USHPA Pilot Vol51-Iss1 Jan/Feb 2021

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021

UNITED STATES HANG

VOLUME 51 #1 $6.95

GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION

MAGIC VALLEY + IN THE HEART OF UTAH + THERMAL BEHAVIOR

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms Ending in 2022 Bill Hughes (region 1) Martin Palmaz, Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.org

Tiki Mashy (region 4)

Beth Van Eaton, Operations Manager office@ushpa.org

Kate West (region 5)

Erika Klein, Communications Manager communications@ushpa.org Chris Webster, Information Services Manager tech@ushpa.org Galen Anderson, Membership Coordinator membership@ushpa.org

Paul Voight (region 5)

Terms Ending in 2021 Jugdeep Aggarwal (region 2) Steve Pearson (region 3) Kimberly Phinney (region 1) Sara Weaver (region 3) Designated Director 1 (TBD early January) Designated Director 2 (TBD early January)

OFFICERS Kate West, Vice President & Acting President vicepresident@ushpa.org | president@ushpa.org Ken Andrews, Secretary secretary@ushpa.org Mark Forbes, Treasurer treasurer@ushpa.org

For change of address or other USHPA business

+1 (719) 632-8300 info@ushpa.org

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∙NJ∙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.

HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES

USHPA recommends pilots complete a pilot training program under the direct supervision of a USHPAcertified 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.

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.

USH PA PILOT 4

cover photo by MATT SENIOR

Flight Plan [ Editor > LIZ DENGLER ] Happy New Year!

Pilot Steve Crye soars at Magdalena Rim, New Mexico.

Martin Palmaz, Publisher executivedirector@ushpa.org Liz Dengler, Editor editor@ushpa.org Kristen Arendt, Copy Editor Erika Klein, Copy Editor copy@ushpa.org Greg Gillam, Art Director art.director@ushpa.org Beth Van Eaton, Advertising advertising@ushpa.org STAFF WRITERS Dennis Pagen Jeff Shapiro

PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben White Audray Luck

SUBMISSIONS from our members and readers are welcome. All articles, artwork, photographs as well as ideas for articles, artwork and photographs are submitted pursuant to and are subject to the USHPA Contributor's Agreement, a copy of which can be obtained from the USHPA by emailing the editor at editor@ushpa.org or online at www.ushpa.org. We are always looking for great articles, photography and news. Your contributions are appreciated.

ADVERTISING is subject to the USHPA Advertising Policy, a copy of which may be obtained from the USHPA by emailing advertising@ushpa.org.

COPYRIGHT ©2020 US HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING ASSOC., INC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of USHPA.

4 US HPA P I LOT

After a year like 2020, we all deserve a fresh start.

Of course, it’s not as though flipping the page to 2021 has given us a clean slate, and with COVID-19 hanging around, we aren’t exactly off to the best start. But a new year brings renewed hope: hope that we can only go up from here; hope that life will begin to return to normal; hope that we can re-establish our free flight lifestyles, competitions, and fly-ins; hope that, in all the turmoil and anxiety, we can stay together and supportive as a community through 2021 and beyond. I look forward to seeing you on the hill and in the skies!

At the end of 2020, I took the opportunity to attend the annual USHPA board meeting. The board and committees were all in attendance, sharing updates, new proposals, and voting on previously proposed measures. Since it’s the start of a new year, I wanted to give a brief rundown of some highlights that the various groups and committees are working on and some things they would like the community to be aware of.

Accident Review Committee

This year, the ARC has contributed to USHPA Pilot magazine several articles about accident trends and guidance for the community. They are doing their best to acquire the most information possible about each incident, but they rely on you! Members of the committee can only investigate and relay information about accidents and incidents reported to USHPA. If you witness or experience an accident or incident, please, PLEASE report it. They would even like accident reports if the reporting pilot or instructor didn't witness the accident. They want the community to know that they can not receive too many reports of the same incident; more often than not, no accident gets reported because people assume someone else will do it. It is better to have numerous reports of an incident than none. When they compile data at the end of the year, it is much more meaningful to have more information. To report an incident, visit www.ushpa.org/page/incident.

RRRG (Recreation Risk Retention Group) Presentation

Formed in 2016, Recreation RRG is USHPA's self-insurance solution for providing policies that cover pilots, chapters, sites with additionally insured landowners, instructors, and schools for flying related activities.

Related to the ask of the ARC, the RRG would like pilots to know that the more accidents and incidents that get reported, will, in general, work to reduce coverage costs over time. If insurers can see that there are a number of accidents, but only a few of them were severe, it works to show reduced risk. If 1,000 incidents get reported, and only four are severe, it looks better than if only ten incidents are reported, with four severe cases. Once again, if you see or experience an incident, even if the pilot walks away with just a scratch, please report it (www.ushpa. org/page/incident) and help to reduce coverage costs in the future.

In March 2020, USHPA's, insurance rates increased for the 2020-2021 season; however, USHPA decided to absorb this rate increase without

USHPA PILOT 5

changing the membership dues rates. To learn more about the RRG, visit their site: https://recreationrrg.com/.

Chapter and Site Committee

The Chapter and Site Committee is developing a proposal to change the rules regarding free flight in national parks.

Currently, the default for national parks is that hang gliding, paragliding, and speedflying/riding are not permitted. However, the proposal under discussion is to change the default to allow free flight and coordinate with individual parks to establish rules and a permitting process. This work is still in progress; stay tuned for updates.

Competition Committee

The Competition Committee has been reviewing new sanctioned competition applications for 2021 and is working with organizers on 2020 events that have been postponed until next year. They are also trying to establish a standardized selection process for future events. The committee is updating rules for accuracy competitions in the United States, specifically for the, now, 2021 Accuracy Championship scheduled to take place at Horseshoe Bend Flight Park, Idaho.

The committee is also trying to find ways to make it easier to approve event organizers and hold competitions. Of course, USHPA sanctioned events must be underwritten by Recreation RRG or have alternate coverage that is equal to, or better than USHPA's policy to retain sanctioning. However, the committee is collaborating with current event organizers and the RRG to improve this process as best they can.

And, of course, the committee is working to improve communications to the competition pilot community.

Safety and Training Committee

Early in the year, the committee established their guiding tenet: to manage pilot safety through education and a system of accountable responsibility.

This committee’s current priorities include continuing to set up third-party training opportunities and establish an online program for instructors and students to improve their knowledge and skills. Creating programs to get the best education possible to improve knowledge, skills, and flying aims to promote safer and better pilots in the community.

The committee is also working to create a program in the speedwing training and rating arena. The committee has completed the first draft of a speedwing rating program and SOP. Miniwings will continue to be a special skill nested under paragliding training, but speedwings are proposed to have their own ratings within the USHPA equal to hang gliding and paragliding ratings.

Towing Committee

The Towing Committee’s big request is for paraglider pilots who tow to use a speed assist tow bridle. This type of bridle

actuates the speed system during the tow, making it much safer than a bridle that does not. At this point, 80-90% of pilots use this type of tow bridle, and it has become the industry standard.

Strategic Planning Committee

The SPC works to improve how USHPA committees function, even if it means asking if the right committee architecture is in place or if things should be reorganized. If there are committees that are inefficient or aren’t serving a function, they should be reworked. Some significant proposed changes that cropped up at this board meeting are as follows. These proposals will be discussed further and presented for a vote in future board meetings.

It was proposed that the Membership and Communications Committee be eliminated due to lack of activity and policy driven function.

A new Compliance Committee was proposed. The purpose of this committee will be to focus on establishing and evolving a culture to keep pilots, instructors, and schools on course with training protocols and general rules. It will also develop guidelines and procedures to address pilots, instructors, or schools that do not adapt appropriately.

The hang gliding workgroup will continue as an ad hoc committee. The group looks for ways to preserve and promote hang gliding and stablize its decline. They experiment with various approaches such as improving teaching methods, engineering easier-to-fly gliders, promoting the sport more on social media, and more.

It was proposed that the Finance, Insurance, and Risk Management Committee be renamed the Finance and Insurance Committee. There has been confusion about the meaning of “risk management” in the title and whether it referred to free flight risks or insurance risks. Eliminating this suggests that the risks in question is related to all aspects of the organization.

It was proposed that the Safety and Training Committee be split into separate committees, which would include the Instructor Support Committee, Hang Glider Pilot and Instructor Training and Certification Committee, and Paraglider Pilot and Instructor Training and Certification Committee.

If you would like to get involved with USHPA and support your fellow pilots and free flight community, please consider volunteering for a committee or special project. You can check out the volunteer opportunities here: www.ushpa.org/ page/team and then sign up by clicking “Volunteer Here!” on that page or by following this link: www.ushpa.org/page/volunteer-opportunities.

If joining a USHPA committee or project isn’t your jam, consider getting involved in your local or regional club or flight park.

2021 January / February CONTENTS 16 WEATHER

4 FLIGHT PLAN

Winter Blues

8 LAUNCHING

Thermal magic.

by HONZA REJMANEK

9 ARC 11 FINDING LIFT

26 FEATURE

60 CALENDAR 61 CLASSIFIED 62 RATINGS

A Hang Gliding Memoir

12

Lessons learned, part 3.

18

by JOHN ARMSTRONG

36 LEARNING CORNER

The Art of Kiting a Hang Glider Ground handle like a champ.

by JOHN MATYLONEK 40 COMPETITION

Lonestar XC Championship

Towing practice, flatland flying, and a big Texas welcome.

by LINDSEY RIPA

30

45 WEATHER

Thermal Behavior

Understanding thermal characteristics and free flight.

by DENNIS PAGEN

58 TECHNOLOGY

Whatsapp and Telegram

40

50

12 PATIENCE IN PROGRESSION

30 IN THE HEART OF UTAH

by TOVA GOLDSTEIN

by TYLER BURNS

Slow and steady wins the race.

Introduction to big XC days.

18 ZERO TO SIXTY

50 MAGIC VALLEY

by CHRIS GARCIA

by SHANE PARRECO

Navigating rapid progression.

6 US HPA P I LOT

Building Burnside Launch.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.

by JENNA LYONS

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 ]

UP DENA With the new Dena, we set the highest standards and use the best materials such as the durable Skytext Everlast in the leading edge. The new UP glider now uses its own negative 3D panel shaping in the A-Class. This ensures a clean leading edge even in accelerated flight, contributes to a considerable increase in performance, and it looks beautiful. The Dena is made for talented beginners immediately or for experienced, safety-conscious pilots looking for the highest performance potential in the A-Class. For more information visit eagleparagliding.com.

UP VESUV GLOVE Our new glove Vesuv offers a comfortable fit. The combination of soft goat leather (water-repellent) and stretch material (windproof and waterproof) makes it durable and flexible. It is insulated and thus offers comfort in colder temperatures. Our glove is touchscreen compatible and enables the use of your equipment in the air. The palm is equipped with rubber dots for a slip-proof grip and the knitted cuffs ensure a perfect fit at the wrist.

Sizes: S (7), M (8), L (9), XL (10). Visit eagleparagliding.com for more details.

8 US HPA PI LOT

ADVANCE PI 3 The Advance PI has a long history of being the fan-favorite, light-weight glider in the industry. This third iteration is the culmination of many years of experience and it’s the most diverse version yet. It stands to satisfy the most discerning hike-and-fly pilots. The mini wing crowd will also be satisfied, as always, with the PI series. The Pi 3 is the ultimate for multi-function fun in the smallest package yet. The PI 3 is the world’s first paraglider to have Edelrid Pro Dry lines. Pro Dry is a further development of the very well-established 8000 Aramid line and has 60% higher water repellency. The line is extremely stable in length and demonstrates above average resistance to failure after extensive use. It comes in 6 sizes from 16 to 27 meters which are from 1.85 kg to 3.15 kg glider weight. This serves pilots with total flying weights from 50 to 125 kg. The 16 certifies as an EN-C while all of the other sizes have an EN-A or EN-B rating depending on the weight. It is available in two colors through Super Fly Inc. - www.superflyinc.com, service@ superflyinc.com, and 801-255-9595, or your local dealer.

ADVANCE LOFT JACKET LIGHT The eye-catching Loft Jacket has a small pack size, is super easy to care for, and will keep pilots warm in all conditions.

The Loft Light is wind- and water-repellent outer layer good for most weather.

It comes in two colors: grey/lime (S-XXL) and blue/turquoise (XS-XL). It has hand gaiters with a thumb cut-out which makes it perfect for flying. It’s $210 through Super Fly Inc. - www.superflyinc.com, service@superflyinc.com, and 801-255-9595, or your local dealer.

NOVA BANTAM The Bantam and its cousin the Nova Doubleskin have become fan favorites seemingly overnight.

The Bantam rose to the top via the Dolomitenmann hike-and-fly competition in which Chrigel Maurer has flown the Bantam to the podium again and again. In the most recent Dolomitenmann, the entire top 10 flew the Bantam. Meanwhile, student pilots have used the Bantam to refine their kiting skills and discerning hike-and-fly pilots along with high-wind enthusiasts have loved the diversity of the Bantam. It comes in sizes 10, 12, and 14 and the biggest sizes carry EN-D certification. With a weight of 1.6 kg, the Bantam series is the ultimate tool for those that value light weight, ease of use, speed, glide, a smooth ride, and security. It’s available through Super Fly Inc. - www.superflyinc.com, service@ superflyinc.com, and 801-255-9595, or your local dealer.

USHPA PILOT 9

GIN SPEEDRIDE HARNESS 4 The Gin Speedride 4 is the greatest Speedride yet. It’s known in the industry for its many unique features. At the top of the list, the removable airbag gives speedriding and speedflying pilots what they need for the occasion. It is extremely durable and has a protective airbag that can be zipped off to reveal a speedriding harness suitable for riding a chairlift. There are zero compromises in both modes, the harness looks perfectly at home on snow or in summer. Pilots have always wanted a harness to beat all and the Speedride does not disappoint. It has speed system pulleys and reserve bridle routing to the shoulders while still being reversible. It is form-fitting and comfortable in backpack mode. There are provisions for skis and an ice axe. It is a one-size-only harness that fits most pilots. It’s available through Super Fly Inc. - www.superflyinc.com, service@ superflyinc.com, and 801-255-9595, or your local dealer.

FLYMASTER RETRIEVE SYSTEM The Flymaster Retrieve System is a web platform, within the Flymaster live tracking service which, working in conjunction with the Telegram mobile application, allows event organizers and group owners to track their pilots in real time, as well as do all the management of retrievals. It is extremely easy to use for organizers, pilots, and retrieve vehicles. This intuitive and easy to use system is a must for anyone running a competition. For FLYMASTER-USA more details, contact Jugdeep at jugdeep@flymasterusa.com.

Accident Review Committee

[ Analysis by > CHRIS SANTACROCE and JERRY KELLER ]

Paragliding and hang gliding accident reports.

Summer and fall of 2020 brought the usual variety of reported accidents.

We currently sit at 85 reported accidents (64 paragliding and 21 hang gliding) for the year, which we know is far lower than the actual total number of accidents and incidents that occurred.

As a result of the pandemic, we also know we have had fewer flight hours this year than previously.

We appreciate the reports that were filed and continue to encourage pilots to submit reports even if they are filed months after the event. We try to follow up and interview each person who filed an incident report. The information from interviews helps us understand the details for each accident and hopefully spot trends or common errors we can share with the flying community.

Notable trends during the time period above include mid-airs, low maneuvering, blown launches and landings, and training hill injuries.

Mid-airs The usual crowded ridge soaring sites were the locations of the majority of mid-airs. Generally, the pilots were challenged with poor visibility and had a lack of traffic aware-

ness. It is notable that the reported mid-airs occurred among all experience levels ranging from new students to P3 and P4 pilots with decades of experience. Crowding was not actually a factor in some cases. Mid-airs appear to be just as frequent when there are only a few pilots flying. This serves as a good reminder for pilots to continuously look all around throughout their flight. One good exercise is to count the number of pilots flying. If you are unable to count because there are so many, it is often advisable to fly elsewhere or land.

Low Maneuvers Both pilots with as much as 20 years experience and pilots in the first month of flying found themselves in trouble by making low turns. Reasons for these turns varied from wanting to catch an elusive thermal to a pilot daring to do a first 360 when not high enough. During the season, we had regular reports of incidents resulting from these types of lapses in judgment. In cases where there were trees, the pilots often escaped unscathed; in places with no trees, the injuries were sometimes serious. Whether we are fledglings

or veterans, a last-minute decision is usually a bad decision. The decision to do a circle is a life choice, and all pilots would do well to seriously consider their situation before attempting them. The smaller the hill (less altitude) and the greater the wind, the less appropriate it is to circle.

Blown Launches and Landings

Even with the lower flight time of 2020, there have been several takeoff and landing accidents, some resulting in injuries. This phase of flight continues to be our highest accident category.

Misreading the conditions, attempting to launch or land with poor skills, and flying beyond one’s capabilities are typical reasons for these incidents.

Before each flight, you need to make safe decisions about the site, the conditions, and your capabilities. You should always be prepared to pack up if conditions are not good for you and your ability. We all know there is some pressure to fly especially after all the preparations to get to launch, but we cannot let that pressure keep us from making safe decisions. In this sport, there is no shame in calling it and packing up. Strong launch and landing

skills in various conditions are needed in preventing these types of accidents. Practice these skills as much as possible. If you’re not sure how to get started, connect with an instructor and get out to the training hill.

Training Hill

There were a handful of reported training hill injuries for pilots in their first few days of flying.

Incidents ranged from wrist injuries to ankle injuries with very few that were more serious. This low incident rate speaks to the thoughtfulness of most instructors. It also highlights that instructors and students alike should aim toward conducting operations when there is a slight breeze as wind

› A paragliding student who couldn’t get comfortable in the harness after takeoff managed to dislodge their reserve. When it subsequently fell out at low altitude, the pilot suffered some injuries requiring medical attention.

Time spent hanging in a simulator is always worthwhile. Pilots should be able to transition from running mode to comfortable flying mode without losing contact with the brakes. That means that the harness will need to be precisely adjusted and, in many cases, the use of a kick in strap (aka stirrup) should be considered. › Despite strong conditions and recommendations not to fly, a paraglider took off anyway and navigated

transition to down tubes, round out, and flare timing are critical, but as you carry extra speed from approach you may need some delay to let the speed bleed before initiating your flare (push up). If you misjudge this early you will balloon. In most cases, once you have flared you should never take it back by pulling in—there is just not enough altitude to get it flying and leveled off again. › An H3 pilot was flying a mountain site for the second time that day.

Conditions were hot and light, and the pilot had a weak run and stalled the glider during launch causing a wing to drop and ground loop into the bushes.

Fortunately, the pilot was not injured.

󲢫 When our peers discourage us from flying, we should take it to heart.

Paragliders are the second slowest aircraft in the world next to a hot air balloon, and they don’t fly at all when they enter rotored air. 󲢻 tends to lower the speeds at which students travel—low wind, lack of experience, and bad luck can combine to put a beginner in a challenging situation.

Also, when students spend time in a simulator they tend to perform better on the training hill, so simulators are naturally very valuable.

We are aware that readers appreciate detailed reports. We apologize for not providing more of them. With more time and the help of our new volunteer, we will hopefully be able to provide detailed reports a little more regularly.

In the meantime, here are some individual accidents and incidents which can teach us some valuable lessons: › A pilot who chose to fly alone and didn’t own an emergency locator DID make a call before flying to a person who was supposed to start searching if the pilot didn’t check in at sunset.

This proved to be super important as the pilot suffered a concussion and an injury during launch, and wouldn’t have been found otherwise.

10 US H PA P I LOT

poorly such that the pilot was blown into the rotor. The pilot was extremely low and suffered some low deflations, followed by a landing that resulted in nerve damage. When our peers discourage us from flying, we should take it to heart. Paragliders are the second slowest aircraft in the world next to a hot air balloon, and they don’t fly at all when they enter rotored air (though they may remain inflated). We enjoy so many benefits from portability to ease of use to exceptional climbing, but we have to embrace the downside including extremely low top speed. › A low-airtime hang glider pilot encountered turbulence during final approach and allowed the glider to balloon up during the round out to flare. The pilot subsequently pulled in and could not flare the glider. The pilot impacted the ground resulting in a broken arm. We all have heard that speed is our friend on approach. This is true, especially when encountering turbulence, as the glider has a better margin above stall and better maneuverability when it has speed. Hand

The pilot may have had some fatigue due to hot conditions and this being their second launch of the day. Hot and light conditions on launch can be tricky. You need a very strong run to get to safe flying speed. Correct pitch attitude is also key. You cannot force a takeoff if the glider is not flying yet. › A rigid wing pilot was flying a cliff launch site. Conditions were straight in, but wind was decreasing to around 5 mph; previous launches the day before were in stronger wind, at around 10-15 mph. This lighter wind led to the pilot misjudging their launch technique—the pilot launched with few steps as if it were a stronger wind and stalled. The glider dropped and hit the trees just below launch. Fortunately, the pilot was not hurt, but the glider was damaged. As pilots, we need to constantly evaluate the wind, especially just prior to launch. We need to have a plan on how to safely launch for the given conditions. When the winds are light, we need a stronger launch with sufficient forward speed to get the glider flying as we leave the ramp.

USH PA PILOT 11

Finding Lift

[ Executive Director, USHPA > MARTIN PALMAZ ]

Virtual board meetings Dear Membership: Each year, USHPA aims to hold at least one in-person meeting to give directors, committee chairs, and members the chance to meet face-to-face, collaborate, and even fly together at a local site. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic prevented us from hosting an in-person meeting in 2020. As a result, we pivoted to holding our first-ever entirely virtual annual board meeting. Over Interested in the two-day event, we aimed to promote a more active collaboration between directors and commitrole supporting tee members and to give USHPA members an our national opportunity to attend each session, ask quesorganization? tions, and learn about everything going on at USHPA needs you! USHPA. For an overview of topics discussed Have a skill or and decisions made during the 2020 annual interest and some meeting, please see page 4 or the meeting mintime available? utes at www.ushpa.org/member/board-minutes (log in to view).

VOLUNTEER! In this column, I will focus on our efforts ushpa.org/volunteer to actively increase member engagement in ongoing board meetings. As we improve transparency, communications, and member engagement, USHPA has already been holding AIRS monthly remote board meetings, which have been open to members since September 2019.

Accident/Incident We also broadcast the general session of our Reporting System last in-person meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, held in October 2019. Though memis standing by at bers have always been invited to attend board meetings in person, 2020 was the first time we airs.ushpa.org made the entire multi-day annual meeting accessible for remote viewing. We were pleased If you've been injured or to see 70 members register (many for multiple experienced a close call, file a report today. meetings), and 39 attended either the general session or at least one committee meeting.

The meeting format was similar for both the All AIRS reports are completely confidential. general session on Friday and the individual committee meetings on Saturday. USHPA directors and committee chairs presented on Do you have questions topics from safety to site preservation to insurabout USHPA policies, ance. Attending members could submit quesprograms, or other tions via a Q&A box throughout the meeting, areas? Email us at: and we did our best to answer each question. communications@ While we can always make improvements, ushpa.org attending members’ feedback was mostly posLet us know what itive. Members commented in an anonymous questions or topics post-meeting survey that the meeting was you’d like to hear more very informative, useful, more transparent about! and accessible than previous meetings, and

easily followed and understood. We will also consider members’ suggestions for future meetings, including emailing the meeting agenda to all registered attendees, briefly explaining a committee’s purpose at the beginning of each committee meeting, and providing more detailed committee reports during the meeting.

We are exploring ways to broadcast future in-person meetings to enhance member attendance. Though broadcasting virtual meetings is relatively straightforward, we still need to work out logistical and technological details to broadcast in-person, simultaneous committee meetings with uninterrupted streaming and clear sound quality. We recognize the importance of member participation and plan to continue offering members access to annual board and committee meetings whenever possible.

As always, all USHPA members are invited to attend our monthly remote board meetings.

You can find upcoming meeting dates and the registration link on the USHPA website: www. ushpa.org/page/monthly-board-meeting.

In other news, the board will complete its transition to 10 directors in January, and USHPA’s Strategic Planning Committee is finalizing plans for a revised committee structure and improved workflow to engage committee members better and streamline the development of new projects and programs. Once these changes are implemented, I hope you’ll consider volunteering in some capacity to help USHPA enact the changes you wish to see.

We will hopefully hold our next in-person meeting in November 2021 in Southern California. We plan for the meeting to include a fly-in, and I invite you to attend.

We are looking forward to making progress on long-held goals, continuing to seek improvements, and increasing collaboration and engagement with USHPA members over the course of this year. We are also excited to work more with members like you to preserve and promote our sports and to lead an organization that you’re proud to be a part of.

- Blue skies, Martin Palmaz Executive Director, USHPA

Patience in Progression Slow and steady wins the race

by TOVA GOLDSTEIN “Big smiles ... we love big smiles.”

T

hat’s what I was told when I got to the hill at Point of the Mountain on day one of paragliding lessons. I can do that!

In October 2018, during my senior year of college, I scored an internship in Salt Lake City, Utah. After a long cross country drive from Philadelphia with my sister, we pulled up to my Airbnb, which happened to be a few houses down from the North Side Point of the Mountain Flight Park in Draper, Utah. That night, as I watched the pilots dot the sky, soaring the ridge as the setting sun cast its warm glow on the towering mountains and the valley sprawling below, I instantly knew I needed to try it. I wanted to be up there.

My internship was a short and sweet three months, and after finishing up, I drove back East to finish school and then do some traveling. I applied to various jobs all over the country, but I 12 US H PA P I LOT

had my heart set on Utah. Memories of those magical nights at the Point of the Mountain were burned into my conscience—a feeling and presence I couldn’t shake.

After receiving a job offer in Salt Lake, I didn’t hesitate—I knew that this was the place for me and the direction I wanted to go. I packed up and headed back to SLC. My dad brought up the idea of leaving my car in Pennsylvania, just in case I changed my mind about living in Utah, but deep down, I knew there was no turning back.

I moved into a house full of pilots, and soon a memory and a dream slowly turned into a reality. Listening to my new friends talk about flying and watching them soar above the North Side stoked my fire even further. In April 2019, I did my first tandem with Super Fly Paragliding. Being up there, experiencing the motion of flying, feeling the cool spring air wash over me, and drifting over the mountains

was truly indescribable. To no one's surprise, I started taking lessons with Super Fly Paragliding shortly after. It was time to turn a long-held dream into a reality.

For me, learning to paraglide was challenging and, at times, frustrating.

We spent so much time ground handling instead of flying that I would often get frustrated and question whether it was worth it. It took me close to a month just to learn how to pull the wing up properly. I’ve always been a slow learner, but this was a whole new, incredibly humbling level.

I would see new students in the air within a few days and get super jealous, wondering why I wasn’t having the same success. Eventually, with enough time and patience, I had my first flight off the top of the South Side. There was nothing in this world that could wipe the smile off my face.

It’s been over a year since I earned my P2, and I honestly couldn’t be more proud of my progression. Yes,

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it’s been slow, and, at times, it still feels like I should be doing more and advancing quicker—watching newer pilots progress quicker than me can still be frustrating. However, my learning process has been incredibly rewarding, and I am thankful for the people and the community who have always supported me. I have gained a love for kiting, the activity that initially caused me so much grief and frustration. All the countless hours on the ground kiting has helped me feel safe and comfortable while flying and more prepared overall. As a result, I am now progressing and stepping out of my comfort zone.

This past July, I flew my first two mountain sites, Monroe Peak in Richfield, Utah, and Jupiter Peak in Park City, Utah, one week after each other.

My heart was pounding for both flights, but I nailed them with poise because I trusted my progression and my abilities and drew confidence from the community around me and their encouragement.

Monroe was first—I visited for the annual Pioneer Days Fly-in. There wasn’t a ton of wind, so my only option was to do a forward launch. Having not done too many forwards at a launch where the edge of the mountain drops off fairly abruptly, I was a bit nervous. This was my first ever mountain launch, and there was little

ABOVE Took a minute to snap a selfie while flying off Cove in Monroe, Utah. BELOW Tova flying Jupiter Peak, Park City, Utah. Photo by Tyler Burns. OPPOSITE Tova launching Jupiter Peak, Park City, Utah. Photo by Tyler Burns.

room for error. One of the hosts of the fly-in, Stacy, helped fluff my wing and make sure everything was in check so I could nail the inflation. And I did!

Listening to everyone cheering for me as the ground fell away and I successfully launched my first mountain site is a moment I’ll be proud of for a long, long time. My smile lit up the sky. The air was fairly turbulent, and I was a little anxious, but I leaned on

the hours of kiting and trusted my progression, and, for the most part, I felt comfortable. When my feet touched back down on the ground in the LZ, I jumped in the air with joy. I ran over to a group of my friends who were equally as stoked for me. They had been with me up to this moment, helping me learn and grow. It was a wonderful moment, being able to share this experience with them.

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Still buzzing from my recent success at Monroe, I offered to help out with a retrieve for some friends launching from Jupiter Peak the following week.

They suggested I bring my wing and do a sledder before they set off on their cross country adventure. The launch was steep, but I was able to do a reverse inflation, which, for me, feels more comfortable than a forward inflation. It took a few tries, but I was able to inflate and launch on the third attempt. Everyone was so kind, offering tips and re-fluffing my wing. I felt safe and supported and encouraged. One of my good friends happened to be there, and she offered to coach me on radio. I knew I could do it by myself, but it was comforting listening to her pleasant voice walking me through the process. The launch went well, the air was smooth, and soon I was soaring off my second mountain site. I’m thrilled by such a massive breakthrough, and more importantly, I’m happy that I did it on my terms when it felt right for me. I’m so thankful for my friends who talked me through the launch and helped me put these moments together.

Even as I write this, I’ve reached another milestone and continue to gradually grow in my flying. I’ve become more comfortable with my forward launches, flown several more mountain sites, broken through mental barriers, and have continued to learn as much as I can kiting, even earning the nickname “Kiting Queen.”

Clearly, I have so much more potential, and I am happy and excited to continue my progression, leaning on the community around me for support and guidance. Experienced pilots’ willingness to share stories and offer help is something I will always value.

I owe much of my growth to the time, energy, and encouragement they have shared, and I can’t thank my community enough for cheering me on as I progressed this summer.

ABOVE Tova flying at the North Side Point of the Mountain. Photo by Jordan Newton. OPPOSITE At the South Side Point of the Mountain, practicing my endless hours of kiting! Photo by Fred Block.

I

t’s hard to describe the feeling of turning an old dream into a reality.

Looking back at all that I’ve learned since that first night at the Point, gazing up into the sky and watching the pilots drifting about, to now, I am humbled and profoundly thankful.

Paragliding has taught me so much on and off the hill. I’ve learned to be patient and accept that things aren’t always going to be pretty or perfect or as good as I want them to be. I’ve learned to be confident, trust myself

and my decisions, and believe in the time and the work that I’ve put into becoming a pilot. I’ve learned to confront fear and tackle insecurities, leaning on my experiences and community to grow and develop. But most importantly, I’ve learned to smile, and smile big, because nothing can top the feeling of the wind beneath your wing and the air under your feet.

And because here, at the Point of the Mountain, we all love big smiles.

Winter Blues

[ contributed by HONZA REJMANEK ]

Originally published in Cross Country Magazine.

It happens every winter. Certain members of your paragliding club migrate. They do this to ensure that for them, at high noon, the sun will shine strong from high overhead and produce potent thermals. This only adds to your depression brought on by short days and rainy or snowy weekends. Is a sled ride or the occasional slope soaring flight the best you can hope for? Is there any chance of thermal flying around the times of the winter solstice?

To answer this, we need to review some basic theory.

Two factors play a role in how fast a thermal will rise. The first is the heating rate of the surface. Surface heating results from the intensity of solar radiation that the particular surface is receiving and from the characteristics of that surface. The same intensity of solar radiation striking snow-covered ground will lead to a lot less heating than if it were

WE AT HER

󲢫 To add to the frustration of a low sun angle, a long path length, and short days, pilots at high latitudes have to often contend with a surface that is not very amenable to heating. 󲢻

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striking dry dirt.

The second factor that influences the ascent rate of a thermal is the actual vertical distance it is allowed to rise. This is referred to as convective boundary layer depth. Within the convective boundary layer, the air will cool at a rate close to 1oC per 100 meters of ascent. A rising thermal cools at this rate as well. Given the initial buoyancy attained at the surface, the thermal remains buoyant as it rises through this layer. Thus a thermal formed under weak surface heating conditions can still be strong enough to sustain soaring flight if this layer is deep. This is because the thermal is able to accelerate upwards for some time and is not being halted too early by a stable layer.

We all know wintertime sun feels weaker. Its rays reach us from an angle that is closer to the horizon. Over flat ground, this certainly leads to less heating per unit area. As pilots,

we have an almost intuitive sense for looking for lift on slopes facing most directly into the sun. In the northern hemisphere, a south face would be the place to fly if one was aspiring to find any thermals.

Table 1 shows why your chances of thermalling on or near the winter solstice quickly diminish with increasing latitude. While subtropical areas boast year-round thermals, latitudes pole-ward of 45o will only present a rare thermalling opportunity around the winter solstice. Several factors are responsible.

A steep face oriented toward the low winter sun is not enough. This is because of what is referred to as path length. Though the sun’s rays might strike perpendicular to a face, they will still have had to pass through at least twice as much atmosphere.

At the Arctic Circle, 66.5o N, on December 21 the sun has to pass through 38 times as much atmosphere as it would if it were directly overhead. A south-facing vertical cliff would still not receive much heating. As path length increases, it is increasingly important to have cloud-free and pollutant-free skies. The other issue that comes into play is that days get increasingly shorter at the winter solstice as one nears 66.5o after which one enters a depressing region where the sun does not appear all day.

To add to the frustration of a low sun angle, a long path length, and short days, pilots at high latitudes have to often contend with a surface that is not very amenable to heating.

This could be because it is snow-covered or wet. In this case, hoping for a thermal flight can be truly desperate.

If, however, your latitude is equator-ward of 45o, then some hope of a thermal flight remains. Nonetheless, several factors have to transpire in your favor. Your sunny face has to be large enough to create usable thermals.

Ideally, it is well-drained so the top layer dries quickly. Dense trees can work as their branches tend to dry fairly quickly. The air needs to be clean, and if any clouds are present, they should not be shading the area in front of launch. Most importantly, the temperature of the atmosphere needs to be cooling quickly with height. This is the case when cooler air is

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moving in aloft. Convection is a push-pull scenario meaning you can heat from the bottom, cool from the top, or both.

In winter, cooling from above as colder air blows in at higher levels might be the best way to create thermals. Only if all this transpires in your favor then there might be some thermalling to be had during the shortest days of winter. The availability of a nearby sounding can be of great help when deciding if the atmosphere is cooling quickly enough with height. If there is no nearby sounding available then a day after a front has passed might be a good day to consider going winter thermalling, unless it is too windy.

If migrating south is not an option for you this winter, then finding a large south face on a light wind post-frontal day is probably the next best thing. Remember, on days that cool air is moving in aloft, the air really wants to rise despite minimal heating.

TABLE Winter solstice, maximum surface heating in W/m2, at high noon under clear skies. Path length is considered in the calculations.

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ZERO to SIXTY

Navigating the ups, downs, twists, and pitfalls of rapid progression

T

he end of my third year of paragliding is fast approaching.

Reflecting on the last three years, I am aware that not many pilots have made a progression like I have, for better or worse.

In 2017, Kelly Keller of MaxRoc in Portland, Oregon, was my first instructor—he set the foundation for me. Kelly was a no-nonsense person, drinking Red Bulls and smoking Marlboro Reds.

He wouldn’t hesitate to tell someone they shouldn’t learn to fly. Early on, I felt he was close to telling me that.

My first reverse launch, I could barely figure out which way to turn, and in my flailing moment, I smacked him in the face with my helmet, knocking off his hat and sunglasses. Had he been smoking a cigarette at the time, it

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by CHRIS GARCIA certainly would have meant my days as his student were numbered. Despite my initial struggles, I made it through my time with Keller, and he sent me off with my P2 and my first glider, a NOVA Mentor 3.

At Woodrat in southwestern Oregon, the prime flying for new pilots is in the early morning hours. I would get in as many sled rides as I could each day off of mid-launch along with the occasional top launch. I was sometimes able to do 8-10 in a day before the infamous site would “turn on.” Those first few months of being a P2 were tough.

Though it seemed like not many folks were excited to have me around (looking back I think they were worried about me), I kept getting invited along because I was always willing to listen

to advice and drive the car down if conditions didn’t suit me—which happened more than you might think.

It wasn’t until I met Dilan Benedetti in the fall of 2017 when I took his SIV course with Let Fly Paragliding that I began to realize the full scope of paragliding, a realization which drastically changed my life trajectory. After the course, on Benedetti’s advice, I traveled to and spent six weeks paragliding in Nepal. Not only did that trip help me improve my flying skills, but it’s also where I met Logan Walters, the friend and wingman with whom I have shared more kilometers and airtime than any other pilot.

Logan also introduced me to the Santa Barbara Soaring Association.

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After my six weeks in Nepal, I spent two months of 2018 living out of my truck on Logan’s ranch in Carpinteria, California. Since I wasn’t working, I volunteered my time retrieving XC pilots. I gained a lot of knowledge (and a few free dinners). I also routinely found myself in the driver’s seat of the Eagle Van, a community van in Santa Barbara sponsored by Eagle Paragliding. It cost $5 for a ride to launch, and we could fit as many as 25 pilots with wings in that rig! As I didn’t have much money, but was rich in time, I offered to pick the van up on many days and drive it back down, ensuring I got a free ride to the top. Through driving the van, I flew every day and slowly got to know the locals.

Though I have many pilots and lifelong friends who deserve mention, there are two I met in Santa Barbara who influenced my flying career more than others: Mitch Riley and Andrew Byron.

Mitch was the lead instructor at Eagle Paragliding, a former U.S. National Champion, Red Bull X-Alps competitor,

󲢫 The smoke from forest fires got bad in the Rogue River Valley, and I soon had to bag the wing. After three weeks of no flying, I was desperate. 󲢻 and PWC-level pilot. He became a good friend and mentor. His influence changed my progression and how I assess myself as a pilot. Mitch exuded dedication—dedication to training and improving skills, to focusing on the mental game, and to being a valuable community member. His commitment to his craft and the community is by far the most inspiring attribute I have seen in any pilot.

Similarly, Andrew Byron already had a fantastic work ethic before he started flying that he applied to paragliding. Those of you who have visited Santa Barbara know Andrew as the cool, calm, and collected pilot with a smile on his face, who is always willing to share his knowledge and his stoke.

He and I quickly became friends once I moved to Santa Barbara. On any given day, Andrew was out ground handling

in strong or light wind, practicing side hill landings at the training hill, or ridge soaring—things that, to this day, I have to force myself to do. While I was taking sledder after sledder, Andrew was working on skills that invariably made him one of the most consistent pilots in the area.

Back in Oregon in the summer of 2018, still chugging along on my Mentor 3, I began to see some serious progress.

Flying midday at Woodrat became a regular thing for me. I would bail out of my job as a river ops manager any chance I could. My “lunch break” routinely turned into a three-hour journey.

However, the smoke from forest fires got bad in the Rogue River Valley that summer, and I soon had to bag the wing. After three weeks of no flying, I was desperate. I called up Logan and

ABOVE Pilot Chris Garcia cruising at 14,000 feet over the Ord Mountains; you have to fly over this desolate landscape before reaching Interstate 40. From there the route continues to I­­-15 towards Baker or northeast over the Kelso Dunes and the heart of the Mojave Desert. Photo by Bernie Nowel. OPPOSITE Chris Garcia launching the Bypass in Santa Barbara. When cloudbase is low or Skyport is over the back (OTB) we launch here.

booked a quick two-day trip to Santa Barbara, just to fly. When I arrived at the airport, Logan picked me up in the Eagle Van. On our way to East Beach to get the rest of the crew, Logan told me that Rob Sporrer, the owner of Eagle, was looking for a shop manager. Logan had told Rob that he “might know a guy” and now sat there convincing me to send my resume to Rob. A week later, back home, I finally mustered up the courage to send Rob an email—he responded right away. By the end of August, I had sent my resignation letter into the river operation I was currently working for and took a leap of faith by joining the Eagle team (Rob and I still hadn’t met in person). I packed up and headed off to Skyport, Santa Barbara’s premiere launch site.

Located at 2,900 feet and protected from north winds, it is the most consistent

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LEFT Author on his first glider, the Nova Mentor 3, lauching from Woodrat.

ABOVE Author and Reavis Sutphin-Gray standing on Ophir Pass in NV. Photo by Kim Kirch. BELOW Jason Lombard, Author, Casey Bedell, Robert Pugsley, Neal Michaelis, and Kiwi hanging out at HQ after Task 1 of the 2019 Pre-PWC in Santiago, Chile.

OPPOSITE TOP Pilots in Santa Barbara are fortunate enough in to have a lot of LZ's along XC routes. Photo by Jason Lombard. OPPOSITE BOTTOM Chris Garcia on final for Ventura, CA. This was the authors second flight from Skyport to Ventura and he got to share it with with Andrew Byron. Photo by Andrew Byron.

launch in Santa Barbara.

Committing to living in Santa Barbara full time was like adding five shots of espresso into my progression—it was eat, sleep, and breathe paragliding. I took my instructor clinic, got my P4-rating, got my T1-rating, and began chasing flying more seriously than I could have imagined. After another SIV with my new Niviuk Artik 5 and another trip to Nepal, I went to Colombia where I

saw more kilometers and hours that winter season than many pilots see in three years of flying. Fast-tracked by my choices, I was still trying to stay humble and listen to my intuitions and my mentors.

Being a part of the Eagle team and becoming close with Mitch changed things for me. My work days at Eagle looked something like this: wake up

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at 5 a.m., check emails and correspond with our distributors, handle shipping, and tackle more emails, phone calls, and scheduling, all until it was time to fly. (Sorry if you happened to call and I didn’t pick up, I was probably out flying.) I’d get back from the day’s flight and go back to work: emails, shipping, more emails, and voicemails. The day usually ended with driving out to Logan’s ranch for a beer. I had a job and a boss who allowed me to keep pursuing my passion. As long as I got the job done, Rob was always willing to let me fly. I owe a lot to Rob Sporrer; he has been my boss, mentor, and friend.

When I wasn’t working, I spent days in the car that summer chasing Mitch and other pilots around the Mojave after having bombed out along the course line. I learned a ton and got to spend more time than I’d like to admit with Fast Eddy, the infamous SoCal legend. Fast Eddy will call you out, make fun of you, give you advice you don’t want, and give you advice you should take. But he will always be there to pick you up and be your friend, so long as you are packed up by the time he arrives for retrieve.

Things were starting to heat up in Santa Barbara with paragliding, and the competitiveness among pilots in 2019 was a bit overwhelming. The SB Hoedown was a monthly task and friendly competition put on by Aaron LaPlante that was originally intended to teach pilots how to fly tasks. It was never meant to be a cutthroat competition, but, of course, some took it way too seriously. Pilots at all levels were stepping up quickly and getting hotter gliders. All the rules were thrown out the window (at least all the rules that we regularly heard from mentors, podcasts, and anyone with a brain in this sport).

I, too, increasingly and unnecessarily put pressure on myself to keep up with others, mainly Logan and Andrew. I wasn’t trying to be as good as them, but as some of my closest

pilot friends, I wanted to be able to fly together and keep up. And all their rigorous training started to sink in, while I fell behind.

Chasing my ego in an effort to keep up, I began competing, which made a stark difference in how I was flying

On a low cloudbase day, Andrew Byron, Logan Walters, and Chris Garcia went OTB from Bates. Logan made Ventura, but Andrew and Chris came up just short and had a hike-and-relaunch in the middle somewhere! It felt like flying in Jurassic Park that day. Cloudbase was at 1,000 feet. Photo by Chris Garcia.

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and where I stacked up among my local group. In 2019, I competed in the Applegate Open Sprint, Pemberton Canadian Nationals, and the Chilean PrePWC. Somewhere between finishing sixth in the AO Sprint and dead last in Pemberton, I fell over the metaphorical handlebars. I hated paragliding, I

hated myself, and I was not a joy to be around. I had put so much pressure on myself to be better, for no good reason.

I assumed that I would be good at paragliding because I was flying all the time. That was not the case, and I had to learn that the hard way.

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After Pemberton and some blown 100 mile days in the desert, I found myself flying tense and not wanting to be in the air. I was scared. Back home in Santa Barbara, I would still go to the flight park and launch because I wanted to stay current, but I would glide straight out

to the beach and not even attempt to turn. For about six weeks that was my new normal. There wasn’t an event or anything that happened. I didn’t have a close call that made me feel scared or uncomfortable. I was just plain scared.

That August, I started to see a therapist specializing in sports psychology; we

primarily talked about paragliding. Through our discussions, she helped me learn to “go with the flow.” I saw her once a week, and by September, I felt like I was getting my mojo back. I became one of only a handful of paraglider pilots to fly from Skyport to Ventura, and that flight helped me gain a little more confidence.

Sometime in October, I got

an opportunity to demo a UP Meru 2-liner. I had done a little research on 2-liners and knew they were the ultimate flying machines, especially for big distance and racing. A friend suggested I give it a go, and since I had a little over 250 hours on the Artik 5 at this point, I figured, why not? It took 10 attempts to get that thing overhead at Skyport the

first time I launched it.

Though I liked the wing, I was still a bit nervous about purchasing one.

After a flight from Chief’s Peak in Ojai Valley, flying west over Casitas Pass with Logan and Casey Bedell, I decided to hang onto the wing and fly it in a comp down in Chile. I put 15 hours on that Meru before I left for Chile, and during the comp, I set my PR for distance and time, 6 hours 35 minutes in the air and a 111 kilometer task. I spent over an hour in the start gaggle that day, landed to adjust my harness, and relaunched with seven minutes to start time and ended up making goal.

That trip to Chile was the ultimate high and the ultimate low of my life.

My friend and roommate for the trip, Casey Bedell, tragically passed away on Thanksgiving. He was the second one of my friends to recently pass doing this sport we all love. Casey’s passing did give me pause, and I withheld from flying the rest of the trip. When I returned home, the custom Meru I had ordered before departing for Chile had arrived, and I quickly found myself back in the sky.

On my second flight on the new

ABOVE Pilot Chris Garcia on glide from the "fishbowl" in Santa Barbara eastbound to Montecito Peak. Photo

by Chris Heckman. BELOW High and out front on a magical cloud flying day in Santa Barbara. The day was edging toward overdevelopment.

Meru, I launched north from Upper EJ Bowl in very marginal conditions. EJ is located above Skyport at 3,700 feet and is flyable in east and south winds, but also sometimes north (over the back).

If you have been to Santa Barbara, you

know that in light winds pilots sometimes launch over the back to come around to the front side. Of all the times I’ve gotten away with launching over the back at EJ, this time I finally got bit.

I was roughly launch-height when I hit turbulence on the spine between Robert's Roost (the ridge between Skyport and EJ) and EJ, and took a large deflation on my right side. The glider surged and spun me 180 to 270 degrees, I caught the surge out in front of me and stalled my glider. When I came back underneath the wing, I had several riser twists and was looking at the sky. At roughly 300 feet above the ground, I went for my reserve. I had a soft landing in the manzanita. After a couple of hours picking gear out of the bushes and a little bit of hiking, I was out of there. It was not lost on me that I was incredibly lucky.

I dwelled on the event for a week or so, mulling over what had happened.

Overcrowding on Skyport led me to decide to launch Upper EJ when I should have been lower down. Poor conditions and lack of SIV training on the Meru both contributed to my

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cascade and reserve toss. Though I had already completed two SIV clinics, if I was going to be flying a D-wing, I needed more. Again, I was comparing myself to my friend Logan. We had been flying for about the same amount of time, but compared to me, he had probably over 100 tows at the lake and had put in a considerable amount of acro training relative to his time flying a paraglider.

Before long, I found myself back on the Meru, and I still felt confident flying the wing, even after that event.

However, I treated it with even more respect than I had already given it. I went to Nepal for a third time, this time for the 19th Nepal Open Championship and the PWC Asian Tour.

Hardly anyone signed up, so I got in with my XX. Logan got in as well. We had some crappy weather, but we both still made two out of three goals. Logan finished 36th, and I finished 52nd overall in the comp. Once again, I fell short behind Logan even though I had done five previous comps and this was his first. This left me asking, what was he doing that I was not? Knowing the answer, we stayed a few extra days in Pokhara, and I got out over the lake for some stalls and spins—it was a great refresher. I started to understand better why Logan was always just one glide ahead of me in this game.

It seems so obvious when I look at it now. Training was the answer. It’s not just about hours in the sky but also training at the things you aren’t good at. It doesn’t matter what wing you fly, where you are in your progression, or where you fly. You have to train yourself in every aspect of this sport. I have been forcing myself to practice my weaker skills including ground handling, using terrain more effectively (when appropriate), practicing maneuvers at the lake, and, most importantly, I am working on patience and flying my own flight.

You can really mess with your brain if you focus on other people rather than yourself. Don’t get caught up in

TOP The start gaggle at the PWC Asian Tour Pokhara 2020 with Machapuchare, one of the most sacred peaks in the Nepali Himalayas. Photo by Ronald Enrique Mendoza. MIDDLE On the second flight ever from a newly found launch on Figueroa Mountain, Mitch and Chris had a fun day in the backcountry behind Santa Barbara. As the line got deeper, I chose to bail on the route and fly back “over the front" to Santa Barbara, 45 km, a line that had never been flown and has yet to be repeated. I held the site record for all of 30 minutes until Mitch reported that he had landed in Santa Paula, 100 km away. Photo by Mitch Riley. BOTTOM Chris Garcia on the second of two back-to-back bomb outs in the Mojave Desert. It was 100 degrees in the shade that day.

comparisons, because that is the killer of all joy. Get outside, go train, and surround yourself with pilots who you want to fly with and aspire to be like.

But find your own path to get there.

Long term, I want to be a pilot who displays a little of the influence of all my mentors.

Short term, I want to be a better pilot than I was yesterday.

A Hang Gliding Memoir Lessons learned > Part 3

by JOHN ARMSTRONG and make a habit of performing hang do so two days in a row. On my second checks! day, I had a flight I will never forget.

I launched the rather intimidating That autumn, a group of us were feelnorth launch (a 1,500-foot, seemingly ing the call of the big air of the Rocky This is my third writeup of some of my near-vertical shale slope) in winds Mountains. Pilot Colin Fay agreed to wonderful free flight experiences in the almost 20 mph straight in requiring a transport our gear to Salt Lake City, big atmosphere above our planet Earth. four-man wire launch.

Utah where we would meet him. Our After a successful launch, I was able I hope you enjoyed the previous two. plan was to fly in the Salt Lake area for to climb high enough that I felt confiI have received feedback from quite several days to acclimate to the thindent enough to fly out over the ocean. a few pilots, some becoming ancient ner air. After meeting up with Colin, About a mile offshore, I decided it was and some just starting out. I do enjoy we drove to the Point of the Mountain, best to turn back and chill in the ridge the comments you have sent my way. set up our hang gliders, and got in lift until it was time to land. However, Thank you all! my anticipated chill flight was abrupt- some flying. That evening I camped ly interrupted. I thought I was the only on the South Side bench—the wind y the spring of 1986, I had been pilot in that vicinity, however, sudden- whipped the tent all night. I got in a flying hang gliders for 10 years short soaring flight the next morning, ly another pilot and I were on a colliand enjoying every minute of it. sion course about 150 feet apart, flying and that afternoon, we drove up to the Though I had numerous memorable straight at each other. I screamed and “Camel” launch, a beautiful 3,000-foot flights in 1986, then on my Comet 165, vertical south-southwest facing site pulled in hard, diving to the left. That the following year I was mostly occunear Provo, Utah. There were no locals pied by my newfound love of windsurf- was one of my scariest moments of with us and out of an abundance of all of my hang gliding flights. We both ing and powered flight training, so I caution, we decided not to fly. We had a made it out unscathed, but I never did only flew my hang glider once in 1987. flat tire to fix anyway. get to meet the other pilot.

In 1988, I found my way back to hang After a few more days in Salt Lake, Unfortunately, on that same flight gliding; my first flight of the year was we drove to the then small mining while I was soaring I noticed people a quick 9-mile XC from Mt. Ascutney, town of Telluride, Colorado for the from the launch point throwing long Vermont to Morningside Flight Park, Airman’s Rendezvous sponsored by the ropes over the steep slope below. I New Hampshire. After climbing to could see a partially opened parachute local Telluride Air Force free flight club.

8,200 feet in a single thermal, I was This trip turned out to be challenging, and a body about half way down the treated to a magnificent view of Mt. and one of the most fun hang gliding shale slope toward the ocean. Later, I Washington, covered in spring snow. events in all the years of my flying learned that “Smiling George”—a local Only a few short months later, I career. As East Coast pilots, we were pilot—had launched unhooked and found myself in Quebec, Canada, used to maxing out around 10,000 feet, perished from the fall. Even though launching Mont-Saint-Pierre. After and had never needed supplemental he had a four-person launch crew, no years of flying and living so close oxygen. We, therefore, didn’t have that one noticed he was not hooked in. to the border, I had not flown over equipment, but we got by without it.

Watch out for your friends on launch Canadian soil until then, and I got to Part 2 was published in the Nov/Dec 2020 issue of USHPA Pilot magazine.

B

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In Telluride, the steep mountain slopes reach up to over 14,000 feet MSL. We arrived at our accommodations (the Fall Line Condo) where we would stay for the next six days. The entire week was full of fun, wild, crazy, wonderful, and exciting hang gliding adventures. Hundreds of pilots from all over the country showed up for this annual fly-in—the town was literally taken over, night and day, by the pilots flying and partying at this premier hang gliding event.

That week we flew a variety of sites including Paradox, Joint Point, and Gold Hill. Paradox is a desert, canyonlands-type site. With my camera strapped to my chest, I flew for an hour in the light thermal conditions. I flew along the cliff edge about 3 miles, to a good landing in the valley. About 50 pilots ventured out to fly this site on the first day.

The next day we flew the Joint Point launch located at one of the trails at the Telluride ski area. After a low save, I managed to climb back to 13,000 feet,

arriving at the “North Wall” looking over toward Ouray. With every bit of land above 10,000 feet draped in a blanket of snow, the views were mesmerizing. I flew west along the ridge top until my sink alarm clicked on as I neared Iron Mountain. I turned back, and as I approached the valley, I was treated to an aerial view of 10 elk running through an alpine meadow.

Flying out in the mountain west truly is something everyone should experience.

The next two days we flew Gold Hill.

The transporter trucks, loaded with pilots and gliders, had to use chains to get up through the snow near the top. Unfortunately, on one of the trips up the steep, rough mountain roads, a truck loaded with about 10 pilots slipped off the edge of the gravel road and rolled. Luckily, most pilots hanging onto the back of the truck successfully jumped off; only one pilot was hurt,

suffering a broken leg.

The trucks couldn’t drive all the way to launch. We had to carry our gear the last 150 yards, walking through 6 inches of new snow. At that high altitude and carrying hang gliders, that was no easy feat—but even still, about 130 pilots flew that day.

Each day, in the late afternoon, the aerobatic competition would take place, which was a sight to see! Most all the recreational pilots would stop flying and make their way to the LZ to watch the comp pilots perform. One at a time, each pilot would take off from the Gold Hill launch, fly out over the valley directly above us and begin their maneuvers. Most had smoke on their gliders to boot! Following the landing of the last pilot, with big cheers and shouts for them, the evening darkness would creep in and the heavy partying would begin. Oh, those were the days, my friends...

Despite the party, the next day we got about 200 pilots in the air off Gold Hill. After a nice, easy launch, I caught

Jim Lee wearing his self-made prototype kevlar harness.

Paradox, Colorado.

a decent thermal that took me to 14,200 feet and then drifted south over the ridgeline of Palmyra Mountain. I could see over the back of the ridge to the small community in the next valley over, where local pilot and meet director Nick Kennedy lived. I turned back toward town, flying over Bridal Veil Falls, and continuing on a tour around the Telluride Valley.

The following day, I began the return trip to Vermont. All around, it was a wonderful flying trip; like usual, these events are some of the most fun to be had. I met many new pilots from all around the country—pilots who, since then, I have met up and flown with on several occasions.

Back in Vermont, I snuck in three more flying days at West Rutland, before winter closed Vermont flights that year. Flying my home site was a great way to cap off my year!

At the beginning of the 1989 season, I ordered a Wills Wing Sport 167 (my fifth hang glider). When it arrived in early spring, I drove to Morningside Flight Park to pick it up. Jeff Nicolay of Morningside Gliders helped me set it up—it was a nice looking ship!

I harnessed up and flew it twice from the 420-foot launch point at the flight park. I had good takeoffs and stand up landings on each lap!

On the second landing I tried to land short by flaring early, but the glider merely climbed about 15 feet before reaching stall speed. I held the bar out and parachuted down to a soft landing. I was impressed at its ability to parachute! Though utilized very infrequently, this skillset has saved me, and others, from otherwise worse landing situations. The glider flew hands off: no turns, good trim speed, with no surprises. Plus it seemed more nimble and sparky in the air compared to my previous Comet. I paid Jeff, packed up, and went home with a big smile on my face.

Back home, I tried to fly it the next day, but was thwarted by a gusty snow 28 US H PA P I LOT

launch. After launching, I flew straight out away from the ramp into 800 fpm lift and gained 3,000 feet in really rough air. I spent most of the flight trying to land in the turbulent air. As I approached the LZ, I came in fast as recommended by the manual for my new glider. Unfortunately, there was a lot of turbulence and I couldn’t take the time to rise onto the down tubes. I was going to smack into the ground so I pushed out, and the glider zoomed up about 30 feet and back into the strong air. I held the bar out and parachuted to the ground (that glider really was a beautiful parachute ship). The glider squall. However, I only needed to wait hit hard on the control bar. I landed a couple of weeks for the weather to on my feet with a lot of impact but improve, when I took my new glider straight down and luckily came away out for a flight on Easter Day at Jake’s unscathed. The flight made me really Mountain. apprehensive about continuing to It was a warm day on launch, but my hang glide. From every angle I looked precaution of dressing warmly paid at it, it was a bad experience. off when I caught a great thermal That summer, when I next had the that took me up into the 37 degree opportunity, I went to Morningside air. For the most part, the glider flew Flight Park for a little practice on the well but took a little getting used to. glider and to get my flying chops back.

Its pitch was wonderful, and it flew It was no wind conditions, and I flew both fast and slow with minimum bar six laps, each time with good takeoffs pressure. However, I felt the roll was and landings which helped improve stiff. It did turn well, it just seemed to my confidence. We all go through ups hesitate to initiate the turn. Thermals and downs in our flying career, and that day were 200 to 800 fpm, and the sometimes it just takes a little time lapse rate was very high resulting in back on the basics to rebuild confia fairly turbulent flight. I even hit my dence and find the fun in free flight head against the down tubes several times—I very rarely do that. My flying again.

The next day, back at Jake’s Mountain, partner that day, Colin, said he went weightless once, hitting his feet against I flew a lovely XC, exploring further the keel, and I went over the falls once west from the mountain than ever before. I returned following US-4 and was which, on a new wing, gave me quite a the last pilot to land at the LZ that day. scare. I had to remind myself that I’d It was the perfect first flight back and done that before and to not worry so much. Despite the rowdy air, the flight solidified my enjoyment of free flight.

I had a few more flights that summer was pretty great, though I could have including a memorable day in late July. done with some smoother conditions.

A group of us were soaring Mt. AscutColin and I soared together through ney, sharing skies, camaraderie, and, the clear blue sky enjoying the views after flying, a few brews in the LZ. Late of frozen and snow-covered lakes. in the afternoon, a paraglider launched My second soaring flight on my new from Brownsville Rock, the original sport glider was a couple of months Mt. Ascutney launch. The pilot soared later. It was a strong day with erratic for about a half hour, got low over us and switchy 15-20 mph winds. I waited in the LZ, but managed a low save and two hours for enough of a lull to

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thermaled up again about 500 feet higher before landing. I’m pretty sure this was the first paraglider flight off Mt. Ascutney—it was certainly the first one I ever saw.

Paragliders were new in the world at this time, especially on the Vermont scene. In the beginning, there was considerable controversy about paragliders using our established launches and sharing our skies. Little did we know that they would eventually surpass us hangies in numbers.

After an interesting summer, a group of my local pilot friends and I traveled to attend the 1989 Telluride Airman’s Rendezvous. We’d had so much fun the previous year, we just had to visit again. In similar fashion to the prior year, Colin Fay drove west with our gear and met us at the Salt Lake City airport. From there, we spent a few days flying the Wasatch to get our high-altitude lungs geared up before driving to Telluride, Colorado.

It didn’t fly the first couple of days of

the event, but the weather sure turned on for the rest of the week. I broke my altitude record three times! My first flight was a dynamic and fun 30-mile triangle around the valley, taking thermals that were occasionally up to 1,500 fpm! Once again, blown away by the air and the views, it was a great welcome back to flying in Telluride. A great day was capped off by the acrobatic competition. Every evening, most of us would congregate in the LZ to watch the pros get crazy and show off their maneuvers.

On my last flight of the event I achieved my all-time altitude record.

Immediately following launch, I found a strong thermal waiting for me—its average climb rate was 1,000 fpm (at times reaching 1,500 fpm), straight up with no drift. I rode that one nice smooth thermal all the way up to 18,500 feet (the usual U.S. legal limit is 18,000 feet but we had an exemption for this event). During the upper portion of the climb I was quite concerned about hypoxia—I wasn’t flying

with oxygen, after all. I kept trying to spell my name backwards and count backwards to check my brain function.

Upon reaching 18,000 feet I stopped circling and flew straight to get out of the thermal but climbed another 500 feet before getting out of the lift. It was a wondrous moment topped off with a stunning view of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains 4,000 feet below me.

I was all alone, 9,650 feet over Telluride—it was completely surreal.

After the Airman’s Rendezvous, I was able to cap out my year with a few more flights back home in Vermont.

N

ow 77 years old, sharing these stories has been an interesting experience. I hope you are finding them useful, amusing, and perhaps a little thought-provoking. There are more where they came from ... stay tuned friends!

My hang gliding story will continue in a future segment.

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In the Heart of

UTAH An intermediate paraglider's introduction to big XC days

by TYLER BURNS

“Breathe” “Relax”

T

he bold words written across the top of my vario remind me, once again, to loosen up the tension in my shoulders and the grip on my C’s. I inhale deeply and shift my gaze, focusing on the horizon. The infant wisp of a growing cloud is only a couple

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of kilometers downwind of me. If I can survive long enough and surf the smaller pockets of rising air, I can make my way back to cloudbase.

The sun is high, roasting the desert landscape that looms uncomfortably close below. Sweating in my down jacket and winter mittens with my foot on the gas, I press on. Suddenly, I feel the

C’s vibrate in my hands. I let off the bar and switch to search mode, hunting for the lift that will result in the delightful beep of my vario. … beep … beep ... beep Moments later, I’m at 17,000 feet, freezing cold but elated, and mashing bar downwind. I’m back in the game.

My partner and I recently moved to Utah in search of more airtime. Although COVID-19 has undoubtedly brought many problems, it has also opened up opportunities. For us, it was the right time to make a move. We had both been flying for a few years but continually found ourselves searching for more. It’s no secret that Utah has some of the most consistent flying conditions in the U.S., so we joined the already large assortment of pilots who call Salt Lake City home. Soon enough, we found ourselves among the niche group of XC pilots who watch the weather like hawks and chase it in the hope of flying big distances.

There is a rich history of free flight in Utah, and with that comes access to many experienced mentors. On any

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given day, you may be sharing a mission and spending time with some of the best pilots in the country. I’ve learned that when they have something to say, it’s best to keep your mouth shut and ears open. It’s like your own personal Cloudbase Mayhem podcast! I’ve even found myself pulling out my phone to take notes on the way to launch.

and hit the road to the most favorable launch. For many sites, the drive can take a couple of hours or more, but time slips by quickly once you get a little coffee in your system and watch the morning sky develop.

Once on launch, we assess whether the current conditions are aligning with the forecast—usually with some

tion that the lift has turned on, we are off the hill and using the light stuff to get warmed up. It’s essential to be patient and stay aloft while waiting for any morning inversions to lift. But once the ceiling busts, it’s time to start making moves. Those who are chasing records (not me) try to get the absolute most out of the day. Pilots who are just

󲢫 More often than not, retrieve drivers are newer pilots paid to chase us in an elaborate human scavenger hunt after a morning flight of their own. 󲢻 The terrain here is magical. With the large-scale features, in a single day of flying you can find yourself soaring over alpine mountaintops, Mars-like deserts, and dusty high plains, all within a few hours. This big terrain also means significant drive time. We often find ourselves in vehicles for hours, depending on the day and how far pilots fly. The fun doesn’t come without a cost—sore butts and cold hard cash are both offered to the retrieve gods!

So, what does a potential big XC day look like in Utah? The sunrise greets us over the Wasatch as we gather at the local carpool spot to discuss the weather forecast. After a quick brainstorm session, we pile into the shuttle vehicles (masks donned in the age of COVID-19)

discussion of our observations and how the day may progress. As the first small cycles start rolling through, the retrieve drivers take to the sky for an early flight—everyone gets to have their kicks! More often than not, retrieve drivers are newer pilots paid to chase us in an elaborate human scavenger hunt after a morning flight of their own. For many, it may be their first time flying somewhere other than their local hill.

As the drivers fly and the cycles start to build, the pilots looking to go XC gear up. We double-check that the O2 systems are functioning, water and snacks are ready and accessible, satellite tracking is on, and everything is in its place to spend all day in the saddle.

If the early pilots show any indica-

looking to fly as far as possible (like me) use the same mentality. The longer you are in the air, the farther you are bound to fly!

If you follow the world record hunters down in Brazil, you know they have team flying dialed. This is not always the case with our merry band of cloud chasers. Perhaps it’s a product of being individualistic Americans in cowboy country or perhaps it’s just the wide range of skill levels and wing classes, but our plans of team flying typically seem to devolve early in the day. It’s certainly something that demands continued practice and discipline. As a gaggle, it is possible to sample more air and move faster, but if you get separated, do not despair! Having much less experience and being on a B-wing, I find LEFT Austin Adesso, Richard Webb, Jeff George, Kellie Bailey.

Austin gives the pilots/ drivers beta on flying from Monroe Peak, UT. OPPOSITE TOP High desert landscape. Eureka, NV. OPPOSITE BOTTOM “Relax...Breathe.” A constant reminder in the cockpit is easier to do at the end of the day in the calm evening air.

Photos by Tyler Burns.

myself alone more often than not and still have clocked in many miles. Just stay high and keep flying.

Sometimes a long XC flight involves flying over unfriendly terrain, a long retrieve, and loads of uncertainty. Flying over mountain ranges between desert plateaus can be a risky and committing game. I’m still trying to piece together my limits on a paraglider. I try hard not to overstep the line while I’m smack dab in the middle of intermediate syndrome. However, if I make the right moves on the right day, I fly farther than I ever thought possible. I’m learning to assess the algorithm of current conditions, predicted conditions, and my headspace and ability to make sound judgment calls. Is it windier than forecasted with a low base? Is there virga dropping from the clouds on the other side? Am I flying well? These are just a few of the questions I take into account before committing.

When the time comes, though, you need to do just that: commit fully and fly your best. The rewards in free flight come from the risks we take, but those risks need to be calculated to give ourselves the best odds. With that in mind, I continuously remind myself that I am the pilot in command and have to call my own shots. Just because a more experienced pilot is flying a particular line doesn’t mean I need to follow them

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blindly. I’ve diverged many times because I didn’t like the look of the clouds, or the wind was too strong for me. At times, I end up with my feet on the ground while my friends fly hundreds of kilometers farther. To keep sane, I simply have to remind myself they are either better pilots or have a different risk tolerance. The way I see it, this is a lifetime game to play, and I have plenty of time to catch up.

I once heard midsummer flying summed up like this: “You have to survive the day to experience that last magical hour.” That last golden hour floating over the desert in light but abundant lift is what we are all after.

After hours of battling a turbulent sky, the respite is welcomed with open arms.

Gear down, lay off the speedbar, and soak it all in. By this time, the kilometers have clicked by, and the desert below is aglow with the dramatic light of the setting sun. All that’s left to do is enjoy your glory glide until you find a good place to land. Once earthbound, it takes me a few minutes to return to normal after my brain has been in high-function mode for hours, but I enjoy that time in the “alien world.” With any luck, your best friend—the retrieve driver—will pull up soon, and you can enjoy lots of high-fives and stories on the journey to pick up your friends.

There are so many lessons I’ve learned in a short time with this group of

pilots. Even if I’ve read many of them in this magazine before, it’s another experience to hear them, live them, and pass them on to others. A few helpful reminders for those looking to break into the XC game: Be prepared. Do your homework and put in time on the basics like forecasting and potential lines.

Surround yourself with better pilots.

Mentorship rarely falls into one’s lap and is worth seeking out.

Be honest with yourself. Fly like the pilot you are and not the one you want to be. With that said, there will come a time when you need to push your limits.

The question you must ask is, are you pushing your limits or someone else’s?

The distance will come. If you stay in the air, the distance will come. It’s not all about going as fast as you can. It’s more important to keep the flight alive and spend a little more time in that low, weak thermal than pushing on and finding yourself on the deck with hours of daylight left on the table.

I

look forward to continued learning among this group of amazing pilots as I navigate through the depths of intermediate syndrome. It’s a special sport we partake in, and I hope to do it for a long time.

Fly high, fly far. See you out there!

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ABOVE LEFT Arash Farhang gets prepped to launch while Austin Adesso gets warmed up in the air. Monroe Peak, UT. RIGHT Glory glide selfie.

HERE Ariann Tudor, Kris Holub, Carl Marvin, and Lindsey Ripa gliding as a team searching for the next thermal above Monroe, UT. OPPOSITE Cloud street lining up over the Skyline Plateau. Full bar flying!

Photos by Tyler Burns.

Enjoying the views of dramatic golden hour lighting illuminating the desert.

Photo by Tyler Burns.

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󲢫 Surround yourself with better pilots.

Mentorship rarely falls into one’s lap and is worth seeking out. 󲢻

The Art of Kiting a Hang Glider Kiting a hang glider is a fundamental skill every pilot should master. After instructing hang gliding for over 22 years, I have learned a thing or two about how to make life easier as my students and I repeatedly make our way up and down the hill during training. The last thing I want to see is a student walking like a martyr up a dune or hill in the wind.

The art of kiting a hang glider is an underappreciated skill that teaches much about how a glider works in the wind and gives one a sense of mastery and accomplishment. Plus, being able to effectively manipulate, orient, and carry your hang glider on the ground is the difference between a session filled with anxiety, wasted effort, and frustration and

LEA RNING CORN ER

󲢫 Unless you plan on running your hang glider like a toy kite in a windless playground, there must be enough wind to carry the glider’s weight, so the keel at least rises to shoulder height. 󲢻

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[ contributed by JOHN MATYLONEK ]

Unless you plan on running your hang glider like a toy kite in a windless playground, there must be enough wind to carry the glider’s weight, so the keel at least rises to shoulder height. Any less than that, and you must revert to solo carrying the glider in the control frame or buddy carrying it using an assistant on the very end of the keel. If there is enough wind for the glider to remain lifted, so the keel becomes almost horizontal, then you can practice the dance between the wires that keeps the wings level as you walk up the hill or dune.

Once you are in the airflow, the glider should easily fly, keel almost horizontal, by just letting up the nose on the front wires. Most people think that’s all there is to it. But, no, there are definite skills that need to be honed to be an effective flyer de cerf-volant, or “kite flyer.”

The Foundations

The first skill is hand positioning on the front wires. The higher you place your hands, the more control you have at the expense of lift. a day of calm, fulfillment, and feelings of The lower you place your hands on the front control. wires, the more lift you have at the expense of Being able to walk up a hill or dune with a control. Essentially, that is almost entirely the hang glider with the least amount of effort is whole operating theory of learning how to the goal, and using the wind to your advanhang glide. Given the wind speed and turbutage is the tactic. Don’t try to overpower the lence, there will be an optimum location on wind, but instead use it to make life easier. the front wires. Of course, that continually There are seven rules of kiting or carrying a changes. hang glider: Once you have the glider flying smoothly without much oscillation, you are ready to practice. The proper way to hold your arms is 1. Change tactics from solo kiting to assistwith locked elbows as if they were pieces of ed wind buddy carrying, according to the lumber, mostly stiff. Imagine you have a rigid amount of wind present. bar handcuffed between your wrists, forcing 2. Yaw the glider towards the uplifted wing. your arms to stay parallel. Your hands must 3. In high winds, handle the front wires for simultaneously move left and right across small and medium-size wing-leveling coryour face. [Photo 1] There is NO push in or rections. out motion. All the action is in your arms 4. For higher wing up corrections, step in the and the muscle power from the shoulders. direction of the uplifted wing.

5. Handle one front wire and one side wire for When you move your hands simultaneously left and right to yaw the glider across your larger corrections due to terrain effects. face, your body must be an anchor, an “at-rest 6. Constantly juggle between side wires and body” around which the glider pivots. You are front wires in response to wind direction mostly using your shoulder muscles for this shifts and terrain effects.

7. If the glider keel dips below shoulder height, motion.

Eventually some irregularity in the wind buddy carrying the glider is more effective.

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PHOTO 1 A useful technique for kiting hang gliders is to imagine there are rigid handcuffs attached to your wrists requiring simultaneous movement of both your left and right hands to yaw the glider slightly.

The limiting arm is the one on the side where the wing is being lifted.

If you let go of that side, you can get even more yaw and leveling. Here, advanced instructor John Matylonek demonstrates the basic kiting position on the beach at Pacific City, Oregon.

flow, probably a slight change in direction, will cause one wing to go high. Catching this early is essential in order to avoid having to resort to more drastic techniques. The moment one wing goes even a little raised, throw both outstretched arms, wrists, and hands in that direction to level the wing. Like a sparrow that is never quite motionless, you dither—constantly making small adjustments both left and right—in response to left and right wingtip rising. Remember, practice makes perfect. Paraglider pilots stand for hours kiting—hang glider pilots should do at least half as much in training if the conditions allow it.

Eventually, some wind effects may cause the wing to rise higher than can be corrected with simple lateral thrusts. In that case, along with your thrust, take a step in that direction to change the anchor position. This often is quite effective—even too effective. You’ll sometimes overdo it. The other wing rises, and you must immediately throw your hands in the other direction or even step back as a correction to your correction. Be careful of pilot-induced oscillation! This is a flying dan-

ger later in the program when you start doing fast takeoffs or landings, but here, you can experience it on the ground. Essentially, you become out of phase with the glider, and your correction is too late and reinforces the initial disruption you were trying to correct. In that case, forcing the glider onto the ground on its wheels is the best thing to do, so you can start again from a level position. With practice, you can easily modulate your corrections while the glider is kiting and eventually get it to level.

Terrain Effects

As you walk up uneven hills, dunes, and fields, the wind deflects, carrying the shape of the terrain and causing all sorts of lifts and sinks.

These terrain effects cause much larger forces on wings and require two hand changes. If the right wing goes up (kiting perspective), the left hand goes where the right hand was, and the right hand goes to the right-wing side wire at about midway, palm down. You can predict where this will happen because you can see the shape of the hill ahead of you.

Try to be yet another “triangle” in the overall

PHOTO 2 Hand placement on the side wire with body triangulation when the terrain lifts one wing.

You are pushing down on the wire to keep the wings level.

your outstretched hands, locked elbows rigid, and your hands low at the upper thigh area.

Never let your hands go higher than your upper thigh. Keep your arms straight, elbows locked and low.

Three entities are now carrying the glider— you, your buddy, and the wind. Your buddy carrier is essentially a robot, walking a bit more slowly than you, with no active job to do; they simply walk consistently and slowly in the direction you want to go. The buddy carrier mustn’t anticipate or “help” your corrections in any way, except to lower or raise the keel at your request and to allow the keel to rise from their hand or shoulder if you want them to. [Photo 3] The buddy carrier should NEVER hold down the keel of the glider. In flight mode, a glider’s keel is simply The Buddy Carry not designed to be held down.

Sometimes, the wind will decrease, and you’ll So now your goal is to keep the wings level need more lift to kite the glider. In this case, as before by yawing toward the high wing. lower your hands on the front wires slightly.

However, this comes at the expense of control, But this time you must step/jog/run left and right around the buddy robot carrying pivot just like if you were flying. The oscillation may not be worth it if you have to lower your point (reminder, catching perturbations early prevents drastic actions). This is very active hands too much for it to kite. At this point, maneuvering, like our dithering sparrow the keel has potentially gotten lower as well. again. [Photo 4] However, it is still much easier When this happens, ask your buddy to sadthan solo carrying the glider in the control dle the very end of the keel with their open frame. Sometimes you can add weight and hand, palm up. The carry buddy’s role is to relieve some of the weight of the glider so you lean in through your locked elbow to assist the step to the uplifted wing. It sounds like can carry the glider from the base tube using triangular design of the hang glider. Now, you are not using yawing physics; you are actually depressing the wire down with force to keep that wing level. [Photo 2] The dance outside the wing now becomes hands trading wires left and right to keep the left and right wings level as the wind changes direction and gets deflected off the terrain. As you negotiate the dune or hill, avoid the wings slipping into wind-shadow “holes” or pockets of sink.

This takes practice because it must be done spontaneously without thinking. You are getting the “real feel” of how the hang glider interacts with the wind. Eventually, you will be able to predict its actions before any visual expression.

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PHOTO 3 This is the proper way to hold the keel in a buddy carry; alternatively, you can use your shoulder to go hands-free.

PHOTO 4 (BELOW) The student pilot, Silas Eastman, in charge of keeping wings level walks, jogs, and runs toward the uplifted wing. Notice Silas's attentive gaze on the wingtips while the carry buddy saddles the keel with an open palm (Photo 3), always ready to let the keel fly off the hand.

This is very crucial to a successful buddy-carry.

work, but you have three lesson buddies to share the joy of learning—you, your robot, and the wind.

Emergency Techniques

Despite our best intentions, one wingtip may hit the ground and jam into soft sand, dirt, or tall grass. If that wingtip does not extract itself (assume it will not), there is the danger of the wind pole vaulting the glider over that wingtip, snapping the leading edge, and ripping right through the sail. If one tip ever touches the ground, your reaction should be to step away or even fall away (on your butt) from that wingtip in the opposite direction.

This extracts the wingtip (and you) from a pit of despair and chagrin.

When one wing goes high and the simple two-hands lateral move is not enough, you can let go of the wire on the side toward the direction you are yawing (the uplifted wing) so that your other arm can continue to turn the nose in that direction. This move eliminates the need for a step in that direction.

Now, you really look like an expert with one hand leveling the glider and leaning over in that direction while the glider remains stable.

Stick to the Basics

Kiting can give you a sense of control and mastery before hooking in. Hang gliding

should not be an all or nothing activity, and kiting is a perfect introductory experience that illustrates many concepts in higher level flying. It emotionally prepares you to lift your feet off the ground, which is the point of the first lesson.

You can view these techniques at the following links: Buddy carry: https://youtu.be/t6PzPzAhvu0 Kiting a hang glider: https://youtu.be/AQwfoj5cCCM

Lonestar XC Championship Towing practice, flatland flying, and a big Texas welcome

M

by LINDSEY RIPA

group that she was the only woman participating in the Lonestar XC Championship and was looking for company, I found myself with a ripe opportunity for an impulsive decision.

With the competition just a few days away, I hastily got time off from work to travel to the heart of Texas to chase textbook cloud streets.

Located in Hearne, Texas, the Lonestar XC is a small competition where 1) I am terrified of towing.

2) I have zero flatland flying experience. pilots get towed up from the municipal airport and are let loose above the scarcely populated flats outside of the Who needs pesky things like rationalDallas metro area. Each morning, we ity in their life? Joking aside, when would drive to the airport, passing by Stephanie Linsley posted in our chat ost of my best decisions have been made on impulse.

Some prime examples are my decision to sign up for paragliding lessons on a whim, my half-cooked plan dreamt up one rainy afternoon to move to Utah, and, finally, my scheme to participate in a flatland towing competition when:

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circling turkey vultures and longhorn cattle, to see what crazy 100-mile task organizer and longtime Texas XC hound—David ("Cuervo") Prentice— had cooked up for us. It was either go big or sit in a retrieve vehicle for eight hours.

Being new to flatland flying, I didn’t have many expectations apart from learning and trying to get over my fear of towing. I have towed for SIV courses, but, to be perfectly honest, I loathe giving up the control I have during a foot launch to someone I often do not know. Steph felt completely different, having dropped money on a winch to

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My wing came up great, the car set off, and up, up, up, I went! I alternated between staring at my wing and watching my vario for an acceptable climb, so I could pin off and thermal up to base. The climbs were mostly weak and extremely drifty, but I managed Wind and “Wildlife” gaggling up and took a solid 20-25mph Compared to the mountain west, cloudbase in Texas seems wild. I would downwind north. After two hours at cloudbase and hitting the first wayestimate base is 2,000 feet off the deck point, I got caught between dying in the early morning, and the deck is clouds and drifted back down to earth almost sea level. When the thermals start popping around high noon, cloud- to see that I had flown 78 kilometers! I wish distance came that quickly all the base is a more respectable 5,000 feet AGL, and cloud streets start organizing time! Elated, I packed up my wing to begin the most dangerous part of flyinto something out of a dream. ing in Texas—getting back to the road.

There’s just one catch—there is a lot I had tried to land by the road, but of wind! Cuervo could likely see the after giving up on my last-ditch therpanic in my eyes when the ground mal, I had pointed into the wind and winds were 15-20 mph, and the popwas going assuredly backward. As I up tent was threatening to collapse was already perfectly positioned on before the day got going. Thankfully, he reassured me that this kind of wind the upwind side of another large field, was perfectly fine in the flats, and after I held my position and chose the more warily watching a few pilots tow up on sane option, mentally noting the path to walk out. As I was walking out, I similarly rated wings, I decided to give passed two cows—no big deal; they it a go. use at her ranch, and was keen to get her tow tech certification from Cuervo during the competition. Well, spoiler alert, I did get over my fear of towing, and Steph got her tow certification!

BELOW Stephanie Linsley getting towed up. OPPOSITE On glide under famed Texas cloud streets.

stared, I waved, they chewed their cud, I carried on.

As I passed through the first gate, my presence set off five caged dogs who started barking like mad. The noise ruffled my feathers, but as they were caged, I brushed it off. That is until the noise set off a herd of approximately 40 cows stampeding in front of me!

I make it a habit to note any cows in fields before landing, but these bovines were tucked away hiding from the midday Texas sun in dense trees, so I was taken completely by surprise. A few saw me and began curiously coming near, but being outnumbered, I made myself look large and assertive and shooed them off.

One would think this would be the end of my saga, but, alas, I had to walk through another gate with one final obstacle. I could see the road and a shady tree, but, as luck would have it, the ranch I landed on really loved dogs.

Upon seeing the unwelcome intruder, no less than eight dogs charged at me with no love in their eyes. I dropped

HERE Enjoying late day thermals after crossing the lake crux point.

BOTTOM LEFT Stephanie Linsley takes command on early morning practice tows. BOTTOM RIGHT Pilot escapes Texas heat on tow.

my pack and sprinted away to hop a fence where I watched helplessly as the dogs sniffed my gear. Long story short, I was able to creep back in and grab my gear without being ripped apart by the dogs or shot by their owner. Now all I had to do was relax in the air-conditioned retrieve vehicle and relish making my first-ever waypoint!

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High Temps and Low Saves

As one might guess, August in Texas is hot. I believe the heat index was about 110 degrees every day of the competition which was a strong motivator for staying airborne. On day three, after bombing out 20 km into the flight the day before, I was determined to stay in the air as long as possible. With the

threat of a dominating ridge looming in the forecast, I knew it would be the last good day of clouds.

After catching a great climb and racing out of the start gate, I chanted to myself the often-repeated wisdom that solves all of free flight’s problems—“Get high, stay high.” As it would happen, I failed miserably and spent

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much of the flight clawing back the altitude I lost after leaving each cloud.

At one point, I got so low that I had to radio adios to my flying partner. With a lake to cross and marshland directly below me, I turned around and flew straight for a metal-roofed pig farm near a road. I spent 20 minutes bumbling around light, broken lift praying for the ripper I knew could carry me back to cloudbase.

I was focused so intently on staying in light lift that I almost missed a gaggle of about ten vultures soaring directly to my west. It was totally an off course line, but the lift looked strong, so I beelined over and was soon back in the game! A few climbs and two waypoints later, I crossed a crux lake and enjoyed the late day thermals that carried me over oil fields and safely to the highway. That day, I was the last to land and did so with a huge smile on my face—I had beaten my personal best by a whopping 2 km for a 102 km flight.

Don’t Fly In Dust Devils...

I wish I could say I continued on an upward trajectory and achieved one of Cuervo’s 100-mile tasks, but that will have to wait until next year. The ridge that came was relentless, the clouds dried up, and I only squeaked out one more decent flight. That is not to say the competition was a bust—the flatland pilots were still flying over 100 km every day. But for me, three years into this sport, I still had much to learn about flatland flying.

A lesson that I needed to relearn concerned scratching low. I had been taught, as we all have, not to scratch, but many pilots do it anyway. A lot of the gray area comes down to how rowdy the conditions are on a particular day. At the height of the high pressure that week, temperatures were record-breaking, the air was growing steadily sharper, and conditions down low were decidedly nastier.

One morning as I was about to land, I caught a thermal around 300 feet off

TOP Flaco gets some love as pilots wait their turn. MIDDLE Stephanie Linsley debriefs a pilot on procedure as Greg Cusick watches on. BOTTOM Aviators share the runway at Hearne Municipal Airport.

Stephanie Linsley leads the way through spaced out lift.

surged so hard that I got a really lovely the ground that carried me up and view of the ground, arms fully extendout of the airport. Enamored with my ed, catching the impending frontal. low-save abilities, I decided to pull the I swung through with just enough same trick later in the flight with very height to decide between landing in different results. the fence or the trees, knowing I must I was setting up to land in a pasture not turn too sharply at this point or around 50 km to the north of the risk spinning. Miraculously, I got the airport when I saw two birds climbing out upwind. I was about 200 feet above wing around at least crosswind, PLF’d, and cursed myself for my stupidity. I the ground, and to reach the birds, I knew high energy pendulums near the would need to fly over some trees and ground are one of the most dangerous through the downwind turbulence— things I could allow to happen, and, as but, by golly, if I could get to those the retrieve vehicle pulled up, I was birds, I could save it! Flying towards quietly grateful that it was not an the birds, I felt the turbulence start, ambulance. but it was a bit more chaotic than I A lesson learned is a lesson shared. To expected. I just needed a little perseverance, I told myself. Looking down, I paraphrase a quote from Jeff Shapiro, saw the trees swaying underneath me “Flying is worth it, but no single flight is worth it.” Since that flight, I am like an ocean, and the birds scattered. intentional and conservative in my apMy low save thermal was actually a proaches, and I urge you to be as well. dust devil, and I had given up my margin of error to pursue glory.

To say I got tossed around would Good Times with Great Friends be an understatement. The air was On the final day of the competition, making an utter ragdoll out of me as Cuervo gave us a triangle task to enI fought to keep my wing open and courage us to stay close to the airport maintain some sense of directional for one of his famous wild game feasts. control. Finally, the dust devil spat me Steph had crushed it that day, landing out the downwind side, and my wing just barely outside of goal while most 44 US H PA P I LOT

of us bombed out somewhere along the course line due to stability and switchy winds. Content with achieving a personal best that week and getting over my fear of towing, I picked up a pack of Lone Star tallboys and settled in for supper. I know many competitions provide dinner, but I do not think any are quite like this. We were served a homemade elk stew and an array of delicious grilled dove, grouse, bass, and trout. Talk about Texas hospitality!

We all drank and were merry into the night, regaling each other with our triumphs and harrowing tales. Finally, the winners were announced, and I made a note on my calendar marking the event for next year.

Is the Lonestar competition suitable for beginners? Absolutely! Despite my trepidation around towing, I was well cared for by the crew, and all of my tows went without a hitch. I learned a ton about best towing practices, flatland flying, and I felt incredibly welcome by Cuervo and all the pilots.

Apparently, having two women in the competition at once was a record for them. So ladies, let’s see how many pilots we can get in goal next year!

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Thermal Behavior

[ Contributed by > DENNIS PAGEN ]

Understanding thermal characteristics and free flight

aspects of thermal behavior we may not think I nearly fell out of my chair laughing last July about regularly. It is my view that the more we 16 when I read a headline from Fox Views that know about thermals and all their different read, complete with awe and naïveté: Andean forms, the better we can exploit their gift of lift condors can fly more than 100 miles without and avoid their curse of sink. flapping their wings once, researchers reveal! (exclamation added). It went on to say that, “Instead of the simile ‘fly like an eagle,’ perhaps Thermal Nativity it should be ‘fly like a condor.’” The article was Most thermals are born on the ground. Initialalso astounded to note that “once they reach ly they are amorphous lumps of warmed air, the desired height, flying is relatively stress free” expanding as the sun’s heat continues to cook and “they don’t have to flap” (italics added). Okay, the surface, which in turn heats the air above spinning reality is par for this news outlet, but it. These lumps of warm air may be all joined still I feel sorry for their ignorance and also for together to cover large areas, but they are not the poor eagles that are apparently limited to usually uniform. Some blobs may be warmer 99.9 miles of XC soaring. For the rest of us, we can take heart knowing that all we have to do to be better soaring pilots is to shift our focus to emulate condors and their amazing feats (if only we could find one).

The truth is the vast majority of the John Q. Public have no clue that there are vertical air and extend higher than others as shown in Figmovements, except when smoke goes up. And ure 1. As these blobs grow due to continued heat they are mostly unaware of the existence of input, they do not necessarily rise as thermals thermals. In fact, it wasn’t until I was in college even though they are lighter (less dense) than and a friend took me on a sailplane ride that the cooler air above them because their expanI heard of them. I still didn’t understand the con- sion does not let the cooler air tunnel under them to fill in the empty space that would be cept clearly even though we were circling and left. If a large area is being heated, cool air can staying up over the flatlands of Michigan; but only come in at the sides as shown. In fact, the gradually I learned more and made sense of the cool air may not move under the heated air at bubbling atmospheric process.

Now, with all the small aircraft exploration we ground level until a large mass of the warm air begins rising as a thermal. Most of us have been have done throughout the lower sky, we know on the ground on a hot summer day and felt no a ton of thermal lore. In fact, nearly every time air moving until suddenly a thermal lifts and we as free flight pilots fly on a good day, we add to our knowledge. In this piece I want to explore a breeze of cooler air comes in as a gusty wind

󲢫 The more we know about thermals and all their different forms, the better we can exploit their gift of lift and avoid their curse of sink. 󲢻

that blows until all the warm air evacuates. At this point, the wind dies and the warming cycle begins again.

When a thermal does liberate itself from the ground, it is typically not made up of the entire heated surface air mass. As noted, there may be hot spots in this mass, but also an area more

󲢫 I have often been in thermals with pilots strung out vertically for at least three thousand feet. 󲢻 prone to lifting (such as a hilltop or a point near a vertical surface) will begin rising first; then things get complicated. An area of lifting air has to move the air above it out of the way in order to rise; this air does not move upward—that takes too much energy—instead it sidles to the side. That’s still some work that has to be done to upset the equilibrium, so perhaps you can see why heated air at the surface takes some time to swell and gather strength before it can release as a thermal.

The cool air moving out of the way of the growing thermal will slide along the top of the warm layer until it finds a “weak” point where it can push downward to seek its equilibrium as shown. When this action happens, the closest, warmest blob or mass will suddenly release because it has the cool air to replace it underneath.

The total weight of air in a medium sized-thermal is tons or scores of tons (as we’ve shown in previous articles), so we can see that it takes time to overcome the inertia of all that air and get the thermal process going. We call the birth of a thermal the “trigger” or “release.”

Thermal Types

As most experienced pilots know, thermals can be quite varied in strength, size, duration, and singularity.

Strength is dependent on the excess of heating of the air layer just above the ground and the lapse rate (temperature profile—the drop in temperature with altitude). The amount of heating determines whether the thermal dribbles or leaps off the ground. A surface area that can be superheated compared to its surrounding will normally exhibit the strongest thermals. I have experienced a few of the most powerful thermals of my career over burnt ground. And, of course, we should be aware that desert areas

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like the Owens Valley and other super-dry terrain can send up boomers.

Size is generally dependent on how much of the warm surface air is lifted all at once, but also on the stability of the air. A high pressure system usually causes smaller, weaker thermals because the air mass is slowly sinking and becomes more stable, so a thermal has to push up through this sinking air, which can erode its edges more readily. The generally sinking air suppresses thermals and tends to limit them to small hot spots with turbulent edges.

We should be aware that east of the Mississippi (hereafter simply called the East) the best thermals occur just after a cold front passes when a good lapse rate is still present before the high in the heart of the cold mass arrives.

This rule doesn’t apply to Florida, which makes its own unstable air in a manner similar to the West (west of the Mississippi). The main distinction is that eastern areas are characterized by high humidity and widespread greenery which tend to slow the production of thermals and reduce their power.

In the West, we see the formation of “heat lows,” whereby a vast area of surface heating expands the air aloft, which flows to the side, just as it does close to the surface when a thermal forms. On this larger scale, the outflow of air aloft creates a relative low pressure at the surface and a slow but meaningful rise in the general air mass. Because the air is so dry, it does not form widespread clouds (as it would in the East), and only exhibits cumis where the individual thermals push up in the generally rising air to reach the condensation level. Such thermals are usually large and easy to stay in with a modicum of thermalling skill.

The duration of a thermal mainly depends on how much warm air exists at the surface to feed the individual thermal. In the East with smaller open areas surrounded by trees and hills, thermals tend to be of shorter duration. It seems almost impossible to catch one below 500 feet from the ground and carry it up to cloudbase. It almost always requires two or more to elevator up, like a lift in a department store. On the other hand, in the West with typical huge expanses of semi-arid ground, all the surrounding warm air can feed a single thermal for many minutes and the resulting thermal can stand tall and proud. I have often been in thermals with pilots strung out vertically for at least 3,000 feet.

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Singularity is my term for a thermal that consists of one core, rather than multiple areas of good lift. We most often encounter single core thermals in the West and other arid areas with large areas of heated surface air that can feed one point for a relatively long time (Australia and South Africa are other places I have experienced them). This piece is not intended to cover dust devils which are caused by lifting thermals in strong conditions. Most commonly we see dust devils in the West as single towering swirls, denoting a single core thermal. However, I have encountered a large dust devil with little devils racing around its outside in the Chelan, Washington area. I flew into it and did find multiple cores (see cautions below).

As we described above, a thermal that is born of a “lumpy” heated layer will often rise with multiple little areas of “thermalettes,” to coin a term. Multiple core thermals are a common feature of the East with its varied field sizes and close groundcover. I have flown in large meets in Florida, Europe, and Brazil where a gaggle of 20 to 50 pilots would be in three or more cores (tight areas of lift) in close proximity. Usually these cores eventually come together, or the weaker ones die out, but it takes 1,000 to 3,000 feet of rise above the ground before it all gets sorted out. I have illustrated an example multicore thermal in Figure 2. As a side note, one of the valuable things about flying in meets is to learn the nature of the local conditions and thermals in general. Certainly after years of practice, we can predict some thermal behavior and quickly learn to find the best cores. But if we always fly alone, we may never learn that certain thermals have multiple cores and never reap the rewards of finding the strongest and longest cores.

To help you visualize the release and progress of a thermal with multiple cores, go to Google Maps and look at Montezuma, Iowa in the satellite image format. At the northwest corner of the town you will see a grass fire with lots of smoke that perfectly illustrates how a thermal behaves. There is a wind of perhaps 10 mph that tips the smoke over so we can see it from our bird’s eye view. Observe the three larger plumes all coming together to produce one cohesive “thermal.” Also note the smaller plumes that are drawn into the main column by the inflowing air replacing the rising warm air. A fire such as this is almost identical to a thermal except that

the heated air is at a higher temperature, at least for a portion of its rise. Note how the smoke seems to come together, then expand into a wider puff, then come together again and repeat the process. I can see at least seven of these cycles.

This shows us that thermals can go through cycles as they rise. These cycles may be due to the feedback system where cool air comes in surges to replace the rising warm air or cooler air rolling down along the main “head” of the thermal pinching it off at some point above the ground. We show this action in Figure 3.

It should be apparent that when we are climbing in a thermal of this type there may be surges and periods where we barely climb at all.

In my experience, many thermals, especially in greener areas, exhibit this pulsing behavior. The question is always: “Do I wait for it to get better, or move on to the next thermal?” Of course, if we are recreationally flying waiting is a fine choice—we can even learn a bit about thermal behavior, at least on that day at that site. In competition the choice is tougher and depends a bit on what part of the flight you are experiencing. Early on in a task, you probably do not know the full nature of the day’s thermals as well as you will later. Of course, if most of a gaggle moves on or other pilots on course are showing thermal circles, perhaps you should move on. But most of us in competition have seen a few days when the more conservative pilots get further because they hung on to every scrap of lift. Perhaps the main takeaway here is that thermals are often unpredictable so paying attention and being prepared for all possibilities will enhance our performance.

11/4/2020

Google Maps

Imagery ©2020 Maxar Technologies, USDA Farm Service Agency, Map data ©2020

Thermals in Wind

500 ft

Imagery ©2020 Maxar Technologies, USDA Farm Service Agency, Map data ©2020

500 ft

enough to track more vertically) it begins to get more uniform around an entire circle within the thermal. It is important to pay attention to positioning and bank angle when thermalling close to the terrain (for safety reasons), and also to be ready for the thermal to rise more vertically as it breaks away or accelerates downwind a bit as it clears the top and enters stronger winds.

It should be noted that even strong thermals tend to hug a slope because the inflow to replace the rising air can only come from the non-slope side. Thus, the thermal gets pushed towards the slope as shown in the figure. In a column thermal the same thing happens because there is always erosion and cool air pushing inwards on the thermal as it rises. These different pressures and winds acting on a thermal near a slope can cause turbulence and variations in the lift, so it’s always wise to carry a bit of extra control safety near a mountainside. That means speed on a hang glider and safe brake pressure on a paraglider.

The final matter we’ll mention is how thermals tend to often be strung out parallel to the wind they rise into. That means we can often find more lift and multiple cores by flying directly upwind from the point where we left the last lift. From what we discussed before, it should be clear that thermal lift can rise from the ground in pulses because all the warm air reaches the triggering area at different times with different amounts of excess heat. So blobs of warm air can push up one after another, and the stronger ones will rise in front of the preceding ones that have drifted downwind. This situation happens most often in the East where stronger general winds allow us to stay up on ridge lift until we find thermals to climb higher. In the West or when going cross-country away from the mountains in the East, this stringing out of the thermal lift is not so common. But there are always exceptions, and it is worthwhile to explore the possibility on many flights. Of course, if the air is streeting (as it does more often in the East than the West), flying the direct upwind and downwind paths from lift greatly increases the chances of success.

As we can see in the image of the Montezuma fire/smoke, a thermal can maintain its integrity and cohesiveness very readily in wind. This behavior holds true until the wind starts rolling over the ground to mix things up. There will still be thermal globs and masses rising, but they may be very turbulent, short-lived, and hard to work. But many of us have experienced massive thermals blocking the wind somewhat as they rise into faster moving air. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.5888912,-92.5411117,1519m/data=!3m1!1e3 1/1 w.google.com/maps/@41.5888912,-92.5411117,1519m/data=!3m1!1e3 In general, a thermal will behave in moderate 1/1 wind as it does in light or zero wind. It simply drifts along as it rises and if you keep your circles regular within it you will drift along somewhat in harmony. However, if the whole thermal column is tilted, most often we tend to drift out the back of the thermal because our upward trajectory is flatter than that of the thermal column since our climb rate is less than any part of the thermal. The best procedure in this case is to pay attention to climb rate around the entire circle and expect to have to adjust your circle a bit upwind to stay in the juiciest lift.

When a thermal is next to a mountain or moving up a slope, it can tilt so the lift is not uniform all the way around the thermal circumference. Figure 4 illustrates this point. The friction with the terrain slows the upflow close to Thermal Spin the slope so stronger lift occurs at the point in In an earlier paragraph I mentioned dust the thermal furthest away from the ground. As devils. Dust devils are created when a strong soon as the thermal breaks away from the slope thermal lifts off and accelerates upward. Typi(either by rising above it or becoming strong cally the air rushing in to fill the void below it 48 US H PA P I LOT

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will have some curvature to its flow, so when it comes together it spins rapidly and picks up dust. This is not an article about dust devils, so all we’ll mention here is, in most areas, it is unsafe to fly above them to use their thermals below about 1,000 feet in a hang glider, and a bit higher in a paraglider. Of course, in the Chelan, Washington area, we enter them lower, but the particulates are what we affectionately call moon dust, and it gets picked up by the slightest disturbance (the only other place I have encountered such fine dust is certain sites in Mexico). The main point to know is that in the lower reaches, the thermals based on dust devils can be spinning as it rises above the visible dust.

Eventually this rotation stops as it continues to climb, but for safety and performance reasons it is important to enter such a spinning column by circling in a direction opposite the air/dust’s spin.

It should be clear that strong thermals in areas where no dust exists can also be spinning (we frequently see leaf devils in the East). But if you can’t see it, it is just a guess. I have often watched birds to see if they have a preferred turning direction, and if they do I turn in that direction when down low, assuming: 1) they know what they are doing, and 2) the overall

air flow has some vorticity that induces the in-rushing air to spin the same way.

Another cause of spinning thermals we usually can’t see is when the wind is somewhat cross to a hill, ridge, or mountain. In this case the air will roll along the slope and tends to twist a thermal in the same manner as a dust devil. Succinctly put, if the wind is cross from the left, the air will twist clockwise when viewed from above, so thermal turns in this vicinity should be to the left (counterclockwise). If the wind crosses from the right, the opposite turn direction is called for. I have experimented with this effect enough to feel its significance in scratching situations near the terrain.

These varied thoughts on thermal evolution and behavior are just a glimpse of the complex world of thermals. After 45 years spent exploring them (it took me a year and a half of flying before I even had a concept of a thermal), I know them as friends, but I also think there is a lot more to discover. I truly wish I could fly like a condor so I could use them more effortlessly, but alas, I find I can only fly like an eagle so far.

And my advice to Fox is to stick to something they are less confused about and leave the flight of birds to the aviators and ornithologists.

THE

MAGIC VALLEY

Building Burnside Launch

by SHANE PARRECO

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󲢫 The vision was to make it large enough to be top-landable and, ultimately, to make it the best launch site east of the Rockies. 󲢻

I

t all started during a casual walk through the woods and into a dilapidated cabin. Conversations ensued about all the possibilities for flying and top landing and dreams swirled around all the cool things the old cabin could become with the right person at the helm. At that moment, it did not occur to me that I might actually be the right person.

The site was Henson’s Gap near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and there was a looming crisis. The issue was access. In early 2018, access had been cut off to a privately owned launch for a small group of local paraglider pilots.

The solution would remain just out of reach for the time being, but thoughtful negotiating, a bit of naiveté, and

a bunch of hard work resulted in the creation of something great: the best top-landable paraglider launch in one of the best flying locations east of the Rockies.

To help paint a better picture of this crisis, I’ll do my best to sum up the events that led to the moment where I was walking through the woods and dreaming of all the possibilities. For various reasons, the relations between the local flying club—the Tennessee Tree Toppers (TTT)—and their neighbor Rick Jacob had deteriorated to the point where launching privileges for a group of pilots were revoked.

Rick is an amazing supporter of flying in Tennessee and had built a paraglider launch on his property. He can

BELOW Left to right: Burnside launch, radial ramp, TTT clubhouse, SVS JustFly launch, and Flying Camp shop. Photo by Shane Parreco.

OPPOSITE Shane Parreco, Grayson Brown, and one unidentified pilot flying at Henson’s Gap. Photo by JD Mallory.

be credited with extending what was once a “hang gliders only” flying site to paraglider pilots as well. Unfortunately, in early 2018, tensions between Rick and the club rose to a boil, and he revoked access to the club board members involved in the dispute. Thus, those members of the club now found themselves in desperate need of a new launch.

Enter my naïveté. I thought at the time that maybe all everyone involved needed was to cool off and get back to being neighbors and flying enthusiasts—to give things a breath and let the drama subside. I even remember saying, “It will all blow over soon, and then everyone can get back to flying.”

When it became clear that wasn’t going

to happen, it seemed other options needed to be considered. Purchasing a new piece of land to build a new launch was pushed to the top of the list.

I grew up working in a family excavation and grading business started by my grandfather that became a place for everyone in my family to have a job. I was driving bulldozers, loaders,

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backhoes, and pans and clear-cutting land for housing developments before I even learned to drive a car. So doing some clearing for a new launch was totally in my blood. Even though I had only been a member of the TTT for the previous year, I already felt a real camaraderie and connection with the scene and the people. In addition to my

tree clearing experience, I’d also been a professional carpenter for the past 20 years. The combination of my prior experiences sparked the notion that maybe, just maybe, I could help the club with the purchase and creation of the new launch. My vision for the cabin renovation project started taking shape as a comfortable place for vis-

iting pilots to stay when flying in the area.

The purchase of this new property involved some very thoughtful and careful negotiating with the owner, Brian Burnside. Brian is an older hang glider pilot who was instrumental in founding the TTT club many years ago, as well as in creating the access road to

the club land and surrounding neighborhood. His health was declining, so the club decided to reach out about the possibility of buying his bluff-front land so that a new paraglider launch could be built. The initial conversations with Brian went well, and he was open to selling, but his price was a bit higher than the club could afford. When the

negotiations stalled, it became clear the sale would need some assistance if a deal was to happen.

Enter the late Mike Nash. Mike was a very pragmatic member of the TTT and was appointed as a special director by the board to handle negotiations with Brian for the sale of the property to the club. The club felt the asking price was

THIS PAGE, TOP The TTT clubhouse. THIS PAGE, BOTTOM The Burnside launch and TTT radial ramp. Photos by Shane Parreco.

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Tom Prouhet stoking the fire. Photo by Shane Parreco. Some light grading work to help beautify the new expanded Flying Camp launch at Henson's Gap. Photo by Andrew Christensen. A rock busting attachment on an excavator to help remove large boulders from the launch area. Photo by Rick Jacob. Working on the new launch. Photo by Shane Parreco.

too high, but when I heard that Brian offered to include the old cabin and 2.5 acres across the street as part of the deal, my imagination was immediately triggered, and I started envisioning myself as the guy who would save the day.

So, in April 2018, I jumped into the fray. I asked Mike what it would take to help the club make the purchase happen, and we made a deal. I offered upfront money to purchase the cabin as a down payment for the launch property and offered to do the majority of clearing work to open up the new launch. The vision was to make it large enough to be top-landable and, ultimately, to make it the best launch site east of the Rockies.

The vision Mike and I shared was the

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reason why I was happy to jump into the deep end to help the TTT. I’ll never forget the phone calls and interactions I had with him—he was a refreshing point of contact, and there was never a problem we couldn’t talk through. In many ways, I wish his spirit of communication, negotiation, and pragmatism had lived on in the Magic Valley.

Some of that spirit and neighborliness were clearly on display during the initial site work and tree removal process. Building the new launch was an amazing collaborative experience, and it felt special just to be involved.

People and neighbors and helpers were coming out of the woodwork from every direction. Almost everyone had a chainsaw and was happy to cut stumps

as I worked hard to stay ahead, bringing the trees down using the heavy equipment we rented.

One of my favorite memories of that work was seeing one of the older local pilots standing in front of a massive pile of burning brush pointing a leaf blower at a large fire for maximum stoke. The experience is one that I will always cherish and deeply appreciate having been a part of. The launch as it exists today took quite a bit more effort to put the finishing touches on, and lots of TTT folks continued the work beyond my initial push. The result is the thing of beauty we now have at Henson’s Gap.

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Two unidentified pilots soaring the ridge at Henson’s Gap. Photo by Shane Parreco.

Group of pilots at JustFly SVS launch at sunset. Photo by Shane Parreco.

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Flying in the Magic Valley

Launching into the sky at Henson’s Gap puts you into the heart of the Sequatchie Valley. The experience isn’t talked about enough, in my humble opinion. To put it simply, it is awesome. The Cumberland Plateau is the geological area just east of the Smoky Mountains and is interrupted by the Sequatchie Valley near Chattanooga in a way that allows for flying on both bluffs all the way up and down the length of the 100-plus mile valley. The valley is truly a treasure, and the local flying community has treated it with a special kind of attention for the past 40-plus years. The weather can be problematic at times—as is always the issue with any flying site or day—but when it is on, it is really on.

Since this is a valley site, not a mountain site, the character of the flying is a bit mellower. The thermals are usually easy to work and fun to stay in. Climbs usually top out about 5,000 feet above launch, but occasionally you’ll get a high ceiling day and can push it above 8,000 feet or more.

If you want to become a better pilot and learn how to thermal at a site where the summer conditions rarely

demand a skill set beyond a P3, this is the place. It is quite literally a thermal and XC training ground. Most skilled pilots know how challenging conditions can get in Chelan, Sun Valley, or any other Mountain West site midday in the middle of summer, but this place simply doesn’t have that component.

The warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico rolls in from the south and helps keep the thermal strength to a much more manageable level.

One of the best things that can happen is a glass-off of the most amazing kind—the stuff of legends. When it happens, it’s truly magic air. Or as the locals call it: a “wonder wind” evening.

Some of my fondest soaring memories from Henson’s Gap are from these wonder wind evenings—flying around bumping wingtips with friends, letting go of the brakes, laying back, and closing my eyes. Warm air flows up and out of the valley and smoothes itself into laminar buttery goodness. If you get lucky enough to experience one of

these wonder wind sessions, consider your visit a massive success. And to finish the day on the best note possible, set up for a proper top landing on the amazing, new, hard-earned Burnside Launch—the best launch site east of the Rockies.

There are two clubs in Henson’s Gap now: the Tennessee Tree Toppers (https://tttmember.org) and the JustFly-SVS (www.flying.camp). Go visit both, as they are right next door to each other. Become a member of both, fly from the new Burnside Launch, top land there, then go launch from the JustFly-SVS park. Meet the people who are making flying happen in the Magic Valley. Trade flying stories, have a cold beverage, and enjoy the sunsets, which are almost as legendary as the valley itself.

ENDNOTE Since this article was written, there have been significant improvements made to the south end of the launch. Several large trees and boulders were removed and the slope graded and seeded. Now, the site is much more open and friendly for launches and top landings!

WhatsApp and Telegram

[ contributed by JENNA LYONS ]

The good, the bad, and the ugly paraglider in a matter of minutes. You get your iPhone out to send a pin with your location to your XC group chat on WhatsApp/Telegram, but your friend is already there ready to pick you up. It turns out that all your friends were The year is 1987. You just landed your hang watching your tracklog the entire day. You arglider in a field. No one else is in sight, and all your friends are probably still flying and laughrive at home, tired but satisfied, and check your local WhatsApp group. You are bombarded by ing about you sinking out. You don’t have a cell a series of kudos and congratulations on your phone, because they cost $4,000. But you do have a radio, so you radio up and ask your driver, awesome flight. You drink a cold one, log back on to WhatsApp to make plans to fly with your who you manipulated (paid), to come retrieve you. After a few hours of dismantling your hang friends in the morning, and fall asleep almost immediately. glider, taking a nap, and reflecting on your life decisions, your retrieve pal finally shows up to take you to the bar where you all plan to celeWhatsApp and Telegram (and a few other smaller apps) have emerged in recent years as brate your flights.

Fast forward to 2021. You’re standing on launch the most widely used platforms for pilots in the U.S. For a generation who, for the most part, has with your friends, most of whom are flying cell phones, these platforms present both a gift paragliders, with your iPhone fastened to your and a challenge for the free flight community. cockpit and your inReach on and ready to track As a pilot who has always flown using your flight. You do a radio check with your WhatsApp and Telegram to connect me to my friends, line up, and get ready to launch. You flying communities, I realized I couldn’t objechave a perfect launch and end up flying for a few hours, reaching cloudbase and feeling the tively write an article about the pros and cons sunshine and breeze on your face. Some of your of WhatsApp and Telegram. So, I decided to infriends land out along the way, but today you terview Karl Hallman, who has been flying hang are the hero who outflies everyone. gliders since 1987 and paragliders since 1989. Karl You land in yet another field and pack up your is a USHPA regional examiner and one of my

TECHNOLOGY

The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the illusion of knowledge.

-Stephen Hawking

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“Hey, check out the clouds!” or “These clouds flying mentors. He mentors young pilots who are mammata, and this is what they mean... are willing to learn, and he is still a local legend [insert mildly inappropriate joke here].” In the in the Missoula free flight scene.

According to Karl, WhatsApp and Telegram are end, WhatsApp and Telegram serve as mediums through which experienced pilots can help “like any tool … if used well, good things come.” inform others in an approachable way.

Karl remembers having to call six to seven I am on several WhatsApp and Telegram chats, people in the morning on the phone to organize all of which serve a different purpose. I am on a flying day. Before WhatsApp and Telegram, an all ladies Telegram group, where we share people would use telephones and radios to tips, tricks, success stories, encouragement, and communicate. If the driver lost voice contact with pilots, they would either guess where to go safety beta. We talk about everything from how to improve XC flights to which diapers are best retrieve them, or they would stop trying. Flying for XC flying. This group has allowed women XC was a lot more primitive, and you needed an from all over the country to join together and experienced driver to chase you. communicate about free flight.

Karl and I took a few minutes to talk about I am also on chats for my local flying club, a what we believed to be the pros and cons of miniwing chat, a Dawn Patrol chat, a Super EarWhatsApp and Telegram. ly Dawn Patrol chat, a local XC chat, and a chat for just my close circle of friends to send memes Every Tool Has Limits and flight plans. I am even on a chat that is not WhatsApp and Telegram, like any tool, have related to flying where we share pics of failed limitations or downfalls.

First, with access to such easy communication, latte art attempts. Every time I attend a special event, a new chat forms. inexperienced pilots are now able to organize For me, and I think for many others, flying outings with few inhibitions. While it’s WhatsApp and Telegram have made communigreat new pilots can communicate and build friendships, this easy communication also encating and sharing information easy and fun. In Missoula, if someone sees something alarming ables flying outings with no experienced pilots on our flying sites, it is almost immediately who are often the ones needed to chime in with known by the entire flying community by virtue advice and act as a voice of reason. of the rapid-fire ability to post to a group. AddiSecond, in a large group, WhatsApp or Telegram can lead to drama. In many cases, it seems tionally, if someone wants to sell gear, it’s easy to that cliques have formed. If a group becomes post and sell locally. too large, it is hard for people to stay on topWhatsApp and Telegram have allowed us to spread information and knowledge quickly and ic. Let’s face it—pilots tend to be outspoken efficiently to a large number of people. These individuals. Inevitably, someone’s feelings will platforms have also allowed us to plan some get hurt when too many outspoken people are amazing events together as pilots, leading to freely speaking their minds.

Another downside of WhatsApp and Telegram unforgettable life experiences and memories is that people who don’t have smartphones can’t that will last a lifetime. necessarily benefit from these platforms or effectively use them.

Whatever your experiences with WhatsApp and Telegram, it is undeniable that these tools have connected the flying community and Information-Sharing and Safety promoted the expansion of free flight in many The consensus among all the pilots I talked different ways. I think, in the end, we can all to about WhatsApp and Telegram seemed to agree that knowledge is power and, whether it be that these platforms have made it easier to is 1987 or 2021, knowledge should never exist in a spread information and have, in general, led to vacuum—especially in this sport. a safer flying environment and more fun times for all.

For instance, if someone posts to a group that he or she is going flying, and someone else is seeing clouds or other weather that would indicate that flying is not a good idea, that person has the ability to instantly post something like,

OPPOSITE Top row: Montana pilots Jenna Lyons, Jacob Glass, and Josh Winstead after and during cross country flights (including a tandem cross country flight) in the Bitterroot Valley, after which they used WhatsApp to successfully get rides home. Bottom left: Josh Alger watches Jacob Glass coming in to land at Wildwood Brewery. Middle bottom photos: Karl Hallman flying his hang glider now and flying his hang glider "back in the day," respectively. Bottom right: Montana pilots after an amazing night of soaring and laughing at an unknown location somewhere in Montana.

󲢫 Inevitably, someone’s feelings will get hurt

when too many outspoken people are freely speaking their minds. 󲢻

2021 CALENDAR Submit listings

online at ushpa.org/page/calendar. A minimum 3-MONTH LEAD TIME is required on all submissions. Tentative events will not be published.

Please contact event organizers regarding the status of events as these are subject to postponement or cancellation depending on how the pandemic progresses.

FLY-INS SEP 27 – OCT 2 > RED ROCKS FALL FLY IN Cove and Monroe Peak, Monroe Utah. Why? Because flying Paragliders and Hang Gliders is awesome. Who? Paragliders and Hang Gliders from all over the world. The cap is 500 pilots this year. How much? $95.00 for the whole week. Plus $10.00 per ride up the mountain. World class presentations each evening. Anything Else? Interesting culinary experiences in Richfield and Monroe. Fee includes certificates for free or discounted meals at many unique and mouthwatering restaurants. www.cuasa.com CLINICS MAR 5-7, APR 9-11, NOV 12-14, DEC 10-12 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING SANTA BARBARA CLINIC Santa Barbara, CA. 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. The Eagle Team will lead this 3 day clinic - cost is $895. Visit www.paragliding.com or call 805.968.0980.

MAY 14-16 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING MARSHALL CLINIC San Bernardino, CA. Marshall is one of California’s most consistent sites.

We get newer pilots off early and late in the day at Marshall, and fly through mid-day with experienced pilots. We enjoy team flying. Clinic goals are to get pilots familiar with the area, and the thermal triggers to make moves down range. We will work down range on XC missions. The Eagle Team will lead this 3 day clinic. cost is $895. Visit www.paragliding.com or call 805.968.0980.

JUN 6-11 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING WOODRAT MOUNTAIN CLINIC Ruch, OR. 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 $1595 for 6 days. Visit www.paragliding.com or call 805.968.0980.

SEP 3-5 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING PINE MOUNTAIN CLINIC Ojai, CA. 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 and on our tours with a group of pilots on this flight. Cost is $895. Visit www.paragliding.com or call 805.968.0980.

OCT 9-11 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING OWENS VALLEY CLINIC Bishop, CA. 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 $895 for 3 days. Visit www.paragliding.com or call 805.968.0980.

TOURS DEC 27 – JAN 3, JAN 3-10, JAN 10-17 > FLY RIGHT! MEXICO TOUR Thermal Flying Course, Valle de Bravo, Mexico | This tour is for pilots who want to learn the art of cross-country thermal flying, and anyone looking to grow their skills and work towards a P-3 or P-4 rating. The course will expand your horizons, allow you to climb higher and fly farther than ever before, and take your love of flying to the next level. All in a sunny, world-class flying site! This Thermal Flying Course is open to any pilot who is rated USHPA P-2 or higher. (Suggested minimum of 25 hours logged flight time.) Cost: $1195 | https://weflyright.com

JAN 22-30, JAN 30 – FEB 7, FEB 7-15 > EAGLE PARAGLIDING COLOMBIA TOURS 2021 Roldanillo Colombia | Join Eagle Paragliding for 3 weeks of tours near Roldanillo Colombia. 7 days of flying for pilots of all levels. Coaching on thermalling, XC Flying, Tandem XC. We’ve offered tours for over two decades all over the world. The number of high caliber staff members supporting pilots at Eagle clinics and tours is unprecedented.

Let Mitch Riley, Marty DeVietti, Brian Howell, Jeff Shapiro and Rob Sporrer support you in achieving your goals for the week. Visit www.paragliding.com or call 805.968.0980.

SANCTIONED EVENTS JUN 19–26 2021 > APPLEGATE OPEN Woodrat Mtn, Ruch OR. 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 JUL 11–16 > 2021 OZONE CHELAN OPEN Chelan Butte, Chelan WA. 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 JUL 18–24 > 2021 US OPEN OF PARAGLIDING Chelan Butte, Chelan WA. USHPA Sanctioned PG Race To Goal XC Nationals Competitio. Organizer: Matt Senior, mattysenior@yahoo.com | Website: https://airtribune.com/events/next OCT 01 – 03 > 2021 HSB ACCURACY CUP HSB Flight Park, Horseshoe Bend ID. 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

CLASSIFIED 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 ushpa.org/page/maga-

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zine-classified-advertising

SCHOOLS & INSTRUCTORS 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. 808874-5433 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. 603542-4416, 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-FLY-THIS, kittyhawk.com/hang-gliding 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

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 over 30years. Hang Gliding, Paragliding, Trikes. Hangar facilities Granite Shoals/Lake LBJ, 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, 760-203-2658 PARACRANE Paragliding Tours 2021 > Fly Costa Rica and Europe with veteran tour guide Nick Crane. Small groups, flexible schedule, excellent flying | Costa Rica-Feb 15-25 & March 26-April 5 | Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy June 4-14 and Sept 5-15 | France,Coupe Icare, Italy Sept 17-27 | www. costaricaparagliding.com, contact: nick@ paracrane.com FLYMEXICO > Winter & year round flying tours & support for near 30 years. Hang Gliding, Paragliding. Guiding, gear, instruction, transportation, lodging. www.flymexico.com +1 512 656 5052 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

Ratings Issued September & October 2020 RTG RGN NAME

Take your ratings and expiration date everywhere you fly. Download from the Members Area 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.

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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 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

1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Corydon James Carlson Tom Higham Stefan St Marie Brent Swanson Robert Black Rusty Horner Colin Ingoldsby Chris Kelly Gordon GK Risser Scot Barth Adrian Carrara A. Jordan Ceresa Evan McFarling Ethan Minoofar Kendra Sheppard Tracy Vietta Gregory Boldvc Paul Brooke Andrew Bustamante Daniel E. Byrd Brian Clark Billy Cunningham Jr Tim Frazier Joe Gamertsfelder John Jones Nikolas Kubli Steve Laufer Lynn James Leleaux R Keith McInish Joe Medlin Scott Reid Pedro Romo David Schmidt Buddy Sessoms Gabor Simon Andrew St Marie Benjamin Stembridge Cole G. Stewart Rebecca Gardner Jason Geoffroy Shane Hanshaw Dane Liebermann Tyler Piehl Kathryn Repicky Todd Sander Anderson Smith Mark Sowul Jeff Wendell Tom Higham Colter Morrison Stefan St Marie Robert Black Rusty Horner Wade Stewart A. Jordan Ceresa Tracy Vietta Paul Brooke Andrew Bustamante Daniel E. Byrd Brian Clark Tim Frazier Joe Gamertsfelder John Jones Lynn James Leleaux Logan Logback R Keith McInish Joe Medlin Scott Reid Pedro Romo Elijah Saunt David Schmidt Buddy Sessoms

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

MN WY ID MN UT CA CA CA UT CA CA CO CA CA CA CA NC FL FL TN VA NC TN TX WV VA GA AL GA TN FL TN GA FL FL TN AL GA NY MA OH VT IL MI NY IN NY MI WY ID ID UT CA CA CO CA FL FL TN VA TN TX WV AL KS GA TN FL TN NC GA FL

Doyle Johnson Ian Brubaker Andrew Nigh Doyle Johnson Ian Brubaker William C. Dydo Patrick J. Denevan Eric Hinrichs Ian Brubaker Josh Patrick Laufer Bob Steven Bendetson Theodore Hurley Andrew T. Beem Josh Patrick Laufer Andrew T. Beem William C. Dydo Ryan Salvo Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Wolf Gaidis Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Steve A. Wendt Josh Patrick Laufer Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Alan Friday Andrew Nigh Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Daniel C. Guido David J. Miller Gordon Cayce David J. Miller Gordon Cayce Matthew Taber Rick Brown Gordon Cayce Steve A. Wendt Andrew Nigh Ian Brubaker Rick Morrison Andrew Nigh Ian Brubaker William C. Dydo Patrick J. Denevan Ian Brubaker William C. Dydo Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Michael Pattishall Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones Gordon Cayce David J. Miller Gordon Cayce Malcolm A. Jones

RTG RGN NAME

H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 H3 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

4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 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 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Gabor Simon Andrew St Marie Benjamin Stembridge Cole G. Stewart Tyler Piehl Kathryn Repicky Todd Sander Anderson Smith Mark Sowul Jeff Wendell Jedidiah Scharmer Ruedi Weiss Jeremy Spiegel Tracy Vietta Roger Kruger David Schmidt Jeffrey St Aubin Susan Allison Romano Almonte Ricardo Caballero Kim Gee Christopher M. Toomey Jessica Koerner Matthew C. Shoemaker Eric Donaldson Joseph Amodio Cody Baker Matthew Beecroft Cody Benz James Bialczak Richard Bialczak Andrea Bjazevich Doug Bowman Jeb Butler Sarah Butler Dan Copp Todd Danger Sanjay Darisi Mark Dehn Keith Dickerson Jon Eaton Richard Eide Jens Esselstrom Nathali Eustaquio Da Silva Shreve Fellars Riley Ferre Jacob Flory Paul Floyd Thomas Fontaine Evan Furbeyre Madalyn Gavigan Martin Thorin Geist Russell Gelfan Brad Leigh Gossett Birch Hansen Matthew Hice Noah Hoffman Claus Janssen Kirupa Jayapal Andrew Jenkins Marcie Jhong Margaret Johnescu Melissa Kanias Michael King Evan Koehler Ivan Larson Josiah Laszloffy Cliff Leight Francesco Lemma Gary Lindgren Shawn Lucke Brennan Lytle

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

FL TN AL GA IL MI NY IN NY MI MN MN CA CA FL GA TN MI NJ CT NY NY CA UT GA WY MT WA MN MT MT WA WA WA WA MT OR OR MT ID MN AK HI SD WA OR OR AK MT WA WA MT WA OR MN WA WA WA OR MT WA WA WA WA MT WA MT WA SD MT WA MT

Alan Friday Andrew Nigh Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce Matthew Taber Rick Brown Gordon Cayce Steve A. Wendt Andrew Nigh Doyle Johnson Doyle Johnson Scott Seebass William C. Dydo James E. Tindle Gordon Cayce Gordon Cayce John W. Alden Brian Vant Hull Richard A. Fitzpatrick Richard A. Fitzpatrick Rick Brown Zac Majors Kevin Koonce Scott Schneider E. Scott Edwards Andy Macrae Denise Reed Steve Sirrine Andy Macrae Andy Macrae Derek Baylor Denise Reed Denise Reed Denise Reed John Hoseman Kelly A. Kellar Maren Ludwig John Hoseman E. Scott Edwards Steve Sirrine Jonathan Jefferies Patrick Kessler Patrick Johnson Denise Reed Andy Macrae Kelly A. Kellar Steven K. Amy Andy Macrae Misha Banks Derek Baylor Jennifer Bedell Mitchell Riley Kimberly Phinney Steve Sirrine Matt Cone Rob Sporrer Denise Reed Stephen J. Mayer Jennifer Bedell Kelly A. Kellar Denise Reed Matt Cone Matt Cone John Hoseman Jesse Williams Andy Macrae Jesse Williams Patrick Johnson Andy Macrae Denise Reed Andy Macrae

USH PA PILOT 63 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 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1

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 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

Andrew McKean WY E. Scott Edwards Alonso Mendoza OR Todd Joseph Weigand Ben Perle OR Steve Roti Erik Peterson MT John Hoseman Matthew Powell AK Steven K. Amy Jon Rashleigh MT Andy Macrae Scott Rauch WA Matt Cone Colin Rimel MT Jennifer Bedell Spencer Robertson OR Andy Macrae Jeremy Rude OR Steve Roti David Schiavone OR Maren Ludwig Chester Schwie MN Steve Sirrine Nick Simoneaux WA Chris W. Santacroce Satinder Singh ID E. Scott Edwards Heather Stokes MT Jennifer Bedell Killian Sump OR Todd Joseph Weigand Joel Susnow SD Kevin McGinley Victor Suvorov HI Patrick Kessler Michael Szekely OR Brad Hill Stephen Torna MT Andy Macrae Gunther Webber MT Andy Macrae Lindsay Wheeler HI Patrick Kessler John Wros AK Steven K. Amy Matthew Yodis OR Stephen J. Mayer Caitlin Zeliff WY Fred Morris Talal Al-Dik CA Robert Black Thomas Allgaier UT Jonathan Jefferies Derek Appelblatt CA Jesse L. Meyer Yijing Bai CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Tyrell Bratton UT Nathan Alex Taylor Kimberly Bridges CA Jesse L. Meyer Michael Castignani CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Shelley Crow UT Stacy Whitmore Istvan Csapo CA Robert Black Jon Dixon UT Stacy Whitmore Brent Dupree UT Jonathan Jefferies Matthew Floyd UT Ken W. Hudonjorgensen Ben Freudberg CA Jesse L. Meyer Thomas Futral NV Chris W. Santacroce Elizabeth Gambel CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Duane Gardner UT Stephen J. Mayer Gary Gilliam CA Wallace K. Anderson Walter Gutierrez CA Robert Black William Hamann UT Dale Covington Nathan Harada CA Robert Black Patrick Harris CA Robert Black Chase Hathaway UT Ben White Shane Healy UT Nathan Alex Taylor Joey Jarrell UT Ben White Charles Kennedy CA Robert Black Boleslaw Kulbabinski CA Robert Black Daniel Kupec UT Patrick Johnson Krister Lagergren CA Jesse L. Meyer Sherwood Lagergren CA Jesse L. Meyer Walker Linna CA Mike Fifield Rodney Lyons CA Nathan Alex Taylor Joseph Massoud CA Mitchell B. Neary Ryan Matson CA Robert Black Sean Misiora UT Gary Begley Jonathan Mudaliar CA Robert Black Ajit Narayanan CA Jesse L. Meyer Travis Newcomb CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Dang Ngo CA Jesse L. Meyer Barry Nolen UT Stephen J. Mayer Baker Nolen UT Stephen J. Mayer Harry Parker CA Cynthia Currie Ryan Polvere CA Robert Black Jeremy Preedy NV Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Philip Purugganan CA Jesse L. Meyer Wilson Radford UT Jonathan Jefferies Alex Rands UT Jonathan Jefferies Santiago Ossa Rodriguez CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum

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 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1

2 2 2 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 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 3 3 3 3 3

Ryan Russell Justin Rutan Sean Sabo David Sabo Alexander Sabo Rohit Singh Gulia Jason Smith Russell Sullivan Adam Symonds Catie Talbot Dave Taylor Michal Tomaszewski John Tosti Parker Winkel Drew Ames Joshua Apodaca Colin Beach Adrian Belinne Natasha Brand Macie Brendlinger Rose Brenner Ian Buterbaugh Joseph Cohen John Arthur Colantonio Brett Corbin Tim Costin Mitchell Dalton Chyna Denney Lawrence DePorto Truman DeYoung Zach Dischner Casey Evanoff Austin Everett Austin Fisher Caleb Foster Ryan Garza Jason Gore Jeremy Graham Justin Grisham Samuel William James Hardy Kiley Hartigan Keith Hartigan Kelsey Hasterlik Mitchell Herig Olivia Hess Neil Karstetter Bonnie Kelsay Emul King III Andrew Klumpp Nathan La Fontaine Joel Lambert Rafael Lancelotta Barry LeQuire William Litwiller Curtis Long Paul Loyd Thomas Mahr Evelyn Masoner Logan O'Brien Steven R. Owens Ned Perry Ava Quinn Lawrence Radford Shawn Ramey Taylor Rice Dakota Rieb Jesse Rothert Bryce Rundell Kenyon Salo Abhi Sarkar Daniel Rafael Peter Sauter Thaddeus Shrader

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

CA CA CA CA CA UT CA CA UT CA CA CA NV UT CO AZ AZ CO CO CO CO AZ CO CO NM CO CO CA CA NM CO CO CO CO CA CO CO CA CO CA CO CO CA NM CO CA CA CO CO CO CA CO CA CO CA CO CO CO CO CO CO CO AZ AZ CO CA CA CO CO CA CA CO

Robert Black Rob Sporrer Jesse L. Meyer Jesse L. Meyer Jesse L. Meyer Jonathan Jefferies Robert Black David Blacklock Jonathan Jefferies Rob Sporrer Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Cynthia Currie Ken W. Hudonjorgensen Mauricio Fleitas Andy Macrae Nathan Alex Taylor Misha Banks Andy Macrae Andy Macrae Misha Banks Chandler Papas Mauricio Fleitas Misha Banks Chris W. Santacroce Misha Banks Misha Banks Vito Michelangelo Vito Michelangelo Charles (Chuck) Woods Misha Banks Misha Banks Johannes Rath Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Johannes Rath Rob Sporrer Marc Chirico Cynthia Currie Misha Banks Mauricio Fleitas Jennifer Bedell Rob Sporrer Misha Banks Jerome Daoust David John Hebert Nathan Alex Taylor Misha Banks Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Johannes Rath Rob Sporrer Misha Banks Stephen Nowak Stacy Whitmore Misha Banks Jonathan Jefferies Misha Banks Misha Banks Jonathan Jefferies Misha Banks Stephen J. Mayer Andy Macrae Johannes Rath Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Johannes Rath Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Max Leonard Marien Etienne Pienaar

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.

Ratings Issued September & October 2020 (continued) 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 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1

64 US H PA P I LOT

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 4 4 4 4 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 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Luke Shrader Tina Simpson-Hartley Ruchika Singhal David Smith Alex Speaker Ian Sprenger Ezra Stallings Chris Stromberg Matthew Swartz Colin Tomkins-Bergh Josh Treptau Travis Tung Chris Underwood Alejandro Villanueva Richard Michael Viveros Ashley Watts Dakota Williams Amanda Winther Schorsch John Beckum Daniel Booher George A. Bratton Kelsey Burke John Busigin David Carroll David Chalmers John Elmen Corey Graves Fernando Guevara Vitaliy Hayda Logan Henley George Hollingsworth Jr Alex Juneau Timothy Mangan Sarah Martin Charles McNulty Josh McVeigh Stephen Messinger Edmond Nichols Antoine Raynaud James Thomas Rogers Andrzej Rusztowicz Derek Schujahn Kseniia Shnyreva David Colt Wendt Wagner Alves Pereira Samantha Amato-Rotkowitz Behfar Ardehali Daniel Bartus David Castillo Milton Rafael Cerri Gregory Hardiman Tony Hinton Mauricio Idalgo Clemente Daniel Iead Phil Jacques Jerry Jones Jeffrey Joseph Katrina Kirsch Brenda Makaras Erin Noel Rocael Ortiz Castillo Andrew Pesce Cameron Peters Nicholas Platt Paulo H. Portela Da Silva Gabriel Porter-Henry Renne Puppo Heather Reed Edmond Salas Clifford Savage Aaron Schwartz Mark Simpson

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

CO CA CO CA CO CA NM CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CA CO AZ CO GA TX TN NC TN TX FL NC LA TX VA TN FL LA TN NC TN VA VA NC KY FL NC TN VA MO CT NJ MA NH NY NY CT NH NJ CT NJ OH NY IL IL VT NY ME MA NY NJ MA NJ CT MA VT VT MD

Etienne Pienaar Vito Michelangelo Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Mauricio Fleitas Rob Sporrer Charles (Chuck) Woods Misha Banks Misha Banks Misha Banks Douglas Brown Misha Banks Misha Banks Gregory Kelley Marcello M. DeBarros Misha Banks Gary Begley Misha Banks Steven Taylor Couch Vito Michelangelo Nathan Alex Taylor Brian Clark Christopher J. Pyse Nathan Alex Taylor Denise Reed Rob Sporrer Brian Clark Stephen J. Mayer Jonathan Jefferies Steven Taylor Couch Christopher J. Pyse Brian Clark Rob Sporrer Brian Clark Steven Taylor Couch Ben White Thomas McCormick Christopher Grantham Steven Taylor Couch Jonathan Jefferies Christopher J. Pyse Grayson Brown Jonathan Jefferies Douglas Brown Marcus V. Santos Thomas McCormick John E. Dunn John E. Dunn Miguel Rodas Marcus V. Santos Hal Franklin Heath Woods Marcus V. Santos John E. Dunn Chris W. Santacroce Jaro Krupa Miguel Rodas Nathan Alex Taylor Jaro Krupa John E. Dunn Miguel Rodas Rob Sporrer John E. Dunn Calef Letorney Marcus V. Santos John E. Dunn Marcus V. Santos Nathan Alex Taylor John E. Dunn Calef Letorney Calef Letorney Stephen J. Mayer

RTG RGN NAME

P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 P1 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

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 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 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

Mike Sopyla Marcilio Souza Da Silva Robert Lee Steeves Benjamin Tabone Nelson Antonio Villafuerte Justus Wise Herbert Wootton Jr Krystian Zygowiec Joseph Amodio Cody Baker Matthew Beecroft Cody Benz James Bialczak Richard Bialczak Andrea Bjazevich Doug Bowman Jeb Butler Sarah Butler Bryan Christian Todd Danger Keith Dickerson Jon Eaton Richard Eide Jens Esselstrom Nathali Eustaquio Da Silva Shreve Fellars Riley Ferre Jacob Flory Paul Floyd Thomas Fontaine Evan Furbeyre Madalyn Gavigan Martin Thorin Geist Russell Gelfan Brad Leigh Gossett Matthew Graham Birch Hansen Matthew Hice Noah Hoffman Claus Janssen Kirupa Jayapal Andrew Jenkins Margaret Johnescu Melissa Kanias Michael King Ivan Larson Josiah Laszloffy Cliff Leight Francesco Lemma Gary Lindgren Shawn Lucke Brennan Lytle Andrew McKean Alonso Mendoza Ben Perle Matthew Powell Jon Rashleigh Scott Rauch Colin Rimel Spencer Robertson Jeremy Rude Steve Schufreider Chester Schwie Nick Simoneaux Satinder Singh Heather Stokes Killian Sump Joel Susnow Victor Suvorov Stephen Torna Gunther Webber Lindsay Wheeler

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

NH NJ MD NH MD MI PA MI WY MT WA MN MT MT WA WA WA WA OR OR ID MN AK HI SD WA OR OR AK MT WA WA MT WA OR OR MN WA WA WA OR MT WA WA WA WA MT WA SD MT WA MT WY OR OR AK MT WA MT OR OR WA MN WA ID MT OR SD HI MT MT HI

John E. Dunn Marcus V. Santos Stephen J. Mayer Calef Letorney Stephen J. Mayer Steven Taylor Couch Marcus V. Santos Harry Sandoval E. Scott Edwards Andy Macrae Denise Reed Steve Sirrine Andy Macrae Andy Macrae Derek Baylor Denise Reed Denise Reed Denise Reed Kelly A. Kellar Kelly A. Kellar E. Scott Edwards Steve Sirrine Jonathan Jefferies Patrick Kessler Patrick Johnson Denise Reed Andy Macrae Kelly A. Kellar Steven K. Amy Andy Macrae Misha Banks Derek Baylor Jennifer Bedell Mitchell Riley Kimberly Phinney Kelly A. Kellar Steve Sirrine Matt Cone Rob Sporrer Denise Reed Stephen J. Mayer Jennifer Bedell Denise Reed Matt Cone Matt Cone Jesse Williams Andy Macrae Jesse Williams Patrick Johnson Andy Macrae Denise Reed Andy Macrae E. Scott Edwards Todd Joseph Weigand Steve Roti Steven K. Amy Andy Macrae Matt Cone Jennifer Bedell Andy Macrae Steve Roti Marc Chirico Steve Sirrine Chris W. Santacroce E. Scott Edwards Jennifer Bedell Todd Joseph Weigand Kevin McGinley Patrick Kessler Andy Macrae Andy Macrae Patrick Kessler

USH PA PILOT 65 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 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2

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 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 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

John Wros Matthew Yodis Caitlin Zeliff Talal Al-Dik Thomas Allgaier Derek Appelblatt Yijing Bai Tyrell Bratton Kimberly Bridges Michael Castignani Shelley Crow Istvan Csapo Jon Dixon Brent Dupree Richard Fischer Matthew Floyd Ben Freudberg Thomas Futral Elizabeth Gambel Duane Gardner Max Glicklin Walter Gutierrez William Hamann Nathan Harada Patrick Harris Chase Hathaway Shane Healy Joey Jarrell Ciara Kamahele-Sanfratello Charles Kennedy Boleslaw Kulbabinski Daniel Kupec Krister Lagergren Sherwood Lagergren Walker Linna Rodney Lyons Joseph Massoud Ryan Matson Sean Misiora Jonathan Mudaliar Dang Ngo Barry Nolen Baker Nolen Harry Parker Ryan Polvere Jeremy Preedy Philip Purugganan Wilson Radford Alex Rands Santiago Ossa Rodriguez Ryan Russell Justin Rutan Sean Sabo David Sabo Alexander Sabo Rohit Singh Gulia Jason Smith Russell Sullivan Adam Symonds Catie Talbot Dave Taylor Michal Tomaszewski John Tosti Parker Winkel Drew Ames Joshua Apodaca Colin Beach Dustin Bedard Adrian Belinne Natasha Brand Macie Brendlinger Rose Brenner

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

AK OR WY CA UT CA CA UT CA CA UT CA UT UT CA UT CA NV CA UT CA CA UT CA CA UT UT UT UT CA CA UT CA CA CA CA CA CA UT CA CA UT UT CA CA NV CA UT UT CA CA CA CA CA CA UT CA CA UT CA CA CA NV UT CO AZ AZ CA CO CO CO CO

Steven K. Amy Stephen J. Mayer Fred Morris Robert Black Jonathan Jefferies Jesse L. Meyer Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Nathan Alex Taylor Jesse L. Meyer Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Stacy Whitmore Robert Black Stacy Whitmore Jonathan Jefferies Robert Black Ken W. Hudonjorgensen Jesse L. Meyer Chris W. Santacroce Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Stephen J. Mayer Mitchell B. Neary Robert Black Dale Covington Robert Black Robert Black Ben White Nathan Alex Taylor Ben White Ken W. Hudonjorgensen Robert Black Robert Black Patrick Johnson Jesse L. Meyer Jesse L. Meyer Mike Fifield Nathan Alex Taylor Mitchell B. Neary Robert Black Gary Begley Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Stephen J. Mayer Stephen J. Mayer Cynthia Currie Robert Black Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Jesse L. Meyer Jonathan Jefferies Jonathan Jefferies Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Robert Black Rob Sporrer Jesse L. Meyer Jesse L. Meyer Jesse L. Meyer Jonathan Jefferies Robert Black David Blacklock Jonathan Jefferies Rob Sporrer Robert Black Jesse L. Meyer Cynthia Currie Ken W. Hudonjorgensen Mauricio Fleitas Andy Macrae Nathan Alex Taylor Max Leonard Marien Misha Banks Andy Macrae Andy Macrae Misha Banks

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 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2 P2

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 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 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

John Buterbaugh Joseph Cohen John Arthur Colantonio Brett Corbin Tim Costin Mitchell Dalton Joshua Denson Zach Dischner Casey Evanoff Austin Everett Austin Fisher Caleb Foster Ryan Garza Jason Gore Jeremy Graham Justin Grisham Samuel William James Hardy Keith Hartigan Kiley Hartigan Kelsey Hasterlik Mitchell Herig Olivia Hess Bonnie Kelsay Emul King III Andrew Klumpp Nathan La Fontaine Joel Lambert Rafael Lancelotta Clinton Lariscy Barry LeQuire William Litwiller Curtis Long Paul Loyd Thomas Mahr Evelyn Masoner Logan O'Brien Steven R. Owens Zeeshan Parvez Ned Perry Ava Quinn Lawrence Radford Shawn Ramey Taylor Rice Dakota Rieb Jesse Rothert Bryce Rundell Kenyon Salo Abhi Sarkar Daniel Rafael Peter Sauter Thaddeus Shrader Luke Shrader Ruchika Singhal David Smith Alex Speaker Ian Sprenger Chris Stromberg Matthew Swartz Colin Tomkins-Bergh Travis Tung Chris Underwood Jason Virskus Richard Michael Viveros Ashley Watts Dakota Williams Amanda Winther Schorsch John Beckum George A. Bratton Kelsey Burke John Busigin David Carroll David Chalmers John Elmen

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

AZ CO CO NM CO CO CA CO CO CO CO CA CO CO CA CO CA CO CO CA NM CO CA CO CO CO CA CO CA CA CO CA CO CO CO CO CO CA CO CO AZ AZ CO CA CA CO CO CA CA CO CO CO CA CO CA CO CO CO CO CO CA CA CO AZ CO GA TN NC TN TX FL NC

Chandler Papas Mauricio Fleitas Misha Banks Chris W. Santacroce Misha Banks Misha Banks Stephen Nowak Misha Banks Misha Banks Johannes Rath Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Johannes Rath Rob Sporrer Marc Chirico Cynthia Currie Mauricio Fleitas Misha Banks Jennifer Bedell Rob Sporrer Misha Banks David John Hebert Nathan Alex Taylor Misha Banks Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Johannes Rath Vito Michelangelo Rob Sporrer Misha Banks Stephen Nowak Stacy Whitmore Misha Banks Jonathan Jefferies Misha Banks Misha Banks Stephen Nowak Jonathan Jefferies Misha Banks Stephen J. Mayer Andy Macrae Johannes Rath Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Johannes Rath Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Max Leonard Marien Etienne Pienaar Etienne Pienaar Misha Banks Rob Sporrer Mauricio Fleitas Rob Sporrer Misha Banks Misha Banks Misha Banks Misha Banks Misha Banks Vito Michelangelo Marcello M. DeBarros Misha Banks Gary Begley Misha Banks Steven Taylor Couch Nathan Alex Taylor Brian Clark Christopher J. Pyse Nathan Alex Taylor Denise Reed Rob Sporrer

Ratings Issued September & October 2020 (continued) RTG RGN NAME

66 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 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3 P3

4 4 4 4 4 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 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Corey Graves Fernando Guevara Vitaliy Hayda Logan Henley George Hollingsworth Jr Alex Juneau Timothy Mangan Sarah Martin Charles McNulty Josh McVeigh Edmond Nichols Antoine Raynaud James Thomas Rogers Andrzej Rusztowicz Derek Schujahn Kseniia Shnyreva Wagner Alves Pereira Daniel Bartus David Castillo Milton Rafael Cerri Marc Coleman Nick Ewaskowitz Gregory Hardiman Tony Hinton Mauricio Idalgo Clemente Steven Ingraham Phil Jacques Jerry Jones Jeffrey Joseph Katrina Kirsch Brenda Makaras Steven Miller Andrew Pesce Cameron Peters Nicholas Platt Paulo H. Portela Da Silva Gabriel Porter-Henry Renne Puppo Heather Reed Nathanael Reinsma Edmond Salas Clifford Savage Aaron Schwartz Mark Simpson Marcilio Souza Da Silva Robert Lee Steeves Benjamin Tabone Nelson Antonio Villafuerte Justus Wise Herbert Wootton Jr Krystian Zygowiec Peter Forster Evan Furbeyre Brad Hoese Valera Kolupaev Laura Nugent Joel Susnow Patrick Switzer Alex Tenenbaum Kim Zollinger Austin Adesso Nancy Anderson Joshua Ellison Elizabeth Gambel Jan M. Heinemann Travis Hotchkiss David Jaggard Patrick Kelly John Kinsella Daniel Kupec Harry Parker Levi Pendleton Daniel Redding Shanon Lea Searls

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

LA TX VA TN FL LA TN NC TN VA NC KY FL NC TN VA CT NH NY NY NH WI CT NH NJ CT NJ OH NY IL IL IL ME MA NY NJ MA NJ CT MA MA VT VT MD NJ MD NH MD MI PA MI WA WA MN WA WY SD HI MT OR UT CA UT CA CA UT CA UT CA UT CA UT CA CA

Brian Clark Stephen J. Mayer Jonathan Jefferies Steven Taylor Couch Christopher J. Pyse Brian Clark Rob Sporrer Brian Clark Steven Taylor Couch Ben White Christopher Grantham Steven Taylor Couch Jonathan Jefferies Christopher J. Pyse Grayson Brown Jonathan Jefferies Marcus V. Santos John E. Dunn Miguel Rodas Marcus V. Santos John E. Dunn Mariyan Radev Ivanov Hal Franklin Heath Woods Marcus V. Santos John E. Dunn Chris W. Santacroce Jaro Krupa Miguel Rodas Nathan Alex Taylor Jaro Krupa Vito Michelangelo Rob Sporrer John E. Dunn Calef Letorney Marcus V. Santos John E. Dunn Marcus V. Santos Nathan Alex Taylor John E. Dunn John E. Dunn Calef Letorney Calef Letorney Stephen J. Mayer Marcus V. Santos Stephen J. Mayer Calef Letorney Stephen J. Mayer Steven Taylor Couch Marcus V. Santos Harry Sandoval Marc Chirico Misha Banks Steve Sirrine Marc Chirico Fred Morris Kevin McGinley Rob Sporrer Andy Macrae Kelly A. Kellar Chris W. Santacroce Robert Black Stephen J. Mayer Jeffrey J. Greenbaum Etienne Pienaar Kevin McGinley Jesse L. Meyer Nathan Alex Taylor Robert Black Patrick Johnson Cynthia Currie Stacy Whitmore Robert Black Cynthia Currie

RTG RGN NAME

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 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4

2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5

Adam Symonds John Tosti Ray Wack Brian Bergquist Peter Berkey Ash Bown Tim Carlson Ryan Friedman Russ Gibfried Wesley Goulding Justin Grisham Samuel William James Hardy Danelle Herra Jonathan Koehler Paul Kuhne John McGuinness David Ryan Norgren Christian Owen Daniel Rafael Peter Sauter David Deem Carlos Luis Avila Ivan Manasiev Josh McVeigh Michael Milner Chad Spaman Andy Thompson Ethan Weir Mark Anderson David Berman Fred Block Curt Chester Jean Chiotti Tony Davis Nick Ewaskowitz Matthew Foster Jerry Jones Franklin Page Marconi Pereira Da Costa Adam Riggen Adam Schamberger Daniel F. Wyatt Oleksiy Buynytskyy Mark Lascelles Josh Norris Serge Romano Joel Susnow Will Taylor Ariel Zlatkovski Austin Adesso Edward Conover Ismo Karali Daniel Kupec Sylvain Maeckelberghe David Peck Owen Searls Shanon Lea Searls Adam Symonds John Tosti Brett Campbell Chris Lorimer Jason May Christian Owen Matt Paulsen Lisa Davis Benedict Dixon Barry Klein Carlos Luis Avila Michael Meyer Max Emmer Jason Hull Isabella Messenger Jamie Messenger Franklin Page Johannes Ziegler

STATE RATING OFFICIAL

UT NV CA CA CA CO CO CO CA CA CO CA CO CA AZ CA CA CA CA FL FL GA VA FL TX NC TN MA NY WI WI MD NJ WI MA OH VT NY VT IL NH WA WA OR OR SD OR WA UT CA CA UT UT UT CA CA UT NV AZ CA CA CA CO DC TX GA FL GA NJ PA NH NH VT VT

Jonathan Jefferies Cynthia Currie Robert Black Philip D. Russman Rob Sporrer Kevin McGinley Misha Banks Johannes Rath Robin J. Marien Stephen Nowak Marc Chirico Cynthia Currie Sanders Sam Crater Rob Sporrer Chandler Papas Max Leonard Marien Jeremy Bishop Marcello M. DeBarros Max Leonard Marien John E. Dunn Jaro Krupa Mark Dunn Ben White Chris W. Santacroce Jc Perren Heath Woods Christopher J. Pyse Davidson Da-Silva Sebastien Kayrouz Chris W. Santacroce Steven Taylor Couch Fred Morris Thomas McCormick Cynthia Currie Philippe Renaudin Jaro Krupa Calef Letorney Marcus V. Santos Calef Letorney Cynthia Currie Calef Letorney Mitchell Riley Roger Brock Maren Ludwig Jeff Shapiro Kevin McGinley Kevin R. Lee Derek Baylor Chris W. Santacroce Joshua Winstead Robert Posey Patrick Johnson Jake Schlapfer Nathan Alex Taylor Cynthia Currie Cynthia Currie Jonathan Jefferies Cynthia Currie Rob Sporrer Rob Sporrer Max Leonard Marien Marcello M. DeBarros Randall Shane Christopher J. Pyse Jeff Shapiro Steven Taylor Couch Jaro Krupa Mark Dunn Thomas McCormick Thomas McCormick Calef Letorney Calef Letorney Calef Letorney Calef Letorney

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FFF IS A 501 C(3) NONPROFIT STAFFED ENTIRELY BY VOLUNTEERS SINCE 1989 E X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R @ F O U N D A T I O N F O R F R E E F L I G H T . O R G O R

C A L L

5 5 9 - 6 7 7 - 7 5 4 6

The Oudie 4 by Naviter combines unmatched color mapping and high-sensitivity navigation to create the ideal flight instrument for competition, serious XC, technical, and recreational pilots.

The touchscreen interface offers superior control and unparalleled user customization.

Flytec.com info@flytec.com 800.662.2449 68 US H PA P I LOT