HANG GLIDING + PARAGLIDING + SPEEDFLYING
FALL 2024
Briefings 6 Editor 7 Association 8 Calendar 61 Classifieds 61 Ratings 62
Accident Review Committee by the Committee 10
Blodgett Open Space by Martin Palmaz 12
A New Shape by Sofia Puerta Webber 16 Finding ways to repurpose old gear
Calling All Female USHPA Pilots by Julia Knowles 22
Results of the Women's Committee poll
Between the Clouds and a Hot Place by Patrick Switzer 28 A Mojave notebook
Thermal Structures by Dennis Pagen 38
Using proxy plumes to decipher thermals
Notch Peak by Sarah Crosier 42
A para-alpinism adventure in Utah
Inherently Dangerous by Jeff Gildehaus 48
Warn the West by Kubi and Luki Jacisin 52
Paragliding tales from the equator
How's the Weather?
Installing weather stations by Brian Greeson 56
Cover Photo by Alexis Wheeler
At Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla, one of Dave Metzgar’s lanner falcons soars with Steve Van-Fleet (red) and Jason Hull (green).
HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES
USHPA recommends new or advancing pilots complete a pilot training program under the direct supervision of a USHPA-certified instructor, using equipment suitable for their level of experience. Many of the articles and photographs in the magazine depict advanced maneuvers being performed by experienced, or expert, pilots. No maneuver should be attempted without appropriate instruction and experience.
©2024 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. POSTMASTER USHPA Pilot ISSN 26896052 (USPS 17970) is published quarterly 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.
The Calypso 2 is your passport to a world of adventure, ready to discover new places and routes — both on the ground and in the air.
The Calypso 2 is a true lightweight design, aimed to perfectly match the needs of leisure and progressing pilots who like to travel, hike and even do some XC.
5 Sizes | 55-115 kg | EN B
Photo: Jerôme Maupoint
AIRLIGHT
GLOVES The Airlight gloves by Ozone are lightweight gloves ideal for flying in warm weather or short flights at other times. They pack very small and feature high-quality leather inside with clarino lining. An all-season variation, the Air Glove, is an anytime, anywhere option, with durable Lycra and high-quality Primaloft insulation. Both gloves feature reinforcements on the index finger and the side of the hand to prevent wear and tear from lines and a touch-screen tip on the thumb and index fingers for instrument use. The wrist leash keeps the gloves safely tethered to you when removed in flight. www.flyozone.com
MAGNUM 4 The Magnum 4 is designed for the professional pilot. It has the shortest ground roll of any wing we have flown so far, making for impressively simple launching characteristics. The pilot and passenger are airborne much faster than before, and the glide, speed, and sink rate have been improved over preceding models. Designed for professional pilots, the handling is agile and low-effort, and the same characteristics that make the launch so easy translate to the landing as well. With ultra-precise pitch control and a high resource flare, your crew has never landed so gently. www.flyozone.com
FANET AND FLARM - OUT SUPPORT
Naviter and Flytec USA are pleased to announce that starting with Software v9.43, the Oudie5 XC/Pro and the Blade will now support FANET and FLARM-out functionality within North America. With this new software, there will be visibility between Oudie5/ Blade users and Oudie N+/Omni users, as well as any other FANET device. Additionally, Oudie5/Blade users will be visible to sailplanes and general aviation aircraft equipped with FLARM receivers. Oudie5 XC/Pro and Blade users are encouraged to upgrade the software and take advantage of the additional safety of FLARM conspicuity as well as buddy flying via FANET. Further info at: www.flytec.com info@flytec.com +1 800.662.2449
Liz Dengler EDITOR
: With so many changes happening at the magazine over the last year, I would like to speak directly to current and potential contributors on a few housekeeping items.
As you may remember, earlier this year, we increased our contributor budget by roughly 30%. I hope this increase shows how much we value your contributions and the time you take to share them. However, I have heard that, on occasion, our payment emails end up in your spam folder. We are working to solve this, but in the meantime, please check your spam folders for those emails. I want to pay you!
We send contributor payment emails soon after uploading our publication to print. If you receive a printed copy of the magazine featuring your story and have yet to receive your contributor payment email, please check your spam folder. If you don't find it, please reach out ASAP.
On a related note, if you don't respond to a contributor payment email within 90 days (an extension from what it used to be), the total amount will be considered a donation to USHPA. That’s three months (or one issue rotation) for you to see the email and decide how you’d like to receive your payment or if you would rather donate the amount back to the organization.
Recently, several contributors have asked about directed donations. I love this idea, and we are working to implement such an option. Of course, you can still donate without directing it, but if you want to specify where your donation is going, we have a few options:
• USHPA General Operations
• USHPA Women’s Committee
• Foundation for Free Flight General Fund
• Foundation for Free Flight Site Preservation Fund
• Chapter Support and Site Development Committee
To make a directed donation, simply email me or Maddie Campbell as to where you’d like it to go.
I am incredibly excited about the changes we’ve been making at the magazine over the last year, and I look forward to new options and innovations to serve you better. In the meantime, if you have a story idea, send me a pitch via email. If you have a fleshed-out story with photos, head to https://www.ushpa.org/page/ contributors.aspx and follow our new submission guidelines. I’ve enjoyed working with many new contributors lately and am excited to get to know more of you. Your stories influence, teach, and inspire our community. Thank you for your contributions.
Regardless of whether you’re a member or a magazine contributor, donations are always greatly appreciated. If you’d like to make a donation to USHPA any time throughout the year, visit drop a note to Maddie Campbell at maddie@ushpa.org
Liz Dengler Managing
Editor editor@ushpa.org
Kristen Arendt
Copy Editor
Greg Gillam
Art Director
WRITERS
Dennis Pagen
Lisa Verzella
Jeff Shapiro
Erika Klein
Julia Knowles
SUBMISSIONS from 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 ushpa.org. We are always looking for great articles, photography and news. Contributions are appreciated.
ASSOCIATION James
Bradley, Executive Director
Do you have questions about USHPA policies, progra ms, or other areas?
EMAIL US AT: info@ushpa.org Let us know what questions or topics you’d like to hear about!
Interested in a more active role supporting our national organization? USHPA needs you! Have a skill or interest and some time available?
VOLUNTEER! ushpa.org/volunteer
For questions or other USHPA business +1 (719) 632-8300 info@ushpa.org
: As I write, I’m on day 63 of my first 100 in this job. Every day is packed with a combination of the work that is necessary to keep the organization running and the work that can make us into a better organization.
One of the improvements we’re working on is selecting and implementing a new association management system (AMS), specialized software built around a member database. The one we’re using doesn’t work well for us and has high ongoing costs. A better-suited package will help us be quickly responsive to everything you need from us. We know USHPA hasn’t always been responsive and we’ve made changing that a high priority goal.
Next we’ll add a learning management system (LMS). We’ve begun work on courseware for a full pilot training curriculum, starting with online courses for theory and ground school that will complement on-hill training. Led by sports education expert Anna Mack and instructor administrator Greg Kelley, the program’s first products will
be online courses for P1 and P2, since paragliding has the most students, to be followed by P3, P4, hang gliding, speed flying, and instructor training. A small group of our most experienced instructors are participating in this work, and we’ve begun a collaboration with our Canadian colleagues at HPAC. On the side of keeping things running, one of the most important things USHPA does is caretake our tandem exemption with the FAA. FAA Part 103 is the document that lays out the FAA rules for ultralights. Part 103 specifies one person per aircraft, to let pilots take their own risks but not endanger others. Our tandem exemption allows tandem flights but only for instructional purposes, to help a student learn to operate an aircraft with an instructor on board. We apply to renew USHPA’s tandem exemption every two years. We’ve submitted this year’s filing and I’m optimistic that the FAA will renew it again, but please respect the FAA’s intent: we’re only allowed to fly tandems for instruction, not joyrides.
Any advertising or website that even implies the latter can put all tandem flying at risk. If you’re an instructor, please check that your website and promotions conform with this. Also, please remember that you’re required to have a physical copy of the tandem exemption with you during tandems. Because of the potential effect on the rest of us we will be putting teeth in these requests: your USHPA certifications will soon be at risk if you don’t respect these rules.
Similarly, if you’re an instructor or a tandem pilot, please be attentive to executing USHPA memberships and USHPA waivers for all your students. These steps protect you and your assets, as well as your flying sites and USHPA, in the event of a mishap. Because of the risk to the rest of us, of loss of a flying site or financial damage to the organization, following these rules consistently will also soon be a firm condition of keeping your USHPA certifications. I know most of our instructors are already doing these things attentively. Thank you.
All of us who work here are committed to making USHPA more responsive and easier to do business with, for our members, instructors, chapter leaders, and event organizers. Please let us know how we’re doing. You can call Maddie Campbell, our Membership and Communications Coordinator, at (719) 2191588, and you can book a 15-minute Zoom meeting with me by going to: ushpa.org/meetwithjames I look forward to speaking with you.
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.
REGION 1 NORTHWEST
Alaska Hawaii
Iowa
Idaho Minnesota
Montana
North Dakota
Nebraska
Oregon
South Dakota
Washington
Wyoming
REGION 2 CENTRAL WEST
Northern California
Nevada
Utah
REGION 3 SOUTHWEST
Southern California
Arizona
Colorado New Mexico
REGION 4 SOUTHEAST
Alabama
Arkansas
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Missouri
Mississippi
North Carolina
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
West Virginia
Virginia
REGION 5 NORTHEAST and INTERNATIONAL
Connecticut
Delaware
Illinois
Indiana
Massachusetts
Maryland
Maine
Michigan
New Hampshire
New York
New Jersey
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
Wisconsin
Bill Hughes President president@ushpa.org
Charles Allen Vice President vicepresident@ushpa.org
Julia Knowles Secretary secretary@ushpa.org
Pam Kinnaird Treasurer treasurer@ushpa.org
James Bradley Interim Executive Director executivedirector@ushpa.org
Galen Anderson Operations Manager office@ushpa.org
Chris Webster Information Services Manager tech@ushpa.org
Anna Mack Program Manager programs@ushpa.org
Maddie Campbell Membership & Communications Coordinator membership@ushpa.org
BOARD MEMBERS (Terms End in 2024)
Bill Hughes (region 1)
Charles Allen (region 5)
Nick Greece (region 2)
Stephan Mentler (region 4)
James Bradley (region 5)
Joseph OLeary (region 5)
BOARD MEMBERS (Terms End in 2025)
Julia Knowles (region 1)
Nelissa Milfeld (region 3)
Pamela Kinnaird (region 2)
Takeo Eda (region 2)
ACCIDENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
Complicated conditions and the disadvantage of flying alone
: A P2-rated pilot, flying alone this spring at an inland thermal site, went airborne while preparing to launch. The pilot impacted terra firma seconds after being plucked and was dragged through the terrain, resulting in a front-mounted reserve deployment. This accelerated the situation until they became wedged in debris. The pilot was able to use their hook knife to separate from the reserve. This event highlights several concerns. First, flying alone carries significant risk. Specifically, the opportunity to make the launch/no launch decision with other pilots is lost, as is the chance to evaluate the air by seeing others fly. Second, there is nobody to help when an emergency develops. Finally, regardless of location, springtime provides some of the most aggressive and unpredictable conditions of the year. This also highlights the changing environment of recent years and the relatively unpredictable nature of most flying sites/conditions that has become the norm. We are grateful that this incident did not result in anything more than a wrist fracture. Cheers to the pilot who executed the emergency procedure well by using their hook knife to separate from the reserve.
A P2 pilot flying a wooded thermal site landed in a tree without injury. This relatively new pilot received a site briefing, but due to a significant language barrier, clarity was lost. This is a genuine concern as we often host pilots from other places. Though several local pilots were out flying on the day, the pilot navigated into an area characterized by rotor in a crosswind. Pilots are reminded to chat with locals to figure out which portions of a flying site present rotor and which do not, depending on wind direction. Google Earth, flight tracks loaded to the Internet, and videos of others flying the site are additional resources to study the potentially dangerous areas. Some prior preparation using these tools might have prevented this incident. In the event of a tree landing, there is a long list of items that all pilots should carry. This list includes but is not limited to: a whistle, signal mirror, blanket, food, water, phone, phone battery, emergency locator, a way to securely attach to the tree, and, finally, some line that can be lowered to bring up a rope that will serve as a descent mechanism. Although dental floss is anecdotally referenced as such a tool, it often doesn’t work. 5 mm Perlon is a reasonably compact style of usable line/rope for
this use case. Thankfully, tree landings like this one are often characterized by a happy ending with no injuries, though there are no guarantees that this will be the case.
A pilot standing on launch preparing to fly at a lee-side thermal site encountered a rogue gust that caused them to be plucked airborne. The pilot had no wing control and impacted a parked car. The pilot suffered a sprained ankle. This was another case of a pilot flying alone. There are many reasons
why flying alone puts a pilot at a severe disadvantage. Also, we remind pilots who frequent east-facing sites exposed to the usual west-to-east jetstream wind of the western U.S. to monitor forecasts, live weather stations, and group chats to determine which days are flyable. It can generally be presumed that at any popular site, dozens of people will show up on a day with a good forecast and nice conditions. Pilots who find themselves alone on a takeoff should use extreme caution.
Blodgett Open Space Opening a new site in Colorado Springs
by Martin Palmaz
: Flying sites are fundamental for getting pilots in the sky, yet creating and maintaining them can be the most challenging part of fostering a healthy flying community. Fortunately, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has a progressive approach to growing the city and has been a supportive partner in exploring flying where appropriate. The city has wide appeal for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes since it is home to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and is adjacent to abundant outdoor recreation in the Pikes Peak region.
Currently, Colorado Springs has two hike-up sites that require advanced skills. Therefore, a new site with high visibility and training potential could drastically change access and growth within this rapidly growing metro area. However, establishing new sites takes time and requires consistent engagement. Over the past 14 years, as the USHPA representative in the community, I have established relationships and the necessary community engagement for getting free flight incorporated into the city’s parks and recreation department’s master plan. With that complete, it is now standard practice to invite USHPA to participate in future planning of open space within city limits.
Colorado Springs acquired Blodgett Open Space in 2001. The land was opened to hikers and bikers under the original master plan, but the open space was marred by misuse, overuse, illegal social trails, and competing recreational use over the years, and the parks and recreation department decided decided that they should take action to improve the area. In 2023, the parks and recreation departmen began a new master planning process to handle the changing demands on the open space while preserving wildlife and habitat. This planning process was USHPA’s first official invitation, and I, as USHPA’s representative in the community, enjoyed participating in the Stakeholder Action Committee for approximately 18 months during the plan develop-
Author Martin Palmez, standing in the LZ with training hill launch (phase 1) and quarry (phase 2) behind.
ment and public input process.
The City Council did receive an appeal from a small contingent of local residents about the revised master plan including the new recreational uses. However, the council ultimately voted to deny the appeal and move forward with the new plan to develop the area for more sustainable recreational use that also helps protect the habitat and wildlife. The estimated budget for all open space improvements is $7 million.
Over the next year or two, the city will begin the first phase of work. They will build single and multiuse trails (hiking, biking, and launch access), bury power lines (which block access to the LZ), and create signage that explains flying rules and protocols. Of course, due to the proximity to the Air Force Academy (AFA) and its cadet sailplane training program, this site is highly sensitive and faces intense scrutiny, so defining strict protocols and posting the associated signage is an essential aspect of opening this site. Though a designated launch and LZ have been identified, the site will remain closed to flying until some of these improvements are completed. There is no timeline for the flying site to open, but we hope it will be by the 2025 flying season.
The second phase of development for the open space is still to be decided. The adjacent land is approximately 100 acres and requires extensive reclamation of an old quarry. Once the quarry reclamation process is complete, the city will begin the planning process for phase 2 (including public input). With USHPA’s input and responsible use during phase 1, this will hopefully include additional launches and LZs, that may also include hang
gliding appropriate landing options. If approved, this area would likely be better for training and flying than the other local options.
Training is essential for growth within a sustainable flying community. Unfortunately, land purchased through the Trails, Open Space & Parks (TOPS) program doesn’t allow for commercial training activity, and teaching will not be allowed on the initial site. However, with careful planning and continued community engagement, we hope that the phase 2 acreage can be acquired outside of the TOPS program to allow a commercial school to be established.
If a school can be established, it will be subject to strict protocols similar to the phase 1 site. Additionally, there will be an approval process for instructors wishing to apply for a permit to teach on either
“Establishing new sites takes time and requires consistent engagement.”
View from the highway looking at AFA airfield and Blodgett/quarry in the background.
A view of the AFA tower.
View from Air Force Academy tower towards Blodgett
Looking south from launch showing quarry reconstruction in progress.
phase 1 or phase 2 land. Once the site has officially opened and some history has been established with the city and AFA, more details about this process will be made available. Responsible flying activity and good relations are essential in seeing this site
potential training site) will increase the visibility of free flight in Colorado Springs and strengthen USHPA’s standing and partnership with the city. This is an exciting evolution, and I am incredibly pleased to see it come to fruition, remain USHPA’s liaison
A NEW SHAPE
by Sofia Puerta Webber
Finding ways to repurpose old gear
Sofía is the creator of Shiwido™ and a writer, wellness consultant, yoga and mindfulness teacher
: This is an invitation to be aware of our gear, transform old wings into something useful, and donate gear to bring joy to others.
While studying for a B.A. in communication science and journalism at university, I traveled to the Amazon region of Colombia for eight months. My job while there was to do social research about the impact of illegal harvesting (coca, amapola, mari-
juana, and poppy flowers) on Indigenous communities, especially children. It was an enlightening and challenging experience. When I returned from the forest, I decided I wanted to help find a way to “Save the Amazon” by creating awareness about how our actions and decisions impact the planet.
I created a toy/instrument inspired by the colors, sounds, winged creatures, and the magic of the Amazon rainforest. When you spin the toy, the colors are vibrant, and it makes a sound like the wind. I called the toy Shiwido (The Magic Land of the Rainbow),
Ara Aguilera of ParaCyclage with some of her gear made from recycled wings.
and it became my “magic wand” to inspire others to learn about the Amazon. I put together a workshop that blended yoga, mindfulness, storytelling, and dance and visited several schools, museums, and libraries in Boston, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Colombia to spread the word and help educate the public.
I always carry Shiwido with me, even in my paragliding harness, and I discovered how great it is during para-waiting. My fellow pilots enjoyed spinning it and would tell me it was excellent exercise for strengthening their arms and upper body. So Shiwido became an educational toy with exercise in mind, and I trademarked it in 2007.
So how does this relate to recycling paragliders? Early on, I found a slight durability issue with the toy; kids were playing hard with Shiwido, so I needed to find better quality materials; something softer to the touch, more colorful, and something that could make
a better sound when flown. Right in front of my eyes was the ripstop nylon from my old paragliders! This amazing fabric was perfect; it was specially designed to withstand the stresses and strains of paragliding flights. It was strong and durable while being resistant to water, tearing, and ripping, and it even had some UV protection.
I had been flying for quite a few years by this point, and I had a bit of experience working with the glider fabric from repurposing my old gear. I have owned ten different wings in my pilot life, and I especially remember the feelings I had when I dumped my first glider into the trash. I gazed at it for a few minutes, feeling that something was off. I felt like I was somehow abandoning my old loyal friend who had flown with me since my first solo flight in 1998. My dear purple UP was too old and unsafe to fly, but I had a hard time letting it go. I grabbed some scissors and cut out a few pieces to create something to honor its
Ara Aguilera of ParaCyclage cuts up a glider.
Sofía Puerta, playing with Shiwido™ while parawaiting.
To donate your gear to fellow pilots:
Wings for Them
www.ailespoureux.com/?lang=en
Philippe Trautmann (France) ptrautma@yahoo.com
Promotion of Free Flight in Cuba
Chris Arnu (Germany) chris.arnu@gmail.com
Wilder Núñez (USA) wildernd87@gmail.com
To PURCHASE PRODUCTS AND SHARE IDEAS:
ParaCyclage
paracyclage.com
Ana Aguilera paracyclage@gmail.com
Miolento www.miolento.com
Elisa Hensel hello@miolento.com
Banzai Sports Gear
www.instagram.com/banzaisportsgear
Omar Rogel teacheromar82@gmail.com
Shiwido™ www.shiwido.com/shiwidotrade.html
Sofía Puerta shiwido@gmail.com
existence. After a few days, I made a couple of windsocks, wind straps, picnic blankets, decorations for parties, and an anklet that I wore for many years. Knowing how perfect the paraglider fabric would work for Shiwido, I put together a little campaign to get some donations: “Let your old wing fly with a new shape.” Pilots from Torrey Pines Gliderport in San Diego and retired pilots from around California offered solo and tandem wings. With so much fabric, Shiwido took off. Now, it is handmade in the U.S. using recycled materials from paragliders and parachutes. Shiwido is like a flag that reminds us we live on this planet together. I promote clean-ups on the oceanside and nearby parks, and we participate in tours and celebrations that promote zero waste.
I am deeply concerned about the amount of waste we produce and the impact of our actions on the planet. I truly believe we can contribute to a cleaner environment by implementing the four R’s: reuse, reduce, recycle, and recreate. Old gliders, ready to be trashed, are more than a piece of fantastic fabric. They carry a story of beautiful landscapes, flights, and adventures, so I find ways for people to continue enjoying them by creating durable carry-on bags for helmets, radios, and electronics and colorful bags for yoga mats. But I’m not the only one working to reuse these materials.
Though I contacted several hang gliding, paragliding, and parachute factories to learn more about recycling materials, they have yet to respond. However, I kept looking and found amazing people doing extraordinary things with older gear.
Elisa Hensel, a paraglider pilot from Germany who lives in Brussels, is the creator of the company Miolento. Her first donation was a glider from 1991 that a friend had in storage.
“Pilots don’t want to throw away their old wings; they still love them,” she says. “So I tell them, if they give me the wing and tell me what they want, I will create that for you.”
Around 2020, Elisa started making fanny packs from recycled wings, which are incredibly popular; customers can even choose their color combinations.
Ultra-marathoner backpack design by Omar Rogel, Bonzai Sports Gear.
In addition to the fabric, she uses the lines and risers and keeps everything for future use. She makes all kinds of bags, hair scrunchies, and bracelets, and is considering making jackets, earrings, and other accessories.
Though Elisa works full-time in political affairs in Brussels, she calls Miolento her side love. She says, “Using recycled paragliding wings is nice because you get to do something with your hands and create things.” Her dream is “to give a second life to as many paragliders as possible and, hopefully, one day we can mechanically and chemically recycle the old wings and make new material so we can close the loop.”
Omar Roger is an English teacher who lived in Atlanta, Georgia for 30 years. When he moved back to Mexico, he created Banzai Sports Gear in San Miguel de Allende. A friend told him about paragliding
materials, and he crafted his first fanny bag, intended for ultra-marathoners and hikers to carry food, a flashlight, first aid supplies, and a windbreaker.
An ultra-marathoner since 2015, Omar confesses that his first design was very uncomfortable. But he added a strap to provide better support and reduce bouncing. “I searched for the possibility of manufacturing it in Mexico, but finding someone who could make it for me was not easy,” he says. “I finally found an upholster who helped me to make a great prototype that I use and sell to sportsmates.” He also makes backpacks and will soon have dog harnesses and leashes for sale.
Banzai’s motto is change, adapt, and grow. Oscar believes “if we are in nature, we need to be more aware of nature.”
Ara Aguilera is a fashion designer married to a
Fanny packs and other products all made from recycled paragliders by Elisa Hensel.
paraglider pilot. She created ParaCyclage in 2019 when she moved from Argentina to Interlaken, Switzerland. Her first glider donation was so old that it was covered in mold. However, after washing it, she found it was a beautiful pink that inspired her to design a colorful jacket. She gave this glider a second life.
Ara says that ParaCyclage helped her reconnect with her soul and that sewing is an art form that allows her to express happiness. Ara has an alliance with NOVA that donated 80 paragliders to make 300 products like sports gear, fanny bags, leashes for phones, hammocks, and computer covers. Ara donates gliders that are still airworthy to pilots in other countries.
Philippe Trautmann has been flying for 26 years and lives in Nemours, 50 miles south of Paris. About five years ago, he and some friends founded an NGO called Wings for Them (Ailes pour Eux), which sends reused paragliding equipment to underprivileged pilots worldwide.
All the equipment they receive is provided through donations; out of the 200 wings they receive per year, about 50 are still flyable. Since its establishment, the organization has received donations totaling more than 650 wings, 300 harnesses, 200 reserves, and 250 carrying bags as well as helmets, flying instruments, and radios. “We make sure the functional wings are provided to underprivileged pilots in 16 countries: Colombia, Tunisia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cuba, Macedonia, Albania, Pakistan, Morocco, Algeria, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Afghanistan, and New Zealand,” says Philippe.
Philippe notes that about 380 wings have been recycled, thereby escaping waste or incineration. The non-profit supports a network of 12 recyclers who take the non-flight-worthy gliders and sports gear to create items such as hammocks, shelters, outdoor gear, and harnesses. His network of recyclers also creates objects, shelters, and gear used for humanitarian activities such as first aid airdrops with the support of the Humanitarian Pilots Initiative (HPI).
Chris Arnu lives in Karlsruhe, Germany, and became a pilot in 2004. He went to Cuba for the first time in the late 1990s and continues to visit Cuba often; now, he enjoys flying there too. Knowing how
difficult getting gear can be for other pilots, Chris dislikes it when a flyable paraglider is trashed simply because it’s a little old. “It can be used for ground handling and learning purposes in places like Cuba,” he says. Pilots there showed him the gear they were using, and it was in terrible condition, some of which was unsafe for flying. They were even using a reserve parachute from the army. The interaction motivated him to publish a short story on a German paragliding forum, and people started to contact him to donate gear.
“I collect gliders and other items. If gliders are damaged, I can have them fixed for free by an expert in stitching,” says Chris.
Sofía Puerta, author and creator of Shiiwido™.
Little by little, the Promotion of Free Flight in Cuba project took off. They now accept harnesses, paragliders, helmets, flying suits, parachutes, bags, and varios; everything but radios (because of the political situation in Cuba). “As crazy as it sounds, they have to yell at each other in the air or take the students on a tandem flight, but there are very few tandems,” says Chris.
Chris teamed up with a close friend, Wilder Núñez, who was born in Cuba and currently lives in San Antonio, Texas. He started as a skydiver, then became a paraglider pilot in 2006. Chris and Wilmer take the donated airworthy equipment to Cuba themselves. Wilmer explains, “Cuba needs a lot of things, but with paragliding, we can bring some happiness and enjoyment. This is our passion, and we can help our people and the Cuba Free Fight Federation.”
TURNING A GREEN THERMAL TOGETHER
Being part of a sport that uses such niche fabrics and materials offers the opportunity to be creative. It would be fantastic if manufacturers took responsibility for the end-of-life disposal or recycling of their products by managing the collection and recycling process. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can include requirements for product design to facilitate recycling. Perhaps one day, manufacturers and free flight organizations could offer promotional items made from recycled materials or discounts towards the purchase of new equipment in exchange for returning old wings for recycling. It would be wonderful to create an environmental consciousness within our clubs to contribute to conservation efforts, which can benefit individuals and promote social action. By recycling old wings, we can join a circular economy supported by the paragliding and hang gliding industry and community.
Calling All Female USHPA Pilots
Results of the Women's Committee poll by Julia Knowles
: Last winter (2023-2024), the USHPA Women’s Committee sent out a survey to all female-identifying USHPA members. Although our presence has grown in recent years, women pilots are typically in the minority in free flight. It is also less common for us to pursue acro, comps, or careers in the sport than our male counterparts. Some women may not stick around in the sport for as long as their male cohorts. Curious to know why, the Women’s Committee sent out a poll, and the lady birds responded in droves; over 250 pilots submitted answers to the survey. Of course, the first thing that was apparent from the results is that the passion is clearly alive and well among female pilots! In the survey, about one-quarter responded that they fly “as much as humanly possible … flying is life!” Participants averaged a 4.2 out of
5 when rating the importance of flying in their lives, with nearly half considering flying “extremely important” and 78% traveling beyond their home sites to soar.
Beyond confirming our love of flying, the committee aimed with this survey to examine retention and progression, understand preferred learning environments, and identify barriers that hinder women from pursuing more advanced ratings or skills. Some common themes cropped up among the responses. From the survey, it was clear that many feel they (either routinely or at some point in their flying career) experience gender-based challenges. While respondents generally feel supported, over 60% reported experiencing and/or observing sexism (both overt and subtle) or microaggressions within the flying community. In the comments, two significant patterns
FEW TIMES PER YEAR OR LESS
DON’T FLY ANYMORE
FEW TIMES PER MONTH
Frequency of In-season Flying
emerged throughout the survey. Women consistently miss out on mentorship and learning opportunities that are more readily offered to their male peers, and many feel as if their actions are scrutinized more than men’s. Though all pilots experience both phenomena, the frequency with which they occur for women is a hindrance.
Mentorship
Finding consistent mentorship is a global challenge, but the sheer volume of comments demonstrates how female pilots are disadvantaged. Women tend not to gain access to informal learning moments in the ways that men do, which, over time, can create a significant knowledge gap.
“It’s frustrating that the locals mainly talk to my husband. Even after learning I’m a pilot, they don’t engage with me much,” one woman stated. Another offered, “At times, I fly with less beta than I’d like because it was not offered by male pilots, whereas my husband would regularly get invited on XC missions.”
So much of our education beyond a P2/H2 comes via
informal mentorship. Lack of engagement really limits the learning process. “It does create one more micro-hurdle when trying to learn and grow … there is so much information to learn in this sport, and every ounce counts,” another pilot said. Even small hurdles stack up to create not-so-small disadvantages over time, but certain environments can help to address this gap.
Pilots launch the west face of Cove at the Swifts Fly-in a few years ago. Photo by Matt Swartz (courtesy of Lindsey Ripa Burns).
A lady bird prepares to launch at the Swifts Fly-in, an event focused on female-identifying pilots. Photo by Matt Swartz (courtesy of Lindsey Ripa Burns).
Number of Participants by Rating
Women-Specific Spaces
An overwhelmingly positive theme that arose from the survey was the value of women-specific spaces. From fly-ins to group chats to clinics and beyond, these environments allow female-identifying pilots to learn with a cohort. For a deep dive into women-only chat groups, check out Liz Dengler’s article in the November 2022 Cross Country Magazine, “Let’s Connect!” “The only chat group I feel comfortable asking questions in and going for help is the Lady Birds Telegram channel,” one commenter wrote. Whether discussing something specific to our gender, such as pee systems for long XC flights or seeking insights that may not be taken seriously in a general chat, these spaces unlock a safer and more friendly progression for many flying femmes.
Women-only spaces also connect new pilots with female role models and networks to leverage throughout their progression. Another survey respondent wrote, “I would LOVE to see more intentional spaces created for just women! There is nothing more empowering than being taught by other women.”
To address the mentorship gap, the Women’s Committee applied for USHPA funding to promote men-
torship of female-identifying and nonbinary pilots. The request was approved in late 2023 and has already been put to use at events such as the Woodrat Women’s Fly-in held in June 2024. Thanks to the supplemental funding, event organizers can bring in experienced mentors who foster a supportive environment for lady birds to spread their wings. These inclusive mentoring opportunities make advanced skills and competition flying more accessible for women, by women, without leaving anyone out of the circle up at launch.
Pilots soar above the town of Monroe, Utah at a Swifts Flyin a few years ago. Photo by Stephanie Linsley (courtesy of Lindsey Ripa Burns).
One survey question examined pilots’ interest in various types of events. The left panel shows baseline interest, while the middle panel shows interest if the activity were specifically for female pilots. In the third panel, items in green show a higher interest in women-specific programming.
Headgames
Free flight requires a strong mental game. A frequent theme in the survey was that women feel scrutinized more heavily than their male counterparts, which can erode confidence to the detriment of their flying.
One woman wrote, “I have to prove myself in ways that get in the way of my enjoyment and progression. Male pilots are encouraged to push themselves, while female pilots are encouraged to make conservative decisions about gear and progression.” A second said, “It can decrease my perceived competence, increase my (irrational) fear level, discourage me, reduce my ability to make good decisions, reduce my desire to engage with the sport and my community, and make me question my value as a part of the sport.”
More comments reinforced the theme: women feel as if we must constantly prove that we belong and that our mistakes reflect poorly upon all women in the sport. That’s a lot of pressure! This can make it easy to botch a launch or even bail on flying.
Expert pilot and weather guru Lisa Verzella from the Women’s Committee offers her secret sauce for overcoming this. “Everyone has strengths and weaknesses in flying; learn to focus on your strengths at launch. Folks seem to respect that,” she says. Sarah Lockwood, another leader in the women’s pilot community, understands the challenge of finding a confident head-
space, too. “It is so normal to experience self-doubt,” she states. “In a society that tells us we need to be careful, ask permission, and second-guess ourselves from a young age, becoming fully and completely pilot-in-command is no small accomplishment. When you stick with it and truly understand that you belong and are capable, this can positively impact your entire life.”
We can’t necessarily control others’ perceptions of us, but it can help to know we aren’t alone in feeling as if we are under a microscope. The magic of female-dominated spaces can occur as you move beyond them. It is easier to build up fortitude in a safe and supportive bubble; then, when you leave the fold and feel those critical eyes upon you again, you have a more deeply rooted inner confidence to tap into.
Quid Pro Quo: Not the way to go
At times, education for women might come with strings attached. Whereas men might freely offer advice to male peers, it can be less cut-and-dry for the opposite gender. “It seems hard to find a mentorship that doesn’t come attached with some type of desire for more than a mentorship,” one pilot observed. Establishing trust with a mentor or instructor is foundational to the learning process, and instructors hold a position of authority over their students. Misusing that authority violates USHPA’s Anti-Harassment
Policy and the SafeSport Code of Conduct. However, as more than one respondent noted, “It is difficult to advocate in these situations.” Challenging an authority figure does not typically benefit the student or mentee, who has everything to lose and may fear retaliation. So, how can we proactively avoid these types of issues altogether?
Increasing the number of women who instruct, guide, and offer tandem flights might be the solution. One pilot described how “having a school with a female instructor helped me feel comfortable from day one.” Research consistently demonstrates that sexual harassment declines when more women move into management positions. Although it isn’t unheard of for a woman to harass, it is statistically much less likely. A stronger female presence in our instructor, tandem pilot, and admin pool would organically address these issues without placing the onus on students or mentees to either file a report, deal with it, or leave the sport.
The Women’s Committee has noted a high demand for continuing education opportunities for female pilots. Survey respondents were asked how likely they were to participate in various clinics and events. They were 24% more likely to respond with “Most Definitely” (5 on a 1–5 scale) if the event was for women only. We saw the greatest demand for female-specific flyins, ground handling clinics, thermalling clinics, and
Mentors at the inaugural Woodrat Women’s Fly-in, held in July 2023. Left to right: Julia Knowles, Lisa Verzella, Kari Castle, and Summer Barham.
beginner XC clinics. Interest in SIVs and international tours was quite notable, too. We see a huge opportunity for organizers to consider adding courses specifically for female-identifying pilots, as the demand is high.
The Women’s Committee is currently developing resources to promote professional development, such as clinics and education on competition training. Stay tuned for details from the committee later this year!
The Family Factor
We all wish we could fly more. Women reported universal barriers, such as injury or the cost (both in time and dollars) of staying current. Some limiting factors, however, were gender-specific. Many women are grounded by child care demands after starting a family. Children often impact mothers’ participation more than fathers’, with moms often feeling heavily judged for continuing to fly.
“I would like to stop having the shocked conversation about being a pilot and a mother, which I never hear the dads have,” one respondent said. Judith Mole explores this subject in two episodes of The Paraglider Podcast, titled “Flying when Pregnant” (April 13th, 2016) and “Flying Mothers” (May 5th, 2016). Mole interviewed four European pilots who were criticized for flying after or during their pregnancies.
“Oftentimes, at the landing field, people would be like, ‘Are you crazy? What are you still doing flying?’” Elli Torro recalls. After consulting with a medical professional, she continued paragliding into her third trimester, but only when conditions were perfect.
The choice to fly as a mother is never taken lightly. Ruth Churchill-Dower, another interviewee, summed it up nicely: “It is absolutely every woman’s own decision to make that call for themselves, depending on who they are, where their skillset is, what their level of confidence is.” Hopefully, women feel empowered to make their own well-informed decisions to fly during or after a pregnancy. Even the most well-intended critics won’t offer much that an expectant mother hasn’t already considered for her most precious cargo.
Gear
This survey also highlighted the overwhelming demand for gear that actually fits women. Many of us struggle to fall within the weight range of even XS gliders, often ballasting up or sacrificing speed and safety while we sit at the bottom of the range. Harnesses don’t always fit our figures well. Comments abounded: I counted over 30, even though the survey did not include any specific questions about gear. One participant wrote, “It would be nice to have R&D done specifically for and by female pilots.” Another noted, “If we had more gear available for women’s bodies, I think the sport would change for women
Pro Tip: NEO makes an excellent rucksack in a range of women-specific sizes that may help our hike-and-fly lady birds!
significantly.” A clear opportunity exists for manufacturers to tap into this rapidly expanding segment of the market!
Onward and Upward
This survey provided valuable feedback to the USHPA Women’s Committee and is already driving changes that are sure to benefit not just female pilots but the free flight community at large.
We thank each of the 251 pilots who responded to this survey from the USHPA Women’s Committee. Lady birds, stay tuned for more development of women-specific spaces and resources later this season. Committee chair Violeta Jimenez notes: “Our committee was created to support female, trans, and non-binary pilots. If you have questions or concerns you’d like to see addressed or have ideas and want to help, please get in touch.”
You can contact the USHPA Women’s Committee at womens_committee@ushpa.org.
Between the Clouds and a Hot Place A Mojave notebook by Patrick Switzer
: Mid-afternoon is a bad time to fly a paraglider close to the desert floor. My team had been flying well, yet we were flushed to within a few hundred feet of the deck. Life and paragliding aren’t fair. Eighty minutes earlier, the milk and honey were flowing as we linked up in the freezing air over the Lucerne Valley and pointed east. Flying 10,000 feet above the alluvial fans spilling out from the San Bernardino range, we stayed tight to one another, marking climbs and shifting to better glide lines for 20 miles. Our route then fell through a trapdoor of sink, and the jig was up.
The radio crackled out one safe landing after another as the heat wormed its way through my layers, and the world shrank into a dusty beige box. Backyard dogs took notice and voiced their resentment. The ground was closing in, but I was content, as the previous hour had been spent in perfect flow. The sinkhole grounded half the group, but four of us hung on and regrouped above the town of Joshua Tree. When we landed just after sunset hours later, following a jaw-dropping 40-minute final glide, there was nothing else I could ever want to do or hope to become.
This trip to the Mojave was in the middle of May 2024, hosted by Chris Garcia of Convergence Paragliding. After the trip, I asked Garcia, “Why the Mojave?” He didn’t hesitate: “It’s my favorite place to fly in the whole world. It shaped me as a pilot, and I started Convergence to share these special places with others. The Mojave demands your full toolkit, but it isn’t for everyone. You don’t have to be an expert to fly there, but you need to make good decisions. The landscape in parts of that desert is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”
I had previously met two of the guides, Neal Michaelis and Chris Lorimer, but it was my first time getting to know the others, Reavis Sutphin-Gray and
Marcella Uchoa. It was a treat to learn about Marcella’s beloved Sertão flying scene in Brazil. She lights up when she describes the long, demanding days in the air and the incredible hospitality of the locals. Reavis is an institution, a teacher and student fluent in forecasting and tech. He steers pilots around the sky while tracking weather, airspace, and traffic from the top of the stack.
The long drives up the hill through the piñon and yucca gave pilots time to swap stories and bond as sisters and brothers in the desert crucible. After ten days of flying in the Mojave, we emerged with a blueprint of four categories of skills and mindsets that I will forever work to improve: preparation, discipline, resilience, and teamwork.
Preparation
The Mojave Desert lies in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, San Gabriel, and San Bernardino mountains. The heat center of this plateau creates a diurnal low-pressure zone, pulling coastal air through the passes towards the Arizona and Nevada borders. Cloudbase is often above 12,000 feet, giving pilots a couple of miles of headroom to chase down the convergence lines.
The records of air exploration over the Mojave start as early as the 1930s. The Southern California Soaring Association held meets at the Arvin-Sierra glider field on Tejon Ranch in Kern County. Though there are no specific flight reports, there are mentions of those pilots hucking over the mountains into the desert—this was likely the beginning of Mojave free flight.
Chris McKellar enjoying the extra legroom at cruising altitude near Barstow. Photo by Marty DeVietti.
Gus Briegleb started his soaring school at Rosamond Dry Lake (which became Edwards AFB) in 1940, though it was shut down by World War II. After the war, he bought some land from the military at El Mirage lake bed to get the soaring center going again. El Mirage sits right underneath one of the main convergence lines, hence its notoriety continuing through present-day free flight.
In September of 1955, British sailplane pilot Eric Wynter made the pilgrimage to experience a flight with legend Gus Briegleb at the El Mirage lake bed. His description in the June 1956 issue of “Sailplane and Gliding” magazine cannot be improved upon:
“We settled into a steady ten up. Everything was on such a vast scale. From on high, it appears as a brown expanse spread with black stipple which forms vague
square patches, some isolated, some overlapping, like an abstract design. Right beneath us rotated one brilliant green square like a postage stamp. Close to the alfalfa, I could see the foot of the dust devil at the source of our thermal, a shadowy umbilical cord moving just perceptibly across the ground.”
In the 1980s, a band of hang glider pilots figured out how to fly deep lines on their rigs. A pilot who spent years mapping the Mojave was “Fast Eddie,” described by my contacts as “a cornerstone of desert flying” and “the most prolific retrieve driver, probably ever.” He describes his crew “driving around using the Benchmark books and noting the location of triggers, landings, powerlines, everything. There was no GPS—we needed to know that we could land out somewhere [safely].” Eddie remembers Herb Seidenberg, Tom
Chris Lorimer gives perspective to the vastness. Photo by Patrick Switzer.
Truax, and Tony Deleo as major contributors to this desert exploration.
Jonathan Dietch, desert aficionado, hang glider pilot, and another pioneer of the area, emphasized the need for self-sufficiency. “You’d have to hitchhike out to find a phone. We set up a 1-800 number you’d call to leave your location for the retrieve driver.”
Even with all this prep work, in 2024, we still needed to do our homework and know the landscape before stepping off the hill. I discovered I couldn’t use my instruments’ full capabilities when flying really active air and couldn’t use one hand to zoom in on my screen. Since I hadn’t memorized the towns and highways, I wasted half an hour flying at the wrong landmarks.
The flora of the Mojave is cruel and will bite careless pilots; I brushed a gloved hand against a cholla and felt a spine pin the fabric to my knuckle. Can you spot
the Hawaii pilot? He’s the one stepping on his own hand, trying to dislodge the cactus without attracting attention, only to spike himself through the shoe.
Desert veterans like Gavin Fridlund have seen plenty of launch carnage and emphasize that the Mojave toolkit includes solid fundamentals and respect for the environment. In 2017, Gavin recognized that modern gear would allow for renewed exploration of this area, which had previously been challenging to fly on paragliders. In one incident during his explorations launching at Ord, he felt an ominous lull. Sensing that the sea breeze was about to shut them down, he powered down the hill, smashing through sharp foliage before finally separating from the terrain. A yucca spear lanced the webbing of his left hand, the tip exiting at the wrist. In the desert, it is best to dial in launches and choose the run path carefully.
Water triggers thermals, and in the desert, you can’t be picky. Patrick Switzer climbing out above the salt ponds at Dale Dry Lake. Photo by Chris Lorimer.
Discipline
Flying the Mojave can be spectacular but requires discipline to protect safety margins. When considering a risk management strategy, dust devils command our full attention. Dietch recalled several occasions over his years flying there working a ripper down low when a stealthy dusty emerged underneath: “So I’m climbing, minding my own business when suddenly my face is getting sandblasted by pea-sized gravel.”
This phenomenon was confirmed when Reavis reported following his highest ground speed into a climb over a dry lake bed. He looked down to observe the trigger and saw a dusty shifting up through the gears. There is no way to enjoy the middle of the thermic bell curve without brushing up against the outliers, which is why we stayed away from the ground.
Ninety minutes after Reavis pinged out over the lake bed, I had my own encounter with a dusty. We had flown towards a convergence line north of Cajon Pass, but the thermals were broken and turbulent; the good air was already north of us, and we were quickly grounded. As I ran to the glider, one tip shot erect, whipping in tight circles, pulled by a malevolent puppet master. I tackled the mess into submission, protected from the pelting debris by my winter attire. In this environment, if forced to land in the heat of the day, you must assume dusties are nearby and minimize the time you’re exposed to the threat.
The hazards of overdevelopment can be avoided if a pilot so chooses. Clouds build on a continuum, and if we decided to fly the marginal days, we could monitor the sky and move towards safer areas. The instability is a double-edged sword that births cumulonimbus and gust fronts but also gives the potential for long-distance flights. Finding the balance is up to the pilot in command.
During the clinic, Reavis taught us to work towards expanding our “envelope of expertise” by improving our forecasting and observation. The Mojave is ideal for this training since the mountains are separated by wide areas of flat terrain, giving escape options. This is not to say that the clouds are benign. The high base and vast heat reservoirs
give thermals tremendous momentum, so the “45-degree rule” that normally keeps us out of the white room might be adjusted to a “20-degree rule” on powerful days.
Resilience
I saw some great piloting from both the guides and participants, staying calm under pressure, accepting setbacks, and focusing on the factors within their control. Neal was the leadoff hitter for our first flight. He lost hundreds of feet immediately, but when he showed us the first sign of positive air, I joined him in the thin, sharp cycles. A weak frisbee eventually pinged me out, and the last I saw of Neal was the speck of his canopy where I assumed he was
Twice in the last year, the Mojave was hit by major storms. Erosion scars tell the story. Patrick Switzer over Dale Dry Lake east of Twentynine Palms. Photo by Chris Lorimer.
Aenaelle ‘Goose’ Acres winds it up in the shade. Photo by Reavis Sutphin-Gray.
landing. Forty-five minutes later, he was high, leading the group down the range. He related that, “I was fine with landing out. You have to plan big and imagine what you could accomplish with the day, but you can’t be attached to the outcome. I’m going to keep trying my best all the way to the ground, but if you want it too badly, that’s when things can go wrong.”
Two days later, Reavis launched first followed shortly by Neal and Andrew. The trio searched impossibly low before Neal and Reavis landed near the Mitsubishi cement plant. Andrew stayed aloft, clawing at scraps, inspiring the rest of us to snap out of it and get off the hill. The two of us were soon isolated and critically low when he called out a thermal directly behind me; this climb let us connect back to the
The high terrain behind Blackhawk turns on before the desert floor. Near Blackhawk launch looking south past Big Bear Lake. Photo by Marty DeVietti.
The I-15 corridor mainlines California’s money into the Vegas Strip. Marty DeVietti and Chris McKellar beating the odds. Photo by Marty DeVietti.
group and stay in the game until the guides could relaunch. Andrew’s willingness to dive into tough air and keep working at it was the crux move of the day. When I climbed into the van seven hours later, my mind replayed his efforts and the work of all my teammates who had helped to get the show on the road after a difficult start.
Teamwork
Marcella shared loads of knowledge about team flying, but what stood out to me was her description of changing one’s mindset. In her record-chasing teams at home, they speak of “the flying organism.” Every decision made by the individual should improve the success of the team. Instead of gliding above and behind, we get on bar to catch up and start providing information for the others. Instead of waiting on launch for the day to properly turn on, we get into the sky and increase the team’s chance of finding a climb.
This doesn’t mean that everyone flies the same. The goal is to use individual strengths at the correct time to gain small advantages for the group. I was succeeding in staying off the deck, so I chose to launch early, figuring it would be more helpful to get another wing in the air sooner rather than later. By contrast, my distant observation is relatively poor, and I leaned on the other pilots to spot signs of lift down the course line.
Marcella was also our speed-to-fly advocate, encouraging us to leave climbs as they slowed toward cloudbase. Back at the Lucerne Market, she put it bluntly, “Guys, it’s not necessary to take these climbs above 13,000 feet. Why are we wasting time freezing up there dodging clouds when we could be making better distance in the lower air?” We mumbled agreement while looking at our shoes. I was too embarrassed to say aloud, “But going as high as we can is fun…”
The magic of team flying is that when you commit to the process, you feel the joy of everyone’s flights, even if you stumble and land early. Team success cannot be separated from individual actions, and that’s pretty cool. The more we share, the more we have.
Crux
The fourth day was forecast for south winds and good lapse, with afternoon overdevelopment possible over the highest terrain. As we connected to the Ord Mountains, I failed to quickly recognize when my line went bad. By the time I recovered, the lead pilots were crossing Highway 40, but the group was splintering apart in shady, booming, and active air. Reavis was on the radio vectoring us to the waypoint, and
for the only time of the trip, his voice carried a hint of tension. Then came the call of a reserve deployment. For several minutes, there followed a remarkably calm conversation between Reavis and Andrew, who had thrown near cloudbase when a dynamic collapse recovery wound him up in riser twists. His long ride ended with a good landing, uninjured, and relatively close to a road. Reavis followed him down, and someone asked for the strategy: Should we pull the plug? Reavis replied no, to stay high and away from the ground. Chris announced the plan to meet up in the mellower air north of Route 40, and we continued with no lapse in leadership.
The team pushed north another four hours, flying into the low, late light of a broad valley etched
through with erosion braids. I touched down on the hard-packed shoulder of the main wash. Heavy silence rules this country, and the ringing in my ears was interrupted by a short exchange with a fellow who had been watching from his truck.
Our retrieve team rolled up shortly after his departure and continued north, plucking our last pilots from the wild terrain. Chris had crossed Ibex Pass into a multicolored drainage erupting with mineral outcroppings, and with a bit more effort, he could have dropped his wing directly onto the bank of one of the hot springs nearby. These moments are one of the great gifts of free flight when the team is reunited and we share these outrageous places.
A question always worth asking is, “Why do I fly?” My answer brings me back to a handful of days over the years that have been transformational. These are the experiences of joy, surprise, and being grabbed by the scruff of the neck and thrust face-to-face with life. I used to fear that I would always crave bigger, better, wilder flights and that the path would not be sustainable. I feel at peace now, being fulfilled by paragliding. I don’t know how many other perfect moments await me, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve landed at dusk deep in the Mojave with my team, and that’s all I will ever need.
Final glides are the finest rewards. Patrick Switzer east of Dale Dry Lake. Photo by Chris Lorimer.
Thermal Structures by Dennis
Pagen
Using proxy plumes to decipher thermals
: Most of us know and love thermals in all their multiple shapes, sizes, and strengths. Perhaps thermals are the one factor in flying that pumps the excitement long after we’ve mastered the basic skills. It seems we can never get enough and never exhaust their potential to surprise, uplift, and satiate us. So, we strive to learn more.
I have known excellent pilots who do not analyze or consciously conceive thermal shapes or behavior yet do very well in the bubbling air. These natural pilots are blessed, but for the rest of us, exploring the many different shapes and pathways thermals can develop is very beneficial to our flying. With that in mind, I’d like to pass along what I have seen in the past few years. Of course, we can’t see a thermal, but we can see its effects and watch smoke and other particulates that simulate a thermal. What I have been observing, specifically, is volcanos, wildfires (unfortunately), and bombings (even more unfortunately). Below, I’ll describe how these plume-producers relate to thermals and what we can learn from them.
Volcano Lift
A couple of years ago, I was fascinated by the numerous photos of the Tonga volcano eruption. The use of drones, aircraft, and other research advances have given us ringside seats to such natural outbursts. But we should ask, “Do volcanos really simulate thermal activity?” I believe the answer is yes. Obviously, the source of the initial rise of the ash and gas plume is much hotter at the surface than a thermal source, but once it rises, expands, and cools, it behaves much like any bulk of air warmer than its surroundings. The presence of particulates in the plume changes its relative density, but the fact is, many normal thermals carry a particulate load, especially in dust devil country.
I tried to catch a couple of photos of the eruption that illustrate some thermal behaviors I think are pertinent. Photo 1 shows a side view of the Tonga eruption. Here, we note the many little side balls or
boles of cloud representing a part of the warm air that breaks off from the main plume. Some of these small sidecar thermals are still going up, but if we encountered one and tried to use it, the climb would be weaker than the main column of lift, and it would soon dissipate.
The lesson, in this case, is: In an area where a large expanse is heated, don’t expect the first bloom of lift you encounter while searching for a thermal to be the best lift in the area. Of course, if you are low, it is wise to take any bit of lift you can find, but in many cases, you will be on the edge of a thermal and miss the main climb if you stay there. I can’t express how often many pilots will illustrate this principle. Usually, in an XC competition, a pilot will find the first blush of lift, others will come in, and the flock will spread out to find the main core. I have seen this in Florida, Tennessee, New Mexico, and Washington, to name a small sample of places.
However, it should be noted that when you are alone, it is difficult to tell if there are better patches of lift around you and perhaps a main core you are missing. The best policy in this case is to rely on recent experience: What have you found in the past half hour or so? Have thermals been fairly tight columns? Is the current lift nearly as strong as other thermals you have encountered on this flight? Are you in an area that has changed (perhaps is more green or more damp than before)?
All this assessment helps you decide to stay with your current lift or widen your search circle to look for a better climb. As mentioned, your current height above the ground is also a factor. The higher you are, the more you can afford to lose a bit while exploring; but also, the higher you are, the more the thermal should be consolidated into one main core with fewer offshoots. We can see a bit of this latter factor in the same photo.
The other point to notice is the presence of at least two inversion layers, identified by the wave-like clouds spread out around and above the plume cloud. With its great upward thrust and heat, the plume
keeps climbing, but the inversions cause the cumulo plume cloud to spread out quite a bit. Again, if this were a thermal we were trying to use, we would encounter bits of lift before we reached the main core, but in this case, the little lift begins much further from the core than in the absence of the suppressing inversions. The best policy in such conditions is to rely on what has gone before on a given flight. Have you had to wade through broken/weak lift to find a good climb in the previous thermals of the day? Well, expect more of the same.
Next, look at the top view photo of the volcano (photo 2). The main thing I immediately saw here was the concentric circles around the main central plume (at least six circles). I have previously shared a photo by my friend John Kangas (photo 3) showing concentric rings around a rising plume (in this case, a power plant exhaust). He first pointed out that these rings most likely exist around strong central thermal plumes and represent lifting and sinking in the air. They are similar to the rings of expanding waves you see when dropping a rock into still water. Since first writing about this phenomenon, I have had several pilots tell me they have experienced a series of lift and sink as they flew towards a thermal gaggle, as I have.
The volcano photo helps confirm what, I think, occurs with thermals. However, wider spread, disorganized, or weaker thermals probably do not cause
such noticeable rings of lift, and the lift can’t usually be used. However, they do point to a good thermal core in the area. A very experienced pilot may be able to fly more directly to the thermal core by noting how long they remain in these alternating lifting and sinking patches.
If you want to see more, you can easily find photos and videos of the Tonga volcano smoke plume by searching “Tonga volcano photos.”
Wild Blazing Lift
As we all know, fires from Canada to Cancun have been reoccurring with devastating effects. I hate to be a cold scientist and ignore the human cost, but we can observe some thermal traits by looking at the smoke plumes and flumes from these fires. Again, with this example, I note that the rising air initiates from much greater heat than that of a ground-
Photo 3: Concentric rings around a rising power plant exhaust plume. Photo by John Kankas.
Photo 1 (left) shows the side view of the Tonga eruption. Photo 2 (right) shows the top view of the eruption.
warmed thermal, but after a bit of climb, it will cool to thermal temperatures. I can attest to this from my experience while flying in Venezuela and some other places where sugar cane fires produce very good thermals (hold your breath).
In the case of such fires, the area of heating is usually much larger than the heated ground that produces thermals (except in very arid regions such as the American West). But even so, you can often see the smoke (which simulates a thermal) consolidate into separate, more compact plumes. I take this action as a lesson on how a thermal down low can lift on a broad area that eventually comes together as it rises. This consolidation occurs because smaller side plumes die out or, more importantly, a stronger lifting patch draws the air in from all around it. You can use this by always trying to detect a drift or draw in one direction as you circle or hunt for lift. Of course, when you’re desperately low, you take anything you can get, but you’ll still want to be aware that there’s probably better lift nearby if yours peters out. Drift clues may help you find it.
Another observation I have made by looking at fire
photos is how a fire near a hill will draw into the slope. This effect is illustrated in Figure 1. Here, we see that a rising, hot plume trying to draw in air from the side can’t do it effectively on the side where the slope is, so the rest of the inward air pushes the lift towards the slope. Most often, a thermal originating near a hill or mountain will track towards the mountain due to the general upslope breeze and the effect described here. So a useful tip is to hug the mountain and scrape the slope when you are down low looking for thermals in hilly terrain (but stay safe with ample clearance and good control speed).
Lately, newscasters and meteo folks have been fond of using the term pyrocumulus to describe the clouds formed by large fires (pyro is the Greek root for fire). It should be noted that these clouds form in the exact same manner as cumulus created by rising thermals. Also, they can produce lightning and precipitation, just like an overdeveloped cumi.
One interesting thing to note is that, unlike most thermals, the load of smoke ash makes the entire rising column visible, so we can get a clearer picture of thermal behavior. I will point out that in wind, we
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can see the heated air (smoke plume/thermal) tilt over as expected, but also, we can see some stronger areas of lift shoot up above the general tilted rising mass (see Figure 2). These breakout little columns represent a patch of air that is hotter than the rest of the warmed air. In windy conditions, many of us have found that taking these hotter patches up to gain as much altitude as possible and then punching forward into the wind is the best way to find the core of a tilted thermal. Unless we are tracking almost straight downwind, it is unusual to find the best core right off the bat, so we flounder upwind to search.
Bomb Plumes
Our final source of thermal visibility comes from bomb plumes. I am saddened by the events behind such displays, but such plumes again mimic the natural processes of ground-warmed thermals. Again, the source of the rising air is extreme heat as well as some explosive energy, but once again, above a certain level, the conditions of a thermal are duplicated.
Some years ago, I described an incident where I was flying out in a valley near a working quarry. I looked down and saw a large blast in the quarry 2,000 feet below. I quickly flew to it, hanging on for dear life, not knowing what to expect. What I found was one of the best thermals I have encountered in the green eastern U.S. It was big, smooth, strong, and going to the stars. So I firmly believe ground blasts simulate or trigger thermals (it was a generally thermally day, so I expect the blast brought a bunch of warm air with it to make
such a marvelicious thermal).
The main thing I have noticed with blast plumes is they tend to be tight and consolidate quickly as they rise. Such behavior is expected since they originate from a fairly small surface area or single point. I think such columns can best illustrate single-point thermals in hot, arid regions. Our experience indicates that the thermal cores are very defined, often smaller in diameter, and singular in desert conditions. The lower extent of the thermal is drawn in as the surrounding air is moved aside, then passed by.
But even so, there are occasional side excursions or calving of the main thermal column, as seen from the smoke. We should note that a stronger pump of rising air will often push up through the thermal and, when it meets slower, rising air, will cause the thermal to expand or break off a bit to the side. In addition, a vigorous thermal will cause downward moving air around it (sink), which can roll the edges and erode it.
The whole process described in our three scenarios above is somewhat chaotic, and a strong blast, fire, or volcano increases the chaos. But we are designed to detect and recognize patterns, so we can improve our understanding of thermals by observing and pondering the behavior of these visible, rising heat masses. We learn to expect the unexpected when thermalling. Still, we can reduce some of the unexpected and, thus, the mental workload by looking at photos and pondering the natural processes. The mystical becomes manageable.
Notch Peak
A para-alpinism adventure in Utah by Sarah Crosier
: Para-alpinism, the sport of climbing a mountain and then paragliding down, is not new. People have been flying paragliders off summits since the sport’s early days. Jean-Marc Boivin, a French alpinist, flew his paraglider off Mt. Everest in 1988, an incredible feat even by today’s standards. In recent years, equipment has become substantially lighter, facilitating increasingly difficult climb-and-fly objectives.
Four years ago, Fabi Buhl, a German alpinist, became the first person to fly his paraglider from Cerro Torre in February of 2020. Cerro Torre, in Argentina’s Patagonia, is a notoriously difficult mountain to climb, and its extreme weather adds to the challenge. In January 2022, three more pilots, a team of two Swiss and one Argentinian, made the climb and flight. The European Alps are another popular climband-fly destination, with their improved ease of access and largely legally open areas for paragliding.
The U.S. faces the problem of many of our public lands being closed to free flight. While we have many world-class climbing areas with big walls, like Yosemite and Zion national parks, these areas are off-limits to paragliding, so finding legal, inspiring climb-and-fly objectives can be more of a challenge.
Notch Peak, a limestone monolith in Utah, has the second tallest cliff face (2,200 feet) in the U.S. To get there, you have to take the “Loneliest Road in America,” U.S. Highway 50, and head into the vast remoteness of Utah’s West Desert. Notch Peak is located in a BLM Wilderness Study Area (not the same as designated Wilderness). According to the BLM Policy Manual 6330, published in 2012, in a wilderness study area, “Aerial activities such as ballooning, hang gliding, paragliding and parachuting (skydiving), may be allowed as long as they meet the non-impairment standard, including not requiring cross-country use of motorized vehicles or mechanical devices to retrieve equipment.”
Jared Scheid, another paraglider from Boulder, Colorado, joined me skiing one day and mentioned the idea of climbing and flying Notch Peak. I immediately told him I wanted in. I had seen the peak up
Sarah Crosier donning her harness for a cruisy flight. Sarah Crosier flying high above Notch Peak.
close while doing some climbing guiding in the area nine years earlier when I lived in Salt Lake City. I was impressed by the magnitude of the peak, and I had heard some wild stories about the looseness of the rock and how scared people had been climbing it. It sounded like a true adventure, and the idea of being able to fly off the summit and be back to camp in mere minutes sounded like a dream.
We arrived at the trail up the backside of Notch Peak late afternoon in mid-May with our rucksacks packed with our full-sized paragliders and our NOVA Bantam miniwings. The plan was to stash the Bantams at the top of the climb so we didn’t have to climb with them. We hiked the 4.1 miles and 2,828 feet to the summit, post-holing and bashing our shins here and there in the spring isothermal snow. We were glad we didn’t attempt the trip any earlier in the season! As we hiked, we felt the intense gusts of
strong thermals ripping up through the canyon. We knew we weren’t in any rush to launch. We relaxed on top, taking in the views, and signed the summit register.
The thermic winds started to mellow out, and just before 6 p.m., I finally launched. I was surprised by how turbulent the air still felt. I pushed away from the terrain and caught a thermal, eventually flying back over Notch Peak itself. Meanwhile, the winds had shifted on Jared, but after 15 minutes or so, he was able to launch. At that point, I had climbed over 14,000 feet (launch was at 9,658 feet) in surprisingly active air for the time of day. We soared around the incredible cirque for a while, taking in the view of the massive face we planned to climb the next day.
Over the radio, I heard Jared say, “I’ve got a heater!” I didn’t know what that meant, but I decided to join him. As I approached him, I saw him take a minor
tip deflation, and he was clearly doing some active piloting. I was committed to joining at this point, as I was already in the outer roughness of the thermal myself. Soon, we were both in the core, holding on for the ride! At a little over 14,000 feet, I decided I’d had enough and left the thermal, having found out what a “heater” is.
Jared offered to land at the car because I was a little uncertain about landing in the lee of the mountain and a canyon. He felt out the area while I watched from above, floating around in some gentle lift. After he landed safely, I decided to fly as far as I could toward where we planned to camp that night. To my delight, I found that the valley was beginning to glass off. I enjoyed the mellow lift as I flew out toward Highway 50, landing along the side of the road after a beautiful two-hour flight. Jared pulled up just as I finished packing my glider. How perfect!
The day of the big climb arrived. We didn’t rush for an early start, knowing that we wouldn’t want to launch our miniwings until near sunset due to the turbulent air we experienced the day prior. Jared made breakfast burritos as I put together gear for the climb. We rolled out of camp around 8:45 a.m. and spent the next 2.5 hours slogging through loose scree, boulders, more isothermal snow, and steep, exposed snowy slopes above cliff bands—places where you really didn’t want to fall. We scaled the infamous rebar ladder and, after some more route finding, arrived at the base of our objective: Book of Saturday, a 12-pitch, 1,500-foot climb up the Upper North Face of Notch Peak, rated at 5.11a R.
I started climbing at 11:30 a.m. and linked the first two pitches together, the second of which was the crux. Even using the double rope technique, I had terrible rope drag through the crux. Jared didn’t fare much better, carrying the pack, which was a little heavy at the start of the climb due to the two liters of water we carried in addition to the rest of the gear. The exposure and position of the climb were awe-inspiring but lived up to its reputation of some poor
The
rock quality and some dangerous pitches. Finally, we pulled over the top just before 6 p.m. and found the climb’s summit register. It was full of the following entertaining comments:
“I was ready to dial 911 on pitches 9 and 11 but didn’t have a cellular so I said, ‘to h**l with ya!’”
“This climb is more *&8%$#@ insane the third time up!!! SCARY. If I ever have kids, I’m not letting them climb it!”
“Yowza! Lots scarier than guiding in the Tetons. I’ll take good granite any day.”
Shortly after arriving at the summit, we noticed that the winds had ramped up and dark clouds had moved into the area. At 6:30 p.m., I pointed to the dusty flats below, noting what looked like a dusty. Jared replied, “That’s not a dust devil. That’s a gust front!” Sure enough, a few seconds later, there were
Jared Scheid on the approach to the climb.
summit register for Book of Saturday.
multiple columns of dust, not spinning like a dusty, but being pushed up and back into a massive wave underneath a virga-covered sky.
We waited patiently for the next two hours for the storms to clear. Finally, the valley cleared, and the wind lessened on the summit. After patiently waiting a while longer, everything copacetic. I laid my glider out and brought the wing up in an attempt to launch. I tripped on a bush while running backward in my reverse launch and couldn’t recover the wing. It took a few minutes to get my lines untangled from the bush it landed in. As I started to sort my lines, another large gust came and began to pull my wing into the air. Jared grabbed it and held fast to keep it from pulling me toward the 2,000-foot cliff we had just climbed. The strong, gusty winds had returned
despite the clear skies and valley; I was thankful for my botched launch attempt. I still think about what would have happened had I made it into the air.
As darkness began to fall, we resigned ourselves to spending the night on the mountain. The trailhead for the hiking trail up the back was about an hour’s drive from the trailhead for the climbing approach, so we couldn’t just hike down. We were committed like a true alpine objective. Luckily, we were both on the same page. Neither of us wanted to rappel in the dark, and I hated the thought of descending the exposed slabs of snow above the cliff bands.
We used our last bit of light to descend a little way below the summit to a small, flat bench where we could bivy for the night. Lo and behold, we found a fire ring! Maybe some other climbers who’d spent
Sarah and Jared trying to keep warm at the summit. Jared Scheid climbing Book of Saturday.
the night out? We laid on our climbing ropes and wrapped ourselves in our wings using our shoes as pillows. It was a fitful night of sleep, and when I awoke cold at 4 a.m., I just started waiting for daylight to come. We started hiking at first light, and I was happy to get warm again. The sunrise was spectacular and helped me forget the discomfort of the night.
We reached the summit, and there was a gentle breeze. Launch conditions were perfect! Knowing we would be down in a few minutes, we drank the rest of our water and ate what little food we had left. I laid out my glider and launched on the first attempt. It felt unreal as my feet left the ground, quickly going over the cliff edge with over 2,000 feet of air below me. I felt very exposed with my miniwing and string harness. Jared launched right behind me and cruised the face of Notch Peak. I wanted to, but I was tired from the night out and felt a little spooked by the exposure! Instead, I flew straight out and was probably still 1,000 feet above our camp! The weight of the rope and other gear on my back was uncomfortable to fly with, pulling me backward and forcing me to use my abs to keep upright, so I did some mini wingovers to get down faster. The flight was still about 13 minutes long. Pretty good for a miniwing alpine flight first thing in the morning! We landed right next to our camp, made ourselves a big breakfast, and reveled in the beautiful adventure we’d had.
Sarah Crosier at the summit of Notch Peak.
Inherently Dangerous by Jeff Gildehaus
Inherently: Existing as an essential constituent or characteristic; intrinsic Dangerous: Involving or fraught with danger; perilous
: These two words define free flight in BIG BOLD LETTERS near the front of every USHPA Pilot magazine, along with a finely worded disclaimer for all the amazing content and pictures that follow. As members of USHPA, we sign off on all of it with the liability release on our annual renewal. We all know these sports have risks; however, as a community (especially those of us who have been around a while), we recognize how much safer our sports have become.
Yet, in a country riddled with lawsuits, litigation, and a perception of our sports as reckless, we find ourselves convincing people it’s amazing and that we’re a safe community. Yet, we still end up walking on eggshells to keep our local sites open. So, how did we get here? The answer is in our origins rather than our continued experiences.
I was 16 in 1974. I was an avid skier with airtime in my blood, having already hucked 100 backflips on skis that year. However, I still watched in awe as Jeff Jobe flew his ski kite off the mountain at Bogus Basin ski area that winter. Then, by chance, I spent an afternoon with Bobby Davis when he was test-flying his kit-built Eipperformance 18-foot standard rogallo on skis at Bitterroot Basin that spring. After watching these guys fly, I knew this was what I wanted to do!
Back then, there were two hang gliding shops in Boise, Idaho. The Jones brothers had the Manta shop on State Street, and McU Sports had Chandelle Gliders with Terry McGoo. I saved the money for my gear ($500 for wing, harness, and four lessons) from bussing tables and washing dishes, so I told my parents I wanted to fly and brought home my 16-foot Chandelle standard the following week. I forged their signature on the liability release and started taking lessons. After the first time my feet left the ground, I was never going back. I spent many days on the training hill and flying in the Boise foothills with Bobby Davis, taking off and landing time after time; I was flying and
couldn’t get enough.
In 1975 there were 15,000 active hang glider pilots, with more joining all the time. In those days, every flight was a sled ride, and we would make multiple flights a day. It didn’t seem too dangerous most of the time, but when our sails luffed in sink and the nose began to pitch over, we knew we could be in big trouble. I quickly switched from seated to flying prone on my Chandelle standard. There was a rail with a set of holes to position the top of the control bar on the keel to make this change. Unfortunately, I didn’t change it enough, and when I test flew my new prone setup off a mountain launch near LaGrande, Oregon, the bar pressure was so intense I had to lock my elbows under me to keep the glider from diving. I got down very fast and had no flare at the end, piling in face-first in the landing area and getting knocked out in the process. It was my first close call, and I didn’t repeat that mistake. Looking back, it was clear that these types of incidents contributed to the risk of the sport at the time. In another incident in 1977, I test-flew a friend’s damaged Sun IV glider. My buddy Wayne Bauman and I straightened the downtubes (the only damage), and I thought flying off a 1,000-foot mountain site in calm early morning air would be safe. However, after launching, the glider started porpoising with the control bar pulled in. It entered a flat spin, and
Jeff Gildehaus flying Sun III Summer 1976. Photo by Pete Rolfe.
I knew I was in trouble (both the Sun IV and the UP Dragonfly had already killed several pilots in spins by that point). Down I went, spinning faster and faster, trying with all my might to fight it, leaning hard in the opposite direction. The ground was coming up fast, and in sheer desperation, I went into the spin with my weight, pulled in, and managed to pancake the glider into a tall bush. When I came to, the wing was on top of me, and the keel and the crossbar were snapped in half. The bush had slowed my final impact enough for me to survive with a concussion and bruised sternum. It doesn’t take much to throw your equipment out of balance, and we didn’t have many professional shops to help out at the time.
Between 1974 and 1977, there were over 40 hang gliding fatalities each year, and the toll started to seem extreme. So, in 1978, I tried to be a responsible young adult by selling my gliders, and I moved to White City, Oregon, for a better job and to attend college. It didn’t last long. I quickly bought a UP Firefly and started flying Woodrat whenever I could. However, in 1978 and 1979, there were still a lot of fatalities each year. It was a marked decrease from the previous years, but still far too high.
There are many reasons for the number of fatalities in those days, including rapid performance development, lack of airworthiness certifications, home-built and modified aircraft, lack of training, attempted aerobatics, and lack of reserve parachutes. To top it off, the extreme nature of foot-launched hang gliding appealed to the free-wheeling culture of the 1970s. It’s no wonder hang gliding has had a pervasive stigma since the 1970s of being dangerous; it was!
However, since then, there have been so many advances in airworthiness, harnesses, equipment, reserve parachutes, and training that those incident numbers have reduced dramatically. In the 1980s, the Hang Gliders Manufacturing Association (HGMA) developed airworthiness standards that started certifying gliders. Reserve parachutes appeared at about the same time, and harness manufacturers incorporated skydiving technology and construction into their designs. Certified instruction began in the 1980s (I became a certified instructor in 1983; some of the students I taught are still flying today). With all these advancements, there was a marked drop in fatalities in the ‘80s and ‘90s; today, those numbers are a fraction of what they were.
Of course, paragliding went through its own steep learning curve in the 1980s and made many advancements in airworthiness, harnesses, equipment, reserve parachutes, and training. The paragliders and speedwings flown now benefited from the same attention and commitment to safety as hang gliding. The numbers, not being zero, are far from perfect, but they are immensely better than in the 1970s.
I’m still flying, and today’s wing designs and performance make flying much safer and more enjoyable. I still get those butterflies right before launch and feel that instant transition from earthbound mortal to complete immersion in flight. I still yearn to feel the slipping of the bonds, the simplicity, the wind, and the surreal quiet of a wing in a thermal when speed, climb, and gravity all become one. As I soar, the ground below takes on a new look, far away. I am in heaven. However, when I tell people I fly hang gliders and get the “Wow, you’re crazy” response, I can’t help feeling sorry for them knowing what they’re missing. Don’t get me wrong, free flight is still, indeed, inherently dangerous. However, it’s unfortunate that even after 50 years, with much-improved safety and instruction, the stigma and fear from those early days is still part of our culture.
Mark Roberts crash Idaho Statesman September 13, 1977.
Although there has been some change in the perception of hang gliding over the years, Mike Meier’s article in September 1998 Hang Gliding magazine, “Why Can’t We Get a Handle on This Safety Thing?” is still worth reading and relevant today. How do we continue to improve safety and also change the perception of the broader public? It starts with a few takeaways from those early days.
Take lessons from a certified flight school. I took lessons, and the instructor kept me from biting off more than I could handle. Schools today benefit from years of knowledge and advancements in all areas of the sport, from instruction and equipment to meeting and maintaining higher certification standards.
Spend the time and effort on the training hill to get those takeoffs and landings dialed. During launches and landings, when you’re close to the ground, there is little room for error. The excellent equipment we have today makes for a short progression to soaring flight, where all the fun is. Failure to master these two skills will plague you and make flying more dangerous. I’m still learning, and the training hill is my friend. It is where I test-fly anything new and ensure I am ready to fly it; no more surprises or close calls.
Never fly with more than one strike against you; it can have dangerous consequences. In 1982, I testflew my new 135 UP Comet off the Paiute launch in the Owens Valley and 15 minutes later found myself at 17,000 feet nearing the clouds. I survived it, but it scared the daylights out of me—not to mention the raging headache I had from hypoxia. My two strikes were flying a new wing for the first time at a new site, a bad combination that could have landed me as a statistic.
This year, 2024, I will celebrate my own 50th anniversary while flying my Moyes Gecko 155, a super fun recreational wing that makes my takeoffs and landings a breeze. Flying is much too fun to screw up the rest of your life. Takeoffs are optional, but landings are mandatory. Get those flying skills down, fly the right gear, and have fun!
Fly high, go far.
Brian Kellogg enjoying an evening flight at Fort Funston, CA.
Warn the West Plays Glide and Seek
Paragliding tales from the equator by Kubi and Luki Jacisin
: When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade! Thanks to an overbooked holiday flight, we found ourselves with two free JetBlue golden plane tickets destined for adventure. So we seized the opportunity and, a week later, embarked on our first international paragliding excursion: a two-week paragliding exploration of Ecuador. Armed with only the essentials, ten years of public school Spanish classes, and our trusty Gin Explorers, we set off for an adventure of a lifetime.
Our paragliding escapade began in the south of the
country in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and a bustling urban coastal area. After convincing a taxi to drive us an hour to the local flying site, we were met with police outside an active mine who wouldn’t let us pass. They informed us the site was closed for the season. Not off to a great start on our paragliding tour, we hopped on a bus and headed west to the coastal site/town of San Pedro.
At San Pedro, we were greeted by an amazing paragliding community that welcomed us at launch with their local delicacy, fresh mixed ceviche made
of fish, octopus, and crab cooked in acidic lime juice, followed by some relaxing coastal soaring with new friends.
After three wonderful days, we had to carry on. From San Pedro, it was a wild ride north as we jumped from taxi to taxi to the infamous Ecuadorian “chicken buses,” where the only thing crazier than the driver’s maneuvers was the scenery whizzing by outside the window. After a particularly violent maneuver by our driver to dodge a truck while passing on a twisty mountain road, we glanced over to find him crossing himself like he’d just survived a near-death experience. We couldn’t decide whether to join him in prayer or nominate him for Formula One.
As we traversed the country, we stayed in Airbnbs and hostels in the small fishing villages and beach towns that dotted the coast. We hiked and flew in Puerto Lopez, experienced mesmerizing multi-hour coastal soaring at the sand cliffs of Crucita, and were
embraced by the warmth and kindness of local hospitality after ridge flying at Canoa.
Heading inland, we arrived at the breathtaking highest capital city in the world, Quito, Ecuador, at 9,350 feet. We rolled up ready to fly at the popular local site, Lumbisi, and found ourselves at a paragliding party of epic proportions. There were hundreds of pilots and passengers there buzzing with excited energy, like a flock of ravenous pigeons waiting for breadcrumbs. It was like Woodstock, but instead of guitars, everyone was tuning their setups and checking their lines for flight!
However, we felt a little deflated after sinking out like a rock on that first flight. So we returned to the launch the next day, fully expecting to see a flock of pilots once again ready to go, but there was no one there. After a quick call to a local school to check if we’d missed something, they casually informed us it was “pilots’ day off”—as if that was a thing! All the
Flying over Quito, Ecuador. Photo by Kubi Jacisin.
Gliding to Lumbisi LZ in my Bogdanfly pod. Photo by Kubi Jacisin.
local schools and tandems took Mondays off to rest after a busy weekend at work.
So we launched and took to the skies with greater success. We flew for hours, danced with thermals, rode the winds, and chased the horizon thousands of feet above the city, marveling at the landscape of skyscrapers, mountains, and volcanoes. It was by far the most satisfying moment of the trip and remains a very special flight for both of us.
In the end, we flew six different sites: San Pedro, Puerto Lopez, Crucita, Canoa, Lumbisi, and Ibarra.
After parawaiting for three hours on a clouded takeoff, we walked off Cruz Loma, a 13,000-foot volcano, and learned another airsport while traversing the coast, kitesurfing.
But Ecuador offered more than just breathtaking flights; it welcomed us with open arms and hearts.
New
It reminded us that the true beauty of travel lies not only in the flying and destinations we visit but also in the food and the amazingly kind and generous people we meet along the way. When traveling, there is no room for yesterday’s regrets or tomorrow’s worries; the present is the only place to be! This mantra is understood much the same in paragliding. As we boarded the plane and bid farewell to Ecuador, we gazed out at the horizon from our final flight, and we knew that our love affair with the skies here had only just begun.
Kubi and Luki Jacisin are twin artists, entrepreneurs, and pilots who travel the world and live in a camper trailer spreading art and adventure everywhere they go. Follow their flying adventures on Instagram:
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This online course fulfills the 8-hour in-person ground school requirement. Spend your valuable time on the hill practicing, not studying! Also includes P2 checklist and flight log tools for tracking your progress, and a student management portal for instructors.
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USHPA will announce new online courses for all wing types, ratings, and skills as they become available.
Pilots Kubi and Luki Jacisin coastal sand cliff soaring at Crucita. Below, Kubi inspects Luki’s wing. Photos by Kubi Jacisin.
How's the Weather?
Installing weather stations by Brian Greeson
: Access to real-time weather information around your local site is a huge benefit to your flying. Personal Weather Stations (PWS) offer unprecedented access to meteorological data, crucial for enhancing safety, validating forecast models, and ultimately increasing the number of days you can spend soaring the skies. This article draws upon our experience installing a small network of weather stations, providing a blueprint for pilots to select, install, maintain, and operate these essential tools.
Selecting the Right Equipment
The journey begins with choosing the appropriate weather station. A dive into the market reveals an overwhelming number of options. Reputable companies like Davis, Acurite, Ambient, EcoWitt, and others have numerous models to choose from. We have had good experiences with Ecowitt’s offerings for their balance of cost, reliability, and ease of deployment. Most PWS consist of two parts: the sensor unit and a base station. The sensor unit is typically solar/battery-powered and communicates with the base station over a low-power wireless link. The base station is typically wall-powered and takes the readings from the sensor and forwards them to the Internet.
Your choice of PWS depends on the base station location and how it will connect to the Internet and power. If you have WiFi and power within 30 meters (100 feet), the EcoWitt GW1101 or its successor, the GW2001, are prime picks. If your base station has power and WiFi but is farther from the sensor unit, you may consider the FT-0330-LW-WIFI from RainmanWeather. The FT0330 uses a long-range radio link between the sensor unit and base station with a range of up to 800 meters (2,500 feet) line of sight. Finally, if your location has no WiFi or power access, the WS6006 from EcoWitt is currently the
Setup and functionality varies.
GETTING PERMISSION
Always obtain permission from landowners before installing your weather station. Approach landowners politely and offer to share the weather data with them. Listen to any concerns they may have and be creative in addressing them. For instance, some landowners might worry about the station being unsightly; painting the hardware to match the surroundings can help it blend in better. You may find landowners more open to the idea than you expected! If the site is on public lands, contact your local National Forest Service (NFS) or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office and request permission before installing new stations. Be prepared with exact GPS coordinates and access routes before contacting them.
best option. The WS6006 base station uses a cellular connection and is solar-powered, enabling installation in more remote areas.
The setup of your chosen device, particularly models like the WS6006, involves straightforward steps: assembly, SIM card installation, battery charging, and software configuration. It’s a process that, while requiring attention to detail, promises a robust setup that’s ready to face the elements.
Software Setup
No matter which model you choose, it will require some amount of configuration to be useful. Before heading out to your installation site, ensure you power up and test the system. Nothing worse than having your shiny new PWS installed and forgetting the required laptop to finalize the setup.
The setup largely depends on which model you choose, and it’s important to read and follow the included instructions. The EcoWitt WiFi products use a companion app that handles setup and configuration. Simply install the app and select the “Add New Device’’ button from the “Devices” tab. The app will walk you through the rest of the setup. The Rainmain Weather uses a web interface that is best accessed on a laptop for configuration. Follow the included instructions to connect to its local WiFi and finish setup via a web browser. Finally, the EcoWitt cellular models require using a Windows laptop with the EcoWitt Weather Logger software (available on the EcoWitt website) to configure.
The WS6006 requires a SIM card to access the cellular network and push the weather data over the Internet. The SIM card only requires a data connection, and several companies provide low-cost data services for IOT devices. Two great options are Hologram.io and GoogleFi. GoogleFi is a low-cost cellular plan that can also replace your existing phone service. They offer free “data-only” SIM cards that use the same data allowance for your account. The weather stations use extremely small amounts of data, around 30 MB per month at the highest reporting rates.
If you do not want to switch your phone service or the station will be managed by a club, Hologram.io is
Install the station above any obstacles. Photo by Nick Wilder.
an excellent choice. They are an IOT data SIM provider and have very reasonable rates. Whichever data provider you choose, you will need to install the provided SIM card into the base station as described in the instructions. Then, using the WeatherLogger desktop application, configure the APN setting. Navigate to Setup->Mobile Network. In the APN field, enter either “h2g2” if using a GoogleFi SIM or “hologram” if using a Hologram.io SIM. If you’re using another provider, use the value from their setup instructions. After saving the information, add the station on the EcoWitt mobile app. Once done, wait a few minutes, and you should start to see weather data via the mobile app.
One final step remains. Regardless of your brand or model, you need to configure a way for other pilots to see the weather data. WeatherUnderground is a convenient and free place to share your weather station. Create an account at https://www.wunderground.com/
and navigate to the “My Devices” page under your profile. Select “Add Device” and choose “Other” as the device type. Select your device location, then copy the provided credentials to your base station setup. On the EcoWitt WiFi and RainmanWeather products, use the web interface described in the instructions to set up external weather services. The EcoWitt WS6006 needs to be configured with the WeatherLogger desktop application. After saving the station ID and key, it will take several minutes for the station to appear “Online” in your dashboard. If you have any issues, the easiest fix is to delete the station on weatherunderground.com and create a new one by copying the new credentials to your base station configuration. Congratulations, your weather station is configured and sharing data with your fellow pilots!
Site Selection
The precise location of your weather station can significantly impact the quality of the data it provides. Ideally, the station should be positioned away from obstacles and as high above the ground as possible. Installing multiple stations can significantly enhance the usefulness and safety of your site. If your site is frequently affected by shifting winds, consider placing additional stations in areas that offer early warnings of changing conditions. A well-placed station several miles away can be very useful. Think about what you need to measure. For instance, if you’re concerned about the lee side but unable to place a station directly on the top of the ridge, installing a station on the opposite side of the mountain from your launch point might be beneficial. Having a station right on launch is excellent, but other locations may provide valuable information, too.
Hardware Installation
Once you have selected a site, install the sensor unit in a clear, open space, high enough that it captures accurate wind data. Typically, 3 meters (10 feet) above the ground is sufficient to avoid interference. Your mounting system should also allow for easy access to the sensor unit for maintenance. A simple design using easy-to-source materials from your local big box store
Local para-pup Edna inspecting a WS6006 after a winter storm. Photo by Luke Rome.
consists of 2-3 sections of U channel (look for Half Slot Channel Strut) and a couple of bolts to hold them together. When maintenance is required, you can remove only the bottom bolt, allowing the upper section to pivot down for easy access to the sensor unit.
To install, dig a hole for the mounting post several feet deep, place your pole using a spirit level to ensure plumpness, and finally, fill the hole with quick-set concrete. It can be helpful to use some scrap wood as braces to hold the pole in place while the concrete cures over the next 24 hours. Congratulations, you have installed a robust weather pole!
Maintenance
Occasional repairs are required for the stations. The most likely parts to break are the wind vanes on the anemometer. All of the companies offer replacement parts, and purchasing an extra set of vanes for a few dollars is an easy way to avoid downtime while waiting on shipping.
The WS6006 has also been known to stop transmitting readings if the cell signal is extremely weak. Press the small reset button on the hub to get the unit transmitting again. You can also try mounting the hub unit in a different orientation to allow better reception. Another issue you may experience with the WS6006 is a dead battery. This is typically caused by leaving the unit out during the winter months. The extreme cold and insufficient solar power can cause permanent damage to the battery. EcoWitt offers replacements, or any 18650 lithium-ion battery will work. You may choose to bring your sensor and hub units in for the winter months to avoid exposing them to harsh weather conditions. Our stations have spent many winter seasons in the Colorado Rockies and have survived mostly unscathed, apart from the occasional dead battery or broken anemometer vanes.
Make sure you can easily access the station for maintenance.
Photo by Megan Wilder.
Your expertise as a pilot has earned you exclusive access To Discounts
Your involvement with the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, and your status as an H2, P2 or S2+ rated pilot, have earned you an invitation to join ExpertVoice. It's an exclusive community where you can get deep discounts and insider information from brands like Kelty, La Sportiva, The North Face, Brooks Running, Diamondback Bicycles and many more you know and love. Because brands like these recognize that experts like you know more, do more - and deserve more.
Signing up is simple and free
1. Go to www.ushpa.org/member/ expertvoice-program to sign up.
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3. Complete your profile.
4. Enjoy exclusive discounts on top outdoor brands.
BUYERS SHOULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR SKILL LEVEL OR RATING. NEW PILOTS SHOULD SEEK PROFESSIONAL INSTRUCTION FROM A USHPA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR. USED HANG GLIDERS should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on flex wings, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges. USED PARAGLIDERS should always be thoroughly inspected before flying for the first time. Annual inspections on paragliders should include sailcloth strength tests. A porosity check isn't sufficient. Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sailcloth. If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. BUYER BEWARE.
CALENDAR
The event calendar shows all USHPA-sponsored events including sanctioned competitions, ACE events, board meetings and instructor, admin, or towing cliniccs. For student cliinics, tours, fly-ins, and more check the Classified listings.
OCT
7-12 > RED
ROCKS
SKILL FLY-IN > In 2023 the CUASA folks once again pioneered a groundbreaking event in Monroe. The first ever Skills Fly-in, a beginner friendly event designed to help pilots improve skills. Because of the response and success of this event the 2nd annual Skills Fly-in will be held October 7-Oct 12 2024, the thermals will be mellower, there will be less pilots than at the RRFFI, and we will have more time to go over safety, weather, mountain launching, landing set up, and any other things the pilots want to improve their skills, in a friendly everyone is welcome kind of setting. More info: www.cuasa.com
NOV 19 > USHPA REMOTE BOARD MEETING The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. (MT) online via a Zoom conference call, and all members are invited to attend (remember to register by the deadline). Many members have expressed an interest in better understanding how USHPA operates, who makes decisions, and the organization’s financial picture. Come to a board meeting and find out! Registration deadline: November 18, 2024 at 5 p.m. (MT); registration link: https://www.ushpa.org/ page/online-board-meeting
CLASSIFIED
Rates start at $10.00 for up to 200 characters. ALL CLASSIFIEDS ARE PREPAID. No refunds given for cancellations. More info: ushpa.org/page/magazine-classified-advertising
NAA Encourages pilots of all levels of experience to set records. Dozens of records are established each year. Know the rules before you fly.
Your FAI Sporting license must be valid.
Your Official Observer must not only be a member of USHPA, they must be independent and not be perceived to have a conflict of interest.
Initial notiication of a record claim must be filed via the NAA web site within 72 hours of the attempt.
Learn more at naa.aero/records
NORTH CAROLINA > KITTY HAWK KITES > The largest hang gliding school in the world, teaching since 1974. Learn to hang glide on the east coast's largest sand dune. Year-round instruction, foot launch, and tandem aerotow. 1902 Wright Glider Experience available. Dealer for Moyes, Wills Wing, and North Wing. 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. +1 252.441.2426, +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 aerotow training. Paragliding foot launch and tandem training. Powered paragliding instruction. Dealer for Moyes, Wills Wing, and North Wing. Located in Charlestown, NH. Also visit our North Carolina location, Kitty Hawk Kites Flight School. +1 603.542.4416, www.flymorningside.com
VIRGINIA > BLUE SKY > Full-time, year-round hang gliding instruction, scooter towing, platform towing, powered harnesses, part-time aero towing, part-time paragliding, custom sewing. Wills Wing, Moyes, Icaro, Swedish Aerosport, Woody Valley, +1 804.241.4324, www.blueskyhg. com
PARACRANE TOURS 2024 > Paracranetours 2024. Veteran guide Nick Crane leads paragliding tours and spectacular flying in the tropics of Costa Rica in February and the Alps of Europe in September! Small groups allow maximum flexibility to fly the best sites in the best conditions. Pilots and non-flyers love our tours! www.paracranetours.com nick@ paracrane.com
H1 2 Finn Reichertz CA Ryan Matthews
H1 3 Andrew Otero CA Andrew T. Beem
H1 4 Thomas Mezzapelle SC Jude Denton
H1 5 David Accetta NY William G. Vaughn
H1 5 Hongyi(Stella) Ban IL Anthony Tagliaferro
H2 1 Robert Gilkey MT Paul Roys
H2 2 Alexander Ayers CA Michael Briganti
H2 2 Winter Saeedi CA Bob Steven Bendetson
H2 2 Brody Seebass CA Anthony Tagliaferro
H2 3 Roy Figueroa CA Dan DeWeese
H2 3 Edward Haley AZ Dan DeWeese
H2 3 Elle Opitz CA Bob Steven Bendetson
H2 4 Brandon Brantley TX Tiki Mashy
H2 4 Lynn Jayroe TX James Race
H2 4 Youngkyu Kim GA Matthew Taber
H2 4 Francisco Lopez Fonseca FL Scott Schneider
H2 4 Scott Widener TN Jordan Stratton
H2 4 Bob Wood MO Scott Schneider
H2 4 Rex Zink TX Malcolm A. Jones
H2 5 Philip Calhoun MD Scott Schneider
H2 5 Sean Hottois IN Timothy Glenshaw
H2 5 James C. Lawrence MA Scott Schneider
H2 5 Martin Meyer Olesen FBERG Scott Schneider
H2 5 David Pinedo NY Scott Schneider
H3 2 Blake Glazebrook CA Takeo Eda
H3 2 Dominic LoPinto CA Takeo Eda
H3 2 Stephen Neuendorffer CA Takeo Eda
H3 3 Benjamin Barrett CA Andrew T. Beem
H3 3 Dwayne Powell CA Bob Steven Bendetson
H3 4 Victor Alexandre Gomes Caputo TX Tiki Mashy
H3 4 Ron Harp KY Chair Safety and Training Committee
H3 4 Jacob Haynes NC Billy B. Vaughn
H3 4 Ricardo P. Matos FL James E. Tindle
H3 5 Greg Lloyd ON Robert Skinner
H4 1 Dalton Burkhalter MN Jordan Stratton
H4 2 Ivan Molina CA Takeo Eda
H4 3 Van Spurgeon CA Bob Steven Bendetson
H4 4 David Absalom GA Gordon Cayce
H4 4 John Coukos GA Scott Schneider
H4 4 Clint Graham FL Malcolm A. Jones
H4 5 Rosen Svetoslavov Dimitrov CT John Heiney
H4 5 Krassimir Kaltchev MA John Heiney
H4 5 Joseph Stearn MA Michael R. Holmes
P0 3 Ted Crosson CA Jay Whiteaker
P0 3 Anthony Leonard CA Jay Whiteaker
P0 3 Mark Ravanilla CA Jay Whiteaker
P0 4 Lee Warren TN Jay Whiteaker
P1 1 William Ballinger MT Jennifer Bedell
P1 1 Isaac Dalton WA Kevin Graupman
P1 1 Riley Friton WY Ranyon D Arge
P1 1 Kyle King OR Maren Ludwig
P1 1 Andrew Rios OR Weaver Froelicher
P1 1 Nicholas Rutgers WA Maren Ludwig
P1 1 Rue Zupancic WA Kelly A. Kellar
P1 2 Kirk Hockinson CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P1 2 Noah Link CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P1 2 Wei Luo CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P1 2 Chiara Pontil CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P1 2 Michiel Segeren CA Jesse L. Meyer
P1 3 Matthew Cionek NM Jordan Neidinger
P1 3 Dimitry Friedman CA Jay Whiteaker
P1 3 Gary Gonzales CA Jordan Neidinger
P1 3 Jason Hayes CO Ernesto Martinez
P1 4 Lisa Canales TX William Purden-Jr
P1 4 Anthony Chambers TX Jay Whiteaker
P1 4 Jason Coster-Mullen VA Jordan Neidinger
P1 4 Emily LeBlanc VA Jordan Neidinger
P1 5 David Coppola RI Patrick Johnson
P1 5 Scott Ewaskowitz WI Mariyan Radev Ivanov
P1 5 John Hair MA Salvatore Scaringe
P1 5 Michael Kilburn MA Salvatore Scaringe
P2 1 Douglas Beck WA Denise Reed
P2 1 Dylan Benson WA Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 1 Chris Blatchley WA Matt Senior
P2 1 Brian Carter OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Punith Kumar Chilakala OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 David Christopher HI David Dexter Binder
P2 1 Craig Crundwell WA Chad Uchino
P2 1 Patrick Dunn WA Denise Reed
P2 1 Andrew Elliott OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Gui Gally WA William Pardis
P2 1 Matthew Glass OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Jared Greco OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Jason Hardrath OR Brian Kerr
P2 1 Bryant Hawthorne WA Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 1 Nicholas Heffron Neuhold HI Paul Gurrieri
P2 1 Curtis Henry AK John E. Cady III
P2 1 Mark Hillis WA Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 1 David Hinckley WA Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 1 Tarek Hussein OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Eric Jimenez Porras WA Denise Reed
P2 1 Denton Johnson WA Chad Uchino
P2 1 Jeremy Johnson OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Levi Jordan WA Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 1 Morteza Karimi WA Christopher Grantham
P2 1 Erik Kontrol OR Samuel Crocker
P2 1 Wenyi Lau HI Paul Gurrieri
P2 1 Megan Lewis WA Chad Uchino
P2 1 Charles Mawby WA Luc Lachapelle
P2 1 Kaylyn Messer WA Matt Senior
P2 1 Zachary Miers WA Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 1 Joshua Paddock OR Samuel Crocker
P2 1 Scott Raznoff MT Andy Macrae
P2 1 Jeremiah Smith ID Rob Sporrer
P2 1 Christopher Sorenson MT Andy Macrae
P2 1 David Spencer AK Andy Macrae
P2 1 Timothy Stephens AK Kevin McGinley
P2 1 Leo Tonozzi MT Stephen J. Mayer
P2 1 Ellis Ulery ID Denise Reed
P2 1 Carl wallace OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Ryan Weismann-Yee OR Kelly A. Kellar
P2 1 Lucas Zuniga AK Alex Peterson
P2 2 William Alexander CA Robert Black
P2 2 Tristan Armstrong NV Chris W. Santacroce
P2 2 Cason Boldrey UT Stacy Whitmore
P2 2 Jessica Brown CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Shaun Buckley CA Robert Black
P2 2 Andrew Burman UT Ciara Kamahele
P2 2 Abhijith Byrappa CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Jason Charles UT Chris W. Santacroce
P2 2 Tanmay Chordia CA Paul Gurrieri
P2 2 Blake Cox UT Patrick Kelly
P2 2 Laura Elling CA Cynthia Currie
P2 2 Jacob Ferrell UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Stephanie Fillinger CA Mitchell B. Neary
P2 2 YYen Gallup CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Bradley Griffin UT Eric Stratton
P2 2 Alyssa Haack CA Robert Black
P2 2 Nathan Hair UT Patrick Kelly P2 2 Antone Haley CA Robert Black P2 2 Johannes Hallermeier CA Robert Black P2 2 Cole Herndon UT Nathan Alex Taylor P2 2 Frank Keller UT Chris W. Santacroce P2 2 Kevin Kemper
P2 2 Angelique Nehmzow CA Robert Black
P2 2 Ken Ohtaka CA Christopher Grantham
P2 2 Phil Owen UT Harry Sandoval
P2 2 Elliott Peterson UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 2 Eyal Posener CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Rikke Rasmussen CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 2 Julian Sison CA Robert Black
P2 2 Tripp Uroskie UT Harry Sandoval
P2 2 Preston Valora UT Ken W. Hudonjorgensen
P2 2 Jason Wright UT Patrick Kelly
P2 2 Jeff Zerger CA Jesse L. Meyer
P2 3 Zagid Abatchev CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 David Arnouk CA Max Leonard Marien
P2 3 Kole Barr CO Rio Mackey
P2 3 Ryan Borchers CO Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 3 Benjamin Cook CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Giancarlo Dasilveira CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Clint Dunn CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 Lindsay Dunn CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 Michael Edwards CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 Amadeo Fleischmann CA Christopher Grantham
P2 3 Adam Goddard CO Stephen J. Mayer
P2 3 Jeremiah Heilig CO Chris W. Santacroce
P2 3 Cathryn Henning CA Max Leonard Marien
P2 3 Caleb Hobbs CO Stephen J. Mayer
P2 3 Alex Just CO Eric Stratton
P2 3 John Lee CA Max Leonard Marien
P2 3 Marya Lehman CO Ryan Patrick Kerschen
P2 3 Tuo Li CA Jordan Neidinger
P2 3 John Lizardi CA Jordan Neidinger
P2 3 Alex Lowe CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Jonathan Manley AZ Jordan Neidinger
P2 3 Andrew Mariano CA Jordan Neidinger
P2 3 Thomas May CA Stephen Nowak
P2 3 Khoren Mirzakhanian CA Marcello M. DeBarros
P2 3 Hunter Molnar CO Patrick Kelly
P2 3 Albert Nazander CO Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 3 Priya Patel CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Sarath Pathuri CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Daphne Quint CO Johannes Rath
P2 3 Chris Regan CA Max Leonard Marien
P2 3 Matthew Reilly CO Gary Begley
P2 3 Greg Reinhart AZ Charles (Chuck) Woods
P2 3 Owen Roll CO Austin Fisher
P2 3 John Rolshoven AZ Stacy Whitmore
P2 3 Priya Saran CA William Purden-Jr
P2 3 Jenna Schaal-O'Connor CA Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 3 Tim Shields AZ Stacy Whitmore
P2 3 Daniel Watje CA Stephen Nowak
P2 3 Scott Woodyard CA Marcello M. DeBarros
P2 3 Jia Zhang CA XING LIN
P2 4 Dakota Anderson VA Pete Michelmore
P2 4 Guido Arbeloa FL David W. Prentice
P2 4 Ivan Cruz GA Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 Jonathan Dagley TX Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 4 Jonathan Feerer TN Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 Tom Flournoy GA Patrick Kelly
P2 4 YI GUAN AL XING LIN
P2 4 Bradley Huie AL David Hanning
P2 4 Connor Iseli TX Max Leonard Marien
P2 4 Chad James TX Hadley Robinson
P2 4 Jonathan Kline AL Steven Taylor Couch
Take your ratings and expiration date everywhere you fly. View 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.
P2 4 Connor McElroy KS Christopher Grantham
P2 4 Brett McVean TX Jay Whiteaker
P2 4 Brian Mishler FL David Hanning
P2 4 Calum Neff TX Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 Jason Quinn AR Ian McManus
P2 4 David Taylor Reich DC Max Leonard Marien
P2 4 Brian Reynolds KY Alejandro Albornoz
P2 4 David Rothrock VA Juan Fernando Molano Madrid
P2 4 Wes Sandler FL Johannes Rath
P2 4 Michael Shillieto KY Nathan Alex Taylor
P2 4 Amanda Stringham TX Patrick Kelly
P2 5 Ryan Brooks VT Salvatore Scaringe
P2 5 Connie Campbell NH Chris W. Santacroce
P2 5 Fionnegan Flaherty IN Patrick Kelly
P2 5 Daniela Granzo NY Kelly A. Kellar
P2 5 Matt Grosvenor IL Jaro Krupa
P2 5 Carlin Hefner PA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum
P2 5 Kenneth Keplinger NY Kelly A. Kellar
P2 5 John Losee NH Christopher Grantham
P2 5 James Lougee PA Chris W. Santacroce
P2 5 Thomas Lutz NY Christopher Grantham
P2 5 Ashish Maskeri AE Weaver Froelicher
P2 5 Waldemar Merling MI Jaro Krupa
P2 5 Alan Morris NH William H. Gottling
P2 5 Jonathan Muse OH Chris W. Santacroce
P2 5 Ruslan nikan PA Thomas McCormick
P2 5 Greg Pagliarulo MA Kevin R. Hintze
P2 5 Jaykumar Patel PA Thomas McCormick
P2 5 Carlos Paulino De Almeida Junior NJ Thomas McCormick
P2 5 Albert Quesada PA Thomas McCormick
P2 5 Miroslav Radenovic NY Christopher Grantham
P2 5 Courtney Rice ON Robert Black
P2 5 James Sanborn CT Robert Black
P2 5 Akshay Sood NY Christopher Grantham
P2 5 Michael Thompson NY Galen Kirkpatrick
P2 5 Blake Werley DE Johannes Rath
P3 1 Jaison Ashbaugh MT Austin Cantrell
P3 1 Evgenii Barbashov WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Adam Becker HI Marcello M. DeBarros
P3 1 Peter Brun WA Denise Reed
P3 1 Chris Fuchs MT Joshua Phillips
P3 1 Matthew Graham OR William Purden-Jr
P3 1 Anthony Hadley ID Randall Shane
P3 1 Elliot Hardwick WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Gareth Hardwick WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Kea Jolicoeur WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Steve L. Labo WA Jordan Neidinger
P3 1 Patrick Liddell MT Andy Macrae
P3 1 Hayden Mans MT Andy Macrae
P3 1 Thomas Montague WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Cameron Murdock MT Andy Macrae
P3 1 Kristian Nilsson AK Nicholas Greece
P3 1 Levi Njord OR Nathan Alex Taylor
P3 1 Jeroma Sexton OR Kelly A. Kellar
P3 1 Mykyta Sokolov WA Andrey Kuznetsov
P3 1 Darren Streeter ID Christopher J. Pyse
P3 1 Joshua Weidinger WA Kelly A. Kellar
P3 1 James Willis WA Matt Senior
P3 1 Robert Yale WA Chris W. Santacroce
P3 1 Liu Yang WA William Pardis
P3 1 Jun Yomo OR Samuel Crocker
P3 2 Jeff bixler NV Mitchell B. Neary
P3 2 Plaridel Caparas CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Jacob Carrico NV Mitchell B. Neary
P3 2 Sean Corbin CA Robert Black
P3 2 Lucien DeLacluyse UT Nathan Alex Taylor
P3 2 Xiaodong Deng CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Josh Denys UT Chris W. Santacroce
P3 2 Emiliya Dobrogorska CA David Oddy
P3 2 Brenden Doyle CA Chris W. Santacroce
P3 2 Haoxing Du CA Robert Black
P3 2 Jean-Jacques Dunyach CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Chris Edwards NV Mitchell B. Neary
P3 2 Connor Frazier UT Jonathan Jefferies
P3 2 David Galka CA Robert Black
P3 2 Cody Grace UT Jonathan Jefferies
P3 2 David Grothaus CA Robert Black
P3 2 Kyle Krueger UT Cynthia Currie
P3 2 Yong Li CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Nicholai Lidow CA Mike Fifield
P3 2 Charles McNall UT Dale Covington
P3 2 John O'Byrne CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Allister Phan CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Jim Pumaras NV Mitchell B. Neary
P3 2 Olivier Teixeira CA Jesse L. Meyer
P3 2 Adriano Triches M Silva CA Robert Black
P3 2 Pui Ying Sum CA Christopher Garcia
P3 3 Sean Aidukas CA Robert Black
P3 3 Nathan Allison CO Gregory Kelley
P3 3 Andrea Ashbaugh CA William Purden-Jr
P3 3 Edward Barabaner CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Kiryl Baryshnikau CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Kyle Beaird CA Jordan Neidinger
P3 3 Eddy Betancourt CA Jordan Neidinger
P3 3 Tessa Clarkson CO Don Hillmuth
P3 3 John Herbert Clifford Jr CO Brian Doub
P3 3 Kyle Correia CA Max Leonard Marien
P3 3 Brandon Darling CA Emily Wallace
P3 3 Russell Goff CA Jordan Neidinger
P3 3 Brittany Hilborn CO Ken W. Hudonjorgensen
P3 3 David Hilborn CO Ken W. Hudonjorgensen
P3 3 David Moeller CA Cynthia Currie
P3 3 Ian Nelson CO Brian Doub
P3 3 Michael Nussbaum CA Hadi Golian
P3 3 Manabu Odaka CA Max Leonard Marien
P3 3 Wesley Parmeter CA Marcello M. DeBarros
P3 3 Ray Pili CA William Purden-Jr
P3 3 Lucas Andres restrepo echeverri CA Julian Carreno
P3 3 William Schurman CO Rick Damiani
P3 3 Eric Schweisberger NM T Lee Kortsch
P3 3 Yuki Shimizu CA William Purden-Jr
P3 3 Wyatt Tyler CA William Purden-Jr
P3 3 Dzung Vo CA Jordan Neidinger
P3 3 Nathan Wells CA Jordan Neidinger
P3 4 Mario Abad FL Austin Kasserman
P3 4 Julian Echavarria GA Austin Kasserman
P3 4 Alison Fellers TN Kelly Myrkle
P3 4 Ken Forbes FL David Hanning
P3 4 Jaron Jackson TN Kelly Myrkle
P3 4 Rowen Johns GA Johannes Rath
P3 4 John Kenney FL Cynthia Currie
P3 4 JEROME MIGLIORI FL David W. Prentice
P3 4 Michael Royal SC Patrick Johnson
P3 4 Brandon Stringham TX Stephen J. Mayer
P3 5 Ivan Duma NY Philippe Renaudin
P3 5 Jesse Earisman NH Calef Letorney
P3 5 Jim Fardette PA David Oddy
P3 5 Nathaniel Gooden NY Rob Sporrer
P3 5 Josh Hebert NH Calef Letorney
P3 5 Leonard Kerkhoff BC Chris W. Santacroce
P3 5 James Noel NH Calef Letorney
P3 5 Jeffrey Pollock NY Rob Sporrer
P3 5 Paulo H. Portela NJ Davidson Da-Silva
P3 5 Monika Rakow NJ Thomas McCormick
P3 5 Robert Slebodnik NY David Oddy
P3 5 Christopher Tibbetts NH Johannes Rath
P3 5 Joshua Weiss NH Isabella Messenger
P4 1 Keaton Blair WA David Oddy
P4 1 Bryan Brashear OR Austin Cantrell
Todd Higley WA Christopher J. Pyse
1 Roberto Jones ID Randall Shane
1 Kim Keller MT Rob Sporrer
1 Mark T. Larson WA Jim Harmon P4 1 Ted M. Lowe MT Dale Covington P4 1 Richard Siberell MT Rob Sporrer P4 2 Mischa Buob CA David Oddy P4 2 Guilhem Espuche CA Robert Black
2 Justin Fisher UT Nathan Alex Taylor
2 Jaden Fitts CA Robert Black
2 Alexey Galda UT Dale Covington P4 2 Casey Gerstle CA Robert Black P4 2 Jesus Alberto Guillen A UT Alejandro Albornoz
2 Valerian Kryshak CA Mitchell B. Neary
2 Kasey Markel CA Wallace K. Anderson P4 2 Enrique Perez Smutny CA Robert Posey P4 2 Peter Scheidl CA Robert Black P4 2 Christopher P. Segler CA Jeffrey J. Greenbaum P4 2 Evgenii Sirotin CA David Oddy P4 2 Jessica Suen CA Jesse L. Meyer P4 2 Zachary Tyndall CA Robert Black P4 2 Carrie Vockrodt NV Mitchell B. Neary
P4 2 Travis J. Williams CA Christopher Garcia P4 3 Matthew Alarie CA William Purden-Jr P4 3 John Bartholomew CA Christopher Garcia P4 3 Robert Brown CA William Purden-Jr
P4 3 Brian Cawthorn AZ Aaron Cromer
P4 3 Ellie Delbridge CA Juan E. Silva
P4 3 D. Scott Drinkard CO Don Hillmuth
P4 3 Isaac Lammers CO Carl Marvin
P4 3 Jeffrey S. Parrot CO Randall Shane
P4 3 Seth Romanenko CA Emily Wallace
P4 3 Will Schaar III CO Chandler Papas
P4 3 Eric Torgerson CO Misha Banks
P4 3 Riebeeck Van Niekerk CA Rob Sporrer
P4 3 Samuel Williams CA Juan E. Silva
P4 3 Jeffrey Williams CO Misha Banks
P4 3 Michael Zhou CA Emily Wallace
P4 4 Karol Bohórquez DC Felix Figueroa
P4 4 Eric Hall OK Steven Taylor Couch
P4 4 Stephen Manston AL Austin Kasserman
P4 4 Todd Peele OK Steven Taylor Couch
P4 5 Dana Bouchard NH John E. Cady III
P4 5 Gleidson Jose Gato NH Davidson Da-Silva
P4 5 Mauricio Idalgo Clemente NJ Esau Diaz Guerrero
P4 5 Karl Link NY David Oddy
P4 5 Christopher Lloyd MI Misha Banks
P4 5 Fabio Lourenconi CT Davidson Da-Silva
P4 5 Katrin Parsiegla NY David Oddy
P4 5 Jean-François Veuve NM T Lee Kortsch
S1 1 Logan Kato MT Joshua Phillips
S1 2 Samuel Gluss CA Duane Hall
S1 3 Nicolas Hugh AZ Duane Hall
S1 4 Carl Kallgren IV NC Duane Hall
S2 1 Kevin Pabinquit AK Jeff Katz
S2 3 Karol Czaradzki CA Duane Hall
S2 3 David Ritz CO Jeff Katz
S2 4 Charles Crispi FL Duane Hall
S2 5 David Beksinski MD Gary Begley
S2 5 Dana Bouchard NH John E. Cady III
S2 5 Nick Natoli MD Jeff Katz
S2 5 Michael Ostromecky ME Gary Begley
S4 1 Patrick Hennessey WA Jeff Katz
Certifications Issued APR, MAY & JUN 2024
TAND INST HG 3 Joe Greblo CA Fred Ballard
ADV INST HG 3 Joe Greblo CA Andrew T. Beem
ADV INST PG 2 Eric Stratton UT Chris W. Santacroce
BAS INST PG 3 JianHui Wen CA Max Leonard Marien
ADV INST PG 3 Kristopher Holub CO Gregory Kelley
ADV INST HG 2 Michael Briganti CA Tiki Mashy
TAND INST HG 4 John C. Goodwin GA Oswaldo Lopez-Armas
TAND INST PG 4 John C. Goodwin GA Blake Pelton
TAND INST PG 3 Robin J. Marien CA Blake Pelton
ADV INST HG 2 Takeo Eda CA Tiki Mashy
BAS INST PG 1 Galen Kirkpatrick WA Rob Sporrer
TAND INST HG 4 Michael W. Degtoff TX Jon C. Thompson
TAND INST PG 2 Peter Forster UT Blake Pelton
TAND INST PG 5 Marek Kadamus IL Jaro Krupa
TECH1 PG 5 Marek Kadamus IL Jaro Krupa
TAND INST PG 3 Christian E. Riley CA Blake Pelton
TAND INST PG 3 David Van Wyke CO Blake Pelton
ADV INST HG 4 Richard Thorp TX Tiki Mashy
BAS INST PG 4 Elena Dmitrievskaya TN Christopher Grantham
BAS INST PG 3 Ryan Patrick Kerschen CO Chris W. Santacroce
ADV INST HG 4 Gregory C. Mick VA Paul Voight
TECH1
TECH2
4 Gregory C. Mick VA Paul Voight
4 Gregory C. Mick VA Paul Voight ST TECH1 HG 4 Gregory C. Mick VA Paul Voight
ST TECH2 HG 4 Gregory C. Mick VA Paul Voight
BAS INST PG 1 Scott Wuebber MT Dale Covington
BAS INST HG 3 Dwayne Powell CA Andrew T. Beem ADV INST HG 4 Kevin Coltrane NC Paul Voight
ADV INST PG 2 Mitchell B. Neary CA Max Leonard Marien
BAS INST PG 1 William Ford WA Matt Senior
BAS INST PG 1 Christopher Mayers WY Scott C. Harris
Pilot Andrew Fulton in front of Blackhawk launch, Lucerne Valley. Photo by Chris Lorimer
