the history of hang gliding? Does one define the sport through the genius of the many inventors, pilots and instructors who shaped the sport, or does one define the sport through events and milestones that have occurred over the years? Certainly, many will define the history of free flight through the evolution of the glider, from the original Lilienthal flying apparatus to the Wright Brothers' gliders, and the NA :A-inspired Rogallo flexible wing. we know it today. A year lacer in the United Scates, pilots were just scarring co build gliders using bamboo and plastic. Although many have represented the hang glider and the sport of hang gliding as a Cal ifo rnia phenomenon, few have questioned the notion that Richard Miller, Bill Moyes and Bill Bennett brought the Rogallo rigid wing hang glider to the attention of a very receptive American public in the lace l 9GO's. As they say, the rest is history. The sport of hang gliding is filled with many excmng events and mile-

earl y 1970's Cal ifornia was the hom e of free spirits, free love and free flight. The early California pioneerin g pilots included Mike Meier, C hris Price, Dave Kilbourne, Rob Kells, Eric, Chris and Bob Wills, Gil Dodgen, Mike Mclane, Jack Lambie, David Vincent, Mitch Sorenson, Curt Kieffer, and many orl1ers too numerous co list. Bur California was not rhe only place where hang gliding was evo lving. Kitty Hawk and the du nes of Nags Head were home co the Wright Brothers and Fran cis Rogallo. The Wright Brothers began conducting . . expenmencs in 1900 and ade over 1,000 gliding fli ghts off rhe sand dunes of Kitty Hawk before ever putting a motor on their glider in 1903. In 1911 they sec the world soaring record of 9 m inutes and 45 seco nds, a record which stood for over 20 years. In 1974, John Harris started his hang gliding school and conH ANG GLIDING

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Photograph ofJim (Sky Dog) Palmieri behind a painting made by Mark Laferriere located at Kitty Hawk, NC tinues to date. Kitty Hawk Kites is one of the most successful schools in the counffY, if not the world. Some of the most famous hang glider pilots and instructors learned to fly Jockey's Ridge at Kitty Hawk Kites. They include: Matt Taber, founder of Lookout Mountain Flight Park; Pete Lehmann, who recently set an East Coast X-C record of 182 miles; Paul Voight, fou nder of Fly High Hang Gliding, Inc.; Brad Kushner, founder of Raven Sky Spores outside of C hicago; Tom Haddon and Glen Hocke tt of Se 0 ull Aircraft fame; David lover, presid ent of the USHGA; and many other including G.W Meadows, Jim Johns, John Ryan, Steve Wendt, Kenny Brown and Ryan Glover. Deep in the heart of Texas, Dave Broyles, Jack Hin son and David Thompso n were estab lishing hang glidin g in the earl y 1970's from the back of a ski boat. Vin Muller brought the sport to Canada on a small 250-foor hill overlooking the Bow River outside of Calgary, Ca nada. T he Midwest was also active during the early days with Joe Pettit flying in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and Jon So lon and the Skyline Skydogs fl ying on the ridges overlooking Lake Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. Yes, the spore was establishing itself in ubiquitous ways in all areas of the United States, Canada and Europe. Still , more than just the people and geographic areas define our heritage. We A UGUST 2000

Lance Larson is a highly skilled artist who uses stained glass as his medium of choice. Lance was born in Seacde, Washington where he presently lives wid1 his wife and two sons and creates his stain ed glass artwo rk. Lance has ilie lux ury of being a stay-at-home father so he can interact with his two sons and work on his hobbies which include hiking, boating and now hang gliding. New to hang gliding, Lance has taken quite a fancy to studying the history of our sport and has recreated many of the old, vintage hang gliders using stain ed a-lass. His persona l favo rite is the Easy Riser. 0 Stai ned glass hang gliders with a 16- to 18-inch wingspan from tip-to- rip can be purchased from Lance for $60. He wilJ also customize his work and individualize the stain ed-glass color patterns to march your own hang glider. La nce will also make stained-glass hang o-]iders smaller or larger than the size listed above, as well as framed s:ained-glass windows depicring hang gl iders flying over mountains, or work from any photograph yo u send him. Lance may be contacted at: SELLALLLLL@aol.com or write Lance Larson, 10214 11 d1 Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98146. I met Lance Larson quire by accident through the Internee and a hap py meeti~g it was. I now own 13 vintage stained-glass hang gliders which are mounted by the1r basetubes on brass cup-hooks on rhe wall of my den . The quality of Lance Larson's work is oursta ndino- and each time I walk into the room I sm ile with pleasure. If you are lucky enou~h co have one made for yo u, I promise yo u wi ll never regret it.

On My Own W ings Denise Lindquist

I have flown companioned, with friends at my side, But today Im alone, on a small hillside. Face into the wind, a deep breath I take, A few steps and Im off, Gliding gently to earth's embrace. A fledgling I've become, My first step to free flight. A day I will remember, with pleasure on my face, My mentors are with me on every flight. I hope to soar into the gentle light, Hello sky, I'll be with you soon.

look to those amazing flights, events and milestones. Jim Johns soared our of sight from the 134-foor dune at Jockey's Ridge only to be greeted by both Francis and Gertrude Rogallo on the beach across the sueet from rhe Wright Memorial. Michael Holl began a 126-mile flight from a 400-foot hill in New York. Rich Pfeiffer circled the Rose Bowl over 104,000 cheering fans. Hans Heydrich and Bob Thompson double-crossed the Grand Canyon, and T. J. Young made rhe ultimate "bandito flight" from Ellenville Flight Park over and around the skyscrapers of New York City to land in Central Park. Our sport is riddled with hundreds of these amazing events. Some are big and noteworthy and some only significant to 42

Lance Larson displaying an almost finished stained-glass hang glider.

the pilots who participated. Our history is defined by the sum total of the pilots, gliders, events and milesrones. We write and record our hericage in words, in articles in Hang Gliding magazine, in books, photographs, old movies and video/film, in our art, through poetry and images stored on the Internet. Probably the bulk

of our heritage is lost to most and can on ly be fo und in the minds of a select few pilots when quietly reflecting while gazing at passing clouds. Ir gives me great pleasure to read about these early events, to study and enjoy the early art which reflects the early days of our sport. • H AN G GLIDING

USHGA is issuing annual call for nominations to the national Board of Direclors. election in November 2000 for a two-year term beginning January 200 J.

positions are open for

USHGJ\ members seeking position on the ballot should send to headquarters for receipt no later than the following information: name and USIICiA number, photo and resume (one page containing the candidate's hang/paragliding activities and viewpoints, written consent to be nominated and that they will serve if elected). Candidates must be nominated by at least three US!IGA members residing in the candidate's region.

2000

Nominations are needed in the following regions. The current Directors, whose terms are up for reelection in 2001, are listed below. Ballots will be distributed with the November issue of HA NG GLIDING and PARAGLIDING magazines. USHGA needs the very best volunteers to help guide the safe development and growth of the sport. Forward candidate material for receipt no later than August 20 to: USHGA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs 80901-1330.

3 4

Bill Bolosky Ray Leonard Ken Mark Ferguson Frank Ciillette

Nomination.1· are not needed in Region 6fr1r this election.

Bill Bryden

Douglas Sharpe

Geoffrey Mumford

David Glover

Nominations are not needed in Region I/ fr1r this elect ion.

Paul Voight

Alaska, Oregon, Washington Northern California, Nevada Southern California, Hawaii Arizona, Colorado, El Paso TX, New Mexico, Utah Idaho, Montana, Wyoming Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas Jllinois, Indiana, lowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont Washington DC, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico Texas (excluding El Paso), Louisiana Jersey, New York

The following form is for your convenience.

****************************************************************************************** RECJTONAL DIRECTOR ELECTION NOMINATION FORM lhcrebynnm,~~-------------------------------------------------~----asacandidruefurRegion~ Director for Region

r understand that his/her name will be placed on the Official Ballot for the

2001 Regional Director Election if three nominations arc received by August 20, 2000.

M PBl~J;

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ur spon teaches us a !or of things, and 011 that summer afternoon l realized it would be a great day when I saw my friends Freddy and Antonio get off the airplane. The handshakes and customary hugs were different that particular July day in 1998. We picked up our duffd bags, hackpacks and other equipment and felt growing excitement until nightfall when our wings finally arrived. We Jlcw quickly through customs and completed the rigorous paperwork with the help of our trustworthy guide and flying expert, Jose Angel. Withour his help we would have never have heard the sound of the zippers as we opened the bags. ln short order our small group began to feel right at home. Antonio felt very welcome with the warmth that is second nature to the Cuban people. Preddy was impressed by the cleanliness of the city. But the greatest enthusiasm was felt by Samantha, Antonio's wife, and in her presence we enjoyed every minute of our stay. After completing paperwork rhar involves the family, a ritual in Cuba, we were on our way to rhe beach. What a beautiful view! 'fo rhe right was the deep blue sea, to the left were rhc mountains, and in the middle a fresh breeze was blowing. [n San Antonio dcl Sur we met up with members of a small flying club, "Club de Parapcntc," and we all went to the beach to put our gliders together. Wbilc there we talked and exchanged stories and ideas. We were so involved with each other's stories that we were hardly aware of the bright sun and beau· riful clouds, characteristic weather in this area.

had always wanted to return rny country and after I years fincdly did so) to fly over the Cuban landscape and rny village. I remernber asking a club member, tls a joke) "Would you with me to fly in rny land?'' T'he answer was a firm yes. '' Why not? would be a great experience! MARIANA Mariana is a desert-like hill that dominates the valley of San Antonio, and it is also the entrance to a valley called Cmjcry. Of all the surrounding hills, Mariana is the calrnest and engulfed by the natural beauty below. 'le) find yourself on the highest peak is to truly enjoy this geographic wonder. It has more than 1,100 feet of' vertical al ti tudc and receives the warm air from below. This was the setting for our upcoming adventure. At niglnfoll we all sat around a rable and ;ire the ddicious food that is typical of rhe region, and shared our opinions abom how the flrst day of flying would he. /\s we talked we were not aware rhar a pair of and cars h;:id frillowcd us, those my father--in-law, Don Trino, who was trying to ascertain our intentions. At one point during the evening he could not hold it in any longer and said, "If you arc getting ideas about flying from Mariana and Ian di 11g here you arc all very crazy" The whole group was silent for a moment, then Freddy boasted, "If I fly l promise l will land here." With his callused hand from years of hard work Don "]}ino slamrncd the table, and said in a loud voice with a deep Cuban accent, "If you land here I will

give you a choncboli bhnco and a cold lemonade." This is something th,n is only offered when someone knows that what is being proposed is impossible, because a choncholi blanco (a whirc crow) docs not exist, and cold lemonade doesn't either hccrnse my farhcr-in.-law docs not have a refrigerator. He did not realize that during his lifetime man had grown wings.

PTRST DAY OF FLYING Very early the next day our chauffeur arrived with his trusty 1951 jeep. They arc inseparable, so inseparable tfon he looks like the jeep and rbc jeep Lrnghs like he docs. The enthusiasm in that small jeep was indescribable. With the laughter of our chauffeur Yayo, and the weird anecdotes of Jaime our photographer, we m;idc our way to the base of the hill. There we reunited with the other pilots from the local flying clu h. We then began the ascent t"o the top of the mountain, and when we got there we took a well-deserved rest from our journey. The pilots from the local club arc fearless and very cager to Jly, at times so much so rhat rhey forget rhat flying involves technique and rncnral discipline. They arc young and strong, and overHi\NC CiiDINC

Author and pilot Jose Navan-a with the local village people. whelmed by che cocal freedom chac hang gliding offers. The local flying condicions pressure pilocs co be ready early in che day, as che incoming breeze from che sea heats up precty quickly. Ac 10:00 AM the locals began co life off one by one, and che party began. T he firsc one to launch from our group was Freddy, and his skil l fl ying in chi s kind of life cook him very quickly co 2,500 feec. Antonio cook off soon afcer wirh his cocky style of fl ying, and che local vulcures began co circle him as if saluting him for his flying ability. Finally th ere I was, giving final inscruccions co my ground crew as che wind was picking up and I needed help. Afcer a perfecc takeoff the wind cook care of che resc and I joined che party in che sky. T he life was very impressive, like no other I had felt before, as che hot air from the deserc val ley produces very large, scro ng chermals. I muse say chat che experience I have acquired ac Norch American flying sices, especially Morningside, made chis flying adventure a coca! success. This day was A UGUST 2000

19 years in the making, and during char cime I had grown wings with which co come back co my homeland co see ic from above. Thac evening we all calked abouc che day's evencs nexc co che beautiful sea. Juan Carlos, ch e in scruccor fo r che local club and an experc skydiver, described his flight in decail and calked abo uc how well che day had gone . The locals fly very well, buc chey are in desperace need of good equipmenc and flighc inscrumencs. T HE SECO D DAY OF FLYING Very earl y che nexc morning we looked ac che sky and nociced a difference from che day befo re. The locals predicced a good day of flying. The vulcures chat sleep on the high radio a.nrennas were the firsc co fly thac morning, and liccle by liccle we all united in che sky. With our newly acquired experience from che previous day v,e began co explore deeper into che valley. Antonio soon disappeared co che righc and Freddy was gone co che lefc. As for

me, I was lefc on cop of che mountain trying co gain as much alcicude as poss ible. While fl ying I pondered, "Why not go for che choncholi blanco ?" This implied flying ch rough the valley of Caujery which is more ferci le an d green chan che o cher valley and I began co lose alci cude. I knew th en chac I was not going co make ic all the way so I began looking for a place co land, and found a good LZ near my wife's uncle's house. Luckily, I landed wel l befo re che local peop le goc co where I was, as chey all ran coward me. The first ching I did was ask fo r Freddy, and was co ld chat he had been seen flying off co the wesc wich very liccle alciwde. I thought for a m oment and drew a mencal map of th e area - no one lives in chac direccion. I knew nothing about Anconio since none of us had radios. In che evening som e cow farmers brought Antonio co che nearesc small town and we quickly began looki ng fo r Freddy, heading co our meeting place, my facher-in-law's house. On che way Antonio cold m e abo uc his flight and how he had flown co che ocher valley but 47

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was unable to cross it. We go t to the h ouse and the first one to greet us was my fa ther-in-law, who said, "Freddy is here. A tractor brought him. H e did not fl y in as pl anned; I knew yo u wo uld never make it here." We all sat down ro talk about the farmer who helped Freddy. The man was riding his horse when he heard a strange noise. H e looked up and saw chis big thing fl y over h im and th e h orse began co go crazy. As the fa rmer was crying to control the enraged horse, Fredd y landed . T he man saw chis thing come out from under a kite - a weird, alien-like figure. (Freddy was wearing a full-face helmet and a CG 2000 harness.) Freddy as ked, "Can you help me?" T he man, with a thousand things going through his head, responded by asking, "H elp whom ?" It was impossible to determine who was more anxious ro turn and run, rhe h orse or the farmer. Freddy quickly understood the sirnacion and began to cake off all his equipment. "I am go ing to El Co roj o,"

fly

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said Freddy, "a nd I am very thirsty. " W hen the farmer heard and saw all of chis he began ro understand . T hey quickly began to talk. Soo n th ereafter we were al l sitting at a cable talkin g, eating and drin kin g. The fa rmer who had helped Freddy was nam ed Fel iro Calderin .

T HE THIRD DAY OF FLYING D ue to road co nditions we were unable to get to th e m ountain as earl y as intend ed. W hen we go t there the sun was beamin g hard, th e clouds were dancing in the sky, and the vultures were having a good tim e. T his all mea nt chat we we re go ing to have a good day. O nce in the air we parted ways, but with one intenti on, ro cross che valley of Caujery. Freddy was che first one to cross. As fo r Antonio and me, we stayed on top of the mounrain to ga in more altitude. We chen decided to fly thro ugh the center of the valley. At chis point yo u can really see the major differences

between the two valleys; it is really a sight ro behold. On chis day, at more than 4,300 feet of alcirude, I thought about all of chose fl ying buddi es who, in one way or another, had helped me lea rn the ch allenging art of flying. I th ough t abom Hang Gliding m agazine and the arti cles fro m whi ch I had learn ed so much. I th ought about D enni s Pagen's books and, m os t imporcancly, Morningside Fli ght Park. This article wo uld not be compl ete without m entioning chi s marvel ous pl ace, where dreams of fligh t become reali cy. Ac chis point, about 1:00 PM , the valley was at its hottes t point an d the th ermals were stronges t. From my position I could see chat I was close to the landing si te and m ade so me cums ro see ifI co uld see any of the others. Ac about 2,000 feet 1 managed co see Fredd y, who, with very jumpy movements, began to wave at the local people who ran from all ove r. To describe what we were feeling, especial ly the locals, wo uld be an impos-

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siblc task. The landing field I had chosen was already filled with locals, and l feared it would get more crowded, so I decided to land more quickly than I had planned. This caused a massive stampede·~ everyone wanted to touch me and sec the wing up close. l quickly gained control of the situation as Preddy was about ro land. After he landed, a long while passed before we could greet each other hccause of the many people who surrounded us. All of those around us began to scream and poim 10 a yellow speck in the sky. IL was Antonio. At about 5,000 feet he began to fly over the area, and as a Ii nal show-stopper he began to spiral down. He won rhe hearts of all the people. After two days of trying we finally landed on Don 'frino's land, which was especially important for Freddy since he had boasted to Don that he could do it. Once on the ground we dosed rhe final

Aucusr 2 000

chapter of the adventure we had just lived, and were all answering countless questions from the people. ln the evening the stories continued, with a big pig being cooked outside over a hole by my brother-in-law Bebo. The f'cstivitics continued until nightfall, and Freddy cornmcnted that rhc day's events would be difficult to forget, especially for the local people. Antonio mused that our flying adventure was sorncthing not everyone would have the opportunity ro experience, and that it was something special. As for me, I was rrying ro find something. Where was the choncholi blanco?

OUR FAREWELLS We went on a tour of different sites, like the fosr city /c)1rndcd by the Spanish, Baracoa. Its beauty has been preserved in its natural state. We swam in the rivers and near the beaches, and then jour·· ncycd along a mountainous road called La h1roL1. To this day it remains an cngi-

nccring marvel. Upon our return rhe long faces said it all; it was time to say our farewells. The equipment, bags and gliders were on top of the jeep that would take us back 10 rhc city. We all walked into the dining room and, ro our surprise, the whole fr1mily was there surrounding us. We were offered cold lemonade, and h·cclcly was given a picture of a white crow by my fothcr-in-law. A small note explained the significance of the prize. My father-in-law did nor have to 11y a hang glider to let his imagination soar, and he had come ro realize that man had grown wings. Ir was diffo:ulr to look him in rhc eye during our farewells, and we quickly boarded the small jeep and were ol-C screaming, "We will return!" As we were passing through rhc valley the vultures were flying around the mountain. l wonder if the sun asked them where we were. l hope some cloud gave them the answer. Ill

Dealing Witn Tne Deep Six/Ultimate Hign e left rhe l!ctirious Young Eagle, YE (and the early manifestation of rhe equally imaginary Old Bald Eagle, OBF), last month playing wimer games and positing on the possihiliry of gain wirhout pain. We met the frm-lovingJR, his first hang gliding friend. He was also the first friend YE lost. OBE lost a few friends this past year: cancer, suicide and accident. This article will attempr to deal wirh what is usually the most dreaded part of the human cycle. The final flight of life, as we know it. So, what is dearh? Is it the ultimate pain or the ultimate high? ls it an end to be dreaded or a beginning to be welcomed? Jusr afrcr hearing of the seemingly tragic (because it seemed so avoidable) trike accident rhat claimed Flippit Tillwego (FT), OBE read this Anton Chekhov quote in the Pehruary New Yorker magazine: "The leaves did nor stir on the trees, grasshoppers chirruped, and the monoronous hollow sound of rhc sea rising up from below, spoke of rhc peace, of the eternal sleep awaiting us. So it must have so11ndcd when there was no Yalta, no Orcanda here; so it sounds now, and ir will sound as indiflcrently and monotonously when we arc all no more. And in this constancy, in rhis complete indifference to the life and death of each of us, there lies hid, perhaps, a pledge of our eternal salvation, of the unceasing movement oflifc upon of unceasing progress towards perfection. Sitting beside a young woman who in the dawn seemed so lovely, soothed and spellbound in these magical surroundings the sea, mountains, clouds, the open sky-Gurov thought how in reality everything is bcautifrd in this world when one rcAccts: cvc:rvth1n1I except what we think or do ourwhen we forger our human dignity the aims ofom existence ... " Jvr,cin,m· image, mused ORE, thinking wimering by the ocean in sleepy

Mexico, beauty at his side. Then he died. 'The bea111y still resides. The air, like the ocean, will always be there rising aud sinking, oblivious to om petty proclivities. The first time YE met him, FT displayed his penchant for wildness. He wangcd low, then screamed in downwind, banked his HP AT ninety degrees, scraped the wing rip on the ground and landed like a feather, beaming car to car. He flew and acted like a caricature, an exaggeration, a series of explosive bits of action, almost like a video game yet so real. He was an awesome innovator and Prince of the Sport. He lived and loved, like so many wonderful French Canadians, hard and a lot. FT didn't want to go to Mexico this winter. His intuition was telling him to look elsewhere. OBE tried unsucccssfolly ro get him another gig in Oman. Fr had an accident on the drive down, wrecking his new truck and trike. He felt forced to fly his old, sold trike. Business was slow. The sail was badly lJVcd, repeatedly repaired and finally failed. No churc shoot! Maybe he was ready to go. He seemed to know. Only the good die young. Salman Rushdie, at the beginning of the infamous Scttanic Vtrsrs (few read the entire tome), "plays with death as lightly as a piece of ash floating in the air over a fire." Gibrccl's father didn't die, "he wore down the fromicrs between the worlds, he ran clear out of his skin into the arms of his wife\" This was reminiscent ofJR's demise (remember JR from the opening paragraph and last article). JR was in Bangkok. He h,id rowed race-tracks and a plethora of righr spors. He told his travel buddy he could land rhat homebuilt Rogallo anywhere. They were boar rowing in the crowded harbor. Ar 500 feet the wing folded up and JR hit the water too hard to survive. At his Florida funeral, with JR's spirit smiling in the honking wind and dear sky, YE tried to make sense of ir. There were some surprises. His friends and family told YE that JR had met his beloved, planned to get married

and then she had suddenly died of some rare, undiagnosed heart problem. JR was devasratcd. According to evidence at his home, he did not plan to return from his trip. The bolt that broke was fatigued from repeatedly inserting it at different angles. JR and YE had discussed rhc irnporrancc of' preflighting to ensure that the bolt was always in the same way. Ir seems he just pushed rill he joined his love. Bilbcc Blublood (mentioned in the fast article) reported every instructor's worst nightmare, the death of a student. OBE agonized with his pain, imagining something that had never happened to him, but could. As pilots and instructors we have to deal with the prospect of mortality. Personally and professionally, we have ro decide. Is it worth the risk? Of course it is. The alternative, to hide from living, is preposterous. Besides, more people die from stress-related illness than from all accidents combined. Flying, and the like, relieves stress and makes us safer! I .iving in fear (of flying, or death, or anything) will surely kill you. Opposite living in fear might be the Bhuddist view. Their belief is that we can transcend to the poinr thar nothing upsets us. Eternal bliss comes partly from the understanding that death is just another step toward fulfillment through conrinual reincarnation and that total realization allows us to walk through the walls of the life/death cycle. Being free of rhc corporal body, bur still aware, is an incredible buzz, they say. Elisabeth Kiihlcr-Ross interviewed rhousands who had clinically died and come back (flat-lined). They all reported the same euphoria. Ah, then death, where is thy sting? Then there's 1-he fatalist who says that we' re preordained to go at a cenai1; time. So why bother to even be careful? This philosophy leads to a cavalier anirndc that OBE can't buy. He has come to this realization, that there arc only two rhings in life: stuff we can fix and stuff we can't fix. So let's fix what we can and don't sweat the things we can't. In either situarior1, no worries, no fear. The trick is to figure out the difforcncc, ch. And even if it's something we can't change, don't we have to rry anyway, like rape or murder? Absolutely! Ir's analogous to, "Can we stop accidcnrs in flying?" No! Well, maybe some yes and some no, but we still have to try, don't we? OBE is on that road, still trying afrcr all these years. One thing is for certain we all will die. Maybe it's nor as had as taxes. OBE, the eternal optimist, figures it might as well be the ultimate high. And, as the ncwfies say, "No need 10 rush ir, bye."• HANC CUDINC

Accident Review Chairman Bill Bryden e noted last momh that a

fourth of all reported incidents and accidents arc associated with the approach ro a landing. \>?hile a few arc errors in piloting technique con-trolling the glider, most arc decision errors. Herc arc a few: An intermediate pilot, not overly familiar wirh the site, hiked his inrcr· mediate glider up to the launch. Due to strong conditions, the pilot waited until sunset to fly and then flew until is was rather dark. Conditions had turned catabatic and the pilor found himself' landing downwind. He ran out of bnding fleld and crashed into a injuring his shoulder and arm. J\ novice pilot flying a high-performance glider landed in a convenient hut challenging field with a 12: 1 downhill slope. The wind was blowing with its usual moderate upslope velocity. The pilot set up his landing into the wind and consequently downhill. After skimming the entire I ,000--foot length of the field, the pilot turned into a four.-l;mc street to avoid houses at the IZ's end. A wing clipped a pole and the pilot impacted on the pavement. His head injuries garnered a helicopter ride to the hospital and a three-day stay. /\ novice-level pilot visiting from out of state flew his beginner glider at an unfamiliar sire. Due to strong condirions he waited nnril after sunset to launch and rhcn continued flying until ir was quite dark. He landed downwind and downhill, cr:1shing into a fr:ncc and lacerating his leg. Intcrcsringly, the above pilots all allegedly scouted out the landing fields /\U(; UST 2()()()

before flying. That is good. I Iowcver, being new to the sires, low on experience, or both, consulting the wisdom of' local, experienced pilots might have helped avoid these problems. Many novice and intermcdiarc pilots ;ue not familiar with catabatic winds changing the likely wind direction in a LZ when the sun sets. Novice pilots arc ofren not experienced enough to properly assess a site that is new to them. The need to avoid lauding downhill is obvious to every pilot who has been flying a while. Yet, if the concept has never been discussed with a novice pilot and all his previous experience has been with a level LZ, it is to be expected that this seemingly obvious concept might escape his assessment of a new LZ. Regardless of experience, every pilot sho11ld scout out typical landing fields when flying a new site. These should include the primary I Z plus the various alternative and bail-out fields. Power lines arc often hard to sec from afor yet may cut right across a field. The height of' trees, buildings and other structures is hard to judge from above. Ditches, holes hidden by and other objects that arc difficult to upon generally cannot be seen unless you know specifically where to look during your landing setup. 'folk to pilots who fly the area regularly ro garner tips about problem areas, typical tllrbulcncc, approaches for various wind directions and other hazards. However, beware oF just /<.)]lowing their advice blindly. For example, a popular site in the southern U.S. has a well-established tear.. down area and most pilots generally try to land close and conveniently to this. Yet, when the wind has a strong northerly componrnt this area is quite turbulent as a result of an upwind hill. Blindly, tmny pilots still attempt to land there, and worse, recommend to new pilots ro do so as well, instead oflanding across the huge field in much smoother air. Occasionally experienced pilots flying cross-country, misread ;i p01ential LZ and find themselves setting up for a downhill final, or worse, flying a downhill flnal approach. Judging the slope of a field can be difficult from the air and cross-country pilots should expect to make this mistake. I have. Because this mistake is rather easy, you should never be landing in unfamiliar

territory after sunset, or even afrcr rhc sun has dropped behind the mountains or trees harhing the landing area in shadow. T'he best method of dealing with this po ten rial mishap is to select a field that can accommodate last-·momcm course changes with ample room. That, or course, means you might have to select a field that isn't COllvenicm. Remember our discussion a couple ago, "Land safely before conveniently." It is always better to walk a distance tlian ratchet up yom risk several notches by going for a field that is simply closer ro your ride. Or course, somcLirnes the field options aren't very good and altitude is in diminishing supply. lf you commit Lo an approach direction and find yourselflanding downhill, rhen what? If the slope isn't too steep, a pilor may be able to slow down enough and land, bur note, subsrnn-rially more distance across the field will be covered than expected. A properly timed and well-executed flare will also be needed. '!timing to land cross-slope may be preferable 10 landing downhill and often can be done, bur it docs involve some issues. If possible, perform a flat, low--bank turn toward the slope. You must beware to not drag a wing tip and to gcr the wings bacl< reasonably level in rime for the flare. The upslope wing is closer lo the ground and will'havc more ground effect and con-sequenrly lifr. This might rend to turn you back down the slope. Conversely, the wind gradient may yield a bir lower wind velocity near rhe ground and, depending upon your direction relative ro the wind, the upslope wing may stall sooner. These help produce an ugly landing hut tha1 may still be preferable ro overshooting the LZ and encountering rhc hazards that loom beyond the landing field's border. The best method of dealing with downhill landings is to be thinking for enough ahead (especially before the flight) w simply avoid the need for any trick piloting skills. One clement of" this is properly surveying the potential landing fields from the ground before Another clement is planning to "land safe .. ly before conveniently." And, last, never fly afrer dark, especially in unfamiliar territory. Not only is ir illegal, i1 can be quite hazardous. II SI

HANG GLIDTNG ADVISORY Used hang should always be disassembled hcforc time ,rnd inspected for fatigued, or dcnlcd downtubes, ruined bent bolts (especially the heart holt), r<'·Used Nyloc nurs, loose thimbles, or n1srcd cables, rangs \Vith non-circular holes, on f1cx wings, sails b:1dly torn or torn loose from

their anchor poinr.s front at,d back on the keel anc\ kadlng edges. lf'in douht, many hang gliding businesses will he happy to give :rn opinion 011 the condition of cquiprncnt yo11

DOUBLE VISIONS & 1:1.y2 - New and used. W Al ,I ./\BY RANCI I (863) 12/i .. 0070.

l'lJSION /i2/i.0070.

NEW & USED IN STOCK, DEMO J,:XXTi\CY DAILY. Wi\l.LJ\BY RJ\NCJI (863) li2/i.()070.

CUDERS - .l5 for sale, lo single surface. ( :,dl/crn:til for current lis1. Ranch (86:,) li2/i .. 00/0 Horida, glid,Ts~t\vallaby.rnm

FJ\LC:ON lit() Fxcclil'nt rnndition, 20 hours, new Charly Insider ltdrnct $1,750. (ll'i) 2:328"!25, SJ)ri 11g(T~1)l l\VSl Ol J t .cd ll

them to inspect.

ll11ycrs should sdccl eq11ipmen1 that is appropriate for their skill level or rating. New pilots should seek proks sional instr11ctiot1 from a USIIC:J\ C:ERTIFll'll INSTRUCTOR.

l'ALCONS 1/iO, 170, 1')5, 225 new and 11ml. WALLABY RAN(:J I (8(,3) li2/i .. ()070. 1:ALC:ON 17ll Magrnta/hl,te/white, 2 years old, owner $1,600. (.307) To:l-:\li I/.

1/l'Al' !li'i I ')')2, w/ '')/ rockct chute $1550. ')');> I ligh Energy 22 gore p:tr:tcl111te $200. 1986 WW harne'5, deluxe, 'i'8" lltO\l,, small $200. Avoccl l'ilot Sky watch $50. htll face hcl111c1 $'50. Skywatcl1 windmetcr $SO. Sport Euro I 50 $/SO. All in cxcdlrnt condition. (Ii 15) ')9') .. J/i/7, irigt I iHar(t1Ygu i(Lt n t .com J

( ;ood condirion, 1ww leading edge doth stt11cr:prcll1[.\ltt, $1,li00.(2<,2) li7\-8800,

FLEX WINCS /\EROS STEAL Ill KPI. II Vil Fxccllct11 rnndi tion, bl,te w/ycllow tip, PX IO s;1i[, carbon crossbar, fi'om winglct.s, Dec '')9, 011ly 5 hours $3,500 .. air New /ealancl included. Call Ol 1758 (NI is 20 ho11rs ahead of ( alif'ornia) or email phil.sot1rl1w:1rd(i1p;iradisc. nct. 11z

Demo daily. WALLABY RANCI I (86:l)

FJ\l.C:ONS CI.EJ\RANCF SALE Scltool use, one season. ;\JI sizes $!,2'i0 .. $2,500. (262) /iTJ .. 8800, i nfo((hh:inggl idi ng.com

FLY 2 T;1nc\cm gli,krs, three to choose frnm, ,P, I 00 and 1q1. (2(,2) /i7:l .. 8800, in fo(t11\ 1,111gglid i ng.com

IC :;\RC) I.J\lvl 1NJ\R Manfred Rumor 2000 ST's :1vail:ihk now. N,,w and like new STs and Laminar R rnodcls in stock. (7(,0) n J.. 070 I, indaskyv"yahoo.com KI.ASSIC: I/iii

AFROS STF/\1.TI I 15 l

Topless, beautil'nl excellent condition, site record holder, only liO price reduced $2,2'J'S. C\36) n2 .. s<,'J I NC AIRBORNE SIIARK, BLADE RACF, STING, BUZZ. New :rnd nearly new. llemo daily. Tl IF \XIAL LJ\BY RJ\NCI I (86:l) 124-0070.

FREI' PVC GLIDER STORAGE/TRANSPORT TUBE With the pmchase of :tny new glider. ('i 17) 22:J .. 8(,8,l, C:lo11d9SAv1\10l.com. Largest selection of new and used gliders in Michigan.

HJS/( )N I Ii I l'xcellcn1 condi1io11. wingl,,,s, white I.E, hrigl11 orn11gc undcrsurfocc, \XIW whccl.s, xc hag, neVCI bo11ked! );),S()(), ('i2()) 7')() )507.

Yellow/white, absolute milll condi ..

hours use aud then stored indoors fo1 years $2,800. Kl:tssic 15'i, 80 hours, clean $1,500 0110. (;\(,2) /i?J.8800, i11fotrih:rngglidi11g.rnm tion,

LAMINAR STl!i -- 1999, li5 hours $/i,CiOO. ((,l'J) 6(,7.')7/i1.

BEAUTJl'lll. PULSE I IM Colo, matching p:naclrntc. Top tl,ennaling glider> never very good condition, vario & extras .P,500. (.)21) liS/i ..1256 1:JoricL1.

a·;,ai rfoils(ft\_,s.corn

l.i\M!Ni\R STJ/i (512) li6/ .. 252. 1).

HJSIC)N 150 Winglcrs, magcnt:t!te:tl, white I.I' t.l500. ((,JO) ':i27 J(,81.

!./\MINAR ST, Iii, U i11 stock. WALLABY RANCII (86J) 121i0070

CSX 5

l'lJSION 150 Min, condition, 20 hours in the NW, red/hhH' tips, folding spccdbar $.l.'SOO. (.l(,O) 8')/ .. (,li6:l, frccfl yt(cinwrain.corn

Li\ MOUFITE TOPLESS lli8

Moyes topless $2,900. (512) li(,72'529.

USHGA CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING OF!DER FORM 50 cents per word, $5.00 minimum Boldface or caps: $1.00 per word. (Does not include first few words whict1 are automatically caps.) Special layouts or tabs: $25 column inch. (phone numbers: 2 words, P.O. Box: I word, E.. mail or Web 3 words) photos: $25.00, line art logos: $15.00 (1.75" maximum) DEADLINE: 20th of the month, six weeks before the cover date of the issue in which you want your ad to appear (i.e., June 20 for the August issue). Prepayment required unless account established. No cancellations or refunds allowed on any advertising after deadline. Ad insertions FAXed or made by teleJ)ho11e must be charged to a credit card. Please enter my classified ad as follows:

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hours

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Number of months: SECTION ..l Flex Wings

J Emergency Parachutes IJ Parls & Accessories I.J Business & Employment U Miscellaneous U Paragliders IJ Videos

I.J 'J

& Dealers J Ultralights .J Rigid Wings '..J Publications & organi:zat1,ons .J Wanted J Harnesses

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of$ NAME: _ ..... - ..-ADDRESS: CITY:

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MOYl',S CSX -- SX, XTL, XS:l, XT, etc. New and ncarlv new. Available immediately. N,11ion's L1rgc.':t \!lores dealer. WALLABY RANCH (B63) lt21i-0070.

lJLTR1\SPORT lli7 !iOhrs, folding specdbar, Finster wheels, vntical stabili,er $2,,JOO. p\1ilgood{ftlc l11·grid .net

MllYES CSX'i Well kept, very good condition, pmplc/white with bird $2,700, (.\21) i2/i-8'i7(,.

lJI.J'l/.1\SPORJ' 1·17, IM -- Rcn1al gliders ,11 flight l"uk low hours, clean, priced to sell. (H,2) li7.l-8800, i11fof'1lJi;1ngglidi11g.co111

MOYES c:sxr, $2, 'iOO. (')70) 20')-S'JOO.

l!I' CFMINI 15/i $:lOO. l'orrnuh I/iii $800. Both good gliders, some c·xtras. (.l(,(J) ,j l'/-558').

MOYLS XTRAJ.ITF U7 Well kept, blue/green/white $1,500 01\(), (U,2) ii?l-8800, i1i\()(t1!h~rnggliding.com

McNI IT TR1\ININC JIARNFSSl'S Light, srrong ..simpk, dmablc. rl1ot1sa11ds or .siudrnts h,1w tr:iincd in tlfr; h,nm·ss over the past IO )'r'cH.s. (20?) /).'J-')867. P/\R/\Gl.lDERS

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VISION MKIV 17 Cood condition, wheels $UHL ((, 17) ,j<J 1-- 500.,, l1;dstcad(,/1rncdiao11c.ne1

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leave 1ncssagc.

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MOYFS XTR/\IJIT lii7 Matt (720) 'J8'J 7MO.

MOYLS XT PRO 1(,5 Novicciintcrmcdiatc dm1blc st1rfacc, two avaiL,hle $1,600., $:LlOO. ()6}) lil.'l8800, inf,,G-ilhanggliding.rnm Cood shape $'i00. C:all Mart (720) ')8')-76(,(),

VISIONS & PlJLSFS Bought-Sold-Traded. R,wen Sky Sports (U,2) lil.l-8800, infoGJ1h,111ggliding.rnrn WW R/\M;\l!Z I 'i8 Crern Team glider, ,·xcellcnt rnndition $600. ('170) 20')-'i')OO. WWXC: 1,12 Wi11gle1s, ot1tl,o,ml wliccl.s. whirc I.I', rnagenta/teal urnlcrsurfocc $7.,500. 1ligh F11crgy har nv;,s vv/(Ju;rntum chute, 2nd Chant'/ air rocket, 'j'')" SJ ,000, (! I 'i) )'J')-8/i8l, jlrnnd,TdogG"aoLco1n

l'RFD/\TOR Iii), 1'J'J7, one owner, !iO hours, excellent , nndition $7., ',00. Roger ('Jli 1) 'J7.ii-O_l8(1, opwO ! (ti\1cun .com

PUI .Sl'.S & VISIONS

Bot1gl11-Sold-Tradcd. Raven

Sky Spmts (2(,2) /i7,l-8800, inf,,<,rlhanggliding.rnrn Sl'EC:TIUJM I/iii '')}, great begin1wr, very low ai, time, <IO hm1rs, nice colors, wheels S 1,200. Tracn h,1r ness, practically new, , 5''J", 17'ilh $)00. (815) (127-;>')81. Sl'U :TRlJM I (,5 I')%, <5 hours, fl aired down 11,bl's, folding spcTdh,tr, l ligh Energy harness w/chutc·. lksr olfrr. (817) (,8'l 5710,

WWX(: I 'i'1 l'mplc/rnagrnta, locared in Florida ,\; 1,650. ((, 17) /i')l -7.l(,7, adrninv11f,11ma.lcs.rni1.edu \X/\XIXC J Low 1wurs, dean, nice condi1 ion PAOll. (2<,2) Ii'/ l 8800, inl,,G11l,;inggliding.rnrn

SUl'ERSl'ORT I - Supcrncat custom sail, scry low lm11rs, V/W 1111 included $2,100. (;?62) !i73 8800, infoe hanggli<li11g.corn 1

SLJl 1 FRSl'ORT 1C/l Oranw-lwhite, armm cloth 1,1:,, low homs $1,000 OllO. WW/J harne.ss, like new, 11ll'cli11m, w/BR.\ & paracll!iic $800 OllO. (:?08) li'.\85')88, krntwarr(alcyherhighwai .net

MII.I.FNN!l)IV! F.scelknt condi1ion, .lO homs $8,000 OBO.Jay (ll 'i) 687 J;}/i, cgrnvit y(tr\l rcamse;1pc .crnn

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Sl'I C:TRUM CI.Ei\R;\NCI· Si\LF Spvctrums in near new conditio11, yv/;111 option-"' $?.,liOO $\,200. IZascn Sky S1,or1s (2.67) li7 l 8800, info(t1>h:1ngg!iding.co1n

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llOOSTFR Is the rcvolu1io11ary new rnormi,cd hang glider harness hv Sohr Winµ,s. The Booster-a hat·d rnmpositc shell li11ed wi1h a Racine Rakct 1:20 nwtot .rnd l,ilding propeller. It is very lighr and l).S. J\irllorne Sport /\siation quite, !'riced at (509) 7li'.\-li')88, Fmail: C:cnll't t1sai rhorncV11hon1c .co111 llR/\ND NFW

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inside $is, 'iOO. (') I 0) .YJ5 2112 Nmrl, C:.1roli11,t. TRIKE i\N!l WINC n.ltp hecdorn machim· w/imtn,mcnts, \V\V blcon 2nd ( :l1,111t1 liallist i, glider n10trn1nl 1i;1racl1111c. Soar, 1Tstart i11-;1ir. Like i\ rd deal at $\, 'iOO, (321) new, 1} hours li5/i_l2'i(, 1:Jorich. SI.I I' TRI I< F

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HARNESS FXCIIANC;E Cl lUTE~ ('J70) Ml 'J.l 1'i, http://gu11nisongliders.corn/ Si1cs & 111(:11 FNFRCY l'<lD I l/\RNFSSFS styles montl,ly, $:JOO liOO. U; I OOO's $2SO. Cocoons each. L,\Jll'P pod, 5'')" $/iOO, I<ne,·hangcrs & stirrups .1lso av;1ihhlc. (2(,2) li7.l-8800, in f(l(rtJha ngg! id i 11g.com

100

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srock.

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T-!ICJI ADVENTURE I lang school. Equipment sales, service, at Southern California's mile site, Crcsrlinc. USllCA appoi11m1c1H year round.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS

IYIACJC: AlR l.ocarcd in Northern California. Lessons, sales, service. (707) '!63-J455.

COLORADO AlRTlMF ABOVE HANG c;LJDINC lessons, s.iles, service. Colorado's mosr cx11ertc111cc,cl! Wills Wing, Moyes, Alrair, High Connections and mucl1 more. , Evergreen, Colorado AirtimcHCt::i\101.com CONNECTICUT IVIOUNTAfN W!N(;S

Look under New York.

PLO RID A

NATIONAL SCIJOOL NETWORK RJNCS LOCALLY. l'or information call David (706) 8485, david@ldavidglovcr.co!Tl

LARCFST I !ANG CLIDINC; SHOP [n rhc West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment and has rwo vinml realiry hang flighr simula .. rem. We srock new and used.. W,ng, Altair and Moyes and all the hottcsl new harnesses. Trade ..

ALABAMA

ins are welcome.

l.OOl(OUT MOUNTA!N FUGllT PARK ad under Georgia.

Our comprehensive San l'rancisco Bay Area's gcnrly sloped hills," Wills sizes and rraining harnesses!

Sec

ROCKET CITY AJRSPORTS The lun, safo place ro learn to fly. We help you learn quickly and with VSHGA certified profrssiorwl instructors. Great for first cross coonrry flights. Three sites and Learn to Moycs,Bailey aerorug for rhosc "other" acrotow and earn AT rating. Mention rhis ad, receive one lesson l/2 price. Call a friend 88() .. 8512 or (256) 776·9995.

minute video tour of our begin-

ner lesson 1)l'ogram shows a srudcm's skill progression $20 (shippin[\ included). 11 J6 Wrigley Way, Milpitas CA 95035 (ncttr Srm/osr). (408) 262, 1055, fox (ii08) 262· 1388. n1ission@hang-gliding.com www.hang·gliding.co111

USHGA CERTIFIED TANDEM INSTRUCTION

Uis111cysvorld. Call (352) 'IK'.J .. ~'.IO~. lly<,1'graylmdairsp,ort.s.corn vvww.graybirdairsports.com

CALJFORNIA

l.OOKOUT MOUNTAIN FUCllT PARK Sec ad under Georgia. Ncarcsr mountain rraining center ro

DREAM WEAVER JIANG GLIDING Train on state·ol~rhe--c,rr WILLS WING FALCONS. LESSON PACKAGES: One fom hour lesson $100. Three fonr hour lessons, pl11.1 ra11dem off 2,000ft. $JOO. Five lessons for $400. Ten lessons plus tandem $750.lnrroduce someone new to om sport. For each new st.udenr thar yon inrroduce rhat rakes three or more lessons from me, you'll ger a free lesson or $50 off a !inure purchase. Complerc lesson Year· round instruction. Launching and of hiking clinics available. Call for group rates. I'll help you! Dealer for Wills Wing, Altair, Energy Sports, Ball varios, Camclbaks and more. New and \lscd cqnipmcrn. We love trade.ins. l'm yom northern California MOSQUITO HARNESS DEALER. lf yoll live in cemral through nortl,crn California, me a call or email ro schedule your Mosquito dc111c111stratio11 or clinic. Call or email, scheduling lessons five days a week, Friday through Tuesdays. !deal rraining hill, up to 150ft., 600/'r. mountain. 1,200/i. rnounrain. Tandem instruction. USHGA Advanced lnstrnctor DOUG PRATHER (209) 556·0'1·69 Modesto, CA. drrm,·vrl,gG,lsc,!tcotTt.n1,r

Orbnrlo (only 8 hours).

[)Ef<POf<T

2800 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive San Diego CA Since 1928 I JANc; GLIDING AND l'ARACLIDING

USHCA

service, repairs, Diego's center. Visa and MasrcrCard accepted. li52·')858 or 1011 fi-ce J .. 877 .. J:Ly TEAM. Check us om and order online at \VWw.flyrorrcy.com

Santa Barbare. Tammy Bnrcar (805) 957·9145.

THE HILL WITH IT!

instruction, saks, and sire rours. San

FLY AWAY HANG GLID!NG/PARAGI.IDlNG

THF I !ANC CIJDlNC CENTER-- 6312 Malcolm Drive, San Diego CA 921 I (G 19) 2c;5 .. 5:120.

NO MORE BUNNY. ..

I./\'s BFST SINCE 197/i 20 minutes from L/\X. Full service walk.in center. Training for all skill levels, rentals, guide service, sales, lodging a1 world famous Mountain Flight Parle :12'\ stmny days a year. Victory Blvd., Van Nuys CA 9JIJO(,, (818) 9880111, fox (818) 988·1862, www.windspons.com

WE HAVE The most adv:mced known w hang gliding teaching you in i1 rakes on the training-BUNNY HILL, and with more in-flighr air rime. YES, WE CAN TEACH YOU FASTER AND SAFER. For ye,w·rnund trnining fun ill the sun, call or write Miami Hang (305) 285· 8978. 2550 S Bayshorc Drive, Coconut Florida 331.13. 1

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

Iii\ wJ\Jl

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QlJFST J\JR SOJ\RINC CENTER Your vacation gliding locarion. (352) 129-02]3, fox Cl52) li2')-Visit our website at: www.qucstairCorcc.com or email IJS: qucstairGi\undial.net

GFORCIJ\ 11.UNOIS

I IJ\NC C/./DI·'. Cl 1/Ci\C;() hill service :1cropark, 2 tow planes. l'llll lime cer1ilied instrunors, 11l1raligh1 ins1rnc1or.s, E:1.s1 C:oa.sl record 21.l miks. (81S) .l25

50 1 l'j{(:E demos 10 lly:

Topless 10 Trainer ( ;Jidcrs: L:uninar, Moyes, W'ills, J\irl,ornc, J\irwaw, Exx1acy,

I G8S, www.hangglidccliicago.com

l,;1 Mm1ctte, Sensor; also harnesses, varins, etc.

(312) j(,() .. ()}00, (815) RJ\VFN SJ<Y Sl'OlrIS li89-9700 or (2.G2.) liTl-8800. 2 hours from ( :l1icago, 90 minmcs Crom 1':d:11ille or I .ihcr1yvillc. The best instrunors, the cquipmrnt, 1hc best ffSlllis in die Midwest. Training program for cornhincd/intcgr;ncd i,,01 launch :!lid acrolow cenilk:11io11. J\pplv I OO'Y<, of your intro lesson costs to rcnificarion program 11pgr:1de 1Plc:1se sec om ad llllder WISCONSIN.

Ages L3 To Tl liave learned to fly here. No one comes close to our level of cx1wricncc ;md s1icccss with tandem acrotow i11s1n1ction.

J\ GRFAT SCENE FOR l'AMlLY AND FRIENDS. 10 motels & rcs1:rnr,rnc1; ,vid1in mins., cirnping, 1101 showers, shade tree:>, sail's, storage, r,11ings, XC rctricvab, great wcadwr, climbing wall, tran1polinc,

DSS TV, ping pong, pirnic 1abb, swimming pool, etc. Flights of over 200 miles and more than 7 honrs . .1\r1icles in I li!n,~ (,'/idi11g, Kirpl,mts, Slq1oi11g:,, (,'ross CoJ/JJIJJ' and others. h.:.1111rcd on numerous TV shovvs, illcluding I ):uclille NBC:, The Discovery ( :hanllcl & ESl'N.

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!'UL!. I 100!(--lPS room. \ -800-8o:l-/788

l ,aundry, propane, rccrcat ion

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN l'LlCI IT l'J\RI< See our display ad. Discover why !'OUR TIMFS as 111:my pilots earn their wings at Lookout than at ;my other school! We wrote l!Sl /Ci\'s Oilicial Training Mal111al. ( )ur specialty-customer smisCiction and C1111 with the

Visit us oll the Web: http://www,wallahy.com Please ca!l us ii,r rcfrrenccs ,llld video. 180'5 Dean Still Road, Disney i\rca, l'I. '.).l837 (863) li21i-0070 - phone & fax fly(-1\va/Liby.com 1-800-WJ\1.Li\llY ( :onscrva1ivc

BIRDS JN PJ\RJ\DISF -- I /:mg gliding Ex 11lir:iligh1 flying Oll Kauai. C:er1if1cd Ialldcm ins1ruc1ion. (808) 822 'i:309 or (S08) 6.l'J- I 067, liirdipV'';iioha.nc1 \VWW. !)i nlsi11paraclisc .C()l11

BEST l'i\CILITIES, l:nf;eSt invrn1ory, c:unpillg, swimming, volleyball, more> For a flying trip, intro !light or lesson p:ickages, l.ookou1 Mo1111tain, just outside Ch:111:rnooga, yo11r COMPl.ETJ,: 1r:iinillg/snvicc cm1er. Info? (800) 688 .. LMFP.

INDIJ\NJ\ R.1\VFN SKY SPORTS our ,1d under Wisconsin. i11f(i~hh,mggliding.corn MARYLAND MJ\RYI.J\ND SC! JOO!. 01: l li\NC Cl.JDlNC, INC: C:er1i/'ied instrnnion, spc.:CI;al1:11ng in f'oo1 launch. Dealers l<,r Wills Wing, /Vloyes, Energy, 5;,J-0975, ycar-ro1111d ins1ruc1ioll. (,110) \VWw.n1shg.com

MlCH!CJ\N

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVlJ\TlON

Acro1ow special isrs. We carry :ill major brand gliders. 1:rce l'VC: glidu scoragc/iranspon rnbc wi1h JH'\V glider p11rchasc. Now in stock: l.:1111in:1r ST; Wills l'usioll, XC:, Uliraspon, 1':ilcon; Moyes l.i1espeed, Sonic: J\eros S1c:ild1 2: Magic Kiss. Outriggn wheels, Liullch earl kits, :tlld 01he1 ;icccssorics ill stock. Call for sum1ncr umckm lessons and flying appoin1rncn1.s with 1he Draacheni'licgcn Soarillg C:/11b :11 Cloud ') lick/. I I 08S Coon Like Rd. W., Webberville, Ml li88'J2. (517) 22..l-868.l. ( :lou,/9sa~'':w/ .co111 h11 p:// nw111hcrs.aol.rnm/do11d9sa

Reliable• S1:11e of the J\rt

.I\.(,. INC./l'LYINC FLORID/\ SINCE 19'/ii

)vhlcolm Jones, Ryall Clover, ( :arlos llcssa I .;111rie Croft, Jeremie I-Jill, l<erry Lloyd Tom Ramsrnr, Roger Slwrrod, Rhcll Radford Tiki Mashy, J';1ri.s Wi!liarns BUNK! TO USE

WARM & COMFORTABLE - lly l.MFJ>! :\2 hunks, ho1 showers, oprn all year, 2/i hour self" rq-\istra· 1 ion. 1-800-803-'/;88 1

Aurnsr 2000

MICHIGAN SOARING Offering J\J.L major brand gliders & accessories. ( ;rcat deals! (2.\ I) 882. li7!ili, ,vingmanVlltravcrsc.com

Board of Directors REGION 1 Bill Bolosk 00) (425) 557- 9 1 bolosky@microsoft.com

7f -

Steve Roti (R - 01) (503) 284-0995 sroti@uswest.net Gene Matthews (H - 00) (206) 488-1443 skydog@gte.net Bob Hannah (H - 00) (206) 328-1 104 paraskr@aol.com REGION 2 Ray Leonard (R - 00) (775) B83-7070 advspts@pyra mid .net Jamie Shelden (R - 01) (408) 353-5159 jrshelden@aol.com Scott Gaspari an (R- 01) (650) 218-3984 gaspo@igi.org Ed Pitman (L- 00) (530) 359-2392 epitman@c-zone.net Russ Locke (H - 01) (408) 737-8745 russlocke@juno.com Ken Brown (H - 01} (415) 753-9534 kennyb2u@aol.com

REGION 3 Ken Baier (R - 00) (760) 753-2664 airjunkies@worldnet.att.net

REGION 6 Jeff Sinason (R - 01} (31 4) 542-2473 jsinason@swbell.net

REGI ON 10 Matt Taber (R - 01) (706) 398-3433 fly@hanglide.com

John Greynald (R - 01) (805) 682-3483 throgrog@aol.com

REGI ON 7 Bill Bryden (R - 00) (812) 497-2327 bbryden@hsonline.net

David Glover (R - 00) (706) 657-8485 david@davidglover.com

Gregg Lawless (R - 01) (858) 484-2056 glawless@sempra-slns.com Rob Kells (H - 00) (714) 998-6359 rob@willswing.com Gil Dodgen (Editor} (949) 888-7363 (949) 8BB-7464 fax gildodgen@aol.com REGI ON 4 Mark Ferguson (R - 00) (303) 439-8542 mark@ballvarios.com Jim Zeise! (R - 01} (719) 539-3335 jimzgreen@aol.com Larry Sa nderson (H - 00) (505) 392 -1177 Larryssa@aol.com Liz Sharp (H - 01) (303) 530-0716 eas@cmed.com REGION 5 Frank Gillette (R - 00) (208) 654-2615 Watercyn@cyberhighway.net

Dan Johnson (L - 00) (651) 450-0930 CumulusMan@aol.com REGION 8 Douglas Sharpe (R - 00) (978) 318-9714 dsharpe@tiac.net Randy Adams (H - 00) (603) 543-1760 randyadams@cyberportal .net

G.W. Meadows (H - 01) (252) 480-3552 info@justfly.com John Harris (H - 00) (252) 441 -4124 ucanfly@outer-banks .com Steve Kroop (H - 00) (352) 331-6729 usaflytec@aol.com

REGION 11 Kent Robinson (R - 01) (972) 960-0516 REGION 9 David "Randy" Leggett (R- 01) flydallas@aol.com (610) 258-6066 REGION 12 ias@ot.com Paul Voight (R - 00) (914) 744-3317 Geoffre y Mumford (R- 00) flyhigh@frontiernet.net (202) 336-6067 gmumford@apa.org Jan Johnson (L - 00) (914) 695-8747 Dennis Pagen (L - 00) janj@uarc.org (814) 422-0589 hm pagenbks@lazerlink .com Paul Rikert (L - 00) (914) 946-9386 Chris DuPaul (H-00) (540) 672-0065 Lars Linde (H - 00) Krisdupaul@aol.com (732 ) 747-7845 larslinde@compuserve.com Art Greenfield-NM (X) 1-800-644-9777 awgreenfield@naa-usa .org

REGION 13 (lnt'I) Jan Johnson (L - 00) See Reg 12 Michael Robertson (H - 00) (905) 294-2536 flyhigh@inforamp .net USHGA Executive Director Philip Bachman PO Box 1330 Co lo Springs CO 80901 (719) 632-8300 wk (719) 632-6417 fax phbachman@ushga .org ushga@ushga .org EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President-David Glover Vice President-Mark Ferguson Secretary-Bill Bryden Treas urer-Geoff Mumford KEY: (R}-Regi onal (L)-At Larg e (HJ-Honorary (X}-Ex Officio COMMITTEE CHAIRS : Competition-John Borton CompCommitte@aol.com

Membership & Dev-Steve Roti Site Mgmt-Randy Leg gett HG Accident-Bill Bryden PG Accide nt-Paul Klemond Awa rds-Jan Johnson Bylaws-Paul Rikert Nat'I Coordinat .-Dennis Pagen Planning-Geoff Mumford Safety & Training-Bill Bryden Tandem-Pa ul Voight Towing-Geoff Mumford Publications-Dan Johnson (03114/00)

NEW YORK

HAN

NORM U:SNOW'S FLYINC AIWENTURES Since 1978. Expcrirncc & arc 111. Aerorowing full range of lesson and hill introdncrory flights for beginner to advanced. J\crotow clinics & ,1ppropri,11c available. US! ICJ\ ceni fled school. Please contact l .esnow-Master Pilot, Examiner, Advanced Tandc:m Instructor, Tow Administrator. (7.18) 399.')133, FUU.-TTME school. nlfoviljtmo.com www .scriot\ssports.uHn/ nlfo

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDF.RS/PJ\RJ\GLIDERS FlJl.l.-TIME shop. Certified instrnction, foot launch and tow. Sales, service, accessories for J\l.L major brnnds. VISA/MASTERCARD. Come soar our 150' dunes! 1509 E 8th, Traverse City Ml IJ%84. Offrrinµ, power,,d parar,liding lessons & dealer for the & used units. Call Bill at (23 J) 922-2811, tct,,anµ,gl1'1cr~DJn110.1:orn. Visit om paragliding school in Jackson, Wyoming. Call Tracie at 007) 7.l9 8620. MINNESOTA RAVEN Sl<Y SPORTS (612) .l10-1800 or (262) 17J./l800. Please sec om ad ,mder WISCONSIN. NF.VADA

ar its best. Instruction ccrti fied US! ]CA instructors with 25 years experience. Sales, service and instruction by Carson City/Lake Tahoe NV. http://l,omc.pyramid.net/advspts I.AS VE(;AS J\IRBORN WATERSPORTS USHCA ccnified hang instruction. Sales ,rnd service, boat tow, mountain soaring, XC. ('102) 2(,() 7950 www.virmalbosts.nc1/skysail/mai11. ht m

!\AA FL.lCI IT SCHOOi. MOUNTAIN WINGS I ET.LFNVfI.LE AIR SPORTS. Full service sltop, flight park, Ii 500fr. tow field, winch and acrn towing, tandems, two-place U.L. training. Airwavc, Altair, Moyes, Aeros, learn 2000, Flight Srnr ll.l.., MOSQlJJ.. TO harness, WOODY VALLEY harnesses in The V-MITTS $29.00. or (911) 6/i7-:rl7'7 150 Canal St., Ellenville, NY Lisr. NYC's fast and only certified pa,rni,lidimg, microlights (trikes), powered pa1·a1,J,iding. Di,mibmors for Avian. Dealers for most Fnll service and equipment ar best prices. major The most friendly service in the area. Store address: 29 3 J Newtown Ave., Asrnri,i NY. Phone ('718) 7000, WWW.FLYFORFUN.NE'J' FLY lllCH HANC Cl.lDJNG, INC:. Serving S. New York, Connccrirnt, Jersey ,ueas (F.llenvilk Mm.) J\rca's EXCLUSIVE Wills Wing dealer/specialist. Also all orhcr major hrnnc\s, accessories. Certified school/insrrnction. Teaching since I 979. Area's most lNEXPENSlVF prices. Excellent secondary instruclinished a program and wish to conrinuc. Fly mountain! ATOJ. Tandem flights! Contact Paul Rd, Pinc flush, NY 12.566, (8/i'i) SUSQlJFllANNA FLTC;J IT PARK Cooperstown, NY. CcniHcd Instruction, Sales and Service f'or all major manufacturers. !iO acre park, training hills, jeep rides, bunk house, hot showers, 600' NW ridge. We have the best in N. New York state to teach you how to fly. c/o Dan Cuido, Box 29.'l Shoemaker Rd, Mol1:1wk NY 13/i07, (31 'i) 866-6 l 53.

• TANDEM INSTRUCTION • J\FROTOWJNC • l\OATTDWINC • llFACI l RESORT • TRA!f\JNC CAMPS • FOOT I.ALINCII • OPFN Yl'AR ROUND • PAR;\Cl.ll)JNC • EQUIPMENT SA!.FS AND SFRVICE

(~~~) JJ4·4lll NAG~ HEAD, NC Internet Address: hnp://w·1vw•.kittyl1<l\1{k.rn1m E-Mail Address: info~iki11yhawk.com

Attention rnembers! New hang

PENNSYLVANIA MOUNTAIN TOI' RFCRE1\TJON Certified instrttction, Pittsbmgh. (It i?a) 767-li882. C'MON OUT AND PLAY! MOUNTAIN WINCS

NFWJERSEY MOUNTAIN WIN( ;s

NORTH CAROLINA

l.ook under New York.

NEW Mf,:XICO

gliding promotional video available. Special member

CROSSROADS WINDSPOR'J'S -- S1a1c-of'..1hc-ar1 training wirh stationary siniulator, HoomBar, tandems)

video coaching. Towing for h,tng and paragliders. Rentals. Camping on the Airpark! Cill Curt Craham in Hobbs (505) 392-8222. Instruction, sales, serUP OVER NEW MFXICO vice. Sandia Mountain guides. Wills, Airwavc. Alb\lqucrquc, NM (50'\) 821-854/i.

price only $5.00 ($15 for non-tnembers). Call

1-800-616-6888 to order

l.ook under New York.

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO Team Spirit l Gliding, I Jc; classes taudcm instruction Wills rcmals l,,r qualil1c:d pilots. PO Box Wing dealer. ( 1)78, Punta Santiago, Puerro Rim 00711. (787) 8500508, tshgGr\:oqui.1wt TENNESSEE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN J!I.ICIIT PARK -- Sec ad nndcr Georgia.

yours today! l lANC Ci!DINC

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

VIRGINIA

TEXAS

AFROTOWINC ACCESSORIES See TOWINC. Tl JF WALLABY HJ\NC! I (86J) li2ii-0070. AM/\/INCIY LOW !'RIGS Bol,G11l,roke1foryo11.com Bi\11, CRAl'J llC:S COMI' /120'5.

• Yl'J\R-ROUND XC FLYINC • Tl fREJ: TUCS • TANDEM Tl,1\lNINC • OPI\N 7 D/\Y A WIFI< • i\FRCJ HlWfNC IWi\C:ClNl LY TlV\lNINC • \X!INCI I TOW!NC • TRIKFTRA!NfNC; • FOOT LAUNC:l l • Ja'LY-INS AND CLINICS • l'i\RACLl!llNC TOWS 600 ;\C:RE 11AC!LITY • SAU:S !\ND SERVICE• 7,200' RUN\Vi\Y Steve llurns li0'J.279.'Xl82 email: slmrnsv1l:1lp'1a I .net Fred Burns 281 ..171. 11/88 email: :n1stinairC'1\10Lcom

KITTY I Ii\ WI< J<!TFS

Sec Noni, C:,nolina.

SI LVFR \)(I] N CS, J NC -- C:crt ilicd inst ruction and cquipmc111 sales, (703) 5.l3- I %5 Arlington \I A. WASHINCTON

CCLI \;\NC CLl!)!NC 1!! JcffH,1111. ;\ustin ph/fax (5 I!,) IJ(,'7 ·2529 jdffilfl)'tcx:,s,com www.ilytcxa.s.mm

Trikes, light trikes, hang gliders, p<nvcrcdPC, er:-,, h:1rnc\scs etc., Tlic Solar Wings

trnining,

so;iring, foot & tmv launching in ccrnral

Texas. MOTORU.ED PARAGLIDING INSTRUC TJON & EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE. (9\'i) .l791185. 1/i7'i CR 220, Tow TX 78<,72. KITE FNTFRPRISFS

Mouelt<' Topless and Top Secret. Importer for 1hc Minipla1w powcrcdP(;, Sales new and used. Beginner tliru advanced instruction for rrikcs, powcrcdPC and 1x11agliding. U.S. 1\irllornc ('i09) 2/i_l-/i988. Send $:l for info. pack (specili, inCo. requested) \JO Box '579,

rcn1c1ls and repair. i\i,wavc & \Vills \)(ling. Dall:,s, Fort Wonh ,111d north Texas area. 211 Ellis, Allen TX 75002. (9"/2) :J')().90')0 nights, weekends, www.kitc·-cnrcrpriscs.co111

TOTAL ;\IR SPORTS~ Area's OLDEST Wills \Ving dealer. Certified instruc1ion available. "I only DFAL wirh WILLS". 16121 Lakeview, llouston TX T70ii0. (71 '.\) 9J7-861 Ii, 101alairsports~1)hot111aiLcom

!'LICHT C:ONNt,:C:TIONS, INC PTT ll

i\so1in \Xi;\ 'J')/i07.. Email usairbornc~1lho111c.com, \Xi chsi1e hn p://www.vallcy-intu1c1, ne1/ cl1p/usairbornel WISCONSIN R1\VEN Sl<Y SPORTS I JANC CL\ Ill NC /\Nil i'AR/\C:LJl)IN<; The Midwest's Premier acrornw flight t"trk, /,,uncled in 1'J'J2. Featuring INTEGRATED INSTRUCTION of foot-launch and acrotow tandem .skills, at package prices Lo hc,11 any in 1hc US/\. Seven beaut if,,!, hills facing all wind directions, hnir

no waiting! 'J 'hrcc tandem

gliders 011 wheeled undcrcarriages, \)(/\Xi Falrnn.s for training from 1he very l,rst lessons. USU/\ ultralight ,rnd tows. Free """L,'"',~·

UTAH

C:LOUll 9 SCJ/\RINC C:FN i'l"'.R

The nation's paraglidin1; and shop, is now oflcring gliding lessons, services, rcpail's and saks at Point oC the Mou11tain, Urah. Contact us for an inform at ion packet or stop by the shop. (80 I) 5'76(,!iGO, inli,G'1lparagliders.con, 12556 S, lvlinutc111an Dr. //I Draper, LJT 8/i020.

brands. Open a week. ( :on1act Brad Kushner, PO Box I 01, Whitcw:1tcr WI 531 ')() (267) liTl-8800 phone, (2G2) li?J-8801 fax, www.hanggliding.comi i11fo<?1)lwngglicling.co1n

Utah\ only foll service hang

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DON'T LEAVE YOUR GROUND BOUND EQUIPMENT SITTING IN TIIF. GARAGE. SFLL IT IN THE HANG GLJDING CLASSIFIEDS. C:l.i\SSIFJED ADVERTISJN<; RATES The rate for word (or grot1p of char.. classified aclvcrrising is $.50 acters) :111cl $1.00 per word hold or all MIN[. MUM J\D C:JIAJH:E $5.00. A fee of 15.00 is charp,cd for each line art logo and $25.00 for each pho· to. 1.!NFART & PHOTO SUF NO LAR(;ER Tl [AN 1.75" X 2.2'5". Please underline words to be in bold prim. Special of' 1ahs $7SOO coltunn inch. Phoue -Vlords. or wch acldress~3words. AD DEJ\DUNl·'.S: i\11 ad copy, instructions, additions and c,rncellarions must 1.5 months be received in dare, i.e. July 20th for the September issue. make checks payable to lJSHCA, l'.0. Box 1.330. Colorado C:O 80901 · 1 l:30, (719) 6:32,8300. Fax (719) 11sl1vaer1111shr,.:u,rr, your classif1cd

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Adventure Productions ............................. I 0 J\ltai1

................................................. 31

...................................... 62 ......................................... 7 D:rn Johnson ............................................ 23

......................................................... 9 Bros .................................................. I0 ................................. 2.9

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Park .................. .48,49 ................................... 15 J',J(c!lSCll··]\.(?IIC'l'fflall ................................... 15 North Wing ............................................ .45 I )og Publications ............................. .. It 5 Aviation Publications ...................... 2.9 Team Challcngc ....................................... lt'5 Trnvcrsc City I Clidcrs ...................... 56 lJ .S. Acros .................................................. 2. USJ !C/\ ..................... 5, I I, lit, 15,20,2.8,}7,ltlt,57 West Coast Atos ................................................. 29 Wills Back C:over

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Pl\UL, MINN., CongralulaL1ons to Kari Castle who won thG Women's World Meet 2000 Beotia, Greece in UK' lasl fuJI week of ,Turn,,. J c,xpecL fine arl:iclc, wiLI entE,r th(c maqa ine paqes buL here's a I iLtle numc:,rj cal overview of the rnc,e1 a,c; released by the FAI. A 'I'he intornal:i.onaJ rnE eL dr·ow competi ton; from eight nations, i.nclud i n9 the 3 USA, France, Gonndny, l\u,;l:ra] Engldnd, ,Japan, Russia, and Kazakhstan (showinq ;;urpric;ing l:rength with four pilot.,;). Arn0,r:i.ca and Germany each hdd team members, !"ranee and Japan hild five, Ru:;:3 i.a and the (Jl< had two plw; the ·1 one l\usc,ie piJoL. ii,. 'l'hey flew n.ine Tcar·o gliders (32%), fol lowed by eiqht. Aeros (29%), five Wills Wings (18!1;) and one each (4%) of Moye:;, J,a Mouette, Sol.ar, Seedwings, BauLek, and Guggenmos. W.i nc;s for pi Lots were not. .identifi.ed. Ji. In five tasks rnnging from ,17, '/0 km (26-44 milos), t.he German team cdmo in Li.mt (with 6 scored pi] ots) , [ollowc:il by Prance ( ':i pi lots) , the U.S. (6), ,Japan ('i), Hrn;sia (2), Ka,:ak,;tan (!I), Australia (1), and the UK (~). 'l'he number of swayed the final team l1Core as L:he nd.iv:i dual f,core:c: were added, so the Russian team or two women actua] ly did quite weLI L.o nic,l1 in fifth p1ace. Kari's WU Win9 victory for Team USA was Lollowed by Patricia Camoron in 10th (Aero,o), Claire Paqen .in 13th (Wills Win9), CJ Sturl·evant 22rnl (l\cnos), ,Judy Hildobrand in 23rd (lv"ros) , and Caro.I Sperry 26th (Aeros). It's greaL t.o full continqenl: of fEc0 rna1e Yankee p:i Jots! IIIICHII Brazilian Nene Rotor is a new version of hi Tenax harnes,c;. Detail,; 0a eel but lm·1.her refinement :i enough Lhat wero reportedly to Spanisl1 i'n"-WorLd Meet :just ended. One eva1uat.or exprec;secl thdt "It.' a ,;pecialty harnec,s that :I wou1dn' L wanL t.o fly in more than a Elhort competition." Rc,gardl ess if other 'J'enax agree or not, the point remains that: new harness cle:;ign is ddven by L:he competition pilot'" desire f:or tho cleanest system posflib] A,; we once saw 91ider desi9nen; t·.ak.e more risk than today, some worry that thi.::, dr:.i ve for aerodynmnic cleanl.Lness cou Id 90 too J:ar. A llowevor, capitaJic,m ri:;E.,,; l:o demand and the 'I'cmax probably wasn't the only new sleeker··than-ever harnes,; at: the Spani.l3h mccet. Moyes' Contour and Aeros' Racer are both rumored to have n(cW models j n dove,,] opment and L:he relative] y new M2 mu 1·. be included in race. ••• Miam:i llan9 Gl i din9 entreproneur, James Tindle, just bit: a biq biLE, buyin9 land wesL of Miami and b0ginnin9 work toward his own aero tow 9ht park. Wi U1 some i nvccr,tor help, 'T'.i ndle purchased 90 acres and has a ready cleanc;d 60 acres by removin9 l.ree,: and rnakin9 a t_ed near 1-.hc:, town of Libel .J , he says will be conveni.c::mt for many souU1 F]oric3a pilol:s. l\s-yet_ unnamed, the new tow park an hour from Fort:. I ,auderda.l 1: /JO from M.i ami , and on1y a hour from ForL Myers and i l:s nei9hbori.n9 beach cities. J<on::ign vic,itors l:o Miami, ,;outh Beacl1, and other south Florida der:;tirw U ons may also appreciate a nearby l:li9hl: park. In contrast, the drive to Wallaby or (,)uc:,st :i:; several hourE,. "We have,· XC potential in a l direction and no airspace issues," ::;ays Tindle, addinq l:hal: l:he :-;itc, haf; been propc,rly zoned for "hc,avy" recreation, mean.in9 thal the noise from 1·.119::; wi.11 nevc,r present i1 prob·] ern. Ji. 0

Auusr 2000

"We'n,, one of a vm:y few oporal:ions 01[erin9 a:1·1 Corm:" of launcl1 [·.raining: al.form (land and wal:er), aorotow, and fool: launch." ,James C"Xplainc; the lattc:,r is dome on flal. ground but he re9ular]y ho::;l:s qroups of new would-be rnounl·.ain flyers to the Chat:l:anooga area. &. 'l'indl expects hi Dra9onf y l.u9 by Septembc,r and hopos to start opE:rat.ions al: t:hat· time. Moree info: 30'5-28':i-[39'/8. ••• l\ 1:ew monl:bs a90, J reported Lhat onetime conteiol. skygod, Joe Bostik, was re·enterin9 hang 9liding. (13'/'f/11, came in .131:h al: WaJJaby, nol: .bad afl:er L:he time he' been away. He d.icl not compel:e in the ACC.) 'J'he old t:i:mers keep poppin9 up as I had a L at. BRS r:rom Michael Riggs. Hin9 a belJ, anyone? Come on, it's only been 20 years or c30. Mike was the head man bdck a I: tl:ie old Sc,a9ul.l. Those curvy oading edqes and plenty oE ot:her shapely ideas were bis brainchildron. 'I'wo decader; acJo, L.he L.oy indL1s try grabbed this creal:.ive enqineer and eventual.Ly that brou9bt him to l:be MinneapoJ is area whc0re Tonka Toys s J!Q' d. ter yea of only dreaminq about. 9etting back in the flying business, he' 901: his cl1ance. l\ ,3uccessful adv(,rtisin9 executive, his wife C'ncouraged him to go pursue hi.s dream. \/J:i that kind of support, be j umpccd a I. Lhe chance,. He, c,Jme in l:o show me hj s extonsive plans foe a le9al Parl 103 u]traliqht Lhat will da7.7.] e the buzz crowd at nexL year' c, Sm1 'n Fun predict (imd T 've seen a few ul trali.ghts) . But of even keener i nl.erest: Lo soar.Ln9 enthus.i ast.s j L:he ve:n" ion o I' the plane that will bc,corne a motorglider. Jt's too ear]y for details or phone numbers bul: liked what J saw and Mike's tailless, han9 glider ller.i Lago show;; l:hrougb clcyirly. More i I: unJ:olds. ••• [acl: Riqg,; was one of ,;everaL ta] onted people who conti'1c1'.ed me about my j nterest :in an unpowered soaring trike. J heard from a dozen people on l:he idea, all of whom were complimentary o the concepL and had sorno j ntencst in seeing/helping i L occur. Because he close, ta ·1 ented, and ha,3 some me tor Lho project (ospecial ly as .it t.o bis powered aircraft: plans), lU9g,; one good choice. No work has ::otarl:ed as J Lil hear from someone every few days, bul~ T 'm gratified by Lhe LnLr~rest. Ji. don't know how many others mi(Jht a9ree, but one e-maj l wri 1:er expre,;f;ed wonder tha L I 'd want l:o dra9 around tho woighL and blll k of a trike. In the comment wondered if rn·iddlc acre hac:l llil: me particularly hard. Goe, afler breakinq eacl1 of my le9s in 33 y0,an; of f'lyin9, yeah, maybe:, iL is agim.:r l.ha L c:lr:i ves me to a more comfortablo flight po,,ture. Sl:i1 l, sucll a d9 doeEm' t have to cul performance drastj cal Several of L:hose cc;::opondin9 l:o my call said t·hey see a chance for a properly dosigned L:rike body to (Jeneral.e I.le draq. l\dd a bit more win9 area to tl1e equation atler aJ J, you won't have to support U1e win9 on your c3hou1decs and perhap!3 total perJ:orrnance won't be much ower Lhan a tate of the-a t. harnessed pi] ot on a sma] win9. A '11 save the detaih; tor a future coJumn, bul thanks al 1 l:he commentc, ... yoah, evon U10, a9e-·related crack. t shows you 're readin9. ••• '3o, c,ot news or opinions? Send 'em to: 8 Dorset, . Paul MN 1:;':,J 18. Messages or fax to 651--450-0930, or e-rnaiJ l:o CurnulusMan@ao1.com. A All "Product Lines" columns will be available later b s yea a www. ByDan,Joh son. com. THANKS.!