USHPA Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol37/Iss2 February 2007 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

Volume 37 Issue 2 February 2007 $4.95

A Publication of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc. www.ushpa.aero

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Inc. is an air sports organization afﬁliated with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), which is the ofﬁcial representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the United States at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHPA supervision of FAI-related hang gliding and paragliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

Calendar of events items may be sent via email to editor@ ushpa.aero, as may letters to the editor. Please be concise and try to address a single topic in your letter. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. If you have an idea for an article you may discuss your topic with the editor either by email or telephone. Contact: Editor, Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, editor@ushpa.aero, (425) 888-3856. For change of address or other USHPA business, call (719) 632-8300, or email info@ushpa.aero. U

E D S TAT

The USHPA is a member-controlled sport organization dedicated to the exploration and promotion of all facets of unpowered ultralight ﬂight, and to the education, training and safety of its membership. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of ﬂight. Dues for Rogallo membership and Pilot membership are $69 ($90 non-U.S.). Dues for Contributing membership and for subscriptiononly are $52 ($63 non-U.S.). $15 of annual membership dues goes to the publication of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHPA number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue. You may also email your request with your member number to: info@ushpa.aero.

Feature stories generally run anywhere from 1500 to 3000 words. If your topic demands more or less than this, you should discuss options with the editor. News releases are welcomed, but please do not send brochures, dealer newsletters or other extremely lengthy items. Please edit news releases with our readership in mind, and keep them reasonably short without excessive sales hype. You are welcome to submit photo attachments, preferably jpeg ﬁles smaller than a megabyte.

NG GLID

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING editorial ofﬁces email: editor@ushpa.aero. ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE SENT TO USHPA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine welcomes editorial submissions from our members and readers. We are always looking for well written articles and quality artwork.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-launched air-sports enthusiasts to create further interest in the sports of hang gliding and paragliding and to provide an educational forum to advance hang gliding and paragliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome.

The material presented here is published as part of an information dissemination service for USHPA members. The USHPA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright © 2007 Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine.

REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Dave Wills, Urs Kellenberger, Paul Gazis. REGION 3: David Jebb, John Greynald, Tad Hurst. REGION 4: Steve Mayer, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Lisa Tate. REGION 6: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 7: Tracy Tillman. REGION 8: Gary Trudeau. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, L.E. Herrick. REGION 10: Dick Heckman, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 12: Paul Voight. REGION 13: Dick Heckman. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Russ Locke, Elizabeth Sharp, Dennis Pagen, Bruce Weaver, Riss Estes. HONORARY DIRECTORS: Connie Locke, Jennifer Beach, Dutcher Sterling, Len Smith, Bill Bryden, Randy Leggett, John Harris, Jan Johnson. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS: Art Greenﬁeld (NAA).

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS:

OC. INC

Lisa Tate, President: lisa@soaringdreamsart.com Felipe Amunategui, Vice President: dr.amunategui@att.net Elizabeth Sharp, Secretary: Elizabeth.Sharp@heii.com Mark Forbes, Treasurer: mgforbes@mindspring.com

Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement #40065056. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3

USHPA Ofﬁcers and Executive Committee:

POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330.

Office Staff: Jayne DePanfilis, Executive Director: jayne@ushpa.aero Rick Butler, Information Services Director: rick@ushpa.aero Martin Palmaz, Business Manager: martin@ushpa.aero Erin Russell, Office Manager: erin@ushpa.aero Michelle Burtis, Member/Instructor Services Administrator: michelle@ushpa.aero

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) (USPS 17970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904, (719) 6328300, FAX (719) 632-6417. PERIODICAL postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing ofﬁces.

Jayne DePanﬁlis, Publisher: jayne@ushpa.aero C. J. Sturtevant, Editor: editor@ushpa.aero Joe Hartman, Art Director: jhartman@brandingironmedia.com Martin Palmaz, Advertising: martin@ushpa.aero Matt Gerdes, Contributing Editor: mattg@FlyOzone.com Staff writers: Lisa Colletti, Matt Gerdes, Jon GoldbergHiller, Thayer Hughes, Steve Messman, Dennis Pagen, Tracy Tillman

RAGLI

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, a division of the National Aeronautic Association,

is a representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale in the United States.

U.S. Vertigo pilot Sander Koyfman chasing the last thermal of the day over the hills of Krushevo, Macedonia Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

DEPARTMENTS Editor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Pilot Brieﬁngs: News and Events . . . . . . . . . . 8 Airmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 PG Accident Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Review: Flying the Wills Wing T2 144 . . . . . . 20 Flight Report: Lucky Number 13. . . . . . . . . . 28 Faces of the Future: Ben Harmon. . . . . . . . . 35 Flight Report: Through the Looking Glass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

FIVE YEARS WITH A POWERED HARNESS When long-time hang gliding buddies dropped out of the sport, access to sites became increasingly restricted, and family and other priorities demanded ever-increasing chunks of time, a powered harness kept this pilot among the ranks of the actively ﬂying. ©2006 by Richard Cobb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

SPIRIT GUIDE A.C.’s poem celebrates our union with the natural world.

Comp Corner: Competition Notices . . . . . . . 55 The U.S. Paragliding Team Fundraiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Lakeview’s Fly-In and PG Nationals . . . . . 57 By Anne (A.C.) Dunlap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Towline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 New Ratings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

STAYING TRIM A hang glider that’s not properly trimmed can be a challenge to ﬂy. Checking and adjusting your wing’s trim isn’t diﬃcult.

Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Classiﬁeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 One Last Thought . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Index to Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

By Christian Thoreson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

PARAGLIDER BRAKE LINES

Photo: Jeff O’Brien.

A reader questions a brake-line conﬁguration that looks odd to him, and receives reassurances from one of our answer guys.

Jeff O’Brien, the Point of the Mountain’s ofﬁcial high-speed low-pass pilot, ﬂying the Wills Wing T2 with plenty of velocity and not much altitude. Dennis Pagen’s review of the T2 begins on page 20.

By Mike Steed, steedfamily@hotmail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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In a few hours, it will all be recollection . In between, it's why you fly. Why settle for anything less than everything the experience has to offer?

LLS~

Nti

It's all about the flying.

WWW.WILLSWING.COM 500 WEST BLUERIDGE AVE. ORANGE. CA 92865 TEL: 714-998-6359 FAX: 714-998-11647

HANG GLIDE TEXAS HAS FOUND A PERMANENT HOME! A Texas aerotow club, having ﬁnally settled comfortably into a permanent home in a general aviation airport, shares their history and oﬀers some tips for other groups seeking similar site security. By Bob Fisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

HIGH ABOVE KING’S LAND If you’re into non-stop paragliding with an occasional interlude for partying, consider a trip to Macedonia to ﬂy with the Vertigo gang.

By Marko Georgiev . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

THE EXPLODED TIRE A trip to the Owens Valley is frequently a multi-faceted adventure. Last October’s weekend comp left the author with a destroyed tire on his 4x4 and a renewed trust in his local ﬂying community.

By Jack Grisanti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Gallery. . .63

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Photo: George Sturtevant

I surely hope that there’s no shadow of Punxatawney launch in the Owens Valley were not unfounded, and Phil on Groundhog Day, and that spring is truly right Steve Messman’s article on this summer’s events in around the corner – what a winter this has been here Lakeview remind me how much I’ve enjoyed flying in the Northwest! Meanwhile, you back-East folks both my hang glider and my paraglider in that pilotare probably scratching your heads and wondering, friendly area. I met this month’s “Faces of the Future” What winter? pilot at one of my favorite sites, Saddle Mt. in eastYour magazine editorial staff would like to borrow ern Washington, and was honored when he asked to the oft-quoted motto of the U.S. Postal Service: have his photo taken with me just before I launched “Neither rain nor hail nor sleet nor snow nor heat of day my Falcon. nor dark of night shall keep this carrier from the swift The Foundation for Free Flight’s directors and trustcompletion of his appointed rounds.” We’ll skip the ees recently spent a productive weekend at Florida’s “heat of day” part, but the production of this magazine Wallaby Ranch, where they were able to squeeze in has tested all of us in all of the other above-mentioned some hang gliding between business sessions and the obstacles. First was the big December 15 windstorm in writing of their article. Lucky them! Also recently enthe Northwest, which took down so many of the major joying some East Coast flying is senior citizen Denny power lines that hundreds of thousands of us were Pistoll, who’s just learned to hang glide and is totally wondering if we’d get our Christmas trees lit before the stoked about finally getting to soar. holidays. My deadline for getting February’s material to This issue includes lots of information for hang art director Joe was December 20 – all of the final edit- glider pilots of all skill levels. Dennis Pagen reviews ing of this magazine was done by oil-lamp light during with enthusiasm the T2, Wills Wing’s newest highthose five stormy days between blackout and deadline. performance hang glider. Tracy Tillman and Lisa A local pilot brought me a couple of car batteries fitted Colletti’s Towline article discusses scooter-tow inout with dashboard cigarette-lighter plug-ins so I could struction for hang gliding and provides details of upkeep my computer powered up. Our wood-burning coming clinics for instructors wanting to learn this stove gave off adequate heat, and we put everything student-friendly teaching method. Christian Thoreson from our fridge out on the back porch, where it was offers pointers on checking and adjusting your hang plenty cold enough to keep our milk fresh. glider’s trim, and Richard Cobb shares his tale of how a We still had no power on the 20th, so I added a plug powered harness has made it possible for him to constrip to my battery rig and attached our modem and tinue to fit hang gliding into his busy lifestyle. router so I could get online and send off February’s For paraglider pilots, this month’s Accident column material – not knowing that Colorado Springs, where is focused on the dangers associated with having to Joe lives and does the layouts, was in the process of make snap decisions, and suggests that we do all the being totally shut down by a huge snowstorm. Even pre-planning and pre-flighting we can to avoid putting the postal workers were unable to complete their “ap- ourselves in harm’s way. Mike Steed’s feature provides pointed rounds” on the 21st! reassurance to a reader who was concerned about a My power was restored on the 23rd, just in time possibly funky brake line configuration. for the Christmas holidays. Joe was back in his office The USHPA logo contest is entering the second on the 26th, and now we’re all scrambling to get this stage, where input from you is needed to help select magazine pulled together in time to make our January which of the submitted logo designs should be on the 10 deadline with the printer. If your February issue final ballot. Please read the article on page 8, then go arrives a bit later than usual, please cut us some online to make your preference known. Right now, the slack. It’s been non-stop wild weather out here in the “orange ball” logo readily marks cars on the highway and in parking lots as “one of us.” Now is the time to wild West! Luckily, most of the material for this issue was in let the logo contest folks know your opinion on how we my hands before things got exciting. The Calendar should identify ourselves in the future. As always, staff writer Steve Messman concludes pages hold lots of options for planning a flying-filled season starting right now, and the sanctioned comp the magazine with One Last Thought, this month a reannouncements in the Comp Corner are evidence flection on site and personal safety, a relevant topic for that it won’t be long until the thermals return. Pilots this often high-risk time of year. I hope you’re all stayfrom around the country and the world have issued ing warm and dry if you’re in the depths of a flightless invitations for all of us to come fly their local sites. winter; to those of you who are finding winter airtime A trip to someplace HOT sounds about perfect right at home or on your travels, I wish you also warm and now; Marko Georgiev’s “Flying Over King’s Land” has dry days, with friendly thermals and safe take-offs and piqued my interest in Macedonia, while Bob Fisher’s landings. Keep on flying, and keep sending me your article on “Hang Glide Texas” and Gary Leach’s “Lucky stories. You can reach me at editor@ushpa.aero. Number 13!” flight report just might lure me down to Texas sometime soon. I always enjoy reading articles about places where I’ve flown. Jack Grisanti’s “Exploded Tire” article is proof positive that our fears of tire damage driving to

C.J. Sturtevant Last month’s centerspread caption and credit should have included that photographer Darren Darsey is the recipient of the 2006 Bettina Gray photography award.

In last month’s article on contributing photos for use in the magazine (“Put Yourself Into the Picture”), the links to the magazinerelated pages on USHPA’s Web site were incorrect. Please go to ushpa.aero/ magazine.asp to submit both photos and text.

Out With the Old! In With the New! USHPA Logo Design Contest, Stage Two By Peter Birren, peter@birrendesign.com

The first stage of the USHPA logo contest is complete. More than 100 designs have been submitted – thank you all very much! Now Stage Two begins: choosing the one ideal logo for first place honors, and the runners-up. This selection process begins with you, the members. Please visit www.ushpa. aero by February 21, click the link to the Logo Contest and mark your favorites. The jury will then take your selections into consideration when making the final picks to be presented to the board of directors in March for their voting. Time is short and your participation is important for the success of this project. Thank you to everyone who sent in artwork. We look forward to seeing all the designs – and the hard work that went into them.

February 21: member advisory selection complete March 1: jury selection of the top two concepts complete March 9 or 10: USHPA directors vote on the ﬁnal design during the spring USHPA BOD meeting in Colorado Springs, March 9-11

Photo:Luis Rosenkjer

Spring Flying In the Alps

Flying at Plain Joux, just minutes from St. Gervais, with France’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, behind

Jump-start your paragliding season with a trip to the French Alps, where it all began! This area is still considered

airtime as you can handle during their guided tour to the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps from May 26 to June 4. They’ll take you to famous sites such as St. Hilaire, Annecy, Chamonix, Mieussy, Verbier, La Madeleine, Les Saissis and more. With accommodations based out of St. Gervais, France, which is near Chamonix and Megeve, all the flying sites are within two hours’ drive. Spring in the Alps offers consistent flying, with light thermal conditions and generally sunny skies. Luis has been guiding international pilots to France for the last five years and due to the popularity of those trips he is now offering the same itinerary to U.S.-based pilots. Non-pilots are welcome as well, and an interpretive guide with transportation will be available. For more information contact Luis at www.atlantaparagliding.com, luis@ atlantaparagliding.com, or Todd at wallowaparagliding@gmail.com.

the paragliding mecca of the world, and Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand will get your season started with as much February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

USHPA 2008 Calendars Need Your Photos! UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION INC.

address, telephone number, AND each photo must also include a photo caption, site name, site location, pilot name and wing name.

Safe Pilot Awards The USHPA recognizes the following pilots, whose accident-free flying has earned them Safe Pilot awards. Congratulations to Patrick TownsendWells of Castro Valley, California, on his achievement of logging 1000 conIt’s that time of year again when we secutive safe flights, earning him the ask all USHPA members to dig through 1st Diamond Safe Pilot Award; to Riss your slides and digital pictures to select Estes of Austin, Texas, on his achieveyour best for consideration in the next ment of logging 500 consecutive safe generation of calendars. You are our flights, earning him the Gold Safe Pilot most valuable resource, and you have Award, and to Jeff Shapiro of Missoula, helped bring the calendars to a new level. Montana, on his achievement of logging Please send us your best-composed, most 100 consecutive safe flights, earning him colorful HORIZONTAL-format 35mm the Bronze Safe Pilot Award. slides or digital photos as candidates for the 2008 edition. If you have a photo that News From APCO represents the thrill and beauty of why we fly, please send it in! Since our calendars are printed large format at high resolution, we prefer slides for the best reproduction possible. The 2008 calendars will change slightly in size to coincide with the aspect ratio of slides and digital photos. High-quality digital photographs are also acceptable if they are a MINIMUM of 3210 W x 2140 H pixels (6.9 megapixels), although 4013 W x 2675 H pixels (10.7 megapixels) is preferred. Please submit digital photos on CD or DVD if possible, but ftp is also available. Email martin@ushpa.aero for ftp uploading directions. DO NOT RESIZE YOUR IMAGE. SUBMIT UNALTERED AT HIGHEST RESOLUTION. The deadline for submissions is May 31. So don’t delay, take advantage of win- Pál Takáts over lower ledge at Mevo Hama launch, ter’s down time and dig out those out- Golan Heights standing photos that deserve to be seen by all. Send your best HORIZONTAL Last summer, APCO introduced format photos to USHPA Calendar, their new acro wing, Twister. APCO Attn: Martin Palmaz, PO Box 1330, pilots Pál Takáts and Gábor Kézi parColorado Springs CO 80901-1330. All tipicated in ACRO 2006 Airgames in contributors will receive confirmation of Oludeniz, Turkey, where the flying was receipt, and photos will be returned upon good, and Gábor and Pál gave a breathcompletion of the project. Call or email taking show. Pál again demonstrated the Martin at 1-800-616-6888, martin@ unique “Misty to Infinity” move and for ushpa.aero with questions. a grand finale he performed 76 Infinity Submissions must include photog- tumblings in a row – definitely a worldrapher’s name, email address, mailing class show! February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

The Twister has proven popular with non-acro pilots as well. In many parts of the world there is great demand for a small, fast, stable, fun glider that can handle high winds (greater than 35km/ hour, or about 21mph) for ridge soaring. APCO delivered Twisters to regions with prevailing strong coastal winds, such as Holland and Australia, and received surprisingly exciting feedback. An Australian pilot reports: “I flew the Twister for three hours in a 35km wind at a coastal site. It was the most fun I ever had on a paraglider!” He comments on the Twister’s “fluidity, speed, maneuverability, amazing tip pressure at over 90° wingover, the ability to transfer surges, and the fact that it just does what you want it to do so easily.” From Holland, a pilot reports: “We were soaring with it at dunes of only 12m height in strong wind…It’s amazing that such a small glider is lifting you as soon as a normal glider. I went as high as the normal gliders but when the wind increased a little, I was the only one who [continued flying], still not using the speed system. I am not an aerobatic pilot, but I enjoy very much flying the Twister. It feels very safe.” Keep in mind that high-wind flying requires an appropriate site as well as higher-level skills and quicker-thannormal reflexes. If you’re a skilled pilot who’s been grounded due to blownout conditions at your local beach site, the Twister may be of interest to you. Contact APCO at apco@apcoaviation .com. They’ve been experiencing some problems with email communications; if you don’t receive a prompt reply, try apco@netvision.net.il or contact them by phone (+972 4 627 3727) or fax (+972 4 627 3728). The latest information on APCO pilots and products is online at www.apcoaviation.com. News From ADVANCE

Chrigel and Karin

Chrigel Maurer notches up a great achievement on La Réunion and becomes the ﬁrst pilot in the history of paragliding to win the overall World Cup twice in succession – ﬂying

Manilla 2007: A Paragliding World Championships For Everyone! By Godfrey Wenness, event organizer

The organizers and competitors of the 2007 Paragliding World Championships at Manilla, February 24-March 9, are inviting all pilots to attend and be part of the excitement. Paragliding world meets have in the past failed to attract significant numbers of visitors and spectators. Mostly that’s due to remote locations, limited visitor flying and the lack of a simple invitation. The Manilla event will be unique in that spectators and visitor pilots are encouraged to attend and fly before and after the competition pilots have left Mt. Borah. Spectator pilots will be able to follow the course to goal with

little or no interference with the comp pilots – and they’ll have the chance to attend one of the best XC skills clinics ever and support their national pilots. Manilla offers a variety of landscapes including river valleys, rolling hills and plateau country (300-1000m), low ridges (600m) and a volcanic peak at over 1400m. Only after 50100kms, depending on direction, will you see pure flatlands. Conditions vary from strong but smooth 5-8 m/s blue days to altitudes of 4000m or more, to easy-cruising 3-4 m/s up days. The classic comp task is the downwind blast for up to 200km, but it’s not as easy as it sounds! The 2007 event will start with a street parade, huge airshow, opening party, fireworks and a concert. A purpose-built town square will be open for the duration of the comp, with food outlets, a big screen and nightly entertainment. The Manilla area, five hours northwest of Sydney by car, is cheap to stay in by European standards. Rental cars can be organized for as little as 15€ a day. Details, including the event programme and a full accommodation list, are at www .manilla2007.com.

Climbing out from the west launch at Mt. Borah, Manilla

Photo: Godfrey Wennes

his 2005 glider! Karin Appenzeller won the ladies’ final classification. There was a lot at stake for the ADVANCE team pilots at this final competition of the 2006 World Cup Tour on La Réunion. Chrigel and Karin had arrived on this Indian Ocean island as leaders in the overall classification. Since this challenging region had already caught out other favorites for the overall victory in years gone by, Chrigel and Karin were well warned. Thanks to some masterly tactical performances with his OMEGA Proto, Chrigel managed to keep the competition at bay and was able to control events from the leading group at all times. Because of this consistency, he won a third PWC this season in La Réunion to add to his previous wins in Brazil and Slovenia, and, for the second time in succession, he placed first in the overall World Cup, an achievement that no other pilot has ever managed. This accomplishment is even more noteworthy because Chrigel competed again this season on the same glider that he flew during the last two years at every PWC. The fact that Chrigel, despite his young age, already ranks among the most successful athletes in this sport was once again emphasized this season by his second place in the European Championships in France and a second place in the team ranking at the Aerobatic World Championships (synchro) in Switzerland. Karin Appenzeller, on the other hand, was less fortunate on La Réunion and had to relinquish the lead in the Overall World Cup after the second task. Then Mr. Hitchcock himself took over and in a breathtaking final, Karin was able to take again the first place in the final classification. Ewa Wisnierska, last year’s winner, was forced to relinquish the defense of her title without contest, due to an injury earlier in the season. Other outstanding ADVANCE pilots this year include Andy Aebi, who won two heats in his first World Cup in Brazil, as well as the Austrian Heli Eichholzer, whose consistent performances consolidated his position in the World Cup elite. Among the ladies, Caroline Brille and Eliane Ueltschi were regularly to be found in the leading group. You will find all the details and pictures at http://www .pwca.org.

News From Skywalk Richard Gallon, a 33-year-old French pilot, has established a reputation in many categories of paragliding. No matter if it’s competing in a PWC, performing spectacular acro maneuvers or speedgliding, his abilities are indisputable. In spite of more than 20 years of flying paragliders, Richard is not at all tired of the sport. Far from it! He is always looking forward to the next flight and he considers flying to be something very special. In 2007 Richard will compete on the Skywalk team as well as support the R&D team in development of the POISON 2. You’ll also find him professionally assisting the team at festivals and camps. Skywalk welcomes Richard on board for 2007, and the entire team is looking forward to successful cooperation!

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Reader Requests Greater Detail in Accident Report

tently excellent photos for each month, and it greatly exceeded my expectations. (email, 12/6) I’ll be looking at it every day at work in I am reading December’s USHPA 2007. Hopefully it will sell well because .AERO and just finished the accident it would be a shame to not have a parareports. I must admit that I appreci- gliding calendar of this caliber in 2008. ate the first report on the P-1 landing; Dominick Furlano, USHPA #82626 I have been guilty of the same mistake! However, one point that struck me was The 2007 paragliding calendar has sold that there was no mention of the P-1’s in- well enough to allow removal of USHPA structor or communication with the in- paragliding calendars from the “endanstructor. The Recommended Operating gered species” list. The 2008 calendar project Limitations say that all flights should be is already underway – information about under direct supervision… submitting your best photos for both hang I realize this is a recommendation; gliding and paragliding calendars is in this however, it might add something to the month’s Pilot Briefings column. report to know whether the P-1 was under supervision, had radio contact with an instructor etc. Tim Walsh, USHPA #84035 Putting Those Motors to Good Use

Geographic photographer named George Steinmetz, and shows what a real pro can accomplish when using one of these wings. He used the paraglider to come up with one of the most amazing shots I’ve ever seen. But the primary subject matter is the beauty of his ﬂight. Here’s the link: http://w w w.nationalgeographic.com. tr/ngm/konu.asp?Konu=3&Yil=05& A y=02#. It takes forever to download by dial-up, a little faster with a high-speed connection, but you can just start the download and go away for a while. Then click the “Videoyu Baslat” button (this was apparently done for the Turkish edition of National Geographic). Enjoy! Keith Nichols, USHPA #1530

More of George Steinmetz’s images, and my article on him and his use of his paramotor Kudos for 2007 Paragliding Calendar Although I’m not a big fan of motor- to capture his amazing shots of desert terrain (email, 12/20) ized paragliding, what you get at the link and life, “In Quest of the Right Perspective,” Wow, the 2007 paragliding calendar is below is fascinating and probably worth can be found in the August 2005 issue of this superb with its fantastic photos! Overall, a mention in the magazine so others magazine. A search for “George Steinmetz” it’s the best yet in terms of consis- can view it. It was shot by a National on the nationalgeographic.com Web site will (email, 12/7)

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

lead you to many more of his stunning aerial- cast a vote for the representatives we think not a spur-of-the-moment vote; your regionperspective desert shots. are most closely aligned with our viewpoints, al director should have made you aware of the issue in time for you to comment before and they cast the actual votes on each issue. “Mandatory” Instructor Liability The same is true of USHPA. You elected the vote was taken last fall. Insurance – Un-American? your regional director, and he or she casts a (email, 12/10) vote as your representative. The RDs voted In the December issue, Mr. Broyles in favor of this insurance, and in favor of rejects the label of “arrogant” to describe making it mandatory. It’s their job to look the BOD’s actions on instructor liability at the big picture and make the best decisions insurance. I am not sure that he has the they can in light of that perspective. This was best perspective from which to render a judgment on this. I do know that the BOD has levied the majority of this new expense on our instructors without eﬀort to consult or even inform us. If Mr. Broyles doesn’t like “arrogant,” I’ll oﬀer another adjective for taxation without consultation. Call it un-American. Barry Levine, USHPA #63942

On the contrary, Barry, the BOD’s action is totally American. We the individual citizens of the U.S. do not get to vote on every tax item – or every law, no matter what its content – that aﬀects us. Instead, the people whom we have elected to represent us in government make those decisions for us. We

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The Foundation Goes To Wallaby By Connie Locke Photos courtesy The Foundation

From left to right: Trustee Mark Forbes, executive director Connie Locke, trustee Randy Leggett, Wallaby host Malcolm Jones (in shadow), and secretary Liz Sharp after an early morning ﬂight

is The Foundation for Free Flight. This name had been a finalist before and we are confident it will serve all our needs well going forward. We discussed several grant applications and some were funded at the meeting. This process takes place only twice anAerotowing at Wallaby Ranch nually, once in the spring and once in the fall. If you wish to apply for a grant, download an application from our Web site, The Foundation held its semi-annual face-to-face meeting at check our meeting schedule online, and get the application in the Wallaby Ranch, near Orlando, Florida, on November 11, before one of our meetings. (For now our Web site remains 2006. Holding the meeting at a flying site provides the unique http://www.ushgf.org, pending clearing a new URL related to opportunity to converse with the flying public about how we the new name.) Within our structure we have three funding can best serve our forms of flight, and discuss among ourselves, categories: site preservation, safety & education, and compein real time, what we learn. Travel to more flying sites around tition. Competition usually draws the largest number of apthe country to continue this inquiry is high on our list and we plications and receives the least support through donations. look forward to the opportunity. We would like to send a par- Consider holding a fundraiser or having a donation box at your ticularly special thanks to Wallaby Ranch for donating lodging, next flying event to aid the competition fund. The Foundation meals, and a lot of fun. would like to do more to help the competitors representing our While we had, as always, a full docket of issues to discuss, country, but your support is needed to make this possible. we made sure to take some time for a few short flights. They The Foundation is operated completely by dedicated volunprovided both the perfect stress relief from an intense workload teers. If you have an interest in helping the flying community and a visceral reconnection to why we were doing this work. build a stronger future we welcome your assistance. If you can Our name needed a further evolution. The name selected aid our fundraising efforts, or have questions or ideas you would in June, The Foundation for Hang Gliding and Paragliding, like to explore, please contact us either on the Web or by phone was unwieldy and has not been working for us. It is difficult to at 888-262-4264. pronounce and difficult to utilize. At this meeting we voted to change it one more time and then leave it alone. The new name

Wallaby’s efﬁcient staff prepares Liz for ﬂight, while trustees Riss Estes and Russ Locke confer. February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Riss Estes (on left) and Russ Locke

Five Years With a Powered Harness is considerable – new units are $6000 and up. During flight there is more complexity, additional weight, handling changes, and general coaxing and maintenance of a small 2-cycle engine. And yes, there is noise. On the other hand, imagine being able to fly and have a life. No crew required, and your flying site could be as close as your backyard. Wind direction is much less important, and you can soar sites that were previously inaccessible. There is less pressure to fly on a given day because you don’t have a long drive (and probably a whole day invested), so it is easier to make decisions in favor of safety rather than airtime. If your field is close to where you live, you can often assess the conditions without ever leaving home. If the wind direction changes, depending on your field, it may not matter. And once you are set up you can do multiple takeoffs and landings with ease. A recent convert to a powered harness, Bruce Decker of Colorado, posted one of his flying days on a discussion list. He took off from his backyard at 7:15 a.m. to motor over to a pancake breakfast at a nearby airport. He took off again after the breakfast, this time in thermic conditions. Shortly after gaining altitude he was able to shut off the engine and had over an hour of soaring flight on his way back home. He landed at noon and went to his son’s track meet at 2 p.m. If you are thinking that sounds like a good way to spend a day, then you may want to consider a powered harness. I asked other owners, “What do you wish you had known when you bought your harness?” What follows is condensed from those replies and my own thoughts.

Hanging out in lift below a cloud with the engine off

My two main flying partners of 20 years have both retired from the sport. My “home” flying site, at which there would often be as many as 10 or 15 pilots on a good day, now sees only a handful of flights in a year. And it seems every year there are more demands on my time. In early 2001 I bought a Swedish Aerosports Mosquito NRG. While pow-

ered harnesses (PH) are not for everyone, I know that without mine I would no longer be an active hang glider pilot. I would like to share what I have learned in these past ﬁve years regarding the compromises and trade-oﬀs involved. Pilots vary widely in preferences and opinions and only the individual pilot can decide how it balances out for him or her. Cost

Flying

I have written two previous articles about powered harnesses, with details of the changes in bar position or launching technique; those articles are online on my Web site (see Resources at the end of this article for the URL). A summary is that good ﬂat-slope launch

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skills are required, and you will find that the control bar trims at a lower position relative to your body. There are about 40 pounds of added weight with a PH, much of which is below your feet, so you will feel less nimble in turns. Personally, I found these changes easy to adapt to. I always fly relative to the glider trim position, so I hardly notice the difference in bar position. With the extra weight I also have more roll authority. When using the engine there are more changes. The glider has a greater tendency to want to “wind in” on turns, and on a thermally day, at full throttle, it can become a bit of a wrestling match. However, learning new techniques can make things a lot easier. With any of the prone PH models you have a variable thrust line – it can work with you or against you. That is a complex topic, but the very short version is that some old habits of flying (like leading a turn with your feet) can be counterproductive with a powered harness. But by learning to use the thrust to your advantage you can make the handling a great deal easier under power. Performance

Most pilots are familiar with density altitude (DA), which increases as air density decreases. Unpowered, this means that at high altitudes you must run faster to launch and will land at a higher speed. The effects become more noticeable with power. To simply maintain altitude at a constant angle of attack requires increased power when DA increases (because velocity must increase). At the same time, available engine power decreases. Those two values can come together surprisingly fast. Conditions that might make for an easy takeoff at 70°F can become unexpectedly challenging at 85° or 90°F. First-generation PHs all used the same Radne 120cc motor. It is an engine with a proven record and is sufficient for flying at DA below 4000-5000 feet (at 2000 feet actual elevation on an 85°F day, the DA is around 4500 feet). For pilots at higher altitudes, however, attempts to fly PH have spawned jokes about “salad shooters.” That is changing. A new U.S. entry, Hidden Mountain (“There is a mountain hidden in your back yard”) has introduced the X1, which has significantly higher levels of power. This has made takeoffs routine at much higher DA levels (10,000 feet DA and above). Other manufacturers are offering improved tuned exhausts and other modifications. At its best, however, a powered harness is a low-power compromise between powered and free flight. If you only want to motor around, you probably won’t be happy with the relatively slow climb rates of a PH – better to consider a trike or other ultralight. A powered harness is best thought of as a self-launch device for a hang glider. It’s best use is to simply gain enough altitude to start working whatever lift is available, although on a stable, calm day, it can be fun to motor around and see the sights. Mechanical

Powered harnesses use small 2-cycle engines. That means gasoline, oil, sparkplugs, and regular maintenance. The motors are reliable mechanically, but they still require ﬁddling. February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Launching at the local airport

Other Pilots

One pilot wrote, “The most surprising thing I found out about (powered harnesses) that I did not expect is how much negative feedback I would receive from having so much fun.” I have experienced this as well. I realize many pilots are offended by the noise, and I have chosen not to fly anywhere that I don’t feel entirely welcome. Besides, there isn’t much reason to. If I drive all the way to a mountain site I would prefer to free-fly. I use power to fly closer to home and in a wider range of conditions. So the strength of some of the reactions has surprised me. Some pilots object to it as being “unpure” or cheating. I’ve heard comments such as “driving mindlessly around the sky.” I guess I can understand that, although perhaps if they tried launching from the flats on a warm, light-wind day they might The training hill where the author first learned to fly 25 years ago – it was his dream most of those years to be able to see it from this vantage point. rethink the “mindless” part. And for me the cost of remaining “pure” would have been leaving the sport. Using the PH keeps Vibration loosens things. Fortunately that is confined to the my skills current. If I can launch from the flats in challenging powered harness, as the hang strap is effective at isolating the conditions, then a mountain launch – for those rare free-flying glider from the vibration. Carbs need adjusting and things wear opportunities – is easy. out or break. Some pilots become involved in tuning their engines with carb and exhaust modifications (to increase power Social and reduce noise). The point is, you will not be spending all The social aspects are what I miss the most. I fly by myself. I your time flying. But you will be saving time driving to the wish it were otherwise, and if enough people started using PHs, mountain, and airtime will be easier to come by. it could be great. It could be like some tow parks, where you can make it a family affair. Fly for a while, come back and eat lunch, visit with the spouse, and take off again. Except you don’t need a tug or crew and you don’t need to wait your turn. Or you could plan a group cross-country trip where you know you will be flying together. Shut the engine off and thermal when you can, but if you hit a sink cycle, use power until you find lift again. The Brits and French have been doing week-long touring bivouacs with powered harnesses for several years now. I’d love to do that sometime. So what if it is “unpure” and “cheating” – I’m of an age where I no longer have anything to prove. I only have rare opportunities to fly, and when one of those comes along, I want to fly, not be frustrated by the conditions. Safety

Although I reach this conclusion cautiously, I am coming to believe that a powered harness is a comparatively safe way to fly. There is the spinning prop, which could be lethal if a mishap sent prop pieces flying, but that is common to any form of powered flight. The majority of accidents I know of result in equipment damage rather than injury. You are usually taking off on flat ground, and most powered harness mishaps happen during launch, often without leaving the ground. As long as you have wheels, even most “blown launches” simply result in grass stains and a red face. A number of pilots have commented that they feel much safer taking off with a powered harness than by any form of tow launch. The forces are lower and you are in complete control of them. You control the direction of the force, without having to follow a towline or worry about tug position. If you get turned by turbulence, you can simply continue flying in the

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This area has many ridges, all tree-covered, with few roads to the top. The powered harness has allowed access to many of these that were unavailable before.

new direction, so long as there are no obstacles. If things go wrong you simply spit out the throttle – no need to fumble for a release. A major safety consideration is simply having a large enough ﬁeld that is free of obstructions. You can’t aﬀord to depend on any assumptions about how fast you will climb or that the engine won’t quit. You need to have a way to turn or land at all times. Final Thoughts

For myself, buying a powered harness is one of the best ﬂying investments I’ve

made since I bought my first glider. The first few times I launched a hang glider from flat ground brought back that same sense of magic I’d experienced 25 years ago when I took my first flights. It still feels like magic, and has added new dimensions and wonder to my flying, while taking away nothing. I am still able to free-fly whenever I have the opportunity, but now I’ve added many more opportunities and conditions for flying. I have been cloud hopping while pilots 20 miles away were standing on a mountaintop kicking rocks hoping for the wind direction to change. I have finally been able to

ﬂy “sites” I have looked at for years, but that have no road access or launch. And yes, I have just motored around under a layer of stratus clouds in glass-smooth air enjoying the sights. And even then, the ﬂights ended with a quiet sled ride.

Resources: http://wind-drifter.com Wind Drifter has reprints of my earlier powered harness articles, discussions of the effect of power on handling, as well as links, and other information. There is also a current list of manufacturers. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ﬂphg/ Flphg (foot launched powered hang glider) Discussion List is a friendly place with a worldwide body of knowledge about powered harnesses. February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Paragliding Accident Report By Jon Goldberg-Hiller

A P-3 pilot was killed last October flying a DHV 1 glider at of the proximity required to stay in the lift band. The pilot’s a rugged ocean site. The weather conditions were good, having attention on the wingtip likely meant that he wasn’t observing recently improved after the passage of a squall that had ground- the lines that he was approaching at his body-level. Burn marks ed other pilots. The pilot launched at a commonly used site just on his body and the harness suggest that he contacted the outer below some power lines and was observed to contact the lines wire at his hip level and he then tumbled into the second wire, with his body perhaps half a minute after launching. Contact setting up a phase arc in the high-voltage lines. This accident teaches two types of lessons. The first involves with the wires set off a bright flash, after which the pilot was observed to be hanging unconscious in his harness. He contin- the importance of self-care immediately after launching, and ued to fly higher and curved slowly toward the cliffs behind him the central dogma of “fly the wing” that many of us learned to where he crashed and was then dragged by the wind up the cliff chant sub-audibly whenever anything unexpected happens near face. The pilot never regained consciousness and died shortly launch. Under the constructed scenario above, had the pilot steered the wing until he was at a safe altitude before trying thereafter in the hospital. to detangle the lines, he Forensic analysis of his might have avoided this equipment permits some A small spring, nearly invisible, was found lodged in accident. speculation about what may The second type of have caused him to drift into the outer left A and B lines, clipping together about four lesson is one order rethe wires. A small spring, upper cascades at their knots; it would have been hard moved from the first. nearly invisible, was found to spot when the wing was first inflated. The launch itself was lodged in the outer left A situated in an area in and B lines, clipping together about four upper cascades at their knots; it would have been which inattention, even for a short amount of time, created the hard to spot when the wing was first inflated. Whether this risk of electrocution. Those pilots with years of experience evalspring caused his wing to veer to the left and into the wires isn’t uate the dangers and difficulties of a launch in a much different certain; too many lines were damaged by rescuers to allow post- way than do more inexperienced pilots. Seeing more competent pilots successfully use a launch will not necessarily tell a less accident kiting of the wing. However, the lines likely appeared from the pilot’s vantage experienced pilot that the launch is safe, or what is necessary to be knotted and he may have been trying to clear them soon to do to make it such. And while avoidance of dangers can be after he launched. He turned left after launch, paralleling the – indeed, must be – part of every pilot’s repertoire, it asks a lot of power lines. Flying along these power lines is one common intermediate and beginning pilots to practice these in situations manner of gaining altitude immediately following launch at where mere seconds of leeway are all that a given launch will this site, but many pilots keep a close eye on the lines because offer. While an advanced pilot may see a line tangle and sense that urgency is not required, intermediate pilots may lack this judgment and see such irregularities as an immediate threat, taking their attention away from more pressing safety issues. At such a launch as this, the danger of this mistake can be death. Differentiating between these two types of issues will take community efforts to help those who cannot distinguish them recognize and make wiser choices. It may also be that the safety of all requires prudence among accomplished pilots where the ability of a few to fly a potentially dangerous site successfully teaches a dangerous lesson to other pilots. Another recently reported accident also involved debris-induced line tangle. A P-4 pilot flying a DHV 2 wing at a grass ridge-soaring site crashlanded after a bad launch. Winds were greater than 15 mph and the launching pilot decided not to clear his wing in the strong conditions. He had previously landed in some grassland sticks and by electing not to build a horizontal wall and instead to use a “cobra,”

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or vertical wall, he minimized his ability to see whether the miliar site decided not to walk the small landing zone before flying. On landing, he overshot the primary LZ and was unlines were completely free of debris. As the wing came up, the trailing tip caught some sticks familiar with alternatives. Seeing few good options, he reports while the pilot was yanked airborne. He noticed that he had deciding to make a 180-degree turn back to the original LZ. little brake control, weight-shifted heavily to bring the wing He was too low to complete the turn and flared hard, hitting into the wind, and gained altitude. Fearing he might be blown the ground with his harness, hand and feet all at once. The over the top with minimal control, he reached for his D risers glancing blow to his hand dislocated his wrist and broke a small hoping this would bring him down, but the angle of attack in- bone in his hand. This pilot illustrates the problem of overconfidence as well creased along with his height above the hill. The wing turned back into the hill, rapidly descended, and the pilot tried an eva- as confusion when critical options appear limited. A caresive turn. He crashed into the hill on his feet and suffered a bad ful pilot should take the opportunity of learning as much as possible about the site sprain of one ankle. being flown; skipping the The pilot reviews his Any decision that puts a pilot in a situation where critical chance to walk the LZ or flight retrospectively as the opportunity of a briefa set of good and bad decisions must be made correctly and quickly is a poor ing by local pilots adds choices. He succeeded in decision from the beginning. risk to a flight. Without turning the wing into the alternative landing opwind, and in choosing to crash on his feet rather than his back – both good. His “cocky, tions in mind and at hand, an improperly set up landlazy attitude when launching in higher winds,” and the poor ing at an unknown field becomes a nightmarish end to a decision to use D risers to abort the flight, end up in his bad good flight. Decisions cannot be adequately made withcolumn. Of course, both sets of decisions wouldn’t have been out genuine options, opportunities worth striving for on necessary had things not gone wrong from the start. Thus, the every flight. origin of good and evil (in this case) stems from an underlying issue: the danger associated with debris on launch or already entangled in the wing from a previous landing is not addressed by a launch method designed primarily to accommodate high winds. Much like the fatal accident above, any decision that puts a pilot in a situation where critical decisions must be made correctly and quickly is a poor decision from the beginning. In another accident, a P-4 pilot was flying at an inland mountain site and elected to go cross-country to see his house. Using standard cross-country protocol, he observed a suitable landing field and then pushed farther to overfly his house. Once above the house, he had a notion to land in his yard and spotted what appeared to be a workable pattern. The landing area was small and the pilot used a wingover to lose altitude above the site. As he sank lower, he noticed a tree in his path and pulled the brakes hard in an attempt to clear the obstacle. Instead, his wing entered a stall and the pilot dropped to the ground from what he estimates to be 45 feet. He reports some injuries to his face, neck and back, but after taking an ambulance to the hospital he was treated and released. This accident reveals the compulsion of novelty as well as its lurking dangers. It is not hard to read the accident report and understand fully the emotion behind trying something as audacious and noteworthy as landing in the yard; it is the stuff of dreams. In this case, it meant throwing caution to the wind, and also a lot of earlier opportunities for judgment. If the pilot hadn’t spotted a landing opportunity while walking around his house, but only saw it from the air minutes before an attempt, a few bells of caution should have been rung. Another accident in a new LZ reveals the dangers of small but unfamiliar spaces. A P-4 pilot flying for the first time in a month on a relatively new DHV 1-2 glider at an unfaFebruary 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Jeff O’Brien

Years ago the Valhalla of hang gliding was the Owens Valley. It was there nearly every cross-country pilot longed to visit to test his or her nerve and mettle against the seething forces of nature. The reward was often getting the longest flight of one’s life. But better glider performance and increased collective knowledge have opened up our home sites to long flights, and now world records, once an exclusive domain of the Owens, have moved elsewhere. Then too, we are growing older and perhaps a bit wiser. So it was with a bit of anticipation and excitement that I returned to the Owens in mid-October with a brand-new Wills Wing T2 to test, wring out and play with. Wills Wing had provided me with the glider thanks to the efforts of my Santa Barbara flying buddy, John Greynald. The idea was to go on an old-fashioned road trip, flying wherever and whenever we could. We took a detour to San Francisco for the USHPA meeting, a trip to Golden Gate Park for a free concert, a sojourn in Tahoe with John’s sister, and a wedding in Bishop, but I still managed

FLYING THE WILLS WING T2 144 A PILOT REPORT

to garner several ﬂights and 4 1/2 hours of airtime on the glider. THE T2 TECHNICALITIES

The T2 is a sleek topless wing intended for pilots of advanced (H-4) rating. The design sports curved tips and the expected faired uprights and basetube. It has all the bells and bows of a modern glider plus a few tricks of its own, as we shall see. For this glider review I had a beneficial bonus. The designer, Steve Pearson, wrote me a synopsis of what his development ideas and procedures were. In fact, I will quote freely from what he wrote because it is so pertinent to our purpose of understanding what this glider is all about. Steve wrote: “As the name suggests, the T2 is an evolution of the Talon (Wills’s first topless offering) with significant structural changes – I kept the planform and changed pretty much everything else. The leading edge construction returns to the stepped configuration that I introduced with the HP-AT and every other WW high-

performance model since (except for the Talon). I often make choices early in development that are difficult to fully evaluate until a design matures. In the case of the Talon, it wasn’t until well into production that I was able to quantify the performance benefits of the 60mm front leading edge because it’s so small. Clearly, it was a mistake to give up any potential in a class of gliders where pilots are so acutely aware of any differences.” To clarify what Steve is referring to, we’ll note that the Talon had 50mm (2 inch) diameter leading edges for its entire length while the T2 starts with 60mm (2.36 inches), then steps down to 50mm through the means of an eccentric insert. This design technique was invented by Steve and has been a great boon for all manufacturers since it allows a designer to specifically vary a leading edge’s stiffness where needed. The Talon suffered performance loss at high speeds because the forward part of the leading edges bowed too much under the loads. This is all fixed with the T2, so everyone is happy. Another major change from the Talon

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to the T2 is the VG system. On the Talon it consisted of a cam at the leading edge/crossbar junction, which effectively lengthened the crossbar when the VG was pulled. On the T2, the system consists of the more conventional crossbar sliding forward and back, which effectively changes its length. The cam system was heavier, but had the advantage of not changing the glider’s dihedral balance as VG setting is changed (the side cable is connected directly to the crossbar with the cam system and all the change takes place outside of this connection). Steve says: “The VG system change was a concession to the market. Robert Reisinger convinced me that the cam VG system was never going to be accepted by comp pilots, independent of any structural or aerodynamic factors. I do miss the high-speed directional stability of the Talon system. (But, of course the weight and complexity savings are worth the tradeoff for roll stability, as we shall see when we discuss handling below.) One disadvantage of the cam system is that it added about 1.5 pounds to the glider weight. Ironically, changing to a conventional VG system was not welcomed in our markets where the Talon had done well in competition, like Brazil. “The conventional VG system also presented some challenges integrating with my keel/crossbar beam system (the hefty metal frame that holds the two crossbar halves together and guides them to ride along the keel as VG changes are made in a topless glider). There’s barely enough room to make that work. The systems on the designs of other manufacturers extend forward and back from the crossbar plates to resist the loads imposed by the crossbar ‘V’ configuration. I prefer to have a longer rear section which prevents the crossbar from scissoring sideways at tight VG, binding on the keel, and requiring stabilizing cables.”

The C section in action: Note the inner sprog is part of this connection. It automatically adjusts as the crossbar is moved by VG inputs.

Steve continues: “All these changes re- The complex double C crossbar/leading edge junction is machined out of a single block of aluquired a completely new sail (a Talon sail is minum. barely flyable on a T2 frame). At the same time, I changed the airfoil and stiffened the stability system (the sprogs). The Fusion was the first topless glider to structurally link the crossbar to the leading edge with a stiff torsion coupling. When I added the extra plate between the Fusion crossbar and leading edge, it more than doubled the stiffness [cutouts] on the double ‘C’ bracket save a few of the sprog system. As you probably noticed, grams while taking 15 minutes of machine the T2 has a large 1-piece double ‘C’ bracket time to remove. John Greynald told me that that ties the two together. Gerolf [Heinrich, he weighed the 144 that you flew and it was Moyes designer] used to joke that I invented 7 pounds lighter than his Icaro, which is the the sprog system but he improved it. Well, same size.” now we have the stiffest system again. It Other specifics on the glider relatwould have been prohibitively expensive ing to weight are the choice of control to manufacture that bracket without our in- bar and sail material (both items are house CNC (computer-guided milling ma- pilot’s options). Here’s what Steve has chine). The CNC also allows us to sculpt the to say: ““As you know, we have two highsaddle at the base of the Hang-T, making it performance control bar options, the much stronger and reducing crushing loads Litestream and Slipstream. The Litestream on the keel.” saves over one pound of weight compared to There is a lot implied in the above. It the configuration that you flew, at the exshould be noted that the sprogs are the pense of a drag increase (less than the differdive sticks, which supply much of the ence between 2mm and 3/32 side wires). The pitch stability on a topless glider design. Litestream is also much easier to hold with The stiffer the entire sprog system is, the a 2.5 vs. 3.0-inch chord length. Also, please lower they can be set for the same amount note that our corner fittings are machined, of pitch stability on a given design, yield- not cast, which makes them much stronger.” ing better high-speed performance. An The glider I flew had a sail made from added bonus to lower sprog setting is an entirely new product. It consisted of improved handling, because then the sail a laminated Mylar and Dacron composalways remains off the sprogs in normal ite with “protection.” I’ll let Steve tell it: flight modes. The strong bracket Steve “I’m particularly pleased with the new UV refers to is indeed a marvel of engineer- sailcloth. The outer film layer is the primary ing and is just one of the multiple of ma- failure mechanism in Mylar sailcloth as it bechined specialty parts on the glider. comes brittle and cracks, leading to moisture For my part, one of the most noticeable aspects of the T2 is its relatively light weight. The weight savings comes from an economy of parts (note the elimination of the crossbar cables mentioned above) and the new batten material. When you pick up the batten bundle you look around to see what you left on the ground – it’s that light. As Steve tells it: “The 12mm battens are both 20% lighter and 20% stiffer than the tubing they replace. The typical spliced-carbon battens add stiffness but typically add weight. The problem, as you can imagine, is that it’s quite a challenge to bend 7075-T6 tubing, almost 1/2-inch diameter with only a .016-inch wall, into a batten shape. Although I wasn’t willing to trade any performance for weight, I did A clear view of the simple corner fittings and VG jam cleat focus a lot on weight savings. Those little

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This shot shows the clean upper surface and the trick nose cone – all bumps are gone in the night.

File that under the “taking care of business” heading, if you get my drift. T2 HANDLING

I wish I had an instrument system that would measure airspeed, input force, bank angle change and response time, and then I could provide a very objective handling evaluation. As it is, we have to rely on the feedback from my muscles and the breadth of my experience to determine a glider’s handling in these reviews. Well, here’s a little story. I flew the glider for the first time from Flynn’s launch, which is only about 1500 feet up from the Owens Valley floor. I missed the good launch cycle that others caught and had to scratch around launch for 20 minutes, getting as low as 300 under before I found the next ride outta there. When I finally blundered into the big air I was able to core to my liking and throw the glider around, but didn’t think the handling was any better than other nice handling gliders I am used to (this is a competition setup glider, after intrusion and delamination. Our film has been molecularly altered all). to a UV-stable configuration through a special process. According to But then, after the flight I checked out the glider’s tuning Dimension Polyant (the sailcloth manufacturer), this film has never and saw the sprogs were set quite high (factory stock setting). been used in sailcloth, mainly because it costs 20 times more than the After lowering them a conservative amount I discovered the film it replaces. They report that it is impervious to UV deteriora- glider handled much better. In fact, it was an exceptionally notion and stops 90% through transmission. The UV material is avail- ticeable improvement and I can say that this glider is one of able for custom gliders. The option price is (retail) $75 for the Mylar the best handling gliders out there. I found I could thermal pocket or $150 for the whole sail. I priced it close to our cost to help with up to 1/2 VG, which I can’t do on many topless gliders. promote it. I’m hopeful that it will bridge the gap between the typi- (Note that the handling on many gliders is compromised by cal 1000-hour woven sail and 300- to 400-hour laminate sail lifespan.” For more information on this new material and sailcloth in general, visit this page on Wills Wing’s Web site: http://www .willswing.com/features/sailcloth.asp#T2. While we’re on the subject of the sail, I want to take special note of the nose cone arrangement. There is no Velcro holding it at the top rear. Rather, it is attached to the sail. You simply pull it forward and Velcro it underneath the nose plate. It fits perfectly every time and there is no need to pull the nose down to get it aligned. This is a timesaver, but also a great benefit when setting up with higher winds coming from the rear. Put that on your next glider wish list. Finally, I’ll mention something pilots all noticed standing around the glider. There is a dart taken out of the leading edge pocket near the crossbar junction to better smooth the compound curve at this point where leading edges take their characteristic bend. It is this attention to detail that warms the recesses of my heart. Finally, here’s a last word from Steve concerning their crossbar integrity: “As far as I know, we’re the only manufacturer to proof test every one of the spars we use, despite the fact that they are made from Toray high-strength carbon pre-preg with a high-temp, highpressure cure cycle. Every spar is labeled with the test results. The reason for the testing is that there is no way to verify the structural integrity of a laminate by visual inspection. A small crimp in the fiber alignment on the compressive side of a spar can easily reduce the strength by 30% or more. The only reason not to test a spar is to save money.” In all fairness, spar failure hasn’t been a big issue in current gliders, so this is a selling point only for the most worrying minds, but it does illustrate WW’s attention to safety details. This sail looks pretty (and) clean.

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

This UV cloth fairly glows.

high sprog settings since the sail hits the sprogs on the outside wing when a turn is initiated. However, these settings may be necessary on some gliders for ample pitch stability. You should always consult your owner’s manual / dealer / manufacturer when contemplating sprog adjustment.)

In my view, I think the light weight contributes to the nice handling. The battens, which add to outboard weight, have been put on a diet as mentioned, and this can only have a positive handling eﬀect. However, another item I noticed is the crossbar center attachment (crossbar beam) described earlier. Because it stops just in front of the crossbar, the front strap that holds it down to the keel can be longer than on other designs, thus allowing the crossbar to shift more freely. Crossbar shifting is what revolutionized hang glider handling way back in the dark ages. The only negative handling issue I found is not really a handling issue per se, but a part issue. That is the faired aluminum base tube. This tube had no coating on it so I had to grip quite hard in the thrashing lift of the Owens Valley to keep my gloves from slipping, and this eﬀort tired my forearms considerably. Some sort of friction and insulating covering would have kept my hands warmer and reduced the fatigue factor (not to mention the fear factor). We blundered

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into some violent thermals and on one memorable occasion rose to the mountain crests where the true upper tailspin winds were wreaking havoc. Even with the nice handling I was wishing for more grip to enhance my connection and control. Scott Angel – Santa Barbara, Wills Wing and competition pilot all rolled into one – flew the T2 I had after my changes and reported it handled noticeably better than his T1 (the first version of this design available a couple years ago). John Greynald, who flew both gliders, concurred. He flew the T2 for several flights and provided me some indepth feedback. He liked the balanced feel throughout the VG range. By that he meant that the glider didn’t require a lot of high-siding in an established turn, and this effect didn’t change when you changed VG setting as it does on some gliders. John felt a little high-speed PIO tendency, but that’s par for this type of glider (it’s the anhedral balance matter that all non-cam gliders deal with). But on the other hand we both felt that the

perhaps the best I have seen. There are more details than just setup, including maintenance, towing and tuning. I have already mentioned the nose cone, and I still smile about that. The battens are attached in what has become the standard manner: lever clips that make tensioning a breeze. Lower-surface battens slide back in the pocket to remain secure. Both John and I think that the T2’s keel is too short, for the tips will drag the ground on any non-level playing field. The glider comes with a nice, new kickstand keel that steps down to a thinner tube, but in gusty conditions you have to grovel on the ground to get the tips in. Uniquely on WW curved-tip gliders you have to keep the tips wands oriented The no muss, no fuss batten connections the same way, and they are labeled as a T2 really was predictable when speeding guide. The only way I could get the tip in diving turns for landing setup (more cups on is to slide them along the outside, on this matter in the landing discussion which is normal procedure, but not what below). If an intermediate glider gets an I do on other gliders – I can usually put A on its handling report card, the T2 is them on from the rear, which is faster. awarded a B+. Suffice it to say that with But the biggest problem is the tip lever a properly tuned T2 you’ll be a handling rotates down and you have to force it up before flipping it in. This is not a major king or queen – make that ace. problem, but less than perfect. In general, the T2 sets up like any other glider in its SETUP AND BREAKDOWN The setup on the T2 was straightfor- class and there are no issues. On breakdown, there are only two ward. I didn’t bother to look at the owner’s manual because: 1.) I’ve set up a number points to mention. Both the sprogs now of WW gliders, and 2.) I’m male and “we fold forward, which is a departure from don’t need no stinking owner’s manual.” the T1. They are easy to attach (put them But I must say, if you have any doubts, in place and close the zipper) and detach consult the owner’s manual that comes (but you should do it first thing in breakwith this glider for it is very complete and down). The other point (and this is perhaps just my niggling nature) is I don’t like to have to put on five Velcro ties – two on each individual wing and one around the whole thing in front – once the sail is rolled. This is the WW standard, whereas I am used to using three that go around the entire wing. But there are no real surprises or issues here.

This uncoated base tube tends to be slippery and cold.

excel in thermals because you can put it where you want to (now the only thing you have to worry about is where you put it). Not just my impressions, but also the reports I hear, tell that it is a sweet thermaling glider. Pilots have won meets on the glider, so it has the other attributes for performance as well. It will take this season on the glider to tell, but with the several reﬁnements in the sail, we should expect to see the T2 in the running in the big games. Noted world pilots Andreas Olsson and Nene Rotor (Alvaro Sandoli), as well as our own Dustin Martin, will be showing us how the glider goes. I am absolutely sure that recreational pilots will not be disappointed in the T2’s performance. TAKEOFF AND LANDING

Perhaps this is what you’ve been waiting for. Many pilots ﬁnd the most challenging thing about ﬂying the top gliders

PERFORMANCE

The T2 has a new kickstand that would do a Harley proud.

Of course, we all want max performance for our shekels and skill level. Without wringing a glider through competition (the T2 will be and has been), it is hard to prove the ﬁne points of performance. But I will give you a number of observations and facts. First oﬀ, the glider’s really good handling means you have the equipment to

The “outrigger” that holds the crossbars together extends mostly to the rear, allowing the front strap to be relatively long.

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is the near-ground phase of flying. Let us begin by dispensing with the takeoff. I found the lighter weight of the glider and the fine static balance of the T2 to give me great confidence and no problems in the high altitude (7500 feet) flat, light-wind launch at Flynn’s, or the very steep, light-wind two-stepper I had in Santa Barbara. There are no issues but overconfidence with this glider in the launch process. The landing is perhaps where the T2 shines most brilliantly. It has perhaps the widest flare window of any topless glider. John mentioned that he found the uprights to be relatively far back and found it useful to remain on the base tube a bit longer than he normally does so that the glider doesn’t slow too soon. I didn’t notice a difference, but then I was working hard to focus on the less-than-ideal winds. We both landed in various adverse conditions (I had a no-winder at 6000 feet, a gusty 10- to 20-mph one and a mild tailwinder). In all cases the T2 forgave my little peccadilloes and I landed fine. In the gusty condition, I got popped up radically just before flare time and traveled another 40 yards bleeding off speed. If the glider were anything but forgiving it would have wanted to drop a wing in the rolling air. In my assessment, if you can’t land a T2 you should not be flying a topless…period. In summary, this glider may not restore eyesight to the blind, or be the cure for cancer, but it is a sure remedy for what ails most jaded pilots who want a little more ease in their flying without giving up what feeds our egos: exemplary performance. I’ll give Steve the last word on this glider for it truly is his creation (but then he defers to one of his team pilots): “It’s taken A pilot’s view of the spotless wing over a year of refinement with small changes to hardware and sail cuts to get the T2 where I want it. Dustin Martin (U.S. team pilot) reported, (direct unedited quote, about a 144 he recently flew): ‘The glider was great…one of the best handling, gliding, all-around wings I’ve ever flown.’ ” A manufacturer/designer couldn’t ask for more. To satisfy your curiosity, visit willswing.com and click on the T2 page where you’ll find the following specs, as well as options, prices, skill ratings and much more.

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Speciﬁcations: Imperial Units: Speciﬁcation Area (ft2) Span (ft) Aspect Ratio Glider Weight (lbs) Hook-In Weight (lbs) Optimum Body Weight (lbs) Nose Angle (deg) Double Surface (%) USHPA Rating Vne (mph) Va (mph) Vms (mph) Vd (mph) Length (in bag) (in) Break-down (in) HGMA Cert. Sugg. Retail

T2 144 T2 154 144 154 32.3 33.5 7.4 7.5 71 73 160-235 185-285 140-180 180-200 127-132 92 4 53 46 21 70 196 204 152 161 5/22/2006 10/6/2006 $6275.00

Spirit Guide You are part of the land and the red rocks native here. This has always been your home. Your heart travels with the clouds, And the raptors in the distance. You will never be alone. Wild, and free, Like ravens in the wind, Wind playing in our feathers. ;QLM Ja [QLM _M Æa With permission from the Sky, ?Q\P \PM [IUM PMIZ\ _M Æa \WOM\PMZ 2WQVML 1VÅVQ\MTa QV ;XQZQ\ In body, heart and mind, We are friends and we are kindred. Never look behind, There’s no such thing as time, With the same soul intended. Now, slow and steady, We take Our Time, The Wind and Sky are warm. Headed south, Earth and Constellations, They guide our journey home.

Anne (A.C.) Dunlap

Photo: Karl Decker

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Gary kiting at Wells Ln., May 2005

Lucky Number 13: Going (Relatively) Big in Texas! By Gary Leach, P-2 Photos by Klaus Wagner

Saturday July 8, 2006, was a milestone day for me. I’d been working to get my paragliding 10-mile XC this past summer... The day started slow for ﬂying, so we left the house to head out for the tow

road about noon, stopping on the way for as much of Paul’s knowledge as I could, an extended lunch. All the while, Paul and thought, This may well be the day! Greenwood was talking through point- I would be ﬂying Paul’s wing, not mine ers with me. Now I’ve done some ther- – we’d determined that I need one size maling and XC in the past, but I had yet larger wing because I carry so much to make my ﬁrst 10-miler. So I soaked in &@$% with me. I do leave the kitchen February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

sink in the tow vehicle, however… This was definitely a forward-launch day – no wind, just a few light thermals coming through to keep things interesting. We set up on the south end, basically so we wouldn’t have to spend the extra minute and a half driving “all the way” to the other end of the road and after all, we WERE already ON the south end, AND we were already out of the car! So as Mother Nature would have it, I set up and the winds started to play with me... from behind. A couple of blows of the wind convinced us to re-collect the system and head to the north end… yeah, yeah. There wasn’t enough wind, so I STILL did a forward. Paul had told me we were going to launch over and over to the end of the day, but I told him I was only launching once. He didn’t seem too happy about the effort he was going to put forth to have the pilot only give it one try. He hadn’t figured out that I meant it was only going to take me one launch to do what I wanted to do this day! But after a 3.2-mile trek, I admitted I was wrong about launching only once. Oh, boy, I was thinking, I can hear Paul now... By the time I was set up for my second launch, the thermals were starting to come through pretty well – quite big in size, but fairly gentle in strength, providing some good launch winds. I set up off the west side of the road waiting for a cycle to come through so I could do a reverse launch, or at least a 60-degreeangle launch. I wasn’t worried; I’ve launched with those angles many times, and a few times even at 90-degrees. However, it was interesting trying to wing up with an XL wing when I’m so used to my medium. It felt like an albatross at first, but once I had it above me and stable, I turned for “go” and Amy and Paul did what they do so well. As I managed the wing to ensure safety in a 60-degree launch, the dynamic duo pulled me right up off the ground and kept me on a steady, smooth tow to 2000’ AGL. I hit a thermal at low altitude, but decided to go through it. When I passed through the back side of another one, I pinned off and turned to go back and catch it. I heard Paul use some flavorful wording about the towline breaking, especially since it was brand new! However, he soon recovered as he rejoiced in noticing the drogue chute deployed to allow for what they told me was an awesome line retrieve, due to a couple of “quick fixes” to the spool system just

Gary on tow in the Austin area February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

prior to launch. It was great having those big, fat thermals to play with. It was truly the first time I was able to feel which side of the wing was hitting the thermal first. My GPS data indicates I made a steady gain in altitude to 3400’ AGL, then sank back to 1300’. I really needed to find another thermal, or I’d be making that third launch today... Then I felt lift hit my right wing; I made a turn and caught it head on. I went right through it (hey, I’m still learning!) and turned downwind to try to catch it again. This time the left wing hit first, giving me a pretty good idea of the thermal’s shape. Keeping that visual in my mind, I started really trying to apply the tips Paul had given me during our drive out to the site. This day, I was able to feel the wing’s movements while listening to my vario Gary on tow at Hearne telling me where I was inside the thermal. It took a few times to get the hang of making another move. My vario only regwhen to make my move, how big a move istered 100-200 feet per minute up most to make, how long to hold a turn before of the time, but it was pretty steady. That big, fat thermal was just great! Paul continued to coach me through the ascent... all the way to CLOUDBASE! Yes, I made it all the way to cloudbase – now that was definitely a first, and something I had not really planned on for this day. But what an experience! Oh, yes, it reinforced just how fast cloudbase can come up on you when you’re busy. Once “on the other side” and downwind, I went on a four-mile glide, then picked up a more westerly heading. After a couple attempts to catch some more lift, I went on glide again, focusing on how far I could go along Hwy. 29 beneath me, trying to see if I could cross the SH130 toll road (which was still under construction). No problem – I had plenty of altitude, plenty of glide. Just beyond the toll road, I began my final search for a suitable LZ. In this case, it was a small patch of grass between a farmhouse, a penned bull (who was well aware of my presence and let me know it), and a Baptist church, right on the north side of Hwy. 29 in Hutto. What a trip! Two milestones were met on this flight for a relatively new thermal pilot: a 10-mile XC, and making it to cloudbase.

My flight statistics: Actual distance: 13 miles Max altitude: 4800’ AGL Air time: one hour Launch time: 4:20 p.m. Pilot: Gary Leach, P-2 Tow and chase crew: Amy Tomko, driver; Paul Greenwood, tow tech and in-ﬂight coach (Paul is instructor for and co-founder of Paraglide Texas).

A big kudos to Paul and Amy for their work in helping me throughout the day. We celebrated with a nice dinner and relived some of the events we each experienced. Now THAT’S really what this is all about! Amy’s next – I look forward to being on the tow and retrieval side for her, as that’s how we do things here in Austin, Texas... and oﬀ we go...

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Staying

Trim By Christian Thoreson

Trim speed on a hang glider: What is it, why is it important and how do you change it? This article was written for information and awareness. I have noticed that too many pilots have shown little knowledge of hang strap placement and the importance thereof. Trim speed, for all intents and purposes, is the speed at which the glider will fly with neutral or zero bar pressure. Usually trim speed is two or three miles per hour faster than stall speed (the speed at which the glider feels mushy). With a properly trimmed glider you should be able to remove your hands from the control bar and the glider should continue flying stable with a good sink rate. A glider that is not trimmed properly – either trimmed too fast or too slow – can be very detrimental to a pilot’s flying ability, especially a new pilot. The correct trim speed serves as an excellent reference point for landing flares and best minimum sink speed. Flying a glider that is properly trimmed will dramatically aid your learning curve and improve safety. Soaring pilots are altitude managers, and one of the key management points is

the correct speed-to-fly for a given situation. Trim speed is the speed that is used as a reference to other speeds such as stall speed (also known as “critical for flawless landings” speed), minimum sink speed (or “please keep me in the air longer” speed), and best glide speed (a.k.a. “gosh, hope I can make it through this sink to the next thermal” speed). All of these speeds are very important for you, the pilot, to maximize your airtime. An airspeed indicator will help you determine if your trim speed is optimized for your weight on your glider. Knowing that your trim speed is optimized will allow you to reference all other speeds in relation to your hands-off bar position. What usually causes trim problems on a hang glider? The biggest problem for new pilots (and old) is not knowing that hang strap placement on a glider is critical to how the glider flies. When you get a new or different harness or glider, you may need a longer or shorter hang strap to attain the proper height above the base bar. If you are not careful or don’t pay close enough attention to where the original straps were, you can easily put the replacement straps in the wrong place; this will seriously, and negatively, affect the way the glider flies. If your glider was trimmed correctly and you reversed the positions of the main and the backup straps, you could easily and inadvertently have trimmed your glider in a stall. If not properly compensated for, this error can and has caused pilots to crash. In addition, if the hang straps are not properly secured to the keel, they can shift fore or aft, thus causing the glider to be trimmed wrong. Many manufacturers use some sort of friction device to prevent this from happening. Sometimes the main and the backup hang straps can be too similar in length, allowing your weight to shift from the main to the backup and back depending on the speeds you are flying. The backup should be at least one inch longer than

A glider that is not trimmed properly – either trimmed too fast or too slow – can be very detrimental to a pilot’s flying ability, especially a new pilot. February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

the main to ensure you are always hanging only from the main strap. Hang strap positioning: To test for your glider’s trim speed, you should start off by familiarizing yourself with your make and model of glider and with the manufacturer’s owner’s manual. Trim is located in different areas of the keel for each different make, model and manufacturer. Some manufacturers put a sticker on the keel with an arrow that indicates proper trim location. Often there is a kingpost hang system, or a rocker arm. This configuration will require moving the entire kingpost or rocker arm to adjust the trim. Once you have established that the main hang strap (that’s the one you actually hang from, and is the shorter of the two straps) is where it should be according to the make and model of the glider and the information provided in the owner’s manual, then you should test-fly the glider. I recommend using an airspeed indicator as a reference. Testing your glider’s trim: On a day when the air is relatively calm or smooth, attach an airspeed indicator to your glider and launch, using your preferred method (foot launch or tow). Once you have established a significant amount of altitude (500 feet or more) and are free-flying, then you can test for trim speed. Most likely, if the glider is trimmed properly, you will be pulling in on the basetube just a little at this point; the basetube will want to come out to a neutral point. The pressure that you feel from the basetube wanting to come out is called “bar pressure.” Ensure that your wings are level and slowly let the control bar become neutral in your hands. Ask yourself, What is the glider doing? Is it stalling, or porpoising, or gliding too fast? If any of these are happening, go land, make some adjustments (see below), and retest. If you are gliding smoothly at a reasonable airspeed, continue flying, check your airspeed and remember that speed. Ensuring that your wings are level and you still have plenty of altitude, slowly push out on the control bar until you have a little bit of bar pressure (this time the bar will want to come back towards you) – this may be minimum sink speed or it may be the onset of a stall.

If your glider’s trim speed is two or three miles an hour faster than the stall speed, then your glider is trimmed properly. Most gliders come from the manufacturer without any trim problems.

speed, then your glider is trimmed properly. Most gliders come from the manufacturer without any trim problems. Identifying and correcting trim problems: When test ﬂying a new (or

new-to-you) hang glider, fly away from any obstacles, ensure you have plenty of altitude, ensure the glider is flying reasonably well, then check the glider’s trim speed and the other speeds as previously explained. You can check your vario to see what indicate a worsening sink rate – at the If the glider is not trimmed properly, speed will give you the best sink rate or beginning of a stall. Most Wills Wing for instance if it is trimmed too fast, then lowest feet-per-minute loss. Find your gliders have telltales – little strips of yarn you may end up pushing out on the conbest minimum sink rate. Check the air- attached to the sail surface that will start trol bar the entire flight just to fly at the speed and remember that number. reversing direction as that area of the proper speed. Your arms will become Ensuring your wings are still level wing stalls. The telltales indicate that very tired and your landing will probably and you still have plenty of altitude, the center section of the wing is stalling, be less than graceful because you won’t slowly push out on the control bar until while the wing is still flying on the mid- be able to push out enough to stall the the glider stalls (notice the increased bar span and tips. aircraft. Flying with an airspeed indicapressure). This is stall speed; check the It will probably take more than once tor will quickly help you reference your airspeed, remember it and let the glider for you get comfortable doing these ex- airspeed and determine if your glider recover from the stall. ercises, and to really feel and understand is close to optimized for your ideal Recognizing stall: Usually the glider the bar positions, the bar pressures, the trim speed. If the glider is trimmed too slow, it will get difficult to fly straight and will speeds and what you get out of them. want to go left or right – the basetube If your glider’s trim speed is two or will either porpoise or mush/stall almost will be pushing back and the vario will three miles an hour faster than the stall continuously. You will end up having to

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pull in on the control bar for the remainder of the flight; when it comes time to flare, the glider will assist you in the flare because it is trimmed too slow, making the nose constantly want to come up. Or you will constantly be late for flaring because you are always flying too slowly. To change the trim on a hang glider, all you have to do is move your hang point (main strap) either fore or aft. It is recommended not to move it more than 1/2 inch at a time and retest it before making further adjustments. If you have any doubts, have the glider flown by an experienced pilot or a professional before making adjustments to the hang point. Is the glider stalling? Move your main hang strap forward 1/2 inch and retest. Continue this until you get the proper airspeed numbers and the glider is flying correctly. If you have an old glider there may be other issues – for example, a UP Gemini has Dacron luff lines that shrink, and this has caused that glider to trim in a stall. These “other issues” need to be fixed by an experienced glider mechanic

who can recognize the problem and who knows what to do to correct the issue. Is it porpoising? Move your main hang strap forward 1/2 inch and retest. Continue this until you get the proper airspeed numbers and the glider is flying correctly. Is it gliding too fast? Move your main hang strap aft 1/2 inch and retest. Continue this until you get the proper airspeed numbers and the glider is flying correctly. An improperly trimmed glider is not fun to fly and certainly will fatigue you and lessen your fun and airtime significantly, and may negatively affect your flight safety. If you are at all unsure about your glider and its trim, do not remove or move the hang straps; consult a professional or the manufacturer prior to making any adjustments. It is recommended that after you have your glider properly trimmed you mark on your keel (or track) where the main hang strap is positioned and ensure that

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the hang straps are secured. Then, with each preflight, check to be sure the straps are on the mark. If your glider is trimmed properly and then you lose or gain 20 pounds, or your buddy who is much heavier or lighter than you flies it, the trim will be a little off and may need to be readjusted for the new pilot weight. The reason for this goes way beyond this basic information on staying trim – just be aware of it. Christian Thoreson has been flying hang gliders for 26 years and has been the flightschool director for Lookout Mountain Flight Park for the last 17 years. Any question and comments can be sent to him at thor@ lookoutmtnbrewery.com.

Photo: Steve Roti

The trailing edge of this wing is being pulled down in the center of each half-wing, but not in the center of the wing.

Paraglider Brake Lines By Mike Steed, steedfamily@hotmail.com

A reader asked the following question: My new paraglider seems to have a problem with the brakes – only the mid-wing brake lines engage at first, and the tip and inner brakes engage only if I pull deeper. Is this OK? Mike Steed, one of HG&PG’s techno-geek advisors, replies: The brake rigging you describe is very common – first the midsection engages, then the tip and inner brakes. This is very much a compromise. The tip lines are the best for turning, but if they engage first, a deep pull on the brakes will stall the tip and make the wing very spin-prone. So the midsection engages first, which is OK for mild turns, and the real sweet spot for turning is deeper in the brakes as the tip engages. At that point, both the mid-wing and tip are deflected by a similar percentage of their chord – the tip, because of its smaller chord and lower velocity, can’t endure as big a deflection. The inner brake lines are not needed for turning, but you will

definitely want to be able to crank on them if you get a big deflation or frontal. They need to engage early enough that they take effect before you run out of brake travel. Another plus for the brake rigging you describe is the progressive increase in force – it gives good feedback to the pilot. Brakes that engage all at once will reach a peak force quite early, and then there is no additional warning signal to the pilot as he or she goes deeper and deeper into the brakes. Better to have increasing force as you approach the stall point. Mike has modified the steering on every one of his wings for the past decade, apparently with good result as he is currently ranked #15 among U.S. paragliding competitors.

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Ben Harmon, Pilot-In-Training

Article and photos by Jim Harmon, Ben’s dad

Ben hanging around on Saddle launch, waiting for the right conditions for a tandem ﬂight February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Ben Harmon is a 10-year-old from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Like a lot of kids he enjoys skiing, mountain biking, playing basketball and lacrosse. But he is also developing a passion for a sport that most other boys his age haven’t tried yet: paragliding. You see, Ben’s father loves to fly. So Ben has been dragged along on many flying junkets over the years. Fly-ins: These are great way to meet people in our flying community, to learn about foot-launched flight, and they’re kid-friendly. We should promote fly-ins as good entertainment, family affairs (although stories around the campfire sometimes need to be monitored). They can provide a great solution to the ageold question: “Is Dad going to fly this weekend, or spend time with us?” Ben always votes “yes” when a fly-in is run up the old flagpole. He has met and talked with many of our experienced pilots. He’s witnessed hundreds of launches and landings (good and bad). And he’s learning by watching. Riding Shotgun: Directions to the various launches here in the Pacific Northwest can be confusing. Ben has always had an eye for detail, and although he can’t drive yet, he has an uncanny ability to remember where to turn off the main road, or where to park the truck when we get to the trailhead. Ben’s mom often pulls driving duty, and Ben’s navigation skills are often required to, shall we say, augment her sense of direction. When he’s not needed for driver support, Ben and his brother like to bring their mountain bikes up to launch so they can race down to the LZ. Patience: This virtue is a key requirement in our sport. Paragliding teaches, and rewards, patience. For a 10-year-old, patience is hard. But last October 14, Ben’s patience was rewarded.

Ben and Kim Smith getting ready to launch

Ben with C.J. Sturtevant at Saddle Mountain, October 2006

He remembers his first tandem flight like this: “I was up on top for seven hours watching people come and go. Finally, at 4:00 Kim (instructor and mentor Kim Smith) said, ‘Come on, Ben, it’s finally your turn.’ When he told me to, I ran. But my feet weren’t touching the ground because he was taller than me! Then we took off and I saw that there were only 100 or so strings holding us up. It was fun. We flew around with about 20 other pilots, then we took off on our own. My dad followed us on his glider. The landing was soooo smooth.” We’re not sure when Ben will get his next flight, or how far this young pilot will go. But one thing we do know – he’s hooked on flying. Last weekend, while driving in the mountains, I saw Ben watching the clouds and studying the wind…

Safety Tips Devour books about weather, soaring and design…We can’t possibly experience and ﬁgure out everything ourselves, so books and articles greatly speed our learning. – Tomas Suchanek 36

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

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Learn more-call toll-free 1-866-438-6262. TTY users , call 1-800-833-6262. Please refer to priority code FAAIPR when speaking with a representative to apply. *For information about the rates, fees, other costs, and benefits associated with the use of the card; or to apply, please call the above toll-free numbers. This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A. Any account opened in response to this application shall be governed by the laws of the state of Delaware. Travel planning services are provided to Bank of America Customers by an independently owned and operated travel agency registered to do business in California (Reg. No. 2036509-50); Ohio (Reg. No. 87890286) Washington (Reg. No. 6011237430) and other states, as required. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association, and is used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A., Inc. Bank of An1erica is a registered trademark of Bank of America Corporation. 0 2006 Bank of America Corporation

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Hang Glide Texas Has Found a Permanent Home! By Bob Fisher, bob.ﬁsher@sbcglobal.net

pilots can get upset if they have to go with room for the rigged trike, trailer around because someone is just sitting and several rigged gliders, plus racks for on the runway. There were few actual as many gliders as we need to store. The problems, but the traffic level was just a location is at the beginning of the rise to little too high to be compatible: It was the Edwards Plateau that occupies ceninconvenient for us. The nail in the coffin, tral Texas, and so far we have had consisthough, was that the thermal conditions tently good flying there. The Robert R. Wells Jr. airport (66R) in the area were generally bad. In November 2005, after test-flying is actually the Colorado County airport, the airport several times the previous but it’s very quiet – between zero and season, we bid in an estate sale on an old five GA flights per weekend day. Two open hangar (pole barn) at Columbus, might be normal. They have made us feel Texas, halfway between Houston and very welcome and the airport manager is Austin. We finally purchased the hangar happy to see the increased activity. We in May of 2006. With the new location, have agreed upon operating procedures we voted on a new name and became to maximize communication on the Hang Glide Texas. Hey, we’re used to ground and traffic separation in the air, thinking big! This name change is still a but I personally think one thing that all hang gliders routinely flying near GA work in progress… As is the hangar! Thanks to tire- should do for safety is to fit strobes. This less construction leadership by Thomas has not been a discussion point with the Sanders (who arrived from bird watch- airport, just internally in the group. The airport manager has applied for ing and learned to hang glide behind the tug), we have raised the door frame the airport to be designated as a site of at the front (to clear the trike kingpost) hang gliding operations, graphically and are in the process of putting doors on the sectional and also in the airport on, sealing the roof, running power, and “green book.” We fly with a GA radio in making all kinds of improvements. The the tug and one on the ground at launch, end result will be a cozy permanent base, to keep GA traffic aware of our operations. Our experience so far is that if the GA traffic is low, a small airport can be a good home for an aerotow operation. Much depends on the attitude of the airport manager, though. If he is in favor, he will field any complaints from the GA residents, so long as they are minor. Our club members are fairly dedicated to flying, but we do what we can to aid visibility of the sport in the community. The Ballunar Liftoff is an annual festival

Photo: Michael Aielli

Photo: Thomas Sanders

Hang Glide Texas started life some five years or so ago when pioneer Michael Williams formed a small private aerotow consortium – so small that it almost folded after Michael got a job in New England and one of the other pilots wanted to leave. However, a call was put out to Houston pilots and they responded, enabling the consortium to be reformed as a larger group of around 15 pilots with Mark DeMarino and Dennis Dornfest as the kingpins and (newly trained) tug pilots. It became a USHGA chapter thanks to Dennis, was named Hang Glide Houston, and operated for a couple of years from a rented open hangar at Hempstead ultralight airpark. When the airpark was sold for development, Hang Glide Houston moved operations to a small commercial airport for a year while we looked for a home. Our experience at this commercial airport was so-so: We sometimes had to wait for general aviation (GA) traffic and occasionally had to clear the runway and then set up again if there was incoming traffic. Technically, we had the right to operate there – it was a public airport and we were renting a hangar – but GA

Columbus Airport February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Michael Aielli

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Michael Aielli

held at NASA in Houston for balloons, skydiving and other “fringe aviation.” For the past 10 years pilots from either Hang Glide Texas or Houston Hang Gliding Association (the members of both organizations are 80% common – HGT is just the aerotow group) have flown there, originally platform towing but in recent years aerotowing. More recently, we took part in the Colorado County Fair, a few miles from our new home, to help us integrate into that community. We also participated in the parade through town, which was a great success and a lot of fun. We set up a booth at the festival and the fair with USHPA literature and local training information. Years ago, thanks to John Moody, some of us opened the “Wings over Houston” airshow in front of 50,000 people – we intend to try to get back into that show. We typically operate one day per weekend in the season. The chapter has an open membership policy and currently has 26 members, about 1/3 of whom have either a private or a commercial pilot license; six are tug pilots, and all are hang glider pilots as well. After operating “totally informally” for five years, we are in the process of incorporating and after 12 months (to establish a year’s accounts) we’ll apply for 501(c) (7) non-profit status

as a leisure club. The decision to incorporate was driven by a combination of Sport Pilot tug registration requirements and the new airport lease requirement to have aircraft insurance. No one wanted personally to be the tug owner carrying that insurance! Michael Williams is now back in town and about to start ﬂying with us again, enjoying the fruits of the seed he planted over ﬁve years ago. I will be happy to help other clubs follow this same path. More club information can be found at www .hangglidehouston.org.

Lukas Oertli on glide in the Swiss Alps, chased by a gaggle of pilots, leaving the cloud behind him Photo: Martin Scheel, mscheel@azoom.ch

High Above King’s Land

Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

By Marko Georgiev

Vertigo’s pilot Aleksandar Gorgevic takes off from the training hill, where in high winds soaring for hours is a frequent occurrence.

This is a story about friendship, paragliding and amazing places – a story about incredible people and their club, about their adventures and their love for life. [Editor’s note: The club is named Vertigo, and while it appears from this article that the philosophy of flying embraced by Macedonia’s Vertigo members somewhat resembles that of Red Bull’s Vertigo pilots, there is no other connection between the two Vertigos.] After years spent abroad, it was time to drop everything – I mean everything! – go home and fly like never before. This was going to be Vertigo’s International Gathering #2. The first one had been in Turkey, where Vertigo pilots and friends from around the globe met in Oludeniz for two weeks of fun and flying. This year, it was Macedonia, the home of Vertigo Paragliding Club. Myself and a huge backpack arrived in Skopje, Macedonia’s capital, on July 1 with six long weeks ahead of me to prepare for the “gathering” and to make everything possible for our international friends to feel like not at their home but in Vertigo’s home. And in that we succeeded! In pursuit of results, our best club pilots were attending the European paragliding championship in Annecy, France. Out of six pilots qualified to participate on Macedonia’s national team, three were Vertigo members – a success on its own! While they were off to compete, we were off to fix the “Tank,” an ’89 Toyota Land Cruiser, military version, Vertigo’s moving force. The strongest vehicle I’ve driven in, that “Tank” has carried 11 pilots and their gear up a 45° steep hill – with no road on it, and with no problem as well. The brakes were first to go, and at this point the condition of the old brakes was: What brakes? It took some time to find the right parts, since this vehicle was made for military purpose, and no serial or any other identification number exists in any consumer catalog in any Toyota dealership. That was a challenge on its own. A day later, the front windshield was pierced by a bullet! It was election night in Macedonia, a gun-loving society with anti-gun rules, but with no one to enforce them. So in celebratory mode, a stray bullet coming from above got the

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

pack up, and then go get breakfast. We’d eat breakfast on the launch and then get airborne again. The middle of the day meant XC flights, long, dong and strong! After we all were retrieved, we would go for another flight, normally, yeah? In late afternoon, if there was time and daylight left, we would go for more flying, and immediately after landing we’d be off in search for food, a group event that would normally end up in a crazy party in a bar till early hours in the morning. The next day, there was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a gallon of coffee and couple of energy drinks. And than it started again: We would fly… retrieve… brunch… fly… fly…and then more flying and fun, and food, and drinking and energy drink and Flying over the biggest cross in the world flying and… at Vodno, Skopje, Macedonia Macedonia is a small ex-Yugoslavian, military Toyota and we had another prob- him up from the airport! In the next few now independent, state, just north of lem: finding the right windshield, on a days, Vertigo members from Holland, Greece. Mountaintops paint most of the vehicle that doesn’t exist in any consumer England, and the U.S., with friends from landscape and the flying season starts Finland, Slovenia and other places from in January and ends the next January. catalog. But by the next day, we were driv- around the world gathered and the fun There is snow in the winter, and it’s cold ing on top of Vodno, a 1050m ASL really kicked in. And the flying…. Now, as hell up in those hills, but pilots are still flying. The summers are hot, and mountain towering above the capital that is what we call flying! There is a simple way to describe the people are flying even more! With eight city, with our fresh brakes and our new shiny windshield. Vertigo has many flying in Macedonia: There is a heck of mountain peaks topping the 2500m friends and with friends everything is a lot of flying there! In two weeks of the ASL limit, there are more than 14 flying possible, even getting nonexistent car Vertigo International Gathering we didn’t sites with roads right up to launch, and parts on a short notice! That afternoon fly on two days only! Not because it was all of them within two hours of drivwe flew in nice and easy thermals, enjoy- raining or it was too windy. Nope! The ing – all in reach and good for every ing the warm steady summer air, circling weather here is not a factor. We simply wind direction. Sites vary from huge alpine mountain around a monster cross, world-record in needed a day or two to rest. Why? Well, height, an attraction on its own, built this was our ordinary day: We’d wake ranges with tops exceeding 2500m ASL, on the top of the mountain just a few up and go for a morning sledder. We’d to mild semi-high mountains that are years ago. A week or so later, our comp pilots returned from France with outstanding results and in great flying shape. Vertigo was finally complete. Our “international branch” was about to arrive, and the summer was just heating up. We immediately hit the flying sites in the countryside and spent the days flying, thermaling, soaring, crossing 50 or 60 km on a regular basis, doing local comps and simply hanging out, having tremendous fun! One sunny day, U.S. pilot Sander Koyfman arrived in the country. With that, “Vertigo International” was starting to assemble! The Macedonia Paragliding Adventure was about to begin. Sander healed his jet lag with one cold beer and two hours of paragliding, Vertigo’s “Tank” – adventure never stops! just a couple of hours after we picked February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

A typical soaring day on a training hill

Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

generally not higher than 1800m; from grassy slopes to steep rocky peaks above huge crystal-clear lakes, ideal for afternoon soaring or acro practice. Landings are usually described in this manner: “What do you mean, where is the landing zone? Just land anywhere, get to the main road, and wait for the truck.” One learns with experience that the best landings are near any village. The main road always goes through some village, where there is always a shop, with shade and a cold beer. And after kilometers and hours spent in the air, that just feels good! Macedonia itself is a place of great historical and archeo-

Kiting practice on a training hill

logical importance. King Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great, was born in Bitola, a town I personally flew over in my XC flights. With several thousand churches, monasteries, archeological sites, old castles and incredible nature, there is always something to do in our country. In the city of Ohrid, a old town settled on a huge lake, there are 365 churches, all dating 10 centuries ago and older. Summer is a great time to be in Ohrid. The weather is hot and winds are consistent. The launch is at 1740m ASL, and you fly over the crystal-clear waters of Ohrid Lake, protected as a natural heritage of the world by UNESCO. Concerts, exhibitions and events of all nature take place all summer. Bars, clubs and places to hang out are everywhere. And if you are up for more outdoors, mountains, lakes, flatlands, rivers, you want it – you’ll probably find it in Macedonia! Rental cars are expensive, and the sites are not easy to find without proper directions. You can search the Web and get all the directions you want, but on the ground, it becomes a whole different story. If you find yourself in Macedonia, alone on launch, here is a point of reference: If there are no pilots getting ready to take off it means one thing only – there is better flying at some other place but not where you are standing. All this means, find someone who knows the place and knows the weather. It’s easy, send an email. Someone will respond. The good side is, the flying in Macedonia is generally easy, with more than average thermaling days and a good share of February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

Afternoon thermaling near the city of Prilep

soaring. XC ﬂights of 50 to 70 or more kilometers are challenging but very doable. Almost all of the sites have big, wide and clean launches, and easy turnaround time makes many ﬂights a day very possible. If the wind is not favorable for that site on which you are standing, the wind is probably very good on the mountain right across, an hour or two drive. So the day is never wasted. There are no launch fees, no helmet stickers, no complicated site rules and sketchy owners, no “posted” signs. Fly and bother no one! That is all! And the Vertigo Club?

You’ll never ﬁnd a crazier and friendlier bunch than these fellas. They have only one goal in mind: Flying! (OK, and fun too.) There is no oﬃcial application to enter Vertigo. There is no fee. You just have to hang out with these people – Vertigo members are scattered all around Europe, and the U.S. branch was formed just a couple of years ago. The most valuable thing is the unbreakable bond between these pilots, and if you are a member and you are in some part of the world and you end up needing some kind of assistance

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Soaring at 2400m ASL, over the lake of Ohrid Photo: Sander Koyfman/Vertigo Paragliding Club

(a place to stay, airport pick-up, car broke down, wing repair, Marko Georgiev is a paraglider pilot with more than a decade gear need, or you are just in a neighborhood and thirsty for of air between his ears. He lives in New York City and is a member a cold one) you just need to get in touch with any Vertigo of Vertigo International. He makes his living as a professional member and relay your coordinates. Someone will get to you photographer. You can view some of his professional photos here: – someone will come and save the day, or the boring night. It’s www.photomarko.com. Information about the Vertigo club, includbeen proven many times! Vertigo is an exclusive club with ing more accounts of their international adventures, is at www no rules but one: You have to be able to party and ﬂy at the .vertigo.org.mk. same time! If you end up being in Macedonia with the desire to ﬂy, get in touch with these fellas and everything stops! Cars are being pulled, maps are being rolled out, girlfriends are being dropped and within a couple of hours – you will be airborne! Wasting a day on the ground is not an option! Adventure never stops!

Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

Safety Tips

Flying over the lake of Ohrid, a strong thermal site with great afternoon soaring, as well as XC and acro potential

Keeping hydrated is an important process, especially for older pilots. As you age you lose your ability to detect when you are dehydrated. – Jim Lee February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Through the

Looking Glass

By Denny Pistoll Photos courtesy the author

Denny Pistoll

I feel the turbulence and instinctively know that this is thermal lift. I’m not exactly sure HOW I know that; it just feels like it should be. I’m fresh off my aerotow rating and just building experience the best way I can – flying at every opportunity. I launch from the mountain when possible but lately the winds, even at early dawn, have been easterly at Lookout, so no flying from there, at least at the present. This, of course, is where the huge advantage of aerotowing comes into play. Basic weather patterns permitting, one can almost always find a window in which to fly. Finding good ridge or thermal lift, of course, is a whole other matter and, for me, a dimension I have not yet experienced. At my present status, high-altitude sled runs are just fine and provide wonderful opportunities to work on basics whether off tow or the mountain launch. This mid-August morning was typical of most others in northern Georgia: clear and warm and getting a lot warmer, with the beginnings of some cloud buildups starting to show. The tug pilots and tandem instructors were out early preparing for some introductory “discovery” flights and a few of the regulars were gearing for a morning flight. I was permitted first dibs to go as this was going to be the first tow with both my Falcon 3 from Wills Wing and

Denny towing up

my new harness, beautifully crafted by high school principal lectured about some Gordon Cayce of the Lookout Mountain 46 years ago at my graduation. “Young men and women,” he sternly intoned, Flight Park. I was anxiously waiting. I have found aerotowing to be both “always remember…ambition without edimmensely challenging as well as im- ucation is like running in the dark.” It is a mensely rewarding. There is absolutely turn-of-phrase that, for whatever reason, no slack in the process. From when the has stuck with me all these years and is signal is given to power-up and go, until seemingly a fitting metaphor for what I one pins off at altitude, this is on-the-ball am presently trying to do. I am trying to flying of the first order. The process of divine where there might be some lifting learning – like all the rest of which pre- air but doing so without the necessary ceded this – did not come either quickly instruments. I am, absolutely, running in or easily to me. My own journey into the dark! Nevertheless, by the stroke of dumb this sport was facilitated by unvarnished encouragement from the staff at LMFP luck – my principal evidently left that coupled with excellent instruction which, part out of his equation for the calculus combined, enabled me to gain a toehold of life – I find lift. I feel my left wing onto this remarkably unique corner of rise as the turbulent air ripples past my glider. I immediately turn toward the aviation. On this August day, I am pre-flighted, rising wing and I can feel the energy hang-checked and comfortably situated buoying me higher. I continue this action on the dolly. The harness, though bulky of turning, searching and pitching into and cumbersome on land, fits like a well- what I think is the center of the rising worn glove when hooked in prone be- column of air until I regain the presneath the glider. I’m ready. ence of mind to look down. The trees, The liftoff and tow go routinely. Near people and all ground objects are growthe top of the climb we encounter a few ing smaller. I am ascending. Wow, what bumps but nothing unusual. The signal a wonderfully gratifying feeling! Like to disconnect comes and I am off tow and, Alice falling through the looking glass, I once again, I feel the ecstasy of free flight. have stumbled into a whole new dimenAs I look out across the countryside my sion. I am actually soaring! As the Big thoughts jump to just how fortunate I Guys language it, I am “working” the am to be up here experiencing and seeing thermal. In doing so I see a number of what is before me. What a magnificent my fellow pilots towing up and sledding perspective! back down as I continue to rise and soar I turn toward the ridge at Lookout above them. Mountain only because that is what I To my right, an indifferent hawk floats have normally done and there is a warm elegantly and effortlessly nearby at eye fuzzy feeling being in – or, in this case, over – familiar surroundings. I notice almost immediately that I am not descending at the rate I normally experience and, in fact, not descending at all. Buoyant air? I have not yet purchased a variometer – the instrument that will signal when I’m in rising or descending conditions – so I am just trying to eyeball what my situation is. Denny Pistoll Doing this recalls to mind what my

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

the notion that we both found the same flight and though our visits are brief and area of lift is heady stuff and enough to transitory they are meaningful in ways imagine a kindred link between us earth- that dreams are made. In a more somber moment of reflection I am reminded of bound humans and our avian brothers. After a while I notice a thin fog layer that mellifluously descriptive stanza from accumulating beneath me and briefly the aviators’ poem, “High Flight”*: “Oh ponder how that could possibly occur at I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth, this altitude. Then I look up and see that …I’ve trod the high untresspassed sanctiI am just about at cloudbase. YIKES! I ty of space, put out my hand and touched ease the bar back to arrest my climb but the face of God.” What a wonderful sport! can feel the convective strength of the cloud pull. Nevertheless, I descend easily Denny, who began hang gliding two and attempt to fly around the side of the build-up. In doing so I can sense that the years ago, is 65 and retired. He enjoys longlifting energy I was using has signifi- distance running, masters swimming, piano, cantly lessened. I seek out other oppor- skiing and oil painting. His other mistress tunities but, alas, without luck. Though is whitewater kayaking, and he will be gravity was held at bay for a while, I now making his third paddling trip through the Grand Canyon this fall. Denny and his wife, succumb to its inexorable pull. “Taking photos while flying – at least the way I atNydia, live in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Once again on the ground with my tempted it – was a real goat rope,” reports Denny, fellow earthlings I share my story and but he managed these in-air images to accompany his article. *”High Flight” was written by Pilot jubilation. I suppose through the lens of the greatly experienced, my 45-minute Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., No. level. For a fleeting moment I think that flight was but a minor piffle and my 412 Fighter Squadron, RCAF. Magee he may have actually cocked his head elation, a squeak from the edge of the was killed in action 11 December 1941. and looked over at me but that was likely universe. For me, however, it was an abjust a wishful illusion. If he did he prob- solutely transcendent experience and one ably thought, Geez, what a klutz! We are I will always treasure. Soaring is the essence of unpowered not flying together, of course, but just

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Feature Article

The Exploded Tire

Article and photos by Jack Grisanti Josh Cohn on his way to goal

The exploded tire

For three years in a row, the fickle fall weather of the Owens Valley had only allowed me to view this spectacular area from the ground. Not deterred, I joined again with NorCal XC League to see if things would be different in 2006. And lo and behold, I and many others who attended got our first opportunity to fly the Mighty Owens. Upon arrival on the high launch at Paiute, I pulled out my trusty camera with its wide-angle lens, but soon realized I could not possibly capture the grandeur of the Owens Valley and eastern Sierras before us. And as I walked to the launch and looked out, my first reaction was, Oh, s&%t – I volunteered to come up here to jump off this mountain? Jugdeep Aggarwal, our trusted leader and an outstanding XC pilot, commented, “It is a bit intimidating, isn’t it?” And indeed it was – for me it was akin to

standing on the top of Niagara Falls at volunteer work at the 2002 Owens parathe water’s edge without a guardrail. It gliding nationals that the real danger is seemed to kind of suck me in or, more fit- not on the road itself but the sharp rocks tingly for the Owens, suck me out. It was projecting out from the side of the road, heartening to hear Jug’s comment and which rip the tire sidewalls apart if given know I was not the only one intimidated. the slightest chance. But even with intimidation aplenty, So on the way up on the second day, I there was no way I wasn’t going to fly. gave our volunteer driver a mini course And with two tasks in a row over 60 miles in driving the path of least resistance. It in length, boy, did we ever fly! While my seemed the road was nothing but sharp flights were not as awe-inspiring as those rocks, but she did not seem intimidated of my flying buddy Tim O’Neil and on the way up so when she drove off with others who made or just barely missed my vehicle, without a second thought, I goal, I had a wonderful time playing turned to my preparation for the forthin the White Mountains of the Owens coming flight – no small feat when you Valley, easily exceeding my personal best, fly the Owens! I was well into my preparations when as did many of the pilots who attended this weekend’s event. Tim called me to report, “We’ve got a Forgive me if I don’t go into the flight problem.” Our trusty vehicle was a third details, as they were not terribly excit- of the way down the mountain with a ing to anybody but me. Instead I would “flat” tire, and with latecomers waiting like to share my personal observations of to drive up, this roadblock was a major the people and camaraderie that I found deal. Tim and I hopped into one of the in attending this and other NorCal XC remaining vehicles on top to drive down events. The perfect example is my experi- and change the tire, praying there would be a reasonably flat space to do so. ence of the exploded tire…. We pulled up behind my car and I imThe trip up to the Paiute Launch is perhaps one of the most harrowing that mediately realized we had parked right I have ever experienced. The route traverses approximately 4000 vertical feet of steep, windy, narrow roads (with very few turnouts), all seemingly cut out of the solid rock, leaving only a path of broken rubble to drive on. At times it seemed the menacing tire-destroying rocks we were trying to avoid left only a choice of the least worst path. I’d learned in my

The moon rising over Owens Lakes – a Friday evening welcoming

Jug making the hard decision – canceling Monday’s task February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Our fearless leader Jugdeep “Jug” Aggarwal (foreground) and James Chen (background)

next to the offending projecting rock that had done the dirty deed – there was fiberglass and black rubber marks in evidence. All that fiberglass couldn’t possibly have come from a tire! As it turned out it was the scrapings off the bottom of my running board, which runs from the front to the rear tire. This was not looking good! And indeed when we saw the tire, it was not merely flat, it was destroyed, with numerous radial rips through the sidewall of the rear tire. The good news was, the car was stopped on a more-orless level portion of the road and there was no body damage or significant visual harm done to the running board. Cool! Tim and I systematically deciphered the Tahoe instructions for getting the spare

undone and the jack working and soon had the tire changed. Just about then a pilot friend driving up to launch appeared in front of us. We now had three cars in this small spot facing in conﬂicting directions along a single lane with a mountain on one side and – you guessed it – a very precipitous cliﬀ on the other. The eager pilot from below scouted out a turnout close by; we played a bit of musical cars and 30 minutes later we had pilots on top and the Tahoe and driver safely down at the bailout LZ. Upon our second arrival on top, Jug promptly announced a new start time, one hour later than originally planned, to accommodate us now latecomers. I

thought this was very thoughtful at the time but was somewhat embarrassed to have caused the delay for everyone else. But Jug has his own standard of fairness, which cannot be denied. I had a great flight that day, but for the remainder of our stay an increasingly nagging thought was growing: What was I to do if I had another flat? By Monday it was apparent I would be driving home without a spare tire. And of course there was the cost of replacing the tire. In my darker moments, I was questioning whether it was worth it all. We awoke Monday to overcast skies and evidence of extreme winds near launch, which eventually led to the canceling of the task for Monday. Somewhat relieved and disappointed at the same time, I turned my attention to the long drive home, my mind dwelling on the substantial desolate and serviceless portions of the trip. As we got ready to leave, a most extraordinary thing happened: My fellow pilots confronted me, throwing $10 and $20 bills my way. “Is it enough? Is it enough?” they chanted. It was more than enough! I was overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness. I was reminded again: It is this camaraderie of our very special sport that I love most of all. The trip home was uneventful, no flats, only great memories. Thanks, guys. Special thanks go to Jug Aggarwal and the other organizers of the BAPA NorCal XC League, and to the many sponsors to the league, for their ongoing generosity. The League is a monumental effort to put on, but in my mind it is of truly immense value to aspiring XC pilots. Jack Grisanti is a P-4 pilot, a USHPA member since January of 2000, and the current president of San Luis Obispo Soaring Association (SLOSA). He is semi-retired as an environmental engineer, and lives with his wife and 10-year-old boy in Los Osos, California.

Wind dummy and local guide Steve Praerie

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

USHPA Sanctioned Competition Notice “Hang-on” Hang Gliding Competition Dates: July 22-28 – seven days! No rain, weather or other contingency plans Event description: Cross-country race to goal, out-andreturn, triangles, duration Location: Lakeview, Oregon: Black Cap, Sugar Registration: Opens March 15, closes July 22. Registration limited to 130 pilots. Fees: $295 postmarked before May 15, $350 postmarked May 15-July 22. Fees include daily energy smoothie, awards party, T-shirt, street dance with the Ladies of Lakeview, more.

Mandatory meeting: 9:00 a.m. daily, Lake County Chamber of Commerce, Lakeview Pilot qualiﬁcations: Current USHPA card, H-4 with TUR and XC endorsements Equipment requirements: Glider and harness, helmet, reserve, GPS, radio capable of receiving and transmitting on all USHPA frequencies. Subject to inspection by meet/safety director. Awards and prizes: Trophies, $1000 minimum prize money, general prizes More information: www.mphsports.com

USHPA Sanctioned Competition Notice U.S. Hang Gliding Nationals Dates: April 7-13, practice days April 5 and 6 Event description: XC race to goal, out-and-return; also

Sport Class nationals Fees: $285 + $215 tow fee; Sport Class $195 + tow fee Location: 18265 State Rd. 80, Clewiston, Florida Mandatory pilot meeting: Saturday, April 7 Registration: Opened January 15, closes March 15 Awards and prizes: Trophies, prize money, general prizes.

Pilot qualifications: Current USHPA card with AT sign-off, H-4, Sport Class H-3 with TUR, RLF, AT and XC sign-offs Equipment requirements: Glider and harness, helmet, reserve, GPS, approved AT bridle with primary AND secondary release More information: www.thefloridaridge.com

USHPA Sanctioned Competition Notice Flytec Championship Hang Gliding Competition Dates: April 15-21 Event description: cross-country race to goal Location: Quest Air, Groveland, Florida Registration: Opened January 20, limited to 80 ﬂex wings,

30 rigid wings Fees: $350 entry fee + $200 tow fees Mandatory meeting: April 14, 6 p.m., Quest Air Pilot qualiﬁcations: Current USHPA card, H-4 with

AT, TUR and XC endorsements; must have ﬂown on exact glider at least 10 times in competition conditions Equipment requirements: Glider and harness, helmet, reserve, GPS, approved AT bridle with primary AND secondary release. Contest supplies weaklinks. Awards and prizes: Fairly distributed cash, prizes and trophies More information: www.ﬂytec.com

USHPA Sanctioned Competition Notice Tater Hill Paragliding Open 2007 Dates: July 29-August 4 Event description: Cross-country race to goal at a site

friendly for ﬁrst-time competitors; GPS and comp strategy sessions included Location: Tater Hill, near Boone, North Carolina

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Registration: Opens March 15 Pilot qualiﬁcations: Current USHPA card, P-3 Awards and prizes: Trophies, prize money, general prizes.

Open class, serial class (DHV 2 and lower), women More information: www.ﬂytaterhill.com

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On February 24 through March 9, the 2007 Paragliding World Championships will be held in Manilla, Australia (http:// www.manilla2007.com). At the end of each two-year period preceding the world meet, and based on the parameters set by FAI/CIVL (the international paragliding/hang gliding competition sanctioning body), each country is allotted a certain number of team slots for the world championships. The United States will be represented by Josh Cohn, Tom McCune and Kari Castle; there is the possibility that the U.S. may be allotted one more slot on our team, and that would be Bill Belcourt. Our team captain is Greg Babush. These are our country’s ﬁnest pilots, who have proven their worthiness by competing at events all over the world and accumulating enough points to earn their spot on the U.S. paragliding team. They are amateur in status and compete in these events at their own expense. The 2007 world meet in Manilla is two weeks long. Besides being mentally and physically demanding, participating in a world championship requires a substantial ﬁnancial commitment. Many of the top paragliding teams throughout the world are treated like royalty Josh Cohn by their home countries. These teams have all their expenses paid, and some even have doctors, trainers and chefs included in their crews. We think our team should be treated the same! They worked hard and they deserve it.

– and Its Members Need Your Support!

The U.S. Paragliding Team Is Going to Oz

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However, the U.S. does not support its athletes, even those who qualify for worldclass competitions. It is up to us to help lighten the financial burden for our 2007 team and for all U.S. paragliding teams to come. To this end, U.S. Paragliding Team, a Nevada non-profit corporation, has been set up under the rules of IRS 501(c)3 to help subsidize the expenses of the U.S. paragliding team’s participation in the world paragliding championships, which are held every two years. It is the purpose of this non-profit corporation to raise funds through donations. All officers and directors of this corporation are volunteers. All the money raised through this non-profit corpora- Tom McCune tion will be used exclusively for the benefit of the U.S. paragliding team. It is our goal to cover all or most of the expenses of our team, including but not limited to competition entry fees, airfare, transportation, lodging, food and miscellaneous expenses. The funds will be distributed evenly among the team members (as per submitted actual expenses or actual funds available). The reason for setting up this corporation under the rules of IRS code 501(c)3 is to enable donors to deduct their contributions as a charitable donation on their tax returns. Tony Lang, of Landcor Properties, who has sponsored many paraglider pilots and events over the years, set up this corporation after talking with many of the previous U.S. paragliding team members. The corporation’s board of directors consists of Tony Lang, Jim Macklow and Carl Appelin. Jim Macklow, besides being a competitor himself, is the USHPA Region 2 director and has served as competition scorekeeper for many sanctioned events in the U.S. Carl Appelin has been a paraglider pilot for seven years and brings many years of fund-raising experience to this group. Tony, Jim and Carl feel our U.S. team

pilots have worked hard to earn their way onto the team – they deserve our respect for their extraordinary eﬀorts and should be rewarded. They are representing all of us here in the United States! The U.S. Paragliding Team corporation is hoping that all United States paraglider pilots will take pride in their team and donate money to this non-proﬁt corporation. Donations in any amount are welcome and appre- Kari Castle ciated. Donations can be sent directly to U. S. Paragliding Team, 7272 S. El Capitan, Ste. 2, Las Vegas NV 89148. For more information, visit the U.S. Paragliding Team corporation Web site, http://www.usparaglidingteam.org. You can email the board members at info@ usparaglidingteam.org, or call Tony Lang at (702) 379-4849 for more information. Remember that your donations are tax deductible. The team members and support crew thank you for your support. It is greatly appreciated!

All members of this non-proﬁt corporation aree volunteers – they are not paid for their time and services. All funds raised from donations go directly to the pilots of the U.S. paragliding team to subsidize competition entry fees, airfare, lodging, transportation, food and miscellaneous expenses. Thank you in advance for your support and generosity!

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Lakeview’s Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free FlightAnd Something New: 2

The VIP , 2007 Lakeview Paragliding Nationals Article and photos by Steve Messman, staﬀ writer

Just off launch at Black Cap

Why do I love Lakeview, Oregon? It seems like I should have a hard time answering that question. The town is in the middle of nowhere, over 90 miles from the nearest city. It snows a LOT! It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s really small. The drive to and through Lakeview, though, provides the answer to the question. The science teacher in me sees furry creatures scamper across hot roads. I see the beautiful but short-lived desert flowers blossom along the highway, the ancient geology of the mountains, and escarpments forged by fire and the unimaginable forces of nature. The writer in me sees the romance of the region, the mystery of its rugged features, the unknown dangers that lurk beneath each sagebrush and hide behind every boulder. The pilot in me sees magical cliffs that dominate the landscape, mountains and ridges that

beckon with their open tops, and I see clouds with flat bottoms and huge, fluffy tops. And finally, the person in me sees a friendly community, an arms-wide-open attitude toward strangers, common courtesy, smiles, and the warmth of waves; the waves of people who pass on the street, in cars, on sidewalks. I make the journey to Lakeview every year. The town’s magic and the area’s allure draw me there. The Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free Flight draws me there. But then, so does the great flying. As it has for the past umpteen years, Lakeview will host in 2007 the Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free Flight. The festival begins on June 30 with registration, and ends on the 4th of July with awards. The three days in the middle are filled with fun competitions for both hang glider pilots and paraglider pilots.

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

This annual festival finds its origins in some unspecific, basically unremembered year in the mid-seventies. The event began, not as the organized tourist attraction that it is today, but as a group of Rogue Valley pilots who simply came to visit Lakeview locals Greg and Glenda Christensen and, of course, to do a little flying themselves. It seems that Greg had a very cool wing, the Easy Riser, and that others loved watching him fly it. The collection of pilots, equipment, and crew members settled conveniently into a 4th of July traveling group, and used the long weekend in Lakeview to fly, visit, and search out new launching and landing sites. As word spread of the fun, camaraderie and great flying, the number of participants gradually grew. Lakeview residents began to get used to the ever-increasing number of hang gliders soaring

Lakeview leaders have, for years, understood the value of seeing hang glider and paraglider pilots soar their mountains and cloud streets. In 1990, Barb Gover, then executive director of the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, recognized the ever-increasing number of pilots as an opportunity. She applied to the Oregon Lottery Commission for a grant to fund an effort to make hang gliding a tourist attraction. Barb, along with the interest and help of the Rogue Valley pilots, made many improvements. Hang gliding became a regular summer activity in Lake County. The road to the launch site above town (Black Cap) was improved. Lakeview was officially declared the “Hang Gliding Capital of the West.” The Lakeview Hang Gliding Festival was born first. The increasing number of paraglider pilots caused a rebirth, so Just off launch at Black Cap, Lakeview below the festival is now known as the Festival in their skies over this holiday weekend. love with the town. That reason is the of Free Flight. Forest Service managers, And the rest, so the saying goes, is his- VIP2, the 2007 Lakeview Paragliding the Bureau of Land Management and tory – now happening annually for some Nationals. Yes, that is correct. You got the Department of Transportation all umpteen years. it. You read right. The 2007 paraglid- got into the act. Many launch sites were But this year, the Lakeview Chamber ing nationals are going to be conducted added to the “official list.” Road improveof Commerce and your friends of Rat at Lakeview, Oregon. How great is that! ments were made. Local land owners got Race fame, Mike and Gail Haley, bring The reason for this selection is perfectly in the mood as well, and most now welcome pilots who land on their property you another exciting reason to fall in easy to understand. The new, improved, obstacle-free launch at Black Cap

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

as long as it is done with courtesy and due respect (watch the horses, new crops, fences, etc.) With a ton of work, Lakeview now has six official launch sites, all on public land. But it doesn’t stop there. Supporting hang glider and paraglider pilots is constantly on someone’s mind in Lakeview. The hard work and planning is always evident. For example, Black Cap launch was totally improved in 2006 with the addition of a gravel-and-dirt ramp for hang gliders, and a cleaned slope, now largely tangle-free, for paraglider pilots. When you visit the Chamber of Commerce, the current director, Caro Johnson, will greet you with a warm smile and a huge “Hi!” She will offer you the Chamber’s computers so you can check the weather or your emails, or offer their wireless connection if you bring your so-equipped laptop. She will even give you a list of people from the town who would love to drive for you. That way, your significant other can check out the hot springs or the antique shops. The organizers of the Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free Flight struggle desperately and successfully to maintain the festival’s roots. The festival was born of fun. To that end, the early days of many competitions, complex rules, and high-stakes prizes are gone. Now there are simple competitions like a trophy dash for hang glider pilots, a timed XC event of around 30 miles. There is the cumulative distance competition for paraglider pilots. Add up every one of your flights. The one who flies the farthest over three days wins. There are spot landings for both. The winners might be lucky enough to pay for their gas home. There is a pig roast. There are tickets to the swimming pool, special pilot breakfasts in the local restaurants, and reduced prices in some of the hotels. The entire weekend has only one purpose. It’s not for points. It’s not for winning. It’s for fun. Check it out at http://www.lakecountychamber.org/hang/. This brings us directly back to the 2007 paragliding nationals. Very Important Paraglider Pilots (VIP2), the 2007 Lakeview Paragliding Nationals, is taking place at Lakeview as a direct result of the effort, money, and energy expended by Lakeview, its leaders, and the people who live there. The work that these people have for years devoted to the sport of free flight has resulted in a town that nurtures its foot-launch culture. The town has developed six sites that are used equally well by either hang glider pilots or paraglider pilots. The closest launch is directly above town. Drive past the swimming pool a few miles and you are there. Talk about short turn-around times!

But don’t let the closeness of Black Cap fool you. I landed after a short eight miles two years ago off that launch. My flying partner, though, went on to fly 70 more miles at altitudes often over 14,000 feet. If you love cross-country flying, this is the place. If you love thermal flying, this is the place. Imagine mid-day bullets from the high desert that rock your world, or imagine huge, smooth thermals that do nothing but lift your spirits higher than your wing. You will find both. If you love glass-off flying, this is the place. Fly until the sun sets if you want – just watch out for the mosquitoes after you land. Abert Rim held my breath, and my heart, captive the first time I saw it. Doherty Slide was nothing less than a lifechanging, religious experience. Hadley Butte has given me some

Abert Rim

Launching from Black Cap February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

that all (nationals) competitors must meet. You must be a current USHPA member. You must be a P-4, or a P-3 with Turbulence and Cross-Country endorsements. You must have a paraglider (duh!) and harness, helmet, reserve, GPS, and a radio capable of receiving and transmitting on all official USHPA frequencies. All of these are subject to inspection by the meet/safety director. Hadley Butte Registration begins for VIP2 on February 15 and ends on June 24. There of my best cross-country flights. If you’re will be a maximum of 130 pilots allowed. flying for fun, fly to your heart’s content The cost of pre-registration, postmarked in whatever conditions you prefer, and before April 15, is $375. Late registration land in almost any field of your choos- will cost you $400. Your fees toward the ing (with appropriate considerations.) If VIP2 help pay for a daily energy smoothyou are flying as a part of the paragliding ie, retrieval, an awards party, a T-shirt, a nationals competition, well, that’s quite “no fly day” basketball tournament with another story. $500 in prize money, a street dance with VIP2 organizers Mike and Gail the Ladies of Lakeview, trophies, general Hailey are hard at work preparing for prizes, $1000 in prize money for winning the 2007 paragliding nationals. The Very pilots, and more. The flight tasks are Important Paraglider Pilots (VIP2) begins generally described as “race to goal” with on June 24 and ends on June 30, just in high-desert conditions. time for registration for the Festival of For more information on the VIP2, Free Flight. There are some requirements contact Mike or Gail at mphsports@

A small part of Doherty Slide

comcast.net. Check out the Web site at www.vip2comp.com. And, by all means, don’t forget the registration deadlines. Comments and information about the history of the Lakeview festival are adapted from a paper written by Jules Gilpatrick and friends titled “A Brief History of Umpteenth.”

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Scooter Towing

Article and photos by Lisa Colletti and Tracy Tillman

Welcome to the third edition of clinics last year at Quest Air. At the our “Towline” column. In our first two clinic, we learned how to build a scooter editions, we presented an overview of -tow system and use it for instruction. regulations that affect aerotowing using Under Steve’s tutelage, you and I and the ultralights or light sport aircraft (LSA) other instructors learned to scooter tow as tugs. We are going to change our topic by flying various sizes of Condors and a bit for this month, as there have been Falcons, as appropriate for the conditions, some exciting developments regarding and we learned to teach using the scooter the scheduling and support of scooter- by taking turns towing each other. tow instructor clinics across the country. Tracy: Right, we learned a lot, and Next month, we’ll get back to the Sport it was a complete hoot! We ordered a Pilot topic and discuss some details on couple of Condors when we got back how to convert our tugs to experimental home, and built a scooter-tow system. light sport aircraft (E-LSAs). Aerotowing is our club’s primary means for launching pilots and for tandem inLisa: So, what’s all the exciting news struction, but scooter towing is a great about scooter towing? instructional supplement for us. We have Tracy: With USHPA financial support, been gradually phasing in scooter towing Steve Wendt of Blue Sky Hang Gliding to integrate it with our tandem aerotow (ref. 1) ran a set of very successful scooter instruction program, with a focus on tow instructor clinics at Quest Air in using it for introductory flights and to Florida in mid-February of 2006. They teach foot launch and landing skills to were well attended by instructors from all our students. around the country, with very good reLisa: Actually, it is very common for views, and resulted in the establishment sailplane clubs to use both aerotow and of several new scooter-tow operations at winch-tow methods for instructing their schools in the U.S. The good news is that club members. the USHPA BOD has agreed to supTracy: Yes, like a winch, a scooter-tow port two more of Steve’s clinics at Quest system is inexpensive to operate, and Air in 2007, scheduled for February 11- unlike aerotowing, it is very quiet and we 13 and 15-17. Also, Wills Wing will be can teach without needing to have a tug helping Steve to run additional clinics pilot available. Not only is scooter towing during Wills Wing demo days at The a great supplement to tandem aerotow Florida Ridge on April 12-14, and at the instruction, but it is also a very good priWallaby Ranch on April 16-19. (ref. 2) mary means for instruction. Lisa: Yes, that’s great news. Steve was Lisa: It is ironic that, as aerotowing the USHGA’s 2004 Instructor of the year operations are becoming challenged by (ref. 3). You and I attended one of Steve’s the required transition to Sport Pilot February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

rules, and thus may become less available and/or more expensive, scooter towing seems to be gaining in popularity. It can be used for both hang gliding and paragliding, and its use as an instructional method is being actively promoted by both the USHPA and Wills Wing. Tracy: Right. Like last year, the USHPA is helping to cover most of the participant’s cost of registering for the clinic, much like a scholarship. Anyone may register with Steve to secure a place in one of his upcoming instructor clinics at Quest Air, but since USHPA funds are being used to support participants, priority will be given to USHPAcertified instructors. Lisa: It is a great opportunity for instructors, and we certainly appreciate the support provided to us by USHPA to attend the clinic last year. Tracy: Yes, and Wills Wing is expanding that opportunity by offering support to participants to attend Steve’s clinics in April in Florida. The difference is that Wills Wing expects many of their dealers from overseas to attend their demo days, so they are not giving priority to USHPA-certified instructors for registration. Wills Wing is supporting scooter-tow instruction in an additional way, by developing teaching materials for instructors. Wills Wing is including a section on scooter towing in their new book on learning to hang glide (ref. 4), with a DVD showing Steve Wendt’s methods. Steve will be using those materials at his clinics.

A close-up of the scooter rig

Lisa: The USHPA is also helping to develop scooter-tow teaching materials for instructors. While Steve’s instructional methods are excellent, there are many other good methods that are used across the country. Unfortunately, documentation of those methods has been lacking, and there has been little understanding or sharing of that knowledge across the hang gliding community. As part of our duties of serving on the USHPA Towing committee, you and I were charged with helping to develop a standardized syllabus and curriculum for scooter-tow instruction. We conducted a benchmarking study to identify best practices in scooter-tow instruction by using written materials, input, and Delphi-style iterative feedback for review from some of the most knowledgeable and experienced instructors in the country. The results were reviewed by the Towing committee and the Safety and Training committee at the fall 2006 BOD meetings, and are available online at http://www.ushpa .aero/member_article.asp?av=HUhi77ba.

Tracy: It was a very daunting yet rewarding task to get so many different instructors who use different techniques and equipment to agree on a single method as a model curriculum. Actually, the model syllabus and curriculum is meant to be only a general guideline that can be adjusted or modified based on instructor philosophy, available equipment, flying sites, and general flying conditions. For example, Steve Wendt places a heavy emphasis on providing a lot of groundskim instruction and having students do wheel landings early in the program, using Condors in very light or calm wind conditions on smooth turf. Other instructors, in other parts of the country, may not be able to use that technique as much due to rougher terrain and/or windier conditions. Also, some instructors may feel that it is better for their students to learn and be competent at a level that is a bit beyond the minimum of the Hang-2 standards in order to fly safely as a novice pilot at their particular flying site, so that option is reflected in the model curriculum. Lisa: There has been good availability of scooter-tow instructor clinics on the East Coast – is anything happening out west? Tracy: Actually, that brings us to more good news. Mark Windsheimer of Airtime Above Hang Gliding in Colorado (ref. 5) is planning to offer a set of scooter-tow instructor clinics in Arizona in early May, and perhaps another set in California sometime this

spring. Mark is a highly regarded scootertow instructor with a great deal of experience, and has teaching techniques especially suited to western U.S. conditions. He plans to cover instructional methods for both hang gliding and paragliding. Preceeding Steve Wendt, Mark was the USHGA’s 2002 instructor of the year (ref. 6). It is possible that funding will be available from the USHPA or the Foundation to help participants attend Mark’s clinics as well. Anyone interested in attending one of Mark’s clinics should contact him for more information at airtimehg@aol.com.

References: 1. Steve Wendt. Blue Sky Hang Gliding. http://www.blueskyhg .com 2. USHPA online Calendar of Events. http://ushpa.aero/calendar .asp 3.”Steve Wendt, 2004 USHGA Instructor of the Year” by Billy Vaughn, Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, August 2005. http://www.blueskyhg.com/ Articles/SteveWendtProﬁle.pdf 4. Hang Gliding Training Manual: http://www.willswing.com 5. Mark Windsheimer. Airtime Above Hang Gliding. http:// HangGlide@airtimeabove.com 6.”USHGA Presents Awards at Orlando, Florida Board of Directors Meeting” by Dan Nelson, Hang Gliding magazine, December 2002.

A student preparing to launch, with Tracy on the scooter

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Gallery

Jean Marc Caron, looking relaxed and probably not thinking about the sharp pointy rocks beneath him, near the Col des Aravis, France Photo: Jerome Maupoint

Pilots cruising at sunset over St. Hilaire, France, site of the world’s largest free-ﬂight exposition each September Photo: Jerome Sarthe

Two views of the newest and most difﬁcult paragliding maneuver, the inﬁnite tumble: Mike Küng, perfectly inverted, and (inset) Hans Pruneretti smoking it down in the middle of a series of 23 tumbles Photos: Giorgio Sabbioni

Near Dinosaur, Colorado Photo: Chris Smith

Flying in winter while dreaming of June: (Above) Steve Kinsley joins Allen Sparks for some frosty airtime at High Rock, Maryland. (Bottom) Shawn Ray launching at High Rock Photos: Ralph Sickinger

The most experienced pilots practice the most basic skills: Above, Jerome Canaud and David Dagault kiting at the Col de Tende, in southern France Photo: www.kitchen-prod.com

Below, U.S. Acro Team pilot Timothy Green, strolling along the roof of… a bus, on the Isla El Heirro, Canary Islands. Photo: Anthony Green

John Heiney, well over his bar and diving into the beginning of a loop over Villeneuve, Switzerland Photo: John Heiney.

Calendar of events items WILL NOT be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets. For more complete information on the events listed, please see our Calendar of Events at www.ushpa.aero. SANCTIONED COMPETITION

February 17-24: Pico do Ibituruna, Governador Valadares, Brazil. Valadares Paragliding Open 2007, FAI Class 2, organized by the Valadares Free-ﬂying Association and the Municipal Council. More information: www.avvl.com.br. April 12-15: Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, near Ft. Lauderdale,

Florida. U.S. National Powered Paragliding Convention. More information: http://www.southﬂoridappg.com/2007convention/home.htm. July 11-15: Moore, Idaho. King Mountain Hang Gliding Champion-

ships. Pilot briefing and multimedia show of the area on Tuesday evening, July 10. Lots of fun and superb flying in some of the most scenic mounNationals. Practice days April 5 and 6. Registration opened December tains in the world. Open, recreation, and team classes. Open-distance 15, closes March 15, $285 + $215 tow fees. Sport-class nationals $195 XC along a specified route with bonus LZs and handicap scoring. BBQs, + tow fees. More information: thefloridaridge.com. breakfasts, free camping, super-extra-special trophies and all that... plus the envy of the HG world – shirts by Dan G. (suitable for framing)! April 15-21: Quest Air, Groveland, Florida. Flytec Championship hang Entry fee of $60 includes pilot packet, shirt, maps, awards party, and a gliding competition. Registration opened 1/20, will close when full – limton o’ fun! Contact Lisa Tate,1915 S. Arcadia St. Boise, ID 83705, (208) ited to 80 flex wings, 30 rigid wings. Current USHPA card, H-4 with AT, 376-7914, lisa@soaringdreamsart.com. TUR and XC endorsements; must have flown on exact glider at least 10 times in competition conditions. $350 entry fee + $200 tow fees. More September 30-October 7: Dunlap, Tennessee. Tennessee Tree information at www.flytec.com. Toppers 2007 Team Challenge, offering Hang 3 pilots an introduction to competition and cross-country flying in “The Hang Gliding CapiJune 17-23: Woodrat Mt., Ruch, Oregon. Paragliding Rat Race. Regtal of the East”! More information and online registration available at istration (via snail mail only) opens February 15, and the meet has filled www.treetoppers.org. up on that opening date in past years. Maximum 130 pilots, USHPA membership and P-3 rating required. $375 entry fee includes land use fees, daily lunches, retrieval, awards party, T-shirt, mentoring program, FLY-INS training sessions and more. Additional information and registration February 24-25 & March 24-25: Full-moon flying weekends details at www.ratracecomp.com. at Cotes Cliffs, Baja California, 80 miles south of Ensenada, Mexico. FlyJune 24-30: Lakeview, Oregon. U.S. Paragliding Nationals. Regis- ing in Mexico, especially with the E-TEAM, is inexplicable! Last year we tration opens February 15. Max 130 pilots, USHPA membership and made a new ramp on the 250-foot cliff launch. This year, we have to P-4 rating (or P-3 with XC and turbulence endorsements). $350 before April try it out! Bring everything that you have that flies! The flying site is 15, $400 after. Fee includes daily energy smoothie, retrieval, no-fly day bas- a 10-mile-long, 250-foot-high cliff located on a very deserted Mexican ketball tournament with $500 prize money, street dance with the Ladies of beach. There are no facilities, so bring everything that you will need Lakeview, lots of prizes. Additional information and registration details at to have fun, flying or not. Also bring along any household donations www.vip2comp.com. that can be left behind for the local population. Vaya Con Dios. Contact: Mike Hilberath, (949) 455-0032, eteamer@cox.net or eteamer@ July 22-28: Lakeview, Oregon. “Hang-on” hang gliding compeyourmothersplace.com. tition. Registration opens March 15, $295 before May 15, $350 May April 7-13: The Florida Ridge, Clewiston, Florida. U.S. Hang Gliding

15-July 22. H-4 required, 130 pilot maximum. More information: www.mphsports.com.

April 12-14: Florida Ridge, Clewiston, Florida. Wills Wing demos and

July 29-August 4: Boone, North Carolina. Tater Hill Paragliding

April 16-21: Wallaby Ranch, Davenport, Florida. 10th annual Wills

Open 2007. Registration opens March 15. Cross-country race to goal at a site friendly for ﬁrst-time competitors; GPS and comp strategy sessions included. More information at www.ﬂytaterhill.com.

Wing demo days and party – come celebrate Wills Wing’s 34 years in the hang gliding business with demos, seminars and parties. Catered dinner and dance band on Saturday. It’s the perfect time of year to ﬂy in Florida! More information at http://www.wallaby.com/, or contact Malcolm Jones, (863) 424-0070, ﬂy@wallaby.com.

COMPETITION

glider delivery. More information: Miami Hang Gliding, (863) 805-0440.

February 4-10: Dominican Republic. 2007 Ozone Caribbean XC May 26-28: King Mountain, Idaho.”2007 Spring Fling at King” – Challenge. Seasoned pilots as well as XC apprentices. Experienced XC start your XC season off right with this fun fly-in. All-you-can-eat dinpilots have plenty of choices flying in Vallejuelo, an outstandingly ver- ner and dessert. Cash prizes for greatest XC HG/PG flights. Free satile site, with two major valleys and three different mountain ranges camping as usual. More information: (208) 390-0205, email goxc@ within reach, while novice XC pilots enjoy the expert advice from Jocky kingmountaingliders.com, full details at www.kingmountaingliders.com. Sanderson and the rest of the Ozone team, turning each flying day June 6-10: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Hang gliding XC fun fly-in into a great learning experience. More information and registration at – launch from 10,678-foot Sandia Crest. 2006 was tons of fun with http://2007.CaribbeanXC.com. many 100+ milers, including 3 at 150+ and one at 185 miles. More February 10-17: Bright, Victoria, Australia. Australian Open Para- information: Andrew Vanis, (505) 304-5306, vanis13@yahoo.com, gliding Championship. AAA sanction. Contact: Carol Binder, info@ www.flysandia.org. xcflight.com or www.xcflight.com.

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

CLINICS, MEETINGS, TOURS

March 12-18: Peru with Kelly Kellar and Jose Rosas. Come fly your paraglider at the increasingly famous Marriot in Miraflores, Lima, Peru. November through March: Prime Valle de Bravo season with Tighten up your thermal skills and technique at Pachacamac and join our FlyMexico. We have over 15 years at this and no one matches our know- 40k group flight attempt. Then on to tear it up in Paracas, and return to how, facilities, or service. Lower priced packages available without air- Lima for more flying. Our tours are really a full-blown clinic for pilots of port transportation or instuctor/guide. Week-long base packages, in and all skill levels. Non-flying guests and student types are welcome to join out on a Sunday, $895 PG, $1195 HG (includes glider). Base package us at a reduced rate. $1650 includes: Airport pickup and return, all lodgincludes airport transpo, lodging, guide and transpo all day wherever you ing with breakfast and all ground transpo with your instructor guides. go. www.flymexico.com, 1-800-861-7198. We will make time for sightseeing for those interested. Book now at February 3-10, February 17-24: Costa Rica Paragliding Tours. www.Paratravels.com. Fly the tropical skies of Costa Rica. Week-long tours include airport March 21-26: Chile with Kelly Kellar and Jose Rosas. Come parapickup and drop-off, lodging with breakfast, guiding. Plenty of time to glide over the city of Iquique, fly past skyscrapers and land on the beach explore nearby beaches, enjoy fresh seafood, etc. Non-pilots will love it right in front of your hotel. Then off to Palo Buque in the late afternoons too! Contact Nick Crane, (541) 840-8587, info@paracrane.com, details for some magical paragliding sessions you will not forget. This is all to at www.paracrane.com. get you primed for the 80K open-distance flying of the weekend. Nonflying guests and student types are welcome to join us at a reduced rate. February 6-10: Valle de Bravo, Mexico. FlyMexico hang gliding comp – five days of sure flying in a scenic world-famous site. $199 en- $1650 includes: Airport pickup and return, all lodging with breakfast try includes transportation and retrieve. FAI Cat. 2 sanction. Contact Fly- and all ground transpo with your instructor guides. We will make time Mexico, www.flymexico.com, 800-861-7198 U.S., ++1 512 467 2529 for sightseeing for those interested. Book now at www.Paratravels.com. (NOTE: You can get in on both the Peru and Chile trips for $1475 each international. and we will include your lodging for the 19th and 20th at no charge.) February 10-17: Southern California tour. For more information and prerequisites go to www.twocanfly.com or contact Ken Hudonjorgensen, April 12-14: Florida Ridge, Clewiston, Florida, and April 16-19: Wallaby Ranch, Davenport, Florida. USHPA in conjunction with Wills (801) 572-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com. Wing is sponsoring scooter-towing seminars with Blue Sky’s Steve Wendt. February 11-13 and 15-17: Quest Air, Florida. Steve Wendt of These programs are free to instructors who are interested in learning this Blue Sky Hang Gliding is running two USHPA-sponsored scooter tow in- great teaching method. Contact Rob Kells, Rob@WillsWing.com, so the structor clinics. Registration fee is $100, payable to Blue Sky, with $50 organizers know how many instructors and pilots to plan for. refundable at completion of the clinic. Registration is open to anyone, but priority will be given to USHPA-certified instructors. USHPA sponsor- Spring 2007: Super Fly’s Chris Santacroce and Peak to Peak Paraship provides funding in the form of scholarships that cover the bulk of gliding’s Kay Tauscher will team up again in late April and early May in the cost of the clinic for participants. Contact Steve at Blue Sky (http:// Colorado for a week of paraglider over-the-water courses. These courses www.blueskyhg.com/) at (804) 241-4324 or blueskyhg@yahoo.com for will be focused toward supporting pilots flying Advance, Gin and Nova gliders. Three consecutive 3-day courses will be offered. Exact dates more information and to register for one of these two clinics. and more information available at www.peaktopeakparagliding.com or March 1-8: Brazil. We have room for 8 very fun paraglider pilots and/ (303) 817-0803. or guests to “Rock It in Rio” – a guided paragliding tour of Rio De Janeiro and beach party for three days. Then travel overnight by sleeper bus May 26-June 4: FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, ITALY. Experience the to “Go for the Gusto in GV.” Governador Valadares is the perfect ther- Alps where it all began! Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand on an mal and cross-country site and a favorite spot for pilots like twice world- unforgettable tour to some of the most beautiful paragliding sites in the champion John Pendry. Instructional coaching, room with breakfast and world. Fly every day at world-famous sites such as St. Hilaire, Annecy, ground transportation in RIO and GV are included. We are going to have a Chamonix, Mieussy, Verbier, La Madeleine, Les Saissis and more. Luis blast and a half, and it’s only $1650. Special deals may apply for those con- has been guiding international pilots to France for the last five years tinuing on to Peru and Chile with us. Contact Kelly Kellar at www.maxroc and, due to popular demand, is now offering the trip to U.S. pilots as well. More information: Luis at www.atlantaparagliding.com, luis@ .com, info@maxroc.com, (503) 464-6140. atlantaparagliding.com, or Todd at wallowaparagliding@gmail.com. March 8-11: Colorado Springs, Colorado. USHPA spring BOD meeting. Members are invited and welcome! Annual awards presentation June 6-10: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sandia Soar’n, HG XC-fun banquet on Saturday evening. More information online at ushpa.aero, or fly. 2006 was tons of fun with many 100+ milers, 3 at 150+ and one at 185 miles. www.flysandia.org, Andrew Vanis, (505) 304-5306, email info@ushpa.aero. vanis13@yahoo.com. Hugh McElrath, launching off High Rock (PenMar, Maryland) Photo: Ralph Sickinge

June 16-22: Girdwood, Alaska. Join Peak to Peak Paragliding for

paragliding under the midnight sun. Kay Tauscher will lead a group of pilots to Alaska’s beautiful mountainous countryside for long days of great ﬂying. The primary destination will be Girdwood, Alaska, but other sites may be visited as well. Call (303) 817-0803 or email info@ peaktopeakparagliding.com for more information.

Ratings issued during October 2006 Paragliding Division P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2

1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 6 8 8 8 8 8 9 12 13 13 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5

Name

City

Travis Brown Everett Jon Malmberg Hood River Kevin Kelly Redmond Dorothy Hawthorne Happy Valley Michael Whelan Bend Larry Kaiser Las Vegas Shaun Webster San Francisco Gary Pyles Las Vegas Stewart Hester-chow Belmont Eyal Ben Moshe San Mateo George Beahan Jr Alameda Mario Zambrano San Lorenzo Francis Doumet Palo Alto Mark Spiegel Las Vegas Mark Miyahara Santa Paula James Beletic Thousand Oaks Meghan Khadija Striegel Haiku-maui Wesley Leffel New Port Juston Littleton Makawao Michael Hurley Cripple Creek Jessica Smith Tempe Ellen Brennan Salt Lake City Lane Lamoreaux Mesa Luke Murphy Basalt Ted Smith Colorado Springs Lenzy Brown Aztec Tony Holden Boise Garry Hill Scottsbluff Geovani Alves Framingham Davidson Da Silva Framingham Sandro Andrade Sousa Framingham Eudes Da Silvas Framingham Fabio Silva Framingham J. Michael Cosner Powhatan Thomas Keefer Turnersville Victor Gallo San Jose Michael Hildebrandt Kassel Travis Brown Everett Kerry Pierce Eugene Ladislau Molnar Sammamish Jeffrey Turner Dupont Jon Malmberg Hood River Douglas Paeth Bainbridge Is Michael Whelan Bend Larry Kaiser Las Vegas Jay Gordon Lincoln Shaun Webster San Francisco Hsi-cheng Chu San Jose Edward Day Castro Valley Gary Pyles Las Vegas Frank Chaves Las Vegas Mark Spiegel Las Vegas Jeffrey Brown San Diego Laurent Sauzeat Redondo Beach Mark Miyahara Santa Paula James Beletic Thousand Oaks Meghan Khadija Striegel Haiku-maui Wesley Leffel New Port Juston Littleton Makawao Mary Moyer Md Prescott Frank Goshen Phoenix Jessica Smith Tempe Ellen Brennan Salt Lake City Lane Lamoreaux Mesa Luke Murphy Basalt Lenzy Brown Aztec Andrew Samuelson Laramie Tyler Horne Jackson John Atwood Billings

State

Rating Ofﬁcial

WA Steven Wilson OR Dale Covington WA John Kraske OR Larry Pindar OR Stephen Mayer NV Chad Bastian CA Wallace Anderson NV Stephen Mayer CA Wallace Anderson CA Jeffrey Greenbaum CA Jeffrey Greenbaum CA Jeffrey Greenbaum CA Jeffrey Greenbaum NV Stephen Mayer CA Kevin Mcginley CA Chad Bastian HI Dion Vuk CA Chad Bastian HI David Binder CO Granger Banks AZ Kevin Mcginley UT Mike Steen AZ Stephen Mayer CO Stephen Mayer CO Granger Banks NM William Smith ID Stephen Mayer NE Stephen Mayer MA Jeffrey Nicolay MA Jeffrey Nicolay MA Jeffrey Nicolay MA Jeffrey Nicolay MA Jeffrey Nicolay VA Christopher Grantham NJ Kevin Mcginley Rob Sporrer Stephen Mayer WA Steven Wilson OR Larry Pindar WA John Kraske WA Marc Chirico OR Dale Covington WA Marc Chirico OR Stephen Mayer NV Chad Bastian CA Mike Fiﬁeld CA Wallace Anderson CA Jeffrey Greenbaum CA Wallace Anderson NV Stephen Mayer NV Chris Santacroce NV Stephen Mayer CA Bill Armstrong CA Bill Armstrong CA Kevin Mcginley CA Chad Bastian HI Dion Vuk CA Chad Bastian HI David Binder AZ Stephen Mayer AZ John Kraske AZ Kevin Mcginley UT Mike Steen AZ Stephen Mayer CO Stephen Mayer NM William Smith WY Granger Banks WY James Matt Combs MT Andy Macrae

Rating Region

P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4

5 5 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 12 13 13 13 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 9 12 13 2 2 2 2 2 5 13

Name

City

Tony Holden Boise Jeremy Hopple Jackson Britton Shaw Fort Smith Garry Hill Scottsbluff Nanette Studebaker Ottawa Cory Bieganek Brainerd Charles Chandler Burlington Bernie Fullenkamp Dayton Douglas Lapointe Alpheretta Dan Bishop Austin Keren Hogg Bloomﬁeld Gary Ward Rushville Thomas Keefer Turnersville Victor Gallo San Jose Michael Hildebrandt Kassel Homero Hernandez Mexico City Melinda Propp Port Townsend Edward Miller Jr Redmond David Ismay Berkeley Clemens Drews San Jose Aaron Bradley Menlo Park Andrew Bradley Menlo Park Martin Hearne Kula Robert Fish Kula Keith Colwick Irvine Alex Harris Laguna Niguel Robert Edwards Kula Terry Burke Glenwood Springs Andrew Be Grand Junction Jack Davis Riﬂe Ron Oliver Glenwood Springs Greame Parkes Cave Creek Gordon Giuliano Charlottesville Ben Suter Ramsey Homero Hernandez Mexico City Philip Green Auburn Joe Daryle Cruz Vacaville Ondrej Kubicek Daly City Andy Miller Windsor Jason Shapiro Shingle Springs Daniel Roof Teton Village Boos Michael Nuruberg

State

Rating Ofﬁcial

ID Stephen Mayer WY Christopher Brindisi AR Ron Kohn NE Stephen Mayer IL Jeffrey Farrell MN Luis Rosenkjer CT Jeffrey Nicolay OH Etienne Pienaar GA Luis Rosenkjer TX Paul Greenwood NY David Brien NY David Brien NJ Kevin Mcginley Rob Sporrer Stephen Mayer Miguel Gutierrez WA Kelly Kellar OR Steve Roti CA Hugh Murphy CA Julie Spiegler CA Tim Kuenster CA Tim Kuenster HI David Binder HI David Binder CA Kyoung Ki Hong CA Kyoung Ki Hong HI David Binder CO Etienne Pienaar CO Etienne Pienaar CO Etienne Pienaar CO Etienne Pienaar AZ Ken Hudonjorgensen VA James Kaplan NJ Ciaran Egan Miguel Gutierrez CA Bill Heaner CA Bill Heaner CA Tim Kuenster CA Gregg Hackett CA Bill Heaner WY Scott Harris David Jebb

Over the rocks at Pelagonia, Macedonia, a huge ﬂatlands surrounded by high mountains February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

Photo: Dimitar Shkordovski /Vertigo Paragliding Club

Rating Region

Hang Gliding Division Rating Region

H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-2 H-2 H-2

1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 8 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 1 1 1

Name

City

Geoffrey Robinson Retsil Jesse Byler Berkeley Josh Taylor San Francisco Andrew Kreamer Berkeley Jonathan Toomim Berkeley Matthew Pistone Nevada City Glenn Zapien Ceres John Passyka Albion Glen Allen Victorville Jamie Krasnoo Van Nuys Asako Ushio Los Angeles Vinay Sawant La Jolla Tyler Chamberlain Riverton Jessie Oliver Grand Junction Jeffrey Allen Montpelier John Shurte Mechanicsville Mark Kennedy Virginia Beach Thomas Cammack Leesburg Joseph Csikesz Columbia Station Luis Indacochea Collins Rick Sheppard Ft Inn Jennnifer Markman Snellville E. Logan Pratt Iii Buford Kyle Wickings Carlton Andrew Fenaughty Miami Richard Eden Sugar Land Corinna Bethke Conroe Richard Obousy Waco Max Falkoff Clinton Leonard Meyer Addy David Carroll Forks Elijah Porter Tacoma

State

Rating Ofﬁcial

WA John Matylonek CA Justine Yang CA Justine Yang CA Justine Yang CA Barry Levine CA Justine Yang CA Patrick Denevan CA Theodore Mack CA Paul Thornbury CA Paul Thornbury CA Paul Thornbury CA John Heiney UT Mark Vanderwerf CO Peter Dreher VT Peter Dreher VA Steve Wendt VA Andrew Cooper VA Peter Dreher OH Peter Dreher GA Christian Thoreson SC Christian Thoreson GA Christian Thoreson GA Christian Thoreson GA Gordon Cayce FL Chik Shank TX Jack Yount TX Jack Yount TX Jeffrey Hunt NY Daniel Guido WA Gordon Cayce WA Gordon Cayce WA Larry Jorgensen

Rating Region

H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-3 H-4 H-4 H-4 H-4

2 2 2 3 3 6 8 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 11 2 8 9 9 10 10 13 4 10 11 13

Name

City

David Vander Steen Daly City Daniel Dunbar San Francisco Tedd Hecklin Reno Benjamin Strand Van Nuys Vinay Sawant La Jolla Sean Keefe Overland Park Marcio Milanezzi Watertown Benjamin Scharf Winchester Jeffrey Costello Bedford Victor Koshmaryk Ellicott City Mark Kennedy Virginia Beach Stephen Gruber College Park John Dichiara Atlanta Steve Wallace Birmingham Luis Indacochea Collins Rick Sheppard Ft Inn Jennnifer Markman Snellville E. Logan Pratt Iii Buford Kyle Wickings Carlton Andrew Fenaughty Miami George Helms Round Rock Andy Grouwstra Morgan Hill Timothy Wildman Glastonbury Glenn Hardy Baltimore Janni Papakrivos Bethesda Harry Collins Iii Flagler Beach Curtis Patterson Stuart Jon Orders BC Craig Chamberlain Riverton Harry Collins Iii Flagler Beach Chuck Pyle Montgomery David Llewellyn Keswick Ontario

State

Rating Ofﬁcial

CA Barry Levine CA Barry Levine NV Ray Leonard CA Paul Thornbury CA John Heiney KS Robert Lane MA Steven Prepost MA Jeffrey Nicolay NH Steven Prepost MD Adam Elchin VA Andrew Cooper GA Gordon Cayce GA Gordon Cayce AL Christian Thoreson GA Christian Thoreson SC Christian Thoreson GA Christian Thoreson GA Christian Thoreson GA Gordon Cayce FL Chik Shank TX Jeffrey Hunt CA Eric Hinrichs CT Peter Perrone MD Brian Vant Hull MD Brian Vant Hull FL Malcolm Jones FL Christian Thoreson Eric Thorstenson UT Peter Cj Anderson FL Malcolm Jones TX Gregg Ludwig Michael Robertson

Dan Walters demo-ing a WW Talon off Ellenville Mt., N.Y. Photo: Paul Voight

THERMAL NUCLEAR

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DETECTION

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For all service, parts, accessories and after sales support contact your nearest dealer or Central U.S. distributor • Ken Brown, CA Tel - (530) 888 8622 Email - ﬂyamoyes@sbcglobal.net Regional U.S. distributors • Mike Barber, FL Tel - 1800 WALLABY Email - ﬂy@Wallaby.com • Kraig Coomber, SO CAL Cell - (714) 402 7415 Email - moyescal@msn.com

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

February 14 is Valentine’s Day!

Below: These NW ﬂyers, like all those who didn’t migrate south, spent the winter hunkered down and enduring the cold, wet, windy weather. Photographer Wes Wilson says, “Like the birds, I am waiting on edge to start the new season and become rated as a new pilot.”

HANG GLIDING ADVISORY: Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on flex wings, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. PARAGLIDING ADVISORY: Used paragliders should always be thoroughly inspected before flying for the first time. Annual inspections on paragliders should include sailcloth strength tests. Simply performing a porosity check isn’t sufficient. Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sailcloth. If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. BUYERS SHOULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SKILL LEVEL OR RATING. NEW PILOTS SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION FROM A USHPA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

FLEX WINGS EVEN-UP TRADES – Looking to move up from your beginner or novice glider, but can’t put up cash? (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding .com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports. FALCONS CLEARANCE SALE – School use, one season. Falcon 1s and 2s. All sizes $1250-$2500. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding .com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports. WW TALON 150 – Mylar sail, custom undersurface. Low airtime, excellent condition $2500. (970) 879-3935. tom@thomaswoodloghomes.com.

DRAGONFLY AEROTUGS – For up to $10,000 off the price of new ones! Enclosed trailer available for pickup/ delivery. www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports, (262) 473-8800.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS ALABAMA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – The best facilities, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more. Wide range of accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

ARIZONA FLY HIGH PARAGLIDING.COM – over 10 years of experience, offers P-2 certification, tandem flights, towing, new and used equipment, the best weather to fly in USA. (480) 266-6969.

CALIFORNIA AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING – Year-round excellent instruction, Southern California & Baja. Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier, (760) 753-2664, airjunkies@sbcglobal.net, airjunkies.com. DREAM WEAVER HANG GLIDING – Competitive prices, state-of-the-art equipment. Complete lesson programs. Northern California Mosquito harness dealer. Ideal training hill. Tandem instruction. USHPA advanced instructor Doug Prather, (209) 556-0469, Modesto, California. drmwvrhg@softcom.net.

EMERGENCY PARACHUTES

EAGLE PARAGLIDING – SANTA BARBARA offers the best year round ﬂying in the nation. Awardwinning instruction, excellent mountain and ridge sites. www.FlySantaBarbara.com, (805) 968-0980.

INSPECTED RESERVES – For HG or PG $199+up. Used Quantum, all sizes $475+up. Some trades accepted. info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports, (262) 473-8800.

FLY ABOVE ALL – Year-round instruction in beautiful Santa Barbara! USHPA novice through advanced certiﬁcation. Thermaling to competition training. Visit www.ﬂyaboveall.com, (805) 965-3733.

EMPLOYMENT

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER – PO Box 151542, San Diego CA 92175, (619) 265-5320.

INSTRUCTORS NEEDED FOR THE 2007 SEASON – I am looking for experienced hang gliding and paragliding instructors to work in Ellenville, New York, at Mountain Wings Inc and E-Ville Outﬁtters Flight park. Call Greg at (845) 647-3377 or email at www.mtnwings@verizon.net.

MIKE BUTLER HANG GLIDING SCHOOL – Located just 30 minutes west of Yosemite National Park. WW and Flytec dealer. mbutler@sti.net, (209) 742- 8540.

NORTH WING DESIGN – is accepting applications for metal shop/wing and trike airframe mechanic. Also accepting applications for sail maker and sewing machine operator. Send application to: 3904 Airport Way, E. Wenatchee, WA 98802 or Fax (509) 886-3435 (www .northwing.com).

HARNESSES HARNESSES – 5’0”-6’5”. Cocoons $125+up. High Energy Cocoons $200+up, Pods $200+up. Inventory, selection changes constantly. Some trades accepted. (262) 473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding .com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

ULTRALIGHTS

MISSION SOARING CENTER – Largest hang gliding center in the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment: Wills Wing, Moyes, AIR, High Energy, Flytec, Icaro. West Coast distributor for A.I.R. Atos rigid wings including the all-new VX Tandem Atos. Parts in stock. We stock new and used equipment. Trade-ins welcome. Complete lesson program. Best training park in the West, located just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Pittman Hydraulic Winch System for Hang 1s and above. Launch and landing clinics for Hang 3s and Hang 4s. Wills Wing Falcons of all sizes and custom training harnesses. 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035. (408) 262-1055, Fax (408) 262-1388, mission@ hang-gliding.com, www.hang-gliding.com, Mission Soaring Center, leading the way since 1973.

O’CONNOR FLIGHT SCHOOL – Specializing in Safety In-Flight Training & Maneuvers Clinics and Aerobatic Instruction. Enhance your knowledge, increase your level of confidence, take your piloting skills to new levels. Overthe-water safety and aerobatics clinics. Enleau and Ann O’Connor, www.oconnorflightschool.com, (530) 2274055 and reserve your clinic. TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT – Come soar in San Diego! This family-owned and operated flying site offers USHPA certified instruction, advanced training, equipment sales, tandem flight instruction, motorized pg/hg instruction and site tours. We also have an extensive pg/ hg outfitting shop offering parachute repacks and fullservice repairs. Bring your family for our amazing sunsets and dining at the Cliffhanger Cafe. Importers for Para-tech and Independence gliders. We also carry AustriAlpin, Center of Gravity, Crispi and Sup’Air. Check us out online for sales and questions at: www.flytorrey.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-FLY-TEAM (359-8326). Also, tune in to the Internet Paragliding Talk Show at www.worldtalkradio .com every Tuesday 9-11:00 a.m. (PST). WINDSPORTS – Don’t risk bad weather, bad instruction or dangerous training hills. 350 flyable days each year. Learn foot-launch flying skills safely and quickly. Train with professional CFI’s at world-famous Dockweiler Beach training slopes (5 minutes from LA airport). Fly winter or summer in gentle coastal winds, soft sand and in a thorough program with one of America’s most prestigious schools for over 25 years. (818) 367-2430, www.windsports.com.

COLORADO AIRTIME ABOVE HANG GLIDING – Full-time lessons, sales, service. Colorado’s most experienced! Wills Wing, Moyes, Altair, Aeros, High Energy, Ball, Finsterwalder, Flytec, MotoComm and much more. Call (303) 674-2451, Evergreen, Colorado. AirtimeHG@aol.com. GUNNISON GLIDERS – Serving the western slope. Instruction, sales, service, sewing, accessories. Site information, ratings. 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, 1-866-238-2305. PEAK TO PEAK PARAGLIDING LLC – THE Front Range paragliding school, located in Boulder. Offering excellent state-of-the-art instruction. Equipment & tandems. (303) 817-0803, Info@peaktopeakparagliding.com, www .peaktopeakparagliding.com.FLO

FLORIDA FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK – 18265 E State Road 80, Clewiston, Florida, (863) 805-0440, www.thefloridaridge.com. GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS – Paraglider & hang glider towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment. Dunnellon Airport, (352) 245-8263, email fly@graybirdairsports.com, www.graybirdairsports.com. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – Nearest mountain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

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MIAMI HANG GLIDING – For year-round training fun in the sun. (305) 285-8978, 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133, www.miamihanggliding.com. QUEST AIR – FROM 1ST FLIGHT TO 1ST PLACE – From your first tandem to advanced XC racing, fly with the innovators of aerotowing and champion instructors. No-wait lessons. Higher tows = more airtime. 7 Dragonfly tugs. Safer carts. Huge LZ. Demos. Rentals. Storage. Sales & repair of everything HG. Clubhouse with kitchen, PC, satellite TV, cool toys, kegs, snakeboard races. Pool. Hot tub. Shade. Free wireless. Private lake. Rooms. Bunkhouse. Tent camping. RV hookups. Indoor/outdoor showers. Laundry. Bobby Bailey sightings. Flytec Championships. 2006 Worlds. Largest U.S. HG record/comp sponsors, helping to keep it all going for YOU. Minutes from Orlando in Groveland, FL. www.questairforce.com, questair@mpinet.com, (352) 429-0213. WALLABY AEROTOW FLIGHT PARK – Satisfaction Guaranteed. Just 8 miles from Disney World. Year-round soaring, open 7 days a week, six tugs, no waiting, every direction. 50+ nice demos to fly, topless to trainer gliders: Laminar, Moyes, Wills, Airborne, Airwave, Exxtacy, La Mouette, Sensor; also harnesses, varios, etc. Ages 13 to 73 have learned to fly here. No one comes close to our level of experience and success with tandem aerotow instruction. A great scene for family and friends. 10 motels & restaurants within 5 minutes. Camping, hot showers, shade trees, sales, storage, ratings, XC retrievals, great weather, climbing wall, trampoline, DSS TV, ping pong, picnic tables, swimming pool, etc. Flights of over 200 miles and more than 7 hours. Articles in Hang Gliding, Kitplanes, Skywings, Cross Country and others. Featured on numerous TV shows, including Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel & ESPN. Visit us on the Web: http://www.wallaby.com. Please call us for references and video. 1805 Dean Still Road, Disney Area, FL 33837 (863) 424-0070, phone & fax, fly@wallaby .com, 1-800-WALLABY. Conservative, reliable, state-ofthe-art. F.H.G. INC., flying Florida since 1974.

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – Discover why 5 times as many pilots earn their wings at LMFP. Enjoy our 110-acre mountain resort. www.hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

HAWAII FLY HAWAII – Hawaii’s hang gliding, paragliding/ paramotoring school. Mauna Kea guide service. Big Island Hawaii, Achim Hagemann (808) 895-9772, www.aircotec .net/flyhawaii.htm, flyaglider@yahoo.com. ISLAND POWERED PARAGLIDING & THERMAL UP PARAGLIDING – The Big Island’s source for USHPA certified instruction. Power or tow from a private 25acre ranch. Guided site and flight tours. Equipment rental, service and sales. Call Yeti, (808) 987-0773, www.IslandPPG.com, www.ThermalUp.com. PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING – Call Dexter for friendly information about flying on Maui. Full-service school offering beginner to advanced instruction every day, year round. (808) 874-5433, paraglidehawaii.com.IDAHO

IDAHO KING MOUNTAIN GLIDERS – Alluring site plus shop supplying all your HG/PG needs. Instruction, equipment sales, complete accessories. Visit our Web site www .kingmountaingliders.com or (208) 390-0205.

INDIANA CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION – See Cloud 9 in Michigan.

MAINE DOWNEAST AIRSPORTS – Paragliding and hang gliding instruction, quality equipment sales. Extended training/tour packages with lodging available. www.downeastairsports.com, in_a_cloud@hotmail.com, Marc (207) 244-9107.

MARYLAND HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS – Baltimore and DC’s fulltime flight park: tandem instruction, solo aerotows and equipment sales and service. We carry Aeros, Airwave, Flight Design, Moyes, Wills Wing, High Energy Sports, Flytec and more. Two 115-HP Dragonfly tugs. Open fields as far as you can see. Only 1 to 1.5 hours from Rehoboth Beach, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia. Come Fly with US! (410) 634-2700, Fax (410) 634-2775, 24038 Race Track Rd, Ridgely, MD 21660, www.aerosports.net, hangglide@aerosports.net.

MICHIGAN CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION – Aerotow specialists. We carry all major brand hang gliders and accessories. Cloud 9 Field, 11088 Coon Lake Road West, Webberville MI 48892. Cloud9sa@aol.com, http://members.aol .com/cloud9sa. Call for spring tandem lessons and ﬂying appointments with the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field. (517) 223-8683, DFSCinc@aol.com, http://members.aol.com/dfscinc. TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/PARAGLIDERS – Put your knees in our breeze and soar our 450’ sand dunes. Full-time shop. Certiﬁed instruction, beginner to advanced. Sales, service, accessories for ALL major brands. Visa/MasterCard. 1509 E 8th, Traverse City MI 49684. Offering powered paragliding. Call Bill at (231) 922-2844, tchangglider@chartermi.net. Your USA & Canada Mosquito distributor. www.mosquitoamerica.com.

SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK COOPERSTOWN – 160’ training hill with rides up. 600’ ridge – large LZ. Specializing in ﬁrst mountain ﬂights. Dan Guido, 293 Shoemaker Road, Mohawk NY 13407. (315) 866-6153, dguido@dfamilk.com.

NORTH CAROLINA KITTY HAWK KITES – FREE Hang 1 training with purchase of equipment! The largest hang gliding school in the world. Teaching since 1974. Learn to ﬂy over the East Coast’s largest sand dune. Year-round instruction, foot launch and tandem aerotow. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Ultralight instruction and tours. (252) 441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www.kittyhawk.com.

OHIO CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION – See Cloud 9 in Michigan.

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! – Flying tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive novice courses, full sales. (787) 850-0508, tshg@coqui.net.

TENNESSEE LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK – Just outside Chattanooga. Become a complete pilot – foot launch, aerotow, mountain launch, ridge soar, thermal soar. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877) 426-4543.

TEXAS AUSTIN AIR SPORTS – Hang gliding and ultralight sales, service and instruction. Steve Burns, (512) 236-0031, sburns@austinairsports.com. Fred Burns, (281) 4711488, austinair@aol.com, WWW.AUSTINAIRSPORTS .COM. GO...HANG GLIDING!!! – Jeff Hunt. Austin ph/fax (512) 467-2529, jeff@ﬂytexas.com, www.ﬂytexas.com.U

UTAH CLOUD 9 SOARING CENTER – Once again, we are the closest shop to the Point of the Mountain. Utah’s only full-time PG/HG shop and repair facility. Contact 1-888944-5433 or www.paragliders.com.

NEW YORK

VIRGINIA

AAA E-VILLE OUTFITTERS, MOUNTAIN WINGS INC. – Aeros, North Wing (845) 647-3377, mtnwings@verizon .net, www.evilleoutﬁtters.com, Ellenville, N.Y.

BLUE SKY – Full-time instruction at Blue Sky Flight Park near Richmond. Scooter, platform and aerotowing available. All major brands of equipment, with Mosquitos and Doodlebugs in stock. Steve Wendt (540) 432-6557, (804) 241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com.

FLY HIGH, INC. – Serving New York, Jersey, and Connecticut areas. Area’s exclusive Wills Wing dealer. Also all other brands, accessories. Area’s most INEXPENSIVE prices! Certified instruction/service since 1979. Excellent secondary instruction! Taken some lessons? Advance to mountain flying! www.flyhighhg.com, (845) 744-3317.

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WASHINGTON AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT PARK – Award-winning instructors at a world-class training facility. Contact Doug Stroop at (509) 782-5543 or visit www.paragliding.us.

WYOMING JACKSON HOLE PARAGLIDING – A perfect ﬂying day: Launch the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Aerial Tram in the morning, tow at the Palisades Reservoir in the afternoon. Contact: scharris@wyoming.com, www.jhparagliding.com, (307) 690-TRAM (8726).

INTERNATIONAL BAJA MEXICO – La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www .FLYLASALINA.com, www.BAJABRENT.com, He’ll hook you up! rooms, tours, & intros, bajabrent@bajabrent .com, 760-203-2658. MEXICO – VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for hang gliding and paragliding. Year-round availability and special tours, Gear, guiding, instruction, transportation, lodging – all varieties for your needs. www.ﬂymexico.com, 1-800-8617198 USA.P

PARTS & ACCESSORIES ALL HG GLIDERBAGS, harness packs, harness zippers and zipper stocks. Instrument mounts and replacement bands. Mitts, straps, fabric parts, windsocks, radios. Gunnison Gliders, 1-866-238-2305. BIG EARS PTT – $99.95. Includes speaker and microphone, radio connection, sealed finger switch. Choose the full-face or the open-face model. www.bigearsptt.com, (805) 965-3733. FLIGHT SUITS, FLIGHT SUITS, FLIGHT SUITS, Warm Flight suits, Efficient Flight suits, Light-weight Flight suits, Flight suits in twelve sizes. Stylish Flight suits. www .mphsports.com, (503) 657-8911. FOR ALL YOUR FLYING NEEDS – Check out the Aviation Depot at www.mojosgear.com featuring over 1000 items for foot-launched and powered paragliding, hang gliding, stunt and power kiting, and powered parachutes. 24/7 secure online shopping. Books, videos, KITES, gifts, engine parts, harness accessories, electronics, clothing, safety equipment, complete powered paragliding units with training from Hill Country Paragliding Inc. www .hillcountryparagliding.com, 1-800-664-1160 for orders only. Office (325) 379-1567. GLIDERBAGS – XC $75! Heavy waterproof $125. Accessories, low prices, fast delivery! Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, orders 1-866-238-2305. MINI VARIO – World’s smallest, simplest vario! Clips to helmet or chinstrap. 200 hours on batteries, 0-18,000 ft., fast response and 2-year warranty. ONLY $169. Mallettec, PO Box 15756, Santa Ana CA 92735. (949) 795-0421, MC/Visa accepted, www.mallettec.com. OXYGEN SYSTEMS – The world-class XCR-180 operates up to 3 hours @18,000 feet and weighs only 4 lbs. Complete kit with cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula and remote on/off flowmeter, only $400. 1-800-468-8185.

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES – A fullservice shop, specializing in all types of paragliding repairs, annual inspections, reserve repacks, harness repairs. Hang gliding reserve repacks and repair. For information or repair estimate, call (208) 554-2243, pricing and service request form available at www.risingair.biz, billa@atcnet.net. TANDEM LANDING GEAR – Rascal™ brand by Raven, simply the best. New & used. (262) 473-8800, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http:// stores.ebay.com/raven-sports. WHEELS FOR AIRFOIL BASETUBES – WHOOSH! Wheels™ (Patent Pending), Moyes/Airborne & Wills Wing compatible. Dealer inquiries invited. (262) 473-8800, www.hanggliding.com, info@hanggliding.com, http:// stores.ebay.com/raven-sports. WINDSOKS FROM HAWK AIRSPORTS INC – 1673 Corbin Lake Rd, Rutledge, TN 37861, 1-800-826-2719. Worldfamous Windsoks, as seen at the Oshkosh & Sun-N-Fun EAA Fly-Ins. Hawk@windsok.com, www.windsok.com.

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS *NEW* AND THE WORLD COULD FLY – And the World Could Fly tells the story of how piloting for the masses became a possibility and then a reality. This is a tale of free flight in every sense of the term. Edited by Stéphane Malbos and Noel Whittall, And the World Could Fly contains contributions from many parts of the world as well as much new writing. Together, the editors have more than fifty years of undiminished enthusiasm for foot-launched flight. And the World Could Fly is produced by the International Hang Gliding and Paragliding Commission (CIVL) to celebrate the centenary of FAI. It is a book which will appeal to anyone with an interest in free flight, whether an old-stager who can remember the early California days or a newcomer who wonders where it all came from. Call USHPA 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www .ushpa.aero. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. BIRDFLIGHT – Otto Lilienthal’s genius in scientific observations and analysis, documented in this work, became the basis for the experimentation of the early pioneers in aviation. The “hero” of the Wright brothers, Otto is considered to be “The Father of Gliding Flight.” Lilienthal’s definitive book has been out of print for almost a century, but is now available to everyone for a wonderful and absorbing journey into aviation history. 176 pages, 16 photographs, 89 drawings and 14 graphs. $19.95 (+$5 s/h) Call USHPA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushpa.aero. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

Safety Tips

Preﬂight, and hook in!

*NEW* CONDOR TRAIL, PARAGLIDING THE CENTRAL ANDES – the guidebook to paragliding and traveling in the Central Andes. It’s packed with 256 pages of maps, site descriptions, local lore, free-flight contacts and photos, all the information you need to plan your own Andean paragliding adventure. Most of the launch and landing access throughout the Andes is done with cheap public transportation. Condor Trail gives you bus routes to catch, areas to avoid, traveler tips, and contacts for the local flying communities throughout Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, and Northern Chile. Call USHPA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www .ushpa.aero. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. FLY THE WING! HOOKING INTO HANG GLIDING – By Len Holms. This is the perfect book for those curious about the sport of hang gliding. Written at a level that will not swamp the reader with a daunting amount of technical details, you will learn about hang glider wings and the skills needed to fly them. 84 pages with photos and illustrations. $12.95(+$5 s&h). Call USHPA at 1-800616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushpa.aero. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. SOARING – Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $64. SSA, PO Box 2100, Hobbs NM 88241. (505) 392-1177, ssa.org.

VIDEOS & DVDS VIDEOS FROM USHPA – WWW.USHPA.AERO *NEW* DARE DEVIL FLYERS – The 94-minute digital video docupicture covers all thirty years of hang gliding and all seventeen years of paragliding. It begins with the Bob and Chris Wills story – they founded Wills Wing, the only surviving American manufacturer/distributor of hang gliders and paragliders. Two legendary pilots guide the audience through these extreme sports with their narrative. The docupic features competition in the extreme sports of aerobatic hang gliding, speed hang gliding and high-altitude cross-country paragliding. Wingmounted POV cameras provide the docupic with an inthe-air thrill ride from the Rocky Mountains to the Paciﬁc coast. Narrator Bobby Carradine threads us through the three decades. Call USHPA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushpa.aero. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901. PURA VIDA FLYING – By GW Meadows. 3 pilots, 3 weeks, 1 jungle, no rules. A trio of competition hang glider and paraglider pilots discover the true meaning of “pura vida” as they enjoy the jungles and beaches of Costa Rica. Hang gliding, paragliding, ultralight towing, kiteboarding and more. Awesome ﬂying. $24.95. Order yours at www.ushpa.aero/store. RISK & REWARD – By Jeff Goin. This 70-min. DVD exposes the risks and rewards of powered paragliding in a fun, action-packed adventure. You owe yourself this inside look that could easily save your life. Three years in the making, Risk & Reward gathers wisdom from a long list of instructors. Spectacular video from around the world sheds light on essential concepts with clarity and realism. $29.95. Order yours at www.ushpa.aero/store.

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*NEW* USHPA MAGAZINE ARCHIVE 1971-2004 – The DVD set holds the history of our sport, from the earliest days of bamboo and plastic to the present. Within these pages you’ll find the evolution of foot-launched flight from the first days of bamboo dune-skimmers to the modern variety of hang gliders, paragliders and rigid wings. Each PDF file is one complete magazine, just as originally published. Pages with color are produced as color scans, the rest scanned as black and white images. Future issues will be available on an update disk. Each disk includes Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 7 for Windows, Macintosh and Linux systems. $30 for members and $90 for nonmembers. Call USHPA at 1-800-616-6888 or order off our Web site, www.ushpa.aero. PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901.

MISCELLANEOUS “AEROBATICS” POSTER – Full color 23”x 31” poster featuring John Heiney doing what he does bestLOOPING! See www.ushpa.aero under store/misc for example. Available through USHPA HQ for just $6.95 (+$5.00 s/h). USHPA, PO Box 1300, Colorado Springs CO 80933. (USA & Canada only. Sorry, posters are NOT AVAILABLE on international orders.) DVDS-VIDEOS-BOOKS-POSTERS – Check out our Web store at www.ushpa.aero. WORLDWIDE INTERNET PARAGLIDING TALK SHOW – WWW.WORLDTALKRADIO.COM. Listen live or to the archives! Live Tuesday 9-11:00 a.m. (PST). Call toll-free, 1-888-514-2100 or internationally at (001) 858-2683068. Paraglider pilots and radio hosts David and Gabriel Jebb want to hear about your stories, promotions/events or insight; they also take questions!

Kiting till the last light at Krushevo site, Macedonia, launch at 1500m ASL, landing at 700m Photo: Marko Georgiev/Vertigo Paragliding Club

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES – The rate for classified advertising is $10.00 for 25 words and $1.00 per word after 25. MINIMUM AD CHARGE $10.00. Phone number=2 words. Email or Web address=3 words. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions & cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. November 15th is the deadline for the January issue. ALL CLASSIFIEDS ARE PREPAID. If paying by check, please include the following with your payment: name, address, phone, category, how many months you want the ad to run and the classified ad. Please make checks payable to USHPA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. If paying with credit card, you may email the previous information and classified to info@ushpa.aero. For safety reason, please call your Visa/MC or Amex info to the office. No refunds will be given on ads cancelled that are scheduled to run multiple months. (719) 632-8300. Fax (719) 632-6417

STOLEN WINGS & THINGS GRADIENT ASPEN – My paraglider equipment was stolen from my vehicle on November 7th in San Diego, California. The wing was a red, gradient Aspen 26m, SOL Large CX harness, SOL 33 CELL reserve, Ozone red and gray backpack. REWARD, no questions asked, $250 or please contact me with any information regarding the equipment. David Thulin, davidthulin@hotmail.com or (307) 690-5792. STOLEN WINGS ARE LISTED AS A SERVICE TO USHGA MEMBERS. NEWEST ENTRIES ARE IN BOLD. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE, AND LOST-AND-FOUND WINGS OR EQUIPMENT MAY BE CALLED IN TO (719) 632-8300, FAXED TO (719) 6326417, OR EMAILED TO USHGA@USHGA.ORG FOR INCLUSION IN HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE. PLEASE CALL TO CANCEL THE LISTING WHEN GLIDERS ARE RECOVERED. PERIODICALLY, THIS LISTING WILL BE PURGED.

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS CLOUD 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 FLY BRAZIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 FLYTEC USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 FOUNDATION FOR HG&PG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 HALL BROTHERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 HIGH ENERGY SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 NORTH WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 O’CONNOR FLIGHT SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 OZONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SKY WINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 SOARING SOCIETY OF AMERICA . . . . . . . . . .12 SPORT AVIATION PUBLICATIONS . . . . . . . . 50 SUPER FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46-47 TORREY PINES / PARATECH . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 TRAVERSE CITY HG & PG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 USHPA CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 USHPA CALL FOR CALENDAR PHOTOS . . . . 33 USHPA DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 USHPA BANK OF AMERICA CARD . . . . . . . . 37 USHPA RENEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 UTAH PARA COMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 WILLS WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MARKETPLACE ADVENTURE PRODUCTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 FLYTEC USA GPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 FLYTEC USA THERMAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 KITTY HAWK KITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 MOYES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 MPH SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 THEWINDYPLANET.COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 USHPA BOOKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 USHPA XC FLIGHT AWARDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

SOME THOUGHTS ON SAFETY

Article and photos by Steve Messman, staﬀ writer

Mike McIntyre on the log-strewn, rocky, stumpy Dosewallips launch

Some flying friends and I have recently been exploring a “new” site. Years ago, this was a hang gliding site, but to our knowledge, it has not been used for many years. It is a difficult site. It is nestled in the Dosewallips Valley. The up-valley winds are consistently from the east, though launch faces south. That requires the easterly winds to either wrap around a bowl, or it requires the heat of the afternoon sun to force normally easterly winds up that south-facing slope. The winds to the north of this site, around Blyn or Quilcene, blow from the north. When you bundle all that data together, you have a washing machine on the rinse cycle. On a recent weekend visit to this site, on what turned out to be a day with extremely active air, eight pilots drove up, two flew, six drove down. Individual safety decisions were made by all. During the time that two were flying and six were watching, my wife listened to one of our truly preeminent pilots explain how what we were doing was not safe. He explained how the tip deflations and the frontal that I experienced indicated air that was not safe. The pilot went on to say that unless he could launch a given site or given conditions a hundred times, even a thousand times, and be completely safe, he would not take the chance. The Dosewallips site is unquestionably rugged. The launch is replete with loose rocks, burned logs, twigs, stumps and the like. The winds can be strange. Every pilot’s launch must be active and under control. The thermals can be strong

and swift. So, with all that being true, is this a site that paraglider pilots (or hang glider pilots) should never fly? Is it just too severe? Unpredictable? Unsafe? What about all those “safe” sites? Tiger? No. I’ve taken a few collapses in that air. I’ve also seen people hanging in the power lines that border the LZ and have helped pull a couple from the trees. Ebey? No. I remember stories about someone being wrapped around that snag on the slope. Does anyone know a pilot who has been blown over the back at Cape Kiwanda? Does anyone know of another pilot who went down the face of Neahkahnie? Does anyone know of a pilot who feared being lost over the back of Anderson’s? Does anyone know of any site, or any condition, that is safe? Or does safety mean something else? I have my own thoughts on safety. I believe that safety is a state of mind more than it is a state of being. That state of mind requires me to fly in a variety of conditions so that, when conditions change, I can react accordingly. I believe that safety is a state of mind that requires me to be able to look at the sky and other indicators to make an educated decision to fly, or not. I believe that safety is a state of mind that requires me to develop skills to launch on carpet, as well as on sand, logs, and rocks. I believe that safety is a state of mind that requires fear, trepidation, and humility. It requires that I NEVER believe that I can fly any site or any situation a hundred times, or even one time, without being hurt, because when I believe that I am safe, I will lose my fear. I will lose my humility. And, I will, most certainly, be hurt. My personal definition of safety is a little different. My definition is based on being able to fly a site safely one time – this time. I believe

Looking down on launch at Dosewallips

that every flight has to be approached both offensively and strategically. That is why I sit on hillsides for hours waiting, watching and studying. That is why I choose to fly at the moment I do. And that is exactly why I choose, quite often, to leave the hill by car or by foot. I must attack every site, every launch, and every flight like this is the one that is going to get me. I have to be on my guard each time to perform the best launch I know. I have to be on my guard to control my in-flight wing to the absolute best of my ability. I must be my best, and do my best, on every flight, because every flight has the potential of being the last if I am careless. We have all developed our personal definitions of safety in our search for airtime. We study eagles and hawks, and long to join them. We study them as they fly. We watch their air speed. We watch for their wing tucks and flaps. We watch to see if they are working, or if they are playing. We watch the clouds. How fast are they floating past? How turbulent is their formation? We watch telltales and windsocks. We study every clue possible to help us make a good decision on THIS flight. We decide based on how safe we feel THIS time. Sometimes we join the eagles. Sometimes we don’t. But every time, if we are smart, we make our decision based on our very valuable and very personal definition of safety. And hopefully, in every one of our next hundred flights, or two hundred, or three, we decide correctly.

Mike and the mountain (Olympic Peninsula, Washington)

February 2007: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – w w w.ushpa.aero

heat it up this

winter with a hot

P44

p R TECH Peace of Mind

torrey pines gliderport www.flytorrey.com