UNITED STATES HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION
March/April 2020 Vol 50 Issue 2 $6.95
Save Sylmar ▶ Thermaling 101 ▶ Spain ▶ Women's Worlds
The Mojo 6 represents an incredible leap forward in performance. Our mission for the development of this wing was to push performance to the highest level possible level in the class, while keeping the stable and easy-to-fly platform that has made the Mojo series so beloved. Newly qualified pilots, or anyone seeking the highest level of passive safety available, will love the Mojo 6. See more at flyozone.com 2 US HPA P I LOT
USHPA PILOT 3
Pilots: Pierre Neveu and Vlad Guillaume
Photo: Christophe Tong Viet
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms Ending in 2020 Ken Andrews (region 3) Alan Crouse (region 3) Mark Forbes (region 1) Kate Griffin (region4) Mike Holmes (region 5) Doyle Johnson (region 1) Daniel Lukaszewicz (region 4) Steve Rodrigues (region 2) Randall Shane (region 1) Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.org
Matt Taber (region 4)
Beth Van Eaton, Operations Manager office@ushpa.org
Terms Ending in 2021
Erika Klein, Communications Manager communications@ushpa.org Chris Webster, Information Services Manager tech@ushpa.org Galen Anderson, Membership Coordinator membership@ushpa.org OFFICERS Randall Shane, President president@ushpa.org
ON THE COVER Pilots Keenan (left) and Michelle (right) having a blast at the South Side, Point of the Mountain, Utah.
Photo by BEN WHITE
Kate Griffin, Vice President vicepresident@ushpa.org Ken Andrews, Secretary secretary@ushpa.org Mark Forbes, Treasurer treasurer@ushpa.org
Paul Voight (region 5)
Jugdeep Aggarwal (region 2) Steve Pearson (region 3) Kimberly Phinney (region 1) Sara Weaver (region 3) REGION 1 NORTHWEST [ AK∙HI∙IA∙ID∙MN∙MT∙ND∙NE∙OR∙SD∙WA∙WY ] REGION 2 CENTRAL WEST [ Northern CA∙NV∙UT ] REGION 3 SOUTHWEST [ Southern CA∙AZ∙CO∙NM ] REGION 4 SOUTHEAST [ AL∙AR∙DC∙FL∙GA∙KS∙KY∙LA∙MO∙MS∙NC∙OK∙SC∙TN∙TX∙WV∙VA ] REGION 5 NORTHEAST & INTERNATIONAL [ CT∙DE∙IL∙IN∙MA∙MD∙ME∙MI∙NH∙NY∙NY∙OH∙PA∙RI∙VT∙WI ]
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. 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.
For change of address or other USHPA business +1 (719) 632-8300 info@ushpa.org POSTMASTER USHPA Pilot ISSN 1543-5989 (USPS 17970) is published bimonthly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO, 80904 Phone: (719) 632-8300 Fax: (719) 632-6417 Periodicals Postage Paid in Colorado Springs and additional mailing offices. Send change of address to: USHPA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO, 80901-1330. Canadian Return Address: DP Global Mail, 4960-2 Walker Road, Windsor, ON N9A 6J3.
4 US HPA P I LOT
USHPA PILOT 5
W
Flight Plan [ Editor > LIZ DENGLER ]
inter flying in Colorado is a bit hit or miss. We have difficult weather year-round, but winter becomes particularly finicky, often resulting in long drives or plane rides in search of better air. But we do occasionally get a winter treat at our local hills. No one expects epic days or personal bests, but the possibility of a few sledders or a short soaring session is typically enough to bring pilots out in droves. Standing in the LZ on one such day this past December, I looked up to see hang gliders, paragliders, miniwings, and speedwings, all sharing the sky for a single, rare moment. It was an inspiring sight, and I was struck by the community of our sport. Pilots of all wing types were enjoying the moderate temperatures, catching up, and chatting about how lucky we were to get such a beautiful and flyable day that time of year. Perhaps it was the lack of expectations or a sense of relief after having been pounded by high winds for several weeks, but everyone was happy to be in the sky and share the air. Martin Palmaz, Publisher The excitement, camaraderie, and diversity of wings that day is how I enexecutivedirector@ushpa.org vision USHPA Pilot magazine—a space for all types of free flight enthusiasts Liz Dengler, Editor to share their stories and make connections. Much like our local hills, this editor@ushpa.org / advertising@ushpa.org publication can be a place where we celebrate our common love of free flight Greg Gillam, Art Director and share adventures, experiences, and news from within our community. art.director@ushpa.org All wing types and experience levels, from fledglings to pilots in the competition circuit, and everyone in between, can share and learn. My aim is to make PHOTOGRAPHERS STAFF WRITERS this magazine valuable for the community as a whole. Mostly, that means working with members to tell stories; it is your voices and experiences that Ben White Annette O’Neil make this publication what it is. If you have an idea or a story, please get in Audray Luck Dennis Pagen touch (check out our call for content on page 9 of this issue)—I look forward Jeff Shapiro to hearing from you. I wanted the cover of this issue to highlight our contributors. The photo SUBMISSIONS from our members and readers was taken by Ben White, a regular contributor who has shared great stories are welcome. All articles, artwork, photographs and photos. Ben has a knack for capturing the playfulness and freedom of as well as ideas for articles, artwork and our sports, and this shot is no exception. Michelle's grin epitomizes the fun photographs are submitted pursuant to and are and joy of free flight. subject to the USHPA Contributor's Agreement, a As you flip through this issue, I hope you’ll enjoy the beginning of my work copy of which can be obtained from the USHPA as a steward for your tales. In community news, we have reports on two by emailing the editor at editor@ushpa.org or fly-ins (Colorado and Utah), as well as a call for action to protect a beloved online at www.ushpa.org. We are always looking flying site in Southern California. Two pilots with different ambitions took for great articles, photography and news. Your trips to Spain and share equally amazing experiences of enjoyment and contributions are appreciated. growth. Gavin McClurg offers up his latest installment from the X-Alps ADVERTISING is subject to the USHPA with an account of his path up to and through the 2019 race. Competition Advertising Policy, a copy of which may pilot Sara Weaver advocates for greater representation of women in hang be obtained from the USHPA by emailing gliding. Gary Waterman gives us a rundown of his first few flights on his advertising@ushpa.org. new 2-liner paraglider. You will also find the first installment of the Learning Corner, a new regular column which in this issue focuses on preflight and COPYRIGHT ©2020 US HANG GLIDING & hang checks—and another educational piece on the basics of thermaling, PARAGLIDING ASSOC., INC. All rights reserved. just in time for the spring season. Finally, Chris Santacroce steps in with an No part of this publication may be reproduced, accident analysis, focusing on potential complications of using big ears as a stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any paragliding maneuver. form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, I’m looking forward to 2020 and kicking off the decade with all of you. May photocopying, recording, or otherwise without you always learn something new, fly smart, and have fun in flight. prior written permission of USHPA.
2020 March/April CONTENTS 12 CONSERVATION
5 FLIGHT PLAN
Call to Action
8 LAUNCHING
Your letters of support are needed to save Sylmar.
10 FINDING LIFT 11 ARC
by CYNDIA ZUMPFT-KLEIN
58 RATINGS 14 GATHERINGS
61 CALENDAR 63 CLASSIFIED
Red Rocks Fly-In
12 44
64 FINAL
Pilots gather to fly at Utah's premier fly-in.
by JONATHAN LEUSDEN 40 FEATURE
New Wing > New Sights Stepping up to a 2-liner. by GARY WATERMAN 44 GATHERINGS
16 26
Rocky Mountain Swifts
Lady pilots meet up to learn and fly in the mountains of Colorado. by LINDSEY RIPA 48 FEATURE
Andalusia
Flights of fancy in Algodonales, Spain.
36 48
54
16 THERMALING 101
26 A RETURN TO THE ABSURD
by MITCH RILEY
by GAVIN MCCLURG
Breaking down the basics of using thermal lift.
Every pilot should go once in a lifetime.
20 LIFT IN SPAIN
36 WOMEN'S HANG GLIDING WORLDS
by ADAM B. FEDER with ANGELA BICKAR
by SARA WEAVER
Finding new heights in Alicante.
by JOHN ROBINSON 54 TRAINING
Learning Corner
Preflight checks.
by LIZ DENGLER and SARA WEAVER
Making room in a crowded space.
HANG GLIDING AND PAR AGLIDING 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. 6 US HPA P I LOT
Photo: Jerome Maupoint USHPA PILOT 7
TRAVEL LIGHT, FLY FAR The Calypso is a light easy intermediate (“low B”) wing for beginning and leisure pilots who want a confidence-inspiring wing that is easy to travel and fly with, whilst still offering great XC possibilities. The Calypso has been developed from the ground up. Handling is reassuring but fun — a little more dynamic than a typical glider in its class, but without surprises. EN B // 5 sizes // 55-120 kg
Super Fly Paragliding 801.255.9595 service@superflyinc.com superflyinc.com
www.gingliders.com
Launching
[ Latest Gear ]
GIN RESCUE COCKPIT The Gin Rescue Cockpit is brand new for late 2019/2020. It builds on the legacy of the Gin Combi container, which was an industry standard for many years. The Rescue Cockpit will hold all but the bulkiest, XL reserves. It provides a well-protected flight deck, loads of mounting possibilities, and comes with the Gin Yeti Y Bridle for main carabiner or shoulder connection. It’s available in S, M, and L at $150 through Super Fly: www.superflyinc.com; service@superflyinc.com; (801) 255-9595.
BGD DUAL 2 TANDEM With an effortless launch and smooth, intuitive handling, the Dual 2 is now available in 3 sizes: 38m, 40m, and 42m. Covering a range of weights from 100-220 kilograms, there is one just right for you! For more information, contact BGDUSA.com or call Dale Covington at (801) 699-1462 to arrange a test flight.
WOODY VALLEY RUCKSACK Durable, light, and compact, this is the do-itall bag to protect your gear and save your back. The Woody Valley Rucksack is great for all kits, whether you are a weekend warrior or a comp pilot trying to protect those rods in your 2-liner. There's plenty of space and zippered pockets for instruments and accessories. Plus, it carries super well. Comes in L (156 L) and XL (180 L). Visit paragliding. com for more information.
BGD CURE 2 With a flat aspect ratio of 6.4 and 74 cells, the Cure 2 is an entirely new design, formulated to increase performance without increasing pilot stress. With B/C steering and BGD's progressive staibility, the new Cure 2 is one of the top EN-C gliders available. It has an impressive top speed of 60 km/h, yet full speed asymmetric collapses are incredibly calm. For more information, contact BGD-USA.com or call Dale Covington at (801) 699-1462 to arrange a test flight.
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LEVEL WINGS FLAME The Level Wings Flame is the most recent design from Francois Bon. He is the timeless personality behind classics like the Bobcat, the X-Fly, and, most recently, the Level Wings Flame, Fizz, and Fury. The Flame is the foot-launch (speedflying) oriented offering that has been around for a few seasons and never ceases to impress. It comes in sizes 9m, 11m, 13m, 16m and 19m. The Flame varies from semi-aggressive/perfect for on snow (speedriding) in the 9m, to very mild and perfect for beginners or extra-large pilots in the 19m. It’s also available in a lightweight version - the Flame Light. For those interested in learning to speedride/fly, the Level Wings Flame is a great first purchase mini wing. It’s also the natural choice for U.S. pilots wanting a do-everything, go-anywhere wing that will satisfy all their needs. Level Wings and training are available through Super Fly: www.superflyinc. com; service@superflyinc.com; (801) 255-9595.
USHPA PILOT 9
Call for Content [ Editor > Liz Dengler ]
SAFETY
FLYING
FLYIN
ADVENTURE
ACCIDENT ANALYSIS
TRAVEL
SITE
NEWS
GEAR
FLYING
TECHNIQUE
PROFILE
10 STORY REQUESTS
NOVA AONIC Nova Gliders proudly announces the Aonic, a new high-level EN-A paraglider in the all new Nova design. It is a 3-liner with 49 cells and a 5.17 aspect ratio, and weighs 4.75 kg (in size S). Nova promises better handling than any EN-A glider to date. It features the line color arrangement recommended by paraglider manufacturers. Association for both the risers and the lines: A = red, B = yellow, C = blue, brake = orange, stabilo line = green. It is available with a pilot’s choice of thin, elegant risers or standard school risers. Big ear and B-stall risers are marked. It comes in 5 sizes with a range of 55 kg to 130 kg. Demos available through Super Fly - www.superflyinc.com, service@superflyinc.com, and (801) 255-9595. All dealer inquiries are welcomed.
A while back, we sent around a survey asking what you wanted to see from the magazine moving forward. Other than hang gliders wanting more stories about hang gliding and paragliders wanting more stories about paragliding, some of the most common asks from members were more U.S.-based stories, learning pieces, articles from recreational pilots, and greater diversity of writers. I will work hard to incorporate this feedback and make the magazine valuable to everyone, but to do that, I need your help. Send in your stories and photos! No matter your experience level or wing type, we want to hear your epic adventures, everyday flights, and community updates. Hang gliders, paragliders, miniwings, and speedwings are all welcome. Send in stories that are important to you—weekend adventures, gear reviews, fly-ins and competition pieces, trip-of-a-lifetime stories, photo essays, learning moments, educational pieces (weather, flying techniques, site reviews), and creative content such as poems or artwork. Readers want more stories about adventures of recreational pilots, so send in your tales, long or short. To share content with the magazine, head over to the USHPA Editor’s Page at: ushpa.org/page/editors-page There, you can review the submission guidelines and submit content using our dropbox: ushpa.org/page/editorial-dropbox
TOP
GARMIN GPS INREACH The latest, greatest devices from Garmin are the inReach Mini (3.5 oz.) and the Explorer+/Explorer SE. These have emerged as the “go-to” GPS communicators for pilots worldwide over the last season. They provide priceless peace of mind for all kinds of adventurers, all around the globe. The inReach Mini ($350) can send custom messages on its own and is also easily paired with the free Earthmate App running on a smartphone and using Bluetooth for easy typing. The ExplorerSE ($400) with its 1.75" x 1.5" screen makes it easy to send and receive text messages to any phone via satellite. For an additional $50, the Explorer+ adds topo maps, a builtin digital compass, a barometric altimeter, and an accelerometer. Garmin offers plans that start at $15 a month (includes 10 messages per month, $0.50 per additional message or position updates every 10 minutes). These plans can be activated and deactivated. They also have unlimited message plans for $50 a month that update position every 2 minutes. Available through Super Fly with complimentary protective skin: www.superflyinc.com; service@superflyinc.com; (801) 255-9595.
Finding Lift
[ Executive Director, USHPA > MARTIN PALMAZ ]
Support, changes, and new perspectives Dear Membership, Our organization has experienced many changes over the past year. I'm pleased to say that a lot of these are positive for our community—but I understand that it can be hard to keep track. In case you missed them, I want to share a few of the changes I'm most excited about for 2020.
Supporting Pilots & Growing Our Sports
I'm particularly excited about two new initiatives that will help grow our sports while supporting new pilots and instructors. One is USHPA's $120k Veterans Affairs grant, which I mentioned in the November/December 2019 issue. Beginning this year, the grant will fund selected schools to provide basic and novInterested in ice-level flight training to disabled veterans a more active and active-duty military. USHPA is proud to role supporting support this extremely worthy group, who our national are likely to excel at their training and bring organization? valuable skills and perspectives to the entire USHPA needs you! pilot community. Have a skill or I am also thrilled about our new commission interest and some program that began on January 1. We're worktime available? ing with Recreation RRG to give flight schools insurance benefits and $20 for each new VOLUNTEER! USHPA member they bring in. This not only ushpa.org/volunteer directly gives back to our schools, but also lends us the opportunity to support new pilots from the very beginning of their free flight careers. The first year is a trial period open only to PASA Large Business Flight Schools, but I'm very hopeful about the program's success and, with that, the potential to expand to other schools.
New Perspectives
It has been refreshing and inspiring to me to see the many new and youthful viewpoints recently joining USHPA. One of these, of course, is our new magazine editor, Liz Dengler. Over time, not only will USHPA Pilot look different under her leadership, it will fundamentally be
Bringing new viewpoints to USHPA's board, particularly those of women and younger pilots, is one of the many benefits of USHPA's new governance structure. 10 US H PA P I LOT
different, offering us new ways to engage with, enjoy, and understand our sports. I'm looking forward to watching her build on the fantastic publication that Nick Greece left us while bringing her own unique take to the magazine. We've also gained valuable new perspectives on USHPA's board. Four newly elected directors took office on January 1, giving us a mix of both legacy directors and several new, younger directors. I'm optimistic that this composition will integrate where we've come from with where we want to see our organization go as we work to expand our population of younger pilots nationwide.
Efficiency & Transparency
Bringing new viewpoints to USHPA's board, particularly those of women and younger pilots, is one of the many benefits of USHPA's new governance structure. It has been gratifying to see the new structure deliver things that USHPA members have requested for years, such as increased responsiveness, efficiency, and transparency. Since July, the board has met nearly every month, giving them the opportunity to consider issues as soon as they come up. Those meetings have been open to member attendance since September. Make sure you're signed up for our member newsletter to receive notifications about upcoming meetings and recaps of past ones. I also encourage you to sit in on a meeting and hear directly about everything going on at USHPA! Every change has its benefits and disadvantages. I am fully aware that many of the changes at USHPA over the past several years have been especially difficult for our schools, our pilots, and our members. In my next column, I'll talk a little more about the origins and necessity for some of the more challenging insurance and related changes, and how they're still impacting many of the decisions we make at USHPA. Even as we're still dealing with the ripple effects from necessary change, I'm elated that our recent adjustments show that change can also be positive. Many of the modifications we're looking at for 2020 directly address member requests. We're looking forward to
USH PA PILOT 11
delivering more tools that benefit instructors and members, such as improved accident analyses, digital 30-days forms for PASA schools through an app being developed by Recreation RRG, and more. As always, USHPA relies on volunteers for many of the changes in our organization. We're currently seeking Accident Review Committee members to help compile information about accidents, write articles, and help broaden accessibility to accident information for the membership. To get involved, please email communications@ushpa.org or go to
ushpa.org/page/volunteer-opportunities. All of the changes we've undergone present an opportunity to re-evaluate and re-imagine our organization—and to incorporate further changes you want to see. We hope to work with you to make USHPA better long term. Thank you, as always, for your feedback, collaboration, and support. - Blue skies, Martin Palmaz Executive Director, USHPA
Accident Review Committee
[
Analysis > CHRIS SANTACROCE
]
Big ears in paragliding
AIRS Accident/Incident Reporting System is standing by at airs.ushpa.org If you've been injured or experienced a close call, file a report today. All AIRS reports are completely confidential.
It's been some time since we have heard of malfunctions associated with using big ears. However, we have two recent accident report submissions in which big ears were a common cause. This points to the hidden risks associated with big ears and deep stall. Often considered a safe maneuver, big ears have a number of safety considerations that aren't always addressed but which are outlined in the following incidents. While flying at an inland mountain site, a P3 pilot pulled big ears to help expedite the descent. The glider had been flown extensively. On pulling big ears, the glider entered deep stall, also known as parachutal stall. The glider did not have time to recover before the pilot lost several hundred feet and met with the ground. Thankfully, the pilot was uninjured. In another incident, a P3 pilot was flying at a mountain site on a recently inspected and trimmed B-level glider when they decided to pull big ears. On releasing them, the ears were difficult to clear, so the pilot pulled more brake than usual, resulting in a deep stall. The pilot aggravated the deep stall by applying the brakes which brought the glider into a full stall configuration that many would call backfly. As pilots tend to do in an inadvertent stall, one arm went out and there was a rapid onset riser twist. The pilot deployed the reserve quickly and had a nice landing on the side of a steep hill, with only a few bumps and bruises. It is important to remember that even though
it's a relatively simple maneuver, big ears should still be approached with caution. On their first flight with a particular glider, pilots are advised to pull big ears under radio supervision and with plenty of altitude. Some suggest pulling a big ear on one side to confirm that the correct line is being used. Some instructors will mark the big ear riser for easy identification. It is increasingly common for pilots to have their feet resting on the speed bar while pulling ears and once the ears are in, some small percentage of speed system can be applied. Finally, on clearing the ears, if there is any indication that the glider is not back underway (is at risk of being in deep stall), the pilot can push some speed bar to prevent deep stall before it starts or expedite a quick recovery if deep stall has already manifested. Pilots should strongly consider clearing the ears one at a time if they are having difficulty getting them to open. This works to avoid the big symmetrical brake input that can cause deep stall on some gliders. Finally, this simple maneuver should be respected and used selectively, and pilots should be ready to deploy the reserve as the pilot did in the example above.
󲢍 Pilots should strongly consider clearing the ears one at a time if they are having difficulty getting them to open. 󲢝
Call to Action
[ contributed by CYNDIA ZUMPFT-KLEIN ]
CONSERVATION
Calling all pilots and free-flight enthusiasts: If you have flown Kagel Mountain in Sylmar, California (near Los Angeles) or someday hope to, ABOVE Gathering in I am asking for your help. The landing zone for the Sylmar LZ. Photo by the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association (SHGA) Erika Klein. is now endangered by adjacent development, and we’re asking for your letters of support. Hang gliding has been a beloved part of the community at Kagel Mountain for over 40 years. Sylmar has provided a place for folks to soar and learn to hang glide since 1969, and with the advent of paragliding, many paraglider pilots have also flown into the landing area monitored by the SHGA. It has historical importance for the sport, as it hosted the first U.S. National Hang Gliding Championships in 1973. Besides providing a home for pilots, the SHGA also serves as an ambassador for our sports by regularly opening the flight park to the local community. The LZ and pavilion have been used for many community events, hosting neighborhood meetings, Boy Scout events (including introducing them to hang gliding), and political forums to meet local representatives. Our flying activities and place in the community are now at risk as a developer has pur12 US H PA P I LOT
chased the area directly adjacent to the SHGA runway. The start of the approach pattern for newer pilots is quite close to the property line. Windsports Hang Gliding and ParaCalifornia Paragliding schools both use this flight park for teaching their respective sports. These schools risk losing a safe environment to teach new pilots if the property is developed in a manner without consideration for the needs of the flying community. Future houses built alongside this section of the LZ could also affect approaches and safety for high-performance hang gliders. With the potential for development along the LZ, we need to encourage the Los Angeles City Council to keep this area as open space. At minimum, we would like the developer to work with the SHGA and the local flight schools to find a plan that works for everyone. The parcel is currently zoned A-1, which automatically allows the building of two homes on the 5-acre parcel. However, based on conversations with the developer and attending a recent community meeting, we believe the developer wants to request a zone change to allow more houses, which could significantly impact the LZ. We would greatly appreciate your letters
USH PA PILOT 13
explaining the importance of the SHGA flight park to the free-flight community nationwide. We ask that the letters be very positive about your individual experience flying the mountains above Sylmar and emphasize the value that pilots and their supporters bring to this community, which includes patronizing local businesses in Sylmar. Please address letters to: Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez Sylmar District Office 14117 Hubbard Street #D1 Sylmar, CA 91342
we must protect our sites for current and future generations. When one site is threatened, You can also call Councilwoman Rodriguez’s we must come together as a community to preoffice at (818) 756-8409 or contact her through serve our access to all sites by making sure our her website at www.monicarodriguez.org/contact. rights and the safety of pilots remain intact. I We would like to encourage her to help keep was awed by the pilot community’s response in the hang gliding legacy of Sylmar alive. If you helping protect Point of the Mountain in Utah, would like to contact me directly for letter tem- and I am asking for all your help now. Thank you for your support, and I hope to fly plates, please email me at czumpft@gmail.com. with you in Sylmar! In order to continue flying all over the U.S.,
ABOVE Setting up at launch. Photo by Erika Klein. BELOW Watching the hang gliders soar. Photo by Erika Klein.
The landing zone for the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association (SHGA) is now endangered by adjacent development, and we’re asking for your letters of support.
Red Rocks Fly-In
[ contributed by JONATHAN LEUSDEN ]
Pilots gather, fly, and learn at Utah’s premier fly-in
GATH ERING S
The secret’s out. In August, September, and early October, central Utah is an amazing location for epic big flights and true glass-off evenings. Since 2014, organized fly-ins have ABOVE Pilots setting up on Monroe launch. Photo been held during the last week of September, by Jonathan Leusden. taking advantage of these exceptional flying conditions. The Red Rocks Fall Fly-In, hosted by the Central Utah Air Sports Association (CUASA), has become a premier destination for free-flight fever. The Red Rocks Fly-In’s core idea is safe and fun flying for all pilot levels. The focus is on creating a cooperative gathering rather than a competition. The event comes together with a welcoming local community, accurate weather forecasting, and ever-present mentorship and learning opportunities. The Red Rocks Fly-In started with 50 pilots in 2014 and has grown every year—80 pilots in 2015, 102 in 2016, 138 in 2017, and 168 in 2018. Red Rocks 2019 brought 204 paragliding and hang gliding pilots from all over the world for a classic non-competitive celebration of free flight. The pilots converged on South Sevier Valley in central Utah, which is uniquely positioned for high altitude launch access, early thermals, big air, and evening glass-offs, making it the perfect location for such a gathering.
14 US H PA P I LOT
One of the highlights of the area is Monroe Peak launch at 11,300 feet, the site of the 2011 U.S. Paragliding National Championship. Originally flown by ambitious hang glider pilots in the 1980s, it took advances in paragliding technology and skill to take advantage of this 6,000-
foot vertical site. Monroe Peak has launches facing all directions, although the favorite during Red Rocks is the southwest launch for its gently increasing slope and largest pilot capacity. It’s a great spot for pilots to practice high altitude launches in light wind and enjoy a 25-minute extended sledder to the primary landing zone in Monroe, Utah. Pilots looking to experience high altitude morning thermals are able to choose their cycle after watching and feeling the day turn on. Days are filled with learning, mentorship, and community, extending from launch, to gaggle flying, to being on glide and to everyone watching from the ground. Pilots who land by 3 p.m. in the local valley can head up Cove for the evening session. Cove launch is located one large canyon to the north of Monroe Peak and has a 3,000-foot vertical to the Monroe LZ. Cove is located on the westernmost tip of a spine extending west/east from Signal Peak (11,300 feet) and is launchable toward the south, west, and north. The 2019 Red Rocks Fly-In featured evening sessions in all the best directions. CUASA maintains a list of pilots who have achieved the coveted Cove Club membership. This list is reserved for pilots able to bench up from Cove launch to Signal Peak using ridge lift only. In 2019, September 21, 24, 25 and 26 offered ideal Cove Club conditions. Day trips were also available to the area’s other launches, including 11,700-foot Mt. Edna, a 360-degree launch in the Tushar Mountains southwest of Monroe Peak and Parker Ridge,
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a 30-mile, west-facing ridge with a launch at 8,400 feet. The weekend before the fly-in this year, the evening sessions on Cove turned on. The Friday before the event, pilots were able to reach 13,500 feet. Saturday followed suit with pilots reaching 12,600 feet in perfect north evening conditions and a textbook glass-off. Sunday, the evening before the event started, was rare for local pilots. There was a distinct southwest component above launch that allowed pilots to bench up in a technical ridge soaring puzzle to Signal Peak and soar a deep south-facing bowl with 20 pilots, some of whom top landed and relaunched. September 23, the first official day of the Red Rocks Fly-in, was a huge XC day with pilots Reavis Sutphin-Gray, Ben Brunsvold, Gary Waterman, Casey Bedell, and Sarah Lockwood launching Monroe Peak and flying northeast toward Helper, Utah, flying 206.87, 142.15, 111.66, 142.61 and 134.37 kilometers respectively. Korey Curtis declared Ephraim, Utah as his goal and achieved it, landing 100 kilometers away from launch with Neil Hansen close behind. The evening featured a big air, west evening Cove session with a textbook glass-off and pilots reaching 13,000 feet. Local pilots Stacy Whitmore and Jonathan Leusden gave a presentation to the community on tips and tricks for flying central Utah. On September 24, notable XC flights included Reavis and Ariann Tudor flying south from a nearby east-facing morning thermal site near Junction, Utah toward Kanab, Utah, a distance of 143.64 and 81.82 kilometers respectively. The Cove evening session was a north technical ridge soaring session with pilots reaching 12,300 feet. Later that evening, experienced pilot Dior Jensen presented lessons from fighter pilot training, sailplane instructing, and flying a paraglider. September 25 brought a return to the Cove evening session with another north evening and pilots ridge soaring up to 11,500 feet in another sunset glass-off. The evening presentation by Ken Hudonjorgensen was on becoming fluent in the language of the wing. September 26 gave an epic west evening, which allowed for convergence zones over the spine. Many pilots reached 14,600 feet using the glass-off as the sun set. The evening presentation featured a public talk by Gavin McClurg
on his X-Alps campaigns. The last official day of the event, September 27, was interesting with big air and wind. Andrew Rayhill launched Monroe Peak and flew 244.06 kilometers east following I-70 and landing near Windy Mesa, Utah, setting a Monroe Peak site record. Raghu Madanala launched Cove and flew 117.21 kilometers east to Ghost Rock, Utah. In the evening, Cody Mittanck gave a public talk on his X-Alps campaign. The 2019 Red Rocks Fall Fly-In was made possible by organizers Stacy and Judy Whitmore, Jef Anderson, and CUASA, with help from the Sevier County Tourism Council, Quality Inn, Richfield, and Monroe City. Thanks to Taxidermy Pete’s for hosting pilots for free on his grass and shade property, Mystic Hot Springs, and all the local drivers and their now beat-up vehicles. The 2020 Red Rocks Fly-In will feature a new event held the prior weekend called the Red Rocks X, a hike-and-fly competition organized by our X-Alps athletes and their supporters (details forthcoming). The Red Rocks morning meetings will be based in Monroe at the LZ to make rides and timing more efficient. Attendees can look forward to evening presentations from top pilots, gear demos, great local food options, epic flying, lots of laughs, and mentorship and learning opportunities. Join us for the 2020 Red Rocks Fly-In from September 28 to October 3!
LEFT Christo Johnson and Jonathan Leusden enjoying a glass-off over Rodeo Ridge, Monroe Peak. Photo by Jonathan Leusden.
THERMALING 101 Breaking down the basics of using thermal lift
by MITCH RILEY
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s a new paragliding pilot, learning to thermal can be an intimidating experience, especially if you learned at a ridge soaring site with consistent and laminar wind. When you’re new to this arena, it can be difficult to weed through the numerous resources out there all offering solid advice. Pro tip: Pick up “Fifty Ways to Fly Better” by Bruce Goldsmith—it’s gold. However, to get started, it can be helpful to have an overview of the basics of what thermaling entails. First things first, a common mistake many pilots (both new and experienced) make is turning too low to the ground. Remember, ground clearance is important for maintaining your safety margin. Unless you’re launching or landing, when you are in thermic conditions make sure you are at least 400 feet from the ground before turning in a thermal. 16 US H PA P I LOT
Pitch Control
If you are expecting thermals, you should expect turbulence. If air is rising due to temperature/pressure differences, then air is also sinking. Feel the edges between lift, sink, and neutral air through your glider/harness as changes in brake pressure, pitch, roll, and yaw. Turbulence is your glider telling you what air you’re moving through; try to take it as data. When your glider goes from lift to sink, it wants to pitch forward (less brake pressure is felt), and when it goes from sink to lift, it tends to pitch back (more brake pressure is felt). These motions can happen symmetrically or asymmetrically. Your normal two pounds of light brake control represents a small scoop coming down from the trailing edge of your glider. When the glider pitches forward, the pressure on that scoop will decrease, and when the glider pitches
back, the pressure on that scoop will increase. If you are relaxed and flowing with that light brake pressure, then as the glider pitches forward your hands will come down to find two pounds and the glider will stop its forward pitch. If the glider pitches back, your hands will go up to keep the two pounds, and you will decrease the amount of back pitch.
Catching a Thermal
Not only is ground clearance important for maintaining your safety margin, but it is also your friend when finding and catching thermals. In an ideal air column, thermals close to the ground tend to be small, ratty, and difficult to stay in. With more height, thermals generally will widen and become more well formed. Keep in mind that lift in different regions will vary, and you may need to adjust your turns depending on your geographical location. How-
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ever, these basics will get you started and are a good rule of thumb as you progress. When searching for thermals, fly in at least three seconds of lift before making a turn; four or five seconds is better. It is important to do this for two reasons. First, you’re making sure the lift is a formed thermal, significant enough to turn in, and not a stray bubble. Second, you are measuring the radius of the lift and assessing if you can fit your entire 360 turn (figure eight if near the ground) into the thermal column. If you turn too soon (before three seconds), you often find yourself falling out of the downwind side of the thermal and ending up in a worse altitude/location than where you started the turn. It is usually better to use your altitude to search for a more significant thermal than to risk getting lower in the same place by turning too soon. As you start your first turn, check your altitude—either with your flight instrument or by choosing an object on your horizon to check your position—for instance, where would a laser point straight down onto the ground? After this turn, check your altitude and position again. Did you go up? If not, continue your flight plan as another turn will likely put you lower, and go on to search for more thermals. Did your position move significantly? Sometimes the associated thermal drift is not worth the altitude gain. If a thermal is going up very slowly but you are quickly drifting away from your landing zone, it is probably best to continue your flight plan and hope for a thermal that is standing up taller. Weak thermals drift more, while stronger thermals stand up better against the wind.
determine where the air is going up better, and adjust your turn toward the better lift. Make your turns as round as possible by keeping a constant turn/ roll angle. This will allow you to know when one side of the column is liftier
than the other and to make a micro-adjustment to that side.
Honing in on the Core
A common mistake pilots make is opening up their turn radius drastically
Mental Mapping
When you are turning in lift, far from the ground, you have almost no visual reference as to where you are in space. The best way to create a spatial reference is to make geometrically accurate circles. If you are stacking circles as you thermal, then you can accurately
ABOVE A start gaggle in Chelan will give pilots immediate feedback on their thermal technique. OPPOSITE Donizete Lemos and Matt Henzi finding the core as a team in eastern Washington.
ABOVE Thermaling with others gives us more information and better feedback. The author with Seb Ospina over the sertĂŁo, Brazil. RIGHT Ron Davis carving a turn in Macedonia.
after they feel an increase in lift. This is actually about 20-30 degrees (or 30 seconds) too late. It is easier to make a smooth micro-adjustment on the turn after you notice that part of the thermal is going up faster. Take note of that liftier area, keep your smooth circle, then slightly tighten your turn 180 degrees away from the mapped liftier area. Then, when you get back to the lifty side, open your turn up a touch. It’s normal to take three or four 360s to adjust to the core. If you make small adjustments to your circle, you have a better chance of keeping your spatial reference. If you make big dramatic changes to your circle, you increase your chance of losing the core, because 18 US H PA P I LOT
you have lost your spatial reference. Another common mistake is drastically changing roll angle while thermaling. Changes in roll angle result in irregular circles and will give momentary sensations of climbing through your harness and vario. A pilot may be misled into thinking they are nearing the core. One indication that you are not carving a consistent turn is wind speed, wind
feeling, and wind sound on your face changing drastically. Smooth wind on your face means you have a smooth carving turn.
Carving Turn
A good skier can make a beautiful carving turn in crud snow (variable snow conditions). From a distance, the carve looks smooth and effortless, but
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if you zoom in on the skier’s legs, boots, and edges, you will see lots of micro-adjustments and pressure changes going into keeping that carve smooth. The same skier carving a turn on smooth corduroy (consistent snow) will execute a similar-looking turn at a distance, but zoomed in, their legs, boots and edges will stay much more still. This principle is the same with carving even 360 turns in thermals. If the thermal is smooth, you can just keep weight shift and brake control steady, and the turn will stay steady, but if the thermal is turbulent (giving you lots of data), then you will need to work your weight shift and brake pressure to maintain a smooth carving turn.
Which Way to Turn
The last thing to note is which way to turn in a thermal. If there are other pilots in the thermal, turn the same
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your ground clearance rules and do figure eights if necessary. 2) If your glider/harness is rising more on one side than the other as you’re counting out three seconds, then turn toward the high side of your harness. 3) If the ground is not an issue, and your harness/glider feels symmetric, then turn into the wind. The upwind side of a thermal is much more organized with a lower penalty for falling out than the downwind side of a thermal.
ABOVE Violeta Jimenez high over the Glass Mountains, eastern California.
direction as them (assuming you have the ground clearance in that direction). Otherwise: 1) If the ground is anywhere nearby then turn away from the ground. Keep
DEMOS
DEALERS
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s you get started thermaling, remember that not all conditions are created equal. The nature of thermals changes by season, region (coastal or inland, desert or tropics), and altitude. Not all conditions are suitable for a pilot new to thermaling. Get advice about the conditions from more experienced pilots in your area.
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LIFT IN SPAIN
Finding new heights in Alicante
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by ADAM B. FEDER WITH ANGELA BICKAR
e are speeding up a curving can find something to fly most days. road on our way to launch We have joined Jesse on this trip to at El Palomaret, and the improve our flying. When we’re there, Mary Poppins song’s chorus “Let’s go our learning continues with Jesse fly a kite! Up to the highest height...” is coaching us on the radio; we call it echoing through the van. Lift Para“Radio Love.” He personalizes comgliding (LP) owner Jesse Meyer is driv- munications with each of our crew (some choose to have little commuing and picking the tunes. Ten of us have come from Northern California nication) so that we can get the most to fly near Alicante, Spain for a week out of each flight. In early 2018, I had a in June. Located on the southeastern mid-air collision while flying with my coast of Spain, Alicante is a paraglidfriend in Mexico. While we were both ing paradise year-round. With numer- fine physically, ever since then I had been nervous flying with other pilots. ous flying sites to choose from, you
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So on this trip, my Radio Love was targeted at helping me fly more safely and comfortably with others, especially when sharing thermals. Alicante boasts 25 nearby flying sites, both coastal soaring and mountain thermaling. We are sampling them with local guide Nick Pollet of Do You Wanna, starting on the first day with soaring along the Mediterranean at Santa Pola, a very short drive from where we were staying in Gran Alacant. Santa Pola is a beautiful short
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cliff site on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea that offers endless soaring over the ocean. That day, flying past the lighthouse, we soar over the Skywalk—a popular tourist attraction that sticks out over the cliff’s edge. Tiny people along the bridge point, wave, and cheer for us as we float over. Looking down, we see beachgoers and a beautiful blue-green sea. Later, we eat lunch in Alicante and climb the stairs to the Santa Bárbara Castle, a beautiful structure dominating the skyline. We enjoy the views and the history before heading back to the hill for our evening flight. On the morning of the second day, conditions are too strong for us, so we enjoy some of Alicante’s abundant non-flying activities. While some of our group head to the beach, I kayak from our beachfront house to Tabarca Island. Part of a marine reserve, most of the island is an established park, and the rest is a small fortified town originally built in the 1700s. I tromp around for a couple of hours looking at the coast and watching the birds (longing to be soaring like them) before kayaking home. On day three, conditions improve and we get back in the air. Despite being a bit farther from the house than Santa Pola, El Palomaret is our primary site for the trip. It is an inland thermal site with launch part of the way up the mountain and a ridge a few hundred feet above it. There’s a main LZ, a backup LZ, and a goal LZ—a field about 2 kilometers south of launch. Early in the week, we learn to make the move from launch up to the ridge, and Mara Jennings (one of our fellow crew members) shows us how to land at Goal several times. There are many bailout options on the way to Goal. On one of my flights, I follow Mara and another crew member, Tim Duong, toward Goal. We land one field short and have a pleasant walk through a grove of olive trees on the way back to the road. One afternoon, at El Palomaret, Jesse and I
ABOVE Adam Feder (the author) launching El Palomaret. Photo by Jesse Meyer. OPPOSITE Flying over Santa Pola. Photo by Angela Bickar.
share a thermal, flying in a tight circle with strong eye contact. Flights like that make me enjoy sharing a thermal again. In the middle of the week, we head to Hondon de las Nieves, an inland ridge-soaring site a mile long. While we wait for the wind to turn, Jesse leads us in a round of para-yoga. Instead of reaching for the sky, we look up at our (imaginary) wings and grab high on our A’s. Rather than a more traditional standing half forward bend, we do a torpedo, careful to not pull too much brake. And we end with an imaginary SAT and a reminder from Jesse to not try that today! The half of the ridge that was the most flyable that day was a little over a mile long, and we set up in a standard ridge-soaring pattern—back and forth, back and forth. A group from England called the Green Dragons was flying with Nick too. Andy, the
chief Green Dragon, decides to keep us on our toes by picking a small thermal in the middle of the ridge and staying in it as the rest of us try to maintain our pattern around him. Andy’s actions help me practice my goal of always knowing where everyone is. We fly until the sun is low in the sky and the winds give out, then we land in rapid succession. On our fifth flying day, Jesse gives us four simple tasks to attempt during our flight at El Palomaret: 1) tag the knob to the right of launch, 2) tag the ridge a kilometer to the left of launch, 3) tag the ridge up and behind launch, and 4) fly over a car bridge about 1 1/2 kilometers away. Although I complete these tasks, when I return to launch, I am too low to continue my flight toward the Goal LZ and land at the primary LZ. El Palomaret keeps working most of the day, though, so I catch a ride back to the top. Despite thinking I might only get a sledder since it was
THIS PAGE Angela Bickar soaring over Santa Pola. Photo by Jesse Meyer. OPPOSITE Beach view at Santa Pola. Photo by Jesse Meyer.
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getting late, I manage to fly for over 40 minutes, the last one aloft, chasing the fading lift. Two days later, conditions aren't cooperative in the morning, so we set off to explore the Alicante countryside. We visit the chapel of Orito at the top of a small hill, built in 1555 around a cave where a shepherd once lived. Now part of many pilgrimages, pilgrims pass it as part of their journey on the Camino de Santiago. We enjoy the quiet sanctuary overlooking beautiful fields with Alicante and the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, appreciating our trip and hoping conditions will become more favorable for flying. We also visit a mineral spring—the local lore is that the water has healing powers, especially for skin diseases. We crowd into the small pool for a photo, the mineral water drying white on our skin. Later we take a short hike to a secluded waterfall. The water is crystal clear and icy cold as it fills a small pool, and we take turns jumping in and getting numb. Afterward, we
LEFT to RIGHT Angela Bickar, David Masselink, Jesse Meyer, Jon Lai-Fang, Andy Shaw, Ben Woodcock, Mike Woodcock, Seth Itow, Adam Feder, Olivier Teixeira, Miasa Shrestha, Sarah Rhoad, Mara Jennings, Timothy Duong, Hans Seger. Photo by Tim Duong.
warm up at a small park not far from a flying site, Carrasqueta, after stopping to buy ingredients for a picnic lunch—grapes, local cured ham, some kind of jam, delicious cheese, local bread, tomatoes, olives, and pickles. There’s logic to our sightseeing tour, and, as our expert guide Nick expected, the wind turns in our favor. We fly Carrasqueta, the inland ridge site we’ve been working our way toward all day. We all soar along the half-mile
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ridge. If we get too low on the ridge, we climb back to ridge height using the house thermal located, quite literally, at the house below launch. A couple of pilots top land, but the rest of us land in the designated LZ by an abandoned house. We meet up at a roadside cafe, enjoying home-cooked food as we look out over the valley. The next day is our last flying day, and we cap it with morning and evening flights at the Santa Pola
coast, soaring over the Skywalk and enjoying the Mediterranean views. Jesse and Nick have a new batch of pilots joining them, so the rest of us disperse to our next adventures. Many of us, including me, know we will soon be on another trip with Jesse. With renewed confidence and thermals on the brain, leaving this wonderful spot is a melancholy affair. However, it won’t be long before we’re in the air together again.
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LEFT Jesse Meyer coaching at Carrasqueta. Photo by Angela Bickar. THIS PAGE Two gliders head out over the water at Santa Pola. Photo by Jesse Meyer.
A Return to the Absurd by GAVIN MCCLURG
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The statistics beg an obvious question: why in the world would anyone want to do this?
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he Red Bull X-Alps is the most challenging and awe-inspiring paragliding race that exists—and potentially the wildest adventure race in the world. Of course, I’m biased as 2019 was my third time competing, but I can confirm that at its core the event is 100% diabolical, easily earning its label as the “toughest adventure race on Earth.” Every other year, 32 athletes set off from Salzburg, Austria to tackle 12 days of hiking and paragliding across the Alps to Monaco via a series of turnpoints, all while carrying their gear. Over those 12 days, participants will climb the height of Everest at
least four times, hike/jog well over a marathon a day (all the while carrying their gear), and fly repeatedly in conditions that are very, very rarely “recreational.” Since its inception in 2003, every edition of the Red Bull X-Alps has gotten longer and harder. In 2017, seven athletes retired due to injury or exhaustion, and only two athletes made it to goal in Monaco. The statistics beg an obvious question: why in the world would anyone want to do this? For many years I thought the same thing. I learned the basics of paragliding and got my novice rating in 2006. In 2007, someone
told me about the X-Alps. As soon as I started watching the live tracking, I was hooked, but none of it made any sense. I couldn’t understand how it was even possible. Hike and fly, often in sketchy weather, across the Alps? Preposterous! By 2011, my paragliding skills had improved to the point where I could watch the race and understand how the pilots were capable of flying huge distances (sometimes over 200 kilomeBELOW Gavin McClurg launches in unusually stable conditions from a col in France, day 10 of the 2019 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by Vitek Ludvik. OPPOSITE Gavin McClurg and Tobias Grossrubatscher (Italy 2) assess their launch options in deep snow above Davos, 2019 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by Vitek Ludvik.
ABOVE Gavin McClurg seeks a way out of very stable conditions in Triglav, Slovenia in the 2017 X-Alps. Photo by Vitek Ludvik.
ters in a single flight) using thermals and skill to navigate the sky, but the ground game still seemed impossible. On non-flyable days, the fastest athletes would cover over 100 kilometers in a single day. Keep in mind, this wasn’t jogging along flat terrain in nice weather with a water bottle. This was trudging head down in pouring rain, snowstorms, and howling wind, with a 10 kilo pack, up, down, and across the spine of the Alps. In the fall of 2014, legendary Red Bull athlete Will Gadd and I teamed up to cross the Canadian Rockies to the U.S. border by paraglider. I had achieved the paragliding North American foot-launch distance record (387 kilometers—a record that still stands) the year before from my hometown of Sun Valley, Idaho. I had become an ambitious student of the sport, but the X-Alps seemed totally out of reach. Will had competed in the first Red Bull X-Alps in 2003 and frequently mentioned during our expedition how much he hated hiking with a paraglider (like most competitors that year and every edition since, he didn’t make it to Monaco; the race has an 11% 28 US H PA P I LOT
finish rate). A few days into our trip, I mentioned to Will that I had applied for the 2015 X-Alps. He begged me not to do it. “Gavin, it took a year for my feet to heal after that race. A year! Don’t do it!” Our expedition across the Rockies took 18 days to complete. Physically, it was a tiny fraction of what would be needed for the X-Alps, but the flying was demanding and representative of the conditions X-Alps pilots encounter. I was building up a high tolerance for scary air, a prerequisite for the race. Returning from Canada, I got the news that my application for the 2015 edition had been accepted. The immediate sense of elation was quickly squashed by overwhelming anxiety. Could I be competitive? Would I be embarrassed and eliminated? Would my knees hold up? I’d never been an endurance athlete, and I’d just signed up for possibly the most grueling long-distance race that exists. What was I thinking? Ten months later, I stood on the beach in Monaco with my team members Bruce Marks (air support guru) and Ben Abruzzo (ground guru and physical trainer) and a bottle of cham-
pagne. We’d finished in eighth place and were the first U.S. team to reach Monaco in the race’s history. In 10 days and four hours, I’d covered nearly 500 kilometers on the ground and over 1,400 kilometers in the air. My feet, which had swollen up over three sizes during the race, looked like someone had bludgeoned them with a hammer (Bruce had to carry me to the toilet the next morning because I couldn’t walk). As exhausted as we were, there was only one thing on all of our minds— the next race in 2017. I’d trained absurdly hard for 2015, but heading into the 2017 race, we were no longer rookies. Knowing exactly what to expect, we could also train smart. I got blood work and a host of lab tests done, and changed my diet to reduce the swelling at night. Ben pummeled me with vicious training loads, but we tweaked the regimen to make my body more resilient to injury and better equipped to recover quickly. I also got professional sleep coaching. We had our tech (maps, gadgets, route, instruments, weather sources, etc.) dialed, and we had two more years of experience and training in the Alps. We had the same team which meant
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fewer mistakes and even more laughter, which would prove to be the most important component of all. And laugh we did, even though the result was disappointing. Horrific weather combined with a course that zigged and zagged more than usual across the spine of the Alps made for the hardest edition yet. When the 2017 race ended on day 12, only two athletes were in Monaco. I was not one of them. Back to the drawing board—I wasn’t done with the race and neither was the team. With proper training and a little luck, we felt we could get the BELOW Gavin McClurg reaches turnpoint 1, the Gaisberg, Austria in the 2019 X-Alps. Photo by Vitek Ludvik.
U.S. on the podium in 2019. I trained harder and flew more, and we added pilot Reavis Sutphin-Gray to the team, a magician tactician. We now had two races under our belts and knew what to expect. Which is, the unexpected. The 2019 race matched the distance of the 2017 race (1,138 kilometers), but the turnpoints doubled to 13, crossing the spine of the Alps a record five times. Four of the turnpoints were sign boards placed (annoyingly) at the bottom of valleys, which forced pilots out of the air on good flying days. Another turnpoint, on the top of Titlis, in Engelberg, Switzerland, was
the definition of extreme. It bordered an airspace that was impossible to navigate in the air if it was active, and presented no problem at all if inactive, so timing the turnpoint was critical. Most participants would agree it was a rather unfair point, requiring either top landing a dicey, exposed peak (Chrigel Maurer was the only one to pull it off) or hiking to the turnpoint on foot, which took the better part of a day with over 5,000 meters of vertical climbing. This, coupled with an abnormally monstrous snowpack due to running the race three weeks earlier than usual, made for yet another
exceptionally difficult race. In 2019, the U.S. had three teams competing: myself (USA 1) and rookies Willi Cannell (USA 2) and Cody Mittanck (USA 3). The weather was a bit of everything and, thankfully for most of us, never very dangerous other than thunderstorms. After a tricky first day of fast hike-and-fly racing in rain and 100% cloud cover that rewarded good decision-making, we had three terrific days of flying. Those of us in the top 15 were able to cross the spine of the Alps twice in the air on
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our way to the Kronplatz turnpoint in the Dolomites of Italy before heading back to the spectacular Zugspitze arena in Austria on days two and three, covering a huge portion of the course. Unfortunately, the pilots just behind the leaders were gobbled up by overdevelopment in Italy on day three and weren’t able to get back across to the north side of the Alps. This made things much more difficult for my U.S. teammates Cody and Willi. These early days were defined by fast flying, solid cloudbase, and some scary overdevel-
LEFT Gavin McClurg reaches the Gaisberg Turnpoint 1 in Austria in the 2015 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by Markus Berger. CENTER Gavin McClurg reaches the Gaisberg Turnpoint 1 in Austria in the 2017 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by Olga Shmaidenko. RIGHT Gavin McClurg reaches the Gaisberg Turnpoint 1 in Austria in the 2019 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by Marcus King. BELOW Gavin McClurg launches from above Lermoos in the Zugspitze arena in the 2017 X-Alps. Photo by Olga Shmaidenko.
opment if you were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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During the middle of the race, very few athletes heard a blip out of their varios. Days five through seven were defined by massive instability and thunderstorms, rain, clouds, and almost no sun. Thankfully, we had light or no wind, and the hiking weather was wet but pleasant, so we were still knocking out big distances. I averaged four to six flights a day during this period and 4,000 meters of vertical climbing every day. I never had a flight of more than 10 kilometers, but by moving fast and efficiently, I covered 80-100 kilometers a day and Monaco was looking probable, if the weather improved. On the evening of day seven, I arrived in a raging snowstorm at the 3,100-meter Titlis turnpoint in LEFT Gavin McClurg prepares to launch, day 10 of the 2019 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by Vitek Ludvik. RIGHT Gavin McClurg signs the Gaisberg turnpoint and the race is ON! Photo by Vitek Ludvik.
The mountain was engulfed in cloud, and my “window” evaporating as soon as it had appeared, but I could see for miles over a quilt of white. Switzerland and took shelter in a ski resort lodge perched on the side of a 2,000-foot vertical cliff. It had been a monster day. I’d gained over 5,000 meters on foot, hiking across glaciers, through cirques, and past waterfalls, nearly all of it on snow, and had two thrilling flights dodging through cols, clouds, and rain. As the minutes ticked closer and closer to the 9 p.m. mandatory land time, the storm raged on, and my chances of flying off and covering some valuable distance towards the Eiger turnpoint crumbled. But at 8:25 p.m. the skies suddenly cleared, and the wind backed off. I bolted outside with Ben on my heels, threw my wing in the snow and was instantly jerked 200 meters straight up between tram lines and a chairlift. The mountain was engulfed in cloud,
and my “window” evaporating as soon as it had appeared, but I could see for miles over a quilt of white. I glided for 20 kilometers above the clouds toward the Eiger, landed just minutes before the 9 p.m. cutoff and began walking in a rainstorm alongside a thundering river beneath the impressive walls of the Eiger massif. In the span of an hour, I’d touched and seen and flown places that I never would have experienced in a lifetime of exploring the Alps if I hadn’t been in the race—it takes you to places, both physically and mentally, that can’t be described. Like five-time competitor Honza Rejmanek has said, “It’s the greatest game on Earth. You can’t just put your head down and pound out the distance in the Red Bull X-Alps. You have to think.”
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hough the race is grueling and difficult, I keep coming back because it’s more fun and definitely more consuming than anything else I’ve ever done. For nearly a year, you’ve got a simple goal: get strong and fly as much as you can. Then the gun goes off, and you get to play an absurd and amazing game for 12 days— launching, landing, and flying through areas veteran pilots of the Alps would never consider. As long as you focus on what
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you’ve accomplished and not what’s ahead, the kilometers just keep ticking off, and pretty soon what seemed impossible is over and all you want to do is Just. Keep. Going. None of the U.S. teams took the podium in 2019. Gavin McClurg (USA 1) finished in 12th place and was 206 kilometers from Monaco when the race expired. Willi Cannell (USA 2) finished 23rd and Cody Mittanck (USA 3) finished 20th.
The U.S. Red Bull X-Alps teams are supported by the Foundation for Free Flight, a charity staffed entirely by unpaid volunteers dedicated to the preservation of hang gliding and paragliding in the United States. Please support their work.
BELOW Team USA 1 celebrates another tough race at the end of the 2019 X-Alps. Photo by Vitek Ludvik.
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Generous Donors, Loyal Supporters and Friends YOUR GIFTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
We couldn’t have done it
WITHOUT YOU!
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Gavin McClurg prepares to launch above Lermoos in the Zugspitze arena, Austria, day 4 of the 2019 Red Bull X-Alps. Photo by HONZA ZAK.
WOMEN'S
THE
HANG GLIDING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Making room in a crowded space
A
s the new year approaches, United States pilots anxiously await the arrival of spring flying and several FAI Category 1 championships, including the Women’s World Championship, the Sport Class Worlds, and the inaugural Pan-American Championship. The first two events will take place at Paradise Air Sports in Groveland, Florida
by SARA WEAVER (April 19 to May 1, 2020) alongside the Cat 2 Paradise National Championship. The Pan-American will be in Big Spring, TX (August 2-14, 2020) where 200 km tasks dominate the week. As top hang glider pilots from around the world converge on rural America, all eyes will be on the U.S. in 2020. Out of every competition the U.S. will host this year, the validity of one
is often questioned. Is the Women’s World Championship valuable when there are so few competitors? Is hang gliding prowess gender-dependent? Can we answer these questions before the Facebook comments section BELOW Red Bull pilot Corinna Schwiegershausen in line to launch. Corinna is a great mentor to women pilots around the world. Photo by Audray Luck.
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implodes? Yes, the Women’s Worlds is valuable. I’ll begin with two points: Major sponsors don’t care about unofficial titles, and representation in our sport matters. These reasons alone validate the Women’s World Championship, despite opposing opinions. A vast majority of competitive sports across the world are divided between men and women. In sports with world titles, a man receives a world title, and a woman receives a world title. Both of these people then have equal opportunity to approach potential sponsors with their official title and pursue professional partnerships. Each competitor is able to pursue sponsorships equally after competing and earning titles. Few female athletes in other competitive sports are required to compete with their male counterparts to make it on the podium and catch the eye of sponsors. The second reason that the Women’s World Championship is valuable, and by far the most important, is that representation matters. I can speak to this from experience. I remember spending hours browsing Kari Castle’s website and Red Bull profile, looking at the records she broke and the competitions she won. I didn’t compare her finishes to the men who beat her. I only saw her fierce rivalry with other female athletes. I wanted to be like Kari Castle. Likewise, it didn’t matter that when Linda Salamone made the U.S. National Team, she was 12th in the country. I didn’t see the #12; I didn’t even know about it until I interviewed her for this article. All I saw was that a woman was competing at Worlds. All I saw was that it was possible, and all I could think was that maybe one day that could be me. It’s not just me that obsessed over
BELOW Wills Wing offers this epic girl power sticker! Photo by Audray Luck.
ABOVE Wills Wing pilot Sara Weaver has her game face on while waiting her turn to launch. Photo by Audray Luck.
other women’s accomplishments in taking their first hang gliding lessons. gliding. Linda was inspired by Jamie They didn’t know that my overall Shelden, the Women’s National Rigid score wasn’t very good. All they saw Wing Champion, year after year. At was someone like them holding a the time, Linda wasn’t aware that trophy. Like me, they dream of one very few female pilots were flying rig- day standing on the podium. But, you may ask, if only 10 women id wings; Jamie’s victories motivated Linda toward accomplishing her own participate in the Women’s World Championship, doesn’t it just feel goals—like making the U.S. National like winning a participation trophy? Team. Representation matters. Yes, it does. It feels fake when you’re Sure, the opportunity to pursue one of only three women at the comp, sponsorships is important, but the and at the end of the week you’re power of seeing a woman atop a standing on a podium accepting a podium just hits harder. Without trophy made especially for you. What Linda and Kari, without Niki Longdoesn’t feel silly is having the opporshore, without Judy Leden or many others, 19-year-old me may never tunity to fly through the air with 10 have started competing. I’ve heard other people like you. For women the same message from other women who fly hang gliders right now, noth-
If only 10 women participate in the Women’s World Championship, doesn’t it just feel like winning a participation trophy? Yes, it does.
ing is more validating than sitting down with another motivated pilot who totally understands what it’s like to fly as a woman. We don’t need this validation; we’ll fly just the same. But it sure feels good knowing that someone else gets it. And do men and women really fly differently? Perhaps, perhaps not. Regardless of every opinion discussed or read in the comments section of Facebook, there is absolutely no published scientific data concerning the differences (or lack thereof) between women and men in hang gliding. Zero. Zilch. Nada. None. Or in paragliding, for that matter. One study examined heart rate responses in flight and the implications on athlete endurance (Morten, 2010), but every hang glider pilot in that study was male. We do know that weight makes a difference in both sports, but that has little to do with gender, only that the average weight of women is lower than the average weight of men. The fact that there’s no data to identify differences that impact flying between men and women pilots means that every argument is just an opinion. So does the lack of data justify the 38 US H PA P I LOT
eradication of the women’s category? Of course not. Representation has proven so valuable for many women athletes that its removal may further discourage female participation in
the sport. It’s not an obvious discouragement, like someone saying “you’re not welcome here.” It’s more understated, like feeling completely out of place in a room full of people. That
TOP Pilot Claudia Mejia reviews the day's tasks as pilots enter them into turnpoints in their varios. Photo by Audray Luck. BOTTOM Pilot Majo Majors gets a good luck kiss from her husband, Zac Majors, before the day's task starts. Photo by Audray Luck.
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The fact that there’s no data to identify differences that impact flying between men and women pilots means that every argument is just an opinion. feeling is the subtle undercurrent that can discourage women from flying. What if, in the end, women and men don’t fly differently, and we uplift women pilots for absolutely no reason at all? What could possibly be the harm in making that crowded room a little more diverse? Not all female hang glider pilots hold the same opinions regarding women in our sport. For me, I feel like I fly differently (when it comes to endurance) than the guys in a week
of competition. In more popular sports with more equal participation, there’s commonly a scientifically studied and identified difference in endurance/stamina/performance between the genders. I believe that if someone studied competition hang gliding, they’d find the same. Other women I interviewed for this article don’t believe there’s a physical difference between men and women flying, but feel like they’ve been treated differently because of their gender. Still others insist there’s no physical, mental, or social difference at all between the genders. So there you have it—even women can’t agree on how we fit into this sport alongside men. Does that matter? Absolutely not. In the end, it matters not one bit if women and men fly differently. The Women’s World Hang Gliding Championship is valid and important. The existence of a women’s class within
regular competitions puts women on the podium with trophies in their hands. And when a fledgling sees that photo on Instagram, she can start dreaming of being there herself one day. If you’ve ever thought that it would be great to see more women flying, this is one of the easiest ways to encourage it. Put three women in that room full of guys, and maybe, just maybe, another woman will walk in. We are holding a fundraiser to cover the registration and tow fees for every woman competitor attending this year’s World Championship. Please visit uswomenshanggliding.org to donate. I encourage your thoughts and feedback on the subject of women in free flight! Please reach out on Instagram @sweaverflies or by email at weaversara13@gmail.com.
NEW WING▶NEW SIGHTS
T
he first time I flew a 2-liner was in Annecy, France on a demo Gin Leopard. In fact, my first flight on the Leopard, I broke my personal distance record. I won’t say the flight was particularly easy as the day was weak and difficult. I think waiting seven years to get on a 2-liner helped me out, but I don’t think everyone needs to wait that long; in fact, many talented pilots don’t. However, highly skilled pilots also stay on B wings. It’s simply your choice, and I believe whatever wing you enjoy most is the best. Prior to my Annecy flight, I had been musing about the move to a 2-liner for some time. Now
by GARY WATERMAN that I have switched over, the 2-liner feel is something I love more and more with every flight. With only two risers, the feel of a 2-liner is considerably different. I wish it were easier to demo wings in the States; I may have made the switch sooner. I firmly believe in the “try-before-you-buy” mentality popular in Europe. There are so many great wings, but what you like to fly and what people say you should fly may not exactly match. One wing may have you flying farther with a big grin, and another wing may scare you. While reports and reviews are helpful, without actually flying different wings, pilots might end up with whatever wing is their favorite color or the manufacturer says is as fast as their current high-end wing.
Unfortunately, if you buy blind, you can easily end up with the wrong kit even if it looks cool. I got lucky with the Leopard. This wing has been a great fit for me, and I was glad to get the opportunity to demo it. My first flight with the Leopard was unbelievable—it took me no time to fall in love with the character of the wing. I flew from France to Switzerland through some of the most amazing scenery in the Alps. The flight was epic, beautiful, and summed up why I love to fly a glider. For me, it’s always been about the view. And to fly from a foot launch, or even better to hike and fly, is the magic of free flight for me. This particular flight past Mont Blanc into Switzerland was the most scenic flight of my life. It didn’t hurt that I broke my distance record either.
I don’t think someone needs to wait seven years to get on a 2-liner; in fact, many talented pilots don’t. Highly skilled pilots also stay on B wings. It’s simply your choice and I believe whatever you enjoy the most is the best. 40 US H PA P I LOT
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After demoing the Leopard, I was hooked—it was just so much fun to fly. I had signed up for the U.S. Open of Paragliding in Chelan, and the wing would be perfect. I didn’t get the wing until shortly before leaving for the competition, and given the finicky Colorado weather this past year, I couldn’t get it out for a flight until I made it to Chelan, Washington. I had planned to arrive early to play with the wing and learn the area. I didn’t want my very first flight on my new wing to be the first day of the competition. Needless to say, I was a little nervous about fly-
ing a new 2-liner at a new (to me) site known for big air. I took a few baby flights, but similar to flying in France, it just fit my flying style. Before I knew it, I was off on some huge flights around the Chelan area. For my third flight on my brand new wing, I ended up at Tumwater Hill just above Leavenworth, a quaint little Bavarian-esque town in the Cascades. I like to pretend I’m in the Alps, where thermal triggers and valley flows are consistent. Other than wanting some sweet views of the Cascades, I had few expectations for the flight or the
day. But similar to my demo flight in France, I had an unexpectedly stunning flight. I got my views—all the views. Not only did I once again break my distance record, but I also broke my airtime record. After several years of sitting at a plateau of five and a half- or six-hour-long flights, I'd now broken my personal records twice in less than four months. That day I flew from the Cascades, over the Columbia River and Chelan, out into the flats, back over the Columbia River Gorge, and landed just short of Wilbur, Washington.
TOP Leaving Leavenworth from Tumwater Launch. LEFT Flying back into the Stuart Range in the Cascades. ABOVE Heading west into a headwind, Dragontail Peak (2695m/8842ft) comes into focus after leaving a fast climb to cloudbase. Then I sink like a rock and end up below the ridge in the valley. OPPOSITE TOP Mont Blanc, and Les Houches, France below.
TOP I pass back by Snow Lakes—much lower this time. I hope I can at least make it back to Leavenworth! MIDDLE LEFT After climbing back up I am able to pass Leavenworth, Cashmere, Wenatchee, and, here, Entiat. I have the altitude, so I head on to Chelan. RIGHT After tagging Chelan I figured I should give the flats a try. Being a mountain pilot, I’ve never actually flown in the flats; I fly terrain. This is weird. BOTTOM As I fly farther and farther into the flats, I’m amazed at how easy and comfortable I feel out here. There are no trees to crash into and hang in while you pray for rescue and no rotor to muck things up and hopelessly toss a reserve into. It’s a landing zone as far as I can see and I can’t see the Cascades anymore. It’s going to take a long time to hitch back.
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TOP Flying over big mountains is all I know but this view of Banks Lake is pretty epic! MIDDLE …And this view of the Grand Coulee Dam is not bad either. BOTTOM The Columbia River Gorge. Just another day of sightseeing from a paraglider!
I landed outside of a small town called Wilbur just before sunset. After seven hours and 11 minutes of scenic flying over 188 km (117 miles) of beautiful terrain from Leavenworth to Wilbur, I’m on the ground having broken both my personal airtime and distance records. I don’t dwell on it too much, but I do bask in the epic flight; it was stunning. I eat my sink-out sandwich to celebrate a wonderful day flying, then pack up my kit and start hitchhiking. The way I see it, it’s more about seeing the world from the sky without a motor. I’m a lazy, recreational sender. I just love to see the world from the air, and if I happen to have an epic flight or break my own personal bests, well, that’s just icing on the cake.
Rocky Mountain Swifts
[ contributed by LINDSEY RIPA ]
Lady pilots meet up to fly and learn in the mountains of Colorado ABOVE Liz Dengler, Danelle Herra, and Abbey Turnau (left to right) getting ready on launch.
GATHERINGS
RIGHT Sara Weaver sets up her her glider.
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The Rocky Mountain Swifts group was not my idea. Sometime in the spring of 2019, two of my flying friends decided to create a Facebook group to bring together women of free flight in the general area. The vision was to have our own space to discuss flying (hang gliding, paragliding, and speedriding alike) and celebrate each other’s achievements. I quickly got behind the idea. Ever since earning my P2, I had experienced a lack of cohesive female mentorship on the Front Range of Colorado—my home region. We have a great network of friendly and experienced pilots here, but, as is the case in many areas, the majority of these pilots are male. As a new female pilot, I and others I’ve spoken with found it unnerving to break into the seemingly testosterone-fueled arena of free flight. Shortly after the creation of the group, I decided to take up the reins. Due to unforeseen personal circumstances and busy work schedules, my friends could not dedicate the
time to the group that they had envisioned. Not wanting the idea to flounder, I decided to reignite efforts to hold a fly-in since many of the ladies were keen to get together. With the help of our local club and the generosity of Larry Smith (hang glider pilots especially will know him from Fly Week), we were able to pull together the inaugural Rocky Mountain Swifts Fly-In that took place in Villa Grove in September.
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The positive energy was palpable—I have never been on such an encouraging launch. The event itself was a blast, and we had around 25 people show up even with last-minute notice and the threat of bad weather. We had 10 female pilots in one place, which might be a record for Colorado! And the positive energy was palpable—I have never been on such an encouraging launch. Each launch, whether the pilot was a man or woman, was celebrated with hoots and hollers. If anyone ended up in the bushes after a botched launch, a team was ready to run over to check on the pilot and to help untangle lines with a shrug and a laugh. The landing zone was equally cheery with high-fives and friends helping each other pack up. And let’s not forget the 100-plus tacos and beers consumed during the post-flight festivities! Another highlight of the event was the showing of an interview I did with Lindsay Matush and Bianca Heinrich—both very accomplished competition pilots. While we should be eager for knowledge from all pilots, women role models in free flight are exceedingly important as they can speak to specific issues more prevalent in the female community. In the interview, these fabulous
and accomplished ladies gave pointed advice about how to overcome those challenges. While I see plenty of women learning to fly, not many stay with the sport. I cannot speak for everyone, but a few reasons women might not stick with flying that were discussed include flying characteristics of extra small and small gliders, a chronic habit of underestimating oneself, and the pressure individual women feel in representing the whole group. Which is why sharing the interview with Matush and Heinrich felt special to me,
ABOVE Hang glider and paraglider pilots getting ready at the Villa Grove launch. BELOW Abbey Turnau (paraglider) launching on the heels of a hang glider.
An environment where we are all comfortable voicing our issues and fears, addressing them, and crushing them doesn’t just benefit women, it benefits everyone.
pilot. ABOVE Pilots hunting for early morning thermals. Photo by Sara Weaver. BELOW A full crew showed up for the ladies fly-in.
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and hopefully everyone else. An environment where we are all comfortable voicing our issues and fears, addressing them, and crushing them doesn’t just benefit women, it benefits everyone. One of my favorite results of the fly-in was seeing the friendships made endure past the weekend. The Swifts have gotten together a few times since to drink beer, climb, and otherwise build a stronger community. Looking to the next flying season, I see a lot of potential with our female pilots lifting each
other up and making plans to fly high and far on the Front Range and beyond. Speaking of flying high and far… Get excited for the Rocky Mountains Swifts Fly-In 2020! The event will take place over Labor Day weekend, September 4-7 in Villa Grove, Colorado. Details for the event can be found on the group’s Facebook page or on the USHPA event calendar! This event celebrates women in free flight, and we encourage men to join in the festivities, like this past year. Women are here, and we’re stoked. If you don’t see us, try looking up!
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ANDALUSIA
Flights of fancy in Algodonales, Spain by JOHN ROBINSON 48 US H PA P I LOT
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Free flight enthusiasts from all over the world have been converging on this part of Europe for decades, and I’ve long wanted to sample it myself.
I
’m walking along Calle Sierra, pleasantly fatigued, with my kit on my back. It’s been a long day, and I’m finally returning to the Eagle’s Nest guesthouse. A glance skyward reveals a few paragliders remaining aloft—the day’s last flights coming to an end. The final gleam of the sun imparts a rich, golden hue to the colorful wings as they follow soft, lazy lines back to the valley floor. Dusk in the town is a fine time indeed. Everyone, from old folks strolling with canes to mothers with babies in their arms, is out enjoying the pleasant feel of the air, the beauty of the evening light, and the companionship of one another. The close-knit feel of Andalusian communities is nowhere better exemplified than in this town of Algodonales. I smile and greet the people I pass, but inwardly I’m focused on dropping my gear, doing a quick cleanup, and heading down the hill with my friends to grab dinner at one of the cafes bordering the town square. I’m famished. I’m in this enchanting part of southern Spain on a paragliding holiday, as a member of a group hosted by Rob and Nicola Mansley of Fly Spain Paragliding. Free flight enthusiasts from all over the world have been converging on this part of Europe for decades, and I’ve long wanted to sample it myself. Algodonales is home to 5,700 inhabitants and is a welcoming town. It’s fitting that Algo is unofficially considered the regional free flight headquarters. Flying here is feasible year-round, but spring and fall are best. Cloudbase can push up to 3,000 meters but more com-
ABOVE TOP The Bossman, Rob Mansley, head of Fly Spain Paragliding. BOTTOM Casually setting up at Levante launch on Sierra de Lijar, waiting for the inversion to lift. OPPOSITE The author soaring over the ancient Roman amphitheater on the high plain of Ronda la Vieja.
monly sits around 1,500-2,000 meters. While midday thermals can jolt upward at 4-5 m/s, conditions early in the day and later in the evening are typically benign, attracting beginner and low airtime pilots from all over the world.
Five of us in the group are old friends from the United States. Each of us has been flying for at least 10 years—some well over twice that—and learned the basics of cross-country flight years ago. Nevertheless, in this guided and
ABOVE The author chasing on an XC flight to Ronda.
coached “XC Progression Week,” we hope to expand our XC prowess. Beyond that, since Rob and Nic have covered all of the important logistics for us, it’s bound to be a fun and easy week of flying. Our group is joined by four other pilots from the U.K., and we hit it off right away. The week promises much in terms of flying, learning, friends, and weather. Our much-anticipated trip started with a puddle-jump from the U.S. to Malaga, via London. Rafael, one of Fly Spain’s drivers, met us at the Malaga airport and whisked us off to Algodonales, a two-hour drive west. It was an interesting ride through a fascinating landscape of dry, rocky, rolling farmland and ridges studded with limestone escarpments. The hills were draped
with olive orchards, wheat fields, and freshly-plowed tracts, all punctuated by whitewashed farmsteads and small villages of tightly-clustered dwellings. My interest in the landscape was aroused further by the appearance of the occasional hilltop sentinel of some kind—a castle or fortress—hinting at the region’s centuries of habitation, trade, and conflict. Drowsily settled in my seat, I was getting the happy feeling that this was going to be a great trip. We arrived wide-eyed in Algodonales, and Rafael got us settled into the Eagle’s Nest. It’s a roomy house with numerous bedrooms, bathrooms, sitting areas, and a kitchen, but the upper level terrace is the best spot for sharing tales of the day’s adventures or planning for the next ones, while enjoying fabulous views of town. After throwing our bags in our rooms, we hit the town for a bit to learn our
Soon, I’m fully engaged in the exquisitely demanding chess game of XC paragliding. 50 US H PA P I LOT
way around. Later that night, the jet lag caught up with me. “Tomorrow we fly!” was my last thought as sleep arrived like a thick, puffy cumulus cloud. As one would expect at such an international free flight destination, the Algodonales flying arena includes a number of launches, covering any wind direction. Most are quite spacious, easily accommodating all of the visiting pilots in the busy seasons, and have official LZs an easy glide away. Beyond that, few landowners object to pilots landing virtually anywhere, but you may wish to avoid the occasional bull ring! Foremost among the Algodonales area launch sites are Levante and Poniente. They adorn the 1,000-meter Sierra de Lijar, which rears up majestically above the north side of town. Levante takes wind from the east or south. Poniente, on the western edge of the peak, takes southwest. Popular XC routes from Sierra de Lijar include heading off to the beautiful, quiet town of Olvera
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on a west day or to the tourist-flocked, historic and lovely Ronda with northwesterly conditions. In easterly conditions, one could ambitiously track to the coast, the challenge being to stay high enough to fend off the competing sea breeze as one gets closer to the goal. Within a 30-minute drive of the village of Algo are other choice launches such as the lovely and secluded Ronda la Vieja, which offers flights above a timeless landscape of rolling wheat fields waving in the breeze. Flights from Ronda la Vieja also afford the spectacular opportunity to soar above an ancient Roman amphitheater—not something we get to do back in Virginia. Northwest of town, the expansive and popular Montellano launch offers either a complex but delightful XC route towards Seville, or the opportunity to circle above the ruins of a 12th-century Moorish tower just a few kilometers north of launch. Other popular launches in the area include El Bosque, Canete la Real, and Teba. We
don’t get to fly all of these sites on this trip, but there’s always next year! Of course, there are other rewarding things to do here besides fly, so if you visit and aren’t quite as lucky with the weather, there is plenty to do. There are opportunities for hiking, cycling on roads or trails, or playing in the azure waters of the nearby Lake Zahara. Tourist activities around Algodonales also include visiting the Roman amphitheater ruins and exploring other nearby Andalusian towns. Especially popular among these is cliff-clinging Ronda. Dating back to Moorish rule, the town is home to a picturesque, centuries-old stone bridge spanning the deep cleft of the Tajo Gorge. A few days into our trip and I’m in the “Algo-groove.” I get into a casual daily routine; early mornings I spend hiking the trails on Lijar or strolling through the quiet streets of Algodonales. Breakfast is typically on the square with my friends. At 10 a.m. we meet with Rob and guide Stan Radkowski
ABOVE Phil Givens aboard his BGD Epic at the stunning site of Ronda la Vieja.
in the Eagle’s Nest shop to discuss the daily weather forecast, get suggestions for the day’s flying, check our instruments and other equipment, hang in and tweak the settings of our rigs, and compare gear choices—always learning from each other. Depending on the day, we ride to launch at noon or so. Typically, the flying doesn’t really turn on until about 2 p.m.—in October the valleys don’t warm enough to sustain thermal flight much before then. They say the sites around Algo can get blown out by revved-up easterlies or westerlies sweeping the Mediterranean Sea, their influence felt inland this far north. We luck out and don’t experience this, and it is flyable every day of our trip. It’s another blue sky day, with minimal cloud development. “It hasn’t rained here in four months,” Rob informs us. One might think that thermal develop-
ment in such a dry place would create unpleasantly strong conditions, but that is seldom the case. The sky looks inviting, thermals are popping, and I eagerly embark on another flight, this time toward Olvera. Soon, I’m fully engaged in the exquisitely demanding chess game of XC paragliding. Aspects of the game loop continuously in my mind: monitoring wind direction, velocity, and ground speed; scoping for potential thermal triggers and noting how the triggers may change with the movement of the sun in relation to the terrain and the position and character of clouds; thermal strength and drift; and surrounding thermal markers such as birds or other pilots. Despite the mental and physical challenges of flying XC, I generally feel quite relaxed here, casually pushing out across the beckoning landscape, enjoying the ease of flying my mid-B 52 US H PA P I LOT
ABOVE Soaring Ronda la Vieja. RIGHT Evening soaring at Poniente.
Gin Atlas X-Alps. My carefree attitude is further bolstered by the existence of plentiful landing options, not to mention a guaranteed retrieve by helpful people using state-of-the-art trackers. I don’t quite reach my goal of Olvera; I watch some of my mates fly farther as I gradually flutter to the olive orchards and fallow fields waiting below. One lovely, simmering midday, we arrive at the Levante launch to find a singular stillness in the air. Looking over the plains to the west, we can plainly identify the layers of haze that indicate a stout inversion. Stan, our learned guide, explains this common phenomenon. Then, bringing into play his seemingly inexhaustible supply of local knowledge, he narrows his
briefing to the specific conditions we can expect over the next few hours. He correctly predicts the time that pilots will be punching through the boundary layer. What follows is a marvelous session of late afternoon and evening thermal soaring, banking with my friends in inviting lift, and feeling the satisfying bite of my wing’s leading edge as I carve upward through the sky. This flight, more than most, instills in me that special feeling of being one with my glider. On another stellar afternoon, we fly at Montellano. I’m soaring high over the valley, thermaling with my human friends as well as with the huge griffon vultures. These large carrion-seeking raptors, Gyps fulvus, are expert and reliable thermal markers, and they have become quite comfortable flying in formation with paragliders. It’s always a thrill to be in the air and eye-to-eye with such stunning birds. I just wish I could mirror their knack for flying. The week goes on, and our flight time stacks up. Many days we fly well into the evening, leisurely packing up wings and gear in the fading light and long shadows. Relaxing in the LZ at the end of the day, beneath a glowing Spanish sky, is always a joy. There are smiles, libations, jokes, and laughter all around.
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I watch several gliders overhead and feel a brief pang of jealousy before realizing that where I am is just fine, and life is good. to that of an autumn leaf coming down It’s a celebration not only of our lovely flights but of camaraderie and life itself. in slo-mo. I land on a freshly plowed hillside, stumbling in among skull-sized dirt clods. It’s another bright and fabulous day, “This is John, safe on the ground. I’ll and I’m in a gaggle of eight gliders heading southeast on an XC flight from be walking along the road below me to Poniente to the historic town of Ronda, the village to the east,” I broadcast to the group. But I’m in no hurry to hike. I 35 km away. Rob leads us aboard his leisurely fold my wing in the shade of Gin Banana—no, excuse me, it’s a Boa Spanish oak, write a few notes in my nanza, it just looks like a red-accented banana—and we all listen to him coach journal, eat some choice snacks, and relax. I watch several gliders overhead on the radio. We help each other find and feel a brief pang of jealousy before lift by running a spread-out search realizing that where I am is just fine, pattern as we negotiate the transition and life is good. across the valley to the Twin Peaks. Later, as we bounce along the back “James aboard the green Iota has roads on the circuitous retrieve journey, found a good one. I’d suggest you join we celebrate our flights and share him!” barks Rob in our ears, and immelaughs and amazement over our advendiately I’m on bar to James’ thermal. We all make the transition to the tures. Some of the gang have landed more mountainous terrain, but hangnear a roadside taverna and have made ing together becomes more challenging their way to it. Upon our arrival, the rest of us join them for a bit of refreshand several of us drop out shy of Ronda. I’m among them, my descent akin ment and stories before heading back
home. We’re tired and dusty from the big day, but the overarching theme is happy.
T
he trip is winding down; it’s almost time to return to our separate realities back home. I’m with my friends on a butter-smooth evening flight at Poniente, enjoying the comfortable, caressing air and gorgeous scene around me. I reflect on what we’ve experienced this week. It’s been a rock-solid trip, with great flying, guiding, lodging, food, and people. The pure love of free flight ties together all of the multiple facets of such an adventure as this, but it’s the eclectic and unforgettable band of friends, both old and new, that really makes the experience. I’m grateful to share it all with such kindred spirits. As the light fades, I float back to earth. Andalusian free flight, I’m gonna miss you.
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Learning Corner
[ by LIZ DENGLER & SARA WEAVER ]
Preflight and hang checks
TRAINING
ABOVE Pilots at the Pixies Fly-In (2018) kiting, setting up and flying at the Point of the Mountain, Utah. Photo by Liz Dengler.
54 US H PA P I LOT
We all heard it when we learned—pre-flight checks are key to our safety in free flight. Yet somehow, many of us will mess up and miss a step in our check at some point in our flying career. When you’re new to flying, you have so much to learn, remember, and keep track of that you can become overwhelmed. Often, new pilots feel like they have to hurry off the hill to get out of the way of others and, in their haste, may forget an important step. It’s easy to do. However, it’s not just new pilots who need the reminder. The longer a pilot flies, the more likely they are to become complacent. Imagine your local site. You’re comfortable on launch, hanging with your friends, joking and having a good time as you wait for it to turn on. Like a light switch, it’s working, and you hurry to get into your gear to launch during the best cycles. As you go through your setup someone says a few words to you, and without realizing it, during that slight distraction you miss one thing. Hopefully, you get away with it.
There are two checks you should be doing before each launch—a glider check and a preflight check. Many paraglider pilots skip a glider check when they fly. This is likely for two reasons: 1) their wings are easy to lay out and launch, and 2) when folding a wing post-flight, much of the wing gets touched, giving the pilot the perception that it’s been checked. However, a quick once-over on your glider before a flight can catch potential problems before you’re in the air. Sheathed or clipped lines, tears, weak connections, loose links, or even sticks or rocks in a cell are all easily taken care of with a quick check when you pull your glider out on launch. Hang gliders, in a sense, have a glider check built in as pilots have to physically set up their wings and are therefore more likely to catch any potential damage or issues. After setting up, hang glider pilots do a full preflight to check that they put the glider together properly and that everything is in good condition. Because each glider model is constructed differently, there isn’t a standardized checklist, but the
USH PA PILOT 55
basics are the same between each: connection points, batten stations, cables, tubing, and sail condition. Once you’re getting ready to fly, it’s time for a preflight check (paragliders) or hang check (hang gliders). The most important piece to take away in doing a preflight/hang check is “repetition.” Did you hear us? Repetition. Do a preflight/hang check every time you fly and do it exactly the same way each time. And then do it again. A huge challenge many pilots face is complacency. Pilots may claim to have their system dialed, but when pressed, their answer is often a stammering and half-hearted explanation that involves a gesture at their buckles. Some advice. If you think you have your check perfect, but don’t have a set system or checklist that you can rattle off, you’ve likely become complacent and should reevaluate. It’s worth running through your preflight/ hang check a couple of times before launching— this is especially true on busy launches with a lot of pilots or distractions. If you get distracted, you might miss something, even if you never looked away from what you were doing. If that happens, don’t pick up in your check where you left off—start over. Make a habit of doing your preflight more than once before each flight or attempted launch. In paragliding, it is not uncommon that when a pilot has to abort a launch, they will undo their leg loops to walk back up and lay out, then forget to reattach their leg loop buckles. One tip: If you unhook one buckle, undo them all and take off one shoulder strap. You’re either all in and checked, or you’re all out—never allow for middle ground and always restart your preflight check. Whether you have your own system or not, knowing what others do for their preflight or hang checks can be helpful. Maybe you’re a new pilot and need a system to begin with, or maybe you're always missing something in your check and want a refreshed system. Below are a few options to consider for both paragliding and hang gliding. There are, of course, numerous
methods out there; these are just a few examples of what works for many pilots. Paragliding Preflight Check Options
R1234STARVE
Many pilots learn this one and it's great for reevaluation of a current system. A good starting point, it is easily adapted to your specific setup. R—Reserve: Check that your reserve handle is positioned correctly, secure, and within easy reach. If you fly with two, check both. If you fly with a front mount, make sure it is set up correctly. 1—Helmet: Is your helmet on AND buckled? 2—Carabiners: Check that both carabiners are closed, locked, and oriented correctly (not cross-loaded), your wing is loaded correctly, and your front mount is hooked in correctly. 3—Points on the harness: Though harnesses will vary in the total number of buckles, there are three points to check—left leg, right leg, and breast strap. 4—Corners of the glider: Look to see if your corners are clear and upright with no potential for cravats. S—Speed system and stirrup (if you fly with it): Are the brummel links connected properly, and are your speed system and stirrup out of the way of your feet for launching, but still easily accessible for flight? If you’re towing, check that your speed system is connected properly. T—Turn—risers are crossed correctly: Check that your risers are crossed correctly for the direction you will turn. If doing a forward, make sure your risers are not crossed or twisted. If towing, check that your tow bridle is positioned correctly. A—Altitude/air: How will your altitude influence your launch, and have the conditions changed since you started setting up? R—Radio: Is your radio on, loud, and tuned correctly? V—Risers and brake lines oriented (into a V): An easy check to see if your brake lines are clear and not wrapped—they should pull easily from their clips and form a “V” with the riser.
As you go through your setup someone says a few words to you, and without realizing it, during that slight distraction you miss one thing. Hopefully, you get away with it.
R+1-10
E—Everything else: Anything else you need to add a check for. Vario, GPS, water valve open, ABOVE Pilots on the Western Slope of Colorado, pee tube set up correctly, etc. kiting as they wait for it to become flyable. Photo by Liz Dengler.
56 US H PA P I LOT
The Count System
This system ensures that you are checking all connection points on your harness and wing simply by counting. It means you will have to know how many connection points you have in each setup, which can vary quite a bit. Count up your total connection points on a certain setup to get your set number for that kit. This system works well for a lot of folks because it can be adapted to accommodate any setup: pod harnesses, harnesses with additional connection points, towing, reserves, and even tandems. As an example, let’s say you have four buckles for your leg loops, two pod connections, one breast strap, two carabiners, one reserve, two speed-system clips, four pieces of tech to have on, and one helmet—that gives you a 17 point check. Though the check can be done in any order, make sure you’re doing it the same way every time. For many pilots, this method works best if you check inwards-out and bottom-up. For instance, if you fly a pod, check your leg buckles are clipped before checking your pod connections are hooked. As you check each connection point, give it a tug to make sure it's clipped, and count as you work your way up. If you don’t reach 17, do it again. Keep in mind that this check doesn’t incorporate items like checking that your glider is clear, ensuring you’re turning the right way, or assessing changing conditions.
Another option uses a mix of the two methods above. R+1-10 keeps things simple by only counting to 10. R—Reserve/Radio: Check that your reserve handle is positioned correctly, secure, and within easy reach. If you fly with two, check both. If you fly with a front mount, make sure it is set up correctly. Check that your radio and all other instruments are on and working. 1, 2 and 3—Harness: Check that all points on your harness are buckled: 1) leg loops, 2) waist strap (if your harness has one), and 3) chest/ breast strap. Give them a tug as you count to make sure they’re fully clipped. 4—Helmet: Check that your chin strap is buckled. 5—Hook in: Look to see that your risers are clear, you’re turning correctly, have no twists in your brake lines, and your speed system is connected. If towing, check your connection points on your glider, the speed system, and the tow pin. 6, 7 and 8—Glider: Check all points on your glider: 1) your lines are clear, untwisted, and free of tension knots, 2) your leading edge is upright, open, and clear, and 3) the trailing edge is free, not twisted, and won’t snag. 9 and 10—Conditions: Check that things have not changed drastically since you began: 1) check the wind direction and speeds, and 2) check that your airspace is clear. Tandem pilots can adapt this system in the harness and hook-in section to check their passenger harness and their connection points. Hang Gliding Hang Check Options
The 4 Cs
This option is easy to remember with four Cs representing each main check. However, keep in mind that one of the Cs incorporates several checks, which could be tricky for some folks. This check also doesn’t account for instruments or a conditions check (though you could easily add a fifth C for conditions). Connection (or Carabiner): Check that your harness lines to the carabiner are straight, the carabiner is through the main and backup hang loops, and the carabiner is locked (give the hang strap a tug to make sure). Clearance: Check you are hanging the correct distance above the basetube. Test this with a
USH PA PILOT 57
partner holding the nose of the glider down as you lay prone in the harness so that you are floating prone above the basetube. Crotch: Make sure your legs are through both harness leg loops and the buckles are completely secure. Chinstrap: Check that your helmet is on and fastened. A helmet with a chin guard that sits securely around the chin may fool a pilot into believing the helmet is properly secured.
The 6 Ls
While there are a couple more Ls than Cs to remember, this option breaks out each of the elements that are combined in the first C. Length and laundry are sometimes used interchangeably in the 6 Ls. However, you can use both to make it the 7 Ls and check them all. Loops: The carabiner is through the main and backup hang loops (give the hang strap a tug to make sure). Locked: The carabiner is locked. Lines: Harness lines to the carabiner are straight. Legs: Legs are through both harness leg loops and the buckles are properly fastened. Lid: Helmet is on and fastened. A helmet with a chin guard that sits securely around the chin may fool a pilot into believing the helmet is properly secured. Laundry: Check reserve pins and handle. The 7th L Length: Check you are hanging the correct distance above the basetube. Test this with a partner holding the nose of the glider down as you lay prone in the harness so that you are floating prone above the basetube. When towing hang gliders, a few additional checks are necessary. There might be a helpful checklist out there, or you may need to develop your own. The key points are: the VG is set, all points of the towing system are properly fastened (two points for pro-towing or three points for the three-point tow system), there are no dangling lines, the angle of attack on the cart is appropriate, the wheels of the cart are straight, and air traffic is clear. One thing to note is that no check we have found, paragliding or hang gliding, includes a mental check. Take the time to check in with yourself to ensure you’re as ready for the flight as your equipment. Not only should you be pre-
Take the time to check in with yourself to ensure you’re as ready for the flight as your equipment. pared to fly, but you should also want to. If the flight isn’t going to be fun, what’s the point? Of course, there are other options for both paragliding and hang gliding preflight and hang checks. It doesn’t really matter which system you use, as long as you’re using one that covers all aspects of a standard safety check, and you do it every time you fly. If you’ve done any type of conversion, alteration, or repair to your equipment, make sure those changes are seamless with your check (and don’t impact it in any way), or you will need to incorporate them into a new system. The urgency to get off the hill to enjoy the flight may sometimes cause us to rush our checks. But remember, no flight is worth it if you’ve forgotten to buckle your leg loops or check your carabiner. If you get distracted while doing your check, start over. And it never hurts to run your check a second or even third time before launch. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been flying for 10 days and are still learning your system or for 10 years and have your system dialed—we’re all susceptible to distraction and complacency.
LEFT Pilot Dannelle takes the time to do a thorough preflight check. Photo by Sara Weaver.
Ratings Issued October/November 2019 RTG RGN NAME
Take your ratings and expiration date everywhere you fly. Download from the Members Only section of the USHPA website. Print, trim, and store in your wallet. Great for areas without cell coverage. Always available at www.USHPA.org Save the PDF on your mobile device for easy reference.
58 US H PA P I LOT
H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3
1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 3 4 4
Erik Alber Greg Bolloten Rodrick Brooks William Count Avi Ilyaev Josh Lepold Vann Seebass Andrew Bartlett Luke Bughman Alvaro Niemeyer Mark Nolasco Leland J. Smith Tim Tester Read Bixby Michael Broderick Laurent Carillon Chih-Wei Chuang Jason Downs Ethan Hildreth Sergio O. Loran Artiom Markelov Mario A. Ochoa Mtz Robert Nichols Houman Samimi James Shelley Raghav Aggarwal Carol Allard Jeffrey T. Flynn Laura Halvorsen John W. Miles Jena Miles Vincent Pignatiello Rhine Schlabach James Wilson Erik Alber Greg Bolloten Rodrick Brooks Yijing Bai Steven Holt Avi Ilyaev Josh Lepold Alvaro Niemeyer Leland J. Smith Read Bixby Michael Broderick Laurent Carillon Chih-Wei Chuang Jason Downs Ethan Hildreth Sergio O. Loran Artiom Markelov Mario A. Ochoa Mtz Drake Renner Charles Schwab James Shelley Corey Gower Jena Miles John W. Miles Daniel Porter Rhine Schlabach Pat Bovine Thomas Montague Shaun Tompkins Fred Minix Robin Oglesby
STATE RATING OFFICIAL
OR WA MT CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA AZ CA TX FL FL NC GA GA FL GA TN TN VA FL MA CT NY NH WI WI NH DE UK OR WA MT CA CA CA CA CA AZ TX FL FL NC GA GA FL GA TN NC NC FL NY WI WI NH DE OR WA CO FL KY
William C. Dydo Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce John Simpson Michael Briganti Robert B. Booth Robert Hugel Josh Patrick Laufer Josh Patrick Laufer John Heiney Josh Patrick Laufer Dan DeWeese William C. Dydo Mark B. Moore-III Scott Schneider Malcolm A. Jones Ian Boughton Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Matthew Taber Steve A. Wendt Gordon Cayce Robert J. Hastings Robert J. Hastings Daniel C. Guido Robert J. Hastings Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Robert J. Hastings Ian Boughton Andrew T. Beem William C. Dydo Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Michael Briganti Michael Briganti Michael Briganti Robert B. Booth John Heiney Dan DeWeese Mark B. Moore-III Scott Schneider Malcolm A. Jones Ian Boughton Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Andy Thompson Andy Thompson Gordon Cayce Greg Black Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Robert J. Hastings Ian Boughton John Calvin Matylonek Eric Ollikainen Mark A. Windsheimer James E. Tindle Gordon Cayce
RTG RGN NAME
H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 H4 H4 H4 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1
4 4 5 5 2 4 4 4 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Drake Renner Charles Trossbach Jack Alexander Gregory Hiller Michael Briganti Marcelo Andrei Gomes Da Rocha Flavia Rodrigues Vieira Tim Thompson Sam Barr Christopher Bischoff Zach Burke Hunter DeMint Riley Descheemaeker Jaron James Drinville Gabriella Eaton John Friis-Mikkelsen Jourdan Gudatris Daniel Hill Drew Holmes Libby Hooper Jesse T. Hunter Meg Ketcham Michael Ketcham Valera Kolupaev Ezra Manuel Derek Miles Robert Miles Andrew Moesel Steven Nichols Kirstyn O'Connor Nicholas Pagel Parker Parsons Sherri Rex Jason Rouch Jr Samantha Sauerbrei Rebecca Sharar Adam Spahn Sydney Stone Joel Thomas Patrick Tice Tara Wesorick Kyle Yeats Christian Amann Jason Baker Jacob Beck Harrison Todd Becker Adrien Bernede Kylan Browning Jackson Carter Phaedra Caruso-Radin Erick Davidson Grace Dinh Denis Fitts Jaden Fitts Andres Glassow Brad Hartwig Michael Ho Derek Jensen Thomas Kiesling John Kinsella Peter Kunkel Robin Liu John Locke Enes Mentese Randy Ostman
STATE RATING OFFICIAL
NC NC IL MA CA FL FL GA MN OR MT OR MT MT MT WA OR HI WA MT OR OR OR WA OR SD OR MT WA MT WA WA OR AK WA WA WA ID WA MT OR WA CA CA CA UT CA UT CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA UT CA CA CA CA CA CA UT
Andy Thompson Andy Thompson Gordon Cayce Kevin Koonce Eric Hinrichs Jon C. Thompson Jon C. Thompson Matthew Taber Nathan Alex Taylor Kate Eagle Casey Bedell Kelly A. Kellar Lisa Dickinson Andy Macrae Casey Bedell Christopher Grantham Kelly A. Kellar Scott Gee Marc Chirico Casey Bedell Kelly A. Kellar Kelly A. Kellar Kelly A. Kellar Marc Chirico Kimberly Phinney Stephen J. Mayer Kimberly Phinney Casey Bedell Derek Baylor Casey Bedell Marc Chirico Denise Reed Steve Roti Rob Sporrer Denise Reed Andy Macrae Denise Reed E. Scott Edwards Jonathan Jefferies Lisa Dickinson Maren Ludwig Derek Baylor Robert Black Jason Shapiro Jesse L. Meyer Chris W. Santacroce Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Chris W. Santacroce Jesse L. Meyer Robert Black Wallace K. Anderson Jesse L. Meyer Jason Shapiro Jason Shapiro Jesse L. Meyer Jesse L. Meyer Robert Black Nathan Alex Taylor Robert Black Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Wallace K. Anderson Patrick Johnson Robert Black Chris W. Santacroce
USH PA PILOT 59
RTG RGN NAME
P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1
Amy Pan Spencer Regiudel Nathan Salisbury Joel Schmidt Norman Sequerah Jordan Silver Kevin Vaughan Barry Vissell Keith Warde David Warnick Bianca Yang Ryan Avery Jonathan J. Bachelor Landon Bryce Sydney Burckhardt Steve Cargill James Castile Ansel Cromer Jay Devorak Kimball Dodds Thomas Evenson Stuart Frost Jamie Haats Debbie Hammond Wes Hammond Heydari Heshmatollah Kerem Kirkpinar Austin Kootz Eugene Lensky William Marsh Samantha Martinez Chelsea McKenzie Jonathan Rudolph Linda Salamone Demet San Tom Berthold David Michael Davis Robert Goldnetz Cameron Keeton Natalie McManus Anandatirtha Nandugudi Donald Obst Joan Randall Bill Schurtz Josh Sturges Rudolph Wolfs Cynthia Burns Curt Chester Greg Contente Tony Davis Phil Day Travis Fair Rob Heron Steven Ingraham Tara J. Kavanagh Paul Kramer Maxx Lucas John B. McGlade Osvaldo Mena Ugalde John Mendes Nathanael Reinsma Juan Sarria Joshua Silverman Stefan Wall Sam Barr
STATE RATING OFFICIAL
CA UT UT CA UT UT UT CA CA UT CA CO CA AZ CO CA CA AZ CA CA CO AZ CO AZ AZ CA CA CO CA CO CA CA CO CA CA MO TX VA KS KS TN NC SC TX AL FL MA WI MA NJ MA AB
CT VT PA MA NY NJ CT MA PA NJ AB MN
Robert Posey Nathan Alex Taylor Dale Covington Joel McMinn Nathan Alex Taylor Chris W. Santacroce Chris W. Santacroce Jesse L. Meyer Brian Kerr Jonathan Jefferies Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Gregory Kelley Vito Michelangelo Nathan Alex Taylor Misha Banks Vito Michelangelo Max Leonard Marien Aaron Cromer Rob Sporrer Jerome Daoust Misha Banks Aaron Cromer Ryan J. Taylor Chandler Papas Chandler Papas Gabriel Jebb Gabriel Jebb Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Ryan J. Taylor Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Misha Banks Marcello M. DeBarros Gabriel Jebb Britton Shaw Ken W. Hudonjorgensen Nathan Alex Taylor Jonathan Jefferies Marc Noel Radloff Britton Shaw Shane Parreco Christopher Grantham Ryan J. Taylor Shane Parreco Jesse L. Meyer John E. Dunn Mariyan Radev Ivanov John E. Dunn Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn Rob Sporrer Jeff Shapiro John E. Dunn John E. Dunn Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn Lisa Dickinson Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn John E. Dunn Thomas McCormick Thomas McCormick Rob Sporrer Nathan Alex Taylor
RTG RGN NAME
P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
Zach Burke Riley Descheemaeker Lincoln DiLorenzo Jaron James Drinville Gabriella Eaton John Friis-Mikkelsen David Gridley Jourdan Gudatris Daniel Hill Drew Holmes Libby Hooper Jesse T. Hunter Michael Ketcham Valera Kolupaev Ezra Manuel Derek Miles Robert Miles Andrew Moesel Steven Nichols Kirstyn O'Connor Nicholas Pagel Parker Parsons Sherri Rex Jason Rouch Jr Samantha Sauerbrei Rebecca Sharar Adam Spahn Sydney Stone Joel Thomas Patrick Tice Hayden Waddle Kyle Yeats Christian Amann Jason Baker Jacob Beck Harrison Todd Becker Adrien Bernede Kylan Browning Jackson Carter Phaedra Caruso-Radin Grace Dinh Denis Fitts Jaden Fitts Andres Glassow Deborah Griffith Brad Hartwig Michael Ho Dustin Hoffman Derek Jensen Thomas Kiesling John Kinsella Peter Kunkel John Locke Philip McKee Enes Mentese Randy Ostman Amy Pan Spencer Regiudel Aaron Sagin Nathan Salisbury Joel Schmidt Norman Sequerah Scott Raymond Shatz Jordan Silver Ryan Suen
STATE RATING OFFICIAL
MT MT MT MT MT WA OR OR HI WA MT OR OR WA OR SD OR MT WA MT WA WA OR AK WA WA WA ID WA MT OR WA CA CA CA UT CA UT CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA UT CA CA CA CA CA CA UT CA UT CA UT CA UT CA UT CA
Casey Bedell Lisa Dickinson Ryan Schwab Andy Macrae Casey Bedell Christopher Grantham Maren Ludwig Kelly A. Kellar Scott Gee Marc Chirico Casey Bedell Kelly A. Kellar Kelly A. Kellar Marc Chirico Kimberly Phinney Stephen J. Mayer Kimberly Phinney Casey Bedell Derek Baylor Casey Bedell Marc Chirico Denise Reed Steve Roti Rob Sporrer Denise Reed Andy Macrae Denise Reed E. Scott Edwards Jonathan Jefferies Lisa Dickinson Kelly A. Kellar Derek Baylor Robert Black Jason Shapiro Jesse L. Meyer Chris W. Santacroce Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Chris W. Santacroce Jesse L. Meyer Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Jason Shapiro Jason Shapiro Jesse L. Meyer Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Jesse L. Meyer Robert Black Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Nathan Alex Taylor Robert Black Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Patrick Johnson Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Robert Black Chris W. Santacroce Robert Posey Nathan Alex Taylor Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Dale Covington Joel McMinn Nathan Alex Taylor Chris W. Santacroce Chris W. Santacroce Chandler Papas
ERRATA
In October of 2018, Robert Nichols from Region 4 was issued his H1 from Matthew Taber. His rating didn't make it into previous listings.
Ratings Issued October/November 2019 (continued) RTG RGN NAME
AIRS Accident/Incident Reporting System is standing by at airs.ushpa.org If you've been injured or experienced a close call, file a report today. All AIRS reports are completely confidential.
60 US H PA P I LOT
P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P3 P3 P3
2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1
Andre Taube Kevin Vaughan Barry Vissell Keith Warde David Warnick Aaron Young Matthew Alarie Erick Arevalo Landon Bryce Sydney Burckhardt James Castile Rob Crafts Ansel Cromer Shawn Curtsinger Jay Devorak Thomas Evenson Stuart Frost Russ Gibfried Ryan Gove Jamie Haats Jacob Heruty Saxton Hine Kerem Kirkpinar Austin Kootz Eugene Lensky Paul Markham William Marsh Samantha Martinez Steve Mayers Chelsea McKenzie Wouter Myburgh Jonathan Rudolph Linda Salamone Demet San Shaun Wallace Tom Berthold Robert Goldnetz Cameron Keeton Natalie McManus Anandatirtha Nandugudi Donald Obst Joan Randall Bill Schurtz Josh Sturges Rudolph Wolfs Greg Contente Jonatas Da Silva Cardoso Tony Davis Phil Day Travis Fair Ames Flatow Rob Heron Tara J. Kavanagh Paul Kramer Ross A. Landy John B. McGlade Osvaldo Mena Ugalde John Mendes John Mitchell Stacy Patterson Juan Sarria Joshua Silverman Stefan Wall Casey Campbell Daniel Hill Meggie Houle
STATE RATING OFFICIAL
CA UT CA CA UT CA CA AZ AZ CO CA CA AZ CA CA CO AZ CA CO CO CA CA CA CO CA CA CO CA CA CA CA CO CA CA CA MO VA KS KS TN NC SC TX AL FL MA MA NJ MA AB CT VT PA RI NY NJ CT VT RI PA NJ AB MT HI WA
Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Chris W. Santacroce Jesse L. Meyer Brian Kerr Jonathan Jefferies Joseph B. Seitz Vito Michelangelo Vito Michelangelo Nathan Alex Taylor Misha Banks Max Leonard Marien Vito Michelangelo Aaron Cromer Joseph B. Seitz Rob Sporrer Misha Banks Aaron Cromer Gabriel Jebb Chris W. Santacroce Ryan J. Taylor Gabriel Jebb Gabriel Jebb Gabriel Jebb Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Gabriel Jebb Ryan J. Taylor Rob Sporrer Vito Michelangelo Rob Sporrer Gabriel Jebb Misha Banks Marcello M. DeBarros Gabriel Jebb Gabriel Jebb Britton Shaw Nathan Alex Taylor Jonathan Jefferies Marc Noel Radloff Britton Shaw Shane Parreco Christopher Grantham Ryan J. Taylor Shane Parreco Jesse L. Meyer John E. Dunn John E. Dunn Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn Rob Sporrer Jerome Daoust Jeff Shapiro John E. Dunn Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn Lisa Dickinson Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn John E. Dunn John E. Dunn Thomas McCormick Thomas McCormick Rob Sporrer Casey Bedell Scott Gee Chris W. Santacroce
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P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4
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Jerad Hoy Daniel Judy Shannon Kay Bradley King Allister Knox Marisa McDonald Devin G. McGlamery Derek Miles Sara Newgard Will Nowack Kelsey Opstad Thomas Reichert Marco Scheuer Kara Shapiro Seth Warren Ariel Zlatkovski Anna Behrens Nogah Bergman Jason Christian Richard Frame Aaron Sagin Kai Sherwood Richard Socher Monty Worthington Paul Aeschliman Juan R. Arambula Matt Clark Alyson Connors Miki Crafts Jeremiah Haney Brandon Hankins Christopher Koury Lane Michael Taylor Andrew Barton Michael Dobbs Chad Fahlberg Steve McBee Lorena Esparragoza Nicholas Heller Osvaldo Mena Ugalde John Robson Leite Jasmim Ong Tze Boon Jennifer Bedell Nicholas Bilton Nathan Fligge Nick Ireland Kenneth Peterson Mike Cozza Gregory Giacovelli Jr. Carolyn Reuman Clemens Rumpf Monty Worthington Connor Bloum Austin Cantrell Dave DeMill Rene Marcel Falquier David Hatfield Carl Marvin Vito Michelangelo Chris Ottmar Mark Tatham Ethan Vance Gabriel E. Silva Richard Ackerman Brian Clew Geir Inge Dyvik Martin Specht
STATE RATING OFFICIAL
MT MT AK WA HI WA MT SD MT WY AK MT WA MT MT WA CA CA CA UT CA UT CA CA CA CA CO CA CA CA CA CA CA FL MS TX AR NY UK NJ NJ
MT MT OR WA WA CA CA CA CA CA CA CA NM CA CA CO CA CA CA CA TX NH MA MA
Andy Macrae Paul Roys David John Hebert Denise Reed David (Dexter) Binder Marc Chirico Andy Macrae Stephen J. Mayer Casey Bedell Fred Morris Cynthia Currie Jonathan Jefferies Steven R. Wilson Casey Bedell Casey Bedell Steven R. Wilson Dilan Benedetti Charles (Chuck) Smith Jason Shapiro Jonathan Jefferies Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Cynthia Currie Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Jake Schlapfer Jerome Daoust Marcello M. DeBarros Ryan J. Taylor David John Hebert Gabriel Jebb Marcello M. DeBarros Gabriel Jebb Jerome Daoust Gabriel Jebb Douglas Brown Thomas Mistretta David W. Prentice David W. Prentice Thomas McCormick Gabriel Jebb Thomas McCormick Philippe Renaudin Rob Sporrer Jeff Shapiro Andy Macrae Samuel Crocker Roger Brock Marc Chirico Joseph B. Seitz Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Mitchell Riley Philip D. Russman Rob Sporrer David W. Prentice Gabriel Jebb Philip D. Russman Chris W. Santacroce Max Leonard Marien Philip D. Russman Jonathan Jefferies Philip D. Russman Sebastien Kayrouz Calef Letorney Peter Williams Juan A. Laos Calef Letorney
USH PA PILOT 61
2020 CALENDAR Submit listings on-
line at https://www.ushpa.org/page/calendar. A minimum 3-MONTH LEAD TIME is required on all submissions. Tentative events will not be published.
MAR 6-8, APR 4-6, NOV 13-15, DEC 12-14 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING SANTA BARBARA CLINIC Santa Barbara, California. This clinic is aimed at getting pilots familiar with the thermal triggers, and lines to take to get from lift source to lift source moving down the range. After attending this clinic you will have a better understanding of the moves necessary to get down range, and the confidence to get through the pass and fly to Ojai and beyond. Mitch Riley will lead this 3-day clinic cost is $795. More Info: https://paragliding.com/shop/services/ clinics/thermal-xc-clinic/ MAR 10-13 > SIV CLINIC Dragonfly Paragliding, Florida. Annual beach fly in. SIV safety clinics conducted monthly by an advanced USHPA instructor over fresh water, sand bottom lake in Sunny Florida! Local attractions, shopping, and dining within minutes of SIV launch site. |Tom at 813-401-0395; Reviews at https://m.facebook.com/dragonflyparagliding/ APR 12-18 > 2020 PARADISE AIRSPORTS NATIONALS Wilotree Park, Groveland, Florida. USHPA Sanctioned HG Race To Goal XC Nationals Competition | Flatland competition in Florida where the weather is so good so early. Open, Sport, Swift, and Rigid wing classes. This is a CIVL category 2 competition set up for Class 1 Open pilots. Sport Class pilots who can’t qualify for the Worlds can register also as well as any Sport Class pilots flying in the Worlds. Women, Rigid and Swift class pilots looking to practice in advance of the Worlds are also welcome. Flying dates: Sunday April 12th through Saturday the 18th, 2020. Official practice days with tasks and daily scoring (not counted in the overall score) - Friday, April 10th and Saturday, April 11th. Check-in Friday and Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon. Live tracking with Flymaster trackers provided. The competition is USHPA and CIVL sanctioned. | Organizer: Davis Straub abd Belinda Boulter, davis@ davisstraub.com | Website: https://airtribune.com/2020-paradise-airsports-nationals/info/details__info APR 19 - MAY 1 > 2020 WILOTREE NATIONALS Wilotree Park, Groveland, Florida. USHPA Sanctioned HG Race To Goal XC Nationals Competition | Flatland competition in Florida where the weather is so good so early. Open, Sport, Swift, and Rigid wing classes. This is a CIVL category 2 competition set up for Class 1 Open pilots only. It will take place at the same time as the 2020 FAI World Hang Gliding Championships. Check-in on Sunday, April 19th. Live tracking with Flymaster trackers provided. The competition is USHPA and CIVL sanctioned so USHPA NTSS and CIVL WPRS points will be awarded. Maximum 125 pilots minus participants in the Worlds. | Organizer: Davis Straub abd Belinda Boulter, davis@davisstraub. com | Website: https://airtribune.com/2020-wilotree-nationals/info/details__info
APR 19 - MAY 1 > 2020 FAI WORLD HANG GLIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS Wilotree Park, Groveland, Florida. USHPA Sanctioned HG Race To Goal XC Worlds Competition | 2nd FAI Sport Class World Hang Gliding Championships, 14th FAI Women’s World Hang Gliding Championships, 9th FAI Class 5 World Hang Gliding Championships, and 21st FAI Class 2 World Hang Gliding Championships | Organizer: Belinda Boulter and Davis Straub, belinda@davisstraub.com | Website: https://airtribune.com/2020-world-championships/info/details__info MAY 2-3 > OCEANSIDE OPEN Oceanside, Oregon. Annual beach fly in. Fun events, dinner banquet, music, raffle. | msanzone@yahoo.com; www.cascadeparaglidingclub.org MAY 2-3, JUN 1-2, AUG 1-2, OCT 10-11 > MOUNTAIN FLYING/ SITE PIONEERING CLINIC Utah flying sites. Learn how to pioneer a site, fly the Mt. sites in Utah, improve your safety in the mountain, quickly and appropriately plan the best approach to any landing zone, weather tendencies, patterns and considerations. Learn how to visualize air flow in the Mountains. | Twocanfly Paragliding, Ken Hudonjorgensen 801-971-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com, twocanfly.com MAY 15-17 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING MARSHALL CLINIC San Bernardino, California. Marshall is one of California’s most consistent sites. We get newer pilots off early and late in the day at our clinics and fly through mid day with experienced pilots on XC missions. We enjoy team flying down range. Our clinic goals at Marshall are to allow you to become familiar with the area, and understand where the thermal triggers are located. We also hope to show you possible lines to follow when making moves down range on XC missions. More Info: https:// paragliding.com/shop/services/clinics/thermal-xc-clinic/ JUN 6-8, SEP 19-21 > THERMALING/WINGLISTICS CLINIC Utah flying sites, 474 E. Tonya Dr. Sandy, Utah. Learn thermaling efficiency, reading and deciphering terrain features for thermal triggers and reservoirs, understanding cumulous cloud formations and what they tell us about the type of thermals that are feeding the clouds, recognizing cloud formations that are useful and safe for us and those that are not, working cloudbase, weather related specifics that determine favorable thermaling conditions, launching and landing it thermic conditions, learn your wings language and what it is telling you. | Ken Hudonjorgensen, 801-971-3414, twocanfly@gmail.com , twocanfly.com JUN 7-12 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING WOODRAT MOUNTAIN / APPLEGATE VALLEY CLINIC Ruch, Oregon. Woodrat Mountain in southern Oregon is where the Applegate Open competition is held. This clinic focuses on allowing pilots to become familiar with the area, and routes flown during the competition held each June. This clinic is great as it prepares pilots for the competition. The staff leading these clinics have been on the podium at the race to goal competitions held from this site, and know the area very well. Cost is $1495 for 6 days. More Info: https://paragliding.com/shop/services/clinics/thermal-xc-clinic/
JUN 13-20 > 2020 APPLEGATE OPEN Woodrat Mtn, Ruch, Oregon. USHPA Sanctioned PG Race To Goal XC Nationals Competition | Open Race, Sprint Race, and SuperClinic Race entry fees $475 SuperClinic fees $675. $20 Local membership required. Registration opens Feb 3, 2020. | Organizer: Terri Stewart, AO-organizer@rvhpa.org | Website: wingsoverapplegate.org JUN 26 - JUL 5 > BUFFALO MOUNTAIN FLYERS ANNUAL 4th of JULY FLY-IN Talihina Oklahoma. We have 5 easy launches covering multiple wind directions and all located within minutes of Talihina. Launch from 1200ft 5+mile long ridges soar for hours, mass gaggle multi-wingal 50mi+ XC’s, altitudes >6k AGL, easy retrieves, come back for epic evening glass off flights. Motels, RV parks, camp at launch, share the stars with all your flying friends! This is THE place to enjoy air sports to the fullest! Register, reserve your limited edition t-shirt and more info at www.flythebuff.com | www.flythebuff.org JUL 10-12 > INKLER’S POINT FLY-IN Inkler’s point, Chewelah, Washington. This will be the 4th Inkler’s Point Fly-In! The first 3 have been great - especially last year’s with spiffy conditions each day! Dry camping adjacent to the BIG LZ included + dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday (Total $50). Event T-shirts will be available on site for an additional fee. USHPA Membership is required as Inkler’s Point is an insured flying site. We’ll have 2 launches on Inkler’s to use as well as 4 other nearby flying sites with 5 launches (verticals from 500’ to 2600’)! | gonehanggliding@gmail.com, goneparagliding@gmail.com, www.centeroflift.org, Inkler’s Point Fly-In on Facebook JUL 11-18 > 2020 OZONE CHELAN OPEN Chelan Butte, Chelan, Washington. USHPA Sanctioned PG Race To Goal XC Nationals Competition | The Ozone Chelan Open is a new fun competition format (for the USA) where new to competition pilots get to race along with and learn from the best pilots in the USA/world with everyone flying EN-C or B wings. | Organizer: Matt Senior, mattysenior@yahoo.com | Website: https://airtribune.com/events/next AUG 2-14 > 2020 PAN-AMERICAN NATIONALS McMahon Wrinkle Airport, Big Spring, Texas. USHPA Sanctioned HG Race To Goal XC Nationals Competition | The 1st FAI Class 1 Pan-American Championship combined with the 2020 Pan-American Nationals for Sport Class, Women’s, Atos Class and Swift Class | Organizer: Belinda Boulter and Davis Straub, belinda@davisstraub.com | Website: https://airtribune. com/2020-pan-american-championships/info/details__info AUG 2-14 > 2020 FAI WORLD PAN-AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS McMahon Wrinkle Airport, Big Spring, Texas. USHPA Sanctioned HG Race To Goal XC Worlds Competition | The 1st FAI Class 1 Pan-American Championship combined with the 2020 Pan-American Nationals for Sport Class, Women’s, Atos Class and Swift Class | More Info: https://airtribune. com/2020-pan-american-championships/info/details__info; belinda@davisstraub.com
CLASSIFIED RATES Rates start at
$10.00 for 200 characters. Minimum ad charge is $10.00. ALL CLASSIFIEDS ARE PREPAID. No refunds will be given on ads cancelled that are scheduled to run multiple months. For more info, visit
www.ushpa.org/page/magazine-classified-advertising
SEP 4-7 > ROCKY MOUNTAIN SWIFTS FLY IN 2020 Villa Grove, Colorado. This is an event in celebration of all the women in free flight, men are welcome! Come join us in scenic Villa Grove, Colorado for high mountain flying and other shenanigans! There is a public event on facebook where all details can be found. Any questions, email me! | Search “Rocky Mountain Swifts Fly In 2020” on Facebook! SEP 11-13 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING PINE MOUNTAIN CLINIC Ojai, California. Eagle organizes clinics at Pine Mountain behind Ojai. Two local legends Tom Truax a.k.a. “Sundowner“, and “Diablo”, Tony Deleo each set the California state distance record from this site back in the 90’s. September is our favorite month to do clinics out there, and we held a clinic there years ago where a pilot flew 50 miles on his first Cross Country flight. We followed the Team Flying strategy we share at our clinics an don our tours with a group of pilots on this flight. Cost is $795. More Info: https://paragliding.com/shop/ services/clinics/thermal-xc-clinic/ SEP 28 - OCT 3 > RED ROCKS FALL FLY IN Richfield, Utah. Paragliders and Hang gliders from all over the world. We are expecting over 250 pilots this year. $80.00 for the whole week. Plus $10.00 per ride up the mountain. Flying Cove Mountain, Monroe Peak, Mt Edna, Parker Ridge. Emphasis at the Red Rocks is on low pressure fun, safe, and enjoyable flying. More Info: www.cuasa.com | Stacy Whitmore, 435-979-0225, stacy@cuasa.com | Jef Anderson, 435-896-7999, jef@cuasa.com | Jon Leusden, 719-322-4234, jonathon@cuasa.com OCT 1-4 > 2020 HSB ACCURACY CUP HSB Flight Park, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho. USHPA Sanctioned PG Spot Landing Nationals Competition | The HSB Accuracy Cup is an opportunity to challenge your ability for spot landings. The venue offers wide open space within the scenic Payette River Corridor. The valley flow along with our arid weather support smooth air and consistent conditions. Camp out and enjoy the stunning landscape of iconic rural Idaho with the flying community. | Organizer: Scott Edwards, hsbflightpark@gmail.com | Website: hsbflightpark.com OCT 10-12 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING OWENS VALLEY CLINIC Bishop, California. The Sierra’s and White mountains provide excellent thermal and XC opportunities. A variety of launch locations, means we will make a move to the launch which matches our forecast for the day. We can work as a group and team fly here as well, and put out some big distance numbers. The State distance record is held from this area by Dave Turner. The area is world famous and worth a trip in the fall or spring for some classic flying, and big distance opportunities. Cost is $795 for 3 days. More Info: https://paragliding.com/shop/services/clinics/thermal-xc-clinic/
Fly beyond! USH PA PILOT 63
GEORGIA > LMFP > provides unmatched service & attention to students & visitors. We have over 40 years of experience making dreams of flight come true on Lookout Mtn & can't wait to share our passion with you. Visit www.flylookout. com HAWAII > PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING > Call Dexter for friendly information about flying on Maui. Full service school offering beginner to advanced instruction, year round. 808-874-5433 paraglidemaui.com NEW HAMPSHIRE > MORNINGSIDE > A Kitty Hawk Kites flight park. The Northeast’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. Located in Charlestown, NH. Also visit our North Carolina location, Kitty Hawk Kites Flight School. 603-542-4416, www.flymorningside.com NEW YORK > SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK > 40 acre park. Awesome training hills with rides up. 600 mountain take off. Best facility in NY to teach foot launch. New and used WW gliders in stock. www. cooperstownhanggliding.com NORTH CAROLINA > KITTY HAWK KITES > The largest hang gliding school in the world, 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. 1902 Wright Glider Experience available. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Learn to fly where the Wright Brothers flew, located at the beach on NC’s historic Outer Banks. Also visit our NH location, Morningside Flight Park. (252) 441-2426, 1-877-FLYTHIS, kittyhawk.com/hang-gliding TENNESSEE > LMFP > provides unmatched service & attention to students & visitors. We have over 40 years of experience making dreams of flight come true on Lookout Mtn & can't wait to share our passion with you. Visit www.flylookout.com TEXAS > FLYTEXAS TEAM > training pilots in Central Texas for 25 years. Hang Gliding, Paragliding, Trikes. Hangar facilities Lake LBJ, Luling, Smithville www. flytexas.com 512-467-2529
VIRGINIA > BLUE SKY > located near Richmond , year round instruction, all forms of towing, repairs, sewing , tuning... Wills Wing, Moyes, Icaro, Aeros PG, Mosquito, Flylight, Woody Valley. www. blueskyhg.com CLINICS & TOURS BAJA MEXICO > La Salina Baja’s BEST BEACHFRONT Airsport Venue: PG, HG, PPG: FlyLaSalina.com. by BajaBrent.com, He’ll hook you up! Site intros, tours, & rooms. bajabrent@bajabrent.com, 760203-2658 PARACRANE Paragliding Tours 2020 > Fly Costa Rica, Brazil and Europe with veteran tour guide Nick Crane. Small groups, flexible schedule | Costa Rica-Jan 21-31 & Feb 4-14 | Brazil-Feb 19-29 | Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy June 1-10 and Sept 8-18 | France, Italy, Switzerland Sept19-29 | visit: www. costaricaparagliding.com, contact: nick@ paracrane.com FLYMEXICO > Valle de Bravo for Winter and year round flying tours and support. Hang Gliding, Paragliding. Guiding, gear, instruction, transportation, lodging. www.flymexico.com +1 512-467-2529 PARTS & ACCESSORIES 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. SERVICES LMFP has a full glider shop and sew shop for all pilot needs. From annual inspections to bigger fixes, we have you covered. Visit www.flylookout.com or call 706-383-1292 WINGS & HARNESSES LMFP has the largest fleet of new & used wings and is one of the largest Wills Wing dealers in the US. With GT Harnesses just next door, we deliver top quality custom orders on your trainer, pod, or cocoon. www.flylookout.com
with the Oudie
• Touchscreen • Color moving map • Highly customizable • Thermal assistant Flytec.com • 800.662.2449
RIGHT Author Liz Dengler checking her wing before launching Villa Grove, Colorado. Photo by Sara Weaver.
Final
[ Editor > LIZ DENGLER ]
Exploring the call of the void The call of the void, also known as High Place Phenomenon or, if you’re French, L’appel du vide, is the overwhelming feeling one gets on the top of high places (mountains, buildings, bridges) to jump off … into the void, as it were. Not all people have this sensation, though perhaps it is more prevalent than you would expect. Personally, I suspect it’s more common among pilots. For many people, the feeling is terrifying and signifies some sort of psychological problem. However, it’s actually quite
64 US H PA P I LOT
common among the population as a whole with an estimated one-third of the population having experienced it at some point. This call has plagued me since I was a kid. I can’t tell you exactly when I first felt it, but I know it’s been around a long time. I remember standing at the edge of my front stoop—a very short stoop, mind you—with an umbrella in hand and jumping off. The umbrella was, of course, to help me fly. You know, like Mary Poppins? It didn’t work. And I think I broke
USH PA PILOT 65
the umbrella. A bit later that day, I remember standing at the edge of my back deck which led off the upper level of my house; it was significantly taller than the front stoop, and I remember contemplating, as much as a five-year-old can, doing the same thing. My five-year-old logic was that the umbrella didn’t work either because 1) you had to be magical like Mary Poppins to fly with an umbrella, or 2) I hadn’t been high enough for the umbrella to catch enough wind to send me soaring. It clearly had nothing to do with the fact that an umbrella is simply not recommended for flying. (I do hope they put that on the labels now; I can’t have been the only kid to have tried this.) Regardless, my umbrella was broken and without it, I knew I wasn’t flying anywhere. I opted for the stairs instead.
all find the feeling terrifying. But a few people I have spoken with are intrigued by it. Not brash or suicidal—simply curious about the sensation. For me, the curiosity started when I was a kid, but the call of the void is a feeling that continued to be present in my life. At the top of mountains, I would get this impulse to leap—a sensation that intrigued my mind and body with the desire to know what the void would feel like. I never found it frightening because I never questioned my intentions, but I was fascinated by it. “Why do I have to be stuck to the ground?” I would ask, and I could never satisfactorily explain this feeling to friends while out hiking in the mountains, so I soon stopped trying. The look of fear in most people’s eyes as the question “Is she going to jump?!” flashed across their faces got to be a bit too much. The answer was always no, I’m never going to jump, at least not without my trusty umbrella. Fast forward to present day. I fly now (guess I jumped after all). For a while after learn-
As far as I know, only one study has been done on High Place Phenomenon, and the results were highly speculative. In the study, the team looked for a correlation between depressive or suicidal thoughts and high anxiety. They found that roughly one-third of all tested subjects experienced High Place Phenomenon, and, of those, about half had never had any feelings of depression or suicide. There was a slight correlation to individuals with high anxiety, but it’s worth noting they ing to fly, I thought the call of the void had were studying undergraduate students—hard- disappeared. I could now stand at the top of a mountain and run off with a wing, and the ly an unbiased group due to the stressors of likelihood of being OK was exponentially academic study. higher. Because I now knew what it felt like to Though there was little data to build off, the researchers believe that High Place Phenome- jump, the impulse wasn’t there anymore. It wasn’t until recently that I realized it non may have something to do with cognitive hadn’t vanished, it was just different. It wasn’t dissonance in the brain, like a poor rationalthat I’d lost my desire to run off tall objects, ization of a safety signal. Think of it this way: but rather it had morphed into staying up, you approach a dangerous ledge, and your getting higher, and going farther. The call still survival instincts kick in encouraging you to pulls me off the hills, but now it also pulls me back away. However, your equilibrium center up. My perspectives have changed and so has doesn’t quite get it, because you were not off the call. It may be different now, but I still balance and no one is pushing you, so why relish that feeling—that pull toward the edge, back up if you were not in any danger? Your knowing that I can step off into that void. And processing centers kick in to rationalize this behavior and can only conclude that you must now, I get to explore it. I understand that the appreciation of this have wanted to jump. I find the evidence a bit sensation may be lost on many people, espethin, but it’s the best theory anyone has come up with to date. cially those that don’t partake in our sports, Also, the team did not include fear or thrill and that’s OK. They don’t have to come along in the study. Through my own conversations on this ride. I’ll be over here on the edge ... and observations, it seems that most, but not … the void is calling.
Researchers believe that High Place Phenomenon may have something to do with cognitive dissonance in the brain.
STORE
All this and more at USHPASTORE.com
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Flytec.com or 800.662.2449 68 US H PA P I LOT