Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol38/Iss07 Jul 2008 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

www.USHPA.aero

JULY 2008 Volume 38 Issue 7 $4.95

H A N G

G L I D I N G

MAGAZINE STAFF USHPA, Publisher: info@ushpa.aero Nick Greece, Editor: editor@ushpa.aero Greg Gillam, Art Director: art.director@ushpa.aero Martin Palmaz, Advertising: martin@ushpa.aero Staff writers: Alex Colby, Steve Messman, Dennis Pagen, Mark “Forger” Stucky, Ryan Voight, Tom Webster Staff artist: Jim Tibbs Staff photographers: John Heiney, Jeff O'Brien, Jeff Shapiro OFFICE STAFF Paul Montville, Executive Director: paul.montville@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 USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Lisa Tate, President: lisa@lisatateglass.com Riss Estes, Vice President: parariss@yahoo.com Rich Hass, Secretary: richhass@comcast.net Mark Forbes, Treasurer: mgforbes@mindspring.com REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Dave Wills, Urs Kellenberger, Paul Gazis. REGION 3: David Jebb, Rob Sporrer, Brad Hall. REGION 4: Mark Gaskill, 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: Leo Bynum, Riss Estes, Mike Haley, Jon James, Dennis Pagen. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Art Greenfield (NAA). 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.

P A R A G L I D I N G

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. 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.

M A G A Z I N E

lengthy items. Please edit news releases with our readership in mind, and keep them reasonably short without excessive sales hype. 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, (516) 816-1333.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONS

The material presented here is published as part of an information The USHPA is a member-controlled sport organization dedicated to the dissemination service for USHPA members. The USHPA makes no exploration and promotion of all facets of unpowered ultralight flight, warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the and to the education, training and safety of its membership. Membership validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for Rogallo material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. membership are $270. Pilot memberships are $75 ($90 non-U.S.). Dues Copyright © 2008 Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. for Contributing membership and for subscription-only are $52 ($63 nonFor change of address or other USHPA business U.S.). $15 of annual membership dues goes to the publication of Hang call (719) 632-8300, or email info@ushpa.aero. 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. 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) 632-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417. PERIODICAL postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement #40065056. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3 HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine welcomes editorial submissions from our members and readers. We are always looking for well written articles and quality artwork. Feature stories generally run anywhere from 1500 to 3000 words. News releases are welcomed, but please do not send brochures, dealer newsletters or other extremely

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.

0807

DEEP SURVIVAL An in-depth review of an amazing book on how to survive in times of crisis.

EDITOR

PILOT BRIEFINGS

AIRMAIL

USHPA

PILOT PROFILE

CENTERFOLD

SANTA CRUZ flats

CALENDAR

MARKETPLACE

Life is good in the "Big House"â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Casa Grande, Arizona. This oasis of fivestar flying beckons to the thirsty pilot.

USHPA STORE

CLASSIFIEDS

RATINGS

by Tom Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

by Jeff O'Brien . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

PAGE 78

transitioning to high performance Part two of this series looks at coming down safely and comfortably. by Dennis Pagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

airfoils Tom Webster blinds us with science. Did you bring your pocket protector?

by Tom Webster (yes, he's been busy this month). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

196 over oregon Records were meant to be broken. And wallets were meant to be on your person. Don't see the connection? You will...

venty joy Field, se go. n E f o s n a ybe of Chica over the so miles south hn Heiney

by Charlie Baughman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.USHPA .aero

TANZANIA Olivier Luagero redefines cross country as he treks alone into the wild, and takes on an active Volcano. Really.

by Olivier Laugero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

THE OLD PILOT And the sky A parody of the classic tale.

by James Lawrence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

gringos grab gold Not much room on the podium with the gringos sucking up all the top slots in Valle de Bravo. by Rob Sporrer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

giving back Editor Nick Greece overcompensates for his long track record of corehogging with a heartwarming tale of responsible travels.

by Nick Greece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

GALLERY Micky Von Wachter & Nader Couri Page 56

y the time you receive this issue, “the season” will be well under way. Texas is setting up for a banner world-record encampment, and with any luck, some major milestones will be set there. Here in Jackson, our local club has implemented a mentoring program to complement the recent USHPA initiative. Going forward, we welcome insights from any similar programs in your neck-of-the-woods. My initial hang gliding lessons in Utah got skunked by weather, but Jeff O’Brien has had some great weather for his “beginner” paragliding lessons. Look for his full report on progress into the “Bi-Wingual Zone.” In past issues, we’ve selected photos of flying from the perspective of one pilot for the gallery section. The April magazine featured the amazing hang gliding shots of the legendary Leroy Grannis, while the May gallery displayed Matt Combs’s travel-photo diary of flying paragliders in Chile. Our goal is to present a broad array of artistic style throughout this great showcase section. This month’s gallery theme, “Bring on Brazil,” highlights pilots’ photos from two amazing sites in that South American land of great flying and rich culture. This issue delivers another installment of diverse features spanning the globe. The only requisite for inclusion was taking part in destination travel. I hope everyone will take the time to check out a few new and exciting flying locales. The USHPA magazine is in need of hang gliding feature length pieces! I am reaching out to the hang gliding community for articles, with solid photography, to feature in the coming issues. Hoping everyone has a “new best” season. Don’t forget the camera!!!

New | Improved | Buzzworthy

PilotBRIEFINGS  

ALPHA 4 HIKE IN PRODUCTION Advance's first glider for walkers is in production. The Alpha 4 Hike has achieved all the specification parameters set for it by our R&D Team. Light - a perfect mix of materials. New Skytex 27 g/ m2 Material for the upper and lower surface. New Skytex 40 g/m2 for leading edge and ribs. Lightweight, specially coated lines. Narrow risers. Compact, light-as-possible backpack. More dynamic – better performance. Compared with the regular Alpha 4 the Hike can use a higher takeoff weight, in effect allowing a smaller glider to be flown; and it has thinner lines. Both of these features give it a bit more lively flying qualities, and much better performance—but passive safety is unchanged. Based on the Alpha 4 we’ve made a glider which will give the weight-conscious pilot a genuine lower-end intermediate alternative. But we’d like to make absolutely clear that, compared with a “normal” Advance paraglider, an Alpha 4 Hike’s lifespan will be clearly shorter, especially if doesn’t get kind treatment. Even though the lively handling and the good performance will very much encourage a lot of flying with this glider, the

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Alpha 4 Hike is, and always will be, a lightweight glider.

AIRWAVE RELEASES MAGIC 5 Airwave is proud to announce the release of the all new class 2-3 glider the Magic 5. The Magic 5 in size M and L has just passed tests with EN D as well as LTF 2-3. The test pilots reported that it was hard to find any D’s for the glider and on the full speed asymmetric collapse the glider received a C, which is quite exceptional for such a fast wing. The Magic 5 is fast. Never before has a glider received EN certification with a speed range of over 30km/h. During the certification they measured a top speed of 58km/h on the large MAGIC 5. Stall speed is very low at 26km/h, trim speed is 39km/h, and top speed is an incredible 58km/h. But the real beauty of the Magic 5 is not in its speed range, or its stability at speed but the pure pleasure of handling, especially in thermals. Sorry for any inconvenience that the release of the MAGIC 5 took longer then expected, but we wanted to build the world’s best serial class glider—and that takes time.

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APCO's FUN-42 TANDEM The best things are always worth waiting for. Finally APCO launches its latest, longawaited tandem glider—Fun For Two, purpose built for professional, free flying tandem pilots. It’s a true successor to our well beloved Futura 42. Offered side by side with Play 42, reinforcing our tandem range. Fun 42 is the finest tandem wing APCO has developed, and we have no doubt it will be the market’s best seller for years to come. It’s designed to offer the best performance around (matched only by the legendary performance of the Futura 42), loaded with all the features to fulfill the wish list of every tandem pilot

TATER HILL COMPETITION The third annual Tater Hill Competition will be held in Boone, North Carolina from July 27th to August 2nd. Unlike the previous two events, it will be open to low-performance hang gliders who will compete alongside paragliders. Atlanta Paragliding is supporting the meet again this year with clinics and advice on comp and XC flying. Luis Rosenkjer will be back to defend his two- time winning streak. We’ll try to have tasks

that challenge skills but don’t intimidate. Tater can be an amazing place to fly! It’s located about 8 miles out of Boone, a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds. Tater is a 5000-foot ASL and 2000-foot AGL mountain with a huge bald area for easy launching and top-landing. The mountain faces west and often produces its own weather. Landing areas are big enough by East Coast standards, although landing a topless hang glider in them can be a challenge. Cross-country potential is great, with the possibility of mountain hopping and over-the-back flat land flying. Normally, in July & August we have light winds and cloud bases around 8000 feet ASL. “I’d like to educate both paraglider and hang glider pilots to the advantages of each other. I hear arguments all the time about which is better, mostly from pilots who know very little about the other. I think it would be fun to compete head-to-head, and this competition gives us a chance to try,” says Bubba Goodman, the meet organizer. Since Tater Hill is a private site, all flying must be done with the owners’ permission. Free flyers will be allowed during the meet, but the

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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SAFETY NOTICE comp pilots come first. So take a week’s vacation in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Bring your family and your glider and come flying. Due to economic pressures, we are lowering our entry fee to $175 to help those who are driving long distances. This may mean less prize money, but only a few care about that anyway. Register online @ flytaterhill.com, or call Bubba Goodman @ 828-773-9433.

Point of the Mountain, UT Contact: Cloud 9, www.paragliders.com

OZONE DEMO TOUR

SUP'AIR SAFETY NOTICE

is coming to a site near you… or not so near… but it’s coming anyway! Ozone Demos are always available for free from many Ozone Dealers in North America, but for several weeks from August to October, the entire North American Demo Fleet will be traveling around the US to various sites.

It has come to our attention that a small number of pilots have experienced difficulties in deploying their reserve parachutes during deployment tests using the following harness models: SUP’AIR ALTIX, EVO XC or EVASION XC harnesses. The white braided nylon cord attached to the deployment pins becomes entangled between the Velcro flaps over time rendering the force required to release the pins slightly excessive. We therefore recommend all owners to conduct a systematic pre-flight check before each takeoff to ensure the cord does not run between the flaps. The second solution would consist of masking the male Velcro side (the hook side) with a piece of female Velcro (velour or soft side) that can

August 30-31 Pine Mtn Fly-In, OR Contact: Discover PG, www. discoverparagliding.com, and Thermal Tracker Paragliding, www.thermaltracker.com September 6-7 San Francisco, CA Contact: Airtime PG, www. paragliding-lessons.com September 13-14

September 20-21 Santa Barbara, CA Contact: Fly Above All, www. flyaboveall.com October 31 Halloween Fly In Point of the Mountain, UT Contact: Cloud 9, www.paragliders.com

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

be obtained from your dealer/ distributor. WARNING : We remind you the importance to test your reserve parachute container’s extraction a few times a season during a hang test. It will help you visualizing and estimated the strenght / direction to properly execute the maneuver to the point where it becomes second nature and fully automated. More info at supair.com.

SKYWALK'S NEW HARNESS The competition harness RANGE has been designed for pilots who expect maximal performance from their flying equipment, along with the highest level of comfort for hours in the air. The RANGE has LTF certification (DHV) and was developed especially for competitive professionals and cross country record seekers. Our wind tunnel data has shown that the Harness with Leg Cover drastically reduces aerodynamic drag, therefore improving glide performance. An integrated, aerodynamically formed cockpit for flight instruments and camera is just one of the highlights designed to meet the high demands of distance pilots. The seat back is adjustable and cushioned with a special webbed fabric for

optimal comfort. The RANGE offers an inside two-tier Speed System as well as Austri Alpin Carabiners included in delivery, and is equipped for the addition of water ballast sacks or the installation of a drinking system. The Rescue Container is integrated forward below the seat on the RANGE, the Rescue Handle is attached on the side and is easily within reach. In addition, the RANGE offers an LTF certified soft foam back protector. The RANGE is still very light although constructed from only the highest quality materials and an intelligent Belt-BuckleConcept. Size M weighs only seven kg with carabiners, protectors and cockpit.

PRE-WORLDS AT LARAGNE 2008 Hang Gliding Pre-Worlds set to take off in Laragne, France. Watch the action at http://www.chabre2009.com/. From June 23rd until July 4th the world's best will race for the Pre-Worlds title. The website will feature great photos, reports, and interviews. There will be a strong American gaggle at the event, including staff contributor Jeff Obrien. Stay tuned for an in-depth report.

Rants | Raves | Ramblings

AirMAIL

The opinions expressed in the letters published in this column are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine staff or USHPA officials. While every effort is made to verify facts stated in letters, readers are urged to check the accuracy of any statement before taking action or forming an opinion based on the contents of a letter.

STAYING IN THE GAME  I swallowed hard when the insurance broker quoted me a higher rate to run my business for 2008—$5,000 up front! I had run my paragliding school for 18 years and never needed or wanted to pay for insurance, but now my training site’s landowner was requiring it. I must have corporate insurance or close down. It was not only a very large expense for a small paragliding school, but it was also the principle: our litigationhappy society does not want to take responsibility for its actions, and I was encouraging them not to do so, with such a large insurance policy. I have operated my school since 1989; thousands of lessons have been given and even more flights have been taken, but no claims have been filed against my business or me. Sure, there have been accidents, but my clients always have accepted the risks and consequences of learning to fly a light aircraft. I was in a real quandary: Because I really liked my job as a paragliding instructor, I had purchased a house at the bottom of my land-

lord’s training hill. It was great to have my work next to my house. However, now the property owner wanted insurance in case he was added to the imaginary pending lawsuit. But for me to give my first few month’s sparse income each year to an insurance company did not seem right. I thought the new USHPA instructor insurance was a godsend for me. With this policy, I would pay a little more each year as a USHPA Rogallo member, $270, but might be able to avoid paying for the expensive corporate insurance policy. However, my landlord now questioned his protection; he was afraid he could be held liable for any accident at my school. I pleaded with USHPA for help, and they sent me a savior: Mark Forbes, USPHA treasurer and insurance expert. Mark contacted my skeptical landlord and convinced him that a combination of USHPA site-and-instructor insurance would protect him adequately from “suit-happy” lawyers. My landlord was reluctant to back down for several months, but Mark continued to calmly explain the cov-

erage. Eventually, thanks to Mark’s patience and expertise, my landlord felt comfortable with the protection my policy offered him. And instructor insurance saved me a large and unnecessary expense! I think that Mark and USHPA’s instructor insurance will help keep many other small but dedicated instructors in the sport and keep our sport growing.

Submitted by Granger Banks, #57235 Advanced Tandem Instructor since 1989

MUSEUM OF FLIGHT  Last year, I negotiated an Affiliate discount at the Museum of Flight, in Seattle Washington, for all members of the Northwest Paragliding Club. The offer was well received by members of our local flying community. I have now expanded the agreement to include all USHPA members. I wanted to ensure the inclusion of our hang gliding community in the offer. The membership includes unlimited free admission for two adults, and their children or grandchildren under 18, and many other great discounts. Check out http://www.museumofflight.org/ to see more about this great opportunity. Submitted by Rob Leonard, #85627

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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Mission | Policy | Membership | Involvement

USHPA chapters.

Call for SERVICE One of the greatest ways to learn more about our association and to further our collective goals is to serve on one of USHPA’s committees. We depend on the tremendous pool of talent and expertise of our members, and we need your help. I urge you to consider volunteering your time to help us advance our mission! The success of volunteer-based assistance depends on making the right kind of match— one where both the volunteer and the organization gain something without feeling frustrated or ignored. If you have expertise and are interested in serving on one of USHPA’s committees or strategic initiatives, please contact me. As president, it is my privilege to match your expertise and desires with the needs of our organization. While I may receive more volunteer interest than positions available, I assure you I will do everything possible to involve you. There is great satisfaction in working with and supporting your organization through its committees and programs. Please send letters of interest

by Lisa Tate, USHPA President

to lisa.tate@ushpa.aero. The committees needing volunteers, along with a brief outline of some of the projects they are currently working on, are listed below:

COMPETITION  Restructuring USHPA’s current competition sanctioning program to better serve our membership and promote the strategic and marketing goals of the Association. MEMBERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT  Developing and executing both internal and external marketing programs.

SITE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE  Developing a site preservation manual and lobbying national assistance with site preservation throughout the U.S. AWARDS  Recognizing contributions to the association and our sports

CHAPTER SUPPORT 

Creating and maintaining programs that support new and existing

ORGANIZATION AND BYLAWS  Reviewing and evaluating governance issues.

NATIONAL COORDINATING  Coordinating legislation and regulations, both national and international, which affect our sport. SAFETY AND TRAINING  Overhauling instructor certification process and evaluating safety and instructor issues. TOWING  Exploring issues related to towing and developing educational clinics.

PUBLICATIONS  Contributing to the magazine and other USHPA publications. INSURANCE  Exploring and evaluating insurance programs.

FINANCE  Developing and reviewing budget and finance. AUDIT COMMITTEE  Reviewing the ethics of the association policy and activity, as well as auditing finances.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Hanggliding.ORG

by Ryan Voight

SITE UNITES HG COMMUNITY  Love it or hate techniques, cross-country tips, aerobatics it, the internet is a part of today’s life more techniques, and equipment recommendanow than ever. Most of us are “connected,” tions flow freely. If you have a question one way or another, from when we wake up about hang gliding, there’s no better place in the morning until we go to sleep. Words to get fast and accurate answers than from like “blackberry” and “hotspot” have worked those at the core of the sport. their way into our daily vocabulary. In addition to uniting hang glider pilots The internet isn’t a new place for free into a “band of brothers,” hanggliding.org flight pilots; Davis Straub has been publish- offers many other features and amenities. ing his e-zine, the Oz Report, nearly every For one, each and every member is enday for eleven years, and has over 1,500 couraged to have his/her own hang glidemail subscribers. Another 1,500 or so ing blog, where he can post his flying (and download the Oz Report from www.ozre- non-flying) trials and tribulations for all to port.com daily. Davis’s e-zine includes news read. Each member also can have his own about hang gliding and paragliding equip- photo gallery where he can share his latest ment, competitions, personalities, trends, and greatest flying photos. Other features and various current events pertaining to our created by Jack are “robots” that search free flight sports. out hang gliding related news, blog posts The Oz Report is great for keeping pilots from all over the internet, and relay the inin the know. While the Oz Report website formation to one centralized page on hanghas had an online forum for at least five gliding.org’s website. The website, which years now, its target audience is people hosts high quality hang gliding videos, even who currently hang glide or paraglide, so has its own Quake Arena, where Jack says it doesn’t provide for much outside pro- “pilots can blow up each other in gruesome motion of the sports. Jack Axaopoulos 3D when they can’t be flying!” saw this lack of promotion and decided to But possibly the coolest things hangguse his tech-savvy talents on the internet liding.org has to offer are its hang gliding to promote hang gliding. He created an and site guide WIKI’s. A WIKI is a web page online forum that connects and unites the that is easily modified/updated through hang gliding community. “I wanted to build user input. If you know something that isn’t a friendly community for hang glider pilots in the site guide, for example, you can add that would also attract non-pilots into the it yourself! This makes hanggliding.org’s sport,” Axaopoulos says. The official forum/ site guide more up to date with valuable website went live on July 17, 2006, and has information than anywhere else. This also been wildly active ever since. By Christmas, means that the hang gliding WIKI and site only five months after its launch, hangglid- guide are constantly expanding. The sites ing.org had captured the number one spot are identified by name as well as Google on Google Search for the term “hang glid- Map markers which makes finding sites in ing”. a specific geographic location as easy as Averaging over one hundred new mem- possible. bers each month, hanggliding.org has Since its launch a year and a half ago, become the largest hang gliding forum on hanggliding.org has seen tremendous the web! Its membership ranging in ability growth, starting out as a forum made in one from first-timers to full on “sky gods,” hang- man’s spare time and rapidly becoming the gliding.org has united hang glider pilots largest hang gliding forum in terms of both worldwide. In fact, its membership may posts and participants. Hanggliding.org be hanggliding.org’s strongest asset. The had over 40,000 posts, and 25 MILLION information base among the forum mem- webserver “hits” in 2007 alone. It has been bers is simply astounding! Never before visited by people from 164 different counhave so many knowledgeable and experi- tries. The hang-gliding WIKI, which currentenced pilots been accessible to those with ly has 273 pages with 122 file uploads, has questions about the sport. Foot launch had over 22,000 views. Visit hanggliding. July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

org, and you’ll quickly appreciate the extent to which it has united the global hang gliding community!

Photo by Jeff O'Brien

Films | Books | Sites | Links | Gear

LEAD GENERATION TAKES OFF!  Leveraging their experience in website design and marketing, Jack Axaopoulos and Dennis Cavagnaro took the lead in developing a new method of reaching prospective pilots. Following referral links from related websites and pilots’ personal web pages and email signatures, prospective pilots reach a page that collects their personal information. These inquiries are then routed to local instructors for follow-up. So far this year well over 200 leads have been referred to instructors through this process. Building on the success of the hanggliding.org program, USHPA has designed a referral page as well. Somewhat broader in scope than the hanggliding. org page, it uses an automated lookup system to generate emails to all participating instructors in a region. It also handles general inquiries about the sport, as well as questions about local clubs and tandem lessons. Since its inception it has generated several hundred additional leads to potential students. Thanks to Jack and Dennis for showing the way! Mark G. Forbes, USHPA Treasurer

Films | Books | Sites | Links | Gear

DeepSURVIVAL Bad things happen to good people, experts make rookie mistakes, and safety-conscious people expose themselves to danger more often than they know. There are few areas where this idea is more important than potentially lethal outdoor pursuits like aviation, mountaineering, whitewater rafting, hang gliding and paragliding. In his book Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales takes a deep look at how accidents happen and how some people are able to survive the consequences, while others are not. The chapters are divided into two sections: “How Accidents Happen” and “Survival”. But it becomes clear that the idea of survival encompasses all: the best way to survive an accident is not to have one in the first place, and the second best way is to avoid further accidents or errors in judgment. Gonzales offers fighter-pilot cool as an example of the proper mindset of a survivor. Grace and clarity under pressure, and in an alien environment, is the common denomina-

by Tom Webster

tor among survivors of all types. But, even the best aren’t infallible. In the beginning of the book, he just misses seeing a fatal crash on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The well prepared and highly trained pilot had lined up for a landing, his hand ready to hit the throttle in case of a low approach. The approach was in fact low, but the pilot’s hand never moved to make a correction, even though the problem was obvious and the landing signal officer on deck was screaming instructions on the radio. The plane broke in two on the near edge of the runway, killing the copilot. Why didn’t the pilot move his hand? The answer to that question is worth pondering, since it’s another version of the questions we ask each other after baffling accidents. Why did that hang glider pilot launch off a cliff without hooking in to his glider? Why did that paraglider pilot fly into a developing thunderstorm? Why did everyone keep soaring the mountain, even though a gust front was clearly on the way? And if flight is so well-

researched and understood, why do accidents continue to happen at all? What neuroscientists call “working memory” (basically, consciousness or attention) explains certain types of accidents. It’s a sort of general-purpose workspace that can only hold a handful of ideas at one time, ideas like: How is the weather? Are my leg loops attached? Is there traffic in front of launch? How far will I fly today? The problem with working memory is that it can hold enough pieces of logically considered data to perform a complex task, but an emotionally charged thought will tend to take center stage and push something else out. The thought of soaring up to cloudbase, for example, might displace the thought of checking the harness straps one last time. The brain gives priority to emotional content to make sense of the world—otherwise, we would freeze in tight situations trying to assimilate all the data the environment can throw our way. There are two kinds of emotion to consider here: primary and secondary. Primary emotions are the basic reptilian reactions like running away from a bear or dodging a punch. Secondary emotions are learned responses:

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ducking into a trench at the sound of an incoming grenade or pushing the stick forward in an airplane at the onset of a stall. An airplane pilot about to stall a hang glider, though, must pull the control bar in, so in that case, the learned secondary emotion might provoke the wrong response and send the glider into a whipstall. The fighter pilot that Gonzales writes about succumbed to a pitfall called “memory of the future”. He had developed, through experience, a strong attachment to the post-landing euphoria: a cathartic, nearly orgasmic feeling of release and elation that follows the abrupt end of a stressful situation (landing). Hang glider pilots know this feeling well: a beer drunk right after landing, even in Utah, can feel as potent as a double shot of bourbon. When the fighter pilot’s stress level rose beyond a certain point, he built a mental bridge to the future, making it seem real and the job immediately ahead seem trivial. Unfortunately, what went under the bridge wasn’t trivial—it was critical. Gonzales also looks at accidents from a systemic point of view. One way to understand accidents in an organized system, like the system of mountaineering on Mount Rainier, or of space-shuttle launches, or of hang gliding and paragliding in the US, is to look at it as a structure. The type of structure that best models systems like these is a pile of sand. When you dribble a stream of sand on the ground, hourglass style, it will form a conical mound. As the mound grows higher, there are many small sand slides as the sides seek the angle of repose. But every once in a while, there’s a major collapse as the weight of the sand overcomes its own ability to stay together. After a while, the pile regains its characteristic size and shape and continues to exist in a constant state of collapse. These catastrophes happen because the sand pile, like a Tennessee highway full of traffic, a roped together team of mountain climbers, or a paragliding competition, is a tightly coupled system. There is nothing inherent in the structure of a sand grain that would predict this behavior, but the close interaction of many simple elements can conspire to produce a completely unexpected result. The lesson of the sand pile theory is that large, tightly coupled systems are necessarily bound to produce accidents over time. The

small ones will be frequent, and the big ones will be rare, but they will always happen, regardless of how much we try to engineer them out of the system. All we can do with this knowledge is come to terms with it and use it to mitigate the danger as much as possible. As my hang gliding instructor used to say, “Hey, if it was totally safe, everybody would do it.” The book offers some specific tips on how to be a good survivor: Perceive, believe, then act. Making a smart decision is often a matter of developing a mental model to help make a good prediction about the future. But when the environment changes suddenly, your reliance on a tight mental model will be a liability. Your ability to perceive the change, understand it, and incorporate it into a new mental model is critical to survival. Humility is a key to survival. Humble people, even those with world-class talent, are always open to improving their game and learning something new, regardless of the source of information. That “something new” might be life-saving data. Have a Zen-like ability to let go of the plan. A damn-the-torpedoes attitude can do wonders for an entrepreneur, but it’s unwise when the penalty for failure is death. When faced with deteriorating conditions and a narrowing chance of success, the good survivor is able to step outside himself, Get the information. In one episode from the book, Gonzales tries to go swimming on a beach in Hawaii, but only a chance encounter with a lifeguard keeps him from diving into a well-known, but deadly, riptide area. Sites like that are extremely common in hang gliding and paragliding, so it’s always worth the effort to find a local guide when flying in a new place. Deep Survival is deeply thought-provoking, and the first half, in particular, has plenty of wisdom that applies directly to us kite riding humans. Rather than lay out a step-by-step plan for survival, it introduces you to the kind of person who is a successful survivor. Are you a survivor? Could you become one?

Iquique Chile

November 2 0 0 8

Fly every day or get money back ! Over 11 years of combined experience leading tours in Chile ! videos, pics, and more . . .

w w w. p a ra g l i d i n g t r i ps.com

Visit the USHPA store, at www.ushpa.aero to purchase this and other great titles.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Mission | Policy | Membership | Involvement

the promotion of the sport.

AwardNOMINATIONS Every year, the USHPA issues awards and commendations to those people making contributions to our sport that their peers consider worthy of recognition. In order for this process to work, nominations must be submitted to the Awards Committee by any individual prior to the Fall BOD meeting.

PRESIDENTIAL CITATION  This is the USHPA's highest award, and is awarded to a member or non‑member who has made significant contributions to the sport. The contributions need not have been made during the previous year. This special award may only be awarded to a single person once. USHPA EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AWARD  This award recognizes outstanding service to the Association during the year by any member or non-member. NAA SAFETY AWARD  The NAA Safety Award is given to an individual who has contributed to safety promotion in some significant way that should be recognized. CHAPTER OF THE YEAR  This award recognizes the USHPA Chapter/club that has conducted successful programs that reflect positively upon the Chapter and the sport. Activities include, but are not limited to: site procurement, development and retention, safety, membership development, and beginner & novice programs.

include effectiveness as a teacher, being a safety role model, and other factors that the nominating parties deem worthy of recognition. One award per sport per year will be given.

SPECIAL COMMENDATIONS  USHPA Special Commendations are awarded to any number of non-members and organizations who have done exceptional volunteer work that has significantly enhanced and promoted our sports in the U.S. The Special Commendation is a way for our organiza tion to recognize landowners, drivers, restaurant owners, government officials and any others who have contributed in a non‑member capacity during the year. COMMENDATIONS  Commendations are awards to any number of USHPA members who have contributed to hang gliding and/ or paragliding on a volunteer basis in any areas including site development and retention, competition organization, public relations, heroic rescue efforts, and/or basically getting off their duffs and doing something for someone else's enjoyment of flying and

BETTINA GRAY AWARD  The Bettina Gray Award was created to honor the woman who contributed so much to our sport through her photography. This award is issued to the photographer (male or female) whose work (three examples needed for review) is judged best by the committee in consideration of aesthetics, originality, and a positive portrayal of hang gliding or paragliding. One award will be given each year. BEST PROMOTIONAL FILM  This award recognizes the videographer, whose work is judged best by the committee in consideration of aesthetics, originality, and a positive portrayal of hang gliding or paragliding. One award will be given each year. For more information contact Brad Hall, chairperson for the Awards committee, brad. reg3@gmail.com. Solicited Nomination is important - It WORKS! For submissions , please send your nomination(s) and materials to:

USHPA | PO Box 1330 Colorado Springs, CO, 80901‑1330 info@ushpa.aero http://www.ushpa.aero/emailaward.asp

Morningside Flight Park | Photo by Steve Prepost.

NEWSLETTER OF THE YEAR  This award recognizes an outstanding club publication (printed or web-based) that has been supportive of the sport and the sponsoring Chapter's activities. The award is based on service to members, layout, article variety, safety promotion, and promoting the sport. THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD 

The Instructor of the Year Award recognizes the importance of our certified hang gliding and paragliding instructors in promoting safe flying practices and contributing to the positive image and growth of our sport. Nominations should include letters of support from three students and the local Regional Director. Considerations will

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.USHPA .aero

Competition | Gathering | Clinics

SantaCruzFLATS CASA GRANDE, ARIZONA  In 2006, Dustin Martin told me tales of a hang gliding Shangri-la: a resort oasis in the desert south of Phoenix, with an adjacent paddock for towing. He described a golf getaway complete with pool and palm trees, and a place where you could sit on the veranda, enjoying lunch while overlooking the lush surroundings with a linen napkin in your lap and fine silver next to your plate. This is a location that was flyable everyday, with ubiquitous light winds that encourage pilots to fly out-and-returns at will, allowing for a poolside margarita after a long afternoon in the sky. It all sounded too perfect. In 2007, Dustin’s vision became reality. He organized tugs from as far away as Florida and lured sixteen pilots to come to his supposed desert flying paradise. We came to realize all the claims were true; it’s a veritable hang gliding nirvana! The Francisco Grande Hotel and Golf Resort lies in the desert between Phoenix and Tucson, merely a half-day drive from southern California. From 1959 until the mid-1980’s, it was a spring training facility for major league baseball and, eventually, NFL football. In 2003, the resort underwent a major renovation and exists today as a convention destination and golf getaway. We had an amazing time in 2007, flying seven out of seven days, with closed tasks each day except the last. Jonny Durand had the skill and good fortune to set up his glider once, fly all seven tasks, and break down the last day. The day winner bought the margaritas for those in goal, and after

by Jeff O'Brien

landing on the back lawn, a fresh strawberry concoction was in a pilot’s hand before his harness was off. Word of Dustin’s Shangri-la got out, and the 2008 event brought in 60 plus pilots in three classes from nine countries. The field was stacked: There was Jonny Durand, the world #1 ranked pilot. Seventeen of the top twenty pilots in the US were in attendance, along with a strong Brazilian and Canadian contingency. The tug pilots were back. Russell and Lori Brown had tugs “trailered” out from Florida, and Rhett Radford, in barnstorming style, took five days to fly his Dragonfly from Florida, camping along the way. After the meet, he flew his plane back to New Hampshire, and that journey was a story in itself.

Dustin had additional help this year from Davis Straub (weather / scoring / reporting), Jamie Sheldon (meet direction), and an experienced Quest Air ground crew, along with volunteers steeped in HG aerotow logistics. The stage was set for a serious weeklong party in the sky. The flying around Casa Grande has its own unique characteristics. The terrain immediately surrounding the resort is flat desert, but fifteen to twenty-five miles in every direction are mountain ranges of various sizes. This allows for a variety of terrain flying techniques. The days are completely blue, but the light pulverized soil provides plenty of lift markers in the form of dust devils. Rather than “connecting the dots” in the sky, we’d follow the ground-based thermal markers. As predicted, most days the wind aloft was light, allowing closed tasks, short retrieves, and the additional motivation of an icy-cold margarita waiting at

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Jamie Sheldon at sunset | photo by Jeff O'Brien

goal. The meet began with a 64-mile triangle on the first day. Andre Wolf from Brazil took the day win. Day two began with a towing incident when Rhett Radford did a touchand-go on Larry Bunner’s T2C, severing the carbon spar. Even though he’s one of the best tug pilots in the world——turbulence sometimes bites the best. Rhett found himself too close to the glider lineup to avoid contact. Rhett landed his tug with damaged landing gear and apologetically went to Larry to check on him and the damage. Rob Kells from Wills Wing arranged for an immediate glider replacement, and Larry went on to place fifth for the day. Day two offered another surprise with Derreck Turner getting a day win by 100 meters over Andre Wolf. Derreck’s consistent performance throughout the meet rewarded him with a fifth-place finish overall, and the likely distinction of the most im-

proved competitor. Day three consisted of a 70-mile triangle with a tough last leg into the wind. Six pilots made it back to the resort, with Andre the day winner. On day four, Filippo Oppici from Italy flew the 59-mile dogleg task alone, taking the day win. Despite the need to saw tooth aggressively into a strong crosswind, the lift was consistent enough to bring 26 pilots into goal. The rigids took off first on day five and when they had a hard time sticking in the sky, the flex-wing pilots began to grumble. When the wind began to pick up to marginal launch levels, the grumbling became louder until the day was canceled for the flexie pilots. We rested our sore shoulders in the pool all afternoon while the rigids stole the show. Bruce Barmakian went on to win the day and took the overall meet win. It’s noteworthy to mention that four out of five rigid pilots had day wins during the com-

petition. A 70-mile bow tie shaped task was called on day six, and Nene Rotor survived in the light, late evening conditions to get the closest to goal and win the day. The long first leg into the wind had taken up too much of the afternoon to get us home before the lift subsided. On the final day of the meet, a 50-mile drag race downwind was called, and I used the reliable dust-devils, along with McCready's speed-to-fly theory and a bit of luck to capture my most rewarding day win. A couple of minutes after I landed, gliders started raining out of the sky, and 38 happy faces eventually made goal. The awards buffet was held on the backlawn that night, where Andre Wolf (BRA) received a giant engraved margarita glass for his win over Jonny Durand (AUS). Daniel Velez (COL) retained an impressive thirdplace finish over Dustin Martin (USA), the visionary, and the man with all the local knowledge. Even before the completion of the 2008 meet, there was brainstorming underway to fix the only detractor to the meet, the dusty tow paddock. With sufficient future pilot attendance, the resort is willing to work hard on dust abatement in order to make the venue perfect for future competitions. I’ll see you pool-side next spring when I hope to be the one buying margaritas! Flex wing results:

www.soaringspot.com/scfr2008/results/ Rigid wing results:

www.soaringspot.com/scfrrw2008/results/ Swift results:

www.soaringspot.com/2008scfrs/results/

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Pilot Profile

CJSTURTEVANT All my issues of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, through February of this year, featured the editor's column with accompanying photos of a diminutive, smiling woman. Former editor C.J. Sturtevant (H5/P5) has been an inspiration for me, an older woman who began to fly paragliders four years ago. I finally met this biwingual enthusiast on Kevin Lee's paraglider tour to Ecuador last January and loved listening to her talk of flights covering more than 25 years. This profile followed naturally. When did you begin your flying career? And of course, why?  George and I took hang gliding lessons together in 1982. We'd done all kinds of other sports and decided it was time to try an "air" sport, just for the heck of it. Neither of us had had childhood dreams of flying, and never expected to become instantly hooked on flying hang gliders! But we were, in fact, hooked on our first day on the training hill – both of us, luckily – and most of our other sports have long gone by the wayside as we spend our free time and spare cash in pursuit of airtime. You began with hang gliding–what was it like for a woman in hang gliding in the early '80s? What kinds of challenges did you encounter because of gender?  I think physical size has been more of a [right] C.J. at the 2002 PG Nationals, Owens Valley, California – “the most intense flying I’ve ever done!” [top right] C.J. and her 134 UP Gemini at South Tiger Mt., 1984. [opposite, left to right] Barbara Flynn (L) assisting C.J. prepare for an aerotow training flight at “Girls Just Wanna Go Fly” at Quest Air, Florida, 1996...C.J. (4th from left) with her friends/mentors Kari Castle (R) and Claire Vassort (next to Kari) and the rest of the U.S. women’s team in Greece, 2000... Being the editor of USHPA’s magazine – or maybe simply being an older woman in a sport dominated by young men – was newsworthy in Governador Valadares, Brazil, 2007.

by Barbara Summerhawk Photos courtesy C.J. Sturtevant

challenge than gender – I've never really felt that being a woman was a big issue. But I'm barely five feet tall, and was just over a hundred pounds back in my early days of flying, and being short and light made finding a hang glider that I could lift and run with a challenge. When I began inherently different about an all-women competing it was almost impossible to comp – world-class women competitors are find a high-performance wing suitable for as driven and as competitive as the men, but someone my size; I always had the control somehow there's a different ambience at frame modified to make it possible for me women's meets. Paragliding has never had a to launch safely (an advantage that the "Women's World Meet" but instead includes Japanese women's teams apparently never one or more women on each country's team. had, as they struggled to launch heavy I loved flying in the hang gliding women's wings with basetubes just inches from the worlds, but I never had any desire to try ground). Most of the time manufactures to participate in a paragliding world meet. and fellow pilots were totally willing to help (OK, I'd never have made the team anyhow, me out, although I do recall one pilot telling but I truly had no desire to try…) In 1992 the me, when I asked for help loading my wing women paraglider pilots in the Northwest – onto a high vehicle, "If you can't handle it by there were eight or ten of us – decided to yourself you shouldn't be flying." That inci- come together for a fly-in in late fall, and the dent sticks in my memory, though, because annual NW Women's Halloween Fly-in was born. Every year it gets bigger and better, it was so atypical. with dozens of women pilots, both hang You've been in meets and fly-ins all over the glider and paraglider, coming to Chelan world. When did women's races, seminars, from all over the continent for a costume fly-ins get started? Can you speak to the fly-in the last weekend in October. positives of all-women's events? Any downsides?  The first Women's World Who were some of your mentors, and Meet for hang gliding was scheduled to be how did they help your flying career?  held in Greece in 1989, but it didn't happen. In my first years of flying hang gliders, my The next women's worlds was in Austria in instructor Chuck Harlamert and his flying 1991, and it was great fun! There's something buddies were my mentors. Chuck would regularly invite George and me to tag along to sites and events—we'd bring our gliders and if the flying was beyond our skill level, we'd drive and hang out and learn a lot just by watching the "big boys" do their thing. Later, when I started to compete, Kari Castle and Claire Vassort were my girlfriend mentors. Both these gals are a lot younger and a lot more goal-oriented and willing to step outside their comfort zone than I am, but we share a lot of values, both flyingrelated and otherwise. I think it's important for women pilots to have other women to "hang out with" in their flying community. When and why did you begin paragliding? Are there percentage-wise more women flying paragliders?  I began flying paragliders because George did, and July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

he began because when I went to the Women's World Meet in Austria in 1991, he didn't want to hassle with two hang gliders on airplanes and through customs. He took a quick course in paragliding from Wally Anderson in the Bay Area before we left for Austria, and had such a great time flying his bagwing during that trip, he never went back to hang gliding. I took lessons from Wally when we got home, but I didn't really get into paragliding until I stopped competing on my hang glider in 2000. When I first learned to paraglide, I was certain there'd be a significantly higher percentage of women flying paragliders than hang gliders, because paragliding is so much less demanding physically, and

it has the appearance of being so much safer because everything happens so much more slowly than in hang gliding. But my observation has been that the ratio of women to men who are actively flying in both sports is about the same. I have no idea why that is. How is aging affecting your flying? Do you think men and women fliers are affected by age differently?  I've become more conservative in my flying over the years – I know that I don't react as quickly as I once did, and I have achy bones that make hanging in a harness for hours at a time unpleasant, so I no longer do long flights in rowdy air with impunity. I think my male contemporaries

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

are facing the same challenges, although it may be easier for me as a woman to "wimp out" and cut short a flight when I'm just not having fun any more. How do you think of your contributions to free-flight? How have you helped us all fly more, fly more safely, fly with more respect, whatever…?  I really don't think about those things. I'm just "one of the gang," taking advantage of opportunities that come along within our flying community. Could you elaborate on some of your fondest and scariest moments in these arts?  I can't pick out my "fondest" moments–I've always loved traveling to fly,

especially to the women's world meets as part of the U.S. team, and on all the trips George and I have made around the country and abroad. But I've also had so many wonderful times within my local paragliding and hang gliding communities. My sister and her husband both fly as well, and the times we've all been airborne together are among my favorite memories. Probably my scariest moments in hang gliding happened at King Mt. (Idaho) on a windy comp day in 1995 when through a moment of inattention I got myself into a bad position and had to go "over the back" without enough altitude. I was not at all sure I'd survive the rotor, but I managed to stay right side up and land safely. In paragliding it was at the Owens Valley Nats in 2002, when I was acting as radio relay between a pilot on the ground in tiger country and the safety director on launch. I wasn't paying enough attention to my flying, apparently, and my glider suddenly decided to give me a full maneuvers clinic that left me low in a canyon with no friendly-looking landing options. I managed to climb out and forced myself to continue on course to the first turnpoint, where I decided I'd had enough and headed out to the road to land. Of course, there was nothing but up air everywhere between me and my chosen LZ… Probably my funniest experience was when I landed in a farm field after a hang gliding XC flight in Oklahoma. Two youngsters came warily up to the fence, eyes big as saucers, and asked, "Are you an alien?" How do you see the future of flying?  We're at a tough point right now for free flying, with our launches and LZs being gobbled up by development, and with landowners justifiably nervous about potential liability if they allow us to use their property. Also, our pilot population is aging, and it's difficult to attract today's young folks to a sport that requires a significant commitment of time to achieve proficiency. On the other hand, there are many, many passionate pilots who are willing to put in the hours and dollars needed to secure flying sites, and who are tactful and intelligent enough to work out potential problems before they result in loss of a site. I'd like to think that there are enough of these guys

month when it appears in my mailbox!

and gals around to keep the options open for all of us to continue to fly for as long as we care to do so. How did you get the USHPA editor's job? It was inspiring to me to read your column and see your picture in every issue! What were your higher and lower moments in the job?  I was assisting the previous editor when he decided to move on to another career (he now writes outdoor guidebooks in the Northwest), and USHPA hired me as "interim" editor for three months while they looked for a replacement. After I'd produced three issues, they decided I'd do OK and kept me on. For the most part, I've loved editing the magazine, working with the contributors, interacting with the membership and with the office staff. I do get bummed when pilots take things too seriously and get really angry or worked up over something that, in the big picture, shouldn't cause that much angst. After four years, I needed a break from the non-stop deadlines, and it was time for someone younger and more techno savvy to take over. I am so looking forward to reading Nick's magazine each

Where and with whom do you do most of your flying?  I have done almost all of my flying with George, but we don't really have a "home" site where we get most of our flights. Geographically, Tiger Mt. is the closest site (13 miles from our house as the glider flies), but we get more flights at "other" sites than we do at Tiger. We've made it a goal to fly at least five new sites each year, and over the past 25 years we've averaged quite a bit better than that. Working on the magazine has put me in touch with pilots all over the country, and now that both George and I are retired, we're looking forward to taking them up on their invitations to come fly their "home" sites! What (besides traveling and flying) do you do now that you're retired?  Now that I'm no longer tied to my computer to get the magazine out each month, George and I are really getting into the "retired" life style. Already this year we've done a paragliding adventure in Ecuador; in March we're planning on tossing my Falcon on our car and filling the back up with other toys for a several-weeks-long road trip to Florida and beyond, to take in the Wills Wing demo days party and visit our "back-East" family and flying friends. I'm in the process of finishing up a T-shirt quilt for a local pilot and have orders for several more from folks who, I suppose, need to free up some drawer space for this season's new crop of shirts. My "hold" list at the library includes over a dozen books– sitting down with a bowl of popcorn to read for an hour or two really makes me feel like I'm retired! I'm working my way through a big stack of not-quite-finished stitchery projects, and once the ground thaws I'll be outside in my garden. I want to learn how to use my computer to do all sorts of things, starting with using Photoshop to enhance our vacation photos and create scrapbook pages. I'd like to learn Spanish before we go back to South America, and French before we go back to Europe.

C.J. and George will be at the annual paragliding Rat Race in July. One of C.J.'s T-shirt quilts will be on display at the Magnolia Cafe in Rush near Woodrat. July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

to HIGH PERFORMANCE

Photo by Thor Stenson

TRANSITIONING

by DENNISPAGEN

PART 2 : Coming down safely and comfortably

Last month we decided that it was good for the soul and good for the economy for pilots to plunk down the stack of hundreds required to buy a new high performance glider. But along with that sentiment we also had to toss out a few caveats— warnings if you will. Transitioning to a high performance glider from a less performing one can present some problems that can easily be avoided if the pilot understands the details. We began checking them out last year and finish up here. Towing is next.

point bridles are recommended. Bad because the pilot can get into an “over-the-top” lockout whereby the glider gets hit by a vertical gust (a thermal) and rises too rapidly for the pilot to be able to lower the tow force by pulling in. In this situation, the glider gets so high on tow so quickly that the pilot doesn’t have enough pitch authority to bring it down. This occurrence is rare enough that it is not a reason to tow differently, or avoid hi-per gliders, but pilots should be aware of its possibility when towing hi-per gliders in strong ther-

mals. In most cases, a hi-per glider tends to yaw more on tow so more attention must be given to staying centered and keeping the wings level. The forces required and the delay of response will be greater the higher the performance, but the controls are in the same sense as with low-per gliders. The general rule we are taught when aerotowing is to be still on the bar and center when the wing gets knocked off kilter. But a hi-per glider has less sweep and therefore less yaw stability. It can take a long time to

Towing of high performance (hi-per) gliders will be different from the towing of lesser performing ones. They do not have as much pitch-up tendencies as lower performance gliders, and this is both good and bad. Good because special bridles (incorporating a line to the glider’s keel to hold it down) to keep the nose from rising too high are not required. Most experienced pilots aerotow with a bridle attached only to the pilot’s shoulders. The advantage of this setup is that there is less bridle dangling (and possibly tangling) once the pilot releases, but also the bar position on tow is in the normal high chest position. With a top bridle, the base tube is in front of the pilot’s head and this position makes it harder to input a roll control. Hi-per gliders already require a bit more roll force, so you see the argument. However, for newer pilots twoJuly 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Photo by Jeff Shapiro

TOWING ALOFT 

MORE FLYING ADVANTAGES  Speaking of VG use, once you move up to a glider that has one, it is a waste of performance—if not money—to not use it. A VG enhances glider performance because you can trade off handling for glide almost linearly. When we trek between thermals, handling is less important and best glide becomes paramount. Typically, 3/4 VG is the best inter-thermal setting, unless strong turbulence or proximity to the terrain or other pilots necessitates better handling. Like that paragon of glide, Mike Barber, says, gaining altitude is like putting money in the bank. It is stupid to squander it foolishly by not gliding between thermals as efficiently as possible. Other matters that will be different on hi-per gliders are diving turns, flying speeds and acceleration. You can escape venturis, sucking clouds, blundering airplanes and even debt collectors much more readily on a hi-per glider. Again, be aware that pitch pressures are light, so learn to speed up and dive gradually. At the slow end of the spectrum, control as well as stall response and recovery will be a bit different. A hi-per glider may have a more abrupt and deep stall when it occurs, but in general, the results aren’t startling. Stalling in a turn will require more altitude for the glider to yaw around and regain proper speed. If you stall in a thermal, you lose more on a hi-per glider, so all that extra performance is wasted. You’ll soon learn how to thermal 24

on the edge without stalling. We offer a program for learning all these differences safely in the last section.

HAPPY LANDINGS  Landings got you worried? Well, don’t stress too much. Most pilots with good skills have no problems with high performance gliders. Just as with takeoff, there are some easier parts and some aspects a bit more difficult. The main difference is this: the higher performance the glider, the more room required, generally the higher the stall speed, the easier the flare force, but the smaller the flare window. Current modern topless gliders vary in landing ease, but they are much more forgiving than gliders of say five, ten and especially twenty years ago. To be sure, the slower roll response of hi-per gliders requires a bit more open landing area as does the increased glide. Note well: all current topless gliders should be landed with the VG around 1/4 on or it will be hard to maintain the proper control airspeed. It is a wise habit to perform an aircraft landing approach (see Hang Gliding Training Manual) with a high performance glider because such a pattern minimizes turning and maximizes position and altitude control. When you first land the glider, maintain ample control speed (at least the best glide speed) and allow plenty of clearance in front of you. You will probably glide further than you are used to. One matter that eases the landing on a hi-per glider is the speed retention. You can maintain good speed on final approach and bleed it off gradually to parallel the ground so you only have to stop the forward

motion. With single surface gliders the approach to the ground is steeper, so the flare, while performed at a slower speed, has to be timed right to stop the vertical velocity as well as the forward motion. In light winds the timing is critical. On the first landings of a hi-per glider, try to have a good, smooth headwind. Eight to ten mph is nice. Set up and maintain a long, straight final, bleed off the speed gradually and as the glider slows and starts providing a little back force to your slowing control, produce a semi-flare and run out your landing, all the while pushing forward and up on the uprights. The idea is to get a feel for the glider’s flare reaction before committing to a full-tilt flare. Remember, the flare forces will be less, so too much flare too early can result in a sonic boom. The speed retention of a hi-per glider can easily allow it to zoom ten feet or more in the air with an early flare. On the other hand, if you fail to flare enough on a topless glider, you most likely won’t be able to run it out due to it’s higher stall speed. Again, some headwind to assist you here is a blessing. In truth, even after countless flights at countless sites, on a warm summer day with no wind to help, I am highly alert during the final phase of flight. Timing is critical, but most pilots learn it by approaching the problem gradually. Smooth, steady landing wind is the key to early success. Here’s the fallback position: if you are successfully landing your current glider nearly every time near your chosen spot without any serious whacks, you should do fine with a higher performing one.

Photo by Nick Greece

return to pointing at the towline and in that time period, another gust can add to the misalignment. If conditions are fairly active, I like to correct gust-caused excursions by performing a rolling-yawing input while keeping my shoulders centered on the base tube (only hips moving). In Part One of this series, we described the normal VG setting for takeoff as being 1/4 pulled. For towing, it is normal for the VG to be set from 1/3 to 1/2 on. This tighter setting helps the glider track a bit better and helps reduce oscillations. On tow the possibility of pilot-induced oscillations is present because the glider is flying faster than best glide in most cases. This effect is similar to that when flying from a slope for the first time, as described last month. Generally, if you get into an oscillation on tow the cure is the same as when flying free from tow: slow down and let the oscillations settle out.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

DVDs ~ BOOKs ~ GEAR ~ Everything a pilot needs

PILGRIM’S PROGRESS  In summary, here’s a little outline for a totally conservative, sensible and safe-as-can-be transition to a high performance glider. Conditions: Choose a day and time when conditions are relatively smooth (morning or evening). A nice 5 to 10 mph breeze into takeoff is ideal. No crosswinds or gusts are allowed. Consider choosing an overcast day. A nice assisting flow in the landing area is highly desirable. If I had to choose either smooth wind on takeoff or wind in the landing area, I would choose the latter. The site should be free of traffic, but of course, if expert pilots know you are testing a new glider they can easily stay clear of your path, especially if you fly away from the takeoff. With later flights you may try to stay near the hill, so some traffic may be around, but other pilots should still be informed that you are new on the glider and need wide berth. Takeoff: Try the glider on a moderately steep hill the first time. A flat slope will require too much run with too much weight. A steep slope will require you to lower the nose more than you may be used to. Moderation is the key. On early flights, fly directly away from the terrain towards the landing area to allow flight familiarity and easy landing set-up. In-flight: Maintain the VG in the takeoff setting (for a topless glider you will keep it at 1/4 for the entire flight until you gain more experience) and try coordinating turns in both directions. Pay attention to entry airspeed and how much pitch is required to keep the turn progressing in a steady manner at various bank angles. Is high-siding (or the opposite, low-siding) required to maintain the chosen bank angle? With at least 500 feet of clearance, gradually slow the glider down to discover the stall point, how it reacts and how it recovers. If you still have safe altitude, try slow 360s and gradually slow the glider down to the stall point to check out its behavior. These exercises teach you the glider’s reaction, which should eventually be understood on the subconscious level. Note that we do not recommend steep turns and steep turn stalls at this point because it is too easy to get the glider into a diving turn during the stall recovery. When you have more time and altitude you can try more extremes of bank angle. Next, if you still have adequate altitude, try flying straight with a bit more speed. This experience is very important to help you understand how the glider behaves. In the early going, don’t pull the bar below your lower chest. Finally, you may try slight roll inputs at these higher speeds. This latter practice really teaches you the glider’s timing, reaction and response to diving turn inputs. Such maneuvers will be useful later for setting up landings and escaping strong lift. In most cases, all this testing and trial flying may require several flights to complete, and shouldn’t be rushed. Leave yourself plenty of altitude to focus on landing. Landing: Stop fooling around and get in position to lose altitude upwind of the field. Your glide will probably be better than with your lesser performing glider, so you can start your pattern a bit lower, or extend it longer. But don’t go overboard; you’re not in a sailplane. The landing field for your first flights of a more demanding glider should be large. Set up to land about in the midpoint and you should have plenty of safety margin if you are caught low, or glide further than expected. Once on final, maintain good approach speed (bar at chest), July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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glide down, stand up where appropriate, bleed off speed and flare while running when your feet are nearly touching and the glider drops off its speed on its own. Probably the most helpful thing to have in this initial landing experience is a good observer or a video taping friend. You will probably be too busy to think about what you are doing, so the feedback will be invaluable to lead you to that magic zone where all your landings are stuck like a diamond pin. Practice makes perfect.

THE PETER PRINCIPLE  There is a tendency for pilots to rise to the level of discomfort as they keep moving up to better performing gliders (a variation on the Peter principle whereby workers are promoted to the level of their incompetence). Many of us have a few deficient skills—perhaps we never have learned to time landings right, we pop the nose on takeoff, fly too flat in thermals, etc. If these deficiencies don’t get corrected, they will eventually show up as gross errors or safety compromises as we move up to better performing and less forgiving gliders. Over the years I have seen many pilots get discouraged or injured or both because they moved up in performance before they were ready. We won’t belabor this point, but repeat the opening discussion from last month: make sure you can handle the heat when you plan to move to the tropics—in other words, get some good feedback from conservative pilots as to the right glider for your skills and aspirations. Then take these few guidelines to heart and voilá: you’ll be tickled with your new SGWDD (Super-G Warp Drive Deluxe) diver.

Next month: transitioning to high performance harnesses. 25

FIGURE 1

Technique | Safety | Training | Flights

AirFOILS THE REAL REASON OUR WINGS WORK  In 1944, a pilot and writer named Wolfgang Langewiesche published the first edition of his flying manual–Stick and Rudder. It was highly controversial because his description of the way wings produce lift was at odds with the popular theory of the time. Langewiesche encouraged his readers to forget nearly everything they learned in flight school about airfoils and focus on a simplified, useful theory. Even though the complete story of airfoil lift is much more complicated, his explanation gradually became accepted as the correct one, and as the most effective way to teach the idea to pilots. Strangely, though, the old theory that Langeweische debunked in 1944 persists to this day in high school textbooks and even in some flight manuals. The popular writer David Macaulay even presented it in his 1988 book, The Way Things Work. Why is this happening? Some have suggested that it’s entirely possible to learn the incorrect theory as a child, grow up to be an accomplished pilot in spite of your misunderstanding, and then write your own book from a position of authority. Another possibility is that one correct, but very complicated, mathematical explanation of lift is based on the same equation as the incorrect explanation, and so the two theories are given equal credence by some amateur scientists. The common explanation is based on two ideas: the Bernoulli equation, and the principle of equal transit times. Figure 1 shows the essential points. We have an airfoil (wing cross-section), flat on the bottom, curved on top, fat in the front and pointy in the rear. The lines represent an airflow coming from the left, which, for our purposes, is equivalent to a wing moving to the left through a stationary air mass. The lines show that the air mass splits at the leading edge (front) of the wing and then comes back together at the trailing edge, where each air molecule is reunited with its estranged neighbor. Since the molecules going over the top have to take a longer path from 26

and the oncoming air, but you can also see it as the degree to which the back of the wing is tilted down. Figure 2 shows a more accurate picture of the airflow: it encounters the leading edge at the angle of attack by Tom Webster (roughly the angle between the dashed line and the air stream lines on the left, exaggerthe front to the rear than the ones going ated for clarity), splits apart at some point, under the bottom, they need to go faster to and, most importantly, is forced downward reach the trailing edge. According to Daniel by the tilt of the wing. The air going under Bernoulli, a Swiss mathematician from the the bottom is deflected downward, too, and 18th Century, increasing the speed in a local adds something to the effort, but the heavy airflow lowers its pressure. This low pressure lifting is done by the flow over the top. creates suction which pulls the wing up. Or, What makes the air stick to the top so if you like, the relatively higher pressure on it can be shot downward is a curious thing the bottom pushes it up. called the Coanda effect. This effect causes Bernoulli’s equation is correct, but it’s a moving fluid to adhere to a nearby surface, being used the wrong way here. The lift as long as the surface is smooth enough and force that it predicts is not strong enough to doesn’t curve away from the flow too sharpexplain flight: a Cessna 152, relying entirely ly. You can see the Coanda effect in person on the lift predicted by the Bernoulli equa- by holding a spoon under the kitchen faucet tion, would need to fly more than 300 miles like I did in the picture. The water stream an hour to stay aloft instead of 55. And the is pulled sideways by the back of the spoon, principle of equal transit times has been the spoon is pushed in the opposite direcproven wrong, far beyond any doubt, in tion by the water stream, and Isaac Newton wind tunnel experiments. Air goes over the is happy. Rotate the picture until it reminds top of a wing so much faster that the neigh- you of an airplane wing, and you’ve got one boring molecules split apart at the leading of the most important concepts in aerodyedge never see each other again. Here are a few more problems with the popular explanation: * Airplanes and gliders can fly upside down and still generate lift. * A wing with a very concave underside, like a single surface hang glider, should produce very little lift according to this theory, but in the real world it produces a lot of lift. * Some airplanes use a symmetrical airfoil, or even one that is longer on the bottom than the top. * Paper airplanes (and vintage hang gliders) have no airfoil, yet they seem to fly just fine. As Langeweische says, you’d do well to forget about Bernoulli-the 18th Century mathematician you should be concerned with is Isaac Newton. Newton’s famous Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and explains how rockets work, why a pistol recoils, and what would happen if you used a fire extinguisher while standing on a skateboard. Applying it to flying, we find that a wing goes up because it forces air down. It’s all about angle of attack. That’s basically the vertical angle between the wing July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

KEEP YOUR EYE ON ASPEN. namics. Changing your thinking about wings is more than just an academic exercise-it can also help you understand some things about flying hang gliders and paragliders. Here are a few examples:

WAKE TURBULENCE AND TIP VORTICES When you see that a wing keeps itself up by shoving air down, it’s easy to visualize where and how strong the wake from another glider is going to be. It’s going to be below and behind the trailing edge from the point of view of that glider’s pilot, or anyone flying next to it. Since a more massive craft needs to displace a bigger mass of air to stay up, heavier gliders will produce bigger wakes. It’s never smart to fly directly below and behind a loaded tandem glider, a hang glider pulling up from a dive, or any glider flying at a high angle of attack. And the old explanation doesn’t account for tip vortices, the tiny sideways tornadoes that form at your wingtips and sap energy from your wing. When you see that air flows off the top faster than it slides under the bottom, it’s easy to imagine those vortices and then to understand other ideas like ground effect and the influence of aspect ratio.

IMPORTANCE OF THE LEADING EDGE AND TOP SURFACE Since a large proportion of lift comes from the momentum of the air flowing over the top surface, it’s important not to slow down that flow. Keeping the Mylar leading edge stiffeners in top shape has a big effect on performance, whether they’re on a hang glider or a paraglider. And in the mid 1990s, hang glider manufacturers recognized the importance of a smooth, unobstructed flow over the top surface and found a way to remove the top rigging on their high performance models. This produced a quantum leap in high speed glide efficiency.

WHY A WING STALLS The phrase “stall speed” is a little misleading because it implies that a wing will stall because of low airspeed. It’s a matter of causality vs. correlation: a high angle of attack is the cause of a stall and of low airspeed, but low airspeed is not the cause of a stall. Stalls happen because of the angle of attack, period. The airflow over the top has to stick close to the wing to make it fly, but air is only so sticky. If the angle of attack is too large, the flow will detach from the wing and won’t be forced downward. The correlation of airspeed to the stall point is useful, though, since airspeed is easier to measure than angle of attack. The Newton model also explains why your stall speed goes up when flying in thinner air. A particular airfoil will always tend to stall at the same angle; in other words, it can only ever point downward so much and still fly. If the air gets thinner, it will weigh less per cubic foot, and the up-force from the “equal and opposite reac-

FIGURE 2 July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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tion” will be weaker. Gravity will then pull you down and speed you up until the air flows over the trailing edge fast enough to create a lift force that balances your weight. It’s like shooting a charging rhino with a lot of little, fast bullets instead of one big, slow bullet. The Newton and Coanda explanation should be enough to satisfy any pilot, but the complete story of wing lift has a much larger cast of characters. There’s the Magnus effect (good for explaining a baseball pitch), the bound vortex theory, boundary layer science, laminar flow theory, the correct application of Bernoulli’s equation, and more. It is possible to describe lift using only the Bernoulli Effect, but you’ll end up using more Greek letters than the Athens phone book. Like many other ideas in physics, the airfoil story can be told in a few ways that look very different, but end up at the same conclusion. The best explanation to follow is one that is not only correct, but also makes intuitive sense and is simple enough to serve as a building block for further study. REFERENCES Incorrect Lift Theory, Glenn Research Center, NASA, 2006. http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/wrong1.html Airfoil Lifting Force Misconception, William Beatty, 1996. http:// www.eskimo.com/~billb/wing/airfoil.html How Planes Don’t Fly, David Harris, 2001. http://web.archive.org/ web/20010607215323/physics.about.com/science/physics/library/ weekly/aa041401a.htm Model airplanes, the Bernoulli equation, and the Coanda effect (c) 1994 by Jef Raskin http://jef.raskincenter.org/published/coanda_effect.html Stick and Rudder, Wolfgang Langewiesche, 1972, McGraw-Hill 27

196 OREGON over

he MM5 reported good cross country conditions for the Pine Mt. Oregon area on August 3, 2007. I had the day off, wanted to go flying, and drove up Pine Mt. When I arrived on top, the conditions were starting to look good. An out of town Elsinore pilot, who was already set up, was there with his driver. When he quizzed me on the XC situation, I told him this would be a good day to fly east on Highway 20. He offered to pick me up if I were on the highway, so I switched to his radio frequency. He launched while I was setting up, climbed out easily and headed downwind. I launched a half hour later in a crosswind and had a little trouble getting up, but once I was climbing, the lift and drift were very good. The sky was cloudless, so I flew conservatively, not knowing where the next thermal might be. The Elsinore pilot got low and tried to report his position to his driver. He had no idea where he was located except that he was next to the highway. I searched for him and eventually saw the glider on the ground as I flew over it at 9000 feet. I had hopes of getting a ride with him, but after

by CharlieBAUGHMAN

such a short flight, I was sure he would not come after me. He confirmed my assumption. I now had no radio contacts, or driver. I was going cross-country on my own, something I rarely do now. Even though I had a retrieval problem, I continued to gain confidence because of the fabulous conditions. I was moving right along with a 15 to 20 mph tailwind with lift areas that were close together, and was not going below 9000 feet, and had climbed to 13400 feet. By the time I passed Glass Butte, over 50 miles, I was sure this was a very good day for Pine Mt. I flew over three very large wildfire blackened areas on my way to the city of Burns. These fires, which had burned fiercely in July, totaled about 200,000 acres. They were completely extinguished when I flew over them, so I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to deal with smoke or firefighting airplanes. The landscape, mostly bare and very black, produced quite a few black dust devils but no better lift in the black fire-zones than the rest of the terrain. I reached the Burns area after some strong lift and topped out at 12400 feet at the 100-mile point. From Burns, I went on what I knew was going to be a long glide, losing altitude all the way to Buchanan. At that point, I scratched around with about 800 feet over the flats, just as I had done last June when I was in the same situation on that route. Both times I latched on to a 200 fpm thermal and went with it into rising, hilly

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terrain with very few landing areas. I managed to stay with this bubbly thermal, and her cousins, for about ten miles without getting higher than 7500 feet. This turned out to be a long stretch of low level scratching, but I had confidence that my ATOS VR would not go down before sunset! I continued to scratch along at Stinking Water Creek, low enough to examine the dirt road along the creek as a possible landing spot if I could not get past Bartett Mt. Instead of landing, I decided to fly around to the east side of the mountain where I was able to pick up a weak thermal over another black and desolate fire zone. I continued drifting east, and was able to work a few more weak thermals before flying over Juntura, the beginning of a steep canyon that runs for about 15 miles, at 8600 feet. I really needed more altitude to start my journey along the canyon, but after a couple miles, to my relief, I hit a good thermal. Being terrified of having to land in the canyon, I flew very conservatively at first, even though light lift was everywhere, and it was beginning to feel like a late day glass-off. This turned out to be the best part of the flight! I was staying relatively high in smooth air, and I was going to have a chance at the state distance record! My mood swung from apprehension to euphoria. As I worked a nice thermal over the last high ridge, I figured this would be my final lift area, so I milked it for all it was worth. Late in the day I headed for irrigated farmland. I thought I could glide to Vale and break the record if I did not encounter strong sink. After working several 50 fpm lift spots, I was gliding. I flew over Vale with 4000 feet agl. My Flytec 5030 GPS said I had flown only 184 miles, indicating that I needed to fly farther for a record flight. I began to worry about making the extra distance and continued to glide right down Highway 20. There was no longer a tailwind-only sink. I finally crossed over the 192mile mark, which is now the old Rick Christen rigid wing distance record. There was no time for celebration, however, for I was low and couldn’t see where I should land. I decided to glide as long as possible and pick a landing spot at the last second. Shortly thereafter, I saw a good field where I could land and

had just enough altitude to do one circle to help determine the wind direction. I landed at 8:19 p.m. at the intersection of Highways 20 and 201, which is the 196-mile mark. Now I could relish the moment! From a distance, some farmers saw my steep turning 360 and thought I had crashed, and I was not able to convince them otherwise. They referred to my landing field as the “crash area”. The farmers, Cathy and Monty Culbertson, hauled my glider in a pickup to their garage on Onion Ave and told me I could pick it up anytime. What nice people! This was going to work out perfectly. Then, they kindly gave me a ride to a motel in Ontario. At this point I discovered I did not have my wallet; I was devastated! I had no idea where it was. I had no credit cards, no money, and no driver’s license. I called home and was able to use Carolyn’s (my wife) credit card number to get a room for the night. The next morning I went to the bus stop to catch a ride to Burns and was informed that they only take CASH. Now, it would seem that my only way to travel was to hitchhike. I hate hitchhiking! I went back to the motel room to ponder my plight. It occurred to me that I worked for a company that might be test flying airplanes on Saturday. We build the Columbia 400 (now the Cessna 400), which is a fast, composite, 4 seat, single engine airplane. I called my co-workers to see if they might test fly an airplane in my direction. I was in luck. Ed, our test pilot, said he would find an airplane and come get me. I had to hurry and hitch a ride to the airport where in only one hour we were back in Bend. This was the best retrieval ride I’ve ever had! Of course, I still had to go back and get my glider. I started driving Saturday afternoon and got back home with glider on Sunday afternoon. The three-day adventure was over. My flight was notable in that I did not have to risk my life to make a long cross-country flight. There were no clouds or thunderstorms, and the wind speed and turbulence were within reason. What did I learn? I certainly could have flown farther. I should have taken off a half hour to an hour earlier. I flew a slow “speed to fly” which probably could have been faster. I also learned that my equipment check should include my wallet. “Don’t leave the ground without it!”

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TANZANIA July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

by OLIVIERLAUGERO

TANZANIA

s our plane climbs up over Zanzibar, we cross gigantic lagoons before sinking towards the bush in the direction of Arusha, Tanzania. Through the window of our plane at cloudbase, we view Masai villages that etch out circles in the dry savanna; their huts are guarded by a barrier of thorn bushes that protects them from wild animals. As we continue west, the Usambara Mountains rise up beneath us as if on parade, and Meru Mountain is barely visible beneath a cap of cumulus cloud—we’re close! Arusha is the most common jumping-off point for tourists who take safaris or attempt to climb Kilimanjaro. After landing there, we are immediately assailed by various salesmen of souvenirs, tours, and other “special deals”. Fortunately, we’re “rescued” by Damien Bell, the director of Safari Tour and a former paragliding pilot, who directs us into the bush with a few recommendations of places to spend time flying. Since no public transportation is available to the flying areas, we hire a driver and SUV to get to our destination and quickly learn the essential slang for

whites from our driver: we are Boana and Mizungu. Our first stop is Lake Manyara where we find a launch that borders a national park, in which landing is forbidden. Hundreds of yellow-billed stork are thermalling over the savanna In the distance, making the possibility of flying look good. However, since the launch is so near the park, we decide to move on. We proceed to the famous Ngorongoro National Park, where tens of thousands of Gnu pass through in migration. Lion prides follow the migration of the Gnus, as do tourists in 4x4 trucks. Appraising the other gawking tourists who are clad in safari jackets, explorers’ hats and gobs of sunscreen, we realize how ugly and ridiculous we look in our vehicles, parked around lazy lions at a ratio of five trucks to one big cat. It’s time to move off the beaten path.

n Magara, south of Manyara, we find a 2,000foot launch with a weedy takeoff and a sandy riverbank landing area, a campsite under an immense fig tree, and a waterfall for bathing: paradise!

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Our friend Jean-Paul Remy, with only ten flights to his credit, nabs forty-five minutes of airtime in African thermals and then experiencees a true African landing, complete with a horde of screaming, cart-wheeling, somersaulting children. The generous thermals allow Lio and I to maintain a healthy distance over the mob that surrounded Jean-Paul. We let our shadows dance over the children, their attention split between Jean-Paul and the two of us who are still flying. Eventually, we land and head back to camp surrounded by an entourage of children, who insist on not letting us carry any of our own equipment. Leaving paradise behind, we head for Lake Natron on the border of Kenya. It is close to my ideal 34

image of wild Africa: vast savannas dotted with zebras, zebus, gnus, ostriches, and Masai tribesmen tending their herds. Since this area is neither a reserve nor a national park, we are free to walk about on our own without a guide or SUV, and we revel in the omnipresent nature. In a 4x4, we are detached from the universe, as if watching the landscape on TV, but on foot, we feel returned to the root of it all. As if to prove the wildness of the wilderness, the volcano Ol Donyo Lengai suddenly erupts in the distance, spewing a massive tower of gray ash. Our camp, just nine miles from the crater, is owned by a local Masai man who offers a warm welcome. On the eastern crest of a magnificent canyon, we explore the

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“I climb into the atmosphere just a few miles from the tower of ash, above millions of flamingos...”

glide from Lake Natron to valley for viable launches. join me in what must be the With Lio confined to his only available “elevator” in the tent with what is later diagarea at this time of day. I find nosed as Hepatitis A, I am left myself in the middle of a large to explore the air alone. As the flock of birds and become volcano thunders in the dispart of the traffic that flows tance, I climb into the atmolike a subway rush hour. We climb gently to cloudsphere just a few miles from the tower of ash, above base, at which point the “crowd” scatters and the citimillions of flamingos wading in the brackish water zens of this”high” society depart for the plateaus of of Lake Manyara. Griffon vultures show me the way, Ngorongoro and Serengeti! and the local canyons below host a huge variety of Lio and I split up due to his illness. He goes back to quail; for a fervent lover of birds, it is a dream flight! Reunion Island, off the coast of Africa, and I return Two hours later and a few kilometers closer to the to Lake Natron where I hope to try a vol bivouac ever-erupting volcano, I emerge onto the western face flight along one side of the Rift Valley. As I begin my of the canyon. Waterfalls and lush vegetation sprawl solo bivouac in the bush, I am being crushed. A spear out beneath me, with no possible landings anywhere inside the walls. It would be unthinkable to land there, crosses and traps my foot, a bush-knife pokes into my but the lift is good and I can always glide to the pla- back, and the hand of a girl caresses my ribs. I am on teau if necessary. As the sun lowers to the horizon, I the only bus that crosses the savanna one time per day, participate in a fabulous spectacle: hundreds of white from Mto Mbu and Engaruka to Lake Natron, and Addim storks and Marabou storks converge after their the bus is full. The road is bad. The passengers, local

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Masai, are armed to the teeth, and the sound system is and at dawn, the shrieking of small rats awakens me. cranking Bob Marley. Zebras and ostriches cross the We emerge at sunrise to take some fresh air and let the road, but I am the main attraction on the bus: a lone goats out of their pen. The volcano also awakes with a mizungu who’s not in a 4x4! And, to further increase rumble, so we are treated to an enormous eruption in the locals’ curiosity about me, a rumor is circulating the morning light. that I am the one who was flying the parachute around Throughout the morning, I grill David with essenEl Donyo Lengai! tial questions: “ Might I meet lions in this area, and if Masai man named David of Oltevesei has in- so, how should I act in their presence? Do Masai ever vited me to stay with him and his family at sleep under the stars?” I fill my notebook with useful Lake Natron. When I arrive, his camp is il- phrases: “Aaho monouu osikria the napiéé olé bégi laï?” luminated by flashes of lighting; the forecast obviously Translation: “Can you find a donkey for me to carry is not “dry”. We settle into his hut, the entire family of my bag?” eight and I, in a twelve-foot-diameter circular shelter David’s parents ask me to visit his brother, who is made of cow-dung. Wood smoke fills the air inside, confined to his hut with third-degree burn injuries

A 36

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sustained more than a year ago; he fell into hot lava of the volcano for my first night’s bivouac. The local while working as a porter for white geologists, who left vultures are telling me that the conditions are light, three hundred dollars to his family as compensation. but I launch into the valley and maintain altitude for Having seen my burn scars, which I received while twenty minutes. I gain a little and cross over the crest working as a fireman many years ago, they wanted to the savanna. Three miles of air pass by, and then my advice, which is hard to give. After being told I’m walking. The flanks of the volcano are an endof this accident, I understand better the reluctance of less maze of canyons, the tall grass a refuge for gazelle. the Masai to climb the mountain; the eruptions have After dark I’m still walking, finally arriving at a small been regular and intense for more than six months, crater at the base of the volcano. At 11p.m., a rumble and the Masai are afraid. resembling a WWI battlefield startles me; the monster Armed with five liters of water, photo equipment, is awake! Artillery tears up my position, and flames and glider, I carry about 55 pounds of equipment to burst from the mouth of the mountain. But no—it’s the crest of the Rift Valley. My plan is to get to cloud- rain! F^%&$%g S^&%t! A thunderstorm at 2a.m.!! I base and connect enough thermals to reach the base pack my wing and mattress as hyenas howl nearby. To July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

escape the torrential downpour, I climb into a tree and carve out a place to sit among the thorns. I spend a humble night in my tree, knife in hand, feeling like a character in some kind of prehistoric war movie.

t dawn, I quickly abandon the idea of climbing the volcano, and take advantage of a thermal to continue south. But the sky decides otherwise and quickly returns me to earth in the direction of the distant and extinct Kerimasi Volcano. On foot once again, I meet giraffes; after seven miles of walking, I pass into the downwind fallout of the volcano. Ash is everywhere, my eyes are burning, the vegetation is black, and minutes later, so are my feet. Six hours (of walking) later, I cross paths with over 200 gnu and 50 zebra, the herds scattering upon my arrival. I am devastated, flightless, foot-blackened and unbearably thirsty, but I am exhilarated to experience such a rare moment in the wil-

derness. Finally, I arrive at a road and wave down a car full of tourists. They offer me a liter of incredibly cool water, which restores and revives me. After another night of rain, I grow pessimistic and forgo the idea of flying to Keramasi Volcano. I will walk 14 miles to Engaruka instead. By noon the sky is strewn with cumulus, and I grumble to myself. Four miles from the next village, I try the magic sentence: “Aaho monouu osikria the napiéé olé bégi laï ?” on some local women. They offer me some goat’s milk and a place in the shade while we wait for the donkey; then they propose that they take turns carrying my bag to town. Being a non-chauvinist, I accept, thankful for the help and the company on the road. The next day, rested and well fed, I feel the pull of the sky. A 600-foot hillock beckons, and two hours of walking later, I’m at a likely takeoff with an unlikely wind that’s blowing in the wrong direction. Luckless,

“I spend a humble night in my tree, knife in hand, feeling like a character in some kind of prehistoric war movie.”

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TANZANIA I continue south and find a more promising launch. Zebras watch my passing as a cow might watch a train, and I hack out a launch with my machete. A bird-ofprey climbs in front of my new launch, and I believe I can fly. But twenty minutes later, I’m in the dirt again, with dead-calm air and no cumulus clouds. Storks have to beat their wings to maintain their altitude as they fly past. I walk again, until a pickup truck pulls up beside me, driven by one of David’s friends, a Masai guide. They hoist me into the truck, ending my vol bivouac adventure. After having walked more than 60 miles in four days, the landscape screams by as if through the windows of the TGV high-speed train. Although I had only a few short flights here, I have lived through some incredible moments in the Rift Valley! I remain convinced that a 200-mile bivouac flight is possible in this part of the Rift Valley. Who will it be? www.kailashadventure.com

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July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding â&#x20AC;&#x201C; www.USHPA .aero

Photos by Jeff O'Brien

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The

OLD F Pilot and the

or a time the old pilot dreams of the young eagles, then snaps back to the moment. He pulls on the VG, and the creak of the frame is good. The glider answers with a flatter glide. It is a good answer and his course stays true the side pocket of his harness. and level the way only a good course can These memories of his days as stay true and level. a young bold Rogallito fight He looks at the blue sky that is the with his need to focus on finding the color of a robin’s egg. It reminds him of the next thermal. He pulls the scratched and broken shell next to the red-breasted mother dusty gray-green Raybans out of the tatbird he shot with the BB gun as a boy in the tered velcro harness pocket. The velcro is Varadero Beach palms, when the sun was so so full of burrs and dried grass that it hardly bright on the hot white sand it burned his sticks any more. Ah, velcrita señorita , he eyes. thinks, you are worn out like the old whores He cried after the killing of that little of Malaguey province. bird with the cute yet cruel yellow beak. It’s The Raybanitos will make me and the memory still lives in his heart. Ay, caramba! sun like brothers, he thinks, instead of like To kill a flying creature. Muy malo, Viejo soldiers facing each other across a muddy Piloto. trench stinking with the foul smell of caca He calls himself Viejo Piloto, old pilot. and canned horsemeat. Once it was Seduzco Piloto, pilot seducer of He remembers when he was a young women. No longer. He is old, true. But he cadet at the Academia del Aire near Habana. still attacks thermals with calm confidence When they sang the Speck Out Song, and in the same way the matador, flicking the learned to fly on tow behind the olivered cape with the floral design embroidered drab, fabric-covered Antonov biplanes from by his mother or sister, the cape that hides Russia. the long, thin silver blade beneath, works It makes him smile to remember how the bull. they called on the young señoritas at the Ay, ese diablo el sol! That devil sun will nearby nursing college by night. Those were someday make black holes in my retinas, strong days and true, the good days of youth, he thinks, climbing slowly in the thermal. testosterone and much barfing from tequila That would feel like death sitting down for and beer. Days when dreams of breaking a meal of Menudo and tequila inside me. A the hang glider XC record and seducing the pilot, he thinks, must have his eyes. Si, si, old but surprisingly nimble whores at the caramba! flight park had been everything. Everything For what worth is a piloto to the world a piloto joven, a young pilot, could possibly without vision? he asks himself, but he does want. not answer. There are some things a man Now, working El Ducko, the dirty-white must not answer to himself, and this is one Attack Duck that is like an old sheet flapof them. Sometimes a man must not even ping in the wind, the turbulence of a new question himself. This is not one of those thermal invites him in and demands every times. ounce of deft touch and sudden strength Mi Cabeza, he thinks. My head, she from his strong hands with their flaky hurts. brown but benign carcinomas that watch His sun-browned, gnarled hand feels for him like cooked chick peas in a bowl.

SKY

by JAMESLAWRENCE

I am no longer that young lion, he thinks. But I will show this new generation of pilotos jóvenes estúpidos with their GPS pods that cost more than a month of aerial tows to altitude. Ay, these pilotos with their girlie speed sleeves and tear-drop helmets and potato-sack harnesses, si si, I will find the big thermal before they do once again. I will race before the wind, and the record will be mine. Then they will sing songs at the campfire long into the night, songs of my young eagle’s heart, and I will dream of my triumph to the end of my days. Every day for the last 87 days he has left the other pilotos and pilotas to their Atos, T2, and Litespeed wings to search alone in El Ducko for the cloud street that will take him further than any Hombre del Flexo has ever flown. He feels that cloud street in his loins, though he cannot see it yet. The loins cannot see anyway, he thinks, which is why they get their hombres and señoritas in so much trouble. The grande thermal that will take him to that cloud street is waiting somewhere for him. Maybe it is this one, maybe not. Wherever it is, he can sense it, hungry to tear him to pieces and devour him. But he will ride it to a place of great honor in the soaring village. It will be a good ride, the best ride there is because it is a ride to the heart of life itself. Not for three months has he caught so much as 100 feet per minute of climb. It has been a bad run. Why should today be any different? His mood darkens like the color of mole’ sauce. Ay! How long since his last good sky meal? Perhaps

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the gods of flight are angry with him. The other pilotos and pilotas now shun him, too, afraid to breathe in his bad luck. One of them who was as puffed up as an eagle with a rabbit in its talons, yelled at him, “You suck, viejo. Old people suck!” after he tried and tried but failed to kick the sack called hackie with his bare feet. He nearly challenged that foolish pilot to a speed glide to the death over the black lava hills for that. Instead, he turned and walked proudly away, just as the matador turns his back on the snorting stupid bull and walks away, wondering if El Toro will stick him in the cojones with his wicked horns. No, these young pilots do not respect their viejos. Only the boy Hang Gliding Instructor from Kitty Hawk Kites knows respect. Only that boy looks straight and true into the eyes of the old pilot. Only he sees the strength and courage that still live there and honors him for who he is as a man and as a pilot. The respect feels good, like aged tequila coursing warm through the hundreds or perhaps even thousands of miles of blood vessels that are the highways and byways and neighborhood streets and cul de sacs of the human venous system. Ay, I need a woman. My brain has the Revenge of Montezuma. As he works the weak thermal ever higher, the old pilot wishes now for the company of the boy Hang Gliding Instructor from Kitty Hawk. It would make him feel not so alone. When you are old, you must be alone, he thinks. With the boy Hang Gliding Instructor, he does not feel alone. But El Ducko only carries piloto uno. Such are the ways of XC pilots in this world, he thinks. We fly and we are alone. Caramba. It must be so. But why? “Viejo Piloto,” said the boy Hang Gliding Instructor, as he handed him the savagely bitter vending machine coffee and chocolate Hostess cupcake that was dark and soft and yielding and full of creamy treats like the negrita’s swelling breast to her hungry

infant, “I remember when I was young and you taught me to soar in the El Señor Schweizer 2-33. I remember the bumping of the thermals and the sweat like liquid fear upon my forehead. Mamasita! Oh yes I remember it, Viejo.” “I remember the reek of the barf in the cockpit, and my longing to be home with my head inside the miraculous flushable toilet. Si, si! And I recall the pencil that rolled around on the cockpit floor, like one who has drunk too much of the Mai Tais on the night of the Pilotos Prom. It is the strong drink that prevents him from being a man later with the frisky señorita who wraps her quivering thighs around his quivering thighs, and he shames his ancestors.” “Manolito,” the old pilot has said, “that is how you invited that evil bastard Señor Vertigo to fly with us. Looking for pencils on cockpit floors during the test of your cojones during a soaring flight is never a good thing, as I have said many times.” “Yes, a muy malo thing, this Señor Vertigo,” said the boy Hang Gliding

Instructor. “It is the way,” the old man said simply. “It is the life. But Mano, you conquered the malo señor Barforito. You kicked him right in the old garbanzos, eh? Muy fantastico!” “Thanks to you, Piloto Viejo. You placed your strong yet knobby pilot’s hand on mine and helped me be a man. I carry that in my heart always.”

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

It is the way of fathers with sons, the old pilot thinks with pride. He wishes the boy Hang Gliding Instructor was his son. Searching for the big lift in the sky is all that matters, he thinks, but in the ways of men who have tasted combat, learning, and women together, I am his father and he is... Ay. Finito, viejo pilot, concentrato! A stronger bump lifts the left wing of El Ducko. He pulls the bar over with the delicate touch of a lover upon the silky inner thigh of a new conquest and the old glider adverse yaws, creaks with great reluctance, then begins to circle back toward the lift. I must not let the thermal know I am here, he thinks. I must plunder its maidenhead delicately, so that it cannot tell I am riding it higher until I am deep in its core and climbing, Ay!, climbing for the glory of altitude! Another bump comes then, as strong as a right uppercut to the chin. It lifts and tosses the nose of the glider like an arrogant young bull goring a novice matador, so powerfully that the old pilot must quickly pull forward to keep from whipstalling. This is some thermal! This is a very big thermal! But you are not playing with a novice today, thermal, he thinks. You will not send me back into the sinking air today. Ay no! I swear on my father’s memory; you will not send me back to earth so easily... The thermal tells him with its hard pounding fists that it is a male. Like a young caballo, a young stallion! He can tell in the confident way it jerks at the wing. It’s like a man at the cantina table of a young señorita with friendly, moveable breasts who acts like she has no desire to dance with him. Then he smiles and cocks his head in a good and true way and will not go away, and still she says no. And then he stands there and looks deeply into her eyes and smiles the smile of the man with bolas del acero, and she breaks and yields to him and dances and laughs with abandon on the wine-soaked, dirty floor as if he has hacked the code to Microsoft. The old pilot does not know what hack 43

the code or Microsoft mean. He has heard the sniveling young pilots say it. He thinks it has something to do with parking meters or small pillows but he is not sure and it makes no sense anyway. A man must not say things that do not make sense to him, he thinks, or he becomes el Wimpo. I must conquer you, thermal, he thinks, like I did La Pilota Lebesian. He took on the large, strong black woman who was the champion. Their battle went on for 36 hours straight in the Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Old Santa Barbara, California. It was an epic battle. Si. Épica. Locked in combat at the table, surrounded by friends and foes of each, who jeered and called for victory with breath that reeked of old Cuban cigars and flat Dos Equis and coconut margaritas, neither Piloto Viejo nor La Pilota Lebesian could budge the other’s arm. They insulted each other, cursed each other, and in the way of men and women, even sucked face for a time to ease the boredom. But the grip and the struggle was the struggle of titans and was not to be broken. They ate bread and drank Bailey’s Irish Cream together with their free hands. They even spoke of shopping trips to La Mall and of the boring joy of old Have Gun - Will Travel episodes. Near the end, she had to go to el baño so desperately she wet her flight suit. But still she would not yield. Ay ay, he remembers thinking. The Force is indeed magnifica in this one. In time, the old pilot found the winning strategy. He told the old joke about monkeys flying standard rogallos. Her eyes first went wide with the effort to suppress a giggle. When the guffaw came like an explosion, he quickly pinned her hand to the red-hot rock that waited on either side of the table and she screamed in pain and fell to the floor, weeping in shame at how he outsmarted and defeated her, and it was a good win and true. The Conquista de la Lebesiana, they called it forever after, and it made him famous throughout the eastern side of the island. The crowd lifted him in triumph to their shoulders and carried him out into the square with shouts of pride and respect. He was the only man to ever pin the arm of La Pilota Lebesiana and that was a good thing. Maybe it was the best thing for a man in the flying village until right now, when the biggest thermal perhaps he has ever felt is about to take him on the most magnificent ride a Piloto can have, at least when there are no women looking for a man who knows the secrets of love. At last, I will show them! he thinks as the thermal shakes El Ducko like a toy and throws them skyward. I will show these young arrogant ones who is the greatest piloto of them all. If, he thinks, I survive this mad young caballo of a thermal. Si! This is one mighty Caballo, this one! ...to be continued. James is on the road most of the year, shooting and writing for aviation publications. He can be contacted at skypix@taconic.net 44

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

GRINGOS GRAB GOLD 2008 Monarca Paragliding Open & Paragliding Pre-Worlds Competition by ROBSPORRER photos by DEANSTRATTON

’m not one to brag—but I am going to brag big here about my team pilots, and the rest of the Americans who flew so well in the Monarca Open and the 2008 Paragliding Pre-Worlds in Valle de Bravo, Mexico– they deserve it! Before we went to the Pre-Worlds, Josh Cohn successfully spearheaded our attempt to persuade World Cup Champion Oliver Rossel to coach us during the Monarca Open, in hopes of giving us an advantage during the Pre-Worlds. Olly was amazing. We met in the evenings and debriefed the day’s task on Google Earth. At the Monarca Paragliding Open, all of the competitors chased Urban and Aljaz Valic throughout the week. Those boys from Slovenia were the number one and four FAI ranked-pilots going into the competitions in Mexico. They flew fast during the Open. But after six straight days of flying, the Americans—Eric Reed and Matt Beechinor— grabbed second and third spots on the podium along with our favorite Venezuelan, Michael Von Wachter (Mickey), to make it a Niviuk July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

} GRINGOS

Icepeak XP sweep. Eric Reed (The Badger) and Matt Beechinor (Farmer) earned their victories by consistently getting to goal as they raced along the course line.

guys who had finished on top represent us. I was the team organizer for the U.S. And there was more good news on the Pre-Worlds Team and didn’t relish the horizon. Under FAI’s old criteria, countries thought of having to choose which 25 were awarded a certain number of slots for American pilots would fly on the A, B, or pilots, depending on the nation's overall C team for the Pre-Worlds. I had helped rank. Since there are many more paraglidKevin Bernacki determine the line-ups for ing competitions in Europe and abroad the 2004 Pre-Worlds in Brazil and knew it each year than in the United States, foreign was difficult, so I requested the assistance countries and their pilots have always had of our most experienced American pilots an advantage in scoring well in the world in making the decisions. ranking and, consequently, in having more My prayers were answered when the or- team members eligible to compete in the ganization decided to name the top three Paragliding Worlds. The old scoring system finalists in the Monarca Open as the pilots allowed the top three scores on a task to who would represent our country in the count as the team result for the day for any Pre-Worlds. I was happy to avoid having given country. This was a disadvantage for to decide who would fly on each U.S. team countries like the United States who were and felt that it was a bonus to have all three allowed only four pilots on a team—three of the spots filled by my team’s pilots. Josh, males and one female—because of our low Eric, and Farmer had earned their places; it world ranking. Teams with seven pilots had seemed like the right decision to have the more chances for a good score. On smaller June 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

O ING GR

teams (like ours), ever yone needed to do well every day, while teams with many pilots could pick the top three scores for the day and throw away the rest. Under the new rules, all of the teams will be required to pick three pilots whose scores over the entire event will be used. This takes away the unfair advantage of a small U.S. team competing against larger foreign teams. We also will be able to boost our country’s ranking by having more U.S. pilots as FAI members participate in competitions all over the world. After the team’s triumph at Monarca, we had only two days of rest before flying for another six days in the Pre-Worlds. This constituted a “tour of duty” that had pilots pushing themselves to stay focused. The start gaggles were hectic. It was like being at a work party. You were obligated to be there, but instead of having to talk with someone who was driving you nuts, you were thermalling with a mad Romanian who was throwing hook turns and staring you down. It was imperative to stay focused and keep your cool until

the start opened. Once the armada made its move, there was often some pandemonium. Some of us kept up, and some of us bombed out, trying to keep up with the leaders. With the pool of talent at the Pre-Worlds, things were faster than they had ever been in Valle. Toward the end of the week, pilots were slapping themselves in the face after slamming a few Red Bulls to “get psyched” for the day of racing. In spite of the exhaustion everyone felt, three of our team members distinguished themselves. After six amazing valid tasks, Eric Reed, Matt Beechinor, and Josh Cohn clinched the gold for the USA. They picked their own lines and were always in the lead gaggle. Their ability to always end up in goal with a good time excelled them past a strong international contingent from paragliding powerhouses like France, Czech Republic, and Venezuela. Big Len Szafaryn “shot-gunned” too many Red Bulls before launch on task four. As Nate Scales and I waited on launch for them to sound the horn opening the window, Len hucked himself. Nate and I yelled at him to stop, but it was too late. Len had two minutes to top-land his comp wing, or he would have been zeroed for the day. He flew past launch too low to land and yelled “F%@&! ME!” He had only one shot at sticking it on his next pass. He pulled it off, and the crowd went nuts. They task committee sent us deeper than we have ever been in Valle. We heard some good landout stories. Eric Broyhill’s

condom catheter burst on him, and he landed-out soaked. He threw some pesos at some of the local boys to hold up his wet clothes to dry in the hot breeze and paid another group to keep the little girls a safe distance away since he was hanging out in the nude while waiting. The last thing a pilot wants is a member of the “machete mafia” finding him naked in a field with his daughter. A very detailed breakdown of all the tasks for both the Monarca Open and the Pre-Worlds can be found on my www.paragliding.com website, so I won’t provide any task details here. A few notable performances from both weeks of competing that do not appear on my website follow: Josh Cohn & Marty Devietti finished in seventh and eigth place, respectively, at the Monarca Open, and were racing

the world at the 2008 Pa r a g l i d i n g Pre-worlds in Valle De Bravo, Mexico, is historic for American paragliding! I want to thank everyone who sent me emails on how much they enjoyed my reporting of these two competitions. You kept me going when I was barely awake, finishing my daily digest. I will try well all week. to report on all the U.S. competitions this Hayden Glatte was also in season, and you can be sure I will be getthe money all week at the Monarca, and ting the news out on the wire at the Worlds might have found himself on the podium in 2009. if he hadn’t missed goal one day. John Van Our U.S. pilots are getting better every Duzer finished 24th overall in the Monarca season. We surprised some people by on his DHV 2-3 wing and found his own winning the gold at the Prelines that worked well all week long. Worlds, and I expect we Josh Cohn, Matt Beechinor, and Eric will continue to imReed represented at the Pre-Worlds by win- press when we get ning the team gold medal for the United our podium States. This was a huge achievement. It time in was thrilling to see these guys step onto the 2 0 0 9 ! top of the podium after a week of worldclass racing! Josh Cohn and Brad Gunnuscio finished a very respectable fourth and fifth overall in the Pre-Worlds. Matt Beechinor, Hayden Glatte, and Jack Brown all finished in the top 20 and flew well consistently. The organizers of this event do an exceptional job every year. They think of all the details that make it easy for the pilots to focus on racing. Their positive energy and care brings out the best in every pilot. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for this gift. I proud of my guys and their accomplishments of winning the gold at what is really the Paragliding Olympics. My guys won’t be on the new Wheaties box, but their accomplishment in beating some of the best in

GRINGO

Photo by Thia Konig

July May 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

ERIC REED [GRINGO] Eric Reed took second at the Monarca Open, and helped the US win the team competition at Pre-Worlds. Josh Cohn caught up with him recently at a Northern California league meet.

Congratulations on the good results this year in Valle! How is the new glider treating you?  Thanks! It was fun to have a chance to show the world that Americans actually do know how to fly pretty well. The Icepeak XP is awesome. It goes really well. She doesn’t always listen to me in the thermals but whatever she does instead seems to work out pretty good. When and why did you start paragliding?  1996. A paragliding video I saw at a local climbing shop hooked me -- gliders playing in the dunes. I knew if it was possible to fly like that, I would. Of course I had flying dreams as a kid and sometimes as an adult and they’re all pretty treasured memories. I’m sure that fed into that instant obviousness. The video might have been “Flamenco Dune”. What is the recipe for the ultimate cocktail?  Go to the Rat Race and sit around. Eventually Steve Forslund will hand you something really good. Or the Northern California league, same thing works. Steve hasn’t joined us yet, but Patrick Hajek never comes unprepared. When and why did you start competing?  My first comp was Wings Over Aspen in 1998 – a few months after I’d done my first cross country flight. Dave Bridges turned me onto the idea. I’d done two paragliding tours earlier that year with him. We were lucky with weather in France and got something like 12 days flying out of 14 and most of those were just going XC with Dave. I learned a lot. What is your nickname and where did it come from?  What, the badger? “Pound for pound the meanest animal on the planet.” Doesn’t that pretty much describe my personality? Just don’t wake me up too early and nobody gets hurt. Have you found any parallels or useful physical or mental training from other sports?  I climbed a lot before I got into paragliding. It’s a pretty good background to come to the sport from. A lot of the top US pilots over the years have come from there. But being a climber can be a liability too, especially starting out. How so?  What you need to do with your fear is really different between the two sports. With climbing your body will always remind you of the danger you’re in. You feel it physically. Most paragliding dangers don’t really get you in your gut. If you figure we land animals spent the last couple of hundred thousand years evolving and tuning that fear response to vertical danger, there probably wasn’t a whole lot of floating around two thousand feet above the ground being factored in. Climbers have to deal with too much physiological fear, so they get good at controlling and powering through it. But that’s usually not the way you want to handle fear you might feel as a pilot, so you have a little re-learning to do. And the advantage?  Well, one of them is that you work much harder for your altitude in climbing. Go thrash your way up a polished Yosemite offwidth and then come complain about how hard you had to work to climb your way out of somewhere on a paraglider. All climbing on a paraglider is a giddy kind of cheating. What are your strengths in XC flying and competitions?  I’m pretty good at sniffing out lift when it’s nearby and hanging on when necessary. That might be the other place where the badger comes out. Also I know how to change batteries, make cell phone calls, barfing without getting anything on my gear, repair lines, cook spaghetti, and file for an extension on my taxes, all without losing the core. July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Mosquito Power Harness

Pilot: Paul Farina Photo: Greg Dewenter

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New tank pictured above

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www.mosquitoamerica.com Traverse City Hang Gliders/Paragliders Bill Fifer • Traverse City, MI

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GIVING BACK by NICKGREECE

We come, we fly, we party and we leave. But it needn’t be that way. Nick Greece looks at three cases where pilots have given back to those who host them.

ringos just come around here pushing their weight around and I’m sick of it,” exclaimed a serious local proprietor at the increasingly popular El Penon launch in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Like a cry in the night my sensitive ‘gringo’ psyche reacted to this declaration with a mixture of emotions, ranging from guilt and confusion, to anger and indignation. Surely any developing area would whole-heartedly welcome the respectable influx that capital-laden flight fanatics bring to the table. However, as in any socio-cultural exchange it is critical for insight to be guided by effective communication with the indigenous peoples to minimise the negative effects of growing tourist numbers and maximise the overall satisfaction of the entire community that our activities affect. Communities are certainly affected by tourist revenue streams from the free flight community. Hotels are filled, restaurants are loudly taken over with tales of turning left and right and transportation companies prosper. Sometimes though, a more pinpointed donation plan can go a long way to help an individual in a community or a segment of a community. Even though the flying community in the area may be fed up with the hordes of visiting pilots, it is easy to forget the overall good that thoughtful guests can do. While researching this feature three examples of pilot-community interactions

resultant in real change seemed particularly outstanding. Michael Andrews, an ex-BBC wildlife director turned pilot, was moved by a chance meeting with a waitress on a bus coming back from an XC flight in Brazil and chose to focus his resources on changing the life of a single family. The Torrey Pines Free Flight Association and the staff at the Torrey Pines Gliderport annually reach out to aid a community in Baja, Mexico. Their interchange ebbs and flows with the needs of the community which they visit regularly for flying clinics and weekend escapes. And finally, Ozone has set the moral standard for manufacturers by enabling a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana to build a school for deaf children.

A HOUSE ON PARADISE HILL Mike Andrews

n January 2003 I was filming in the Ethiopian highlands during a drought. The harvest failure and ensuing famine was quite possibly caused by global warming and ultimately by my own excessive consumer lifestyle. I was in a mud hut while the family cooked their last handful of grain. The parents were too old to work and their only son could not. He had wrecked his shoulder carrying a load of firewood to sell in town. The elder daughter was lying on the floor covered completely by a blanket, dying for want of food and medicines. The nearest water was a five-hour walk away. I was trying to help the whole village by reporting their plight to the outside world, but for that one family, I

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

argued to myself, I could do nothing. Help one family and I would have to help all them all. Many are the times that I deeply regret turning my back and walking away. The year before, I had been flying in Governador Valadares with a group pilots from the Avon Club in the UK. We enjoyed modest XCs, the capirinhas, the lively nightlife. One day I landed beyond the outskirts of Villa Isa, a desperately poor suburb notorious for the fact that pilots had been robbed after landing there. I was relaxed because I spoke some Portuguese, and I was soon on a bus heading back to town. A pretty young woman got on at a later stop and I started, as one does, to chat to her. It was only on the last evening of our trip that I discovered she was a waitress at the bar where my fellow Avon pilots drank after landing by the town. She spoke not a word of English, but the Avon pilots had come to like this smiling, helpful girl who was so full of life. That evening I had an extra beer and talked to her. She refused my offer of a drink. Let’s call her Josephine. She was 28, almost the same age as my own daughter, but she already had two daughters of 10 and 12. Their father had walked out, leaving Josephine to bring them up on what she could earn in the bar. I liked Jo and I gave her a present for her children. My story about Jo might have ended had it not been for three cows. I was back the next year in Valadares, travelling on my own with a new wing with long brake-travel. As I came in to land, three cows wandered into my path at the last moment. I had to turn

“I was luckier than the man next in line after me, his X-ray clearly showed two bullets in his abdomen." -Mike Andrews

hard as I flared and my outstretched arm hit the ground with force. Kind Rubinho Barroso, the chairman of the local PG club, drove me to an X-ray clinic with my wrist in an interesting new shape – it was a collis fracture. I was luckier than the man next in line after me, his X-ray clearly showed two bullets in his abdomen. With my arm in plaster I had time on my hands so I gave Jo a call. No, she could not come to see me in town, I finally made out. She was ill. She spelt out her address and I took a hair-raising moto-taxi through Villa Isa and up to the very top of the morro called El Paraiso – Paradise Hill. The address was a shack, walls of flattened tin and disintegrating plywood and cardboard and a roof of corrugated iron that leaked. This, I learned later, had been built by Jo herself from her meagre earnings in the bar. When I saw her I hardly recognised her, she was sitting lop-sided on a bed looking so gaunt that I at once thought she must have AIDS. I was wrong. Jo had toxoplasmosis, a disease of cats and dogs usually caught through eating poorly cooked meat or, often in Brazil, through drinking water. Usually it causes no symptoms in humans, but in Jo’s case it had given her encephalitis and the equivalent of a stroke. She couldn’t use her right forearm and hand, nor walk properly. She had sold most of what she owned - even her fridge and cooker to pay for medicines. I wondered how long it would be

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

before her daughters would be working the streets. This time I was not going to turn my back. She desperately needed money, we had money to spare. It was as simple as that. From that afternoon I and my wife began to support Jo and her two charming daughters. The very first thing that she bought with our money was an old TV set. An odd choice, it seemed, until I remembered that Jo’s life was confined to sitting on a bed without even being able to see out of a window. She cried when I left to fly home. A few months later I had a letter from Jo asking whether she could borrow money from us to build a house. “That’s what you get if you chat up pretty girls,” I said to myself. I knew that the chances of her ever being able to repay a loan were zero, but my mother had once counselled me, “Never lend money, give it. If you give it you will always have it.” I put out an appeal to members of the club who had met Jo. I got a generous response and the following February saw me back in GV with Rubinho Barroso sorting out the land ownership. Another Brazilian engineer pilot, Ricardo, was helping me to draw up plans. Jo’s health had improved dramatically with proper medication. She was now able to walk and take the bus and could cook with one hand. Her daughters were doing well at school. It was then that reality kicked in. I was hoping to manage a building project in Brazil, South America from Bristol, UK, 52

and expecting a young, poor, handicapped woman to deal with builders who would try to rip her off. Jo had even been cheated out of her wages by the bar owner. It wasn’t going to work. There was only one other choice—to buy her a house—so that’s what we did. It took a year and a half of payments by instalments and cost a lot more, but we made it. It was impossible to send money through the banks—far too expensive and cumbersome. I put large dollar bills in the registered post, with envelopes sealed with Sellotape so they could not be opened. Amazingly, so far, all 45 have arrived in three years. Jo’s daughter writes for her every single month and they are all extremely grateful. Jo told me that she never believed a man could be trusted before and that God put me in her path. I replied that rather than thanking me, thank all the other pilots and God. I thought of my broken wrist and the three cows. Last February, Jo asked if I would help her turn her house into a snack-bar. Knowing that we were involved with her family for the long haul, this seemed a sensible proposal to get her an alternative income. She was now getting a state disability pension of about 200 dollars a month—less than two dollars a day for each of them, yet something. But then another cruel blow fell. Jo caught pneumonia so badly that she nearly died, and the paralysis worsened to the point that she was bed-ridden and could barely speak. I spoke to her daughter on the phone yesterday (the younger one, now 15, who I begin to feel I have adopted). She said her mother was getting better. But there is no

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Hollywood happy ending to real-life stories like this. Life is not a stroll across a sunlit meadow.

GOOD ACTIONS Nick Greece

ne of the most popular flying sites in Baja California is La Mission’s La Salina Ridge. It’s a mere 45-minute drive, located just 44 miles from the US-Mexico border. The popular site is home to a 4-mile long westerly-facing ridge that overlooks a classic dry Baja, California chaparral pasture recessed a kilometre and a half from the Pacific Ocean. At one end of the ridge is a small lagoon, which in the early days would fill with ocean water and drain during the low tides leaving a dry, salty residue on the ground— hence the name La Salina, loosely meaning ‘where there is salt’. For the past 25 years the ridge has hosted superb year-round thermals and coastal ridge soaring for hang gliders and paragliders. La Mission, the village that governs the land and land owners of La Salina, has always allowed pilots to use the site without charge or restrictions. During the mid-1990s two out-of-town paraglider pilots were seriously injured at the site. The injured pilots had to be medically transported from the site back to the United States. In each case an ambulance from the neighbouring City of Ensenada was called to perform the emergency evacuation. The operation proved to be time-consuming and for one pilot the delay almost resulted in exacerbating the initial injury.

“Bringing the village into the computer age has been an amazing accomplishment.”

The Torrey Pines Gliderport staff and some of the regular users of the site, along with the input of the village, decided that La Mission needed to have its own ambulance so victims of any future accidents could be promptly and successfully aided and transported back to the United States. A used ambulance was acquired, renovated and fully equipped by the local pilots and the Torrey Pines staff and donated to La Mission. For several years pilots hosted numerous fund-raising drives to provide means to better equip the La Mission medical centre. Torrey Pines Pilot Association (TPPA) started a new project in 2000 to supply the La Mission medical centre, police department, administration and several small schools in the area with computers. Over the years, thanks to local businesses and pilots dropping off computers and miscellaneous electronic equipment at the Torrey Pines Gliderport, over 100 computers have been placed in the gracious hands of the La Mission community. Bringing the village into the computer age has been an amazing accomplishment. The TPPA has participated in such a significant amount of goodwill that as a result the entire town of La Mission happily welcomes pilots. Last year another neighbouring village invited the Torrey Pines Gliderport staff to examine it as a potential flying site. So it seems that the word has gotten out amongst some of the local communities of what an asset visit-

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

-Nick Greece

vultures in the steady lift. Locals sang and chanted ing pilots can be. “There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that, in an outdoor church at the base of a cliff in the trees, in some small way, the pilots are helping to improve the and of the 500 people to greet us in the landing zone, quality of life within this small community,” remarks 500 of them were smiling. There is poverty, and there is wealth. One of the David Jebb, operator of Torrey Pines Gliderport. things that stands out in underdeveloped countries are If you would like to become involved in helping the glossy new SUVs charging down the poorly mainto support the La Salina site and the associated viltained roads, parting crowds of foot traffic. In Ghana, lage of La Mission you may contact the Torrey Pines and elsewhere, more than a few of these expensive cars Gliderport at: info@flytorrey.com are owned by people who set up ‘charitable organisations’ which collect from wealthier nations and then BUILDING STRONGER TIES Matt Gerdes forget to redistribute all (or any) of the gifts to the people of Ghana. Of course, not all organisations are zone recently began what shouldn’t be a novel corrupt, but it made us think carefully about how exidea, which is to give back a little extra to the actly to help the locals. disadvantaged locals of some of our favourite Donations have value to the giving and the receivflying sites. With the help of local charity coordinaing party, and the value to the giving party can also tors, Ozone has taken the term ‘be kind to the locals’ be determined subjectively. We wanted our donation to a new level, with charitable donations going directly to go as far as possible, not be lost, and hopefully to the people who need them most. do some lasting good. To us, it is more than just an We’ve now been to Ghana twice for the Ghana amount of money and our opportunity came when we Paragliding Festival, which is organised by the minmet Sabrina Krewin of the Peace Corps. istry of tourism and is meant to create a paragliding She was managing a project to build a new schooltourist destination for European and North American house for the Savelugu School for the Deaf, where she pilots. In theory it’s a good idea. Time will tell if the was volunteering. Because of Ms Krewin’s constant efsite will catch on and become considered worthy of forts, we knew that the donation would go as far as the flight. possible and would work. Ozone’s donation boosted One thing is certain: Ghana is a wonthe money raised by Ms Krewin and the schoolhouse derful country to visit. It is pure Africa, was completed on August 31, 2007, exactly on schedfeaturing the best of what we love to ule. associate with the continent: amazing Ozone is planning to do more in the future for wildlife; canopy forests surrounding the countries that we visit. We love adventure flying, Lake Volta in the south; a horizon that and we love wild landscapes. Part of our mission as a blends sky and earth in the dry Veld-like expanses of the north. Where we flew company is to create tools for pilots to enjoy the most in Nkawkaw, the sounds of the forest amazing parts of the planet, and we plan to help prewafted upwards on the gentle humid serve the landscape and support the people of these thermals and we turned with massive regions as much as possible.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

“Donations have value to the giving and the receiving party.”

-Matt Gerdes

THE RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER Nick Greece

Governments, business and communi- 3) Consider the impact of a tourism ties must do all they can, but as a guest operation. It should be viable and longyou can actively participate in conscious term and benefit local stakeholders fairly. ravel and tourism should be planned tourism to make a difference. According Stability and social support should conand practised as a means of individual and collective fulfilment. When to the United Nations Environment tribute to the alleviation of poverty. practised with an open mind, it is an ir- Programme webpage there are three main Cooperation can be the most effective replaceable factor of self-education for interconnected factors to keep in mind tactic. It is very hard to establish even learning about mutual tolerance and the when discussing sustainable tourism. one-to-one help without knowledge of a legitimate differences between peoples common language, involvement of the and cultures. 1) Make the most of environmental relocal community When sites are promoted too rapidly sources that are key to the development of without good management, local in- tourism in an area. Don’t threaten the bal- and time. It is often volvement or a sound understanding of ance of local ecology by your actions; help better for groups of the locality, tourism is barely sustainable. conserve natural heritage and biodiversity. pilots to get together and work through After a visit to Valle de Bravo, Mexico it 2) Respect host communities. You are there local established orseems a need to investigate sustainable ganisations. to have fun, but this is their home, their tourism might be appropriate. Here the heavy influx of flying tourists is creating culture and their way of life. Support the a serious strain on relations between the conservation of their built and living cul"Giving Back" first appeared in Cross local flying community and the commu- tural heritage, allow them to uphold their Country Magazine. nity which owns the launch and landing. traditional values. Your behaviour can Everyone has a role to play creat- make a positive contribution to their ining responsible travel and tourism. ter-cultural understanding and tolerance.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

BRAZILBRAZILBRAZILBRAZILBRA GALLERY | MICKY VON WACHTER

AZILBRAZILBRAZILBRAZILBRAZIL NADER COURI

| GALLERY

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July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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 Michael Von Wachter went to compete in Brazil at the Pan American Championships in Castelo. After winning the Monarca Open, he was set to race fast here. He ended up taking third!

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

AZILBRAZILBRAZILBRAZILBRAZIL

 Of all the sports I have tried, and there have been many, hang gliding is definitely the one that has brought me the most wonderful moments. When I first began, I found it difficult to tell other people the way I felt about flying. During my very first flights, I realized that hang gliding provided the most beautiful views I had ever seen. I always thought that if I could translate this emotion into words, everyone would start to fly. We’re all familiar with the proverb: “A picture is worth a thousand words”; this is so true in flight, where a picture tells all! That’s how I started to record these unforgettable moments, especially in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil—a place that looks like a picture post-card. My photographic recordings improved when I bought professional equipment, at which time I took a great picture for the cover of the documentary—“Asas Um Sonho Carioca,” (Wings: A Rio de Janeiro Dream)—that I produced. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop. I always carry my camera, looking for the best pictures and, eventually, hope to produce a hang gliding book, complete with pictures. For sure, I will never be out of material. Motivated by my friends, I’ve created two websites so I can share these special moments with others.

www.nadercouri.com www.asasumsonhocarioca.com

CALENDAR Calendar 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, see our Calendar of Events at: www.USHPA.aero

October 31- November 2  Puebla, Mexico. Vuela Puebla 2008, Paragliding and Hang Gliding Open Championship. FAI/CIVL Category 2 Events. Competitions will occur at same time at two different launches. Great flying, and cool colonial city. 75$ entry fee. More information: www.vuelapuebla.com.

Sanctioned competition

Fly-Ins

HG PG June 29-July 4  Chelan, Washington. Chelan XC Classic, cross-country flying for hang gliders and paragliders. Score is best 4 out of 6 days. Registration $80 until April 30, $100 after, or come for part of the week and pay $25/day. Includes T-shirt and barbecue. Best 4 out of 6 days. More information: cloudbase.org.

HG July 3-6  Lakeview, Oregon. Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free Flight. Hang glider and paraglider pilots will compete for cash prizes and a chance to catch the thermals that rise over the high desert. This year’s festival includes a flour bomb drop, as well as a pig roast for pilots and their families. Cash prizes for the hang glider trophy dash from Sugar Hill to Lakeview, and spot landing for both hang gliders and paragliders. Paraglider pilots compete to accumulate the most air miles during the contest. More information at www.lakecountychamber.org.

PG July 6-12  Woodrat Mt., Ruch, Oregon. Paragliding Rat Race. Registration opens February 15, $395 before April 15, $450 after. Introduction to competition with education and training in GPS use and competition strategies, mentoring program, evening classroom discussions, much more. Additional information: mphsports.com. PG July 28-August 2  Chelan, Washington. Chelan Paragliding XC Open. Registration opens March 15, $285 by June 26, $325 after. More information: chelanXCopen.com. HG

August 2-9  Big Spring, Texas. Big Spring International. Registration opens April 15th. Entry fee is $325, late fees TBD. More information: www.flytec.com. HG

August 17-23  Lakeview, Oregon. Hang-on Hang Gliding Nationals. Registration opens March 15, $295. More information: mphsports.com. PG

September 14-20  Bishop, California. Owens Valley US Paragliding Nationals. Registration opens April 1. Contact: Kevin and Kristen Biernaki. More information: www.2008USParaglidingNationals.com. Competition HG PG June 29-July 4  Chelan Wahington. The Chelan Cross Country Classic. Hang gliding and paragliding distance races. More info: http://cloudbase.org/Events/ChelanClassic/tabid/65/Default.aspx PG July 19-20, August 9-10, September 6-7, October 4-6  Dunlap, Potato Hill and Owens Valley, California. 2008 Northern California XC League. $10/ task for pre-registered pilots. Prizes awarded on Saturday nights. For more information email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com, or go to www.santacruzparagliding.com. HG

July 14-19  King Mt., Idaho. 2008 King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships, in Idaho’s Lost River Range, near Arco and Moore. Open, recreation, and team classes, driver awards, raffle, trophies and more! Collectors-edition shirts designed by Dan Gravage! Free camping, BBQ’s, prizes, and tons o’ fun...PLUS some of the best XC flying the sport has to offer! For more information and registration forms, go to www.flykingmountain.com or contact Lisa Tate, (208) 376-7914, lisa@soaringdreamsart.com. HG PG

July 27- August 2  Boone, North Carolina. 3rd Annual Tater Hill Open. XC and Race for paragliders and low performance hang gliders w/ concentration on new XC pilots. Registration opens April 1, $175 until August 1. Per day rate for weekend only. More info: www.flytaterhill.com or contact Bubba Goodman at 828-7739433. HG September 28 - October 4  Dunlap, Tennessee. The 2008 Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge. Pilot check-in and registration starts Saturday September 27. Competition strategies with a focus on mentoring, and fun. More information: treetoppers.net.

HG PG

PG July 25-27  Millerton, New York. Summer Fly-In and Superfly Demo Days at Brace Mountain, New York with Chris Santacroce and Let's Go Paragliding, LLC. Come and enjoy fun competitions, prizes, BBQ and test fly latest harnesses and gliders from Gin, Advance and Nova. Directions to Brace Mountain: www.thebraceclub. com. For more information contact: benoit@letsgoparagliding.com. HG PG July 25-27  Leakey Texas. 2008 Texas Open - Recreational Encampment. Real County Airport, 49R. Register upon arrival. Hang gliding: aero-tow provided by QuestWest. Paragliding: this site holds foot launch US record—162mi. Saturday evening party. More info: 830-486-8031, or txhitime@yahoo.com. PG July 26  Tiger Mtn., Seattle, Washington. Come enjoy flying, competing (spot landing, duration, fastest hike and fly, etc.), BBQ and music at the North West's premiere flying site sponsored by the North West Paraglidng Club. USHPA membership and P2 level required for registration. $50 gets you Fly-In T-Shirt, unlimited shuttle rides all day, BBQ lunch tickets for you and your guest and door prize ticket for a chance to win a bundle of great prizes. More information www.nwparagliding.com/ flyin or contact Amy Leonard Heim (253-350-2284), AmyKLeonard@Hotmail.co. PG August 30 - September 1  Bend, Oregon. 18th annual Pine Mt. Fly-In. Pine Mt. is located 25 miles East of Bend Oregon. Come enjoy free flying, good food, a huge raffle, live music and your fellow pilots. Demo gliders, free camping, reliable conditions and fun daily tasks. For more information go to www.desertairriders.org or Contact Wade Holmes at wade.holmes@gmail.com. HG September 25-28  Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lookout Mountain. 2008 Women’s Hang Gliding Festival. Join us for a celebration of women in hang gliding. Beautiful mountain and aerotow flying, clinics, discounted training, fun flying tasks, raffle prizes, food, parties and camaraderie. Lots of non-flying activities for family members. Registration is Thursday afternoon. All female and male hang glider pilots welcome. More information: www.hanglide.com. Contact: Jen Richards, 706-3983541 or fly@hanglide.com. HG PG October 9-October 14  LA SALINA, BAJA Mexico. Third Annual Full-Moon “Fiesto Del Cielo” Fly-in at La Salina Flying Ridge. Intermediate equivalency ( and above) paragliding and hang gliding pilots welcome (others check first). La Salina is Baja’s most diversified airsport venue with various glider launches and LZ’s. Launch from 700’ ridge, located 1⁄2 mile east of Pacific Ocean. Soar for hours, climbing 2000 ft+ in strong thermals, and land on big/beautiful sandy beach, or cross country 30+ miles into wine country. Event sponsored by TEAM FLYLASALINA.com, and Bajabrent who will handle accommodations at his sandy beachfront B & B (complete with carpeted target LZ), or elsewhere. XC comp and flying task competitions FriMon. More information: www.FLYLASALINA.com or www.BAJABRENT.com , or call Bajabrent at 760-203-2658 or 01152-646-155-4218 or email bajabrent@msn.com. July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

clinics, meetings, tours June 27-July 2  California. Over the water maneuvers clinics in southern California with Eagle Paragliding. Top all around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. More information: www. paragliding.com. July 18-19  Utah. Central Utah Mountain flying and site pioneering with Stacy Whitmore and Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@ gmail.com. More information: www.twocanfly.com. August 9-21  French and Swiss Alps. Join Rob Sporrer, Jamie Messenger, Bob Drury, Nick Greece, and our local guide and weather guru for amazing flying during what is typically the most consistent part of the Alpine summer. This annual tour to the Haute Alps, will be based in Grand Bornand, at our own flying lodge, we will work on cross-country flying strategies and tactics in the finest terrain imaginable. Every night eat five star meals after our debriefs. Plan on flying at least six different sites ranging from Grand Bornand to Interlaken depending on the weather. More information: http://eagleparagliding.com/?q=node/27#30. August 28-30  Utah. Central Utah Thermal Clinic with Stacy Whitmore, Ken Hudonjorgensen & Bill Belcourt. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail. com. More information: www.twocanfly.com. SeptEMBER 6-8  Utah. Thermal Clinic at Utah flying sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More information: www.twocanfly.com. September 13-16  Ridge Soaring Clinic, near Grand Junction, Colorado. Otto's Ridge is an undiscovered ridge-soaring paradise. We soar above our tents in the morning, midday we tow up in building thermals, and in the evenings we enjoy glassoff flights. P-2 pilots will learn to ridge soar and tow up into thermals. Details at http:// www.parasoftparagliding.com/lessons/ridge _ soaring _ clinic.php.

OctOBER 16-20  Bishop, California. Welcome to the Owens 2. Site intros, thermal and XC coaching. Open to strong P2 to P4. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748. OctOBER 25-29  Bishop, California. Welcome to the Owens 3. New to thermals and flying XC this is for you. Enjoy some mellower and light XC conditions. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748. November 1-5 and 5-9  Phoenix, Arizona. Come to warm Phoenix for some last flights before winter. Parasoft offers pilots rated P-2 and higher a chance to improve your skills in warm thermals. Fly into Sky Harbor on these dates and we will take you flying nearby. We have hotel, transport and guiding all arranged. Details at http:// www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/phoenix.php. November 5-30  Iquique, Chile. Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand to fly the never ending thermals where the Atacama Desert meets the Pacific Ocean! As Co-Chilean Open Distance record holder (193 km) and Iquique Open Competition Champions, Luis and Todd have over 11 years of combined guiding experience in Iquique. Multiple tours for all levels and USHPA certified instructional courses available. Fly every day or get money back! Don’t believe us…. check out our program for more details! www.paraglidechile.blogspot.com www.atlantaparagliding.com. NovEMBER 8-15 &/or NovEMBER 15-22  Iquique, Chile. Flying sites w/ Ken Hudonjorgensen , Bill Belcourt and local guides. A great trip to what many pilots consider to be the best place to fly in the world. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

September 23-28  Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. More information: www.paragliding.com. SeptEMBER 26-30  Bishop, California. XC GO FAR. Have you been dreaming of achieving your personal best flight...this might be the time to do it!!! Let me me help you. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@ telis.net, or (760) 920-0748. SeptEMBER 27-28  Utah. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer new sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail. com. More information: www.twocanfly.com. October 3-5  Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. More information: www.paragliding.com. OctOBER 8-12  Bishiop, California. Welcome to the Owens 1. Site intros, thermal and XC coaching. Great time of year for mellow conditions open to strong P2 - P4. FLY THE OWEN’S VALLEY WITH KARI CASTLE. Three time world champion, umpteen time National Champion pilot in both hang gliding and paragliding. The fall is my favorite time of year for flying the Owen’s, let me show you around my backyard!! More information: karicastle@telis.net, or (760) 920-0748.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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BOOKS | FILMS | APPAREL

2008 CALENDAR | NOW ONLY $3.00!

ADULTS & KIDS TEES | $8.00 - $18.00

Hang Gliding or Paragliding. Pick up one of these full size wall calendars and enjoy stunning photography year round (and a fully functioning Gregorian calendar too!)

We know you have many choices in tee shirts, and we appreciate you choosing us. The inspirational message on the sleeve reads "Looks good, you go first." Adults in Stratus. Kids in Sky & Fog. All sizes listed online.

THERMAL FLYING | $52.95 Thermal Flying is a comprehensive guide to the art of thermaling and XC flying. This 260 page book is illustrated with clear diagrams and photos to help pilots make sense of the concepts, techniques and meteorology knowledge you need to make the most of each flying day. Not bad, eh?

FLYING OVER EVEREST DVD | $41.95

FLEECE JACKET | $35.00 - 45.00

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PUBLICATIONS A RISK MGMT MANUAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 AND THE WORLD COULD FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . $32.95 AVIATION WEATHER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 BIRDFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.95 CONDOR TRAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 CLOUDSUCK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.95 FLY THE WING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.95 FUNDAMENTALS/INSTRUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . $12.95 HANG GLIDING TRAIN. MANUAL. . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 INSTR. MANUAL (HG or PG). . . . . . . . . . . . . $15.00 THE ART OF PARAGLIDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.95 TOWING ALOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 PG-PILOTS TRAIN. MANUAL & DVD. . . . . . . . . . $39.95 PERFORMANCE FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 POWERED PARAGLIDING BIBLE. . . . . . . . . . . $39.95 SECRETS OF CHAMPIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 THERMAL FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $52.95 UNDERSTANDING THE SKY. . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 FLIGHT LOG BOOK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.95

be sure to ch out our en eck selection tire at online sto the re! BROKEN TOE ACRO DVD | $44.95 Join Enleau O'Connor and friends as they examine the ins and outs of SIV and acro. Get out your airsick bag and call the attendant because you're in for a ride. A full 2 hours and 20 minutes!

HG & PG MAGAZINE ARCHIVES ON DVD | $30.00 33 great years of free flight

DVD'S BORN TO FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34.95 BROKEN TOE ACRO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $44.95 DARE DEVIL FLYERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 FLYING WITH EAGLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45.95 FLYING OVER EVEREST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 FRESH AIR RIDERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22.95 GROUND HANDLING & THE ART OF KITING. . . . . . $36.95 HANG GLIDING EXTREME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $34.95 INSTABILITY II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 LIFTING AIR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.95 NEVER ENDING THERMAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 PARAHAWKING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35.95 PARAGLIDING:LEARN TO FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . $44.95 PARAGLIDING: GROUND HANDLING TECHNIQUES. . . $35.95 PARAGLIDER TOWING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 PARTY/CLOUDBASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 PERFORMANCE FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $42.95 PLAY GRAVITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 RED BULL X-ALPS 2005. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95 RED BULL X-ALPS 2007. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45.95 PURA VIDA FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 RISK & REWARD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 THE PERFECT MTN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $36.95 SPEED TO FLY/SECURITY IN FLIGHT. . . . . . . . . . $48.95 SPEED GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 STARTING PARAGLIDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 STARTING HANG GLIDING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 STARTING POWER PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . $36.95 TO FLY: HANG GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00 TO FLY: PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00 WEATHER TO FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.95

fun are packed into these digital archives. Watch technique and technology evolve. Learn how sites have opened and closed. Get to know the old school.

RED BULL X-ALPS 2005 DVD | $41.95 The race designed to kick your butt and take no prisoners. The 2007 edition, last year's race, is also available below. Grab a bag of chips and watch people

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RED BULL X-ALPS 2007 DVD | $45.95 Americans Nate Scales and Honza Rejmanek tested themselves at last year's edition of the Alpine torture device known as X-Alps. Epic flights. Monster hikes. Determination. Inspiration.

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CLASSIFIEDS 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. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, additions & cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. September 15th is the deadline for the November 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 security reasons, 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

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 App. To: 3904 airport way, E. Wenatchee, Wa. 98802 or Fax 509-886-3435 (www.northwing. com)

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.

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

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. BUY-

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.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS ALABAMA

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.com.

ERS SHOULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SKILL LEVEL OR RATING. NEW PILOTS SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION FROM A USHPA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

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.

FLEX WINGS

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

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 $1,250-$2,500. (262)473-8800, info@hanggliding.com, www.hanggliding. com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

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

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 Paratech 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 and service Colorado’s most experienced! Offering foot launch, tow and scooter tow instruction. Wills Wing, Moyes, North Wing, AIR, Altair, Aeros, High Energy, Finsterwalder, Flytec, MotoComm, and more sold and serviced. Call for more info (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.

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

PEAK TO PEAK PARAGLIDING LLC - THE Front Range paragliding school, located in Boulder, Colorado. Offering excellent state-of-the-art instruction. Specializing in over the water & safety training. Equipment & tandems. Phone 303.817.0803 Info@peaktopeakparagliding.com www.peaktopeakparagliding.com.

BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT

FLORIDA

BRIAN WEBB, experienced Australian tandem paragliding pilot looking for tandem work during August / September 2008. Email brianmwebb@gmail.com.

FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK - 18265 E State Road 80, Clewiston, Florida (863)-805-0440, www.thefloridaridge.com.

PARACHUTES

HARNESSES

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. Pitman 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@hanggliding.com, www.hang-gliding.com, Mission Soaring Center, leading the way since 1973.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

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. 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. 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-of-theart. 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. Most experience, best safety record. Big Island of Hawaii, Achim Hagemann (808)-895-9772, www.aircotec.net/flyhawaii.htm, flyaglider@yahoo.com. ALOHA! ISLAND POWERED PARAGLIDERS/THERMALUP PARAGLIDING - The Big Islands only choice for USHPA certified instruction. Both free flight and powered tandems year round. Dvd of your flight included. One on one lessons from our private oceanside launches and training facilities. Contact Yeti, (808)-987-0773, www.ThermalUp.com or www.IslandPPG.com. Aloha 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.

MAINE

SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK COOPERSTOWN NY - 40 acre flight park. 160’ training hill with rides up. 600’ DOWNEAST AIRSPORTS - paragliding & hang glid- ridge-large LZ. Specializing in first mountain flights. ing instruction using tandems & scooter towing for easy Dan Guido mailing address 293 Shoemaker Rd Mohawk safe learning. Quality equipment sales. www.downeas- Ny 13407 Home (315)-866-6153 cell (315)-867-8011 tairsports.com, in _ a _ cloud@hotmail.com, Marc dguido@dfamilk.com (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. MARYLAND SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING - Sales, service, instruction since 1976. Specializing in Foot Launch. www.mshg.com (410)-527-0975 Proudly representing Wills Wing, Flytec & Moyes

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 summer tandem lessons and flying appointments with the DraachenFliegen 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.

NEW YORK AAA MOUNTAIN WINGS INC. - New location at 77 Hang Glider Road in Ellenville next to the LZ. We service all brands featuring AEROS and North Wing. Contact (845)-647-3377, mtnwings@verizon.net, www.mtnwings.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. LET'S GO PARAGLIDING LLC - Paragliding flight school offering USHPA-certified instruction for all levels, tandem flights, tours, and equipment sales. More information: www.letsgoparagliding.com, (917) 359-6449.

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)-471-1488, austinair@aol.com, WWW. AUSTINAIRSPORTS.COM. GO...HANG GLIDING!!! — Jeff Hunt. Austin ph/fax (512)-467-2529, jeff@flytexas.com,www.flytexas.com.

UTAH AIR REVOLUTION FLIGHT SCHOOL – WITH BILL HEANER AND THE REVOLUTION INSTRUCTOR TEAM Learn true wing mastery from some of the greatest instructors in the world. We offer P1-P4, T1-T3, tandem flights, USHPG Instructor Certification and paramotor training. Camping and hotels within walking distance from our shop. Contact Bill Heaner (801)-541-8341, bill@rpmppg.com, www.rpmppg.com/school/facility/. CLOUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check out our huge selection of paragliding gear, traction kites, extreme toys, and any other fun things you can think of. If you aren’t near the Point of the Mountain, then head to http://www.paragliders.com for a full list of products and services. We are Utah’s only full time shop and repair facility, Give us a ring at (801)-576-6460 if you have any questions.

INDIANA CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michigan July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

CLASSIFIEDS VIRGINIA 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, (804)-2414324, www.blueskyhg.com.

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

WISCONSIN WHITEWATER HANG GLIDING CLUB-Hang gliding school and club using aerotow and scooter tow training. We are open for the season.Contact Rik 608 206 9939 608 842 0480 Whitewaterhangglidingclub.com

INTERNATIONAL BAJA MEXICO - La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www.FLYLASALINA.com. by www.BAJABRENT.com, He’ll hook you up! site intros, tours, & rooms bajabrent@bajabrent. com, (760)-203-2658 BALI - Ridge soar in warm breezes over aquamarine surf for hours every day. 3 sites. Hike and fly an active volcano. Immerse yourself in exotic culture. Two 2-week tours in Sept. Experienced USHPA instructors with 16 years experience in Bali. mattysenior@yahoo.com (206)2082430 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)-861-7198 USA

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 CRITTERMOUNTAINWEAR.COM is your one stop website for paraglider equipment and accessories. You can find a full line of backpacks, stuff tarps, flight suits, clothing, GPS and vario holders, flight decks, ballast containers, radio holders, tow bridals, windsocks, boots, helmets, hook knives, varios, wind speed meters and much, much more. Everything you need to have the ultimate day flying your paraglider. Critter Mountain Wear also imports and distributes lightweight wings and harnesses from Nervures. 1(800)686-9327 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) 6419315, orders 1-866-238-2305. HALL WIND METER – Simple. Reliable. Accurate. Mounting brackets, control-bar wheels. Hall Brothers, PO Box 1010, Morgan, Utah 84050. (801) 829-3232, www.hallwindmeter.com. 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)-7950421, MC/Visa accepted, www.mallettec.com. OXYGEN SYSTEMS – MH-XCR-180 operates to 18,000 ft., weighs only 4 lbs. System includes cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula, and remote on/off flowmeter. $450.00. 1(800)468-8185 RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES - A full-service 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.

MISCELLANEOUS 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) 858-268-3068. Paraglider pilots and radio hosts David and Gabriel Jebb want to hear about your stories, promotions/events or insight; they also take questions!

STOLEN WINGS AND THINGS STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHPA 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)-632-6417, or emailed to info@ushpa.aero for inclusion in Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Please call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Periodically, this listing will be purged. GPS GARMIN 76 CSX. The last day of the Rat Race, after the track log information was downloaded, someone picked up my GPS from the table. It had white tape in the upper left corner with my pilot number 326 written on it. If you discover that this GPS in your possession, please contact me at USHPA. Martin 800-616-6888. This GPS was borrowed from a friend, so it would be an enormous relief to have it returned. HANG GLIDING INSTRUMENT FOUND on Tennessee Tree Topper site. Identify for return. JamesPAnde@aol. com STOLEN FROM THE ANDY JACKSON AIRPARK CALIFORNIA, MAY 14TH 2007. FALCON 195 #25038. Silver leading edge, red bottom surface white trailing edge. If found please contact Rob or Dianne through www.flytandem.com or (909)-883-8488. GEAR STOLEN FROM MEXICAN PILOT IN MEXICO NIVIUK HOOK XXS (45-65Kg) wing, in orange and white, s/n C20664, and an Ava Sport XS harnes, in blue and black. The reserve is a Firebird R5 S; I don’t have the serial number of these last two. If this equipment is found, contact me pupitetris@yahoo.com or her directly: Vinda Levy, vindalev@yahoo.com +52(312)3097665

WINDSOKS FROM HAWK AIRSPORTS INC - 1673 Corbin Lake Rd, Rutledge, TN 37861, 1-800-826-2719. World-famous Windsoks, as seen at the Oshkosh & SunN-Fun EAA Fly-Ins. Hawk@windsok.com, www.windsok.com.

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS 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.

REAL ESTATE 10 ACRES IN THE BEAUTIFUL LOST RIVER VALLEY, close to King Mt HG/PG site. Super glass-offs! Fenced. Partial payment toward well/septic. Don @ 208-5542405.

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

PARAGLIDING | MAR 08

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Sierra Jorgensen Matt Wegner Thomas Cook Peter Moen Todd Snaza Joel Rempfer Tim Honn Clare Honn Evan Dunnell Mike Campbell Nicole Schwenninger Robert Higgins Raymond Jewell Stephen Koviack Axel Banchero Walter Dec Sierra Jorgensen James Palmer Cris Solomon David Suits Chris Voorhees Todd Snaza Joel Rempfer Jay Janda Heather Janda Jeff Johnson Evan Dunnell John Dudley Dan Tuckwiller Matthew Bouchard Robert Higgins Raymond Jewell Stephen Koviack Axel Banchero Walter Dec Nick Fanoe Aaron Simmons Marcelo Luz Kevin Hughes Al Gardner Edwin Matias Richard Horning Tom West Terrance Nygard Edward Skow Robert Hedden Christine Nidd

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Spanaway San Jose San Francisco San Jose Fountain Valley Victorville Fontana Fontana Stamford Doylestown Groveland Coral Springs Cleveland Hixson Miami Beach Runnemede Spanaway Monte Serano Walnut Creek Santa Cruz Venice Fountain Valley Victorville San Diego San Diego Phoenix Stamford Mason Herndon Raleigh Coral Springs Cleveland Hixson Miami Beach Runnemede Salinas Antioch San Francisco Seattle Carmel Valley San Jose Marina Salinas Santa Cruz Ojai Ft. Myers Mission Bc

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S Doug Campbell Arturo Melean Michael Jefferson Patrick Denevan Rob Mckenzie Rob Mckenzie Paul Thornbury Paul Thornbury Gordon Cayce Andy Torrington James Prahl James Tindle Daniel Zink Gordon Cayce Jones, Malcolm Steven Prepost S Doug Campbell Patrick Denevan Patrick Denevan Patrick Denevan Paul Thornbury Rob Mckenzie Rob Mckenzie Paul Thornbury Lynden Vazquez Greg Berger Gordon Cayce John Alden John Middleton Andy Torrington James Tindle Daniel Zink Gordon Cayce Jones, Malcolm Steven Prepost George Reeves Michael Jefferson Patrick Denevan George Reeves George Reeves George Reeves George Reeves George Reeves George Reeves Andrew Beem James Tindle Michael Robertson

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Allison Trafton Tally Darsonval Dexter Stoops Davide Concion Diana Baldwin Daniel Velasco Richard Lear Robert Hecker David Holmgren Sharon Peterson Jared Ellis Jim Schwendeman Erik Mortenson Gary Tennis Neumann Laurent Erald Belaj Marco Sarrion Brett Kerin Allison Trafton Chad Brey Nick Nayfack Mandi Nayfack Gretchen Taylor Fred Daoud Daniel Velasco Richard Lear Donald Page Robert Hecker David Holmgren Christopher Simpson Jared Ellis Paul Condron Erik Mortenson Silvio Zugarini Rafael Richards Robert Eunice Brad Powell Neumann Laurent Erald Belaj Marco Sarrion Ibrahim Altin Douglas Paeth Peter Hardy Luke Middleton Paul Gazis Brian Sheets Bob Herndon Mark Hilliard Clay Sharpe Ted Smith Tore Smedman Emilio Cobo Jesse Meyers Britton Shaw Ricardo Maciel

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Kevin Lee Irene Revenko Wallace Anderson Jeffrey Greenbaum Gary Begley David Binder Rob Sporrer Dale Covington Mike Steen Chris Santacroce Bruce Kirk Granger Banks Bruce Kirk Bill Armstrong Bruce Kirk David Broyles Philippe Renaudin Lawrence Wallman Kevin Lee Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Jeffrey Greenbaum Bill Armstrong Bill Armstrong David Binder Rob Sporrer Hadi Golian Dale Covington Mike Steen Chris Santacroce Bruce Kirk Ron Kohn Bruce Kirk Luis Rosenkjer Bill Armstrong Luis Rosenkjer Luis Rosenkjer Bruce Kirk David Broyles Philippe Renaudin Tuzar, Murat Lan Chirico Robin Marien Kelly Kellar Wallace Anderson Bill Armstrong Chris Santacroce Bill Armstrong Kevin Mcginley Mike Steen Wallace Anderson Luis Rosenkjer Rob Sporrer Gabriel Jebb Bianca Heinrich

Photo by Hans Bausenwein Hochfelln

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T DON’T MISS OUT. BE SURE TO RENEW.

here’s something about hang glider and paraglider pilots that sets us apart from the rest of the world. The way we walk around with our eyes turned skyward, the way we keep our schedules open because Tuesday—three weeks from now—might be flyable, the way we’re happy sitting on launch staring at a windsock, waiting for a twitch in the right direction so we didn’t set up for nothing. We’ve all been there… You’re sitting on launch, looking at mediocre conditions, hoping for more. Praying for more. Making deals with the devil for more. Just this one time, just today, please, make it blow in! Welcome to the sport of

If your USHPA membership expires on 7/31 we must receive your renewal BY July 15th or you will miss the August magazine. If your membership expires on 8/31 we must receive your renewal BY August 15th or you will miss the September magazine.

NO LONGER FLYING? Become a Contributing Member. Participate in elections! Receive the monthly magazine!

Application at

www.ushpa.aero/forms or call 1-800-616-6888

Interested in joining USHPA? Download an application at www.ushpa.aero/forms or call 1-800-616-6888 July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

Hang Waiting. by RYANVOIGHT

HANG WAITING (or para waiting). It’s the underground cousin-sport to hang gliding and paragliding that no one really talks about. Maybe more of an illegitimate brother. For those of you who don’t know me—here’s a quick background: My dad owns/operates a hang gliding school in upstate NY. That being the case, I grew up hang waiting. I hang waited on launch while my dad flew; I hang waited in the LZ until he landed. Hang waited, hang waited, hang waited. But something great happened during that time: I was “adopted” by the flying community! Every local pilot became an aunt or uncle to me. To this day, I’m closer with the Ellenville pilots than I am with my actual family! Now I live in Utah, and I call the Point of the Mountain home. If you don’t know about the Point, you’re missing out. It’s like a playground for free flight and it’s almost always flyable! In the four months I’ve lived in Utah, I’ve been to the Point only ONCE when it wasn’t flyable. But do you know what the Point is miss-

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero

ing? Hang waiting. You may laugh and say that’s what makes it so great. But think about it—how many hours have you hung out with your flying buddies, sitting on a rock chatting it up? How much did you learn about each other? Admit it or not, we pilots are different from “normal” groundloving people. And whether pilots are ready to confess it or not, I’m going to come out and say it: I love hang gliding, and I love hang waiting. What do those “normal” non-pilots do to socialize? Sit on the couch, play video games? What does our different breed do? We go to the top of a mountain, set up our flying tents, and sit in the shade under them until conditions improve—while talking with our friends. You have to admit there’s more to hang gliding and paragliding than just the individualistic sports they appear to be. There’s a community, a camaraderie, among pilots, that is second to none. Since you all probably know I’m all about making this sport better, here’s what we can do to make it better THIS month: Let’s go to launch a little earlier, set up a little faster, and hang wait a little more. Let’s get to know each other better, let’s really share this sport with each other! This month, let’s forget growing the SPORT. Let’s grow the COMMUNITY that makes this sport so great! See you on launch. I’ll be the one set up and hang waiting with a big ‘ol grin on my face.

Thoughts | Dreams | Impressions

OnePerfectDAY I did something really fun today. I didn’t fly. I tried—sort of. I studied the weather forecasts quite closely during the morning as I always do, but none of my normal sites looked exceptionally appealing. I asked my wife what she was thinking. She thought that spending the day shopping at Cannon Beach, Oregon, sounded like fun. Hmmm. That was an interesting twist, not exactly what I was expecting, so I looked at the forecasts again. The winds at Cannon Beach were supposed to be southerly. Ecola State Park is right next door, and south winds are close, but not great. There’s always the “maybe” factor. When we arrived at Cannon Beach, my sight squirmed north a little to check out Ecola. Not a pilot to be seen. Always a bad sign for flying, or a good sign if your wife wants to spend the day shopping. I checked the winds—subtly, of course. The flags, the birds, the clouds all said that winds were definitely not good for flying. In only a few minutes I resigned myself to shopping. My focus changed; Carol and I walked the streets of Cannon Beach. We went from store to store. We bought a couple of gifts

By Steve Messman for relatives. We ate a late lunch. We had a wonderful, very enjoyable time together. And then, we went to Ecola. Surprise of surprises, a fellow pilot/ friend was there watching the winds, just as I intended to do. The winds were a little southeast and not at all good for flying this site. In fact, as my friend pointed out, they were probably dangerous. The two of us did what pilots often do. We sat, we watched, and we waited. There were so many things to watch. We watched the seagulls soar the same bluff that we wanted to fly. That was strange; it seemed as if the birds were laughing at us, flying in a southwesterly wind that didn’t show up on launch. We watched the smoke from a faraway fire that appeared to be blowing from the west. We watched the texture on the water that said we should be in the air. But, we weren’t. It was one of those totally enticing non-flying days that offered both hope and frustration at the same time. We watched the rain that moved through the skies, several miles to the south. They painted the entire sky with wide brushstrokes that streaked from sky to earth. An army of gray-mist soldiers overwhelmed

the distant shore, then silently marched inland to drench the town that stood in defiance to its onslaught. The clouds showed-off their cynical personalities. Sometimes they clung to the cliffs’ edges and mocked the crashing waves from above. Often, they touched those waves as if to say, “you’re it!, then rose quickly in a damp game of tag. We watched breaking-waves crash relentlessly onto the rocky shores, watched them pulverize rock and stone into grains of sand. We watched small amounts of spray released from the tops of the waves, only to be recaptured by unending rows of waves that were lined up behind. And again, we watched those birds soar while we silently complained of our inability to join them. The longer we watched the wonders around us, the closer we moved toward the reality of this flying portion of our day. It was time to go home. I had spent the early part of the day with my wife, and together we’d enjoyed the beach, the weather, the shops, and each other. I had spent the latter part of the day with a friend, and together we’d watched the best parts of nature: the mystery, the art, and the power. It was a wonderful, non-flying day. As I threw on my pack, I thought, “There is no place else in the world I would rather be. I was blessed to be given this day.” My wife and I drove home with smiles on our faces. It was a beautiful end to a perfect day!

July 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA .aero