Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol40/Iss04 Apr 2010

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APRIL 2010 Volume 40 Issue 4 $6.95 Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

10APRIL

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

On the cover, Loren Cox takes a self portrait while living the dream in Hawaii. Meanwhile, Paul Voight strafes the Ellenville launch window | photo by Fred McCarty.

MAGAZINE STAFF Paul Montville, Publisher: paul.montville@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, Chris Galli, Steve Messman, Dennis Pagen, Christina Ammon, 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 Martin Palmaz, Director of Business Operations : martin@ushpa.aero Robin Jones, Information Services Manager : robin@ushpa.aero Beth Hollendorfer, Member/Instructor Services Administrator: beth@ushpa.aero Monica Wright-Tafoya, Office Coordinator : monica@ushpa.aero

USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Lisa Tate, President: lisa@lisatateglass.com Mark Gaskill, Vice President: airutah@hotmail.com Rich Hass, Secretary: richhass@comcast.net Mark Forbes, Treasurer: mgforbes@mindspring.com

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-launched airsports 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. The USHPA is a member-controlled sport organization dedicated to the exploration and promotion of all facets of unpowered ultralight flight, and to the education, training and safety of its membership. Membership is open to anyone interested in this realm of flight. Dues for Rogallo membership are $270. Pilot memberships are $75 ($90 non-U.S.). Dues for Contributing membership and for subscription-only are $52 ($63 non-U.S.). $15 of annual membership dues goes to the publication of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Changes of address should be sent six weeks in advance, including name, USHPA number, previous and new address, and a mailing label from a recent issue. You may also email your request with your member number to: info@ushpa.aero.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) (USPS 17970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Dave Wills, Urs Kellenberger, 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904, (719) 632-8300, FAX (719) 632Bill Cuddy. REGION 3: Bob Kuczewski, Rob Sporrer, Brad Hall. REGION 4: Mark 6417. PERIODICAL postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional Gaskill, Ken Grubbs. REGION 5: Lisa Tate. REGION 6: David Glover. REGION 7: mailing offices.

Tracy Tillman. REGION 8: Jeff Nicolay. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, L.E. Herrick. REGION 10: Bruce Weaver, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: David POSTMASTER: Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding Glover. REGION 12: Paul Voight. REGION 13: Tracy Tillman. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. Canadian Post Dave Broyles, Leo Bynum, Riss Estes, Mike Haley, Dennis Pagen. EX-OFFICIO Publications Mail Agreement #40065056. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3 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.

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 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 dissemination service for USHPA members. The USHPA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright © 2010 Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine.

For change of address or other USHPA business call (719) 632-8300, or email info@ushpa.aero.

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.

10APRIL EDITOR

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PILOT BRIEFINGS

8

AIRMAIL

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The numbers tell the story

SAFETY BULLETIN

12

by Steve Roti. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

CENTERFOLD

40

TANGENT

64

BUDAPEST BOYS

DISPATCH

66

Living the acro-adventure dream

RATINGS

74

USHPA STORE

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PAGE 78

2009 Paragliding state records

by Bob Drury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

WORLD record rigid wing flight One man must fight to save his mother-in-law

by Bob Fuscation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

WATCH The man burn Bruce gets high and shares the experience

by Bruce Bousfield. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

FLYING GREEN Bill's power solution for the modern man

by Bill Hughes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

the vince report This just in

by Vince Endter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Sport class hype Leaving her comfort zone

by Linda Salamone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

HOW I SAVED AL GORE The pioneering paradonker heads to the great white north.

by Greg Gillam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

GALLERY

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Dauladhar Range near Bir, India. A pilot’s sky.

T

he April Fools Issue is upon us once again. In the age-old tradition of ground skimmer, we have added a few articles, briefings, and photos that are intended to amuse rather than inform. Some of the pieces are, in all honesty, not factual, while others are unbelievably true.

Steve Roti kicks off the issue with the 2009 state paragliding distance records. The Midwest is proving to offer spectacular long cross-country flights for the few who are pioneering routes in the region.

The Budapest Boys, Pal Takats and Gabor Kezi, are interviewed by XC Magazine’s editor Bob Drury.

Their new movie, Adrenaline and Turbulence, is available at the USHPA store.

Bob Fuscation discusses his world record-breaking “rigid wing” flight of last year. Fuscation amazingly has pioneered a new class of wing that allows pilots to spend income on living space which is transformed into flying equipment. In June of 2009 he crushed the previous rigid wing record of 400 miles set by Davis Straub. The FAI, however, is trying to determine if the record will be ratified and if Fuscation’s wing is, in fact, a class 5 hang glider.

Burning Man was the goal for thousands this year, including a group of intrepid Nevada hang pilots. The day was right to get high at the festival, and Bruce Bousfield seized the opportunity to be a special part of an interesting American phenomena.

The magazine is rounded-out with Bill Hughes discussing the future possibilities of individually green-powered electronics, Linda Salamone, the only US World Hang Gliding team member, discussing the merits of entering competitions, and a stunning gallery from all points.

The editorial calendar has been set for the year, so please take a look and see if you have any stories and photos you would like to share with your fellow free flight enthusiasts!

New | Improved | Buzzworthy

PilotBRIEFINGS

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 AIRWAVE'S FIRST RODEO Airwave has introduced its latest speed glider, the “Rodeo”. The Rodeo can be described as a hybrid of a paraglider and speed glider.

This 15 meter glider, with an aspect ratio of 4.99, weighs only 4kg. Airwave estimates the best glide to be 8, and we at Eagle have experienced an average glide of around 6.5. This glider is oriented for the individual who enjoys speedflying, but is looking for more performance and the feel of a paraglider. This glider is made for ridge soaring, or kiting at the training hill on blown out days. For more information, visit www.eagleparagliding.com.

 FORBES FLATLANDS FLIES The Forbes Flatlands 2010 was a huge success with

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nine consecutive days of flying. The last day was cancelled after a vote came in at 20/20, 20 to fly, 20 to cancel.

The deciding factor being made after a consultation with the safety committee.

Zac Majors from the USA flying Wills Wing led the competition for the first six days before he fell down on the 7th. Jonny Durand of Australia flying a Moyes picked up the lead and finished the comp with a comprehensive lead.

Andy Phillips from Victoria flying a Moyes Malibu took out the Sport Class and an up and coming pilot from Canungra, Ant Coleman, flying a Moyes Litespeed S 4 won the A Class.

 ADVANCE BAGS BRUCE The successful ADVANCE

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development team will be joined by Bruce Goldsmith during the course of this year. The former Airwave designer and 2007 World Champion will soon be cooperating on serial and competition wing development, in support of our chief designer Thomas Ripplinger and the ADVANCE test pilots Kari Eisenhut, Chrigel Maurer, Andy Aebi and Greg Blondeau. In this way ADVANCE can continue to meet the ever more complex and demanding requirements of paraglider development.

Bruce Goldsmith ranks as a true founding father of the paraglider business. The 49-year-old Briton, originally a civil engineer, became the paraglider face of Airwave as well as a founding member of Ozone. For the

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last ten years he has once more been working as the Airwave designer. Bruce lives with his family in the South of France.

ADVANCE is confident that, in Bruce Goldsmith, we have found a perfect addition to our development team. Bruce has over twenty years experience of developing paragliders. He also designed his personal worldchampionship-winning wing.

The combined expertise of Bruce and Thomas will further strengthen ADVANCE and make it possible for us to realize new ideas and put additional projects into practice.

 FEMALE RECORD FALLS Brazilian Sol Tracer pilot Kamira Pereira set the female straight distance to declared goal at 178 miles and female straight distance record at 200 miles in Quixada, Brazil.

 ESCAPE BEGINS Designer Pierre Yves, based in France, has launched a new brand of 2009 Escape Paragliders. Ex-designer and test pilot for Airwave, Yves, and Mathieu Chabot, director of marketing and sales, have developed four different classes of paragliders.

S’Cool is an entry level

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Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

EN-B paraglider that delivers solid performance for its class, with a familiar feel and direct handling, while offering unsurpassed passive safety. As its name implies, the S’Cool is a perfect wing to use at the training hill or on first flights.

S’Pace is the new high performance EN-B paraglider that delivers the same passive safety and performance, while setting a higher standard in this class. With a glide of close to 9 and +50km\h, the S’Pace will stand out as a pilot’s first choice for a XC paraglider.

S’Mile is a tandem paraglider that offers the feel and handling of a solo paraglider with a huge speed range.

Most important, it offers easy launches and landings with exceptional performance throughout the speed range, making it a dream for a passenger’s first flight experience.

S’Max is the unique design platform upon which Escape has based its high-end competition paraglider. The S’Max offers unmatched climbing ability while maintaining stability of speed. This is a high-end paraglider for competition pilots. Contact Escape for team details.

2010 will be Escape’s breakout year with many more good things to come, including plans for a line of Speed Wings and a serial class paraglider.

With a unique design philosophy, high quality construction and attention to detail, and straightforward simplicity and performance, Escape Today!

After a season of instruction and a range of different

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flight conditions, Point of the Mountain Paragliding has found that Escape paragliders offer excellent performance and safety throughout their glider range. We are proud to have been accepted as the exclusive importer for the USA and are looking for area dealers and team pilots.

Please call or email us with questions.

For questions, dealer inquiry, technical information and sales, please contact the USA importer: Point of the Mountain Paragliding, LLC. info@escapegliders.com info@skp-gliders.com www.escapegliders.com www.skp-gliders.com

 UP ASCENT 2 UP has released its latest entry-level glider, the Ascent 2. The most notable improvement is the leading edge with rigifoil battens.

Removing the mylar has reduced the weight of the glider and makes forward and reverse inflations almost effortless. The Ascent 2’s launch and flight characteristics make it a solid choice for beginner pilots. Its 5.3 aspect ratio is on the higher end of its class. For more information, visit www.eagleparagliding.com

 NIVIUK'S HOOK 2 Niviuk’s newest glider, the Hook 2, is now available.

The most noticeable change is the batens/rigifoil in the leading edge, which is the same technology used in Niviuk’s infamous Artik 2. The Hook 2 has a higher aspect ratio of 5.3 and more arc that it’s predecessor.

Approximately 120 feet of total line length has been trimmed off compared to Niviuk’s previous version.

Get more information about the Hook 2 from Niviuk’s exclusive US importer, www. eagleparagliding.com

 RAUL RODRIGUEZ HITS US Super Fly is proud to announce the arrival of the Raul Rodriguez gliders to the US. Raul is the many times World Champion Acro pilot and inventor of the SAT and the infinite tumble. Who better to develop gliders with the acro-oriented pilot in mind? RR gliders are produced in cooperation with Nova and boast three new models in a huge selection of sizes and colors.

The Rolling is the beginner, Matrix, the intermediate, and Radix, the advanced acro-wing.

Rolling comes in 22 (LTF 2-3/ EN- C), 24 (LTF 2, EN C) and 26 (LTF 2, EN C) sizes and is not just for the aspir-

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ing acro-pilot. It is geared toward any pilot who wants a dynamic and agile glider with light brake pressure and solid tips.

Matrix comes in 12,14,16,18,20 and 22 sizes, with weight ranges from 55-130 kg., and four colors.

RR provides detailed explanations of the maneuverability of each wing, depending on how the pilot is weighted on the glider.

The Radix advanced acro-wing for the expert and professional pilot comes in 18, 19.5 and 21 sizes and is reported to climb well and be suitable for thermalling and XC. It comes in red, gold, yellow and white with the distinctive RR logo.

As the new models start trickling into the country, much more will be revealed about what glider suits what kind of pilot.

In the meantime, the same question is on everyone’s mind. Will all the gliders SAT and helicopter well?

According to Raul himself, the answer is “yes,” with the proper training and skills.

The Matrix and Radix are specifically designed with the infinite tumble in mind.

More information is available at: www.superflyinc.com or in Spanish at www.rracrowings.com

 NEW WOODY VALLEY Woody Valley has developed its first Acro harness, the X-pression. Features include dual reserve compartment, quick dry material in case of water landings, draining net for easy water recovery, steel carabiners, contoured reserve handles to avoid accidental deployment from lines and triangular leg straps that allow the pilot more control during weight shift. www.eagleparagliding. com for more information.

AEROBATICS MEET June 11-13, experienced and

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Advanced Hang Gliding and Paragliding Aerobatics Pilots will gather at the Blue Water Resort, Bear Lake, UT (on the UT, ID border) for a three-day aerobatics meet.

This will be the first time that HG and PG pilots can compete together over the water at a world class resort in North America.

The Blue Water Resort has been an “over the water maneuvers” hot spot for years. The resort features hotel rooms, condos, cabins, camp spots, pools, jacuzzis and all amenities. The beach has both grass and sand and will be perfect for cartlaunched HG boat tows.

We will also have one boat equipped for HG platform launches.

The event is scheduled for three days, with one day as a “weather” day. The cost of the event is based on the number of rounds/ tows

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

that are achieved. Tows are available during the day/s preceding and following the event for pilots and comp pilots alike. Aerobatics coaching for HG and PG pilots will be available.

Keep in mind that Crawford’s Ridge is only thirty minutes away. This is perfect place to bring the entire family and enjoy either participating or watching a spectacular event.

Pilots are requested to stay at the Blue Water Resort in support of the establishment. www.bluewaterresort.net. Updates at www.wingsoverbearlake. com

 NOVA'S PRION Nova introduces their new EN A / LTF 1 wing—the PRION. It is the successor of the proven Primax and offers the same extremely high passive safety. The Prion

is not one of those typically boring and lethargic beginner wings. Instead, it’s a proper paraglider with a very broad target group. The wing has sensitive handling, a L/D at the top of its class, and superb climbing behavior in thermals. The PRION will also satisfy more experienced pilots with the desire for maximum safety. The unequalled combination of a high safety level and agile handling delivers plenty of fun. More information at www.superflyinc.com.

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AirMAIL "HANG" OVER  I just wanted to say thanks

makes me realize how much difference Mark for your “Hang In There” series. It one person’s commitment can make on has been an amazing journey—mostly someone’s life. fun, sometimes exciting, sometimes poiThe whole magazine is the best that gnant, but always interesting and infor- I have ever seen it. This production is mative. I hope we have all learned from something that I think does Gil proud.

Thank you USHPA, members and your experience and insight, and I want to wish you well. We’ll certainly look forward to any future entries from the “Forger” logbook.

Fred Leonard

SALUTE  All the stories, all the pictures, all the friends, all the memories came to me as I read the latest issue of Hang Gliding and Paragliding, and I felt that rush. The spectacle of the hike and fly. The desire to go to a comp while trying to reconcile that if I did, I might be last. (Check my finish a TTT Team Challenge) Children first, The Cloudbase Foundation story blew me away. The commitment of these pilots to the families around them as they travel the world

member volunteers for making the USHPA the Association that never ceases to amaze.

Randy Leggett

RAT CLOUD  I took several pictures but did not see the rat in this one as I was taking it. He stands right out in picture, though, looking much like the Rogue Valley Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association’s (RVHPA) Woody Woodrat mascot that appears in Starthistle artwork. Even its feet are forming up from thermals.

The shot was taken looking west, towards Woodrat Mt. from Talent, OR. At least five paragliders are visible in the picture, on glide to goal Donald Fitch P.O.'d PARADONKER  I just wanted to let you cowboys know that I tried strapping a donkey to my harness as illustrated in last April's issue, and all I got was a broken ankle and a really angry donkey.

Thanks a lot.

Name and address withheld

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

11

Analysis | Preparedness | Incidents

SafetyBULLETIN

by Alex Colby, staff writer

THANK YOU ď ľ After three years of writing ac- close calls, both of which produced lively

cident columns, I am ready to pass this fas- and constructive discussions on local club cinating and rewarding responsibility on to forums. We appreciate the chance to share a new and enthusiastic volunteer. Before I the topics of these local discussions with a address the last batch of reports, I want to wider audience in the magazine. The first thank all the pilots who have submitted re- report describes a near brush with drownports to help our fellow pilots avoid similar ing, and the second details the lucky safe mishaps. It has been my privilege to analyze outcome of an unplanned ride over the your reports. Though we can’t cover every back of a ridge in strong wind. Both incireport in the column, we try to focus on the dents illustrate a couple of recurring and most educational ones, and we do count all related themes in paragliding safety literaof them in our annual statistical summary. ture: maintaining our situational awareness Please keep those reports coming! Thanks to and using that awareness to safely navigate the USHPA accident report subcommittee points of no return. who offered suggestions and reviewed each column, and to both magazine editors, CJ RESCUE AT THE COAST ď ľ We received this Sturtevant and Nick Greece, for their pa- report from a pilot who witnessed an incitience with my late submissions. Finally, dent that took place last fall at one of their thanks to the generous instructors who of- local coastal sites, involving an intermedifered their insight and perspective: Rob ate-rated visiting pilot with two years of McKenzie, Dale Covington, Rob Sporrer, mountain flying experience: Chris Santacroce, Kevin Lee, and Jeff “It was a very good day with lots of Greenbaum. local pilots soaring. The visiting pilot was For this month’s column, we have select- eager to have a first flight here as it was ed two recent reports concerning dramatic late-afternoon. While preparing, the pilot

asked another new pilot for advice, who could not help. An experienced pilot (but not a local) did not know the visitor was new and helped her launch. At this site the beach LZ is north of launch, while the main soaring is along cliffs south of launch. “After launching, the pilot turned south (downwind) along the ridge line.

The pilot went too far before turning to work the lift band and ended up low in an area of diminished lift. She was unable to work up or back to the beach and started to unbuckle in preparation for a water landing along the cliffs. Unfortunately, the pilot was not fully unclipped before hitting and got a leg tangled in the lines.

She tried to use a hook knife but lost it in the water, so she clung to the harness for flotation, while being repeatedly pulled under and banged against the rocky cliff. “Observing pilots immediately radioed launch for a 911 call and requested the coast guard, while a pilot circled overhead to mark the location for the arriving helicopter. Due to dispatch, flight, and rescue time, it was estimated the pilot was in the water for 40+ minutes. The pilot spent one

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Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

night in the hospital being treated for hy- ments we need to make to fly in different pothermia and water in both lungs. The types of air over different types of terrain, consensus was that the pilot would have and let’s not assume our experience in the expired if not for the rapid response and mountains will transfer readily to a coastrelatively warm water at this time of year. al site, or vice versa. Each type of flying “The key factors contributing to the presents special challenges and risks. This problem here were inexperience at coastal site, with its scenic, forested sea cliffs, is sites and failure to get a proper site orien- arguably one of the riskiest coastal sites tation before flying. The fact that so many in the region.

Also, like most visiting pilots who have pilots were in the air above launch made things look easy, which may have led to invested travel time and expense to get to a site, this pilot seemed anxious to get complacency.”

Another reporter familiar with the site into the air. In addition, this was a big day emphasizes the critical location of the at this site. Many local pilots were getlanding zone: the only one at this site is ting high, making it look easy. We need the beach north of launch. So the key at to remember that local pilots can make this flying site is to be above launch (and maneuvers look easy because they’ve done ascending) in order to safely fly south of them hundreds of times and know how to avoid the mistakes. Visiting pilots can launch and away from the beach.

This incident highlights numerous get in trouble in the same conditions by areas of risk: visiting a new site, keeping making one or two mistakes. a landing option within glide, and flying Perhaps most significantly, the visiover water. In this case each area of risk tor did not get sufficient site orientation before flying. According to the primary reinforced the others.

The pilot was a first-time visitor to the report, she asked someone for advice, site and was also new to the risks and tech- without success, and ended up launching nical aspects of coastal ridge soaring. Let’s without a briefing. We don’t know if she not underestimate what kind of adjust- had previously reviewed the online site

guide, which gives a wealth of information about how to safely fly this site, including pictures and explicit warnings. So much site information is available on the internet these days that it’s easy to assume visiting pilots may already be familiar with local site protocols and dangers. But in the interest of their safety, we need to confirm that they, indeed, have read and understood the online site information. If not, we should make an effort to explain the issues in person.

Another key risk factor in this incident was flying over water. When we’re flying over terrain, we generally have many options for emergency landings, although sometimes this may mean aiming for the softest looking tree. But flights over water are inherently more dangerous than flights over terrain, mainly because the gear that we rely on to keep us airborne turns into a death trap in the water, as our wings become anchors filled with water and the lines wrap tight around us. What this means for coastal flying is that we can’t make the same assumptions about letting ourselves get low. We have to keep terrain with possible landing areas within

Fly

the

Alps

with Todd Weigand and Luis Rosenkjer

June 2010 Switzerland France Italy

www.paraglidingtrips.com Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

13

reach of our glide. There is a point of no return on any given heading over water; we need to be firmly cognizant of where that point is and be ready to turn back if we get too low. This kind of situational awareness is a crucial safety mechanism for a glider pilot. We need to take time in less critical situations to develop it until that awareness becomes second nature.

Once we’ve passed the point of no return, as this pilot did, it may still be possible to salvage some kind of dry landing on terrain that would normally seem less than ideal. In this case, an experienced local pilot notes: “When low and faced with the possibility of a water landing at this site, one option is to put down on the Cape. There are small trees and brushy areas that other pilots have used to make emergency landings in the past, although they might not be obvious to a visiting pilot. It’s an intimidating place to land and the walk out is difficult, but a Cape landing is much less risky than a water landing.”

He adds, “This pilot was saved by an exceptionally good response from the local pilots and the coast guard. One pilot took control of communications with emergency services, and another took it upon himself to stay directly above the

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Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

downed pilot until the helicopter arrived.

Without these local pilots, the outcome could easily have been different.”

BLOWN OVER THE BACK  This next report of a close call was originally submitted to our local club forum, but I think it deserves a wider audience. An enthusiastic intermediate-pilot friend of mine was flying downrange from one of our coastal sites with me and a few others on a strong wind day a few weeks ago. We were following the island mountain range as it rises up and jogs inland from the coast, and we did not have to work to stay up.

Consequently, my focus was on staying far enough out front to maintain a healthy forward penetration, whereas my friend was getting higher by staying closer to the top of the ridgeline for much of the flight, trading some penetration for more height.

Near the end of our route, the already strong wind had increased slightly, and the clouds had descended as well. My buddy soon found himself in a bad position, parked above a big bowl, going up and slightly backwards, into a cloud. He performed a b-line stall to get down out of the cloud and regain ground reference, but when he came out, he saw that he

was already too far behind the ridge. He turned to flee downwind and prepared himself for the roller coaster ride through the rotor, which is known to be quite powerful at this particular spot—another pilot had been blown over in almost the same spot years ago and hadn’t been able to keep his wing over his head. The shape of this mountain range is not conducive to easy trips over the back, being sheer on the windward side and very gradually sloping on the leeward side. In this case, the pilot got through the worst of the rotor unscathed and even managed to make some good distance over the back, extending his glide farther than we expected, threading his way over, and then under, two sets of high voltage transmission lines, and finally landing 35 feet up in a tall tree in a ravine.

As soon as he disappeared over the ridge, we called 911 and then drove to the other side of the island to help look for him. He called us shortly afterward to say he was shaken up but fine, and, subsequently, was able to hike himself down to civilization, where we picked him up just before nightfall.

As in the previous report, a number of risk factors governed the outcome of this incident: chasing a great flight from

a few days prior, the initial decision to fly downrange on a strong day, following other more experienced pilots, and getting close to terrain and clouds while soaring in strong wind.

This downrange trip is potentially our biggest local cross country flight, but, in retrospect, it was a poor day to undertake it. One of our most accomplished pilots was sitting it out because he felt it was too strong. The pilot who was blown over today had made the same flight a few days before in perfect conditions, flying farther than many of us had ever flown, and everyone was hoping for a similar day, despite obvious signs of stronger wind.

We need to remember that every day is truly different, even when we hope they are the same. We need to be sensitive to similarities and also differences in conditions. Also, we can’t assume that just because we’re getting higher than everyone else, it’s due to superior piloting. If the lift seems too good to be true, it probably is.

In addition, several other pilots who’d had a head start were leading the charge, so we followed along without thinking about the suitability of the conditions, even though we were almost an hour behind them. We need to remember to judge conditions ourselves and listen to those little voices inside that tell us when we might be rushing into something without proper consideration.

If we decide to go ahead and do some soaring in strong ridge lift, it’s crucial to maintain our situational awareness regarding forward speed and clearance from terrain and clouds. It’s easy to get high on these days, but it’s always safest to stay out at the front edge of the lift band, away from the terrain and below the clouds, even if it means staying a little lower. Leaving a safe margin of forward penetration and clearance will pay off when something changes, e.g., if the wind picks up, or if we enter an area of increased flow or turbulence. A rule of thumb for a safe amount of penetration is three-to-five mph of forward speed at trim (hands up). Pilots who habitually fly on speed-bar can lose track of penetration at trim, so it’s good to get off the bar and check it periodically. We also need to pay attention to variations in the terrain that might affect the wind speed—gaps in the ridgeline create a venturi effect of

accelerated airflow, as does the top of the ridgeline itself.

If we have zero penetration while at trim speed, we are already too close to the point of no return and should immediately get on the speed-bar and try to get as far out front as possible, in case the wind picks up some more. If we’re in a position where we don’t have any penetration even with our speed bar fully engaged, we may have already crossed the point of no return.

It’s sometimes possible to look right, left, and behind us to try to figure out which way is least risky and crab in that direction to get out of the strongest airflow, in order to regain some penetration. On the other hand, if we’re going up and back with no chance to crab, we should make an effort to get as high as possible over the hill before turning to run downwind as far as possible, to avoid the backside rotor. Every flying site is different, and it behooves local pilots to scope out the best escape routes ahead of time, so they have a plan for when the wind picks up.

An interesting rescue note: after the pilot got himself down from the tree, we tried to ascertain where he was, but his GPS wasn’t working because he was too deep under the forest canopy. If he had set his GPS to log a track during his flight, he could have checked the log for the last known position. Some pilots set their GPS to navigate back to launch while flying cross-country, so they can report their position without touching any buttons, assuming they have the coordinates visible on the screen. Another good option is to mark a quick waypoint just before going down, if the situation allows it, similar to making one last radio broadcast before dropping out of range.

Finally, it’s worth noting that we are all different types of pilots: some of us are bolder pilots, some are more cautious, some are emotional or intuitive pilots, and some are cerebral. My friend, in this case, is more the emotional, intuitive and bold type. I think both types of pilots have important strengths and recognizing which one we are and trying to work on gaining some of the other’s perspective can help us be safer. I believe this close call has definitely helped my friend develop a more thoughtful approach to cross-country flying. I look forward to trying that flight with him again on a lighter day.

Chelan XC Open

2010

U.S. Nationals Series Cross Country

Paragliding Competition

Chelan, Washington USA Dates: July 10 - 15 2010 Registration Opens March 15 th

Entry Fee

$350

www.chelanxcopen.com

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2009

Paragliding

State Distance

Records

S

ix new paragliding state distance fastest one last year was flown on a Gin records were set in 2009. The Boomerang 5 competition glider. Here Midwest saw the most action. Only are details about the record flights, with one of the record flights was in the west- links to more information. ern US. Five of the new records were towAs always, you can find the complete launched, presumably because there aren’t list of paragliding state records on the many big hills in the Midwest. Three of USHPA website at: the record flights were done on Advance gliders (Sigma 6 and Omega 7), and the http://www.ushpa.aero/comppgstaterecords.asp

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by SteveROTI

Illinois

Jaro Krupa writes: “I’d like to report a new Illinois distance record, launch done by static tow, by Greg Krzyszkowski, glider Omega 7.” Grzegorz Krzyszkowski is a Polish pilot living in Illinois, who racked up a number of cross-country flights from Cullom this year. Here are the stats on the

longest one, the first paragliding record in Illinois.

Pilot: Grzegorz Krzyszkowski Launch type: Tow Distance: 86.1 mi/138.5 km Duration: 4hr47 (18 mph)

Launch type: Tow Distance: 89.6 mi/144.2 km Duration: 5 hours (17.9 mph) Launch: Villard, Minnesota Date: 7/26/09 Glider: Advance Sigma 6

Launch: Cullom, Illinois Date: 5/02/09

Missouri (NEXT PAGE, LEFT)

Glider: Advance Omega 7

Darius Lukosevicius, the Kansas record holder, traveled to Missouri to set his Max altitude: 8000 ft (7329 ft AGL) second state distance record. He writes, More info at http://www3.onlinecontest.org/ “100km is not a big deal, I already had olc-2.0/para/flightinfo.html?dsId=805576 100+mile flight this year, but it was in Kansas. So I’m looking at other sites now.

Actually, according to forecasts, we should Minnesota  go to east central Kansas (around Dodge City) for real good flights (~6hr drive for New York-based paragliding instruc- us). According to forecasts, 10000ft agl tor Phil Russman reports on flying in base is quite often there.”

Minnesota: “Sunday, July 26, 2009, I flew 89.6 miles in Minnesota, establish- Pilot: Darius Lukosevicius ing a new state record. My glider was an Launch type: Tow Advance Sigma 6. Paul Lindquist, the Distance: 62.9 mi/101.2 km previous record holder, towed up Thad Spencer and me with his tow rig and Duration: 3hr34 (17.6 mph) chased us. I was in the air for about five Launch: Lexington, Missouri hours. Now that they’ve seen what’s posDate: 7/25/09 sible, I suspect Paul and Thad, who live in Minnesota, will break 100 miles before Glider: Axis Mercury long!”

Max. altitude: 5300 ft Pilot: Phil Russman

More info: http://www.xcontest.org/world/ en/flights/detail:liotcik/25.7.2009/20:14

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Nevada

Wisconsin

Stephan Haase broke Ron Peck’s previous Grzegorz Krzyszkowski was busy last Nevada record set last year at Goodsprings year. Not only did he set a state distance by half-a-mile. Stephan writes, “It may record in Illinois, as described above, he be the RECORDED state distance XC. also set a record in Wisconsin. Wisconsin It’s highly likely other pilots have flown has cross-country potential that’s similar further, but either didn’t record or pro- to Minnesota’s, so it’s likely we’ll see more mote the flight. Kinda the spirit of flying records there in the future.

Nevada-western-style.”

Pilot: Grzegorz Krzyszkowski Pilot: Stephan Haase Launch type: Tow Launch type: Foot Distance: 72.5 mi/116.6 km

Distance: 13.4 mi/21.5 km is this a record???

Duration: 5hr23 (13.5 mph)

Duration: 1hr59 (6.8 mph)

Launch: Kingsbury Grade, Nevada

Launch: Whitewater, WI

Date: 6/24/09

Date: 6/4/2009

Glider: Skywalk Cayenne 3

Glider: Advance Omega 7

Max alt (ASL): 14,000 ft

Max. altitude:7680 ft MSL

More info: http://www.paraglidingforum. com/leonardo/flight/221042

More info: http://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-2.0/para/flightinfo. html?flightId=-1362142430

North Dakota 

Andrei Cojoianu, a Romanian pilot living in Minnesota, has been flying since 1996.

Paragliding instructor Steve Sirrine of SDI Paragliding writes: “I towed Andrei Cojoianu to 800m just east of Jamestown.

He released at approximately 1:30 pm and landed between the cities of Esmond and Isabel around 5:30pm, for a flight just over 100 miles. This was the first attempt for a record in ND.” Andrei adds, “That was an unexpected day for such a flight.”

Pilot: Andrei Cojoianu Launch type: Tow Distance: 100.3 mi/161.4 km Duration: 4hr00 (25.1 mph) Launch: Prairie Haven, North Dakota Date: 6/20/09 Glider: Gin Boomerang 5

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BUDAPEST BOYS

words by BobDRURY photos by MarkusZIMMERMAN

Bob Drury meets Gábor Kézi and Pál Takáts who talk about life, acro and their new film Adrenaline and Turbulence

I

f you haven’t come across the names Gábor Kézi (27) and Pál Takáts (23), then you clearly haven’t been reading the acro news of this magazine or any other. From humble beginnings on the hillsides of eastern Europe, the duo have ascended to international podiums for paragliding acrobatics in both syncro and solo. Together they took silver at the recent World Air Games in syncro.

Arriving through non-Latin channels—itself almost an anomaly in this day and age—acro’s two young pretenders grew up in Hungary’s capital, Budapest, where they both discovered paragliding about eight years ago.

Pál was still a schoolboy, stumbling through an education that was also struggling to accommodate him. With his striking mass of dark wiry hair, gangly physique and wild, excitable eyes, Pál could Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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“It’s every young pilot’s dream, travelling the world in search of adventure, living out of the back of a car, tumbling from adventure to adventure in pursuit of becoming a brilliant acro pilot.”

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do nothing to win the schoolteachers’ affection. “I was exactly the type of kid, who had a pretty good brain, but hated sitting still. Teachers didn’t know how to handle me and gave me a hard time, even when I did nothing wrong!”

The signs of a champion were already there though, had the teachers only been able to see them.

“I was actually talented in everything I tried. I was the national fencing champion. I was doing it pretty seriously but stopped for some reason. I even had a couple of years playing a computer game quite seriously. I won the national championship and went to the Olympics of PC games, the World Cyber Games in South Korea, where of course I was beaten really badly.”

With a love for adventure sports, Pál was already rock climbing, hiking and caving regularly in Hungary when he discovered paragliding. “I saw these little points flying above this mountain. I didn’t know anything about paragliding, but I knew I had to do it,” he says, admitting that, like many of us, it was love at first sight with paragliding.

He sought out those dots and was soon flying with them, escaping the trappings of the more normal life his parents would have preferred him to have. “When I was sixteen and had completed my paragliding beginner course, the [education] situation got worse. My gymnasium was right on top of a hill in Budapest, and I had a perfect view of the closest flying site from my classroom.” Unsurprisingly, Pál was soon skipping classes to pursue his real education in the sky.

“After the gymnasium, I tried to get into university to study geography, but the level was pretty high and I was turned down twice. I realise now that had I gone, I’d just be finishing university and would never have had the experiences and adventures I’ve had over the last five years. Those years

have taught me much more about life than any school could have.”

Gábor, four years Pál’s senior, also found himself struggling through the halls of Hungary’s education system. “I started my economics studies at university at the same time that I started flying,” he tells us.

“I soon realised that most of my time and thoughts were spent on flying and not on my exams.”

Out flying as much as he could, Gábor soon realised where his true flying tastes lay. “I always loved playing with my glider. When I flew cross-country, I was always sad to be losing time that I could have used to practice wingovers in front of the mountain.” It was a hard decision, but I quit [school] and started acro competitions instead”.

Gábor’s background was in ballroom dancing.

“Rhythm and body control were always very important for me,” and choreographing complex sequences came naturally to him. Soon the pair were practising together, studying every manoeuvre in the Rodriguez’s videos to learn how to do them. In Hungary there was little information on acro and no one to teach the pair. So, with school out of the way for both of them, the obvious next move was a road trip west in search of their heroes.

The Budapest boys hit the road and headed to the legendary Organya in Spain, the secret home training site of the Kings of Acro, the Rodriguez brothers and their SAT team. Gábor’s and Pál’s easygoing approach to life and undeniable raw talent meant they were soon accepted and learning from the masters themselves.

It’s every young pilot’s dream, travelling the world in search of adventure, living out of the back of a car, tumbling from adventure to adventure in pursuit of becoming a brilliant acro pilot. “ Just quit your job, leave your girlfriend, take beginner courses in acro and a couple in SIV, get an acro harness

[opposite] Syncro-Acro. [above] Paul Takats and Gabor Kezi.

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[below] Gabor Kezi and Paul Takats. [opposite] Death spiral over the water at sunset.

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with double reserves, a good freestlyle wing, learn Spanish and move to a very small town deep in the Pyrenees to train for four or five complete summers,” is Pál’s advice. Gábor agrees. “It takes a lot of motivation, a good instructor, and as much practice as possible.”

By 2005 both were ready for their first competition and entered the Red Bull Vertigo in Switzerland; this gave them the result and impetus to really focus on their dream of becoming professional acro pilots.

Over those summers in Organya, the pair formed the most intense of bonds, one that was to stand them in good stead when it came to the syncro sequences they were to become so good at. Inevitably, the students started to challenge the masters themselves, and in 2006 they placed fourth in the Red Bull Vertigo’s syncro comp, with Pál also taking a respectable seventh in the solo.

Keen to pass on all they had learned and to add further momentum to the already growing acro scene, Pál started Justacro.com, the first internet based news and information portal for the sport.

With the swell in masses of what had previously been a relatively underground acro scene, Justacro. com soon became a hit. Still edited by Pál himself, the website carries not only the news of events and comps from around the world, but also has all the

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

information you need to learn just about every acro manoeuvre, in ten languages! Video and an active forum round-off what is now the largest acro website in the world with over 3,000 registered users.

Around this time, the boys met Andras Kollman, a pilot and film producer from Budapest, who had a dream of making a paragliding film, but one with a difference. He wasn’t looking to produce another Pepsi-Max-fuelled film of tumbling paragliders set to loud rock music. Andras wanted to portray a more human story, one that spoke of perseverance and belief in dreams, and in Gábor and Pál he found two perfect subjects. Over a two-year period Andras followed the pair as they toured the European acro scene.

By 2007 Pál and Gábor were widely recognised as the new force to be reckoned with. Even the Rodriguez brothers were getting worried, with good cause. At the FAI Paragliding Acrobatic World Championships that year Pál stunned the judges with such an amazing solo display that they had no choice but to award him the gold medal. Together with Gábor, the Justacro.com team took the silver just behind the Rodriguez brothers. Pál was also crowned Hungarian pilot of the year by his fellow countrymen.

The Justacro.com team were now established as two of the best acro pilots in the world and were

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[opposite] Gabor Kezi turns in front of a water fall in Interlaken, Switzerland.

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living the dream life of professional acro pilots, travelling from comp to comp and performing for awestruck audiences around the world.

To Gábor, who states his ambition in life is just “to make people happy,” display flying comes naturally. “When you’re burning altitude during an acro show, it’s an amazing feeling when you suddenly hear the sound of the crowd below,” he explains.

“Sometimes if you make a really nice stunt, it’s even stronger. You know that in this moment all those people are clapping and shouting only for you, and you’re happy that they like the show.”

For Pál, there’s an up side and a down. “Just being free, flying all year long with friends, travelling, meeting tons of great people all around the world and getting to know so many diverse countries, cultures, and languages is, basically, most people’s dream. But there’s no money in it. We’re not able to save any money; we just ‘float.’ Unfortunately, right now, there is no opportunity to build a future, but we are working hard at it…”

With the advent of the Infinite Tumble some

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

cynics are wondering if the sport has anywhere to go.

“Good question!” thinks Pál, “I think it’s definitely sure that there are still some undiscovered connections/combinations, but not individual tricks. To create a brand new figure we may have to wait for the gliders to develop. I also have an idea, but until now I haven’t had the balls to try it out.”

Gábor is in agreement but adds, “First of all, acro needs more media attention. With a stronger supporter base, pilots could continue working and developing new ideas regarding wings, manoeuvres and choreographed connections.”

One step they both hope will help is Andras’ film about them, Adrenaline and Turbulence. After two years’ hard work, it is finally on sale. “It’s a unique film, which looks deeply into the acro scene, presenting and interviewing many of the world’s top pilots as they have never been seen before,” is Pál’s take on it. “It’s also the story of two young, motivated pilots from a flat country, who decide to give up their lives and make their dreams come true.”

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World Record

Rigid Wing Flight

By Bob Fuscation

H

ere begins my account of a world record flight I had last summer on June 16. It is now in the process of FAI homologation (their word, not mine), so I feel it is fair to call this exhilarating, if somewhat stressful, flight a World Record.

It all began ten years ago when I sold my dot.con…er, dot.com business called Pound Proud. It was essentially a matchmaking site for heavy-duty singles. You can imagine how that enterprise took off in the USA of the 90s. Well, needless to say, after the sale I was flush and feeling on top of the world. I had started the business in college, and here I was barely 33 years old with a bank account as swollen as one of my clients. I was happily wed to a tolerant wife with a sweet twelve-yearold daughter and a precocious nine-yearold son. We all decided to quit the rat race, move out of Silicon Valley and build our dream house.

The ideal location for our little bit of heaven turned out to be along I-70, just west of Denver, Colorado, up in the hills.

I bought a large tract overlooking the plains where you could see east to Kansas.

It provided easy access to the big city, a quick trip to the ski areas, a conduit to the Coors factory, and plenty of other cultural activities, like visits to that nether nevernever land named Boulder. Those were the selling points to my wife, but secretly, I wanted to live there for the flying. I had learned to hang glide a few years before at Mission Peak and Fort Funston, by San Francisco. Silly me, I found out too late that the main site, Lookout Mountain,

above Golden, faces east—backass to the prevailing westerlies. But after spending an obscene amount on our dream castle, I wasn’t about to move elsewhere.

About that dream castle: We went overboard. I hired the famous Hungarian/ Scottish/Polish/Israeli architect, Lazlo MacInsteinski, to create a vision. We arranged to meet out at the lot and he showed up dressed like Thomas Wolf, marinating in his own ego. As he surveyed our building site, he was taken by the possibilities, and said, “This view makes my mind soar!” When I suggested that I would like to pursue a flight theme, he was positively salivating. I hauled out a book and showed him a couple of photos of the Northrop Flying Wing.

Jack Northrop designed this aircraft in 1941 as an efficient bomber. But it was too far ahead of its time, and after extensive flight-testing in the late 40’s, it was rejected by the backroom, stogie-sucking, gut-bucket brass in the Pentagon. I asked a simple question: “Can you make me a house that looks like this?”

He hemmed and hawed, calculated and gesticulated and said, “If your wallet is fat enough, anything is possible.”

“Fat is my specialty,” I rejoined, and the plans began. I originally envisioned the wing-shaped house to be up on multiple moorings to provide a great view, but Mac did me one better. He designed a single huge pylon at the house’s center of gravity with a motor mechanism to rotate the house like a space needle restaurant for both the view and to afford privacy when we wanted it. Huge curved picture windows were placed in the airfoil-shaped building’s leading edge, and the bedroom

“The storm was raging on our tail, but all we could do was head downwind with hope, a prayer and all the skill I could muster. A big bolt of blazing lightning came out of the gray and blasted the ground. I knew that this was all going to end with either annihilation by the onrushing maelstrom, or glory from a fantastic far-flung flight.” wings were in the wings. My wife and I were thrilled, and we signed off on the final plans without a hitch.

It took nearly a year from plans to finish and furnish, but it was well worth the wait and the moolah. We enjoyed the comfort, the privacy and the entertainment possibilities. We also learned a lot about living up in the foothills of the Rockies. It tends to blow in the spring with a vengeance. As it turned out, Mac had done some homework and had installed a wind-direction detector on the pylon that automatically turned the house nose into the prevailing wind if we didn’t override it. Good thing, because when a front passed, the wind howled. We learned to live with the occasional Beaufort-mega event and spent two years in what would have been bliss except for one thing: we had so much room that my wife, Jackie, decided to move her mother in, over my weak protests. Her mother is a certified battleaxe who has never really approved of me and has no qualms in biting the Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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hand that feeds her. Needless to say, my dream house became less dreamy. I soon found excuses to go flying more and even contemplated getting a job.

Fortunately, I was at home on June 16 when we heard the weather report of a big blue norther coming our way with a plunging jet stream and an upper level trough. “Yikes,” I thought, “we’d better batten the hatches.” We closed the shutters, gathered the kids and sat in the living room watching the Weather Channel.

The winds were rising by the hour, and

“My wife was giving me hateful looks and wringing her hands, but I soon put her to work jumping foreand-aft for pitch control.”

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the downslope effect on the lee of the Rockies served to increase the strength.

When the anemometer on the roof began gusting to 70, the house shuddered every time the blast peak arrived.

Suddenly, the house began swaying like a drunken sailor. Jackie started screaming, my Mother-in-law started cursing and the kids were saucer-eyed. Being the man of the house, I had to try to keep calm.

“Don’t worry, I yelled, this house has been engineered!” Just then we heard a sound like a frozen cat in a band saw, followed by a cannon blast. Our whole world went topsy-turvy, and we seemed to rise like an elevator on Viagra. It took me a while to come to my senses, but stark reality hit like a solar-plexus punch when I realized we were airborne. My flying-wing-house was truly flying. I thought for sure we were dead but wasn’t about to give up without a fight. I looked out the windows and saw that we had risen about 1000 feet in the original tear off the ground and had been turned downwind to sail over Denver’s western suburbs. I knew enough to calculate that although we may clear the city at best, we certainly couldn’t survive a downwind landing.

I suddenly had one of those light bulb moments that are life altering, as in preventing certain disaster. I realized we could possibly control this behemoth wing with weight shift. I told everyone to shut up and listen up. They were still whimpering when I told them the plan: they had to move throughout the house where I told them and just maybe we could keep flying until a safe landing.

There was a slight right turn, probably due to the furnace and water heater in the right wing, so I sent my mother-in law to the furthest bedroom on the left.

With her out of the way, I could definitely think more clearly and soon saw we were leveled out. Step one had me breathing a sigh of relief. When my daughter asked, “Dad, are we going to die?” I could tell her “No, look, we’re flying,” with feigned confidence, even if I wasn’t all that sure.

The one thing that concerned me as I surveyed the situation was our climbing in the powerful updrafts preceding the storm. I really wanted down, not up, but realized that we had to get in front of the storm for any possibility of a gentle landing. For the most part, the lift was smooth

under the extending thunderstorm bench, but occasional turbulence would have me yelling at Mother-in-law for a roll adjustment. I must say, in the heat of the moment, I called her a few names relating to her outsized derriere as motivation. It sure felt good.

The big problem we had was yaw. The house-wing slewed left and right without any vertical surfaces and low sweep. But I had the kids go to the leading edge windows and open or close them upon my commands, creating drag when necessary to maintain heading. My wife was giving me hateful looks and wringing her hands, but I soon put her to work jumping foreand-aft for pitch control. Once we had all of this worked out, I began to feel pretty confident. The storm was still raging on our tail, but our steadily increasing altitude made me hopeful that we could escape its dreaded clutches.

Let me tell you about flying a flying house. First off, there is an otherworldly aspect about floating with your family and possessions high over the landscape.

Such a big ship—larger than the original bomber—moved like an ocean liner with slow response to weight shift control, but also equally slow reaction to air current variations. And the glide…well, I expect if we had removed our chimney, we would have had a sailplane on our hands. As it was, I bet we were getting a 20-to-one through the air. The high-aspect ratio and clean lines also helped our sink rate, even though we were a heavyweight. In retrospect, if you were to design an ideal wing to fly in such a monster storm, it might turn out pretty much like my house.

Anyway, I had the presence of mind to have my son, Jake, get my GPS, and turn it on once I saw we were stabilized. By the time it acquired and gave us our position, we were more than 30 miles east of Denver and still climbing. The GPS said 11,000 feet MSL, but we were still nowhere near the top of the lift. I surveyed the situation and saw my daughter, Jesse, was quietly manning her window station and had taken over the GPS. My wife had lost her scowl and was alert for my pitch commands, while my Mother-in-law bellowed ineffectually in the far bedroom.

Jake was the kicker. He had been gazing out the window and exclaimed, “This is so cool, Dad you’re the best!” I felt a

Celebrating 13 years of making Flight and Dreams come together! swelling pride and realized this was the first time my family actually shared my flying adventures. Maybe this would turn out all right after all.

We were tracking just north of I-70 and soon passed into Kansas. I was trying to out-race the storm, but the jet stream had other ideas. It was steering the upper winds to blow the storm along or even create new cells that built right behind us. It felt like those dreams where you are being pursued and can’t seem to gain traction. But, in fact, looking at the GPS indicated we had a ground speed of nearly 80 mph. We maintained heading in this way for several hours and everyone began to relax.

Suddenly, Jesse called, “Dad, we’re not in Kansas anymore!” Then it hit me: this was turning out to be the longest crosscountry flight of my life and might never be repeated. I had to appear like the responsible father/husband/toad-in-law, but inside I was beaming. In fact, when I saw we were getting ahead of the storm and flying out of the lift, I yelled to the bedroom beast, “Hey, Mildred, come on into the hall.” She did, and the wing began a slow right turn. Soon we were 360ing in abundant lift while the storm caught up.

We went on like this for another few hours, and I was having the time of my life. I knew we were well into Missouri as Kansas City slipped behind us. Any semblance of sanity would have had me thinking about landing, but the rolling countryside did not look too inviting.

Eventually the ground leveled out, but since I know my wife will never read this mag, I’ll admit that I actually was so into the thrill of the flying that I prolonged our passage by at least an hour. What pilot worth his hang rating could resist the XC flight of a lifetime? But eventually the sun was getting lower, I was getting tired of the constant vigilance, and I saw the lights of St. Louis in the distance.

That’s it, I said to myself. We’ll drop in on the shores of the Mississippi.

When we reached a point about 25 miles south of the city, I saw huge fields right along the river and chose the biggest, greenest pasture I could find. I had to think about how to handle this touchdown. Without wheels, I realized we would have to flare like any hang glider.

So I had the kids open the windward

windows to steepen our glide path, then move out to the left wing so the bovine relative could come to the center and be ready to shift her bulk back when the time was right.

We bled off about 5000 feet of altitude with large, lazy 360s, then settled into a straight glide aiming at our goal field. We cleared a forest, then a power line, and neared the swales. Only when we got close to terra firma, did I realize how fast a ground speed we had. Holy shlamoly, I thought, this may hurt. As it was, I yelled for our chief ballast and my wife to sprint to the back, when I judged the time to flare, and followed them with a dive. It turned out that the house/wing was slower than I thought to respond, and we hit at a good clip, bounced into the air, and then came down to a skidding halt as the angle-of-attack increased. The abrupt stop sent us pummeling forward, but the only casualty was my broken wrist, as my nemesis landed on it with all-of-her 279 pounds.

I held my wrist and walked through the house accessing the damage. The kids were fine and came into the living room carrying our dog that had spent the entire time under the bed. My wife got busy reorganizing furniture and dishes that had slid during the flight, and despite my broken wrist, I was elated, until I found out gramma had gotten airsick and unloaded her breakfast on my harness sitting in the back bedroom. But I must admit, she did perform like a trooper, and as long as she never reads this, we may come to a certain peaceable understanding.

The main thing that led to peace and harmony is that, without too much argument, I agreed to remain where we settled down. It turns out that the field we landed in was up for sale. We were able to purchase a few acres, jack-up the house and build a foundation, and settle in. Truth was, despite the record-setting flight and my performance as a hero, I was pretty much over the desire to live in the high mountains where such an extreme act of nature can occur. What more tranquil site can you find than in the flats along the Mississippi River where everything is stable and immune from the ravages of nature? I call it our extraordinary rendition.

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Watch the Man

OU photos & words by BruceB

SFIELD

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“‘That would be so cool to fly over!’ I thought. But then I considered the logistics.”

D

[opposite top] On launch looking north along the ridge. [bottom] An unplanned landing by the space shuttle. BRC is in the desert behind.

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uring the week before Labor Day, an eclectic group of festival-goers travel through my hometown of Reno, Nevada, on their way to Black Rock City and the Burning Man festival. This festival is a weeklong celebration of counter-culture art, sculpture, music and free expression. The temporary city exists just for the festival in the Black Rock Desert 100 miles north of Reno. As these “Burners” travel through town, they usually stop for last minute supplies, filling the parking lots of discount stores with old army trucks, beat-up Subarus and travel-worn RV’s—packed to the gills.

I happened to be reading National Geographic magazine the week before the festival and noticed they had a satellite photo of Black Rock City. I had imagined its being a chaotic sprawl, but learned that it’s a well-choreographed system of radial and circular roads that looks like an alien city from Dune.

“That would be so cool to fly over!” I thought. But then I considered the logistics. Our nearest flying site, Palomino Valley, is 70 miles away from the festival.

Flying 70 miles is not too difficult in our area, especially from Slide Mountain, but Palomino is rarely flown, and I hadn’t even gotten off the hill in three visits there. The problem is that it’s situated right next to Pyramid Lake. Even though the launch faces the prevailing SW wind and is on the SW side of the lake, Pyramid Lake is big (as large as Lake Tahoe) and in the middle of high desert; consequently, it’s a huge sinkhole. This sinking air overpowers the prevailing wind, resulting in localized easterly winds by midday (there is no east launch). So the only time this site is good to use is when there are strong SW winds,

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

when it can be ridge soared.

A week later, on the Wednesday of the festival week, after three days of strong 30+ mph SW winds, the forecast was for moderate 20 mph winds. I thought surely that day would be good for a bit of ridge soaring at Palomino. Dr. Jack promised quite a bit of instability, but as one might expect, with an extremely low Buoyancy/Shear (B/S) ratio, too (hard to work thermals). After conferring with a few local pilots, a group decided to give it a go—but I swore if it blew over the back, I was never going back!

Along with four other pilots and two drivers, I headed up to launch at 5100 feet, 900 feet above the scrubby desert below. The wind was straight in but much lighter than forecast. I just hoped it wouldn’t turn 180 before we could launch. As Dr. Jack predicted, there were quite a few cummies popping, and even a bit of virga. The cloud cover was definitely reducing the ground heating and probably preventing the lake from doing its usual dastardly trick, but it also meant few thermals. It didn’t look like we could ridge soar or thermal, but the clouds 6000 feet above sure did look inviting.

Since I’d instigated this trip, I felt it my duty to be the wind technician. I launched into one of the few cycles and immediately found a tight bullet thermal. It was hard to work, and after climbing just a few hundred feet, I fell out. As I struggled to find another thermal, the other pilots launched, waffled around, and sank out. Dr. Jack’s B/S ratio was no BS. But there was just enough marginal ridge lift to allow me to venture a mile-or-two along the ridge until I stumbled upon a solid core, and I was more

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[above] Looking north over Pyramid Lake. I flew along the low range to the right of the lake. [opposite top] Between Gerlach and Black Rock City. The wavy line below and left of the city, is the access road in. [bottom] The only green field for countless miles. [next page] Black Rock City.

than a little surprised when it took me to cloud base by the lake.

Gaining the south end of this range eight miles at 11K’. The ridge soaring was obviously not going to work, but at this altitude I now had other plans. I from Nixon almost cost me the flight. Other than decided to drop over the back to the small town of the road to Gerlach, there’s not much out there, and Nixon at the south end of Pyramid Lake. I relayed when I got to the foot of the ridge, I only had the my plans to my wife Sarah, who was driving for me, barest glide to the road almost two miles away. I felt and I headed ten miles to the east. Most of the clouds lucky to stumble upon some light disorganized lift had dark concave bottoms, and I found strong lift and drifted with it up the ridge until I reached the first small peak. Here the lift became much more under them.

From Nixon I could look north along the solitary workable, and I eventually got back to cloud base. road on the east side of Pyramid Lake. Fifty miles The next 25 miles along the ridge were a breeze. I down this road is the tiny town of Gerlach on the was able to dolphin fly from cloud base to cloud base SW edge of the Black Rock Desert. Between the road between 12K’ and 13K’. I was able to relax and enjoy and the lake is a low mountain range 25 miles long. the views. It was amusing to watch the one-way trafI figured that this range would be heavily influenced fic along the road to Gerlach. Although not quite by cold air coming off the lake; however, there were bumper-to-bumper, there was certainly a steady also cummies streeting above the ridge. If I could stream of miscellaneous vehicles headed to Burning just stay high in the convergence, maybe I could get Man. Normally this road would be deserted.

“Since I could have easily landed in the open area around the temple, I debated what to do. Tickets were $300, but I was sure I wouldn't be charged.”

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At the end of the range I was faced with a big blue hole between me and Gerlach, 25 miles away. The desert floor looked like high scrub and not too friendly, but I could see an airstrip by a mining facility ten miles away and headed there. A few miles from it, I found more very light lift over some small hills. After what seemed a lifetime of circling in 40-50 ft/min lift, it suddenly turned on and a cloud popped out above me. I was soon right under it. From here I knew I could make Gerlach, and I could spot the corner of the Black Rock Desert. The lakebed stretched out to the NE as far as I could see. I had no idea where the Burning Man festival actually was!

As I approached Gerlach on what felt like a final glide, I suddenly saw a gray arc in the center of the lakebed about ten miles from Gerlach. What a surreal sight! I desperately wanted to reach it. As I flew over Gerlach and the edge of the dry lakebed at about 1000 feet, I found light burbles that slowly drifted me toward the festival. This was so cool; I simply flew around in big lazy circles slowly approaching the city center, taking in the sights. I could see lines of vehicles weaving across the lakebed to the entrance gate, the city center where all the radial roads intersected, then the temple in the open area of the arc, and finally the huge “Man” that would be burned the last night. I knew a few friends at the festival and wondered if they’d see me. (No, as it turned out.)

Since I could have easily landed in the open area around the temple, I debated what to do. Tickets were $300, but I was sure I wouldn’t be charged. But then, how would my wife get the truck in? It could take forever, and she wasn’t sounding too keen on spending a long night in the dusty desert. While I toured the festival grounds from above, I’d climbed back to 10K’ and could see one last small valley to the north with what looked like a ranch nestled in the scrub. I headed that way in the super, smooth evening air, and ten miles later squeaked into a grassy field.

It’s only dirt roads out there. I gave Sarah my coordinates, and she soon turned up at the ranch.

We were really out in the middle-of-nowhere, but, as is common, the rancher came out to chat with us.

He seemed happy for the company and curious to find out where we had come from. It was getting late, so the conversation turned to where we might find food. He mentioned some dubious restaurants in Gerlach, noting that otherwise it’d be 100 miles back to Fernley, not far from Reno. He disappeared for about five minutes while I finished packing up the glider and loading it onto the truck.

Then, just as we were starting to drive away, the farmer came dashing over and handed us two huge pita sandwiches stuffed with chicken salad. What a display of great hospitality to end a very memorable day on the local hill!

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Greg Billow crankin' it up over the Crawford mountains near Randolph, Utah | photo by Greg Billow.

Flying

Green

byBillHUGHES

Looking for an alternative energy source? Bill Hughes has a solution that works even where the sun don't shine.

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lobal warming, carbon emissions, green technology....information about the impending destruction of the planet dominates the news today. At a recent paragliding competition a pilot came up to me and said: “Hail, fellow pilot, have you thought lately about the impact that our sport is having on the planet?” OK, that wasn’t exactly what he said; really, he asked if I thought “that chick standing by that tree over there” was “hot,” but I could tell that beneath his seemingly shallow question lay a deep and

abiding concern about global warming, and it got me thinking. Is there something we could do to make paragliding more “green?”

On the surface, hang gliding and paragliding appear to be very environmentally friendly activities, especially when compared with other air sports. In fact, you could claim that by circling in thermals, we are absorbing heat that would otherwise rise into the atmosphere where it would eventually melt ice caps and kill polar bears. But there are aspects of the

sport that do have a negative impact on the environment. Batteries are one example. We go through a fair number of batteries (or electricity to recharge them) to power our various flight instruments, radios, cameras, mp3 players, and so on.

I did a rough calculation and determined that, on average, I kill one polar bear for every seven XC flights I make. That, I decided, was a ratio I (not to mention the polar bears) could not live with.

On an XC flight last year at Chelan, I found myself circling in lift near the Grand Coulee Dam and needing to relieve myself. Having long since mastered the art of condom catheterization (see my earlier, groundbreaking article on this topic), this posed no problem for me. As I was reveling in sweet, sweet relief and contemplating whether I wanted to cross the dam, inspiration struck! I possessed the makings of my own hydro-electric power!

Back at home, over many months, I worked on designs for the mini hydroelectric generator. None of the existing technology was small or light enough to be worn comfortably inside a pair of boxerbriefs. Eventually, I engineered a solution, using parts from the motors of miniature RC cars. By attaching small concave blades to the sprocket that usually powers the wheels, I essentially created a water wheel—or, in this case, a “urine wheel.”

The stream turns the blades, which turn the motor, which generates current.

The next problem that had to be overcome was casing the motor so that electricity did not flow back into the stream of urine, where it would shock sensitive body parts. A painful series of prototypes eventually yielded a design whereby a device is housed in one of the standard plastic connectors that are used to attach condom catheters to the hose. The motor shaft and blades are inside the connector, in the stream, and the motor is outside, protected by a plastic housing.

How much power does it generate?

Well, that is obviously going to depend on the individual and how much you have to go. For the first few experimental flights, I drank water at about the same rate I would during a flight. I launched with an iPod that had a completely dead battery, and, in the course of a one-hour flight, I usually could pee enough to recharge the

Ounces Red Bull per Hour

Devices Powered

8oz (1 can)

iPod

16oz (2 cans)

iPod, Garmin GPS

24oz (3 cans)

iPod, Flytec 6030

32oz (4 cans)

iPod, Garmin GPS, Flytec 6030

64 oz (8 cans)

iPod, Flytec 6030, 32in flat screen TV, Xbox 360

iPod to the point where it would play for around five minutes. I then switched to sugar-free Red Bull® and found that it was much more effective at generating the hydro-power necessary to generate some serious juice. Table 1 shows how much power I was able to generate by drinking progressively larger amounts of Red Bull.

Due to potential liability concerns, I have decided not to productize the device at this time, but you can get full plans to create your own by emailing billh@ pplanet.com. And, ladies, I apologize in advance—I’m still working on a design that will work for you. Until then, if you find yourself at launch with dead batteries, just find a man with a mini-hydroelectric plant and ask for a quick charge.

Usage note: Avoid flying directly below pilots using the device and consuming more than four cans of Red Bull per hour, as there will be a nearly continuous stream of liquid raining down. Also, there is no reason to limit use of your mini-hydroelectric plant to paragliding or hang gliding. Whether you are planning a stroll downtown, a round of golf, or a day at the park, your mini-hydro plant will keep the music playing all day without ever needing to plug in.

Obviously, this does take a bit of extra effort to get everything set up and routed properly before flight, but is it really too heavy a burden in order to save the planet?

For me, if it saves the life of even one polar bear, it’s a price I’ll gladly pay.

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The

Vince

By Vince Endter

Report

ured, incorrectly, that the sea breeze had already moved in, so we drove down to hen Rich Sauer, Bill Vogel and the north launch and set up. A few minI arrived on top at the south utes later, Greg Sugg, Andy Long, John launch of Elk, the wind seemed DeAguiar, and their driver, Scott, showed to be blowing down. I had brought my up at the north launch. Since we were helium tank and some balloons, so I sent there, they thought that was the place to up a trial balloon. be. Little did they know how wrong we The balloon drifted toward the south were! at a 15-degree angle, indicating a north After we were all set up, very strong wind at about 5 mph. Earlier in the day, cycles started coming up the south side.

I had checked two forecast models in XC I sent up another balloon, and it drifted Skies. The GFS model showed great lift north at a 15-degree angle, indicating and wind from the south all day. The that the wind had shifted out of the NAM showed the sea breeze moving in south at five mph. Cumulus clouds were early with weak lift over Elk. Since the forming just across the ridge at Horse, wind was already out of the north, we fig- as well as up and down the Mendocino

W

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range. Obviously, we had set up on the wrong launch. I hiked back up to the south launch and confirmed it was coming in from the south with nice cycles.

This was the first time that five rigids would be flying at Elk at the same time.

With John D. in his flex wing, that made six hang gliders total, the most I have seen at Elk in seven years.

We were all set to fly by 11:30 a.m. but had to wait until almost 1:00 p.m. for [above] Gliders on launch and me in the air. [below left] Gliders set up on the north launch of Elk, CA. [below right] A satellite view of my track log taken from the program SeeYou. [opposite] Launching a helium balloon to check the wind direction.

My name is Vince Endter.

I started flying hang gliders in 1999 at the age of 40 at the urging of a friend who was a hang glider pilot. I have had my FAA fixed wing license for 30 years (2000+ hours). I now fly an Atos rigid wing hang glider and have competed in the 2002 and 2004 Class Five world championships and all of the Class One hang glider competitions in the United States from 2002 to 2006 (11 Class One competitions). At one time I was ranked 2nd in the USA and 21st in the world in Class Five.

I have always enjoyed flying XC. I had my first XC flight (29 miles) eleven months after I started hang gliding and my first 100-miler one year later. As of 2009, I have accumulated 6900 XC miles.

My flying partner and the main photographer for the Vince Report is Rich Sauer, who has flown hang gliders for over 30 years and has attended many Class One competitions and several world championships. Rich has flown on three continents and was rated in the top 10 in Class One for many years.

The Vince Reports started when I attended my first Class One championship at Wallaby Ranch in 2002. Another hang glider pilot was reporting on the web, and I wanted to give a more balanced view of the competition. By the time the comp ended and we moved to the Flytec competition the following week, I had a pretty big following. It was Gary Osoba who started calling my report the “Vince Report.” The name stuck.

When my competition days stopped (due to lack of money), my reports morphed from a competition report into more of a how-to-fly XC report. Rich and I seemed to be the only local pilots who were seriously flying XC and tried to get more pilots to try XC. In my reports Rich and I attempt to show not only how much fun XC can be, but also the decision making process regarding routes, LZs, location of the thermals, etc. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and Rich’s pictures really make the reports come alive, helping the reader better visualize and understand what I am writing about and setting them apart from a blog. Each one is a short story in itself.

Rich takes about 300+ pictures on every flight. I sometimes carry a camera as well. After our flight, I download pictures and varios from both of us. I then go through the 300+ pictures and try to find the ones that best illustrate the flight or have a particularly useful view demonstrating some aspect of flying XC. Once I have chosen the pictures, I run them through Photoshop to crop/clean/enhance, etc.

I write my report while viewing our track logs in a program called SeeYou. It is amazing how what you remember is different from the actual flight (even though the flight was only a day ago). Being able to replay the flight helps enhance and possibly correct my memory of the flight or point out some event that was pivotal to the flight. Once the report is written (I use FrontPage), I upload the text and pictures to my website. The entire process takes four to six hours (usually more than the entire flight). Once it is uploaded, I post a link to various hang gliding websites. http://www.flyingcritters.com/vince/the-vince-report.htm

it to start blowing up the north launch, comfortable launching. As each pilot got when the real sea breeze moved in. Rich to launch, he realized that with only 20’ was first to launch. He waited 15 min- or so to launch, it takes a little more of utes for a cycle good enough to come a cycle than one would think while back through for him to launch. I’m sure all in line. the other pilots in line were thinking they Nice clouds had been forming all day. would have taken one of the earlier cycles, Unfortunately, by the time we launched because it usually seems stronger when they were five miles east of us and imposyou are in the back of the line. When I sible to get to. After Rich launched and launched next, I waited another 15 min- I was standing in line, he only reached utes for a cycle long enough for me to feel about 500’ over launch, a lot less than the

GFS model’s 8,000’ prediction. If we had launched from the south launch by 11:45 a.m., I think we would have gotten close to that, judging by the clouds. (We don’t get clouds very often, so it was very frustrating to see nice ones and not be able to get over to them.) We had five rigids in the air at one time, the most I think I have seen at a local site.

Andy was able to climb and stay with Rich and me. I think the highest anyone Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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climbed was a little over 5,000’, which was only 1000’ over launch. The three of us were able to work tightly together, a skill that is harder than it seems. You must not only listen to your instrument, but also watch all the other gliders in the thermal—not just to avoid a collision, but also to see in what part of the thermal they climb the most. At this point, you need to tighten-up your circle. Watching the other gliders is like looking ten seconds into the future.

I could sense that the thermals were getting weaker, so I headed out toward the creek-bed with 4,700’—not enough to glide across Mid Mountain to Farmer Bob’s field, but I was hoping I could get something along the way. By this time, John D. had launched and landed. He missed any lift and had to land at the bailout with the motorcycles. As he came in to land, they all stopped to watch, which was frustrating because he was using the dust they were kicking up to gauge the wind direction. However, it all worked out in the end, and he had a nice landing.

When I got over the thistle field land-

ing spot (actually the creek-bed next to [opposite] Gliders working a thermal in tight formation. what we call the thistle field), Greg was already there boating around in some light climbed in the lift. After a few minutes lift. As I approached, I hit a good one, and a few hundred feet of altitude gain, cranked around, and was able to climb at the thermal drifted, and I slowly worked better than 400 fpm the entire 360, the my way down. I had a nice landing, close first time I had been able to stay in lift for to the breakdown area (much less walka full circle. I climbed in this thermal ing through tall grass), but a one-stepper. for a little over 1,000’. I could see I had Since the grass was over four feet tall, made it to Farmer Bob’s field, so when one step was not possible. My nose setI topped out, I headed that way. Even tled ever-so-slowly into the grass, putting though the grass had not been mown, the the first grass stain on the nose cone since field looked better than the creek-bed full I had installed a new one at the beginning of last year. of rocks.

Andy had watched me and saw my After I left the group for Farmer Bob’s field, Greg and Bill landed in the creek-bed landing. He had never landed in Bob’s next to the thistle field. This part of the field and didn’t realize how big it was, creek is about four miles from launch and so he ended up with a little more exhas power lines at each end. Anywhere ercise than I think he wanted. Rich else along the creek with enough room landed next, after more than two hours to land seems to have power lines across of flying. My flight was only one hour it. Rich was pretty low when he took the long. Today’s experience further shows picture. He had to do a lot of work to get that no matter how much you think you know what is happening, you can guess up and over the ridge. ...which he did!

When I arrived over Bob’s field, a ther- completely wrong. We made the best of mal was breaking off. Instead of trying the conditions we had, and it turned out to fight my way down and land in ques- to be a good day to work on our scratchtionable conditions, I boated around and ing skills.

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Sport Class HYPE

by LindaSALAMONE

“Maybe it was because I am a girl, or maybe it was because I just sledded for the first four years, but I had been truly coddled.

Getting out of that zone was vital for me to become a better pilot.”

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hile I watch the thermometer hover around 5 degrees (F!), it’s difficult to get geared up to write about (or even think about) heading out to fly. But reports from the smoking hot Forbes Flatlands meet, a meet I had hoped to attend in Australia, have me thawing out just enough to put some thoughts on paper regarding the upcoming U.S. competition season.

I got into competing because…well, I’m really competitive. I don’t know if hang glider pilots are by nature more competitive than most people, but I know for sure I’m not the only one who tries to be the longest, highest, farthest flying pilot at every opportunity.

When I won top female honors at a

local fun meet at Ellenville one year, I caught the bug. I realized quickly that I really stepped up a notch and stretched my comfort zone when in a competition. The resulting experiences added to my knowledge base. It helped having a bunch of pilots in the air at the same time to learn from, debrief with, and measure myself against. And not just the same five guys from home, to whom I tended to defer. Maybe it was because I am a girl, or maybe it was because I basically just sledded for the first four years that I flew, but I had been truly coddled. Getting out of that zone was vital for me to become a better pilot.

I attended two Team Challenge competitions before my first aero-tow meet.

The first year it was sanctioned, my team took first place. It was intimidating to fly with world class pilots like Davis Straub, Steve Revolinski, Bo Hagewood and Kevin Carter. But the format there, with A pilots doing everything to get their C pilots to goal, was very conducive to learning. They sat around the campfire at night, talking about the

day’s flights and answering questions, while we newbies soaked it all up.

Which brings me to my main point: the Sport Class. I wish that Sport Class had existed when I first headed to Florida to get a taste of the big comps. I remember visiting Wallaby Ranch during one of their huge meets in 2002 or 2003 and feeling overwhelmed and intimi-

dated. I never saw myself competing at that level then because I didn’t see a bridge, from where I was then, to that. I eventually made the leap, and now enjoy a fair level of comfort in that arena, which I attribute partly to being female and partly to being stubborn. But the Sport Class would have been a great help, because it provides

BE AN ATHLETIC SUPPORTER! Buy a Commemorative T-Shirt to Support Linda Salamone and the 2010 U.S. Women’s National Team Buy T-Shirts Here: http://www.rochesterareaflyers.com/GOTTAFLY.html Linda Salamone will be the only woman representing the U.S. at the 2010 Women’s Worlds, she will be competing with no sponsorship besides entry fees paid by the Foundation for Free Flight.

Please support the 2010 U.S. Women’s Team and facilitate future U.S. Women’s representation at the world level. Let’s get Linda to the Worlds and let’s get you into a great T-shirt!

Linda’s Blog: http://www.gottafly.blogspot.com/ Linda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/linda.salamone Linda’s email: gottafly@frontiernet.net Linda’s phone: 585-737-8699

Ad space courtesy of USHPA.

Good Luck Linda!

2010 Women’s Worlds in Tegelberg, Germany, May 8 through May 22, 2010 Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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“I learned a lot at that meet, and every competition since has taught me lessons— some big, some small, some painful—but each time I come away with something.”

along my copy of Dennis Pagen’s Secrets of Champions and mustered up the guts to ask Oleg Bondarchuk to sign it for me the first day. I could have waited until the blown-out day we went shopping together at a Ft. Myers hobby shop; by then he was just a sweet, regular guy we were hanging out with who happened to be kicking everyone’s butt at the meet. He was free with advice and knowledge about racing; I asked all kinds of stupid questions but only understood a third of what he told me.

I learned a lot at that meet, and every competition since has taught me lessons—some big, some small, some that bridge. Luckily for new competi- painful—but each time I come away tors, almost every meet in the country with something that makes my recnow offers it alongside the Open Class. reational flying more rewarding (like First up for me this year is the Rob Kells kicking some local butt and setting site Memorial meet at the Florida Ridge in records). And last year, my experience at mid-April. I’ve gone to every meet the the Rob Kells Memorial meet produced Ridge has held, since the first one in some of my best, most consistent flying.

2004. In fact, that was my first aero-tow The Sport Class has always been well competition, and rubbing elbows with attended in south Florida. This year some of the world’s best pilots was both they’re offering discounted aero-tow awesome and intimidating. I’d brought fees to seasoned pilots who bring new-

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to-competition pilots to compete. The Sport Class generally has shorter tasks, relying on more input from the competitors, and can overlap or end at the same place as Open Class. New pilots get tons of help with instruments, other equipment and strategy.

Next up in 2010 is the Flytec Race and Rally. It begins just after the RKM meet ends and has a unique format. Many hot pilots are eagerly anticipating this competition; I look forward to being able to finish it this year. When that meet wraps up, I’m off to Tegelberg, Germany, for the Women’s World Championships.

I probably won’t have enough vacation time to attend some of the other U.S. competitions, but if I could, I’d do the East Coast Championships (so close to home and such a great group of people), the Big Spring Open and the Santa Cruz Flats Race. Each of these will likely have a Sport Class offered. Hopefully, you’ll get to attend at least one of them to sharpen your skills, watch and learn from the best, and snag a sky-full of fun, too!.

Photo by Mel Sessa.

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GALLERY

[previous] Jon Durand over Burketown, Australia | photo Š Mark Watson/Red Bull Photofiles. [this page] Launching from the Penon launch near Valle de Bravo, Mexico | photo by Chris Santacroce. [opposite top] Chris Santacroce gets inverted in Mexico | photo by Chris Santacroce. [bottom] Over the Tetons | photo by Jon Hunt.

[previous left] Paul Voight launching Herd Peak near Mount Shasta, California. [previous right] Jeff O'Brien on the South Side. [this page] Chris Santacroce at various angles after releasing his Gin Bobcat from tow in Salt Lake City.

[above] Bella Reibling and Jessica Love pool side in Turkey during the 2009 PWC | photo by Jamie Messenger. [opposite] Photos by Mel Sessa. [next page, left] Corinna Schwiegerschausen in Greifenburg, Austria | photo Š Samo Vidic/Red Bull Photofiles. [next page, right] Jeff Shapiro jumps the moon | photo by Ricker Goldsborough.

2011 CALENDAR

PHOTO CONTEST!

EPIC PRIZES

PHOTO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Submit horizontal photos in digital format with a MINIMUM of 3120 W x 2400 H pixels (7.5 megapixels). Please submit unaltered at the highest resolution you have. Photos must have been taken no earlier than January of 2008. Each submission MUST INCLUDE: Signed contributor agreement (1 per photographer) photographers name, mailing address, phone, email address AND a photo caption, location, site name, pilot name, wing type, month & year of photo. Please submit digital photos on CD or DVD if possible, but FTP is also available at the link below. SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE IS MAY 31ST.

UNITED STATES HANG GLIDIN

LADIES, GENTLEMEN, START YOUR CAMERAS. All photos making the final cut will score the standard contributor payment. The two photos that make the HG & PG covers will win a USHPA fleece jacket. And once again we'll be running a feature story in the December issue highlighting calendar photos and the pilots and photographers behind them. So go out and get some. You don't have to be a pro to stake your claim in the free flight hall of fame.

All contributors will receive confirmation of receipt and photos will be returned upon completion of the project. Contact Martin with questions at 1-800-616-6888 martin@ushpa.aero.

G AND PARAG LIDING ASSOC IATION

2011 2011

G AND PARAG LIDING ASSOC UNITED STATES HANG GLIDIN

PHO R U YO

IATION INC.

R E. E H TO

INC.

Submission info & forms are found at: www.ushpa.aero/ calendarproject.asp Send your photos to: USHPA Calendar Attn: Martin Palmaz PO Box 1330 Colorado Springs CO 80901-1330

2010

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SAVING AL GORE

Those who've read about my Parawhaling and Paradonking adventures know I'm a big animal lover.

You can imagine my distress when I heard that Polar Bears were being victimized by global warming.

In the summer of 2009, I loaded up my big SUV with plastic water bottles and drove to Seattle where I launched from the space needle, setting a course due North. Somewhere along the Arctic Circle I met a very sad polar bear. I nicknamed him Al Gore. It took about seven weeks of non-stop kiting, but eventually I para-sailed our little iceberg into San Francisco where zoo officials were waiting in a fleet of idling SUV's. I recently got a call from a guy who wants to make a movie about the rescue called "The Polar Bear Express," but somewhere between Anchorage and Vancouver, as Al Gore and I munched penguin entrails and prayed for something other than L&V, we made a pact that what happens on the ice stays on the ice. Sadly, the rescue counts as only one flight–so I still don't have my P3. –Greg Gillam, P2 EcoHero

DISPATCH

C A L E N D A R

&

C L A S S I F I E D

MEETINGS USHPA's 2010 Spring Board Meeting will be held at the Red Lion Hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In order to book a room at the group rate of $89/ night, please call 1-800-RED-LION and reference the United States Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association. The preliminary schedule is: Thursday, March 11 : EC Meeting & New Director Training.

Friday, March 12 : Committee Meetings. Saturday, March 13 : General Session & Awards Banquet. If you have any questions regarding the meeting, please feel free to call USHPA at (719)632-8300 or (800)616-6888.

SANCTIONED COMPETITION HG April 17-May 23  Florida Ridge, La Belle, FL. 2nd Annual Rob Kells Memorial . AT Race to Goal XC .Register Dates: 12/15/09 - 04/17/10 More info: contact the organizer, James Tindle, at www.thefloridaridge.com. New and seasoned comp pilots welcome. Sport class participation encouraged.

HG April 25-May 1  Florida Ridge, La Belle, FL. Flytec Race & Rally. AT Race to Goal XC. Register Dates: 12/14/09 - 04/25/10 More information contact the organizer, Jamie Shelden, at http://flytecraceandrally.wordpress.com, or flytecraceandrally@gmail. com.

PG MAY 2-8  La Belle, Florida, ECPC (East Coast Paragliding Championships) Florida ridge flight park, La Belle, FL. This USHPA sanctioned event is the only flatland PG race-to-goal comp in the USA designed for intermediate and advanced pilots who want to test their flatland flying skills. Entry fee: $275. This includes retrievals. Tow fees are separate. Organize your own tow team! Tow operators needed. Contact: David Prentice (505) 720-5436, or email earthcog@yahoo. com.

HG june 6-12  Ridgley, MD. East Coast HG Championship at the Highland Aerosports flight park. AT Race to Goal XC. Register Dates: 12/14/09 - 06/06/10.

More information contact the organizer, Adam Elchin, at http://www.aerosports.net/ecc.html, or hanglide@ aerosports.net.

PG June 13-19  Ruch, OR. Rat Race PG Competition at Woodrat Mountain. FL Race to Goal XC. Register: 01/01/10 - 06/13/10. More information contact the organizer, Gail Haley, at mphsports@charter.net, or http://www.mphsports.com.

PG July 10-15  Chelan, WA. Chelan XC Open and PG Nationals. FL Race to Goal XC. Register: 01/01/10 - 07/10/10. More information contact the organizer, Doug Stroop, at doug@paragliding.us.

HG august 15-21  Big Spring, TX. Big Spring US Nationals. AT Race to Goal XC. Register Dates: 12/14/09 - 08/15/10. More information contact the Organizer, David Glover, at http://2010BigSpring. blogspot.com, or david@davidglover.com.

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PG august 28-september 5  Sun Valley, ID. 2010 USA PG Nationals. FL Race to Goal XC. Register Dates: 12/14/09 - 08/28/10. More information contact the organizer, Michael Pfau, at www.usparaglidingnats.com, or pfauboy1@yahoo.com.

HG september 12-18  Casa Grande, AZ. Santa Cruz Flats Race. Francisco Grande Hotel. AT Race to Goal XC. Register Dates: 12/14/09 - 09/12/10 More information contact the organizer, Jamie Shelden, at naughtylawyer@gmail.com.

NON-SANCTIONED COMPETITION PG APRIL 10-11  Dunlap,CA. Northern California Cross Country League. 2010. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com PG APRIL 25-30  Florida. Spring Fling (fun, trainer comp). This event is designed for newer pilots who want to improve thermal and x-c skills in a low stress environment. Daily clinics cover a wide variety of important topics. GPS required. $250 entry includes retrievals. Tow fees are separate. Contact David Prentice (505)720-5436, or email earthcog@yahoo.com.

PG May 22-23  Nothern California. Northern California Cross Country League. 2010. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area.

The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com PG May 28-31  Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah AAA Paragliding & Hang Gliding Sprints–a development comp at the Point of the Mountain. The Utah AAA Paragliding & Hang Gliding Sprints, a race to goal competition for those who have little-to-no competition experience. $75 for four days. The Sprints resemble other race to goal comps, but with tasks set to ensure a high percentage of pilots make goal.

Tasks designed to expand skills and are appropriate for most novice-intermediate pilots. Pilot development workshops conducted prior to each task covering topics critical to race to goal competition flying (race strategy, GPS, flying in gaggles, previous day analysis, individual coaching, etc). More information: www.AAAsprints.com.

PG June 26-27  Nothern California. Northern California Cross Country League. 2010.The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com

HG PG July 3-8  Chelan, Washington. The Chelan XC Classic is designed to be fun and challenging for XC pilots of all skill levels. Rather than having declared goals, pilots at the Classic choose their own tasks, and can fly straight-line distance, out-and-return or triangles. A pilot’s four best days of the six-day event are scored. PG pilots: a great site intro before competing in the Chelan XC Open or the Chelan PWC. Entry fee: $80 through April 30, $100 from May 1 on; includes a T-shirt and BBQ. If you want to be scored, but can’t make the whole week, $25 a day will get you in the competition. Payment by PayPal or check; more details on www.cloudbase.org.

PG september 25-27 or OCTOBER 2-4  Owens Valley. Northern California Cross Country League.

2010. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com

HG july 19-24  King Mountain,ID.2010 King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships.Located at King Mountain, in Idaho’s Lost River Range,near Arco and Moore, Idaho. Open Distance with new task formats added. Entry fee 100 dollars. Tasks include OD along specified routes, shot gun open distance, out and return tasks. Open, recreation, and team classes, drivers awards, raffle, trophies, educational seminars and more! Collectors edition shirts designed by Dan Gravage! Free camping, hot showers, breakfasts, BBQ’s, prizes, and tons o fun...PLUS some of the best XC flying the sporthas to offer! For more information and registration forms, go to www.flykingmountain. com OR call Lisa Tate 208-376-7914 lisa@lisatateglass.com.

may 1-2  Oceanside, Oregon A fun Hang and Paragliding event with over 30 years of history. See website for more info. More Information: Mark Sanzone (503)292-1753, msanzone@yahoo.com, or oceansideopen.com.

PG July 24-25  Nothern California. Northern California Cross Country League. 2010. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area.

The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com PG august 21-22  Nothern California. Northern California Cross Country League. 2010. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com PG september 11-12  Nothern California. Northern California Cross Country League. 2010. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a ‘fly-in’ with a mission. For more information check out www.SantaCruzParagliding.com or email Jug at scpjka@gmail.com

FLY-INS

may 14-17  Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Kill Dev-

il Hills, NC The Hang Gliding Spectacular and Air Games is a true example of what hang gliding is all about, fun! Originally named the 1st Annual Tactile Meet, the Spectacular has endured over 30 years of continuous years of fun flying, good times and the creation of life long friends. Competitors from all over will travel to Kitty Hawk Kites on the Outer Banks of coastal North Carolina to fly, party and meet old and new friends! For more information visit the website, www.hangglidingspectacular.com.

More Information: Bruce Weaver (252)441-2426, bruce@kittyhawk.com, or www.hangglidingspectacular.com.

may 21-23  Greer, South Carolina. South Caro-

lina Springtime Fly-In, at Glassy Mountain near Greer, SC. Come and enjoy flying and competing (spot, duration, X-C, balloon toss, etc.) at this beautiful south-facing mountain. Plaques awarded to all 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in all competitions (except balloon toss). $20 entry fee for competition flying and $10 for fun flying. Fly-In T-shirts are available. Glassy launch is 1500’ AGL. Contact: Paul Peeples, PO Box 2121, Brevard, NC 28712; (828) 885-2536 (home); (828) 553-3777 (cell); pbrannenp@msn.com. Due to tree restrictions at launch, paragliders cannot be flown at this site.

may 29-31  King Mountain, Idaho. 8th annual “Spring Fling at King”. Cash prize for longest XC. BBQ, mild conditions in early spring, and a chance to meet new pilots. Open our link at www.kingmountaingliders.biz, or call (208)390-0205. may 29-31  Ruch, Oregon. Join us May 29, 2010

at Woodrat Mountain for the 34th Starthistle Fly-in.

The fabled event offers hang glider and paraglider pilots powerful thermals and a great party. Come to Southern Oregon Memorial Day weekend for three days of fun, food and flying. More posted soon!

More Information: Don Fitch (541)821-4269, DonFitch2000@yahoo.com, or www.RVHPA.net.

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may 29-31  Alamogordo, New Mexico. 2010 Memorial Day Dry Canyon Fly-In. The Rio Grande Soaring Association will host a Memorial Day FlyIn. Contests will include Spot Landing, Race to Goal, Bomb Drop, Duration and Open XC. Minimum H-3 and P-3 with mountain experience. Additional this year: Platform towing at the nearby Alamogordo Airport! Enjoy desert thermals with tall, cool mountains right at hand for family trips. Trophies, friends, a barbecue, good flying and a welcoming community. Contest cost: $20. For additional information, please contact Robin Hastings at (575)541-5744, or rnhastings@zianet.com. For forecasts and club information, check our website at www.rgsa.info. See you in the sky!

June 1-5  Grandfather Mountain, North Caroli-

na. Mountain to the Sea Morton-Rogallo Memorial Fly Over. In honor and memory of previous Grandfather Mountain owner and Hang Gliding Promoter, Hugh Morton and NASA Engineer and Flexwing Inventor, Francis Rogallo, powered hang glider pilots from all over will come together for a five day flying and camping adventure that will begin at Grandfather Mountain in western North Carolina, cross their beautiful home state and end at Kitty Hawk. For more information or ground crew volunteers, please contact David “Toad” Smith at (828)758-7590, or shendren05@charter.net

June 13-19  Lumby, British Columbia. Based at

main landing zone at the Freedom Flight Park just one mile north of the town of Lumby. The Hang Gliding event will follow the very popular 5th annual “Lumby Air Races”, June 11-13 2010, which has always been held in conjunction with Lumby Days and includes both Hang Gliders and Paragliders. Both competitions will be exciting triangle, rectangle and open distance races measured by GPS. For more detailed information and registration links for both events, please visit WWW.LumbyAirForce.com.

More Information: Randy Rauck (250) 547-6841, or Randy@BeBOLD.com.

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clinics & tours November - APRIL  Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Flying every stinkin’ day, week-long packages in and out on Sundays for hang gliding and paragliding. Upteenth + year we’ve been doing this. More Information: Jeffrey Hunt (512) 467-2529, jeff@flymexico.com, or http:// www.flymexico.com. march 31 - april 14  Brazil. Brazil Paragliding Tour. 13 days in Brazil. Visit famous flying sites, and learn more about tropical thermaling and XC. Driving through green landscapes and escape the cold weather in the US. Only $40 per day (Guiding) this trip will fill up quick. Guided by a Brazilian native and USHPA instructor you can expect a great tour and flying experience. For more info: Marcello DeBarros, (714)6083451, or atmosphereparagliding@hotmail.com. april 2-4, 10-12, 17-19  Sebring, Florida. SIV: three day, over the water maneuvers training course.

Contact David Prentice: (505) 720-5436, or email earthcog@yahoo.com.

APRIL 3  Utah. Tandem 1 Class with Ken Hudonjor-

gensen in Utah. Thorough preparation for your tandem 3 clinic with all of the study materials you will need.

Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail. com. More info: www.twocanfly.com. april 8-10  Lake Isabella, CA. Build your confidence in your flying and maneuvers recovery with the Torrey crew. Special discount for those who also attend our Cross Country clinic April 11th - 14th($995.00 for both!). More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@flytorrey.com, or www.flytorrey.com. april 10-11  Salt Lake City, Utah. T2-T3 Course:

Point of the Mountain, UT Want to become a tandem pilot? This two day session is how you become a T2 or T3 rated pilot. Not a tandem pilot yet? Enroll in this session to learn everything you will need to know. Contact: info@superflyinc.com.

AUGUST 6-8  Maple Falls WA, Silver Lake Group Camp Ground. Black Mountain 34th Annual Hang Gliding Meet of the Canadian & American Hang Gliding Associations. "The Can Am". Come fly one of the oldest sites in the Pacific Northwest. Spot Landing, Speed runs, Fun Fly-in Potluck Saturday night.

More information: Della Miller, (360) 421-6995

april 10-11  Utah Ridge soaring, side hill & top landings and high wind kiting with Ken Hudonjorgensen in Utah. Special emphasis on the asymmetric inflation technique, the most effective way we have for moderate to high wind and thermal conditions. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com.

More info: www.twocanfly.com.

august 13-15  Silver Lake Park, Whatcom County, WA. 2010 Black Mountain Fly-In is scheduled for the weekend of August 13-15. New event organizers and proceeds to support local site maintenance fund.

Friday evening registration, pilot’s meeting Saturday 10am. Potluck/BBQ Satuday evening and hosted breakfast Sunday morning. Fee for the weekend, including camping is $35. More Information: Jim Wagner firstdescent@hotmail.com.

april 10-12  Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. This three-day clinic is open to Basic and Advanced Paragliding Instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. Visit www.paragliding. com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

april 11-14  Owens Valley, CA. Special discount

for those who also attend our SIV clinic on April 8th10th. More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@flytorrey.com, or www.flytorrey.com.

april 16-18  Owens Valley Thermal and Cross Country Clinic with Eagle Paragliding. Many pilots are sure to get personal bests. View photos and videos from our last clinic at www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. april 17-19  Utah. Instructor Training with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www.twocanfly. com. april 18-19  Utah. Instructor Re-certification with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www. twocanfly.com. april 22-27  Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Southern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. april 23-25  Yuba Lake, UT. Maneuvers Course

(SIV): Comprehensive Chris Santacroce style maneuvers session. Pay by the tow and take your flying safety and skill to the next level. All experience levels welcome. We do maneuvers with our students as a part of their P2 program. If you have ten flights, you have plenty to enjoy and over the water experience. All levels of aerobatic/acro coaching are available. Yes, we are talking about SIV. Contact: chris@superflyinc.com to get your free maneuvers prep DVD.

april 30-May 2  Yuba Lake, UT. Maneuvers Course (SIV): Comprehensive Chris Santacroce style maneuvers session. Pay by the tow and take your flying safety and skill to the next level. All experience levels welcome. We do maneuvers with our students as a part of their P2 program. If you have ten flights, you have plenty to enjoy and over the water experience. All levels of aerobatic/acro coaching are available. Yes, we are talking about SIV. Contact: chris@superflyinc.com to get your free maneuvers prep DVD. May 1-2  Salt Lake City, Utah. “Get the Rust Off”

Clinic. Kick off the 2010 flying season with Wings Over Wasatch and your fellow pilots at this FREE clinic! Our instructors will watch, evaluate and provide feedback to any rated pilots looking to “get the rust off” and prepare for a great flying season. For more information visit wingsoverwasatch.com.

may 1-2  Utah. Tandem (T2 & T3) with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www.twocanfly.com.

MAY 5015  Salt Lak City, Utah. P2 Course: Point of the Mountain, UT. Now is the time to schedule your lessons. Super Fly offers lessons throughout the year but from May 5-15 we are gearing up to take a select handful from zero experience to fully qualified pilot in ten days. This is paragliding boot camp. Dawn till dusk, day after day. By the time you are finished you will have done everything up to, and including, advanced maneuvers over the water. No better team, no better time. Contact: info@superflyinc.com

may 6-7  Torrey Pines Gliderport, CA. Earn your T1, T2, T3 ratings with the tandem instructors at Torrey who fly the most tandems per year! More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@ flytorrey.com, or www.flytorrey.com.

MAY 8-9  Salt Lake City, Utah. USHPA Instruc-

tor Training. Join the ranks of other experienced and enthusiastic pilots who have become a hang gliding instructor. Successful completion of all requirements is required for USHPA Instructor Certification.

Re-certification participants are also welcome. For more information visit wingsoverwasatch.com

may 8-10  Torrey Pines Gliderport, CA. Earn your USHPA Basic/Advanced Instructor ratings with the Torrey team. More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@flytorrey.com, or www. flytorrey.com. may 15-16  Salt Lake City, Utah. Tune Up/ Mtn.

Thermal Course. Want to explore the mountains of UT, brush up on the latest techniques, have the flight of your life? Spend three days with us and we will help you to make it happen. Contact Info@superflyinc.com

may 15-17  Sebring, Florida, SIV Clinic. Three day over the water maneuver training course. Contact: David Prentice (505) 720-5436, or email earthcog@yahoo.com. may 15-17  Utah. Thermal Clinic. Utah flying sites

with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www. twocanfly.com. may 20-23  Utah. Cross-country competition clinic; a friendly introduction to cross-country flying with instruction from US and North American XC record setter, and 2005 US XC Competition Champion Bill Belcourt, and Ken Hudonjorgensen who held the xc record in Utah for 7 years and has won the Utah xc cup for 6 of the 14 years it has been run. All aspects of XC & Competitions will be covered. Utah XC sites.

Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail. com. More info: www.twocanfly.com.

MAY 21-23  Yuba Lake, Utah. Maneuvers Course (SIV): Comprehensive Chris Santacroce style maneuvers session. Pay by the tow and take your flying safety and skill to the next level. All experience levels welcome. We do maneuvers with our students as a part of their P2 program. If you have ten flights, you have plenty to enjoy and over the water experience. All levels of aerobatic/acro coaching are available. Yes, we are talking about SIV. Contact: chris@superflyinc.com to get your free maneuvers prep DVD. may 20-25  Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Southern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. Visit www.paragliding.com , or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

MAY 28-30  Jackson Hole, WY. Tandem Paragliding Clinic at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort presented by Scott Harris. For more information call or e-mail (307)690-8726 scott@jhparagliding.com may 28-30  Lake Isabella, CA. Build your confidence in your flying and maneuvers recovery with the Torrey crew. More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@flytorrey.com, or www. flytorrey.com.

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june 2-3  Tandem Paragliding Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. Classroom and practical training at our world class training hill. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. june 3-8  Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Southern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. june 4-6  Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. This three-day clinic is open to Basic and Advanced Paragliding Instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. june 4-6  Jackson Hole, WY. Instructor Certification Clinic presented by Scott Harris, (307)690-8726 or scott@jhparagliding.com JUNE 11-13  Bear Lake, Utah. Wings Over Bear Lake. PG and HG aerobatics competition: Bear Lake, UT. Boat tow, over the water aerobatics at a world class resort. Cart launch and boat launch HG tows.

Landing on a grassy beach. Contact: chris@superfyinc.com for registration. june 12-26  France, Switzerland, Italy. Experience the Alps where it all began! Fly world famous sites everyday such as St. Hilaire, Annecy, Chamonix, Mieussy, Verbier, La Madeleine, Les Saissis and more.

Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand on an unforgettable tour to some of the most beautiful flying sites in the world! Luis and Todd have 11 years of combined experience guiding international pilots to the Alps. Fly from the Aiguille du Midi on Mont Blanc, launching at 12,000 feet and landing in Chamonix, 9,000 feet below! www.paraglidingtrips.com More Information: Todd Weigand & Luis Rosenkjer , or www.paraglidingtrips.com.

JUNE 19-20  Salt Lake City, Utah. Landing Clinic.

Where better to practice landings repeatedly than the Point of the Mountain? This comprehensive clinic will involve evaluation and instruction of pilot landings at both Point of the Mountain sites and potentially a third location. Using video analysis participants will gain big insights into become a consistent and safe landing pilot. For more information visit wingsoverwasatch.com

june 19-20  Utah. Mountain Flying and learning

how to pioneer a new site in Utah with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@ gmail.com. More info: www.twocanfly.com.

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june 25-27  Lake Isabella, CA. Build your confidence in your flying and maneuvers recovery with the Torrey crew. More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@flytorrey.com, or www. flytorrey.com.

JUNE 26-july 4  Slovenia Tour. The perfect time,

the perfect destinations. Chris Santacroce and Jeff Farrell along with local guides will show you some of the most incredible destinations. Contact info@ superflyinc.com for details.

JULY 9-11  Salt Lake City, Utah. Aerobatics Clin-

ic The third annual Wings Over Wasatch Aerobatics clinic is back! This year WOW will improve on this popular, action-packed weekend by including truck and/or boat towing. With 2500-3000 ft tows, participants will have ample opportunities to explore and perfect their maneuvers! For more information visit wingsoverwasatch.com

july 15-16  Torrey Pines Gliderport, CA. Earn your T1, T2, T3 ratings with the tandem instructors at Torrey who fly the most tandems per year! More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@ flytorrey.com, or www.flytorrey.com. july 17-19  Torrey Pines Gliderport,CA. Earn your

USHPA Basic/Advanced Instructor ratings with the Torrey crew. More Information: Robin Marien / Gabriel Jebb (858)452-9858, info@flytorrey.com, or www. flytorrey.com. july 29-31  Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in

Southern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

AUGUST 1-3  Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Southern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

AUGUST 11-21  French Alps Paragliding Tour with

Eagle Paragliding. This flying location is amazing.

Call 805.968.0980, or visit www.paragliding.com to get more information, and view the images from previous tours. august 21-22  Tandem Paragliding Clinic with

Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. Classroom and practical training at our world class training hill. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. august 26-28  Utah. Central Utah Thermal and

XC Clinic with Stacy Whitmore, Ken Hudonjorgensen.

Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail. com. More info: www.twocanfly.com.

AUGUST 27-29  Salt Lake City, Utah. Wasatch

Mountain Tour There are few states more synonymous with world-class flying than Utah, and now with the WOW Wasatch Mountain Tour, you can experience all of its greatness for yourself. All within 90 minutes of Salt Lake City, WOW will introduce clinic attendees to numerous sites with epic flying conditions via a guided tour. Flying fun at its best.

For more information visit wingosoverwasatch.com

september 3-5  Utah. Thermal Clinic. Utah flying sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 5723414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www.twocanfly.com.

SEPTEMBER 4-6  Provo, Utah. Inspiration Ther-

february 2-7  Southern Cal. flying trip. Join ken Hudonjorgensen on a trip to thaw out your bones and get your flying brain cells activated and ready for the new flying season. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www.twocanfly. com.

september 6-17  India: Bir Billing, Dharamsa-

pg) -HARNESSES (trainer, cocoon, pod) -PARACHUTES (hg&pg) WHEELS (new & used). Phone for latest inventory (262)473-8800, www.hanggliding. com.

la, Manali. Local instructors and guides in India.Includes transportation, accomodation, guide service.

Novice/Intermediate/Advanced rated pilots. Side trip to Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama residence. The selection of the sites and take off points will be made according to the skill and experience of the individual pilot. Questions about the trip’s itinerary, difficulty, transportation, accommodations, etc., should be addressed to your trip leader Achim Hagemann, (808) 895-1690, or email: flyaglider@yahoo.com. september 9-14  Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Southern California with Eagle Paragliding.

America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. september 25-26  Utah. Mountain Flying and

learning how to pioneer a new site in Utah with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www.twocanfly. com. october 15-17  Owens Valley Thermal and Cross Country Clinic with Eagle Paragliding. Many pilots are sure to get personal bests. View photos and videos from our last clinic at www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information. november 5-7  Instructor Certification Clinic

with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. This three-day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding Instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. Visit www.paragliding. com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. Classroom and practical training at our world class training hill. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

december 12-13  Thermal and XC Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. This two-day clinic is open to pilots of all levels.

The clinic includes ground school, and ground-toair radio coaching in our local mountains. Visit www. paragliding.com , or call 805.968.0980 for more information.

mal Clinic. Join Wings Over Wasatch for an in-depth instructional review of one of the best sites in the US. This clinic will cover the intricacies of flying Inspiration Point, as well as the various thermal techniques required at such a site. Open to all pilots, from those that have not yet flown “Inspo”, to those that fly it regularly and would like to increase their working knowledge of the site. For more information visit wingsoverwasatch.com

november 8-9  Tandem Paragliding Clinic with

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november 9-16 &/or nov 18-25  Iquique, Chile.

Join Ken Hudonjorgensen, and local guides. A great trip to what many pilots consider to be the best place to fly in the world, certainly more consistent than any place I have ever flown. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email twocanfly@gmail.com. More info: www. twocanfly.com.

FLEX WINGS A GREAT SELECTION OF HG&PG GLIDERS (ss, ds,

PARAGLIDERS PARAGLIDING GEAR - Windtech Tempus, DHV-1, size Large, grey & gold, only 10 hours of airtime $1200. Comes with stuff bag and original backpack (which has a few broken buckles). Flytec 6030 Vario - NEVER USED - new in box - $1000. Racer XC Harness, size L, with brand new Large Airwave Reserve $500. 303-805-7536.

PARACHUTES RESERVE PARACHUTE - Free Flight Enterprises.

L.A.R.A 250 (equal to Quantum 330) 320 sq ft. Newly repacked & in perfect condition. Deployed once during maneuvers course. Always repacked yearly and never been used for emergency deployment. $500 (normally $625-$675 new retail). Call 719-2442494.

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

CALIFORNIA AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING - Year-round excel-

lent instruction, Southern California & Baja. Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier 760-753-2664, airjunkies.com.

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

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.

FLY AWAY HANG GLIDING - Santa Barbara. Best hill/ equipment, glider shuttles up hill, tandems, sales, service, 20 years experience, Instructor Administrator Tammy Burcar. 805-403-8487, www.flyawayhanggliding.com.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - PO Box 151542, San

Diego CA 92175, 619-265-5320.

Mission Soaring Center LLC - Largest hang gliding center in the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment: Wills Wing, Moyes, AIR, High Energy, Flytec, Aeros, Northwing, Hero wide angle video camera. A.I.R. Atos rigid wings- demo the VQ-45' span, 85 Lbs! 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, Mission Soaring Center LLC, leading the way since 1973. www.hang-gliding.com TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT — This historic site,

established in 1928, offers all of the services you need. We provide USHPA certified instruction, advanced training, equipment sales, tandem flight instruction, paramotor instruction, SIV clinics, cross country clinics, tandem instructor clinics, paragliding instructor clinics, and a fully staffed cafe. We also have an extensive glider sport shop offering parachute repacks and full-service repairs. We are importers for Paratech, Ozone, Skywalk, and Independence gliders and are dealers for all brands! We also carry an extensive certified used inventory of gliders and harnesses.

We are the primary Ki2Fly dealer, and also carry AustriAlpin, Crispi, Black Hawk Paramotors, and too much more to list! Check us out online at: www.flytorrey. com or give us a ring at (858)452-9858.

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. 818367-2430, www.windsports.com.

COLORADO APCO AVIATION DEALER - COLORADO'S FIRST &

ONLY DEALER - Paragliders,harnesess,rescue systems and accessories call Ken (303)775-8676 or email:flyboy91369@hotmail.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.

FLORIDA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 21 years of experience,

top instructors, top pilots, very consistent weather all year around. Your best choice on the east coast. www. atlantaparagliding.com 404-931-3793.

FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK - 18265 E State

Road 80, Clewiston, Florida 863-805-0440, www. thefloridaridge.com.

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS — Paraglider & hang glider towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment. Dunnellon Airport 352-245-8263, email fly@graybirdairsports.com, www.graybirdairsports.com.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Nearest moun-

tain 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.

Quest Air - Home to the champions—is dedicated

to your success, whether you want to learn to fly, are honing your landing skills or hoping to medal at the next World Championships. (352) 429-0213, Groveland, FL, questairforce.com.

WALLABY RANCH – The original Aerotow flight park.

Best tandem instruction worldwide,7-days a week , 6 tugs, and equipment rental. Call:1-800-WALLABY wallaby.com 1805 Deen Still Road, Disney Area FL 33897

INDIANA CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michi-

gan

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.

GEORGIA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 21 years of experience,

top instructors, top pilots, very consistent weather all year around. Your best choice on the east coast. www. atlantaparagliding.com 404-931-3793.

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, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 1-877-426-4543.

HAWAII FLY HAWAII – Hawaii’s paragliding school. Mauna Kea

guide service. Most experience, best safety record.

Big Island of Hawaii, Achim Hagemann (808) 8951690. Natural beauty, wilderness, wildlife, paragliding or hang gliding, Free camping. More info:http:// flyhawaii.blogspot.com, flyaglider@yahoo.com.

PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING - Call Dexter for friendly

information about flying on Maui. Full-service school offering beginner to advanced instruction every day, year round. 808-874-5433, paraglidehawaii.com.

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.

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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, 917359-6449.

PLANET PARAGLIDING - New York City area's finest instruction. Come fly with us. Beginner through advanced instruction. Best prices on new gear. Bill 203-881-9419, 203-206-3896, www.planetparaglidingtours.com.

SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK COOPERSTOWN, NY.

160' training hill with rides up. Mountain site. Bunk house. Camping. Contact info: home (315) 866-6153 cell (315) 867-8011. dan@cooperstownhanggliding. com, www.cooperstownhanggliding.com.

NORTH CAROLINA ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 21 years of experience,

top instructors, top pilots, very consistent weather all year around. Your best choice on the east coast. www. atlantaparagliding.com 404-931-3793.

KITTY HAWK KITES - FREE Hang 1 training with pur-

chase 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. 252441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www.kittyhawk.com

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just outside

Chattanooga. Become a complete pilot -foot launch, aerotow, mountain launch, ridge soar, thermal soar. hanglide.com, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

TEXAS AUSTIN AIR SPORTS - Hang gliding and ultralight

sales, service and instruction. Steve Burns 512-7362052 sburns@austinairsports.com. www.austinairsports.com.

FlyTexas / Jeff Hunt - training pilots in Central

Texas for 25 years. Hangar facilities near Packsaddle Mountain, and Lake LBJ. More info: www.flytexas. com, (512)467-2529

UTAH

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michi-

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. 787-8500508, tshg@coqui.net.

TENNESSEE ATLANTA PARAGLIDING - 21 years of experience,

top instructors, top pilots, very consistent weather all year around. Your best choice on the east coast. www. atlantaparagliding.com 404-931-3793.

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Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

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 all your flying equipment and accessories.

Gear from Critter, Nervures, SOL, Sup'air, Swing, Digifly, and more. Specializing in vol bivy, sky camping and hike & fly adventures. 1-800-686-9327, critter@ crestedbutte.net.

Super Fly Paragliding – Come to world famous

Flight suits, Flight suits, Flight suits.

Point of the Mountain and learn to fly from one of our distinguished instructors. We teach year round and offer some of the best paragliding equipment available.

Get your P2 certification, advanced ratings or tandem ratings here. We have a full shop to assist you with any of your free flight needs. 801-255-9595, info@superflyinc.com , www.superflyinc.com.

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, 804-241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com.

WASHINGTON - Award winning instructors at a world class training facility. Contact Doug Stroop at 509-782-5543 or visit www.paragliding.us

Warm Flight suits, Efficient Flight suits, Lightweight Flight suits, Flight suits in twelve sizes. Stylish Flight suits, www.mphsports.com, (541)702-2111.

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 325379-1567.

GLIDERBAGS - XC $75! Heavy waterproof $125. Ac-

cessories, low prices, fast delivery! Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. 970-6419315, orders 1-866-238-2305.

OXYGEN SYSTEMS – MH-XCR-180 operates to

INTERNATIONAL

18,000 ft., weighs only 4 lbs. System includes cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula, and remote on/off flowmeter. $450.00. 1-800-468-8185

AUSTRALIA - Fully guided XC Paragliding Tour. Full

SPECIALTY WHEELS for airfoil basetubes, round

gan

PUERTO RICO

MEXICO - VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for hang

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 801-5766460 if you have any questions.

AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT PARK

OHIO

COSTA RICA - Grampa Ninja's Paragliders' B&B. Rooms, and/or guide service and transportation.

Lessons available from USHPA certified instructors.

USA: 908-454-3242. Costa Rica: (Country code, 011) House: 506-2664-6833, Cell: 506-8950-8676, www.paraglidecostarica.com<http://www.paraglidecostarica.com>

transport, retrieve and XC skills development. Sydney, Manilla, Bright, Corryong, Canberra. February - Tour Guide Brian Webb. More information: www.2tofly. com.

Canada - Raven Aviation Hang Gliding Lessons (USHPA certified) and Trike Lessons. One week full immersion courses. Lumby BC Canada. On-site camping.

More info: www.RavenAviation.ca, (250)307-7553

basetubes, or tandem landing gear.(262)473-8800, www.hanggliding.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.

SERVICE CLOUD 9 REPAIR DEPARTMENT - We staff and maintain a full service repair shop within Cloud 9 Paragliding; offering annual inspections, line replacement, sail repair of any kind (kites too!), harness repairs and reserve repacks. Our repair technicians are factory trained and certified to work on almost any paraglider or kite. Call today for an estimate 801-576-6460 or visit www.paragliders.com for more information.

Get your annual inspection, repair or reserve repack done quickly and professionally. Super Fly does more inspections, repairs and repacks than any service center in North America. Call or email for details and more information. 801-255-9595, info@superflyinc.com.

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 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.

WANTED WANTED - Used variometers, harnesses, parachutes, helmets, etc. Trade or cash. (262) 473-8800, www. hanggliding.com.

WANTED - Soaring Gull, Gull 2000, Cloud Dancer, Waynesborro, Tenn. (931)722-2141 WANTED - New or used apparel with old USHGA logo / artwork. Size L. Please contact Theodore at (530) 222-2447

STOLEN WINGS & THINGS STOLEN GEAR - Please keep an eye out for a stolen custom colored blue and yellow ProDesign Accura 100 wing, and a blue and black Apco ChairBag harness with a front deployed reserve. Taken from my car in Las Vegas 9-26-09. Contact with any info mftreacy@msn.com or (425) 444 2344.

STOLEN - WW Sport 2 155, white, orange and yellow/ green. Also an old paraglider Airwave Fusion, medium blue and white. Both stolen 10-30-09 Stockton, California. Call Tim at (208) 861-9489

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D E C E M B E R

PARAGLIDING

HANG GLIDING

RATINGS

RTNG REGN NAME

CITY

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

RTNG REGN NAME

CITY

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-1 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-2 H-3 H-3 H-4 H-4

San Jose Sunnyvale Sunnyvale Sunnyvale Folsum Susanville San Francisco Zephyr Cove Modesto Modesto Vista Phoenix Amherst Austin Austin Sonoma Sunnyvale Modesto Modesto Vista Phoenix Bristol Amherst Nags Head Austin Austin Gardiner Tulalip Hickman San Diego Hollywood

CA CA CA CA CA CA CA NV CA CA CA AZ MA TX TX CA CA CA CA CA AZ CT MA NC TX TX NY WA CA CA FL

P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-1 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-2 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-3 P-4 P-4 P-4 P-4

Bellevue Shelton Wasilla Belvedere San Francisco Las Vegas San Francisco Kaneohe Los Angeles San Diego Encinitas Honolulu San Diego Waialua Ramona Lake Forest Murrieta Waialua Cedaredge Phoenix Riverton Chandler Tempe Eureka Chicago Washington Wayne Arlington Quebec, Pq St Honore, Quebec Oulu Fethiye-mugla Shelton Wasilla Belvedere San Francisco Mountain View Las Vegas Kaneohe Los Angeles Honolulu Waialua Ramona Lake Forest Murrieta Waialua Cedaredge Phoenix Riverton Tempe Eureka Chicago Washington Wayne Arlington Quebec, Pq St Honore, Quebec Oulu Fethiye-mugla Marysville Seattle San Francisco Truckee Aiea Hilo Austin Fethiye-mugla Oakland Silverton Stanhope Fethiye-mugla

WA WA AK CA CA NV CA HI CA CA CA HI CA HI CA CA CA HI CO AZ UT AZ AZ MT IL DC PA VA

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

Dan Elliott Jr Wayne Gray David Gray Vivek Kini Borzoyeh Shojaei Thomas Maioli Jonathan Hollander Sandeep Hingorani Robert Malik Douglas English Greg Firth Andrew Ide Timo Friedrich R C Estes John Seward Clay Reber Wayne Gray Robert Malik Douglas English Greg Firth Andrew Ide Udo Rehberg Timo Friedrich Douglas Johnson R C Estes John Seward Jorge Rodas Richard English Daniel Hibdon Bob Hammond Jr Richard Gaines

David Yount Patrick Denevan Patrick Denevan David Yount David Yount Joe Weeth David Yount David Yount Ken Muscio Ken Musco Rod Mitchell Tammy Burcar Greg Black Gordon Cayce Jeffrey Hunt Barry Levine Patrick Denevan Ken Muscio Ken Musco Rod Mitchell Tammy Burcar Edward Germain Greg Black Trebor Clavette Gordon Cayce Jeffrey Hunt Bryon Estes Darren Fox Ken Musco Steve Stackable James Tindle

AWARDS Hang Gliding Safety Pilot Awards Erik Graper 4th Diamond John Rex Lisle 3rd Diamond Daniel Zink 1st Diamond Don Murdoch Gold Award

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Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 7 9 9 9 13 13 13 13 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 7 9 9 9 13 13 13 13 1 1 2 2 3 3 11 13 2 4 12 13

Gregory Ignatov Nick Aikins Frank Sihler Chris Towt Shridhar Reddy Christopher Feaver Christopher Gamino Bonita Hobson Troy Gustafson Edwin Danly Jem Bayindirli T K Hinshaw Donna Kearns John Colclasure [chris] Topher Mira Jon De Vore Jonathan Tagle Justin Hilker Julian Laurita Grant Langdon Keith Pearson Andrew Juszczyk Paul Marquis Joshua Hood Nathan Johnston Petrus Van Oevelen Andrew Randolph Matthew Ingram Steve Normandin Yves Larouche Juho Vuolteenaho Ferhat Tayfun Nick Aikins Frank Sihler Chris Towt Shridhar Reddy Adam Feder Christopher Feaver Bonita Hobson Troy Gustafson T K Hinshaw John Colclasure [chris] Topher Mira Jon De Vore Jonathan Tagle Justin Hilker Julian Laurita Grant Langdon Keith Pearson Paul Marquis Joshua Hood Nathan Johnston Petrus Van Oevelen Andrew Randolph Matthew Ingram Steve Normandin Yves Larouche Juho Vuolteenaho Ferhat Tayfun Janet Olsen Hans Lambert Jose Pruneda Mike Swanson John Hannam Forest Bremer Russell Croman Ferhat Tayfun Erik Nilsen Thomas Livingstone Juan Arias Ferhat Tayfun

WA AK CA CA CA NV HI CA HI HI CA CA CA HI CO AZ UT AZ MT IL DC PA VA

WA WA CA CA HI HI TX CA CO NJ

Lawrence Wallman Chris Santacroce Chad Bastian Wallace Anderson Wallace Anderson Ron Peck Wallace Anderson Pete Michelmore Wallace Anderson Max Marien Bradley Geary Pete Michelmore Bob Hammond Jr Pete Michelmore Max Marien Chris Santacroce Carson Klein Pete Michelmore Lori Fitzgerald Carlos Madureira Ken Hudonjorgensen Chandler Papas Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Marcello De Barros Rob Sporrer Bruce Kirk Rob Sporrer Kevin Hintze Kevin Hintze Tyler Sporrer Cemal Ovet Chris Santacroce Chad Bastian Wallace Anderson Wallace Anderson Jeffrey Greenbaum Ron Peck Pete Michelmore Wallace Anderson Pete Michelmore Pete Michelmore Max Marien Chris Santacroce Carson Klein Pete Michelmore Lori Fitzgerald Carlos Madureira Ken Hudonjorgensen Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Marcello De Barros Rob Sporrer Bruce Kirk Rob Sporrer Kevin Hintze Kevin Hintze Tyler Sporrer Cemal Ovet Delvin Crabtree Delvin Crabtree Juan Laos Othar Lawrence Pete Michelmore Bob Hammond Jr Paul Greenwood Cemal Ovet Juan Laos Rob Sporrer Terry Bono Cemal Ovet

Landing at the piano. Valled De Bravo, Mexico | photo by Chris Santacroce.

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

75

USHPA STORE

B O O K S

|

F I L M S

|

2010 CALENDARS | ONLY $7.50!

UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION

And here they are–the 2010 Hang Gliding and Paragliding calendars. Available right now.

Light the candles and move that bust of Elvis to the basement because there's a new king of your living room shrine. OK, it's functional and all that. Whatever.

You might want a second one for your office. But it's the one hanging in your shrine, next to the autographed Mariah Carey CD cover, that will give you goosebumps every time.

2010

UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION

2010

A P P A R E L

BIG BLUE SKY DVD | $29.95 FOR SALE IN THE US ONLY.

Big Blue Sky is a feature length documentary about hang gliding, the first extreme sport, and how it started. Big Blue Sky is the story of the Lost Frontier of flight, tracing the origins of hang gliding from the 1880s thru today, focusing on the golden years of this exciting sport, the 1970s. The story is told by the pioneers of the sport, and their stories are illustrated by exciting neverbefore-seen vintage movie clips and still images. They describe their part in history, and the profound effect hang gliding had on their lives. Big Blue Sky is written, directed, produced and edited by Bill Liscomb, a pioneer in the sport of hang gliding. Through his experiences and personal friendships with the pioneers of hang gliding, Big Blue Sky tells an engaging story in a way that no one else can…..

Ydays of bamboo and plastic to the present.

ou hold the history of our sport, from the earliest

MAGAZINE COLLECTION 1971-2008

HG & PG MAGAZINE ARCHIVES ON DVD | $30.00 38 great years of free flight fun Within these pages you’ll find the evolution of foot-launched flight from the first days of bamboo dune-skimmers to the modern variety of hang gliders, paragliders and rigid wings.

Each PDF file is one complete magazine, just as originally published. Pages with color have produced as color scans, the rest scanned as black and white images. Blemishes or imperfections are present in the original source magazines, some of which were the only known copies remaining.

are packed into these digital

Complete

MAGAZINE

COLLECTION

PLAY GRAVITY DVD | $41.95

FLEECE JACKET | $35.00 - 45.00

Speedflying, paragliding,

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1971 - 1973 Low & Slow 1972 - 1976 Ground Skimmer 1976 - 2003 Hang Gliding 1993 - 2003 Paragliding 2003 - 2008 Hang Gliding & Paragliding

Get to know the old school.

1971-2008

than a Mariah Carey holiday

hike out. In Zero Viz

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APRES-VOL CLUB POLO | $30.00

The inspirational

Your mama told you to in-

Now you can wear the

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sulate your core. But if you

same polo shirt we wear to

Future issues will be available on an update disk. Compilation copyright. 19742008, US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association. All rights reserved. Other material republished by permission of copyright holders. Please don’t duplicate or reproduce this work without permission. For limited reprint permission (club newsletters, etc.) contact the USHPA office at 1-800-616-6888 or E-mail: info@ushpa.aero Pages scanned and indexed by Scandoc, Inc. of Aracata, CA. www.scandoc.com. Cover design by Gregory Gillam, greg@gillamdesign.com.

Each disk includes Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 7 for Windows, Macintosh and Linux systems.

reads "Looks good, you

want the top of the stack

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to know you're IN the core,

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online.

send them an odiferous

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DENIM BRUISER | $30.00

CAPS $20 | OUTBACK HATS $24

Youth XL out of stock

Big air taking you for

Our sky blue Baseball Cap

Limited quantities

a rodeo ride? Get a

is made with sueded twill

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soon before they're

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CAP now $18!

Call 1-800-616-6888 or order online at www.USHPA.aero/store

THE ART OF PARAGLIDING | $34.95 !

PUBLICATIONS A RISK MGMT MANUAL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 AND THE WORLD COULD FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . $32.95 AVIATION WEATHER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 BIRDFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.95 CALENDAR - USHPA (HG or PG). . . . . . . . . . . $7.50 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 SECRETS OF CHAMPIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95 SLOVENIA: GUIDE BOOK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $31.95 THERMAL FLYING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $52.95 UNDERSTANDING THE SKY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . $24.95 FLIGHT LOG BOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.95

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PARAGLIDING - PILOT'S TRAINING MANUAL | $39.95

This thorough guide by Dennis

Excellent illustrations and a

Pagen is a must have for any

companion DVD make this

paraglider's library. Get started,

paragliding tome a must-

keep flying, or go back and

have in any pilot's library.

review. An excellent reference.

As an introduction or a refresher reference you'll find what you're looking for.

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UNDERSTANDING THE SKY | $24.95

Thermal Flying is a compre-

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clear diagrams, photos and the

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LIFTING AIR | $39.95

RED BULL X-ALPS 2009 DVD | $42.95

This DVD features great footage

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WEATHER TO FLY DVD | $39.95

RED BULL X-ALPS 2007 DVD | $45.95

Dixon White left a powerful

Americans Nate Scales and

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Honza Rejmanek tested

it. He explains weather

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thermal smarter, have more fun and sample French wingovers. "Light in zee seat, heavy in zee brake..."

78 |

Breaking In

by Steve Messman

T

he 21 years I spent in the Army continues to be one of my life’s most significant facets. But, let’s be clear from the start. My military career was nothing “glamorous.” I was not a pilot, and I didn’t carry a rifle or shoot a pistol every day; and no, I didn’t have to shoot anyone. All that aside, my military duties were demanding, and ultimately, they helped shape the person I am—an understatement if ever there was one. During that time of my life when the simple act of going to work was more of a calling than a duty, my wife and I had two wonderful sons who, as they grew older, were not always as happy as their father. Quite often, I dragged them kicking and screaming through the military lifestyle. Sometimes their lives were enjoyable, and sometimes not. I believe they would agree, though, that the demands and that lifestyle also helped make them the men they are.

The toughest part of their lives had to be breaking in. At least every three years, they were hauled to a new state, a new country, and a new school. They had to figure out how to bewilder new teachers, take over the super-star position of new sports teams, and make friends they could trust to watch their backs. We all know that the new kid is at the bottom of the proverbial friendship stack. The new kid has the ominous task of proving himself or herself to the group. The new kid has to establish that he (she) is trustworthy, capable, and maybe, cool enough to take home to mom and dad. My own kids sometimes found that gimmicks were useful, and they used them. One used his good looks, the other was a social butterfly. One was very athletic, the other extremely humorous. Over the years they often traded roles as that became necessary, and over the years, each found that they were in great demand with the ladies—yet another successful gimmick. Both found that in high school the greatest gimmick of all was a car. Each found that kids can be so relentless. Breaking in to a new town, a

78

Hang Gliding & Paragliding | www.USHPA .aero

new school, a new clique has huge barriers, sites we were going to fly, things to watch and success requires exceptional talents. out for in Santa Barbara, wives, jobs, and Flying is similar to my military life in dogs. We didn’t compete with each other. so many ways. Foot launch flying is much We required nothing of each other. We more a calling than a hobby. It requires dis- were pilots, and that’s all anyone on that cipline, study, and dedication. It requires van needed to know. a special kind of person who chooses to No barriers. No gimmicks. No excepstand in a different line than the major- tional talents needed. That’s just who we ity. It has an enjoyable side that requires are. Pilots. Pure and simple. frequent travel to new states, new towns, new sites, and maybe new countries. And, while my personal style of flying is not “glamorous,” it has also, without doubt, .............................. helped shape the person I am.

There is clearly one aspect of flying that is definitely NOT similar to my past military lifestyle. Breaking in to the flying Content closed 3/15/2009 community is easy, and thank God for SITE GUIDE this not-so-small favor, not nearly as difficult as breaking in to a new middle school .............................. classroom. In fact, we pilots prove every day that there are no barriers to breaking in, that there exists nothing but an open invitation to anyone who is even remotely Content closes 5/15/2009 interested in flying. If there is a gimmick required for entry to the flying commuUSHPA STRATEGIC PLAN nity, it is merely an intense desire to fly.

Student or seasoned pilot or interested .............................. person: any and all are welcome.

Time and time again I have watched this open-armed display. I recently travContent closes 6/15/2009 eled to southern California with my nonpilot wife, and I had no “ins” to the flying BIWINGUAL ISSUE crowd around Santa Barbara. In my life, I have only been there twice. However, I .............................. had in my possession two phone numbers and a web site. Those led me to a training hill (Nice hill, too!), a few handshakes, a little discussion, and the location of earlyContent closes 8/15/2009 morning postings of the day’s flying plans.

That’s all it took. The next morning at the TRAVEL ISSUE meeting site, I found that of the six people .............................. there when I arrived, only two actually knew each other. We were all new kids on the block! We all shook hands, threw our wings in the van, and practically sat Content closes 10/15/2009 on each other’s laps as more pilots showed and, they too, piled into the van. We were PHOTO ANNUAL instant companions in sudden and very close proximity to each other. We talked across the van about sites we had flown,

EDITORIAL CALENDAR 10MAY

10JULY

10AUGUST

10OCTOBER

10DECEMBER

www.superflyinc.com With 3 manufacturers to choose from and 2 new models, Super Fly is your choice for your next 1-2 glider!

Advance Epsilon 6

Gin Gliders Sprint

Nova Mentor

A perfect blend of performance and stability makes this unique glider suitable for P1-P5 pilots.

Newer pilots enjoy the stability and confidenceinspiring feel, while more advanced pilots are able to exploit the high performance for long flights! $4,100

The Sprint is the only 1-2 in the world that utilizes Gin's patented Rigifoil system used on their world class competition glider the Boomerang. The result: a high performance intermediate glider that is suitable for experienced P2 to P5 pilots. This is a cloudbase flying XC machine! $3,700

Nova has a long tradition of having the highest performing glider in its class and the Mentor continues with better performance and handling than the highly regarded Nova Mamboo.

Combine that with great comfort and safety, making the Mentor suitable for experienced P2 to P5 pilots. $4,100

S u p e r F l y, I n c - 8 6 8 3 S a n d y P a r k w a y - S a n d y, U T 8 4 07 0 8 01. 2 5 5 . 9 5 9 5 i n f o @ s u p e r f l y i n c . c o m