Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol44/Iss05 May2014 by US Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

MAY 2014 Volume 44 Issue 5 $6.95

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

ON THE COVER, Surfing the spine

| photo by Felix Wölk. MEANWHILE, Barry Barr working with third generation USHPA member Tomas Barr at Sopelana Beach, Basque Country, Spain.

WARNING

YEARS

Hang gliding and paragliding are INHERENTLY DANGEROUS activities. USHPA recommends pilots complete a pilot training program under the direct supervision of a USHPA-certified instructor, using safe equipment suitable for your level of experience. Many of the articles and photographs in the magazine depict advanced maneuvers being performed by experienced, or expert, pilots. These maneuvers should not be attempted without the prerequisite instruction and experience.

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

ADVERTISING ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE

SUBMISSIONS HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine welcomes

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) (USPS 17970) is

editorial submissions from our members and readers. All submissions of articles, artwork, photographs and or ideas for articles, artwork and photographs are made pursuant to and are subject to the USHPA Contributor's Agreement, a copy of which can be obtained from the USHPA by emailing the editor at editor@ushpa.aero or online at www.ushpa. aero. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit all contributions. 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.

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

SENT TO USHPA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS. All advertising is subject to the USHPA Advertising Policy, a copy of which may be obtained from the USHPA by emailing advertising@ushpa.aero.

POSTMASTER Send change of address to: Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, P.O. BOX 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. Canadian Post Publications Mail Agreement #40065056. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3

COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2014 United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., All Rights Reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc.

Martin Palmaz, Publisher executivedirector@ushpa.aero Nick Greece, Editor editor@ushpa.aero Greg Gillam, Art Director art.director@ushpa.aero C.J. Sturtevant, Copy Editor copy@ushpa.aero Beth Van Eaton, Advertising advertising@ushpa.aero Staff Writers Christina Ammon, Dennis Pagen, C.J. Sturtevant Ryan Voight Staff Photographers John Heiney, Jeff Shapiro

MAY 2014 FLIGHT PLAN

PILOT BRIEFINGS

AIRMAIL

COMPETITION

CENTERFOLD

RATINGS

CALENDAR

CLASSIFIED

THE 1

36 Flying in Colombia

Rat Race Super Clinic Ruch, Oregon

A frugal pilot's guide

by Jeff Grey

by C.J. Sturtevant 20

Go West Tips for East Coast Pilots

by Tom Webster

44 Colorado Fly Week

Flying for a Better Honduras by Jeffrey Miller

Rendezvous redo

by Larry Smith 28

HG401: Advanced Techniques Camera Mounts

by Ryan Voight

52 Upward Mobility An interview with Catherine MoulignĂŠ

by Christina Ammon

Air Sick by Michael Vergalla

Make memories. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t dream them.

500 West Blueridge Ave . Orange, CA 92865 . 1.714.998.6359 . WillsWing.com

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

FLIGHT PLAN F

lying preparation and first trips back to the hill are in full swing as this issue arrives at your doors. All around the country the season is kicking off, and first flights for the new year are being completed carefully. Pilots who had winter escapes are a bit ahead of the curve, but the rest of us begin our yearly progression back to fitness as one does in any other sport. Building up to currency is critical, not only for safety, but also for experiencing deep enjoyment of our sports. Ground handling, first flights, extended sled rides, the buildup to easy soaring conditions, and, finally, after a few weeks, normal thermal flying, if that is what stimulates you. The great news is that getting to the sled ride stage is in itself an awesome aviation accomplishment. This year, USHPA is backing many new initiatives—from touring movie nights to flying leagues for every site. The new USHPA Free Flight League is primarily a cross-country league where each state can present inspiring flights within its ranks, as well as within the US. Multipliers have been developed that will level the playing field for states that have shorter windows of flying or more limited ranges. Check out www. ushpa.aero for more information on how to participate. The May issue is packed with inspiration and tools to help you capture the perfect moment from your flying adventures. GoPro has revolutionized the ability to capture the aerial world, with a plethora of new mounts to help. This issue features Ryan Voight’s descriptions of the mounts as well as how and where to use them on a hang glider in a way that no longer requires complicated, and possibly dangerous, counter-balancing. With June right around the corner, the

left

12th annual Rat Race is upon us. Jeff Grey reports from his experiences as a participant in the first Rat Race Super Clinic held in conjunction with the race, run by an all-star instructor cast of Kari Castle, Ken Hudonjorgensen, and Kay Tauscher. Tom Webster is back with a piece about what it was like for him, as a young hang glider pilot, to move to the West, and Jeffrey Miller writes in with Patrick Joyce about USHPA pilots and instructors helping create better lives for Honduras locals by teaching them to fly in order to help grow tourism in a developing country. Along the line of those working to help all people get into the air, Christina Ammon elucidates Catherine Mouligné's project: Mouligné, who believes in the absolute right of all humans, rich or poor, to pursue leisure activities, takes in used and damaged equipment and fixes it professionally, delivering it back to the right people anywhere in the world. And, finally, C.J. Sturtevant provides us with details of a flying trip in Colombia where she sampled the fruits of Roldanillo and Bucaramanga, while Tiffany and Larry Smith set the stage for another amazing fly-in in Villa Grove, Colorado. The summer is filled with events nationwide, but Villa Grove promises to be one of the most entertaining! Whether your spring flying takes you to far-flung destinations or back to the old familiar favorites, enjoy your airtime, and if you have tales or photos worth sharing with the rest of us, please contact me: editor@ ushpa.aero.

Flying in Utah | photo by Jeff Ambrose.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

PILOT BRIEFINGS

SPECKED OUT XSHOT PRO

camera is mounted securely and stays

This model is made specifically for

put on launch, landing, and in the air.

action videos and photos of outdoor

Also works great with pod harnesses

activities. The XShot Pro is good for

without interfering with speed system.

flying photography, featuring a secure

Tutorial at: Vimeo.com/82320531

wrist strap and sturdy rubber sports grip. It ships GoPro-ready with a

Mag Mount

specific mount as well as a universal

Twelve tiny yet powerful rare earth

tripod mount for any digital camera.

magnets carefully arranged and inte-

The XShot Pro features a unique 360-

grated with a waterproof GoPro back

degree precision ball head. You can

door make the Mag Mount the easiest

rotate, turn, and twist your camera

and most secure way to attach a GoPro

to whatever angle works best; a knob

camera to your wing. No pouches or

locks the camera solidly in place. For

cases are needed. The magnetic back

more information go to www.Xshot.

tabs are split into two pieces, allowing

WiFi remote to your riser for ultra easy

com.

you to center the camera on a profile

access and control of your camera.

of the wing instead of the center of a

Also works great to mount a vario, your

cell. This greatly improves the cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

phone or a flight instrument directly to

Mount your GoPro at the end of your

stability, especially when placed near a

your riser.

foot just above your toe. Creates a

line attachment point. Tutorial at: Vimeo.

great selfie angle to capture you, your

com/88203578

Foot Mount

hands and your wing. Or, point it away from you for a super low ground-rush

Riser Deck

shot on speed runs. All without taking

Designed to Velcro mount your GoPro

Knee MounT Adjustable Velcro strap with an integrated GoPro flat mount. The knee mount is lined with anti-slip foam to

your hands off the controls. By using

keep it in place without the need to

the FootMountâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stabilizer band your

make it so tight that you cut off circulation. Stays put on launch and in the air. A great angle for post-maneuvers training review.

Follow Cam Lightweight, full carbon and collapses down to nothing. Your own personal videographer next to you in the sky. For more information go to www. SpeckedOut.com

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.aero Beth Van Eaton Operations Manager & Advertising office@ushpa.aero Eric Mead, System Administrator tech@ushpa.aero Ashley Miller, Membership Coordinator membership@ushpa.aero Julie Spiegler, Program Manager programs@ushpa.aero

USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Rich Hass, President president@ushpa.aero Ken Grubbs, Vice President vicepresident@ushpa.aero Bill Bolosky, Secretary secretary@ushpa.aero Mark Forbes, Treasurer treasurer@ushpa.aero

2015 is the year of YOU. SEND US YOUR CALENDAR PHOTOS.

REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Jugdeep Aggarwal, Josh Cohn, Jon James. REGION 3: Corey Caffrey, Dan DeWeese, Alan Crouse. REGION 4: Bill Belcourt, Ken Grubbs. REGION 5: Josh Pierce. REGION 6: David Glover. REGION 7: Paul Olson. REGION 8: Michael Holmes. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, Larry Dennis. REGION 10: Bruce Weaver, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: David Glover. REGION 12: Paul Voight. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Ryan Voight, Bill Bolosky, Steve Rodrigues, Dennis Pagen, Jamie Shelden. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Art Greenfield (NAA). The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Inc. (USHPA) 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. For change of address or other USHPA business call (719) 632-8300, or email info@ushpa.aero.

Because you're awesome!

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.

Go to www.ushpa.aero/calendarproject.asp for details. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

AIRMAIL I read Ryan Voight’s article “Pushing Out” (February 2014 issue of Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine) with interest. There was one critical piece of information missing from Mr. Voight’s article. A hang glider—like almost every other winged craft, especially those that fly relatively slowly—will trim to a lower angle of attack in a banked turn than in wings-level flight. As we roll into a turn, if we exert no fore or aft muscle force on the bar, the bar will move aft, and the wing’s angle of attack will decrease. Alternatively, if we start in wings-level flight at trim and then simply keep the bar fixed in the same fore-and-aft position as we roll into a turn, we’ll again find that the wing’s angle of attack has decreased—even as we exert a “push” force on the bar to keep it from moving aft! There are at least two different ways to prove that these things are true, even without an instrument to measure angle of attack directly. One method involves trimming for min. sink and observing telltales near the trailing edge, and the other method involves measuring the airspeed and adjusting it for the bank angle. Mr. Voight’s article makes many relevant points about the dangers of pushing out too far. But these ideas need to be tempered with a recognition that by banking, we automatically build in a certain amount of “stall protection”: As long as we only move the control bar forward a modest amount as we enter a turn, the wing’s angle of attack will actually be further from the stall than it was in wings-level flight! This is one reason some sailplane training programs emphasize the use of moderate bank angles, rather than shallow bank angles, in the landing pattern. The idea that a student hang glider pilot should never exert forward pressure on the bar other than when rounding out and flaring for landing, seems to me at best appropriate only

for a student who is just learning to make simple shallow-banked course corrections off the training hill, and is not yet ready for his first altitude flight. Mastering turn “coordination”—the art of matching roll inputs with pitch inputs to produce an efficient, controlled flight path—should be one of the keystones of any hang gliding flight-training program. On another note, kudos to Mr. Voight for not embracing the widespread, incorrect paradigm that if we fail to move the control bar forward as we enter a turn, the glider will “slip” sideways through the air. The USHPA written test questions for various ratings include some questions that strongly imply that pulling in the bar while banked, or pulling in the bar while rolling into a turn, or failing to move the bar forward while entering a turn, will cause the glider to “slip” earthwards. These questions ought to be deleted from the exams, just as these concepts ought to be deleted from our collective training paradigm! I’ve had some communication with the members of the USHPA Safety and Training committee—including Mr. Voight—on this point and didn’t feel I was really able to get my point across. In other words, it appears that as a community we may be starting to abandon the idea that a glider will slip if we don’t move the bar forward as we turn, but we haven’t yet abandoned the idea that a glider will slip if we pull the bar aft as we turn. Perhaps this letter will help to move things in the right direction. I’m aware that I’ve made some assertions above that I haven’t adequately defended, due to limits of space. I’ll do my best to remedy this by submitting some in-depth articles on these subjects in the near future. In the meantime, I welcome personal communications from anyone interested in these topics. Sincerely, Steve Seibel, #69919

COMPETITION SoCal XC League 2014 Happy pilots in goal at Soboba, from left to right (Arthur Fabert, Gregory Hunter, Aaron Price, Bella Sanchez, Joe Popper, Joshua Gelb, Dmitri Soloviev). Not pictured but also in goal: Jason Kinch and Phil Russman and Joshua’s shirt. LEFT

by Aaron Price

what an elapsed start time meant), and, of course, going on glide to my first goal cylinder. Who would have thought that six years later I would be running the SoCal XC League?

n 2008, when I was flying in Santa Barbara for the first time as a fairly new P-3, I asked local instructor Rob Sporrer a question that would change my flying career more than I could have imagined: “I want to fly at My first SoCal XC meet the Nationals and World level, but In 2013, I took over the league from I don’t know how to get there; what local guru Dean Stratton. As the would you recommend?” Rob respond- new operator, I had two main goals: ed that I should get in touch with the increase attendance and help develop SoCal XC League, a monthly meet-up cross-country skills of new and existing for informal cross-country competipilots. In order to accomplish these two tions. That advice started me down an goals, I decided to change things up a amazing new path as a paraglider pilot. bit, fly some new sites and try to focus I still remember the excitement of my more often on interesting and enjoyfirst task a few weeks later in Santa able routes that league members were Barbara: flying with new instruments requesting. on a home-made flight deck, thinkThis effort resulted in some of the ing I was winning (not understanding best flying we’ve had in the league in a

long time. We began the year with a flight from Laguna Mountain, overlooking the Anza-Borrego Desert near San Diego, and flew north on the convergence line, hitting around 10,000’ in places. Laguna is situated on a 4000’ cliff overlooking the desert floor and is one of the hidden gems we have for paragliding in Southern California. It is nicknamed the Owens of the South for its strong desert conditions, massive XC potential, and the north-south convergence line that reliably sets up on the best paragliding days. The following month, members of the league were back at Laguna. Since the weather was not cooperating, we made a quick decision to check out a seldom flown site, Big Black. The flexibility of being able to head to a good-weather spot paid off. After a bit of para-waiting, we were able to fly in epic conditions, soaring up to cloud base at 8000’ as winds converged from all directions at this one site. The next day provided even more excitement for us. After a late evening phone call from one of the San Diego weather gurus, we decided to fly Lake Elsinore on Sunday. I fired off a quick email to the league to announce the change of location for the following day, including a few coordinates we needed for the site.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

LEFT Photograph by Jonathan Dietch, one of the local hang glider pilots who likes to come out and mix it up with the paraglider pilots. RIGHT Free-flying at Big Black on an epic day.

The next morning a good-sized crew rolled out, and a task was announced for the site: Lake Elsinore to Soboba, flying the classic east-west convergence line 50 km across the valley. Once in the air, we knew it was the right call, as pilots were tanking up to 13,000’ underneath some

beautiful clouds. After waiting for the west wind to blow through, a promising cloud street started stretching across the valley, showing us the way to goal. Eight pilots made it to Soboba that day—for seven of them, their first time flying this classic SoCal route. Another

pilot opted to fly in the other direction and snagged a bucket-list flight by flying tandem with his father all the way from Lake Elsinore to the beach at Dana Point! 2013 proved that the best option for bad weather is to move the meet location to the closest nearby site that allows for a successful task, instead of trying to reschedule the event for the following weekend. In SoCal, we are especially blessed with over a dozen great sites, stretching from Santa Barbara to San Diego. When one site doesn’t work in east wind, there’s another site nearby that does. Combine that with a group of pilots willing to chase the wind in order to make the most of a day, and you have a winning combination for the league.

Year Year Year after after after year, year, year, working working working for for for you you you Year Year after after year, year, working working for for youyou Mt. Mt. Howard, Mt. Howard, Howard, OR OR — OR — NPS — NPS NPS Biological Biological Biological Assessment Assessment Assessment Mt. Howard, Mt. Howard, OR — OR NPS — Biological NPS Biological Assessment Assessment Embreville, Embreville, Embreville, PAPA — PA — Legal — Legal Legal Assistance Assistance Assistance for for LZ for LZLZ Embreville, Embreville, PA — Legal PA — Assistance Legal Assistance for LZ for LZ Mingus Mingus Mingus Mt, Mt, AZ Mt, AZ — AZ — Launch — Launch Launch and and and Campground Campground Campground Mingus Mingus Mt, AZMt, — AZ Launch —Mt, Launch and Campground and Campground King King King Mt, ID Mt, ID —ID — XC — XC Site XC Site Site Guide Guide Guide

FOUNDATION FOUNDATION FOUNDATION FOR FOR FOR FREE FREE FREE FLIGHT FLIGHT FLIGHT FOUNDATION FOUNDATION FOR FOR FREE FREE FLIGHT FLIGHT P.O. P.O. Box P.O. Box 518, Box 518, Dunlap, 518, Dunlap, Dunlap, CACA 93621 CA 93621 93621 888-262-4264 888-262-4264 888-262-4264 www.ushgf.org www.ushgf.org www.ushgf.org

King Mt, King IDHG Mt, — XC ID — Site XC Guide Site Guide HG National HG National National Team Team Team HG National HG National Team Team Meet Meet Meet Director Director Director Training Training Training Meet Director Meet Director Training Training

2003 2003 2003 2003 2003

2004 2004 2004 2004 2004

P.O. BoxP.O. 518, Box Dunlap, 518, Dunlap, CA 93621 CA 93621 888-262-4264 888-262-4264 www.ushgf.org www.ushgf.org

Point Point Point ofof the of the Mt, the Mt, UT Mt, UT — UT — Permanent — Permanent Permanent Flight Flight Flight Park Park Park Point of Point the of Mt,the UT Mt, — UT Permanent — Permanent Flight Flight Park Park Andy Andy Andy Jackson, Jackson, Jackson, CA CA — CA — Tractor — Tractor Tractor Purchase Purchase Purchase Andy Jackson, Andy Jackson, CA — CA Tractor — Tractor Purchase Purchase Lake Lake Lake Elsinore, Elsinore, Elsinore, CA CA — CA — Legal — Legal Legal Assistance Assistance Assistance Lake Elsinore, Lake Elsinore, CA — CA Legal — Assistance Legal Assistance

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005

2006 2006 2006 2006 2006

2007 2007 2007 2007 2007

West West Rutland, Rutland, Rutland, VTVT — VT — Launch — Launch Launch Site Site Site Purchase Purchase Purchase HG HG &HG & PG PG &International PG International International Competitions Competitions Competitions HG HG& HG &PG PG &National PG National National Teams Teams Teams West West Rutland, West Rutland, VT — Launch VT — Launch Site Purchase Site Purchase HG & PG HG International & PG International Competitions Competitions HG & PG HG National & PG National Teams Teams PG PG Aero PG Aero Aero Tow Tow Tow Research Research Research Grant Grant Grant Andy Andy Jackson, Jackson, Jackson, CA CA — CA — Site — Site Site Preservation Preservation Preservation HG HG &HG & PG PG &International PG International International Competitions Competitions Competitions Andy PG Aero PG Tow Aero Research Tow Research Grant Grant Andy Jackson, Andy Jackson, CA — CA Site — Preservation Site Preservation HG & PG HG International & PG International Competitions Competitions 2003 2003 2003 Centenial Centenial Centenial ofof Flight of Flight Flight Sand Sand Sand Turn Turn Turn LZ, LZ, WY LZ, WY — WY — Land — Land Land Purchase Purchase Purchase Telluride, Telluride, Telluride, CA CA — CA — LZ — LZ Preservation LZ Preservation Preservation 2003 Centenial 2003 Centenial of Flight of Flight Sand Turn Sand LZ, Turn WY LZ, — WY Land — Purchase Land PurchaseTelluride, Telluride, CA —AZ CA LZ Preservation — LZ Preservation Miller Miller Miller Canyon, Canyon, Canyon, AZ — AZ — Site — Site Site Preservation Preservation Preservation Elsinore, Elsinore, Elsinore, CA CA — CA — Site — Site Site Preservation Preservation Preservation Miller Miller Canyon, Canyon, AZ — AZ Site — Preservation Site Preservation Elsinore, Elsinore, CA — CA Site — Preservation Site Preservation Lake Lake Elsinore, Elsinore, Elsinore, CA CA — CA — Site — Site Site Preservation Preservation Preservation Henson’s Henson’s Henson’s Gap, Gap, Gap, TN TN — TN — Legal — Legal Legal Assistance Assistance Assistance Lake Legal Legal Legal Assistance Assistance Assistance Elsinore, Lake Elsinore, CA — CA Site— Preservation Site Preservation Henson’s Henson’s Gap, TN Gap, — TN Legal — Assistance LegalPolicy Assistance USHPA USHPA USHPA —— National — National National Park Park Park Service Service Service Managment Managment Managment Policy Policy Lake Legal Assistance Legal Assistance 12 HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE USHPAUSHPA — National — National Park Service Park Service Managment Managment PolicyPolicy

This year we will keep this proven formula of having a primary location with known back-up sites, in case the weather does not cooperate. For 2014, my goals for the SoCal XC League continue to be the same as in 2013: 1. Increase the turnout for monthly events. The more people who turn up, the more fun we have. 2. Continue to provide opportunities for pilots to develop and hone their cross-country skills. Let me share a few reasons I think pilots should consider joining the league. I believe many pilots feel intimidated by the serious nature of competition, or consider flying a set task to be boring. However, I believe these perceptions of the league are inaccurate. The SoCal XC League should be considered a touring monthly fly-in event, where we visit the best XC sites in Southern California at the optimal times of year to fly them. When you join the league,

you have local weather and site gurus on hand with the best predictions for flying the site that day. I work with local gurus to construct a fun and safe task that works with the weather. In addition, rides to launch are organized for the group, and for big XC tasks, we

Mt. Mt. Equinox, Mt. Equinox, Equinox, VTVT — VT — Site — Site Site Opening Opening Opening && Ramp Ramp & Ramp Improvements Improvements Improvements Mt. Equinox, Mt. Equinox, VT — Site VT — Opening Site Opening & Ramp & Ramp Improvements Improvements Bidwell Bidwell Bidwell Park, Park, Park, CA CA — CA — Site — Site Site Preservation Preservation Preservation Environmental Environmental Environmental Review Review Review Buffalo Buffalo Buffalo Mt, Mt, OK Mt, OK — OK — Launch — Launch Launch && LZLZ &Improvements LZ Improvements Improvements Bidwell Bidwell Park, CA Park, — CA Site — Preservation Site Preservation Environmental Environmental Review Review Buffalo Buffalo Mt, OK Mt, — OK Launch — Launch &Improvements LZImprovements Improvements & LZ Improvements The The The Pulpit, Pulpit, Pulpit, PA PA — PA — Launch — Launch Launch Improvements Lake Lake Lake Elsinore, Elsinore, Elsinore, CA CA — CA — Site — Site Site Preservation Preservation Preservation Legal Legal Legal Assistance Assistance Assistance Pulpit, The Pulpit, PA — Launch PAShower/Restroom — Launch Improvements Improvements Lake Elsinore, Lake Elsinore, CA — CA Site — Preservation SiteImprovements Preservation Legal Assistance Legal Assistance The King King King Mt, Mt, ID Mt, ID —ID — Shower/Restroom — Shower/Restroom Project Project Project Mingus Mingus Mingus Mt, Mt, AZ Mt, AZ — AZ — PG — PG Launch PG Launch Launch Improvements Improvements King Mt, King ID Mt, — Shower/Restroom ID — Shower/Restroom Project Project Mingus Mingus Mt, AZ Mt, — AZ PG — Launch PG Launch Improvements Improvements Tiger Tiger Tiger Mt, Mt, WA Mt, WA — WA — LZ — LZ Parking LZ Parking Parking Expansion Expansion Expansion MtMt Sentinel, Mt Sentinel, Sentinel, MT MT — MT — Grassland — Grassland Grassland Restoration Restoration Restoration Tiger Mt, Tiger WA Mt, — WA LZ Parking — LZ Parking Expansion Expansion Mt Sentinel, MtCA Sentinel, MT — MT Grassland — Grassland Restoration Restoration Kitty Kitty Kitty Hawk, Hawk, Hawk, NC NC — NC — Soaring — Soaring Soaring 100 100 100 Event Event Event Dunlap, Dunlap, Dunlap, CA — CA — Site — Site Site Improvements Improvements Improvements for for PG for PGPG

Adaptive Adaptive PG Training PG Training Protocol Protocol Grant Grant Kirkridge, Kirkridge, Kirkridge, NJNJ — NJ — Launch — Launch Launch Road Road Road Project Project Project Kirkridge, Kirkridge, NJ — Launch NJ —Competitions Launch Road Project Road Project HG HG International HG International International Competitions Competitions

Kitty Hawk, Kitty Hawk, NC — NC Soaring — Soaring 100Plan Event 100 Event Lookout Lookout Lookout Mt, Mt, CO Mt, CO — CO — LZ — LZ Master LZ Master Master Plan Plan Lookout Lookout Mt, COJudges Mt, —Training CO LZ Master — LZEvent Master Plan Aerobatic Aerobatic Aerobatic Judges Judges Training Training Event EventPlan Aerobatic Aerobatic Judges Judges Training Training Event Event HG HG &HG & PG PG &International PG International International Competitions Competitions Competitions HG &Able PG HG International &—PG International Competitions Competitions Able Able Pilot Pilot Pilot — Disabled — Disabled Disabled Pilot Pilot Pilot Project Project Project

HG International HG International Competitions Competitions

Able Pilot Able— Pilot Disabled — Disabled Pilot Project Pilot Project

Dunlap, Dunlap, CAKing, —WY CA Site — Improvements Site Improvements for PGfor PG Snow Snow Snow King, King, WY — WY — Launch — Launch Launch Improvement Improvement Improvement Snow Snow King, WY King, —Training WY Launch — Launch Improvement Improvement Adaptive Adaptive Adaptive PG PG Training PG Training Protocol Protocol Protocol Grant Grant Grant

2008 2008 2008 2008 2008

2009 2009 2009 2009 2009

2010 2010 2010 2010 2010

FarView FarView FarView Tow Tow Tow Site, Site, Site, OH OH — OH — Site — Site Site Improvement Improvement Improvement FarView FarView Tow Site, Tow OH Site, — OH Site — Improvement Site Improvement John John John Wayne Wayne Wayne Airport, Airport, Airport, CA CA — CA — HG — HG Display HG Display Display John Wayne John Wayne Airport, Airport, CA — CA HG — Display HG Display Big Big Springs, Big Springs, Springs, TXTX — TX — National — National National TVTV Film TV Film Film Shoot Shoot Shoot

Big Springs, BigRanch, Springs, TX — TX National — National TVTow Film TV Shoot Film Shoot Wallaby Wallaby Wallaby Ranch, Ranch, FLFL —FL — Scooter — Scooter Scooter Tow Tow Clinic Clinic Clinic Wallaby Wallaby Ranch, Ranch, FL — Scooter FL — Scooter Tow Clinic Tow Clinic Tenn Tenn Tenn Tree Tree Tree Toppers Toppers Toppers Team Team Team Challenge Challenge Challenge

get dedicated retrieve drivers for the day. When you fly with the SoCal XC League, you get to fly new sites with information supplied by the best local pilots, fly a route that will have the highest probability of success for the day, and have an organized ride and retrieve.

Tenn Tree Tenn Toppers Tree Toppers Team Challenge Team Challenge HG HG &HG & PG PG &International PG International International Competitions Competitions Competitions HG & PG HGInternational & PG International Competitions Competitions

2011 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2011 2011 2012 2012

“Live “Live “Live the the Dream” the Dream” Dream” Film Film Film “Live the “Live Dream” the Dream” Film Film Villa Villa Villa Grove, Grove, Grove, CO CO — CO — Launch — Launch Launch Road Road Road Villa Mt, Grove, Villa Grove, CO — CO Launch —LZ Launch Road Road Woodrat Woodrat Woodrat Mt, OR Mt, OR — OR — Fiasco — Fiasco Fiasco LZ Project LZ Project Project Woodrat Woodrat Mt, ORMt, — OR Fiasco — Fiasco LZ Project LZ Project Whaleback, Whaleback, Whaleback, CA CA — CA — Launch — Launch Launch Improvements Improvements Improvements Whaleback, Whaleback, CA — CA Launch — Launch Improvements Improvements Hillcrest, Hillcrest, Hillcrest, MO MO — MO — Butte — Butte Butte Site Site Site Improvements Improvements Improvements Hillcrest, Hillcrest, MO —MO Butte — Site Butte Improvements Site Improvements High High High Rock, Rock, Rock, MD MD — MD — Launch Launch Launch & & LZLZ &Improvements LZ Improvements Improvements High Rock, High MD Rock, —MD Launch —Competitions Launch &Competitions LZ Improvements & LZ Improvements HG HG &HG & PG PG &International PG International International Competitions

LEFT Track Logs from our flight at Pine

Mountain just north of Ojairacing 75km to the I-5 Grapevine and back. RIGHT Epic glass-off at Pine Mountain with pilots on glide to Ojai and the beach. BELOW LEFT Stephan Haase flying task at Marshall. RIGHT The author, task 1.

OK, so the SoCal XC League is great for existing cross-country pilots looking for something new and exciting. But what about newer pilots? In my opinion, the league is one of the best ways for P-3 pilots and higher to keep honing their skills. I would not be half the pilot I am today without the XC league or, more specifically, without having met the talented and knowledgeable people who belong to the league. I am not exaggerating when I say you will meet some of the best US pilots at league events. It provides an amazing opportunity to hang out with pilots, like Dean Stratton, who have established themselves as national- and world-level competitors. I’ve learned an incredible amount from such pilots by talking and listening to them, taking

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pointers after early bomb-outs and seeing how they handle themselves in the air as we share thermals and glides together. As a paragliding instructor, I’ve witnessed attrition in our sport that I believe is due to a lack of community and boredom in flying. You can only fly the same house thermal so many times, before it becomes monotonous. And, if you don’t have a good group of friends to fly with after you graduate from your paragliding school, you are not going to be excited about continuing to come out. Flying with the SoCal XC League brings a new dimension to the sport for most pilots. They get to fly new sites and challenge themselves to fly new routes they would have never thought possible. At the same time, they get to meet like-

minded pilots and share their stories afterwards over beer and food, knowing they did something few people may ever get to experience. This year I have some exciting new ideas we will be initiating in order to encourage as many pilots as possible to fly with us: I’ve started a new Sprint League designed like the Rat Race Sprint competition. The Sprint League is designed for pilots with 40+ hours who fly EN-A or EN-B wings. The tasks cater to new XC pilots by only being scheduled at accessible sites like Marshall and by scoring in a unique, simplified manner. The Sprint League scoring will only reward distance flown, rather than parameters like time, position and leading points. I believe this will help entry-level XC pilots learn to fly tasks in a low-pressure environment that encourages them to make safe, conservative decisions to fly as far as possible for the day. In addition to the Sprint League,

I will also be running two XC Task Clinic courses this year at Marshall on March 15th and May 24th. Unlike a regular XC clinic, this course will bootstrap pilots new to task flying with the information they need to fly competitions. Topics will include instrument setup, task terminology, expectations of pilots during a task, and general prin-

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ciples for flying cross-country during a competition. After this short clinic in the morning, we will head up to launch and put those skills to practice with a Sprint League event. We have a great schedule lined up for 2014, including a three-day event at Pine Mountain in Ojai over the Labor Day long weekend. The calendar and all

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league details are currently posted on our website: www.socalxcleague.com. Registration for the XC League, Sprint League and the Task Clinics are now open. We also had a kick-off party on March 15 at Marshall, where the 2013 awards were given. So get off the couch, sign up for the league and drag your launch buddies with you.

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Rat Race Super Clinic Ruch, Oregon 16

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by JEFF GREY

he 2014 Rat Race will be its 12th year, and Mike Haley doesn’t seem to let up in growing this event for the benefit of our sport. In his mission statement, Mike writes: “The mission of our aviation competitions is to provide safety, fun and education in a solid competition environment. It is our hope that, in doing so, we will encourage others to safely grow in the sport we all love so passionately.” To this end, Mike introduced the Rat Race Sprint, designed to allow developing pilots to get a taste of (and for) competitive racing, while providing a mentoring program that encourages pilots to share their knowledge and experience. In 2013, Mike expanded his offerings to include the Rat Race Super Clinic for “those pilots P-3 or above who want exceptional training not centered around a competition format.” To that end, the Super Clinic was devised, employing top-notch instructors. Kari Castle, Ken Hudonjorgensen, and Kay Tauscher each brought their own expertise in, and perspective on, a broad range of topics important to aspiring cross-country pilots who want to increase their thermaling and XC skills. The clinic was offered as an allencompassing, concentrated package: Eight full days (and I mean [full] days) of training that ran concurrently with the Rat Race and Sprint. It included ground school, with classroom presentations on such topics as safety checks and pre-flight routines, thermal hunting and mapping, efficient flying, caring for gear, using instrumentation, flying tasks and more; getting into the air with instructor supervision; and making new friends and enjoying the free-flight community. Add to that the opportunity to tap into mentoring presentations offered on such issues as SIV and maneuvers, using XC

LEFT

RAT RACE 2014 JUNE 22ND - 28TH PRACTICE DAY - JUNE 21ST ENTER THE RAT RACE, THE RAT RACE SPRINT OR JOIN THE RAT RACE SUPER CLINIC A PARAGLIDING CLINIC IN A COMPETITION SETTING

MPHSPORTS.COM

Dialing in skills from the top of the stack.

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RIGHT

Graduation ceremony.

Skies, speed-to-fly and using speed bar. Factor in meals—lunches were provided most days; informal dinners were available either at HQ at very reasonable prices or at specially organized events— transportation to launch and retrieve, and assorted welcoming goodies. Where else could one find such an extensive training opportunity for under $500? TheBottom line: This is a high-value, intensive training experience within the budget of most of us! If one considers getting a P-2 like graduating from high school, earning a P-3 like getting through college, then the Super Clinic is like graduate school: more intensive, focused and independent. Instructors recognize basic competencies and provide challenges to enhance or further develop a student’s ability. Course selection is determined by students and independent study is built in; students are able to learn through discussion as well as by lecture. But there is no graduation; at this level, it seems obvious that the learning process will be life-long. As Ken noted, “The most experienced pilots know perhaps a hundredth of what [can] be known.” One of the most eye-opening aspects of this “seminar” format was being exposed to varying points of view. Students were exposed to the thoughts and ideas of some of the best paragliding pilots in the US, while listening to the pros and cons of issues like using the speed system and the stirrup, the mental picture one forms or what specific cues one needs to thermal efficiently, and whether or not to keep your wing hooked in when packing it up. Hearing opposing views underscored the fact that we are all responsible for making our own decisions and using our best judgment. On the first day, our clinic began bright and early—a practice day for racers, while we “Super Clinicians” were

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in class until going up to launch to observe and learn. We flew after the racers were in the air, giving our instructors their first observation of the skills each pilot brought to the table. By the second day, the weather was unflyable due to cloud cover and rain. Complain as we might, this was a blessing in disguise, as we were in a better position to digest the information laid before us, without the distraction of wanting to be in the sky. Much was accomplished before the weather turned again at midweek. From one extreme to another, the final days of the Rat Race were sunny and hot. Very hot. As the terrain dried out, the midday air became increasingly active, bordering on rowdy for the newer initiates. Our class included pilots with varying levels of thermaling and XC flying experience. While there could be a disadvantage in having students with a wide diversity in skill levels, this didn’t seem to be a major problem in our class. As a whole, our group was friendly, mutually supportive, and a pleasure to hang out with. I hope to fly with them again in the future. With three separate events occurring simultaneously at the Rat Race, logistics became complex, especially in terms of transportation to launch and retrieves. Initially, the clinic participants were scheduled to go to launch at noon, after morning seminars, and remain

there while racers launched, so we could observe them. Clinic members would then be allowed to launch after 3 p.m. This did not make sense. We would be enduring three hours of “para-waiting” each day, after which we’d launch during one of the more active times of day. Our instructors objected, and they succeeded in changing the schedule. Clinic members now could launch before the racers’ start times, thus getting into the air in gentler conditions and allowing for the possibility of a second flight in the evening. This proved to be a much better arrangement. I came to realize that flying in a race modality was great training for flying efficiently, even for non-competitive purposes (e.g., going on long XC flights). We were not racing, but rather taking part in tasks set to keep us within glide of our LZs. Tasks were designed as a simplified version of what racers were doing. In one of our first attempts, many were able to reach goal. (My instrument made a happy sound and produced a smileyface; probably my favorite moment of the week.) Flying tasks also provided an opportunity for us to become more adept at working with our flight instruments. Waypoints had been downloaded at the beginning of the clinic, and entering the selected course became a matter of joining with others possessing the same instrument. Those using Flymaster products were in luck: not only did Jug

Aggarwal give a mentoring seminar on the Flymaster one evening, but also he was on launch daily to assist. Those with Flytec products could talk with Steve Kroop or a list of Flytec team pilots on launch. Suggestions for future clinics: I believe the clinic would have had more impact if there had been more “inair” instruction. Future clinics should consider organizing students’ flight times around launching in small groups, determined by experience level, with one instructor for each group. This would give “hands-on” learning of how to maintain the gaggle, as racers often do, as well as how to use radio communication to be able to augment awareness of conditions, strategies and decisions, and provide instantaneous feedback on thermaling efficiency. Overall, I think this first “Super Clinic” was a great success and a welcomed opportunity to learn in the midst of the excitement and collegiality of the Rat Race. I believe I speak for all the participants in expressing our appreciation to Mike Haley for making this possible. I also want to thank our three instructors whose willingness to give of their time and wisdom was beyond generous. Hopefully, the Super Clinic will be an annual offering. I have no doubt that it will only get better with time. I highly recommend the Super Clinic to anyone with an interest in competitions or XC flying, or who would simply like to experience a world-class event from the inside. Good work and congratulations to Mike Haley, Kari Castle, Ken Hudonjorgensen and Kay Tauscher. Feel proud. Jeff Gray is a P-3 pilot from Bend, Oregon. He earned his P-2 at Woodrat and now considers his home site to be Pine Mountain, in beautiful Central Oregon. He invites pilots to come visit.

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Go West Tips for East Coast Pilots Visiting the Western States by TOM WEBSTER

everal years ago, an instructor at the hang gliding school where I worked on the East Coast ordered a new high-performance wing from a West Coast factory. It arrived in good shape and flew well, but before long, it developed a persistent turn. The turn defied all efforts to tune it outâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the instructor tried twisting

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the tips, shimming the leading edge, tweaking the outer ribs and even ballasting one wingtip with a small rock. We decided the only possible cause for the turn was that once airborne, the glider always wanted to change course and fly west. The wing had a soul that craved the fat thermals, high cloudscapes, and reliable flying conditions

of the big western mountains and desert. So it goes with many hang glider and paraglider pilots who live east of the Mississippi. If you are such a pilot and you feel the urge to light out for the territories during your summer break, I recommend you research your options carefully, make pilot contacts in the

target area, and possibly arrange for a guide. If your plans include the general area bounded by the Sierra Nevadas, the Rockies, Canada, and Mexico, you can prepare further by considering some key differences between our eastern and western aerial playgrounds.

higher There are few mountain launches in the East higher than 4000 feet above sea level, but in much of the Intermountain West you’d have to dig a hole to reach that altitude. The lower air density associated with high elevation has several consequences: Stall speed will go up. On calm days, foot launching will require more leg speed and landing will require critical attention to your flare timing. Blown launches and late flares break gliders and people, so be sure to sharpen your technique. Reserve rides will be faster. Lower density has the same effect on reserve parachutes as it does on wings: It makes them move faster through the air. Riding your reserve down onto a high plateau in the Rockies is likely to hurt more than flopping into an alfalfa field at sea level. Consider up-sizing your parachute if possible. You’ll be affected mentally and physically. Telluride’s Gold Hill launch, at 12,000 feet, is known for making pilots feel loopy and weak, just walking 50 feet from the shuttle truck to the launch area. Know that your decision-making ability might be compromised. And after flying, altitude and dehydration can make that post-flight beer feel like a double shot of Wild Turkey—even in Utah. Stay hydrated and moderate your intake. It may seem frivolous to spend $500 on an oxygen system you’ll

Road to the launches at Jupiter and Heber, Utah. LEFT

only use for a few weeks, but memories of reaching cloudbase at 17,000 feet are priceless. As are brain cells. Severe sunburn is more likely. For every 3000 feet of altitude gain, the strength of the sun’s UV radiation goes up by about 11 percent. Combine this effect with persistent sunny weather, and you’ve got a recipe for dermatological disaster. Cover up, use lots of sunscreen and sunblock, wear a big hat. Repeat after me: “The sun is my enemy.” Flying sites might be snowed in. Many of the higher sites out west have heavy snowdrifts on the approach road well into June. If you are flying in the spring or early summer, check with locals before you head up to any site higher than 7000 feet.

drier The combination of regional climate and high altitude makes the air generally drier in the Mountain West than in the East. This has a few significant effects: Thermals go higher. When air becomes drier, the difference between the dew point and the surface temperature becomes greater, so the altitude of cloudbase becomes higher. In midsummer, cloudbase above the desert can reach a ludicrous height, which (see above) may encourage you to fly with supplemental oxygen. Launches are more open. Many launches in the West are bald, with few or no trees around. If you’re used to gauging the wind speed and evaluating the overall safety of the day by listening to the sound of the breeze in the trees around launch, you’ll need to focus on other clues or use a wind meter. Trees might be smaller. Vegetation in the West doesn’t typically grow as high as it does in the humid East, and this can affect landings. It’s a common practice on the East Coast to use the

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height of nearby trees to judge altitude and, therefore, the timing of critical turns, during a landing approach. If you do this in the West, things will get weird when you realize too late that the trees are 15 feet tall instead of 50. Best practice is to plan approaches based on glide angle, rather than estimated altitude. You’ll get dehydrated easier. Make sure your harness is set up for a hydration system and always carry extra water. A long retrieve can turn the good kind of adventure into the bad kind of adventure, if you run out of water.

weather is a little different Overcast skies and even intermittent rain are not always danger signs in the East, but in a desert environment, rain ABOVE Big fields and little trees in Paradox, Colorado. RIGHT No cell service in Utah’s outback. OPPOSITE John Glime on launch at Randolph, Utah.

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means something’s up. And, there are other hazards that eastern pilots might not have experience with: Turbulence can be stronger. The highness and dryness conspire to generate thermals, especially in spring and summer, that can be bigger and rougher than anything commonly seen back east. Judging appropriate conditions to fly in is up to you, but be sure to consult locals or a trusted mentor to determine if a particular day looks like more than

you can handle. Virga is a danger sign. Dark streaks falling out of the bottom of a big cumulus cloud are likely virga, which is rain that evaporates before it can hit the ground. The evaporation process is key: When water droplets convert to vapor this cools the air dramatically. The cooler air becomes dense, plummets like a ton of bricks, and can trigger an apocalyptic gust front when it hits the ground. The front can blow much

harder (50+ mph) and reach much farther (10+ miles) than you might think. As a rule, don’t be in the air with virga anywhere nearby. Katabatic wind is sneaky. A downslope (katabatic) breeze in the evening is not unfamiliar to East Coast mountain pilots, but the western version can be considerably stronger and sneakier. Even if five pilots in a row land in the same direction at the end of a soaring day, be vigilant for a 180-degree wind reversal during your approach. Dust devils are even sneakier. A spinning vortex of dirt is a pretty obvious danger signal when you are strapped to a man-carrying kite. But even when you’re unattached to the wing, before or after the flight, dust devils can raise hell: They’ll materialize out of nowhere to twist your paraglider into a dusty croissant or flap the un-tensioned wings of your hang glider until the crossbar plates give out. The solution is to never leave your gear unattended in a state of partial or full assembly. Timing is important. At many highaltitude sites, particularly east-facing ones, normal weather patterns create a well defined window of opportunity between the first appearance of soarable conditions and a wind switch that renders launch impossible. This is where local knowledge can make or break your flying day. When a local advises you to be ready on launch before a certain time, treat it like a job interview—if you are still getting ready when it starts to blow down, 10 minutes late might as well be 10 hours. Desert winds are predictable, until they’re unpredictable. A normal flying day can produce surprising small-scale weather events. One such event happened to me at the end of a flight to the Bishop, California, airport, just after 6:00 p.m. on a clear day with no threatening weather. A few hundred feet above the ground, I encountered a north wind of 25 mph, strong enough to blow

my hang glider slowly backwards, until I sped up slightly. This was fine, until half a minute later, when I descended through a turbulent wind shear into a south wind of the same speed. Another minute later, I landed next to my friends, who sat drinking beer next to a completely limp windsock, oblivious to my brief adventure.

Sparsely populated Many consider this to be positive; it’s one of the main reasons people go out west to fly. Having fewer private landowners and less development means there tend to be fewer regulations and more potential flying sites. But, the flip side is that we ultimately do need other people to fly. Here are some implications: Cell phones don’t work everywhere. Many popular sites don’t have continuous cell coverage along likely cross-country routes or even on launch. Consequently, GPS tracker smartphone apps that rely on the cellular network won’t be effective. You’ll need a

device that communicates directly with satellites, like SPOT or InReach, to be tracked by your driver. Of course, the old-fashioned techniques like using a radio, following a flight plan, reading a map, and landing near a pay phone still work. Medical help may be far away. Fewer people in an area means fewer and more spread out emergency services. It also means that if you crash, there might not be anyone around to help. Be sure your communication system works as well as possible and, again, consider using a satellite tracker. Some sites don’t have any local pilots. While the lack of air traffic may be refreshing, it can also be disorienting at a new site. Most sites have a protocol that must be followed whether someone is there to enforce it or not, even if it is on public land. Locate the organized club nearest to your intended flying site to find out what conditions are ideal, what the likely hazards are, and who may fly there. Bring your own windsock.

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Flying for a Better Honduras by JEFFREY MILLER edited by PATRICK JOYCE

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ost pilots can remember with clarity the moment they left the earth behind for the first time. That experience changed many of our lives. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize, when I went to Honduras from Canada in 2004 as a novice pilot, that I would find myself alone in pursuit of flying or that flying and adopting a new home would change my life. I remember urgent calls I made to Canada, asking for advice from my instructor on what to do upon landing when I saw leaves swirling into a nearby thermal and trying to describe the flying conditions in this tropical climate to him. Early explorations in search of potential flying sites took me to many isolated areas of the country, resulting in my eventually finding several excellent places to fly. But traveling in rural Honduras exposed me to the harsh economic reality the local people face. Coworkers shared stories of their struggle against poverty that were difficult to comprehend or accept: a young mother selling her child so her other children could eat, or an 18-year-old leaving home to travel alone to the U.S. on foot, crossing Guatemala and Mexico with the hope of a better life in the north. I met Ilish in Yuscaran, my first flying site, and hired him to drive my car for me when I was flying. One of five children, Ilish had made that trek north at 18 and learned to speak English, while working in construction in Virginia. By the time Ilish was 21, he had achieved his dream of purchasing a simple house for his mother and returned to Honduras and his family. (I sometimes heard Latinos spoken of in derogatory terms in Canada, but I never knew of any 18-year-old Canadian who had taken such risks or sacrificed so much to build a home for his mother!) The local economy of the town of Yuscaran is based on agriculture, so tourism has not been developed. It is,

however, located close to several tourist destinations, one of which is the town of Valle de Angeles, which lies on the opposite side of the mountain from our launch. We use an old road that used to link the two towns as a trail to reach launch. The road was destroyed by hurricane Mitch and has been abandoned. We made a proposal to local politicians, asking them to renovate this roadbed to serve as a possible eco-tourism corridor between the two communities. This improvement not only would re-open the mountain to biking and hiking but also would give vehicle access to local farmers who, at present, have to carry their crops down the mountain on horseback or by foot. Honduras is a beautiful country. Sitting in the widest point in Central America, it has a number of distinct climates that include several broad and relatively dry valleys with abundant thermals and cloudstreets. I wondered if Honduras could be an undiscovered destination for tourism based on paragliding. Somehow, pursuing this exclusive sport while being surrounded by such poverty didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem correct to me. Coming to Honduras has given me the opportunity to see the world through different eyes. While I explore thermals

ABOVE Flying over colonial Yuscaran. LEFT On

the way to launch in la Villa de San Francisco. and cloudstreets, I am aware of people below who could not dream of flying, because they struggle daily just to make it to tomorrow. I felt that people in Honduras really needed a path to different lives, so I began to think of sharing my passion for flying in a way that might create a pathway that could improve the lives of others. It occurred to me that actually getting some of the residents of Yuscaran off the ground and into the air might provide a wonderful escape from the poverty they face every day and serve as an inspiration to the community in general to seek ways to change their lives. Could any of them be future leaders who could establish a culture of flying here? A 2012 visit by the Macleod family from Washington was a pivotal moment when I realized that sharing a little of my personal dream could move others to help. Shawn Macleod had once been stationed in Honduras as a physician in the U.S. military and had since learned to fly with his brother, Scott, and his then 12-year-old son, Carrick. In the emails we exchanged, planning their visit, I shared my hopes with them and, in return, received

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ABOVE Launch site on the mountain above la

Villa de San Francisco. OPPOSITE Debriefing in the hot springs in Oropoli. Carrick’s generous donation of the wing and harness he had learned to fly with. Last year, I discovered that the Cloudbase Foundation and KarmaFlights are working in Haiti to encourage tourism and install safe water systems. I wrote a proposal to Cloudbase, requesting funds to teach a small group of pilots to fly in Honduras, and the response from both Cloudbase and KarmaFlights is what really set my plan in motion. We immediately posted the project in Honduras on the Cloudbase Foundation website and announced it on Facebook. Cloudbase, with assistance from KarmaFlights, budgeted $2000 towards travel expenses and put out the call for volunteer instructors. Nick Crane of “Paracrane Tours” in Oregon signed on as our first instructor, and the date is set for the training program to begin on April 1 of this year. What started out as my little dream was now attracting a lot of interest. After years of flying alone and thinking of developing the sport in Honduras, last September I was finally

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able to tell folks in the village of la Villa de San Francisco that a foreign foundation demonstrated an interest in collecting donated equipment and mounting a training program with qualified instructors. One local has risen to the occasion. Eight years ago, Argenis, a youth of 14, watched me land. According to his mother, he has not stopped talking about flying since. A little over a year ago, I landed a few miles out of town, and he appeared with a borrowed motorcycle to offer me a ride. Argenis shared with me his desire to fly. At the time, I could only encourage him to keep in touch. But not long ago, 22-year-old Argenis, who is raising chickens to support his mother and four sisters, took his first tandem flight! His kiting ability is impressive and his ease of sharing it with others is very helpful to me. I live almost a seven-hour drive from the village; in trying to keep up with his enthusiasm, I loaned him a wing, so he could continue kiting. One of my objectives is to have as many candidates as possible proficient in ground handling, so they can progress quickly when the course starts. The next time I returned, Argenis had shown several other candidates

how to do both reverse and forward inflations. Years of dreaming are turning into a reality for this young man, who is dedicated to his family and respected by the entire village. With momentum building, an unexpected roadblock momentarily halted our progress. In order to be sponsored and receive donations, we were told we had to register as an NGO with the Honduran government, which can take up to a year and include costs that exceed any possible budget. However, many of us involved in this project feel that we have some sort of special blessing, because two days after receiving the news, I was meeting with the personal advisor to the President of Honduras. A call was made to the Minister of the Interior, a fast-track process was arranged for the registration of our organization, and government fees were waived on our behalf. Our statutes have been accepted and the Asociacion de Parapentismo de Honduras (APH) is now a legitimate non-profit organization dedicated to the long-term promotion and sustainability of paragliding in Honduras. With guidance from both the Cloudbase Foundation and KarmaFlights, I focused on the idea of

sustainability. With instructors who are willing to volunteer their time and effort and the paragliding community donating funds and equipment, our community in Honduras had to be prepared to run with this unique opportunity in a way that fostered all of our primary goals: 1) the establishment of a core group of local pilots who would be able to fly independently and safely after the course was completed; 2) the organization and funding of local resources to sustain these pilots and promote the sport in Honduras; 3) the provision of personally rewarding experiences for everyone who was contributing to this dream; and 4)participants who would return home optimistic about our new paragliding community, knowing that Honduras is indeed a viable destination for enthusiastic pilots who are looking for a new and unique experience. Jeff Farrell from Superfly is both donating reserves and coming along with Nick to teach. We are so thrilled with the interest being shown for this project that it seems only natural a festival will develop. Pilots from El Salvador and Guatemala are coming to fly and celebrate during the last week

of the course, and Honduran singer/ songwriter Guillermo Anderson will perform a concert celebrating the first pilots flying here, the creation of our association and, of course, the pilots’ and instructors’ contributions. Keeping in mind our objectives, we have named the celebration “Volando Por Una Honduras Mejor” which means “Flying for a Better Honduras.” One of the national TV channels put forward the idea of documenting the program, but we have chosen to work with a private film production company, Dragonok Films. They will produce a documentary that can be aired on a variety of channels here in Honduras and perhaps played at film festivals. As we lead up to the course and festival, we have done interviews with a local news channel and are continuing to work to attract publicity. We have sponsorship from Tres Valles, a large sugar-cane company and the most important local employer; they will provide accommodation and local transportation for up to 10 instructors or visiting pilots during the course of April. La Villa de San Francisco has been chosen as the site for this training pro-

gram, as it offers both an ample launch area and a broad valley with many possible landing fields, within easy reach for novice pilots. Several other flying sites are available for those with a little more experience. Yuscaran, for example, which lies 30 km to the south of la Villa, is a beautiful colonial town set on the slopes of Mt. Monserrat, with cobblestone streets and many historical buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries. Several XC routes are proven here: You can go north, eventually landing close to la Villa, cross over into the valley of Zamorano or, if the conditions are favourable, head south and in 20 km land by the natural hot springs in Oropoli. We are extending an invitation to all pilots who wish to be involved. Fly with us during the festival, or come and fly with us in the future. Continued contact with the outside world will be a huge benefit for these new pilots as they begin their flying careers. Soon we will have a lovely group of people eager to show visitors around to make sure you have a great experience when you do decide to visit. Thanks to everyone who has joined this team with contributions, help, and/ or support: Nick Crane, Jeff Slotta, Jeffrey Farrell, Jennifer Kaatz, Chad Loren, Carrick Macleod, Catherine Mouligne, Martin Matchacek and many others. If you are interested in contributing to the project in any way or would like to join us for the event in April, please email me at asociacionparapentismohonduras@gmail.com. Check out the Asociacion de Parapentismo de Honduras on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ parapentismohonduras

The Cloudbase Foundation (www. thecloudbasefoundation.org) KarmaFlights (www.karmaflights.org)

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HG401

Advanced Techniques & Concepts

Camera Mounts by

ang gliding is visually stunning, and naturally we want to share that inspiration with others. Unfortunately, very few people have the proper equipment, skill-set, AND willingness to follow us and capture photos as we fly. If you find such a person, I’d suggest you marry her/him. (I did, and this year she won the USHPA Bettina Gray award…your results may vary.) The more common approach is to act as both photographer or videographer and subject, simultaneously. One such method is flying with a handheld camera, which simply results in photos of open landscapes or, perhaps, your wingtip in the frame. Those photos neither reveal perspective nor totally capture the emotion and awe of our flights. Also, let’s be real: You want to be able to show people it’s YOU way up there!

r ya n v oig h t

I’d like to share some ways I’ve found to “get in the shot.” While some of the action cams have camera-specific mounts, I prefer the versatility of mounts that have a ¼”x20-threaded stud that screws into the tripod mount on all cameras. Below are the mounts I use—in order of how often I use them—and some information on where to get one or how to build one. Keep in mind that I’ve found these mounts most often are also the easiest to install as well as the easiest to fly with.

Flytec I use the Flytec standard camera bracket most often, because it is by far the easiest, quickest, lightest and most

OPPOSITE Instinct Windsports Boom. ABOVE Flytech standard camera bracket.

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versatile mount in my quiver. This is Flytec’s Velcro-on vario mount, with a camera ball-head on it. It mounts well on both round tubing of all diameters and airfoil tubing. It works great on the keel (even on carbon stinger keels that aren’t round, where a clamp might damage the carbon). It works on the crossbar of a single-surface glider, or on the sprog of any higher performance glider. It’s relatively cheap and installs in seconds. While I’ve used it with bigger cameras, it’s ideal for smaller point-and-shoots and the gambit of action cams out there.

Instinct Windsports Another mount takes a little more setting up than the Flytec, but has a boom off one side of the base tube that gets a really nice angle of your face and one wing of the glider, along with plenty of scenery. I’ve been using one I made a long time ago, but now there is a great ready-made option from Instinct Windsports. Their mount is made to swivel, so you can actually change the angle a little in flight, which is cool. And for the voice-over-video crowd, it provides a mic cable that runs internally through the boom. They also have made a modular version with a few pieces to assemble, so it travels easier and allows you to vary the length to get different angles. I like simplicity and have learned that a mount that travels easily is likely to get used more often.

Go Pro One of my favorite angles for shooting lately is from my “dangle camera.” The concept is simple enough: It’s basically an arrow with a camera screwed onto the end, hanging from a string mounted at its balance point. If you build it carefully and mount the camera correctly, it always looks up the string at the glider, no matter where it swings around below you. I’ve tried variations with two strings and decided a single line is the way to go for many reasons. The trick with this mount is launching and landing, because the string needs to be neatly rolled up, and you are launching and landing with what is basically an arrow in your harness, which could be risky. Also, in the air it can be tricky to get the apparatus out of your harness, turn on the camera, and deploy it without getting the string tangled. However, once it’s out, it’s the easiest camera to fly with there ever was. Just don’t forget it’s there and catch it on the ground, trees, power lines, other pilots, etc. There is also an art to getting shots with this mount, because if you just fly along, all you get a shot of is your wing and the sky above. It takes a pretty steep (like 90-degree) turn to get some scenery into the frame. Be careful to think about your camera and which way it’s pointed while doing aerobatics, when you really need to focus on the flying. But the results from this mount speak for themselves, and it’s stupid cheap and easy to build. I suggest using fishing line to connect it to the glider, because it is nearly invisible in photos. Pick a strength that is extra strong, so you won’t lose your camera, but isn’t so strong that if it snags on something, it will cause a crash. For my very light dangle (carbon-fiber dowel, mylar fins, plastic GoPro knuckle to mount camera) I use 50-lb. fishing line, which is probably overkill, but I want extra strength for if/when the line gets worn from use, etc.

Manfrotto Super Clamp My next-most-used mount is a combination of options, all revolving around the Manfrotto Super Clamp. This is a heavyduty clamp made for the film and video industry, and it’s awesome! It consists of the clamp itself and hexagonal-shaped studs that plug in to it. There is a short stud with ¼” threads

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The ¾” tubing is good for most cameras; I have even used it with a mirror-less DSLR (smaller and lighter than standard DSLRs). But for bigger cameras, I pair the Super Clamp with 1” aluminum tubing. To connect the 1” tubing to the clamp, I use a long joining stud, drill two holes through the tubing and the stud, and install two bolts to hold it all together. The two bolts nearly eliminate any wiggle, even though the joining stud is a loose fit inside the tubing.

Nose Boom

that allows you to screw the camera directly to the clamp. But I prefer to screw a ball-head to the stud and mount the camera on that. This is essentially a much sturdier version of the Flytec mount that I use for heavier cameras. I found that the standard stud also fits almost perfectly into some ¾” aluminum tubing found at Ace hardware. After I drilled a hole through the tubing and the stud, I put a bolt through it to hold the stud in place. Some tape around the stud made for a wiggle-free fit in the tubing. There are lots of ways to bend tubing, but the easiest I found was picking up an “electrician’s hickey” at Home Depot. With the combination of the Super Clamp, the stud-in-aluminum tubing, and the tubing bender, your only limit is your imagination (and spare time to build different variations).

The nose boom is a classic shot, but one of the more difficult mounts to fabricate, never mind fly with. First, you have to source tubing that sleeves into your keel—your dealer should be able to get something suitable from the glider manufacturer. Then, you need to cut two notches into one end of the tubing, so the bolts that run vertically through the keel can fit into the groove. This keeps the camera boom from twisting, once installed. You also need to cut a hole in a spare nosecone for the boom. Since the large-diameter tubing used on keels, and sleeved into keels, does not bend, I bolt some smaller tubing into my nose boom. In this case I use some downtube stock, because I found that my 1” aluminum hardware store tubing perfectly sleeved into it, with a pin and safety ring to hold it in. This allows me to quickly separate the nose boom into two parts for travel. It also allows me to drill an offset hole, so I can either align the camera straight ahead, or by using the offset hole, use the bend in the boom to help move the camera off to one side. This angle isn’t much different from the basetube boom, but it eliminates the mount in the shot. Constructing the nose boom is a lot of trouble to go through to get the same angle from a much lighter and easier mount, though. So I usually use the boom with the camera straight ahead. It takes some real math, or trial and error, to determine how far ahead the camera needs to be in order to capture the entire wing in frame. One important note on nose-boom mounts: it is crucial that you tape around the hole in the nosecone, so your wing does not “blow up.” Many high performance gliders have been found to not fly right without a nosecone, which is basically what you have if you don’t seal the gap. If you’re really handy, you can sew some neoprene around the hole to create a good seal on the boom.

I 32

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have a few other mounts in the works, but until I dial them in, I can’t really recommend them to others. Besides, these are more than enough to get lots of different angles for the sake of variety.

On that note: if you’re shooting video, I beg and plead that everyone get a second camera and shoot two angles. This lets you cut between different angles and sustains the attention of viewers, which is good for you, assuming you want people to actually watch your vids, and good for the sport, because it does a MUCH better job of sharing the inspiration of free flight. There are a few details worth noting when it comes to camera mounts. If you take your aerial photography seriously, make a plan. Think about the image you want to capture— what angle of the glider, what scenery in the background? Then use a remote to take the photo at the right time. Spend time playing with the remote on the ground to learn if there is a delay and how long it may be. Most cameras have a time-lapse feature, where they will take a photo every five seconds or so. This is fine for casual shooting, but if you have a planned shot you’re striving for, using a remote will get you better results. Infrared (“IR”) remotes are useless for hang gliding. WiFi remotes work well, but if you’re purchasing a remote for a bigger/fancier camera, look for radio (“RF”) remotes. Counter-weighting is a must. Even a small amount of weight out at the tip WILL cause a turn in the glider. If it’s a very small amount of weight, it’s probably not enough to cause you to crash. But, trust me when I say you haven’t had fun until you have spent a long flight holding your body offcenter, because you overdid it with the camera and mount and underdid it with the counterweight (or were stupid and lazy and thought it would be fine and skipped the counterweight altogether). And remember: When counterweighting, you have to think about roll AND pitch. A camera on one wingtip with an equal counterweight on the other means both weights are aft of the wing’s CG, and you need a weight at the

nose to counter. In addition to weight, you need to consider drag. If you fly conservatively, it’s probably a non-issue, but I have learned from experience that a big mount and high speeds can cause enough drag to yaw the glider toward the mount, and actually roll the glider pretty hard away from the camera (think adverse yaw). Another highly experienced pilot basically got stuck in a spiral dive, due to an overzealous camera mount, and had to throw his reserve. All cameras add a layer of complexity to our flying, and aviation is an unforgiving mistress. Give flying, and especially cam-flying, the respect it deserves. Don’t forget to check your optics just before launching. Fingerprints, dust, smudges, etc., not only ruin your image quality, but can make the camera fail to focus or expose images correctly. (If you’re taking photography seriously, you should really be doing manual focus and, usually, manual exposure, anyway). Lastly, and probably most important, always, always, always, tie a safety line to your camera. Don’t ask me how I learned that one—twice!

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Jeff Shapiro Western Montana

A Frugal Pilot's Guide to

Flying in Colombia by

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C .J. S t u r te va n t

y husband George and I live in the “Pacific Northwet,” which means that from November through March, stay-at-home pilots have to work hard to find opportunities to get airborne. Lucky us—we’re retired, and we make a point of getting away to some sunny and warm flying destination every winter! Being retired has, unfortunately, a few drawbacks when it comes to the ratio of time to money (heavy on the time side of the equation), but there are plenty of excellent choices for frugal flying if you’re willing to travel far enough south. This past winter, we chose Colombia on the recommendation of friends who’d made the trip in 2012. To our surprise, our three weeks in Colombia far exceeded our fun-factor expectations while still coming in a bit under budget, and our trip to Colombia now ranks near the top of our very favorite winter flying vacations.

Basic logistics for visiting Colombia When to go: December through February are reputed to offer

the best flying conditions, which also means this is the most popular time for scheduling comps. Our group enjoyed stellar weather, with 15 consecutive days of soarable conditions for those whose vacation lasted that long. Apparently good weather is not a given, however; a French pilot whose final day of her 10-day trip coincided with our arrival lamented that this was the first day she’d been able to get in the air. And after we left, the week-long Colombia hang gliding nationals based in the Valle de Cauca lost a couple days to poor conditions. When it comes to weather, luck is a big factor, no matter how carefully you plan. Where to go: Roldanillo, in the Valle de Cauca, is easy to get to, has excellent thermal and XC potential, and offers two launches well situated for both hang gliders and paragliders, both offering options for interesting XC flying or just boating around and landing near town. There are numerous other flying sites within the Valle de Cauca; a Google search for “paragliding in Valle de Cauca, Colombia” returns plenty of links to photos and maps. Paragliding Earth’s map page (http://www.paraglidingearth. com/pgearth/?region=1852) shows 16 possible take-offs in the valley. Bucaramanga, a long overnight bus ride north and east from Roldanillo, is the base for excellent ridge and thermal soaring at Las Aguilas; because it’s within sight of the international airport, free flying is constrained within a defined

area (not beyond an obvious powerline to the N, and not above a ceiling of 400m over launch, or about 1500m MSL). We didn’t see any hang gliders fly there, and as the launch and the lift band are intensely busy with non-stop tandem paragliding flights (they land on top), hang gliders might not fit comfortably into the mix. The launch in Chicamocha Canyon is fabulously scenic and has strong thermals and high cloudbase, but it’s more

LEFT Flying near launch. Photo by Nick Greece. ABOVE Yup, the whole fish, head and all. I didn’t eat the eyeball, but the rest was delicious! Photo by Matt Amend. ABOVE Welcome to Roldanillo | photo by C.J.

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than an hour’s drive from Bucaramanga to get there, and severe valley (canyon) winds make landing in the canyon after noon potentially treacherous. We didn’t see any hangies on our mid-week trip to Chicamocha, although Paragliding Earth’s page (http://www.paraglidingearth.com/ pgearth/?site=12799) indicates that hang gliders are welcome

at this site. GETTING to AND FROM flying areas: Our group began our trip with Roldanillo as destination, flying into Cali or Pereira then taking a taxi to the bus station and a bus to Roldanillo, about two hours from either airport. If you’re starting your vacation in Bucaramanga, it’s a quick and easy taxi ride from the airport to wherever you’re staying. Getting around in-country: Colombia has an excellent transportation system; frequent local buses made getting back after an XC flight in the Valle de Cauca simple for paraglider pilots. For long hauls (e.g. the 12-hour bus trip to Bucaramanga from Roldanillo), we took the night bus, which is reasonably priced and quite luxurious, with comfy reclining seats and decent bathroom facilities. Luckily we were warned to dress for full-on air conditioning on the night bus; we wore our warmest clothes, including a hat and gloves, and were able to sleep comfortably. Domestic flights will get you from one flying area to another faster, of course, but they’re rather pricey.

TOP Launch. ABOVE Unloading the chiva at the end of the road to Los Tanques. Photo by Christel Cherry. OPPOSITE Colombia flying is a mix of flat land and mountain thermal activity. One must be careful to pick a dry landing field! Photo by Nick Greece..

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Local dining: On the whole we found the restaurant food

somewhat bland and disappointing, with chewy meat and boring breads. The fruit, on the other hand, is phenomenal, with many unrecognizable (to us northerners) flavors and textures and methods of consuming. Being adventurous definitely has its rewards—and few disappointments—in the fruit department! Pizza (Colombian style) was typically tasty, but fish was my favorite menu item—order a fish and you get the whole critter (yes, including the head) and it was always very moist and well seasoned. Drinking water: We were assured that Colombia’s water is pure and safe for gringo consumption. We all drank it, and nobody in our group got sick, so apparently that’s not just hype.

Specifics from our vacation Cloudbase Colombia (http://www.CloudbaseColombia. com/) has a flyer’s hotel conveniently located within easy walking distance of where the bus (local or long-haul) drops you off at the Roldanillo town square. All rooms in the hotel are en suite, with fans to provide a breeze for comfy sleeping on hot nights (every night…) Pilots staying at the Cloudbase Colombia hotel have first dibs on the seats in the chiva that loads right outside the front door for the launches at Los Tanques and El Pico. That being said, lots of pilots rooming

elsewhere in town would hustle over from their hotel and pile in with us each morning. Breakfast isn’t included in Cloudbase Colombia’s room rate, but it’s easy to walk to one of the local bakeries or restaurants if you don’t fancy the eggs and pastries and toast and jam and yogurt and cheese and piles of fresh fruit and avocados and coffee and tea provided for about $4 each morning. The fresh fruit sealed the deal for George and me, and we ate “in” every day. If you are too late making your reservation to get a room at Cloudbase Colombia’s facility, ask proprietor Jonathan for a recommendation for someplace nearby, within walking distance of the load-up spot in front of the Cloudbase hotel. On alternating nights while we were at the hotel, Christian, Cloudbase Colombia’s cook, would prepare an awesome barbecue or pasta feast, a convenient alternative to walking through town to find dinner after a long day of flying. At about $12 a head these meals were a bit pricier than the local restaurants, but you get what you pay for, and Christian’s dinners were arguably the best food (and without a doubt the tastiest and tenderest meat) we had anywhere during our three weeks in Colombia. Not to be missed in Roldanillo is the Palacios des Jugos, a juice bar right on the square where the bus would drop us off coming back from an XC flight. George’s favorite drink

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was malteada café, a rich coffee concoction that, after some tweaking by the Seattle coffee connoisseurs, was declared perfect. I’m not a coffee drinker; my beverage of choice was a mango and maracuya juice combo “con leche” (with milk). These refreshing smoothies cost about 2800 pesos—less than $1.50—and you get the entire pitcherful, perfect for postflight rehydration. After 10 days in Rolda, four of us took the night bus to Bucaramanga (prior reservations for the bus required; Claudia at Cloudbase Colombia made these for us). Our destination: the Colombia Paragliding hostel (http://colombiaparagliding.com), up on the Ruitoque mesa just a minute’s walk away from launch, with a windsock right outside the patio to indicate (in case the tandems floating by aren’t sufficient clue) when it’s soarable. Rooms are private/en suite, or private with shared bath, or dormitory-style, and are priced accordingly. Additional showers were being constructed outside the dormitory during our stay, and looked like they’d

be finished within the next few days. Perhaps staying down in the city of Bucamaranga would have been more convenient for access to restaurants, ATMs and other amenities, but it’s hard to beat hanging out in a hammock, enjoying the cool breeze and watching the windsock, then wandering over to launch when the time looks right. Room rates at the hostel include Sarita’s freshly prepared breakfast, daily flying fees and retrieve from the LZ. The Colombia Paragliding van made occasional evening forays into town so we could stock up on groceries or get cash, and there’s a city bus that goes right past the hostel and into town. Accommodations at both these flying hostels fill up rapidly for December through February, so make reservations early (October or before).

Flying near Roldanillo Launches face mainly E, into the Valle de Cauca; we took off in mostly light- or no-wind conditions. Being comfort-

ABOVE Roldanillo has become a premiere competition location for both paragliding and hang gliding due to its reliability and friendly locals. OPPOSITE BOTTOM Now, that is a burger with everything on it! Photos by Nick Greece.

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able doing a forward launch is helpful. By around noon the prevailing west wind (over the back) overcomes the upslope thermal drift and getting airborne becomes risky to impossible. From launch, it looks as if there are infinite fields available for landing out in the valley. On closer inspection, most of the dark green fields are head-high sugar canes, which you do NOT want to end up in! Luckily, most cane fields have obvious wide swaths that are adequate for landing, although watch for ditches. Plowed/dirt fields are often better sources for low saves than for landing. George’s and my favorite LZ was the trike airstrip, sandwiched between the Rolda-toZarzal road and acres of sugar-cane fields—land near the E end (wind might be westerly later in the day), and break down/pack up in the grassy shade. Often there are burning fields out in the valley, whose smoke provides a clue to wind direction. There seems to be a strong wind gradient at the last 50 feet, no matter where you land, and frequently the wind on the ground is totally opposite in direction (albeit light) from the strong wind aloft. From sad experience I warn you: When you realize a landing is imminent, be aware of where you are in relation to the river and to irrigation ditches, as there are few bridges, and what appears an ideal field for landing may entail a long walk in searing heat to get to the nearest crossing. If you can tell you’re going to end up on the wrong side of the water, make a point of checking out which direction to walk toward a bridge before you get too low to see such details. Once you reach the main road, simply wave at the bus to get it to stop for you (fare about 1500-2000 pesos). If you’re walking with your pack, locals will often stop and offer to load you and your wing onto the back of their motorcycle, or into their donkey wagon or their pickup, and drive you to where you can get the bus, or even all the way back to town. I usually offered the locals the price of a bus ride, but they usually refused, even after going far out of their way to deliver me to where I needed to get to.

Sites we flew while in Roldanillo El Pico (also known as La Tulia) is right above Roldanillo (04°24’24”N; 76°12’12”W, Elevation 6060’/1847m). Parapilots willing to hike can take the “La Tulia” bus to the base of the road up to launch, and walk from there. We rode up in a jeep or chiva, and had only to hike the last few (steep) hundred feet to the grassy take-off. Hang glider pilots were able to drive their rig up to launch to unload their wings. Launch is from a relatively flat grassy area with steep, brushy slopes facing E and S. In early January locals were constructing a small tienda (store) right behind launch. There

were no bathroom facilities other than the tall weeds at El Pico. Landable areas abound around the city of Rolda, with the stadium right in town being the most convenient for walking “home.” A word of caution about landing in the stadium, however: If there’s no sign of anyone inside the stadium enclosure, consider landing elsewhere. One of our pilots found himself locked inside the high wall surrounding the field, and had to scale the barrier with his pack and make a rather long drop to the ground outside—not for the faint of heart or

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feeble of limb! Los Tanques is only a few miles north from Roldanillo as the glider flies, but it’s about a half-hour drive through some gorgeous scenery to get to the site (04°28’35”N; 76°9’12”W – 5600’/1700m). And I found the 160-something steep steps up to launch rather daunting. Luckily for me our group included several young men willing to come back and grab my pack from wherever I stalled out on the climb—many thanks to the guys who made sure my gear got up to takeoff! One day we saw a hang pilot setting up right at the top of the steep climb—I hope he had some friends to help him get his wing and harness up those steps! The launch at Los Tanques offers a lot of set-up space, and several grassy-slope take-off options that allow numerous pilots to launch simultaneously. The paragliding pre-worlds was being held at this site starting on January 6, so there was a lot of “site improvement” going on, including two flush toilets in a somewhat rickety structure just to the S of launch. Landing zones are plentiful all along the valley, making the “milk run” flight back to Roldanillo pretty much stressfree even for new XC pilots.

Non-flying things to do in Valle de Cauca Since we had stellar flying weather, we had no incentive to explore the ground-based options. The town of Roldanillo was interesting to explore, and there are some decent hiking trails in the surrounding hills. George and I took a day off from flying and hopped the bus up to La Union, the first town we flew over heading N from Los Tanques, and wandered around that little community. While there wasn’t anything in particular to “do” there, we enjoyed poking around the town square and the side streets, many of which were lavishly bedecked for the holidays. Our guidebook indicated many interesting areas to explore on day trips from Roldanillo, but we were busy flying so we didn’t check them out.

Flying near Bucaramanga We stayed at the Colombia Paragliding hostel; George and I had the premier en-suite room, Brian and Matt stayed in the dormitory, which they said was comfortable enough (although they often made use of our shower), and there were a couple private rooms that shared a bathroom. From our bedroom window we could see when the CUs started to form, and watch the vultures gaggle up and climb in the thermals, telling us it was time to get ourselves over to launch. The huge, flat grassy take-off area has plenty of room to lay out wings without interfering with the non-stop tandem launches and top-landings. The LZ is quite a long reach from launch, with few bailouts en route, so less experienced pilots typically

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OPOOSITE TOP Loading the chiva in front of Cloudbase Colombia | photo by C.J. BOTTOM The dormitory at Colombia Paragliding hostel | photo by George Sturtevant. BELOW C.J. and George enjoying an afternoon smoothie break | photographer unknown.

fly early, before they’re likely to encounter sink or a significant headwind on the way out. More confident pilots launch late morning and fly till the mid-day winds pick up; the van made regular shuttle runs between the LZ and launch, so an early attempt that ended in a sledder wasn’t a big deal. The flying pretty much shuts down for several hours for all but the tandems from shortly after noon. Typically the wind backed off enough later in the day for some spectacular sunset soaring. Even though none of us ventured away from the designated LZ, we found the flying interesting enough to keep us satisfied for our four days here. About half-way through our stay, proprietor Richi took a vanload of us to Chicamocha Canyon for some serious mountain flying. It was a long but stunningly scenic ride up to the canyon rim, where we launched from Chiflas, a groomed and tarped clearing 1200m (about 4000 feet) above the river bed. Thermaling up a few thousand feet over launch provided breathtaking views of Chicamocha Canyon National Park, and allowed us to fly up and down and across the river winding through the narrow canyon. Richi was first in the air so he could guide the less experienced pilots down to the riverbed LZ. He admonished us all to be on the ground by noon, and it quickly became obvious why we had to leave our thermals and cut our flights short: In addition to rowdy mid-day lift and switching wind directions on the riverbank, the wind picked up to nearly impenetrable velocity, and a last-minute wind switch on landing would have had nasty consequences. On our way back to the hostel we stopped at a local water park/restaurant, to cool off in the pools and waterslides while we waited for our lunch to be served. Even before our food arrived the canyon winds were blowing over our beer cups and snatching our napkins—clearly a good time to be on the ground!

10 or 12 of us cooked up a semi-communal feast in the hostel kitchen, with each of us providing our own main ingredients and everyone sharing their onions and spices and wine, often passing on the unwashed flying pan to the next in line, resulting in some unusual—and delicious—flavor combinations.

et yourself to Colombia next time you’re in need of some winter sunshine! If your friends and family raise their eyebrows or make snide comments about putting yourself in harm’s way with that choice of destination, point out that they are decades behind the times. If possible, plan on at least a 10-day stay—it is a long way to go, after all, and Colombia is a beautiful country with much to do and see beyond flying. Schedule your vacation in December through February, and if you want to stay at a flyers’ lodge, make your reservations a few months before your planned arrival. Bring clothing for both steamy summer weather and chilly evenings, especially if you’re planning on riding the night bus or spending any time in Bogota or the mountains. Arm yourself with at least a bit of rudimentary Spanish. Bring your rain gear—George and I only got rained on twice, briefly, but those were truly impressive downpours! Go with high expectations for flying experiences, friendly people, gorgeous scenery, delicious tropical fruits. You will not be disappointed.

Mesa-top Dining We were concerned that being up on the Ruitoque mesa, away from Bucaramanga’s restaurants and grocery stores and ATMs, might be a problem, but it wasn’t. There’s a food court right at launch, with restaurants serving an international variety of meals and snacks and drinks during the day through very early evening. A short walk farther up the hill is the Argentine restaurant, with excellent food and wine, and a proprietor willing to open up, one evening, just to accommodate our group of eight hungry pilots. On a couple of nights

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Rendezvous Redo

Colorado Fly Week

hances are, one of your gray-haired flying buddies attended the great Telluride Airman’s Rendezvous— a string of fly-ins that ran some 25 years and attracted as many as 250 pilots to Colorado’s high mountains. You may have heard stories about the magic of those events gone by? Yep, those gatherings were like no other, and they changed my life forever. Back then, Telluride was still lawless, and 250 testosterone-driven pilots literally took over the place. The flying was out of this world, with crashes and landings

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everywhere. On the ground, it was sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. We cut down chain link fences to set up the rumand-coke bar in the town park. Bar fights, girls, flaregun-induced forest fires were all part of the scene, as were Green Team paint ball battles that broke out on Main Street, resulting in total mayhem. On several occasions, the town marshall escorted us to the edge of town when it was over. But back in those days, a few cases of beer and a couple Benjamins could get you out of anything—and they did. Those Telluride days not only taught a generation how to fly the big Colorado mountains but also

L ARRY S M ITH

provided the experiences that sealed the best friendships of a lifetime between pilots. I used to return from Telluride raving about all of the memorable fun. My mom would say, “Enjoy it while it lasts.” I was aghast. “Mom, there will always be a rendezvous,” I countered. And she retorted: “All good things come to an end, son.” I stormed out of that conversation, not wanting to believe it. But it did end; it had to. We grew up, just as Telluride did. Flagship retail stores replaced mining shacks, and the town marshall recruited a lot of deputies. History

was in the making. The friendships, however, remained. You might not know it, but those young punks of Telluride became some of the best senior pilots in this country. They became the backbone of USHGA (now USHPA) and occupied some of our most solid regional directorships. They assumed leadership out of friendship and caring for their fellow pilots. I believe much of the willingness to accept ownership of our organization was borne in the Telluride Airman’s Rendezvous. I’m still in touch with many of them; some have retired, but I’ll bet most of them still fly. (I still remember my Mom’s saying, “You can always start new good times, son,” and while my tail hardly wagged when she said it, she was right, as usual. ) About 18 years later, I bought some fine land in the San Luis Valley, the Villa Grove launch a mere mile LEFT Lapse off playground | photo by Kim (last name unknown) ABOVE Approaching the Great Sand Dunes National Monument | photo by Kurt Bainum.

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Colorado Fly Week’s Rocky Mountain Airman’s Rendezvous ain’t no Telluride, nor will it ever be. But Villa Grove’s potential as a premier flying site is downright amazing.

away, with the idea that we might be able to hold our own Airman’s Rendezvous there, in the middle of nowhere. I thought…We don’t need no stinkin’ town. We’ve got a 15-mile long mountain range with nine 14ers and LZs all over this valley, not to mention Tiffany’s Tavern and Sunset Stage in our backyard to create the ideal non-flying ambiance. We’ve got the perfect ingredients for a successful fly-in. Build it and they will come, right? And come they did. Colorado Fly Week’s Rocky Mountain Airman’s Rendezvous ain’t no Telluride, nor will it ever be. But Villa Grove’s potential as a premier flying site is downright amazing. After Tiffany and I built our place, we created a very pilot-friendly environment that makes this

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an ideal flying destination. After hosting a few smallscale fly-ins and numerous great parties over the years, we were inspired to “go big or go home.” So Fly Week— which drew over 140 pilots from points all over the country—was born. We successfully stitched together our own rendition of a great Airman’s Rendezvous gathering: friendships were made; incredible flying was had; personal bests were achieved; entertainment was abundant; the girls were aplenty. Who wouldn’t want to be there? I had tears in my eyes during the awards ceremony on the final night, when I realized that we had pulled it off. Despite the success of the meet, we faced a few hurdles. The monsoon set in a bit late that year and happened to coincide with the start of our event. (It usually arrives a couple of weeks earlier than it did in 2012.) The weather was, however, soarable every day. The upper air stagnated and the valley rimmed out, as locals say, so early launches before 2:00 p.m. were a must. But fly they did: Mark Gardner from Pennsylvania flew all over the valley day after day; Timo Friedrich, on a singlesurface, kept after a Dune crossing relentlessly, scoring great flights; Rick Fitzpatrick and Lindsey Chew from New Jersey flew downrange and back, showing their maturity, always flying back to Tiff’s Tavern; Will Ramsey flew mega miles, only to have his glider stolen (later recovered) after he hid it in a bush waiting for a retrieve; Dimitry Grigogev took first place in the paraglider division—once he got into the sky, that is, because he also got a can of fish assholes consolation prize for the most attempts at launch inflation; Kurt Bainum and Scot Huber from California crossed the Sand Dunes

to join the elite dozen or so who were able to do so, with Scott breaking the site record (see inset). The site also gave a lot of H-2/P-2s and H-3/P-3s a great first mountain experience. The competition was mellow and fun; pilots realized they just had to pick their own task, go out and fly and turn in their GPS later for scoring. As conditions developed over the course of the day, the pilots who were already underway figured out they could move out into the center of the valley’s clear skies until sunset. The US Air National Guard had all of us ducking on the 4th of July, as five F-16 fighters buzzed the LZ. A lot of crazy and fun mayhem took place: gust-front landings, pound-ins, dust devils and laughter. There was no shortage of fish assholes recipients on awards night. As I stated before, it was soarable early every day. Tiff’s Tavern nightlife and entertainment rounded out each day, and banquet night rocked until the wee hours with awards, burlesque shows, and music, wrapping up the week perfectly. The core crew and I dreaded the cleanup. To my amazement, the pilot community rallied for us. I thought it would take me the rest of the summer, tearing things down piece by piece, but somehow we had the stage, bar, tables, chairs, tents and a million other things back in storage in just a few hours. A vote was taken in favor of

enlisting more volunteers from the meet to step up during the fly-in, so staff would be able to fly, too. This meet was put on by pilots for pilots, all of whom were basically paying to work the meet. But there were no complaints, as all of the staff concurred that they would pay double the price to have this much fun. They just want to fly. Tiff and I are astounded at the volunteerism and donations that make this sort of rendezvous possible and of how much trust the participants have in us to put on a good show, making us feel very humble. Thanks to all of the staff, Foundation for Free Flight, other major financial sponsors and the pilots who made the trek to come participate in our event. Hats off to everybody for making this Airman’s Rendezvous a success.

San Luis Valley weather primer So why do the locals welcome the monsoon? Allow me to explain… Colorado would be a desert if it weren’t for winter snows. Summer frontal rainfall is a pittance and monsoonal downpours are brief. The ground dries quickly at 8000 feet. Spring brings the windy season to the San Luis Valley, with relative humidity as low as 10-16%. The flying is limited to windy glass-offs, as middays are dangerous, strong and violent. Even small cumulus clouds

OPPOSITE TOP Girls in costume prepare for a busy night at Tiffany’s Tavern | photo by Larry Smith BOTTOM Meet information board | photo by Tim Buss. ABOVE Evening at the LZ | photo by Lindsey Chew.

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It’s NOT All About High and Far

by Cathleen O’Connell

The Villa Grove Colorado Fly Week was the highlight of my year in 2012! The event was so well run—the volunteers were exceptional, start to finish, and I particularly appreciated their focus on safety. For example, they changed the launch protocol midweek to reduce risk to participants. They also made extraordinary effort with all logistics, including getting scores of us to launch in time for our desired flight windows. This meant packing as many as a dozen gliders and pilots into a single vehicle that bumped us up the side of the mountain. As a new H-3, none too confident with my skills and particularly nervous about my first experience of high-altitude flying, the help and support I received from everyone involved ensured I had a stress-free, safe and fun experience. Before my first launch, the anxiety at not having a proven high-altitude launch in light conditions must have shown on my face, because launch director Erik Kaye was very attentive and took special care to calm me down and help me focus. A successful and highly satisfying first launch! It was just a sledder that ended with a no-step (belly slide) landing into a pile of cactus, but I was beyond thrilled to have done it. I had not been any kind of thermal pilot in Ellenville (New York), always relying on strong ridge lift to keep me in the air. But the conditions in Villa Grove let me practice turning in lift, with nothing but wide sky around me. At the beginning of the week, my turns were so huge that I think I crossed over into Kansas. However, I was able to improve during the week to the point where I managed to tighten up the radius enough to use the narrow thermals of late morning more effectively. After returning to New York, I’ve made the most of Ellenville lift, thanks to what I learned in Colorado. I enjoyed each and every one of my nine extended sledders. I’ll bet I had as much fun (maybe even more fun) than the top XC contenders in the competition. I super enjoyed the flying, the partying, the dodging of weird weather, the entertainment, the gossip—everything. Tiffany, Larry, and all the volunteers put such hard work and careful thought into creating a wonderful event that it became the best vacation I’ve ever had. And I learned so much about flying, thanks to everyone there. It’s a memory I will treasure forever.

with just a hint of virga can drop super-cooled air from the evaporation process in the dry spring air. This sends shafts of down air blasting the surface in all directions. Viewed from a distance, these upside-down atom bombs can blow 50mph or more. For locals, summer finally arrives when the jet stream moves north, leaving the doors open for the mellowed monsoon. Many people believe the summer monsoon shuts down flying in the Rockies, and it does. However, not in the San Luis Valley, as it has its own version of the monsoon that most people don’t comprehend. Here’s why: This is one of the largest intermountain valleys in the world, and the valley on its east side has one of the longest ranges in the world, the Sangre de Cristos. To the west are the mighty San Juan Mountains; they stand as the largest and most rugged collection of peaks in Colorado. Sprawling across more than 10,000 square miles— nearly a tenth of Colorado’s entire land mass—the San Juans form the largest single range in the United States Rockies. They are the highest assemblage of mountains

in the nation. Thirteen summits top the magical 14,000foot mark, while many hover just below it. And, upholding one of the greatest shares of the North American backbone, the San Juans contain an impressive 210 miles of Continental Divide. This massive uplift to the West scrapes out the right amount of monsoonal moisture, leaving our valley drier. Given the mass of these two ranges, one can now see that the valley is protected on its east and west sides. The northern end is virtually closed. The southern, lower, end of the valley is some 50 miles wide and open to the standing desert high pressures of the summer. This sets up a natural, dry, upsloping surface wind. All of these elements combined leave the valley drier and, therefore, more soarable than the entire rest of the lower Rockies. Yes, we have thunderstorms, but once this mellowed-out monsoon enters the valley, conditions actually become more perfect: Humidity is up; the super cooling of the virga and/or rain from the clouds is more benign or nonexistent; and wet thermals are smooth thermals. Radical gust fronts are rarer; perfect popcorn cumies rule the day;

OPPOSITE Flying over Valley View Hot Springs | photo by Lindsey Chew.

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storms that do form are smaller and more navigable. One can fly up and down the range, letting them drift through, move out into the valley center or go south, where they don’t even form. Glass-offs are more abundant. All of this takes place while the rest of the lower Rockies are completely shut down. Villa is the place to be for summer soaring weather. After Fly Week 2012, the area was soarable for 59 days straight, before it blew over the back. View any satellite loop with moisture entering the state and see how this valley stays open. Old timers refer to the valley as the blue hole; the Ute Indians called the valley “Saguache,” Land of the Blue Sky People. Fear not the monsoon! So why come to a big event? The first reason is that it’s safer. Launch directors help calm frayed nerves by providing encouragement and advice on thermal cycles. Locals are eager to help you understand cloud development and weather patterns. On the ground, you have a staff of people looking out for you, provid-

Villa Grove Site Record

by Scot Huber

My best flight this year was in Villa Grove, Colorado. I launched and, after scratching around low, finally climbed out to 15,000’. I headed south down the Sangre de Cristo range with a full tank of oxygen. Conditions looked great, with nice cumies popping up all over the place and a bit of a NW wind pushing me along. I had studied the area on Google Earth, so I was familiar with the landmarks, roads, and towns on course. About 20 miles downrange, I observed large cu-nims, dropping virga, moving into the range from the east out of the Wet Mountain Valley, so I decided to try to fly down the San Luis Valley to the south, as it had nice cumies with no virga along that route. My buddy Kurt was high, just before the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. After gliding over them, he decided to climb the whole way to gain another 1000’ to 17,000’. I also got high just before the Dunes but stayed more to the east over the range, which drops down in altitude for a bit. Kurt then decided to fly out into the valley and land beside the road, near the town of Blanca, about 65 miles from launch. I was now past the Dunes and skying out to 18,000’ over Carbonate Peak, before Blanca Peak. The range drops back to the east after Blanca Peak, so I cut the corner to Slide Mt., in hopes of continuing on. I made it across, but wasn’t real high—maybe only 10,000’. Eventually, I climbed back to 15,000’ at about the 80-mile mark, hitting snow as I headed out toward the valley, diverting around the virga and larger cu-nims that were growing to the east. I flew over the San Pedro Mesa for a bit, before pushing back into the foothills of the Sangres and heading SE, crossing into New Mexico. I found some lift, climbed out, and got on the main range again, as it becomes higher running towards Taos. It’s basically a desert to the west at this point, and all the heat of the day was being pushed up into the range and forming a massive cloudstreet. At 100 miles out, I knew I had Taos on glide 30 miles away. I hit 18,000’, pulled rope and went for it. I was cruising around 55 mph, gaining altitude most of the glide and diverting to the west a bit to avoid whiting out, when the lift threatened to take me into the clouds. It was cold and strong and some of the best conditions I’ve ever been in. I made Taos easily, never turning once. This flight earned me my club’s best flight award. Villa is the place to go if you like flying the Owens, except the peaks are higher (and it’s actually safer, since the valley floor is huge and landing areas are flat and abundant). I’ll definitely be going back, next time hopefully with a group of us and a driver!

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ing wind direction, offering landing suggestions, etc. While airborne, a lot of pilots are climbing out, marking thermals and crossing canyons, which helps a participant build confidence as to what is possible to achieve. If you land out, chances are that someone will see you and radio in your location to HQ, which helps with retrievals. It’s cool to see all of the other pilots’ gliders and gear from other regions of the country: radio equipment, oxygen systems, new innovations, harnesses, etc. Furthermore, a big event sets the stage not only for seeing your old flying buddies, but also for meeting new people and securing friendships for a lifetime. It’s worth noting that our event is not just about the flying. We take great strides to accommodate your on-the-ground fun: live music and

entertainment on Sunset Stage, Tiffany’s Tavern, social gathering places, free onsite camping, etc. Colorado Fly Week’s Rocky Mountain Airman’s Rendezvous and Mountain Flyer Championships is on again for 2014, August 23-30. Entertainment, music, and food vendors are currently being secured. The pick-yourown-task format is back again; to partake in the competition portion of the event, all you have to do is turn in your GPS to be scored at the end of your flight. Pilots are not married to a rigid task. Flying is fluid and ever changing, as are conditions. This format allows pilots to just do their best. The scoring software calculates the degree of difficulty based on the type of flight, open distance, out and back, free triangle, etc. There will be three HG

LEFT Fred Kaemerer over Whiskey Peak along the

2012 Mountain Flyer Championship results

Sangre de Cristo range. BOTTOM L to R Paragliders set off into a cooling sky | photo by Kim (last name unknown). The day ends and the nightlife begins | photo by Gary Waterman. Ruby Blue Syndicate burlesque dancers | photo by Tim Buss.

Paragliding

It takes many to make this kind of event happen, so we need to call out for volunteers: trucks with racks, drivers, launch help, stage manager, HQ and ground support assistance, girls in costume, gate keeper, EMTs, nurses, etc. For interest in offering your services, to pre-register, purchase the DVD or for any general information, please contact Tiffany Smith: tiffanyandlarrysmith@gmail.com. You can also visit our Facebook page for any current announcements: www.facebook.com/ColoradoFlyWeek . For info on the competition, please contact Fred Kaemerer: mountainflyercomp@gmail.com

classes and one PG class. This year, a daily leader board will be posted, so comp pilots can see how they’re stacking up every day and how each flight was scored: open distance, out and back, free triangle, etc. For the more competitive pilot, this should be considered an advantage, allowing you to utilize your skill and strategy to wisely pick your next type of flight in hopes of a higher score. Please consider registering early, as we will send you a free copy of the Fly Week 2012 “For The Love Of Flight” DVD. It can also be purchased separately for $10. The DVD is a good site intro, a great story, and it includes lists of all of the wonderful folks who participated, volunteered and starred in the event.

1st Place: Dmitriy Grigoryev 2nd Place: Luke Frash 3rd Place: Gary Waterman Hang Gliding—Single-surface

1st Place: Timo Friedrich 2nd Place: Wayne Neckles 3rd Place: John “JJ” Jaugilas Hang Gliding—Sport Class

1st Place: Rick Fitzpatrick 2nd Place: Lindsey Chew 3rd Place: Fred Kaemerer Hang Gliding—Open Class

1st Place: Will Ramsey 2nd Place: Mark Gardner 3rd Place: Steve Rewolinski

Upward Mobility Catherine Mouligné By giving away repaired gliders, Catherine Mouligné promotes the right of all people—rich or poor—to enjoy leisure activities. ABOVE Thanks to the repair services

of companies like Rip’Air and Wingshop, low-income flight aspirants receive safe training equipment | photo by Denis Cortella. OPPOSITE Cuba is one of the countries to which Le Cercle de l’Homme Volant has supplied wings. These Cuban pilots were eventually able to secure a visa and attend France’s lively festival of free flight, Coupe Icare.

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ears ago, in an ill-fated, nowind forward launch in Yelapa, Mexico, I “landed” my wing in a treetop. It was my first wing, and the next day as I watched a few locals ascend wobbly branches to extract my orange Mojo 2 from the jungle canopy, I decided to call it quits. “If you get it, you can have it,” I said, throwing my hands up. I refused to be responsible for someone falling to the ground on my behalf. Besides, the timing to let it go was right: I’d flown and kited the heck out of it for three years. I was ready for a new wing. Later on, they spread it across someone’s palapa floor and set to work repairing it: they meticulously measured each line and stitched every tear. But as good as the repair job appeared, I felt compelled to write a warning label on the wing. In black permanent marker I wrote over the label: Caution: this wing has been damaged and unprofessionally repaired. Inspect before flying. I wish I’d known then about Catherine Mouligné, and her thought-

by CHRISTINA AMMON

ful and systematic approach of collecting used gear, getting it properly inspected, certified and delivered into the right deserving hands. She is based in Essonne, France but it would be great if her model of distributing used wings to low-income pilot-hopefuls could be replicated elsewhere. In the interview below, Mouligné talks about her inspiration for Le Cercle de l’Homme Volant Project, (“The Circle of the Flying Man”), the logistical complications of collecting used wings in developing countries, and about the “absolute right” of all humans—rich or poor—to pursue leisure activities.

What is the philosophy behind your idea to collect, repair, and distribute used gear? Our sport is a privileged person’s sport. We are often flying in countries that have beautiful high mountains and a very low standard of living. The local kids are literally left in the dust behind the 4x4s that transport us to fly over their heads. It’s an impracticable dream

for them to ever buy flying equipment. It’s a bit like we’re eating a cake in front of people who are starving! Sometimes pilots will leave a wing or two before leaving so that the locals can begin to fly. But when these wings are aged and overused, it can present a real danger. I have seen locals flying with very old harnesses that were torn and badly sewed—wings which we would use only to decorate our walls! This is a sport where used equipment can cost lives. This situation inspired us to set up a program to collect second-hand equipment and send it to pilots who need it the most. The organizer of the Coupe Icare introduced me to Denis Cortella, who began to collect and send gear to Madagascar a few years ago. I got very involved in helping out, since Denis had too much work with his harness company to continue to take care of it. Was there a specific moment when you had this inspiration? My brother had this idea a long time ago for his Cuban friends. When he died in a base-jumping accident in 2007, I decided to carry out something similar

on his behalf and to help my mourning process. I can even say that it was the only thing that could make me smile at that point. I love the solidarity between the pilots of all the countries. We are all the inhabitants of the sky, after all! Describe the benefits of your program. We have a partnership with two servicing enterprises: Rip’Air in Annecy and Wingshop in Saint-Hilaire du Touvet. They repair all the wings we give them. They do this service for free and don’t even mention it on their website! Both companies have changed management, but the spirit and commitment are always the same. It’s tremendous. We send all the wings with a complete index card that indicates porosity, resistance of the fabric and the lines, and the general state of the wing. If it does not pass the tests, it’s mercilessly pushed aside. We never send wings that are at the end of their life, or that are dangerous—even for training on the ground. Besides, in these countries, they have already enough stuff like that! Which countries is your program

flying live

competition navigation

navigation made simple

won’t miss a thermal

53 www.flymaster-usa.com

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ABOVE Fred Collin, an instructor at Chamonix

Parapente, donated five wings and a tandem. He asked every paragliding student in his school who wanted a new wing to give the old one to our collection. In the end, he convinced five people to donate wings that were in good condition.

focused on? Today we send gear to Cuba, Madagascar and Morocco. What is your latest project? Have you thought of collaborating with the Cloudbase Foundation? Or KarmaFlights? This year at Coupe Icare I met Andy Pag who told me about Karma Flights and The Cloudbase Foundation. We’ve been looking for reliable contacts with Nepal for a long time, and are very happy to work with people who have already done so much for this cause. So, if a pilot here in the U.S. has old gear, what steps should they take to get it in the right hands? Do they send it to you? It’s not necessary to send us the equipment. Rip’air and Wingshop are at maximum of capacity in term of repairing wings for us. I cannot allow myself to ask them more. The solution would be to find repair centers in the United States that are willing to do the same thing. It’s more efficient if the gear leaves from your home and goes direct to your chosen countries. Shipping costs are expensive. How do you send the gear? We are a small association, and we

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have no budget. That is why we ask paragliding friends who work with airlines companies as pilots or stewards to help us by transporting everything free of charge. Are you looking for more commercial airline staff volunteers? Yes, especially as we try to send equipment to Honduras—Air France has no line towards this destination. We thought of sending the equipment to New York first, for example, and then forwarding it to Honduras. But at the moment we have no solution. Do you have a specific story of someone who has been given a wing or equipment? In 2008, our contact in Cuba was

Claudio Eternod. He distributed the gear so intelligently and honestly that he was elected president of the Cuban Federation of Free Flight! Then, as president he was able to obtain a visa and was invited to Coupe Icare. Even in his craziest dreams he would not have been able to imagine such a thing. How much and what kind of material do you collect every year? Pilots are very generous. Besides wings, we get helmets, reserves, GPSs, radios, overalls, books, and harnesses. In these times of economic crisis, it’s difficult to give away expensive gear that could otherwise be sold. So, I really admire those people who give so much. Once I got six wings from one club from Chamonix because the owner thought our cause deserved it. We also sometimes get beautiful surprises like with VLD, a paragliding store in Paris that gave us nine NEW harnesses. Usually, we collect approximately 30 wings and 10 harnesses at Coupe Icare, then a few more all year round in deposits directly at Rip’Air and Wingshop. Approximately a third of wings pass the tests.

What is your advice for choosing a good person to receive equipment? The best ones are people who live at the flying site and who are already involved in projects for the local paragliding community. Then you know that they will take care of the gear and will distribute it fairly. There are selfless people all around the world who set up projects around paragliding. They spend their time— sometimes also their money—to share their passion. What kind of difficulties do you encounter? It’s hard to find a good recipient. Then when by chance we find him, it’s not easy to stay in touch because there is often no Internet, or no phone. That’s why we do not have full traceability of the gear. In terms of material, it’s difficult to get equipment for beginners, and in small sizes—which is what we need the most. Also, sometimes the local clubs are not structured very well, and there is also a lack of instructors. What is your answer to those who would argue that these people need food or medicine more than wings to fly? I think people need outlets to get rid of their social and political heaviness. It’s also a way to recognize their absolute right to have leisure activities—even if they are not wealthy. The human needs are not only food, but also freedom, enjoyment, delight, poetry. As a matter of fact, everything that paragliding offers. For more information about Le Cercle de l’Homme Volant Project, visit: www. hommevolant.fr. To contact Catherine Mouligné: catmouligne@wanadoo.fr Christina Ammon lives at The Crash Pad at Woodrat Mountain in Oregon. Contact her at woodratcrashpad@gmail.com

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Air Sick by Michael Vergalla

o start with, I love flying. This article is about motion sickness and my attempt to overcome it, live with it, work on it. The main point is that it is something that can be overcome, and I will explain how I finally discovered this. Common remedies and drugs include ginger, accu-pressure bands, Dramamine and Scopolamine. This article deals with training yourself to deal with this physiological response, with a method used to train military pilots and astronauts to overcome or, at a minimum, moderate motion sickness. My first experiences with motion sickness occurred in cars, the earliest, while riding backwards in a station wagon over the Smoky Mountains during a family trip, when I was probably less than five years old. Pacifica Highway 1, at age 11, was also a memorable journey. My interest in aviation and space exploration made me keenly aware of my early sensitivities. A couple of times during flight training in a Piper Cherokee when I was a teenager, I felt flushed with the onset of motion sickness. I was relieved to learn that astronauts sometimes got sick for days, so I wasn’t worried about crushing my dreams. Once, I almost got sick during an aerobatic flight, but was able to regain composure by concentrating on a new focus after being given the controls. (This tends to work well.) In college, in Florida in 2004, I learned to sail, after fixing some hurricane-damaged boats with some friends. I also started hanging out with several retired guys who invited me to race sailboats offshore. My first race

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took place after a strong north storm; it was 408 nautical miles and up the Gulf Stream. As we headed out to the start line, the skyscraper-sized waves offshore (fondly called the marching elephants) brought 42 hours of big wind and big waves and did not give me an option to go back to the port. I just had to deal with what I got myself into. In sailing, I trained myself to throw up and get it over with, then get on with the job at hand. I felt so much better, and I could return to packing a spinnaker, or setting/dousing a new sail set. My academic research allowed me to fly on the ZERO-G plane in 2008. They tell you not to flip around a lot in the beginning, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever get the chance to do it again, so I flipped like crazy and had to run a couple of experiments at the same time. I ended up getting sick three times during my first flight (50 parabolas), but the routine I’d used while sailing worked, and I was able to go back to work. The parabolas are difficult, because there is a constant transition from 2G’s to microgravity back to 2G’s. It’s really the transitions that got me, and not until after 30 of them. I did it all with a smile; it was a blast. I thought I had solved my problem. I felt good about myself. (That’s always the time when things slap you in the face.) On my first paragliding trip away from the training hill and to the mountains, in 2012, I got sick during four out of six flights—full-on vomiting in the sky. There is a YouTube video. My sailing training made me feel great afterwards, and I went on to have great flights. But I didn’t really feel great, and

I wanted to completely enjoy flying as I had dreamt it would be my whole life. I felt trapped and frustrated; finally, I had found what I was looking for (flying), only to be limited by a funny thing that just seemed to happen. I noticed my queasiness was connected to stress as well as the dynamic movement through the sky. It also is sensitive to how much is going on in terms of brain cycles. If I felt overloaded, it was more likely to start raising its ugly head. The self-training from my experiences suggested I accelerate the sickness and get it over with, so I could go back to flying. But this approach ended up being wrong. Many times, annoyingly, I left lift to go find a spot to heave and crawl my way back to the group. I got good at it and thought it was kind of funny at the time. I would go into a nice turn and lean over one shoulder, never getting a drop on my jacket. I felt I could handle it, just like the boat. A little bit of water and a snack and I was back on my way. It didn’t take long to dawn on me that this was no good for flying. I had trained myself in a way that was not compatible with being a pilot in command. Flying takes a lot of energy and being sick uses too much of it. I looked at my options. At this point, I was familiar with all of the recommended palliatives: I didn’t want to take Dramamine while flying; ginger and the pressure points didn’t work for me—they helped, but weren’t the answer. After a little research, I found the answer, from research conducted at Ames Research Center by Patricia

S Cowings, et al. The first article I found was awesome: “Autogenic Feedback Training as a Treatment for Airsickness in High-Performance Military Aircraft: Two Case Studies.” They measure finger pulse volume, respiration rate, heart rate, and skin conductance level. Symptoms of motion sickness are salivation, sweating, drowsiness, increased warmth, dizziness, headache, stomach sensations, epigastric awareness (not nausea or discomfort, but an awareness of stomach, i.e., hunger), epigastric eiscomfort (not nausea, but increasingly uncomfortable, knot in the stomach or throat), and nausea (definitely not aware of stomach or discomfort, the next level), frank vomiting (present or not). “The primary criterion for evaluating success was increased motion sickness tolerance. That is, subjects could undergo tests in the spinning chair for much longer and at higher speeds than before.” Lab-based training requires the subjects to place sensors on their body and

use an onboard display, allowing them to monitor their own body’s measurements while they spin in the chair. The goal is to focus on the measurements and bring them back to a good level, a happy place! During this process, they purposely make the subjects sick by spinning subjects for upwards of 41 minutes. After repeating these tests in many sessions, subjects are able to overcome their sickness, control their body and repass exams needed to fly high performance aircraft. So… Solved… sorta. Just need a laboratory! Brilliant! After reading the article, I deduced the main point is that through an almost meditation-like process you can focus and control your own body’s reactions. The more it works and you experience its working, the more it works. It’s a bit of mind over matter. I played with the idea of making all sorts of sensors for myself, but then, I thought…why not try to control the things they say are controllable? That takes practice. On one flight, I reset myself five times and lost it on the last time, right

as I came in to land. I was really happy about the flight, and that I had reset four out of five times and only the last one…Oh well… I have taken two SIV courses and never once felt sick. Conquering the problem takes a positive attitude. I am still working on this training and am mostly successful. Something that has worked well recently is to have more fun. The more fun I am having, the less I stress I feel and then can find myself in a place where I need to get a handle on my physiology. I flew a couple of times with music, and for me this is only good for ridge soaring. In the mountains, I like to listen to the winds. I hope this article helps someone else out there. I encourage you to read about the research and try the techniques when the going gets tough. Have fun. Watch out below! No...Just kidding! I’m kind. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/ casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19940028562.pdf

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should always be thoroughly inspected before flying for the first time. Annual inspections on paragliders should include sailcloth strength tests. Simply performing a porosity check isn’t sufficient. Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sailcloth. If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. BUYERS SHOULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SKILL LEVEL OR RATING. NEW PILOTS SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION FROM A USHPA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

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MAY 18-24 > Souther Field, Americus, GA. Fly-

tec Americus Cup. More Information: Jamie Shelden 831-261-1544 naughtylawyer@gmail.com, orflytecamericuscup.com.

JUNE 1-7 > Highland Aerosports, Ridgely, MD. East Coast Hang Gliding Championship. Open fields as far as you can see; free camping; competitive sport class; and a great social atmosphere. More information: Adam Elchin 410634-2700 hanglide@aerosports.net, or www. aerosports.net. JUNE 22-28 > Woodrat Mtn, Ruch, OR. 2014 Rat Race/Sprint Paragliding Competition. Twelfth Annual Rat Race/Sprint Paragliding Competition. June 22 - 28th, 2014. Practice Day June 21st. Two parties, daily lunches, retrieve and mentoring provided. Join the experience, travel southern Oregon, bring your family and see why the Rat Race is more than the largest paragliding festival in the USA. Go here and see what southern Oregon has to offer: http://southernoregon.org. Registration opens Feb 15, 2014 - $450.00 until 4/15/2014. Sign up at MPHSports.com. More Information: Mike and Gail Haley 1-541-702-2111, mphsports@charter. net, or www.mphsports.com. JULY 5-12 > Chelan Butte, Chelan, WA. Chelan Flats Nationals. 2014 US Paragliding Nationals, Race-to-goal, Chelan, WA More information: Kimberly Phinney, 707-508-5431, info@whiteowlpg. com, or whiteowlpg.com. AUGUST 3-9 > Big Spring, TX. Big Spring Nationals. Strongest, smoothest, most consistent conditions of any US competition. Air-conditioned pilot lounge, hangar, paved runways, ice cream, water, all facilities. More information: Belinda Boulter and Davis Straub, 1-863-206-7707, belinda@davisstraub.com, or http://ozreport.com/2014BigSpring. SEPTEMBER 14-20 > Francisco Grande Golf Resort, Casa Grande, AZ. Santa Cruz Flats. More Information: Jamie Shelden 831-261-1544naughtylawyer@gmail.com, or santacruzflatsrace. blogspot.com.

NON SANCTIONED COMPETITION JULY 10-13 > Enjoy field, Chebanse, IL. First

non-sanctioned PG towing comp in the Midwest. More info coming soon: Jaro Krupa, 708-9350177 chicagoparagliding@gmail.com, or www. chicagoparagliding.com.

MARCH - OCTOBER > United States informal race-to-goal events at sites across Northern California. Aims are to get pilots to fly farther than they would on their own. More information: Jugdeep Aggarwal, 831-566-8652 scpjka@gmail.com, or www.santacruzparagliding.com.

FLY-INS MAY 24-26 > Alamogordo, NM. Dry Canyon Memorial Day Fly-In Alamogordo. The Rio Grande Soaring Association is holding its annual Dry Canyon Fly-In May 24-26. Fun competitions for HG and PG, barbecue, big air and friendly people. Soar desert thermals while your family enjoys the cool pines of Cloudcroft 20 minutes away! Lots of restaurants, motels and camping. $25 entry fee. Come to Alamogordo in Southern New Mexico, and see what flying is really about! More information: http://www.ushawks.org/forum/ JULY 4-6 > The Ellenville Fun Meet is BACK!

This is a fun and friendly team event open to H-2 and above pilots. Scoring is based on flight duration, bomb drop, and spot landing. In the case of unflyable weather other fun “tasks” will be called. There is a party and TEAM SONG event Saturday night. See website for details and up-to-date information! Check out: www.SNYHGPA.org/funmeet

AUGUST 23-30 > Villa Grove, CO. Colorado Fly Week presents: Rocky Mtn Airmans Rendezvous & Mountain Flyer Championships. We're back this year with big air & smooth lift along the Sangre de Cristo Range. Tiffany's Tavern greets you in the LZ w/refreshments. Live music, food vendors, stage shows, awards dinner & more. This is the fly party of the season! It'll be great to see old friends & make new. This event caters to accomplished H2 & P2 pilots seeking their first mountain experiences. A fundraiser for our launch, consider a donation &/or register early until April 1 for $100 & get the 2012 Fly Week DVD. $140 at the door. For comp info contact Fred Kaemerer, mountainflyercomp@ gmail.com. Event info Tiff Smith, tiffanyandlarrysmith@gmail.com & www.facebook.com/ColoradoFlyWeek

clinics & tours MAY 4-10 > La Belle, Florida. NeverLand flight park. This is the 10th annual East Coast Paragliding Championships(ECPC) Come enjoy the world class flats of Florida, with many 100Km tasks. Strong lift and epic cloud streets, have drawn top pilots from around the world to Florida for more then 75 yrs! 40 pilot limit: Entry fee is $300. 10% goes to prize money, includes xc retrieval, scoring, awards ceremony dinner. Tow fee is $150. Registration opens Feb 1st. More information: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, earthcog@yahoo.com, or earthcog@yahoo.com. MAY 9-19 > Owens Valley, CA Geared for Very Strong P3/H3 pilots and above that are ready to fly XC in pretty sweet conditions. Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying from launching thru record setting XC flights and everything in between the sky is the limit!!! More Information: Kari Castle 760 920 0748 kari@ karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM.

MAY 10-11 > Dunlap, CA. Dunlap Thermal and

Cross-country Clinic with Eagle Paragliding. Dunlap offers some great flying in the foothills of the west side of the Sierras. This trip is a fun two-day excursion. Join us for some nice flying with some great people. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805968-0980, rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

MAY 24-26 > Santa Barbara, CA. 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. We invite you to apprentice with us anytime to get as much hands-on experience as possible before the clinic. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980, rob@paraglide.com, or www. paragliding.com. MAY 25-27 > UT. Thermal Clinic. Utah flying sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone : 801971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www. twocanfly.com MAY 27-28 > Santa Barbara, CA. Tandem Paragliding Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. We will be doing classroom and practical training at the best yearround training hill in North America. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980, rob@paraglide. com, or www.paragliding.com. MAY 30 - June 1 > Tandem Instructor Certification Clinic presented by Scott Harris and Jackson Hole Paragliding at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Call or email for more information, 307-690-8726, scottcharris@mac.com, www. jhparagliding.com\

JUNE 8-10 > Northern California Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Northern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and former national champion Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching you over the water with our state-of-theart towing setup. Eagle is known for high quality tours and clinics with lots of staff, and this clinic is no exception. We encourage you to make the time for this important safety training with any qualified SIV instructor. More information: Rob Sporrer 805968-0980 rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com. JUNE 14-15 > UT. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer a new site in Utah with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone: 801-971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly.com JUNE 21-28 > Ruch OR. Rat Race Super Clinic : Kari Castle, Kay Taucher and Ken Hudonjorgensen will be helping Mike Haley at the Rat Race, training newer pilots with thermaling, launch sequence proficiency, restricted landing approaches and more. All necessary for XC and competition. Contact: mphsports@charter.net

JUNE 22-28 > Ruch, OR. Come train with the best instructors during the 12th annual Rat Race paragliding competition. Kari Castle, Ken Hudonjorgenson, and Kay Tauscher make up the instructor team that will guide you through one of the most comprehensive training weeks ever. Train in the morning, and then watch the competition action from the top of Woodrat Mt. Before the competition and after the race competitors are off, you will have virtually the entire mountain to yourselves where you can train and fly at what has been named one of the top 25 best paragliding sites in the world. Ken, Kari and Kay have an amazing foot-launch history that includes competition and record attempts. This combination will be unforgettable. Go to mphsports.com to reserve your spot as attendance will be limited. Sign up today. $450. More Information: Mike Haley 503-704-7004 mike _ haley@charter.net, or mphsports.com.

6030

JULY 5-7 > UT. Instructor Training with Ken Hudonjorgensen in Utah. Phone: 801-971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly. com JULY 6 > UT. Instructor Re-certification with Ken Hudonjorgensen in Utah. Phone: 801-971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly. com AUGUST 7-9 > Northern California Over-the-

water Maneuvers Clinics in Northern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and former national champion Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching you over the water with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Eagle is known for high quality tours and clinics with lots of staff, and this clinic is no exception. We encourage you to make the time for this important safety training with any qualified SIV instructor. More information: Rob Sporrer 805-968-0980 rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

AUGUST 10-12 > Northern California Over-thewater Maneuvers Clinics in Northern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and former national champion Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching you over the water with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Eagle is known for high quality tours and clinics with lots of staff, and this clinic is no exception. We encourage you to make the time for this important safety training with any qualified SIV instructor. More information: Rob Sporrer 805-968-0980 rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com. SEPTEMBER 5-9 > UT. Cross-country and thermaling clinic with mentoring. Paragliding intensive with Ken Hudonjorgensen and other mentors. Inspiration Point, Jupiter, West Mt. and Monroe, Utah, wherever the weather tells us to go. Phone: 801-971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly.com

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SEPTEMBER 18-20 > Northern California Overthe-water Maneuvers Clinics with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and former national champion Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching you over the water with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Eagle is known for high quality tours and clinics with lots of staff, and this clinic is no exception. We encourage you to make the time for this important safety training with any qualified SIV instructor. More information: Rob Sporrer 805968-0980 rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

SEPTEMBER 20-28 > Owens Valley, CA Geared

SEPTEMBER 21-23 > Northern California Overthe-water Maneuvers Clinics with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and former national champion Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching you over the water with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Eagle is known for high quality tours and clinics with lots of staff, and this clinic is no exception. We encourage you to make the time for this important safety training with any qualified SIV instructor. More information: Rob Sporrer 805968-0980 rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

OCTOBER 1-5, 10-13 & 17-20 > Owens Valley, CA. Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying including launching to record setting XC flights and everything in between. The sky is the limit!!! More information: Kari Castle, 760-920-0748, kari@karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM.

SEPTEMBER 27-28 > UT. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer a new site. Utah sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone: 801-971-3414, email twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly. com

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 27-28 > Dunlap, CA. Dunlap Thermal and Cross-country Clinic with Eagle Paragliding. Dunlap offers some great flying in the foothills of the west side of the Sierras. This trip is one of our favorite two-day excursions. Join us for some nice flying with some great people. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980, rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com. SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 4 > Richfield, UT. Red Rocks fall fly-in and thermal clinic with Ken Hudonjorgensen and Stacy Whitmore. Phone: 801971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www. twocanfly.com

NOVEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 1 > Iquique, Chile: This year we have divided the tour into four different segments: Instructional Days, Iquique Days # 1, 2 and 3. Our tour leaders are Todd Weigand, Luis Rosenkjer and Ken Hudonjorgensen. The entire tour will be packed with instruction for all levels of paragliding (P1 through P4). For anyone wanting to fly, fly, fly... this is the tour to join. The last tour will focus more on XC. Phone: 801-971-3414, e-mail twocanfly@gmail.com, or www.twocanfly.com

for Very Strong P3/H3 pilots and above that are ready to fly XC in pretty sweet conditions. Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying from launching thru record setting XC flights and everything in between the sky is the limit!!! More Information: Kari Castle 760 920 0748 kari@ karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM.

OCTOBER 24-27 > Owens Valley, CA Women With Wings- The Third Annual gathering of women pilots! Geared for P2-P3’s but all are welcome! Owens Valley with Kari. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Let Kari’s 33 years of flying and 26 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! We work on anything that has to do with high altitude mountain flying including launching to record setting XC flights and everything in between. The sky is the limit!!! More information: Kari Castle, 760-920-0748, kari@karicastle.com, or KARICASTLE.COM. NOVEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 1 > Iquique, Chile.

With the most consistent thermals on earth, we guarantee you will fly everyday! After 16 years of leading trips, wining competitions, and working as a local guide/tandem pilot, Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand offer the most professional guiding service available in Iquique. With 20 year of combined guiding experience in Iquique, nobody can lead new pilots to this region with the expertise that these gentlemen provide. Beginner to advanced instruction available with everyone progressing at an extraordinary rate! More XC offered during the last segment. Last year a few clients completed our classic 115 km flight back to the hotel! Join Luis & Todd so you can improve you flying skills, break your personal records, and enjoy the best of Iquique! www.paraglidingtrips.com

NOVEMBER 8-10 > Santa Barbara, CA. 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. We invite you to apprentice with us anytime to get as much hands-on experience as possible before the clinic. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980, rob@paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

NOVEMBER 11-12 > Santa Barbara, CA. Tandem Paragliding Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California. We will be doing classroom and practical training at the best year-round training hill in North America. More information: Rob Sporrer, 805-968-0980, rob@ paraglide.com, or www.paragliding.com.

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

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

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. Tradeins 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. 408-2621055, Fax 408-262-1388, mission@hang-gliding. com, Mission Soaring Center LLC, leading the way since 1973. www.hang-gliding.com

World famous historic TORREY PINES

facilities, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more. Wide range of accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543, hanglide.com.

GLIDERPORT: Incredible Flying – food – fun. Come enjoy coastal San Diego flying year-round! We offer USHPA-certified instruction for all ratings, as well as tandem, instructor, and SIV clinics and local flat land towing. Call us for details on our domestic and international clinics and tours or join us in our 4x4 12-passenger tour van for 15 other flying sites opportunities in SoCal and Baja California. We have expanded product lines including Ozone, Skywalk, Sup Air, Independence, Woody Valley, Sky, Gradient, Niviuk, Paratech, Plussmax helmets, Crispi boots, Gopro, Flytech, Flymaster and a lot more. Come test our new mini wings from Ozone. We have a huge selection of Demos on site. Our full service shop offers reserve repacks, annual glider inspections, repairs and more. We also carry an extensive new and used inventory of certified gliders and harnesses. Check us out at flytorrey. com, facebook.com/flytpg, info@flytorrey.com, or call us at (858) 452 9858.

ALAska

WINDSPORTS - Don’t risk bad weather, bad

HARNESSES FLY CENTER OF GRAVITY CG-1000 - The

most affordable single line suspension harness available. Individually designed for a precise fit. Fly in comfort. www.flycenterofgravity. comflycenterofgraity@gmail.com, 315-256-1522

SCHOOLS & INSTRUCTORS ALABAMA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - The best

AK Paramotor - Paragliding & Paramotor

School. Year-round: USHPA+USPPA certification. Novice, Refresher, Training, Equipment. Frank Sihler 907-841-7468 www.USAparagliding.com

CALIFORNIA AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING - Year-round excellent 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. Awardwinning 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 805-9653733.

6020

instruction or dangerous training hills. 350 flyable days each year. Learn foot-launch flying skills safely and quickly. Train with professional CFI’s at world-famous Dockweiler Beach training slopes (5 minutes from LA airport.) Fly winter or summer in gentle coastal winds, soft sand and in a thorough program with one of America’s most prestigious schools for over 25 years. 818-367-2430, www. windsports.com.

COLORADO GUNNISON GLIDERS – X-C to heavy waterproof HG

gliderbags. Accessories, parts, service, sewing. Instruction ratings, site-info. Rusty Whitley 1549 CR 17, Gunnison CO 81230. 970-641-9315.

FLORIDA FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK - 18265 E State

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

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS — Paraglider & hang glider towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment. Dunnellon Airport 352-245-8263, email fly@graybirdairsports. com, www.graybirdairsports.com. LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Nearest mountain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543. MIAMI HANG GLIDING - For year-round training fun in the sun. 305-285-8978, 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133, www. miamihanggliding.com. WALLABY RANCH – The original Aerotow flight park. Best tandem instruction worldwide,7-days a week , 6 tugs, and equipment rental. Call:1-800WALLABY wallaby.com 1805 Deen Still Road, Disney Area FL 33897

GEORGIA LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Discover

why 5 times as many pilots earn their wings at LMFP. Enjoy our 110 acre mountain resort. www.hanglide. com, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 1-877-426-4543.

HAWAII 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.

ILLINOIS Twin Oaks Hang Gliding Center - Whitewater, WI - Bunny hill, scooter towing and aero towing. Training and Discovery Tandems. Ric WisconsinHangGliding.com. Paul - ScooterTow.net. Danny - 608-469-5949

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

IOWA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

TENNESSEE

Twin Oaks Hang Gliding Center - Whitewater, WI - Bunny hill, scooter towing and aero towing. Training and Discovery Tandems. Ric WisconsinHangGliding.com. Paul - ScooterTow.net. Danny - 608-469-5949

Morningside - A Kitty Hawk Kites flight park. The north east's premier hang gliding and paragliding training center. Teaching since 1974. Hang gliding foot launch and tandem aerowtow training. Paragliding foot launch and tandem training. Powered Paragliding instruction. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Charlestown, NH. Also visit our North Carolina location, Kitty Hawk Kites Flight School. (603) 542-4416, www.flymorningside.com

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just outside

INDIANA CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION -

Michigan

See Cloud 9 in

MARYLAND HIGHLAND AEROSPORTS - Baltimore and DC’s

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

MICHIGAN 9 Sport Aviation (hang gliding equipment), North American Soaring (Alatus ultralight sailplane and e-drive systems), Dragon Fly Soaring Club (hang gliding instruction), at Cloud 9 Field, Webberville, MI.More info: (517) 223-8683, Cloud9sa@aol.com, www.DFSCinc.org.

Cloud

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.

MINNESOTA Twin Oaks Hang Gliding Center - Whitewater, WI - Bunny hill, scooter towing and aero towing. Training and Discovery Tandems. Ric WisconsinHangGliding.com. Paul - ScooterTow.net. Danny - 608-469-5949

NEW YORK AAA Mountain Wings Inc - New location at 77 Hang Glider Rd in Ellenville next to the LZ. We service all brands featuring AEROS and North Wing. 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.

Cooperstown New York Serving the North East since 1978. We have the best training hill in New York. Dealers for Wills Wing and others. Trade-ins welcome www. cooperstownhanggliding.com 315-867-8011

SUSQUEHANNA

FLIGHT

PARK

NORTH CAROLINA Kitty Hawk Kites - The largest hang gliding

school in the world! Celebrating our 40th year! Teaching since 1974. Learn to hang glide and paraglide on the east coast's largest sand dune. Year round instruction, foot launch and tandem aerotow. Powered Paragliding instruction. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Fly at the beach! Learn to fly where the Wright Brothers flew! Located on the historic Outer Banks, NC. Also visit our New Hampshire location, Morningside Flight Park. (252) 441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www.kittyhawk.com

OHIO CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION -

Michigan

See Cloud 9 in

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

TEXAS 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 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 801576-6460 if you have any questions.

VIRGINIA BLUE SKY - Full-time HG instruction. Daily lessons, scooter and platform towing. AT towing part time. Custom sewing, powered harnesses, Aeros PG , Flylight and Airborne trikes. 804-241-4324 , www. blueskyhg.com

WISCONSIN Twin Oaks Hang Gliding Center - Whitewater, WI - Bunny hill, scooter towing and aero towing. Training and Discovery Tandems. Ric WisconsinHangGliding.com. Paul - ScooterTow.net. Danny - 608-469-5949

INTERNATIONAL MEXICO - VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for hang

gliding and paragliding. Year round availability and special tours. Gear, guiding, instruction, transportation, lodging - all varieties for your needs. www.flymexico.com 1-800-861-7198 USA

CLINICS & TOURS COSTA RICA - Grampa Ninja's Paragliders' B&B.

PUERTO RICO FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! - Flying

tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive Novice courses, full sales. 787-8500508, tshg@coqui.net.

Rooms, and/or guide service and transportation. Lessons available from USHPA certified instructors. USA: 908-454-3242. Costa Rica: (Country code, 011) House: 506-2200-4824, Cell: 5068950-8676, or Kathy @ 506-8918-0355 www. paraglidecostarica.com

Spring, Summer, Fall - Woodrat Mountain,

OR. Hostel / Camping / Rooms below launch. Heated pool, hottub, internet. Shuttle/guide service. ravencyte@hotmail.com, 541 951-6606 or Facebook-Raven's Landing

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

PARTS & ACCESSORIES Gunnison Gliders – X-C, Factory, heavy PVC

HG gliderbags $149 Harness packs & zippers. New/used parts, equipment, tubes. 1549 CR 17 Gunnison, CO 81230 970-641-9315

3 NEWto WSuappyorst your Sport just follow the links at

HALL WIND METER – Simple. Reliable. Accurate.

USHPA.aero/STORE

Mounting brackets, control-bar wheels. Hall Brothers, PO Box 1010, Morgan, Utah 84050. (801) 829-3232, www.hallwindmeter.com.

OXYGEN SYSTEMS – MH-XCR-180 operates to 18,000 ft., weighs only 4 lbs. System includes cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula, and remote on/off flowmeter. $450.00. 1-800-468-8185.

Shwag OUT

SPECIALTY WHEELS for airfoil basetubes, round

With new print-on-demand products.

basetubes, or tandem landing gear.(262)4738800, 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.

Bone UP With the best books and DVDs available, shipped from Amazon.com.

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES – A full-

service shop, specializing in all types of paragliding repairs, annual inspections, reserve repacks, harness repairs. Hang gliding reserve repacks and repair. For information or repair estimate, call (208) 554-2243, pricing and service request form available at www.risingair.biz, billa@atcnet.net.

SMILE : ) Start ALL of your Amazon.com shopping at USHPA.aero/STORE.

Buy ANYTHING ELSE at smile.Amazon.com (even a rubber chicken) and Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of your purchase to USHPA! HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

THE 1

by NATE SCALES

We know there was a day when it all worked for you. When your training clicked, the conditions were perfect, the stars aligned, and you soared to new heights (real or imagined). Send in your tale of “The 1” flight you'll never forget, and we'll print it right here. You'll be entered into the annual drawing for a USHPA soft shell jacket!

It seems like between work and the weather I was not getting anywhere near the paragliding that I wanted. To make matters worse, my good buddy Farmer set the National foot-launch distance record from our home site, on a weekend I was camping with my family. So when the morning of July 31 gave me a good forecast, I decided to go flying. It was a typical day in Sun Valley; I rode up the lift alone, and walked down to take-off by myself. The nice thing about being on launch alone is that you don’t have to wait in line. I took off and had a nice climb above the mountain. As there was nobody around there wasn’t any point to waiting, so as soon as I was high enough to make the first crossing I pointed it across the valley. The conditions were good—the thermals were smooth and the wind was light. I had beautiful clouds marking the lift, and thermals were exactly where I thought they would be. After my first valley crossing onto the Pioneer (Pio’s) mountains I found a nice climb to about 14,000’ and was able to fly over the whole range between 12,000’ and 16,000’. Cloudbase was higher, but there was so much lift I saw no reason to waste much time thermaling. From the Pio’s I crossed another big valley onto the Big Lost range; these are the highest peaks in the state. This is where the flight gets really fun. You are jumping over massive mountain ranges along the backbone of our country, working your way up to the continental

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

divide. There are a couple of houses in the valleys down below, but not a lot of people out there. I always look down over the country below, and know that I am having more fun than anyone else. The next range is the Beaverhead Mountains, and they are the continental divide, and the state line into Montana. I lost my first thermal there and had to go back to the front before I was willing to dive into the range, but eventually I caught a nice climb up and out. As I crossed into Montana I made an error and got lured to a dying cloud off course line. When I arrived of course it was not working and I had to hightail it over to where I should have gone in the first place. Only by then I was low, really low, maybe 100’ above a 200’ hill 10 miles from the nearest dirt road. I knew it was time to focus. Fortunately it was a sweet little hill facing into the sun and at the end of a long valley. It kicked! I must have climbed close to 10,000’ in one awesome thermal. It was now about 4:30 in the afternoon, and the Montana skies were going off. I flew straight along the edge of a beautiful cloud street for almost 40 miles, moving right under the cloud when I wanted lift, and left to the side when I started getting close to the FAA ceiling of 17,999’. I could see one more big mountain range in the distance. I had no idea what it was named, but I knew if I could get there I could jump over it. I dove into the range about 6:15; the entire range was facing the afternoon

sun, and there were bright, sharpedged clouds above. One more time the thermal I was hoping for was ready and waiting. I had a smooth climb up to 15,000’ one more time and dove over the back to see what I could see. The final glide was glorious, super smooth in the evening light. I didn’t know where I was but it mattered little as I watched my GPS roll over the 186-mile mark. I took the glide as absolutely far as I could, never bothering to turn into the wind, and really hoping I was close to the 200-mile mark. I landed in a dirt pasture on the edge of a river with a huge smile on my face. The lady who ran the ranch came out in her pickup to see what I was doing, and when she heard my story she gave me a beer and a ride to town. I had a message from my mom on my phone so I called her to let her know where I was (in Three Forks, Montana). She said there was a super fun motel there that had a really good restaurant—I happened to be standing right in front of it in this small town. When I hung up, the proprietor came out of the motel to tell me that my mom had got me a room and dinner, and would I like to come in and have a glass of champagne? I said of course! Over dinner I texted a friend who had recently built himself a radical airplane. He’d told me that if I ever broke the record to give him a call and he might come get me. Lucky for me he was free the next day, and arrived to pick me up at noon. It took us 45 minutes to fly home at 25,000’ going 350mph. One more bit of awesome!

ION 3 - Performance For All Where’s it taking you?

ION 3

The Feel-Good Intermediate

The Ion 3 is the realization of our mission: to produce paragliders with excellent performance, that give a lot, but require very little. The ION 3 handling is precise but at the same time forgiving. This makes it a wing for all occasions: a fun wing which turns like a dream; a cross country machine, tutor and gentle acrobat all in one.

You can’t get more out of a single paraglider.

801. 255 . 9595

w w w. sup e r f l y in c .co m

Super Fly, Inc • 8683 Sandy Pkwy Sandy, UT 84070 • info@superflyinc.com P A R A G L I D E R S

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