hang gliding & paragliding vol38/iss06 jun 2008

JUNE 2008Volume 38 Issue 6

$4.95

www.USHPA.aero

MAGAZINE STAFFUSHPA, Publisher: [email protected]

Nick Greece, Editor: [email protected] Greg Gillam, Art Director: [email protected] Palmaz, Advertising: [email protected]

Staff writers: Alex Colby, Steve Messman, Dennis Pagen,Mark “Forger” Stucky, Ryan Voight, Tom Webster

Staff artist: Jim Tibbs Staff photographers: Josh Morell, Jeff Shapiro

OFFICE STAFFPaul Montville, Executive Director: [email protected]

Rick Butler, Information Services Director: [email protected] Palmaz, Business Manager: [email protected]

Erin Russell, Office Manager: [email protected] Burtis, Member/Instructor Services Administrator:

[email protected]

USHPA OFFICERS & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEELisa Tate, President: [email protected]

Riss Estes, Vice President: [email protected] Rich Hass, Secretary: [email protected]

Mark Forbes, Treasurer: [email protected]

REGION 1: Rich Hass, Mark Forbes. REGION 2: Dave Wills, Urs Kellenberger, Paul Gazis. REGION 3: David Jebb, Rob Sporrer, Brad Hall. REGION 4: Mark Gaskill, Jim Zeiset. REGION 5: Lisa Tate. REGION 6: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 7: Tracy Tillman. REGION 8: Gary Trudeau. REGION 9: Felipe Amunategui, L.E. Herrick. REGION 10: Dick Heckman, Steve Kroop, Matt Taber. REGION 11: Gregg Ludwig. REGION 12: Paul Voight. REGION 13: Dick Heckman. DIRECTORS AT LARGE: Leo Bynum, Riss Estes, Mike Haley, Jon James, Dennis Pagen. EX-OFFICIO DIRECTOR: Art Greenfield (NAA).

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Inc. is an air sports organization affiliated with the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), which is the official representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), of the world governing body for sport aviation. The NAA, which represents the United States at FAI meetings, has delegated to the USHPA supervision of FAI-related hang gliding and paragliding activities such as record attempts and competition sanctions.

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-launched air-sports enthusiasts to create further interest in the sports of hang gliding and paragliding and to provide an educational forum to advance hang gliding and paragliding methods and safety. Contributions are welcome. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit contributions where necessary. The Association and publication do not assume responsibility for the material or opinions of contributors. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING editorial offices email: [email protected]. ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE SENT TO USHPA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS.

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

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING (ISSN 1543-5989) (USPS 17970) is published monthly by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., 1685 W. Uintah St., Colorado Springs, CO 80904, (719) 632-8300, FAX (719) 632-6417. PERIODICAL postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO and at additional mailing offices.

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

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine welcomes editorial submissions from our members and readers. We are always looking for well written articles and quality artwork. Feature stories generally run anywhere from 1500 to 3000 words. News releases are welcomed, but please do not send brochures, dealer newsletters or other extremely

lengthy items. Please edit news releases with our readership in mind, and keep them reasonably short without excessive sales hype. Calendar of events items may be sent via email to [email protected], as may letters to the editor. Please be concise and try to address a single topic in your letter. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. If you have an idea for an article you may discuss your topic with the editor either by email or telephone. Contact: Editor, Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, [email protected], (516) 816-1333.

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES IN PUBLICATIONSThe material presented here is published as part of an information dissemination service for USHPA members. The USHPA makes no warranties or representations and assumes no liability concerning the validity of any advice, opinion or recommendation expressed in the material. All individuals relying upon the material do so at their own risk. Copyright © 2008 Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine.

For change of address or other USHPA businesscall (719) 632-8300, or email [email protected].

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.

Bivouac flight to the top of the Dolomite’s highest peak, the

Marmolada. After a cold night the northwind decreased. An icy coat

covered my wing, and morning broke above a sea of clouds. The conditions improved to the point

where I was able to soar the north slope above this white beauty.

Felix Wölk's photography is featured in this month's gallery.

H A N G G L I D I N G & P A R A G L I D I N G M A G A Z I N E

4

DOCUMENTING SITES WITH GOOGLE EARTHAdvanced capabilities of this Internet staple will help you get organized.

FLYING FESTIVAL Female pilots–heed the call!

OLYMpIC HANG GLIDINGYou wish. So does Ryan Voight in this call to action.

USHpA MEMbER 00001His name? Richard "Dick" Eipper.

TRANSITIONING TO HIGH pERFORMANCEWhen it's time, it's time. Make sure you're ready to make the leap safely.

by Angela Galbreath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

by Ernie Camacho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

by Jennifer Drews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

by Ryan Voight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

by Dennis Pagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

0806EDITOR

pILOT bRIEFINGS

AIRMAIL

USHpA

SAFETY bULLETIN

CENTERFOLD

CALENDAR

MARKETpLACE

USHpA STORE

CLASSIFIEDS

RATINGS

pAGE 78

7

8

10

12

14

40

66

69

70

72

75

Judith Zweifel, female Swiss Acro Champion, banks it up for

the camera | photo by Andreas Busslinger.

June 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero5

FIRST GAGGLEYou found a really nice thermal, all your own. But don't get too comfort-able, here comes the gaggle. Get tips from the best on how to ride the big merry-go-round.

TRAVEL LOGSHang gliding in Valle de Bravo.Paragliding over Greece.

LAbOR DAY LESSONSA torrid tale from the gust front.

HANG IN THERE: TODD'S SAGASome people simply shouldn't fly.

by Rob Sporrer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

by Denny Pistoll & Kim Galvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

by Mark "Forger" Stucky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Page 56

by Mitch McAleer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

GALLERY | FELIX WÖLK

Just follow Eileen’s directions,” said the voice from the back of the rental car. Kevin and Melanie

Pfister had named our navigation unit when we arrived in Los Angeles to escape the snow-locked state of Wyoming. “Eileen” had directed us to Fresno, but we were now lost in the hills surrounding the town of Dunlap. Sensing that the launch was nearby, we thought that by heading for the flag representing Dunlap on the GPS, good things would happen. However, as we passed that point on the map, we dis-covered (to our dismay) that the flag had been placed in a national forest. So, we reluctantly turned around and wan-dered down the mountain on a different route in hopes of finding some kind of flat pull-out where we could pitch tents and wait for first light to find launch. On the way down, we spotted a beacon of light in the pitch dark—a roadside bar. As Kevin and I approached the pulsating establishment, a face in the crowd came into focus sporting a mas-sive smile—Connie Locke.

Before we knew it, Connie, who helps direct the Foundation for Free Flight, had our group and her husband Russ in tow. We headed for their terrif-ic abode where we spent the night and sampled a big dose of California hospi-tality, replete with an amazing pancake

breakfast the next morning.

This is how our trip began and how it would continue for the eight days that we traveled around Southern California. Whether we were visiting with Rob Sporrer and the Eagle family in Santa Barbara or flying Torrey Pines with Bob Barry and the Jebbs, everyone we encountered exuded the amazing energy one can’t help but associate with our great sports. It made me realize what a wonderful community we are a part of. I’ve spent amazing amounts of energy traveling the globe looking for the perfect flying site. But this trip brought into perspective that it is the great people we encounter on our jour-neys—not the flying sites—that are the true treasure of free flight.

This point was driven home to me again when I returned to Jackson and checked my inbox. I found a message there from a pilot with whom I had flown four years ago in Colorado. He wrote to congratulate me on my new charge and invite me to come fly Hawaii with him—further evidence of friendships nurtured during flying that transcend distance and time. I believe we get carried away with how many miles we went or how big the climbs were. Truth be told, without the wonderful people who make this sport what it is, our experiences would be a lot less special.

7

[left] Russ Locke and Melanie Pfister enjoying pre-flight pancakes. [lower left] Kevin and Melanie Pfister ready to go back to Jackson after a great flying trip. [below, from top

to bottom] Connie Locke serving up some mean pancakes in Dunlap, California. Rob Sporrer, Corey, Mateo, and Kabir Cardenas at Santa Barbara club meeting. Dilly White, Bob Drury, Mike Forbes, William Mooney, and Verity Sowden at Bob’s lecture on flying in the Himalayas. Melanie Pfister at the airport in Salt Lake City. Seeing Dean Stratton and Andy Palmer on launch | Photo by Bo Criss. All other photos by Nick Greece


MICROFIX PERSONAL LOCATOR BEACON Personal

Locator Beacons (PLB’s) are electronic de-

vices that can summon help from anywhere

in the world. Like most emergency equip-

ment, you hope you never have to use it; but

considering the extreme nature of our sport,

we’re all prime candidates to carry one.

This new unit from ACR–the MicroFix–is

a small, durable unit that sends an emer-

gency signal to a network of satellites so

rescue agencies can be notified to provide

assistance. The system uses both geo-

stationary and polar-orbiting satellites,

so coverage is global. Its built-in GPS re-

ceiver provides very accurate location

information, so you can be located

quickly; but even without the GPS in-

formation, the satellite network can

still determine your location using

Doppler-shift posi-

tioning.

The MicroFix (http://www.acrelectron-

ics.com/microfix/microfix.htm) feels solid

in your hands; you can immediately sense

that it comes from a long pedigree of elec-

tronics designed for military use. As a result,

it’s a dense little package, but it will still float

in its pouch and only weighs ten ounces.

Operation is simple and directions are

shown as a language-independent diagram

on the unit, so you don’t need an instruction

manual at the wrong time. The antenna is a

flexible strip that is normally folded around

the unit. When you unclip the end of the

antenna out of its slot, it snaps open and is

ready to tilt into position.

Once the antenna is deployed, a big red

on/off button that was previously protected

from accidental use can now be seen. Press

it for one second to turn on the MicroFix

and call for help.

The MicroFix communicates primarily

on the 406 MHz international distress fre-

quency, but it also uses the 121.5 MHz avia-

tion emergency frequency so rescue teams

can dial in on your position once they get

nearby.

The unit is $750 (street-price about

$600-$650), but it’s only a one-time

charge, and there are no recurring monthly,

or yearly fees.

The batteries have a shelf-life of eleven

years, but ACR recommends having the

batteries changed at an authorized ACR

center on a 5-year cycle.

submitted by David Guidos

MAURER GRABS INFINITE TUMBLE RECORD Three-

time PWC winner, Chrigel Maurer, proved

his skills are not limited to cross country

racing. He executed 155 consecutive tum-

bles (the infinity tumble) to take the record

from Antoine Montant who previously held

the title with 122 (set during the St Hilaire

Festival 2007). While in an Infinity, the tum-

bles are linked one after the other giving the

impression that the pilot is jumping rope.

Chrigel used a new acro-wing developed

by Advance. “My longest infinity tumbling

(so far) lasted almost five minutes before I

stopped over the Grindelwald landing field,”

reported Maurer.

OZONE XC CHALLENGE MAKES GOAL The third

Ozone Carribean XC Challenge, held in

the Dominican Republic at the site called

Casabito, from Feb 17th thru the 23rd, was

once again a success. The competition was

organized by a highly competent team lead

by Julian Molina. This was the second year

it was held at Casabito, near the town of

Bonao. The site is on the green side of the

island and has mild conditions and a con-

vergence that typically sets up in the in the

afternoons.

The format is a laid-back open-distance

competition with emphasis on learning and

having fun. The rules and scoring are like the

OLC competitions–pilots can pick their own

task as they fly, and the scoring rewards tri-

angles, out and returns, and dogleg routes

more than straight open distance.

The 57 competitors, traveling from 13 dif-

ferent countries as far away as Japan and

Greece, were rewarded with three flying

days. The conditions lent themselves nicely

to the format, allowing varied and diverse

tasks. Jocky Sanderson provided insightful

weather briefings every morning on launch,

as well as an instructive and often humor-

ous discussion every evening that included

a chance to watch several different track-

logs from the day. The meet was haunted

by windier than normal conditions, but Dag

“Danny” Sundman (SE) managed to break

the site distance record with a 63 km flight

PilotBRIEFINGSNew | Improved | Buzzworthy


on the second flying day, putting him in the

lead.

After the third day of flying, only 32

points separated the top five competitors,

leading everyone to believe it would be a

close horse race. However, on the last two

comp days, the conditions deteriorated and

Danny maintained the top spot–winning the

first comp he had ever entered!

A big thanks to Julian and the rest of

the team, and an extra big thanks to Jocky

Sanderson and Ozone for hosting such a

great event!

submitted by Dale Covington

NOVA ONE-HARNESS This lightweight (1.9

kg, incl. Cygnus Airbag), reversible harness

is perfect for pilots who prefer walking to

the launch site. It’s extremely comfortable

to carry, and the backpack is big enough to

hold a neatly packed NOVA Mentor. NOVA’s

Managing Director Wolfi Lechner says: “We

still focus on the our core competence-

making paragliders. But why not use the

great opportunity to offer a high-quality

harness with our logo.”

The NOVA ONE is manufactured of du-

rable webbing and Cordura® fabric which

is highly abrasion-resistant, and very easy

to clean. Further features include outside

pockets with easy access and attachment

points for walking poles. The NOVA ONE is

available in the sizes Medium (body height

< 1.70 m) and Large (> 1.70 m).

More information: www.nova-wings.com.

NOVA MENTOR IN FOUR SIZES NOVA launches its

MENTOR in size XS. Altogether, the high-

end class 1–2 wing is now available in four

sizes. The NOVA Mentor now covers the fol-

lowing take-off weights:

XS 70–90 kg

S 80–100 kg

M 95–110 kg

L 105–130 kg

With its combination of safety, perfor-

mance and uncomplicated handling, the

NOVA MENTOR might be “the hotty” of LTF

class 1–2 wing. The German-language mag-

azine “Gleitschirm” tested it, measuring an

L/D of 8.8. NOVA points out that this L/D is

the best value ever achieved by a class 1–2

wing in the history of “Gleitschirm” tests.

TATER HILL MEET REDUCES ENTRY FEE Beth and

Bubba are reducing the entry fee by $100

to help the pilots with the rising cost of

fuel. So the new entry fee is $175, instead

of $275. More information: www.flytaterhill.

com, (828) 773-9433.


IN DEFENSE OF SEAGULL Re: Article by Mark

“Forger” Stucky, Feb. 2008 issue of the

magazine.

Mark states he remembers one week

where three renowned pilots died flying

Rogallo wings. He mentioned Seagull glid-

ers twice.

I feel I must come to the defense of

Seagull gliders. I was a Seagull dealer from

shortly after the Seagull III was introduced

until the factory closed. I still have two

Seagull IVs, two Seagull Seahawks and two

10 Meters. All are in safe flying condition.

Seagull gliders are strong, easy to fly, have

no bad flight characteristics and, as far as I

know, have never had a structural failure. If

a Seagull glider dived in from a 1000 feet,

it would be because it was assembled in-

correctly or modified or altered, assuming it

was a Seagull III or later model.

Curt Stahl was flying a Seagull V that

had been altered, or modified, for compe-

tition. Neither of these occurrences can be

blamed on Seagull glider design.

I had a Seagull V on order at the time

of Curt Stahl’s accident. Seagull cancelled

my order and offered me a Seagull IV in-

stead, which I accepted. When asked why

my Seagull V order was cancelled, I was

told the “V” was too easy to modify, or alter,

which would make it unsafe to fly.

It should be noted that during that time

period three major manufacturers had

production gliders experiencing structural

failures. One of those manufacturers had

two models experiencing structural failures.

One of those manufacturers is still produc-

ing gliders today, and they are top of the

line gliders. I have one and enjoy flying it.

My company, Fun Flite, later changed to

Best Flite, taught many, many students to

fly using Seagull IIIs, IVs and, on occasion, a

detuned 10 Meter.

I have had a Seahawk in turbulence so

bad that I had no control over the glider and

the battens were slamming down on the

crossbars. When I finally landed, there was

no damage to the glider; all I had was a torn

pant leg and a banged-up knee.

In the future, I think that if an author

wishes to name the glider, he/she should

mention the cause of the accident so as

not to raise concerns over the safety of the

glider when the cause may be improper

maintenance, incorrect assembly, pilot error

or weather conditions.

I came across an example of improper

maintenance when I inspected a friend’s

newly purchased glider. Because the heart

bolt was too long, someone ground all the

metal threads out of the nut so it would fit

over the shank of the bolt. The only part of

the nut holding everything together was

the elastic nut-locking insert.

I would still like to have a Seagull V for

my collection.

submitted by Dean Whisler, Hang IV pilot Retired FAA Aviation Safety Inspector

Rants | Raves | Ramblings

AirMAILThe opinions expressed in the letters published in this column are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine staff or USHPA officials. While every effort is made to verify facts stated in letters, readers are urged to check the accuracy of any

statement before taking action or forming an opinion based on the contents of a letter.


GIN07_Corporate_USHGA8.375x10.871 1 24/03/08 18:47:56


I know what you’re expecting. If you fly

hang gliders, you’re expecting me to say

that hang gliders and paragliders have

many things in common, and we’re are all

in this sport together. If you fly paraglid-

ers, you’re expecting me to say that para-

gliders and hang gliders have many things

in common, and we’re all in this sport to-

gether. And if you fly both types of wing,

you’re expecting me to say that both types

of wing have many things in common, and

we’re all in this sport together.

Of course, we all know that this is drivel.

The two types of wing are profoundly dif-

ferent. Some of these differences are obvi-

ous. Hang glider pilots watch paragliders

launch with a mixture of amusement and

incomprehension, accompanied by snide

remarks about the flight sequences in

Woody Allen’s Sleeper. Paraglider pilots

watch hang gliders land in the same spirit

with which they used to watch Roadrunner

cartoons. Other differences are more

subtle, but may be more profound. As

a long-time hang glider pilot, I cannot

help but feel that there’s something mor-

ally wrong about being able to unpack a

canopy, preflight, and be ready to launch

in less than ten minutes. This makes a sig-

nificant change on the debit side of “is it

worth the effort to set up today?” equa-

tion, and may explain why those paraglider

pilots seem so annoyingly enthusiastic. As

a beginning paraglider pilot, I’ve gained a

new appreciation for just how much fun it

is to maneuver a hang glider in three di-

mensions. Climbing... diving... pulling on

speed... you paraglider pilots don’t have a

clue what you’re missing.

There are significant differences in the

ways both wings fly. Most hang glider

pilots are taught to dive and get down first

if they’re lowest pilot in the landing pattern.

Why, I wondered, couldn’t paraglider pilots

follow the same simple courtesy? After

learning to fly both types of wing, I real-

ize the absurdity of this question. Dive? On

a paraglider? Right, yes, sure thing. And

there’s that airspeed issue. If he runs into

trouble–turbulence, a wind shift, an unan-

ticipated venturi–a hang glider pilot can

stuff the bar and try to escape. For a para-

glider pilot, escape may not be an option.

These differences make it hard to com-

bine social events and fly-ins. A site that’s

good for hang gliders may be almost unfli-

able for paragliders. A day that offers good

XC prospects for paragliders might leave

the hang glider pilots stuck on the ridge.

Folks who fly one type of wing are unlikely

to have buddies who fly the other. Even the

post-flight stories can be different, which

can make the two groups unlikely to mix

at parties, buy each other beer, or fix each

other up with dates.

There are some situations in which the

two communities can have competing

agendas. Instruction is one example. Very

few schools teach both types of aircraft.

Since most instructors specialize in the

aircraft with which they feel most com-

fortable, it is natural for them to represent

the alternative as inadequate, inferior, and

unsafe. The consequences can be unfortu-

nate. If Angelina Jolie shows up at Eustace

Frockmorton’s Flight School looking for

hang gliding lessons, and Eustace-a long-

time paraglider instructor–warns her that

hang gliders are so appallingly dangerous

that even as simple a process as stuffing

battens will most certainly lead to serious

injury, this will not only be unlikely to win

him another student..., but will quite pos-

sibly lose the foot-launched aviation com-

munity another potential pilot. As well as

possible tie-ins with the next Laura Croft

movie and Tomb Raider game.

This is unfortunate, because in spite of

our differences, we really are all in this to-

gether. We negotiate for insurance as a

group and get significantly more bargain-

ing power because we do. We deal with

landowners who may not see a difference

between hang gliders and paragliders. And

for national issues, such as airspace access,

tandem exemptions, changes to the FARs,

and our interaction with the FAA, we’re

much better off as one large community

than we would be as two small and inef-

fectual ones.

Also, ask yourself, are the differences

between the two types of aircraft really

very important? We both watch the same

weather reports, make the same long drives,

and feel the same thrill when we arrive at

the LZ, stare up at launch, and wonder

what the day will bring. We both make the

same kinds of speculations as we head up

the hill. We both feel the same glee when

we’re climbing and the same disgust when

we sink out. And we both tell the same kind

of lies when we gather around the camp-

fire at the end of the day.

Finally, as a simple matter of logic:

Both types of wing flyFlying is cool

Therefore, both types of wing are cool.

We all realize this. And at most sites, in

most parts of the country, the two pilot

communities are working together quite

well. This might make a plea for unity seem

redundant. But we can’t take such things

for granted. It would be all too easy for the

two communities to drift apart, lose con-

tact with each other, and begin to work at

cross- purposes. So attend each other’s

parties. Join each other’s clubs. Read each

other’s articles in the magazine. Trade sto-

ries about XC flights, swap route informa-

tion, and pick each other’s brains. Work

together to preserve sites. Give each other

rides up the hill. Date each other’s girl-

friends or boyfriends... no, wait, on second

thought, this might not be such a good

idea.

Remember, we’re all in this together.

We all fly the same air, and share the same

interests, and worry about the same con-

cerns. And if we don’t stand together in

the face of adversity...how can we hope

to stand up against those loathsome rigid-

wing pilots?

A UnityMESSAGEMission | Policy | Membership | Involvement

by Paul Gazis

ph

oto

by F

elix W

ölk


ph

oto

by F

elix W

ölk

ph

oto

by F

elix W

ölk


2007 PARAGLIDING ACCIDENT SUMMARY Paragliding accident reports and fa-

talities were both down a bit from 2006

to 2007. There were eight reports with no

injury. These entertaining and enlightening

reports are covered in the quarterly column.

In this annual statistical summary, we stick

to the facts about injuries and fatalities.

Here are the facts as you report them.

In the U.S. in 2007 there were reports

of four paragliding fatalities, three injured

tandem passengers, and 37 injured pilots.

We are confident that the fatality count is

correct, even though one of them was not

reported on the USHPA system. Three of

the fatalities were relatively inexperienced

P2 pilots, the other was a P3 (intermediate)

pilot. Ideally, the fatality history should be

compared to flight hours or some measure

of activity, but such numbers are not avail-

able. Our only reliable base is the number

of association members, where we include

paragliding-only members as well as the

few hang+para members. There are un-

doubtedly a few active pilots who are not

association members, but none showed up

in accident statistics.

Many injuries go unreported and, there-

fore, are not included in this summary,

though we found enough information about

a few unreported accidents to include them

as well. About half (18) of the reported in-

juries were serious enough to merit at least

one night in a hospital. But minor injuries

certainly outnumber serious injuries, so our

reports are incomplete.

Please report accidents with the handy

USHPA online system—we who are on the

accident review committee thank you.

We hope readers learn from these re-

ports!

SafetyBULLETINAnalysis | Preparedness | Incidents

by Mike Steed

Accidents for the past two years tend to

follow the seasons. However, they appear

to be skewed toward the spring season

when there might be more instability and

rusty pilot skills. January looks safe, but

only because we do not include accidents

by US pilots while in Mexico or Brazil.


The age of pilots in reported accidents

spans the spectrum of the membership, but

was a bit younger than the average age of

the membership. Since we know little about

pilot activity by age, feel free to speculate

about which pilots are more active and

which are more foolish.

The ratings of accident pilots were more in

line with membership demographics than

last year. Even though P2s had relatively

few accidents, three were fatal.

Given the small base of female pilots,

gender statistics vary widely from year to

year. Female injuries were rare in 2006. In

2007 male injuries were down and female

injuries were up, especially if two female

tandem passengers are added to the pilot

numbers in the chart.

The wings flown by injured pilots run the

gamut of ratings, though we don’t have

good numbers about how many of which

wings are in service.

Over half the accidents could be traced

to something that happened mid-flight.

No accidents were attributed to landing,

since,in all cases, mistakes were made well

before the landing proper. While two of the

accidents occurred at SIV clinics, they were

not attributed directly to the SIV training.

No accidents were attributed to towing or

acro this year.

Asymmetric collapses are the most commonly cited cause of an accident—an event

that should be recoverable. In a few cases the pilot may not have had the necessary

skills to handle such events, but in most cases the pilot was simply flying too low to

recover. In many cases the pilot had been flying this low for long periods of time.

Back injuries continue to be reported most

often, by an even wider margin than usual.

This may say something about modern

equipment, or may reflect pilot fitness and

PLF training.

16

ph

oto

co

urt

esy

Re

d b

ull p

ho

tofi

les


The blisters and sore muscles have

healed, mistakes and triumphs reviewed

and the mountains of the northern hemi-

sphere are once again thawing out from

a long winter. But thanks to the Red Bull

X-Alps Movie, armchair athletes can virtual-

ly participate in one of the great adventure

races of all time.

The movie opens with dramatic, helicop-

ter filmed vistas and the inevitable DaVinci

quote, trite only to those surrounded by

free-flight media. The narrator, with a voice

like Dr. Hibbert from The

Simpsons, is so intense that if

he were telling you what kind

of cat food he buys, you would

consider it a life-or-death deci-

sion.

He then goes on to explain

the format of the race, in a

manner that’s clear enough to

enlighten non-pilots, but concise

enough not to bore the rest of

us. The soundtrack and sweep-

ing scenery keep things moving

along nicely to interviews with some of the

top athletes. It becomes clear that some of

these folks are more than obsessed. “My

entire future revolves around the X-Alps

race,” says ‘uberhuman’ Toma Coconea.

As the race gets underway, the movie is

a montage of short interviews, team camera

segments and high-def helicopter foot-

age. The helicopter footage is spectacular,

but the angles play games with the viewers.

Sometimes it appears as if the gliders are

flying nearly 100 mph, and other times as

if they are flying backwards. Some of the

team camera segments are humorous, while

others bring you up close and personal with

some really ugly feet. These blister popping

shots are not for the squeamish.

The rain comes, right on cue for dramatic

effect. You can almost hear Phil Liggett ex-

pounding on how the athletes are “suffering

like dogs.” Without the precipitation, the

narrator would not have been able to use

his cheesy line about how the “Sky kings

have become rain kings.”

Of course, it would not be a race without

some inclement weather, and it wouldn’t be

a Red Bull event without lots of advertising.

Someone is pounding a Red Bull in nearly

every sequence. One athlete is sipping on a

Bull while finishing dinner, just as the narra-

tor remarks that there is only time for eating

and sleeping during the short night. Red

Bull PM, I guess.

A few of the shots seem a little

contrived. We see one athlete

sleeping in his harness, clipped

in to his glider fully laid out on

top of a mountain. Yet anoth-

er shot is of Toma Coconea

sleeping in the middle of the

road. “Sometimes the ath-

letes are too exhausted to

make it to the next bend in

the road,” quips the narrator.

I don’t care how tired I was,

I couldn’t sleep there!

I, of course, would have liked to

have seen more coverage of the USA teams.

Nate Scales, with family in tow, put the

hammer down on some of the locals. Honza

Reimanek was deathly ill from some “heavy

sausage” and couldn’t even start the race

on the first day. Feeling slightly better, he

was in 29th place on day three, and finished

the race an incredible 9th. That’s a story

that needs to be told.

All in all, this is a well made movie that

will amaze pilots and ground-dwellers alike.

Excellent scenery, pearls of wisdom from

exhausted athletes, and a high drama finish

make this a fine armchair adventure. One

caveat-watching this movie will probably

make you feel pretty soft!

It is worth noting that one dollar of every

copy sold is donated to Wings for Life, a

spinal cord research foundation. Check

wingsforlife.com for more info.

Visit the USHPA store, at

www.ushpa.aero

to purchase this and other great titles.

XALPSFilms | Books | Sites | Links | Gear

by Josh Riggs

IquiqueChileNovember 2 0 0 8

Fly every day or get money back ! Over 11 years of combined experience

leading tours in Chile !

videos, pics, and more . . .

www.paragl id ingtrips .com

[opposite] Coring fiercely in the Dolomites near the Marmolada turn-point | photo by Oliver Laguero.


DOCUMENT A SITE WITH GE Let’s say you’ve

never flown King Mt. In the April Hang

Gliding and Paragliding Magazine, you read a

report on the King Mt. meet, complete with

photos showing the wonderful landscapes,

descriptions of routes flown, LZ’s reached

and more. It sounds like a great place to fly,

and with the upcoming meet consisting of

five days of laid-back flying, a personal best

or two might be made.

But, there are so many variables. Where

is King Mt.? The article talks about different

routes, LZs, and hundred-mile retrieves. It

would be nice if you could spend some time

over the next few months learning about

the place so you wouldn’t be completely in

the dark when you got there.

Well, there is a way for you to learn about

King and the surrounding area. You can

even pre-fly the routes until you’ve commit-

ted every peak and road to memory. I’ll tell

you how to do this, but, more importantly,

I want you to consider applying the same

site description treatment to the flying sites

in your neighborhood. After all, there are

pilots, both new and experienced, who

might benefit from some pre-flying of your

sites.

The key to this site description approach

is Google Earth (GE). If you don’t know

about GE, you’re beyond redemption. GE

has been around, in one form or another, for

many years now, and as it has continued to

add features and imagery, it has become a

wonderful tool for our purposes. I’ll point

you to several web-based resources since

GE requires you to be web-based yourself.

The caveat to using GE is that you really

need a broadband connection to the inter-

net, since a lot of imagery will be streamed

to your computer.

The website for accessing information

18

GoogleEARTHFilms | Books | Sites | Links | Gear

by Ernie Camacho


North Wing Design 3904 Airport Way East Wenatchee, Washington 98802

Celebrating 12 years of making Flight and Dreams come together!

[email protected]

www.northwing.com

ULTRALIGHT TRIKES & WINGSHANG GLIDERS

The NEW high performance, single-surface glider!Freedom

The lightweight soaring trike and Stratus wing are the perfect match for best performance, or use your glider!

Easy Break-downOverhead Starter

SOARING TRIKEATF

with the finest quality materials!USABuilt in the

about GE as well as downloading a free

copy:

http://earth.google.com

Freelance blogs and helpful resources:

http://www.ogleearth.com/

http://www.gearthblog.com/

http://googleearthuser.blogspot.com/

http://www.ogleearth.com/links.html#gob

For this quick overview, I’m going to ask

you to follow along, using the GE place-

marks that were made for King Mt. You’ll

find them on the Fly King Mountain website:

http://www.flykingmountain.com/ge.html

For those of you reading this article in

your “reading room” (not in front of your

computer), I’ll try to describe the GE tools

you can use for documenting a flying site.

But you’ll have to promise to load up GE,

play with the King Mt. placemarks, and try

to make a few of your own.

GE uses various symbols to create place-

marks to mark a point on the earth, such as:

a point (placemark), a line or path (path), a

shaded area (polygon), an image overlay

(image overlay) and/or a photo (photo).

Placemarks can show launches and LZ’s.

You can add custom icons to help show the

type of placemark.

The Route 1 centerline is a white path

placemark. The Route 1 corridor is a semi-

transparent green polygon placemark. The

Route 1 bonus LZ placemarks have been

raised into the air so that you can see the

farthest ones.

Image Overlays are normally used to dis-

play a topographical or other map, but here

I’ve used a .gif image, which lets me make

some of the image transparent in order to

put labels on the mountain ranges.

A photo placemark (below right) can

align photos of special locales with the GE

terrain. For example, John Kangas’ photo

of the glider park he’s building lets us see

just where the park will be. I’ve also added


polygon placemarks to define the prop-

erty (green) and where I think the runway

(white) will be.

You are able to add a description to a

placemark. Since this description can in-

clude HTML code, you can put content in

the placemark that will be displayed when

you click the placemark. I’ve used this to

present the King Mt. Route Guide, pro-

duced by John Kangas, inside Google Earth.

John flew the King routes in his airplane,

photographing landmarks along the way. I

received permission to display them in the

King Mt. Placemark Collection.

For each photo, I first made a smaller

copy that would fit inside a placemark de-

scription. Then, I moved around in GE until I

saw the same scene depicted in the photo.

One placemark option is to “snapshot cur-

rent view” which will put you back in the

same spot whenever you click on the place-

mark icon. That is, when you click on the

icon, you’re taken to that exact spot, and the

contents of the placemark description are

displayed. You can compare the photo with

what GE is showing. Some of these photos

took me a while to locate in GE, but now I

have both the photo and the surrounding

countryside to give it context.

And that’s not the best part. The photos

are grouped by route. For

example, you can select the

GE folder that contains all

the route 1 placemarks with

photos; then click on “Play

Tour”. GE will take you to

each placemark in turn, open

the description when you

arrive, and pause for a few

seconds so you can study

the photo before you fly to

the next placemark. The GE webpage on

FlyKingMountain.com explains how to do

this, along with a lot of other information

about using GE.

The payoff for using Google Earth to

study a site like King Mt. is that you’ll get

some great flights. Now you can share the

GPS tracklog of your flights with others,

again by using Google Earth. The GE page

on FKM explains the details, so I’ll just show

you what a tracklog in GE looks like:

Dan DeWeese sent me this log from a

flight he made to Salmon, Idaho. Notice the

nice climb out from launch. Dan crossed

over to the Lemhi’s sooner than usual. It’s

these tracklogs that really help to see how

others are flying a site.

The photos below illustrate another use

of tracklogs and GE. After mapping several

flights, Vince Endter was able to identify

places along a route that consistently pro-

vide thermals. Those points have been iden-

tified in GE, and those placemarks can now

be exported from GE into anyone’s GPS

with minimal work.

In conclusion, a placemark description

can contain text, images, and videos. You

can sometimes put an entire webpage

inside a placemark. Placemarks can be ani-

mated over time, so you can fly your track-

log, although crudely.

Speaking of flying, GE has a flight simu-

lator mode. Couple that with an F-16 cock-

pit HUD overlay and you’re in for some fun.

Flying with a mouse, even in flight sim-

ulator mode, can be tricky. Once you’re

truly addicted to GE, you’ll have to get a

3Dconnexion Space Navigator. It’s a spe-

cialized joystick that works together with

your mouse to give you the best navigation

possible.

It is possible to take GE on the road with

you. You can store imagery in a cache file.

With the proper version of GE, you can hook

up your GPS to your laptop so that GE can

show you where in the world you are.

You can create a folder containing

straight placemarks. You can then export

that folder and convert those placemarks

into uploaded waypoints in your GPS. And

you can do the reverse.

You can use placemarks to pinpoint a

number of useful items: launches and land-

ing zones, best routes to fly, landmarks,

camp grounds, stores, gas stations, ob-

stacles to avoid like angry landowners or

power lines across landing zones.

As you search the web for tips on using

GE, using the links I gave you as a start, you’ll

find that GE is very comprehensive. There

are lots of ways you can use it to document

your flying sites. Hopefully, pilots who are

new to your sites will take advantage of this

wealth of information and come fully pre-

pared to fly the correct routes, stay away

from restricted areas, and know the rules

for the site. Then, you can concentrate

on giving them the information for flying

on the hill that day, knowing they have the

background information already commit-

ted to memory. At least I can dream of that


day. USHPA is issuing its annual call for nominations to the national Board of Directors. Nine positions are open for election in October

2008 for a two-year term beginning January 2009. Nominations not required for incumbents. You may nominate yourself if you

wish. Nominations must be received at the USHPA office by July 14, 2008. Nominations are needed in the following regions. Current

Directors, whose terms are up for reelection in 2008 are:

REGION CURRENT DIRECTOR STATES WITHIN REGION

Alaska, Oregon, Washington

Northern California, Nevada

Southern California, Hawaii

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, N.Dakota, S.Dakota, Minnesota

New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont

Washington DC, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, W.Virginia

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, N.Carolina, S.Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico

Texas, Louisiana, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Arkansas

New Jersey, New York

Ballots will be distributed with the October issue of HANG GLIDING and PARAGLIDING magazines. USHPA needs the very best vol-

unteers to help guide the safe development and growth of the sports. Send candidate nominations for receipt no later than July 14th

to: USHPA, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901-1330. Biographical information about nominees should be received no later

than August 4th, for inclusion in the October election issue of the magazine. This should include the following information: name and

USHPA number, photo and resume (one page containing the candidate’s hang/paragliding activities and viewpoints, written consent

to be nominated and willingness to serve if elected). Nominate by mail or at the USHPA website.

http://www.ushpa.aero/emailrdnomination.asp

1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Rich.Hass

2 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave.Wills

3 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . David.Jebb

4 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark.Gaskill

5 .. . . . NOMINATIONS.NOT.NEEDED

6 .. . . . REPRESENTED.BY.REGION.11

7.. . . . . . . . . . . . . Tracy.Tillman

8.. . . . . . . . . . . . Gary.Trudeau

9.. . . . . . . Felipe.Amunategui

10 .. . . . . . . . . . . . Steve.Kroop

11.. . . . NOMINATIONS.NOT.NEEDED

12.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paul.Voight

2009 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS


WOMEN HANG TOUGH TOGETHER Hanging

with a female pilot on launch is a rare and

treasured experience for me. No, I am not a

male pilot looking for love in the sky; I’m a

woman pilot who finds herself more relaxed

and more confident with female peers close

by.

When we fly we leave the stressors of

our normal lives thousands of feet below,

though flying itself presents us with a

whole new set of challenges that force us

to evaluate our personal safety. Flying for

both male and female pilots can produce

stress, but recent scientific studies show a

response to stress in women that is specific

to females: camaraderie among women

helps negotiate perceived danger more ef-

fectively. Engaging in an activity that some-

times causes anxiety increases the bonds

between women.

Across flying communities, women are

a commodity. Events such as female fly-ins,

women’s competitions, and women’s flying

festivals are especially beneficial for female

pilots. The 2008 Women’s Hang Gliding

Festival at Lookout Mountain Flight Park

will be my first chance to experience many

women pilots together in one place. I am

looking forward to experiencing a launch, a

break down area, and a sky full of women!

This September, Lookout Mountain Flight

Park will foster this idea of women together

in flight by hosting its first annual Women’s

Hang Gliding Festival. The festival will offer

fun flying tasks off the mountain as well as

at the training hills, non-stop opportunities

for instruction on the hills or tandem, and

clinics led by world class pilots. It will be an

opportunity to network with other female

pilots and it will be a non-threatening atmo-

sphere for rusty pilots and first timers. Non

flying options great for family and friends

include organized hikes, games, crafts,

yoga classes, canoeing on local creeks and

rivers, and visiting Lookout Mountain or

Chattanooga. There will be dinner, a band,

and other festivities every evening.

Of course, female and male pilots enjoy

the social aspects of flying with both sexes.

Still many women pilots notice that they

feel ‘more comfortable, more supported,

and less competitive when other women

pilots are around.’

A study in 2001, led by Dr. Shelley E.

Taylor of UCLA, terms the female specific

response to stress, ‘tend and befriend.’

Tending refers to caring for offspring and

peers. Befriending refers to selectively af-

filiating with like individuals. The ‘tend and

befriend’ response contrasts the previ-

ously universal concept of ‘fight or flight.’

Deductive reasoning supports ‘tend and

befriend’ because pregnant and nurs-

ing females cannot run away or confront

danger lest they leave their offspring to

die. Children abandoned by fighting or

fleeing mothers would not have grown up

to reproduce. Instead of running or fight-

ing, women held tight to their children and

clustered together. Dr. Shelley and her col-

leagues contend that female hormones

evolved to encourage women to care for

community members and band together in

order to survive.

The operations manager at Lookout

Mountain Flight Park experienced empow-

erment when she actualized having a small

child and flying. After landing one afternoon

on schedule to feed her infant, she reflected,

“This is way cool that I can do both!” She

felt proud and satisfied nourishing her baby

FlyingFESTIVALCompetition | Gathering | Clinics

by Angela Galbreath


under the shade of her UltraSport.

The composition of chemicals released in

stressful situations does not vary substan-

tially between males and females. However,

the effects of the stress hormones are al-

tered by the normal array of hormones pre-

dominately present in each sex. All of our

bodies release a hormone called oxytocin

when stressed. Oxytocin calms and ren-

ders an animal more social. In several stud-

ies, women given oxytocin reported feeling

more nurturing and friendlier than women

who received a placebo. Men showed no

response. Testosterone chemically inhibits

oxytocin while its effects are enhanced by

estrogen.

In stressful situations, women affili-

ate with other women. An experiment by

Brian P. Lewis in 2000 found that prior to a

stressful experience; females choose to wait

with another female over a male. Women

are also more likely than men to rely on sup-

portive female friends during challenges.

Female participants in adventure sports

often try to approach the sport in the same

way as their male counterparts. In kaya-

king, climbing, mountain biking, and flying,

women downplay feminine tendencies.

After all, doing a sport ‘like a girl’ is usually

an insult.

Flying ‘like a girl’ has numerous positive

implications. Intuitive light touch, finesse,

attention to detail, and strong sense of self

preservation are several generalizations

made by flight instructors about women

pilots. Flying ‘like a girl’ also implies that a

pilot probably desires to experience flying

with other women every now and again be-

cause of our particular response to stress.

Interactions among the women in my

flying community are noticeably different

than those between men. Generally, women

pilots like to discuss flying and other areas

of our lives. The men talk more exclusively

about flying-specific topics. Women feel

more consistently compelled to connect on

a broader level.

One female pilot described to me an

exceptional morning of training on the hills

at Lookout Mountain. Led by a female in-

structor, she and five other female students

were together yearning to complete each of

the tasks to advance towards a mountain

launch. She felt an increased level of con-

fidence as the ladies encouraged and sup-

ported one another. That morning stands

out in her training as one of the most fun

and productive.

The conception of the Women’s Flying

Festival took place when a few women in

the Lookout Mountain flying community

started a buzz about getting a sky a full of

women together. The idea spread like crazy

until nearly every woman in the commu-

nity got on board and committed to help-

ing out with an aspect of the festival. “Our

female community has a blast when we get

together. The fun factor can only multiply

with more female pilots in one place,” they

thought.

The atmosphere will be great for all skill

levels. Fun flying tasks such as the simple

triangle task, best launch competition, ball

drop, and spot landings will help pilots hone

skills. Women pilots who have not flown in

a while can take advantage of Lookout’s ex-

tensive staff at their finger tips for tandem

and hill instruction. Bring a friend, and they

can learn how to fly for the first time. In the

evenings, we can all let loose after a good

meal. The main goal of the festival: to cel-

ebrate women flying and have a great time

together!

So, if you’re a group of aerotow pilots

who want to get their foot launch rating, or

its been a while since you’ve been in the air

and you want to get back up there, or you

just want to fly with and learn from a group

of great pilots, join us. We would love to see

you in September.

For more information on the 2008

Women’s Hang Gliding Festival at Lookout

Mountain Flight Park September 25-28, visit

www.hanglide.com, email fly@hanglide.

com, or call 1-800-688-5637.


KEEPING THE DREAM ALIVE As I sit down to

write this article in February, which happens

to be National Black History Month, I can’t

resist the urge, no matter how cliché, to

borrow Martin Luther King’s most famous

line: “I have a dream...”

While Dr. King’s dream was far more

noble than mine, I think the readership of

this particular magazine will be able to ap-

preciate my vision. First let me say I the

slim chance of realizing this dream (that’s

what makes it a dream). I have a dream

that one day the sport of hang gliding will

be recognized as the safe, accessible, and

adventurous sport it truly is, rather than

perceived as a dangerous adrenaline-rush

sport. Hang gliding instruction and equip-

ment have come such a long way that today

almost anyone can do it. Think about your

local flying community–I’ll bet there are

people you wouldn’t trust to drive your

car, but they manage to have safe flights

on a regular basis). What’s more, I dream

of hang gliding increasing in popularity so

much that it is accepted as a mainstream

sport. I’m tired of hearing people tell me,

“you’re crazy,” or, “you’d never get me to do

that!” I dream of the day when I can turn on

ESPN and watch hang gliding as part of the

“X-Games.” Hell, I want to see hang gliding

as an Olympic sport!

I know people who are still reading

this share in my dream... many would vol-

unteer their time and efforts to achieving

this dream, if only they knew how. Well, I

don’t know how to get hang gliding into

the X-Games or the Olympics, but I have a

pretty good idea how to do my part to pro-

mote the sport. Open a hang gliding school.

It probably won’t make a dent in realizing

my dream, but I can make an impact on the

hang gliding community one safe and com-

petent student at a time.

To anyone who knows me, I don’t think

my opening a school comes as any big sur-

prise. My dad’s been owner/operator of Fly

High Hang Gliding at least as long as I’ve

been alive, not to mention that my passion

and enthusiasm for the sport is hardly a well

kept secret. But the revelation that opening

a school puts me (and anyone else that’s

willing to do the grunt work to get a school

going) in a great position to promote hang

gliding, both within the flying community

and to the general public, came to me this

winter. I’ve been working as a ski instruc-

tor in Utah, and I’ve made some interesting

observations. Some of the best ski instruc-

OlympicHANGGLIDINGA Closer Look

by Ryan Voight


tors aren’t the best skiers on the mountain.

They don’t all make flawless turns and ski

with perfect technique. Sure, some do, but

some don’t even have much knowledge of

how to ski–all they know are the basic prin-

ciples and how to effectively teach them.

But what they do have is a pure, undeniable

love for skiing and the passion to share the

joy of skiing with others.

THAT is what the sport of hang gliding

needs–people who truly love the sport and

want to share it with anyone willing to give it

a try. It’s that passion that draws a student

into the sport, creating a long-term pilot.

At the time of writing this article, I’m in

the process of gearing up my hang gliding

school so it will be ready-to-go when the in-

famous Utah snow stops falling and people

start looking for warm weather activities.

One of the things I’ve done to prepare for

the school is put down some ideas for the

business’s core beliefs–a mission statement

if you will. It’s only after reviewing this list

that I realize it is nearly identical to the

things that need to be done to realize my

dream.

Promote the sport of hang gliding•

Increase knowledge-base and skill level •

of existing pilots

Provide a safe and structured learning •

environment for students

Produce safe and competent hang glider •

pilots

Offer reliable and professional expertise, •

sales and service

If this sounds like any of you, I urge you

to do the same! A few months ago my dad

wrote, and published in this magazine “you,

too, can start a hang gliding school” with

simple, step-by-step directions to making it

a reality. If you share my dream and are at all

interested in opening a hang gliding school,

you should definitely read that article.

For those of you who share my dream

but don’t have the time, resources, or inter-

est in starting a hang gliding school, I urge

you to get your instructor rating. It’s pretty

easy to do, and it makes you an “official”

certified hang gliding instructor. I can tell

you that from the perspective of someone

starting a hang gliding school, good instruc-

tors are worth more than GOLD.

I don’t think you’re a fool if you believe

in my dream. I look at hang gliding today

and see so much potential, if only we could

gradually increase its visibility. If you, like

me, are passionate about promoting our

sport, use that passion to share the sport

with others. Join me in keeping the dream

alive!

ph

oto

s b

y R

ya

n V

oig

ht


Richard “Dick” Eipper was 23 when a maga-zine he read started a series of events that would make his name a household word among hang gliding enthu-siasts worldwide.

USHPA MEMBER


That magazine was Low and Slow, published by Joe Faust, and this was its experimental issue, tar-geting people interested in hang gliding. Inside

was a picture of a homemade hang glider, designed by Richard Miller, who worked for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. After study-ing the picture, Eipper, who was then living in his hometown of Torrance, California, went home and built one.

“The day after seeing Miller s bamboo and plastic hang glider, I drove around to the stores in the area and gathered up the materials I neede,” Eipper said.

For the bamboo, Eipper went to flooring stores where it was used for shipping carpets. The plastic was ground cover from a nursery. Hose clamps and rope came from a hardware store. “I put it all together in one day, drove down to the cliffs at Torrance Beach and jumped off,” Eipper recalled.

The first day the wing broke three times in three jumps. The second day, after several experiments with the support of the wing, Eipper made 35 successful flights-and a lifelong love affair was born. “Each flight only lasted about twenty seconds, but it felt just like it did in my dreams. I couldn’t wait to go again,” Eipper said.

Richard Miller, the original designer, got the idea for the wing design while working with a team to develop space recovery equip-ment for the Apollo Astronauts. The wing design actually was developed by an-other member of the team,Francis Rogallo, who created it for re-entry speeds of up to 1500 miles per hour.

Noting that hang gliding began in the 1880’s, Eipper said, “There’s a bit of controversy about who was the first man to fly. Some say it was John J. Montgomery, while others credit Otto Lilienthal.” In any case, hang glid-ing didn’t really become popular until 1971 when National Geographic published an article on a hang

gliding meet that was attended by Eipper, Miller, and other developers of the glider, celebrating Lilienthal’s 124th birthday.

Prompted by the article in National Geographic, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics followed with stories the following year. In an interview with Popular Mechanics, the publisher of Low and Slow was asked where someone could get plans for assem-bling a hang glider. Faust replied “Richard Eipper has plans available for five dollars.”

“I had no plans drawn up, not even anything resem-bling plans, but within days I had 200 to 300 requests a day pouring into my mailbox, and each request was accompanied by a five dollar bill. I had no choice but to sit down, draw up plans, and start sending them off,” Eipper said. “I was practically forced into busi-ness. Faust later told me he knew I could do it. I just needed a little push. What a push!” The requests con-tinued at several hundred a day for seven months and then leveled off to around 50 a day.

“The next year, when Low and Slow was sold in Europe, requests picked up again, and by 1973, Eipper-Formance, a corporation I formed with three friends, grossed close to one million dollars and had 52 employees on the payroll,” Eipper said.

However, differ-ences developed and Eipper left the com-pany, giving his share to the employees. “It came down to gliders for people versus units for dollars, and that’s when it wasn’t fun any-more,” said Eipper. “It was difficult to dissolve a private corporation, so I felt that my leaving was the best solution for everyone concerned.”

In 1971, Eipper founded the Peninsula Hang Gliding Club, consisting of three members. At the second meeting the name was changed to the Southern California Hang Glider Association. In September, 1973, it was changed once again to the United States Hang Gliding Association. Eipper’s membership number was 00001. Eipper, who


[opposite, inset] Eipper at Playa del Rey, California, 1971 (brakeman's hat and barefoot). [left] Eipper loading gliders onto the truck. Photos by W.A. Allen.

had moved to the Garberville-Miranda area, had not flown in nearly 12 years and didn’t even own a glider anymore when he came across an old 17-foot Flexi-Flier. This was the original model produced by Eipper-Formance in the early 70’s. Within a month Eipper gracefully flew off an 800-foot cliff above the Benbow campgrounds.

Models of Eipper’s hang gliders are on display in Washington, D. C., at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, and at the Boeing Air Museum in Seattle. He also has been on the cover of Popular Mechanics and Low and Slow. Eipper did not advocate competition in the sport because he felt it was too dangerous. Eipper stated, “You should com-pete against yourself, not others.”

On April 27th, 1991, Eipper learned to fly a para-glider from Greg Pujol, owner of A Gift of Wings, in Sunnyvale, CA. After 12 years away from the sport he helped bring into existence, Eipper fell in love with free-flight all over again.

Richard Eipper is gone, but certainly not forgotten. He died on January 31, 1993. After he was cremat-ed, his ashes were spread by one of his hang gliding friends as he flew over Shelter Cove, CA. As soon as the hang glider pilot landed, a harrier jet came down out of the clouds and flew 200 feet off the water over the ashes.

Jennifer Drews first published this article, June 1991 | The North Coast Journal of Eureka, CA

Submitted by Robert L . Smith USHPA # 82497

“You should compete

against yourself, not others.”

[above] Richard Eipper (right) with Rob McCaffrey. [upper right] Eipper (left)

and McCaffrey [right] Eipper's USHGA membership

card - not the number!


PART 1 Most pilots gradually progress in

skills and confidence until the idea of getting

a new glider of higher performance starts

gnawing at their brain stem. Usually this itch

and urge come in the landing field after the

third sled ride in a row from a high site that

is being soared by others with hotter wings.

Whether or not this is a reasonable decision

is another matter, but when fate conspires

to ground us too many times, the typical so-

lution is buying better performance.

But the big question that should cross

every free pilot’s mind is “Can I handle the

beast, or will it handle me?” Our adolescent

ego says the former, but our button-down

superego counsels caution. In any case,

the question can’t be answered with cer-

tainty without more information. The pilot’s

experience and natural ability are part of

the equation, but so, too, is his or her un-

derstanding of the potential problems. We

can’t affect ability too much with an article,

but we can point out the hidden pitfalls

waiting to engulf the incautious. This article

is all about what can go wrong (and right)

when you begin to fly a high-performance

glider.

Before we begin to cut the meat, please

note that tens of thousands of pilots have

moved up in performance with little or no

unexpected consequences. We are not

trying to scare anyone with reasonable

skills and maturity away from hi-per glid-

ers. We are simply providing information

to eliminate rude surprises. Also, note that

initially I intended to address moving to a

topless glider from lesser-performing glid-

ers in this article. However, upon reflection,

I realized that everything below applies to

the transition from a single-surface glider

to double-surface ones (rigid wings are not

addressed here, but the general approach

in most points of discussion does apply). So

with your credit card waiting for the big hit,

here’s our little high performance primer.

TAKING THE PLUNGEEvery flight begins with hauling the glider to

a suitable site and setting it up. We’ll let the

reader deal with the extra weight and the

complexity of setup of higher performance

gliders (men: read the owner’s manual!).

Just be aware that if you are used to carry-

ing your equipment very far, you may have

to start making two trips or initiate a buddy

system. Make friends and save your back.

Now you’re on takeoff. The extra weight

of hi-per gliders can give you pause. You

may feel less confident, especially on a shal-

low slope or light wind day. The fact is, a

double-surface glider with a tight sail tends

to begin lifting its weight a bit sooner than a

single surface glider because the sail airfoil

is already formed. It doesn’t have to lift on

the frame to take shape. However, for the

first couple of steps you will be carrying

more weight. The secret to success at this

point is confidence and technique.

Confidence first: Knowing that the glider

will lift readily in a controlled manner comes

first. You do know that because you trust

those with experience who say so (I swear

to it here). And, of course, you have seen it

happen many times. You can do no better

thing for yourself before attempting to fly

a higher performance glider than watch a

few takeoffs by good pilots with good tech-

nique on gliders similar the one you will be

flying. Look at their holding technique, the

attitude they hold the glider (nose position),

and how far they run for a good takeoff. In

general, a hi-per glider needs a bit more

speed for takeoff, so the total run may re-

quire an additional step or two. You run

right into the air anyway, right?

Should you try the glider at a training

hill first? That depends on the nature of the

hill. If it is high enough to allow you to get

comfortable before landing, and has plenty

of run-out for landing, the answer is a re-

sounding “yes!” But with today’s shrinking

open spaces, training hills are sometimes

only adequate for training gliders.

If you fly a hi-per glider for the first time

from on high, be sure to totally absorb the

flying discussion below. Probably the best

thing you can do is run the new hi-per glider

on the flat (in a landing field, e.g.) with a bit

of headwind to practice technique and feel

how it lifts. Such practice builds confidence

and develops technique. Repeat the exer-

cise ten times successfully and you will be

TRAN

SITIO

NING

HIGHPERFORMANCE

by DENNISPAGEN

How to move up safely and comfortably ph

oto

by T

ho

r S

ten

sonto


smiling.

Of course, it’s all about technique. On

takeoff, besides weight, there are two big

differences between a single surface glider

and a higher performing one. The first is

the tighter sail and the typically wider span,

which means that side gusts can lift a wing

easier. Wing(wo)men and a solid holding

technique are the required factors here for

safety and comfort. For holding technique,

please refer to our article Takeoff Strategies

and Techniques—Part IV in the January

2008 issue of this magazine. The technique

described provides you with the best con-

trol throughout the launch phase of flight.

If you don’t already use this technique, I

suggest learning it on your present glider

before moving up in performance.

The second big difference is indeed a big

difference. That is attitude—we mean of the

glider, not your head. The attitude item was

demonstrated dramatically to me a couple

of years back when I began flying a tandem

glider. I was taking my girlfriend for a flight

from the shore of the Atlantic in South

Africa. A good wind blew in our faces as we

started to run down the dune. Fifteen steps

later we were airborne with lots of excess

airspeed. After landing near the rollers, I re-

flected on how fast the takeoff run had to

be. I realized my attitude (nose up or down)

had been too low. Then I realized that the

loose sail had to lift in relation to the keel

position and, thus, the perception of atti-

tude is different with a single-surface glider

as compared to a tight, double-surface

one (see figure 1). I corrected my attitude

with both my tandem glider and my Target

(Aeros single-surface), which I hadn’t flown

for a number of years, and have produced

easy-effort takeoffs ever since.

The big warning for single-surface pilots

here is that if you set the nose position of a

high performance glider similar to what you

are used to, it will probably be too high. It

should be clear to all that too high an atti-

tude on takeoff can result in getting airborne

prematurely, a stall right after takeoff, loss

of control in gusts, or all of the preceding

in any combination. Probably the best way

to learn the proper attitude with the new

glider is to have an experienced instructor

or pilot watch you on takeoff and tell you

to raise or lower the nose until it is set prop-

erly. Be aware that there is some leeway

with the position, and, as usual, it varies a

bit with the steepness of the hill, but in no

case should the keel attitude be the same

for a high performance glider as it is for the

typical single-surface glider. This factor is

very important, because a hi-per glider is

less forgiving of too high an angle of attack

than a softer, less-performing glider.

All topless gliders and many intermedi-

ate gliders are VG enhanced. There’s that

little rope you can pull to tighten the glider

and pick up a few points of glide at the ex-

pense of handling. To find out the ideal take-

off setting for intermediate gliders, consult

the owner’s manual or dealer. On all topless

gliders I have flown (essentially all on the

market), about1/4 of the total VG pull is the

recommended launch setting. The reason

for this setting is that with full-loose VG, the

glider has too much pitch-up force, and it

is difficult to keep the bar pulled in enough

right after takeoff. Too slow is too close to

the edge. With 1/4 VG on, the gliders natu-

rally seek a good takeoff trim speed, and

pitch forces are light enough to be easily

controlled.

On most gliders, pulling the VG reduces

handling. Therefore, with early flights on a

high performance glider, you should plan

to fly straight ahead to clear the hill/ridge/

mountain with good control speed before

attempting a turn (we’ll see how fast below).

After lots of turns away from the terrain, you

can gradually work closer and make turns

sooner after launch. In general, you should

never expect to be able to work as closely

and slowly with a hi-per glider as you can

with a softer glider. But, theoretically, you

should have improved performance to

better capitalize on the little lagniappes of

lift.

ph

oto

by J

eff

Sh

ap

iro


IN-FLIGHT SERVICEOne of the critical differences in the various performance classes

of gliders shows up immediately after takeoff. Probably the most

important matter of this whole discussion is that the forces and

feeling of the pitch and roll of high performance gliders are very

different from those of lower performing gliders. Low-per gliders

tend to have high pitch (front-to-back) forces and relatively light

roll (side-to-side) forces, while hi-per gliders have very light pitch

and stiffer roll control—just the opposite. The result can be confu-

sion with dangerous consequences for the early hi-per pilot.

The scenario is this: a pilot jumps on a high performance glider

for the first time and flies away. He or she may be a bit (read a lot)

tense and not thinking in the forebrain—muscle memory takes over

and seeks familiar territory. The pilot unconsciously pulls in waaay

too much to find the old familiar pitch pressure, which is waaay too

fast on this hi-per glider. The smallest roll input thus starts a turn

waaay beyond what is expected, so a correction is applied, which

starts a turn waaay too much to the other side. The process is re-

peated until a full-fledged out-of-control Dutch roll, yawing, wing-

walking scary flight ensues. Some pilots have died when they hit

the ground in the midst of severe Dutch rolling. On one occasion,

we watched a pilot demo a new hi-per glider from a 2000-foot

site. He flew away and immediately began oscillating seriously from

side-to-side. This continued to everyone’s horror until he was about

30 feet off the ground, at which point he slowed down and the

glider immediately quit oscillating. If he bought the glider, he had

more sangre froid than the rest of us watching from launch.

The above story illustrates the cure for oscillations; slow the

glider to trim speed and it will normally stop. A word of warning

here: if you are extremely pulled in on a hang glider, moving the

bar forward rapidly could zoom you upward, due to all the speed,

and end up in a high attitude stall. In addition, slowing down rapidly

while you are in a serious bank can whip the glider into a sudden

high G turn (remember, to make radical high-banked turns, we roll

steeply, then push out). So slow down with a bit of restraint (say

over a three second period) when in a serious roll/yaw oscillation.

The purpose of this discussion is not to strike fear in the hearts

of pilots eager to move up in performance, but simply to foster

awareness. Once you are aware of the potential problem, you can

easily prevent it. First, find out from your guru (instructor, mentor,

dealer, manufacturer rep) where the bar position should be for safe

straight flight at near-best glide. Think about that position. Hook in

and set that position while a friend lifts the keel until you feel little

force (you are trying to duplicate the position and the force). Now

close your eyes and imagine you are flying. Good. You’re probably

ready to take the plunge.

Once you are in flight, concentrate on the bar position. This is

frontal lobe stuff. Make sure there aren’t other distractions—pilots

whizzing around, turbulence wrenching the wings, thermals tempt-

ing you to do what you know you shouldn’t—and fly away in a

steady manner. If anything starts feeling weird, look where your bar

is, put it where it is supposed to be, and center. That’s it: be aware,

pay attention, don’t worry, be happy.

Here are a few more matters relating to general flight: As I ex-

plained above, the control bar position and control forces may be

different, but so may be the actual control coordination in turns.

For example, you may need a lot less push-out to coordinate a turn

on a hi-per glider. On the other hand, there will be more roll-force

required, and perhaps a delay, compared to what you are used to.

Have patience, and hold your control until the desired change takes

place. Pulling a bit of speed before making the roll control helps the

glider respond. We suggest flying near-best glide speed through-

out your early flights and adding a bit more before initiating turns

for more positive response. Best glide speed will be around your

clavicle or the top of your chest. For easier roll control, pilots of

topless gliders like to hang as low as they reasonably can over the

base tube (they paid attention to the physics class lecture on lever-

age). In fact, most topless pilots fly with harnesses that have the

parachute on the side so they can hang lower (we discuss hi-per

harnesses in a future article).

Once you have established the bank angle, you may need to

high-side a bit (hold yourself to the high side of the bar during a

turn) to keep the glider from over-banking. It all depends on how

the particular glider is set up. Again, awareness saves the day.

Focus on coordinating the turns, and soon the right control input

will become automatic.

There is a lot to consider when transitioning to higher perfor-

mance gliders, but the process isn’t overwhelming for most pilots.

In fact, the transition usually can be accomplished gradually, with

each successive glider selected to offer a little bit more challenge

and performance. Is it worth it? Yes, in most cases it can cure those

sled-ride-landing-field-dust-eating blues. But only if your superego

approves.

Next month we look at towing, more flying factor and landing .

XCSHOPCOMOrder online at www.xcshop.com or call +44 (0) 1273 673 000 (UK)

XCSHOPCOM

DVDs ~ BOOKs ~ GEAR ~ Everything a pilot needs

www.paramotormag.com

CHECK OUT OUR COMPLETE RANGE OF DVDS, BOOKS & GEAR ONLINE

€

34

Competition can be an evil four-letter word to many pilots who are new to the scene. Mysteries abound regarding sky-gods' abilities to deftly

weave through the pack, ultimately taking home the glory at the end of the meet. Actually, competition flying can be one of the best ways to learn more about cross-country than any clinic offered. With three seri-ous competitions this year and one of the best “learn-ing comps” in the world, the Rat Race, why not put your money where your mouth is and come fly with pilots from all over the country? We’ve asked a few of the top US pilots to reveal some nuances of happily spending a week with their friends while seeing a vari-ety of terrain from above.

HOW.DO.YOU.FLY.IN.GAGGLES?

GREG BABUSH Flying in gaggles can be fun, exciting and a communal experience. It’s important to turn and climb with others, making turns as tight as theirs while keeping your head on a constant swivel, remain-ing aware of everybody around you.

MATT BEECHINOR Smooth, smooth, smooth. Don’t do anything extreme, just go with the flow.

JOSH COHN Very carefully, in the same general direc-tion as other pilots nearby. Think of a flock of birds or school of fish.

DEAN STRATTON I think you need a mixture of offen-sive and defensive skills to fly in gaggles successfully. If everyone works together, it flows smoothly. If a few fly very nervous and tentative, it disrupts the rhythm. Best thing to do is follow the pilot in front of you and go with the flow. If other pilots are flying erratically, do your best to get around them without disturbing the flow of the gaggle too much.

WHAT.IS.THE.PROPER.WAY.TO.ENTER.A.GAGGLE?

GREG BABUSH There are numerous ways not to enter a thermal—such as cutting somebody off or flying right at another pilot— but any way you can join in a thermal with other pilots that doesn’t put you or them at risk should get the job done. Once you are in the thermal, be sure to turn in a similar radius as those around you.

MATT BEECHINOR Find your entry point and get in there; disrupt as few pilots as possible. Sometimes being too courteous is as bad as cutting someone off. Get in where you fit in, and do it with confidence as if you belong there.

JOSH COHN On a tangent to the circle, in the es-

May 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero35

by ROBSPORRER

FirstGAGGLEGAGGLE

Ja

ckso

n, W

Y |

ph

oto

by N

ick G

ree

ce

36

tablished turn-direction, and turning wide to avoid anyone established in the thermal.

DEAN STRATTON Never enter a gaggle at a hard angle; it’s extremely disruptive to the gaggle. Always enter at a slight angle to the flow of traffic and wait for an opening. If you respect the flow of the gaggle, the other pilots will let you in quickly.

WHEN.DO.YOU.LAUNCH?

GREG BABUSH As early as possible. It’s both strategic and more relaxing.

MATT BEECHINOR As soon as possible!

JOSH COHN Early—about an hour before the start, depending on how much time you need to get in posi-tion and how risky it is that you might get stuck in a slow launch queue.

DEAN STRATTON Generally, I launch when I know I have twice the time I need to get in position for a good start.

HOW.AGGRESSIVE.SHOULD.MY.TURNS.BE?

GREG BABUSH Don’t be aggressive, but sync up with the other pilots, turning in a similar radius so the group climbs together. This benefits everyone.

MATT BEECHINOR The goal is to thermal as efficiently as possible without screwing up the other pilots in the gaggle. On high pressure days with small cores, feel free to crank and bank, as long as you are playing well with others.

JOSH COHN Gently, grasshopper. On the other hand, if people keep coming up behind you, it probably means you should turn a bit tighter.

DEAN STRATTON If all the other pilots are turning wide, so should you. The same applies if all the other pilots are turning tight. Try to avoid the temptation to turn inside the gaggle; it can be very dangerous to you and the other pilots.

HOW.DO.I.COMMUNICATE.IN.A.GAGGLE?

GREG BABUSH We generally fly where we are looking, so I pay attention to the direction other pilots are look-ing as well as to their head position. If somebody’s not aware, my saying “hola!” alerts them to my presence.

MATT BEECHINOR Head movement and eye contact. It’s a constant game of letting other pilots know that you

37

see them by looking directly at them.

JOSH COHN Eye contact, leaning shoulders, slowly pulling brakes. Occasionally a shout of “on your left” is warranted.

DEAN STRATTON Generally, the thing to do is make obvious body movements so other pilots can easily see your intended path. Sometimes you’ll need to yell to get the attention of pilots who are obviously not paying attention, but this should be a last resort.

WHO.DO.YOU.LIKE.TO.FLY.COMPS.WITH?.WHY?

GREG BABUSH Jeff Wishnie, because if he’s not doing something silly on course, he’ll have a fun story to tell later on.

MATT BEECHINOR Nate Scales. He is a ripping pilot and has the best attitude; it doesn’t matter if he won the task or sunk out before the start, he always has a huge grin on his face. He’s just as excited for your success as he is his own.

JOSH COHN Almost all the experienced US pilots, and most foreign ones as well, are great. You have to be a bit more careful around less-experienced pilots and expect them to do unusual things sometimes.

DEAN STRATTON Brad Gunnuscio, simply because we have a very similar flying style which requires very little effort when flying as a team.

HOW.DO.YOU.PLAN.FOR.THE.START?

GREG BABUSH I try to conserve energy and become familiar with the day’s conditions. It’s important to continually monitor the atmospheric conditions and fly accordingly.

MATT BEECHINOR Relax; have fun. Cruise around and try to figure out what the day is doing. It is stressful to fly in the big-start gaggle; only battle to get higher than everyone else 15 minutes before the start.

JOSH COHN Oliver Roessel pointed out the tactic of staying out of big gaggles before the start and going to the top of gaggles, rising from below.

DEAN STRATTON Launch early enough to get in good position and map the thermals that are closest to the start cylinder.

WHAT.IF.I.FEEL.UNCOMFORTABLE.IN.A.THERMAL?

GREG BABUSH Leave the thermal and find a more re-

Valle de bravo, Mexico | photo by Josh Cohn


laxing place to fly.

MATT BEECHINOR Go to your happy place, keep a posi-tive attitude, and eliminate negative thoughts about the day. The next thermal will be better.

JOSH COHN Find another one.

DEAN STRATTON If it’s the only thermal around – I tough it out. If there are other thermal choices read-ily within reach, I sometimes make a move to those instead.

WHAT.ADVICE.HAS.STUCK.WITH.YOU?

GREG BABUSH Read the conditions of the day and fly accordingly. If the lift is strong, don’t turn in the weak stuff, find that strong core; if it’s a weak day, don’t fly too fast and risk landing early.

MATT BEECHINOR No pilot ever has acquired hot chicks, money or fame as a result of competition flying; the only reason to do it is to have fun and learn from the best.

JOSH COHN “Put yourself not in stress.” Olly Roessel.

DEAN STRATTON Simply put—NEVER GIVE UP!

WHAT.ADVICE.WOULD.YOU.GIVE.A.NEW.COMP.PILOT?

GREG BABUSH Don’t fly to compete. Fly to have fun.

MATT BEECHINOR Launch early. Learn your instru-ments before the contest—not on launch. Have fresh batteries. Hydrate. Memorize the turnpoints/ visu-alize the course. Wear a condom catheter/ pee tube (don’t urinate on other pilots). Don’t stress—have fun. Never give up!

JOSH COHN Work your way into it gradually through XC leagues, etc., and fly a glider that both you and your friends find comfortable to fly.

DEAN STRATTON First concentrate on making goal as often as possible; then, the speed at which you make goal will follow naturally.

ANY.OTHER.OPINIONS.OR.TIPS.ABOUT.GAGGLES?

GREG BABUSH Don’t get Mook’d.

MATT BEECHINOR If you are a proficient XC pilot, the gaggle is there to provide you with more information. Fly your own course and use the gaggle when you need it to get through tough sections, but don’t let them

drag you into decisions that you don’t agree with.

JOSH COHN There is no need to fight for every bit of height until the last ten minutes before the start. Even then, if you have a bad start, it often doesn’t matter that much. The gaggles tend to thin out after the start.

DEAN STRATTON One thing I notice frequently is pilots not committing when entering gaggles: this is the worst thing you can do. Pilots already in the gaggle are usually timing your path to intersect the gaggle and making adjustments to allow you entry. If you don’t commit, but fly erratically instead, it throws off the other pilots that were making efforts to let you in and disrupts the flow of the entire gaggle. The best thing a pilot can do when entering a gaggle is to commit to a path and stay with it. If you do this, everything will flow smoothly and efficiently.

GREG BABUSHavoids the high cost of rent in the SF Bay Area by living in a garden shed . This allows him to travel as much as possible to explore new flying sites and cultures around the world, and compete in international XC paragliding competitions . There’s been recent sightings of Greg flying with his racing pod removed from his harness, exploring the dynamics of acro on his Airwave Burn instead of pushing as much bar

as possible on his UP Targa 3 .

MATT BEECHINORis the number one ranked US Pilot and flies a Niviuk IcepeakXP . He is sponsored by Eagle Paragliding, Flytec, and his Mom and Dad . Matt recently returned from Valle De Bravo, Mexico where he helped the US team clench gold in the Pre-worlds, and became the first pilot to ever

consume 47 street tacos in one sitting .

JOSH COHNhas been jumping off cliffs since 1989 . He has won the US national title and finished in 8th in the last World Championships . He is well known for taking bold lines with great results, and shots of tequila . He flies an UP Edge,

in rough conditions, while taking pictures .

DEAN STRATTONlives in Southern California and has been flying for five years . He's the 2007 Rat Race Champion, 2007 US National Champion and The California State PG distance record holder . Currently he is ranked number two in the

US .


The first thing you need is a thermal.

Increase your chances of finding one by

launching into a good cycle, joining gliders

that are already climbing, or gliding over

terrain that looks as if it would drip water if

you turned it upside down. While you’re in

search mode, try to relax and feel the air for

changes in pressure through your brakes

and harness; then adjust your glide towards

increases in pressure. The more relaxed you

are, the more you will notice the pressure

changes, and the better you’ll become at

finding thermals.

Knowing when to turn when you first en-

counter lift can be tricky. Generally, when you

are low, the thermals are smaller and moving

faster, so you will need to respond quickly if

you want to stick with them. When you are

higher, the thermals will be larger, so you can

take more time to feel out the lift before react-

ing. I think we all tend to turn too early, when

the best part of the thermal (the core) is still to

come. Try to think of it as a game of chicken;

don’t turn until you think you’re about to fall

out the other side. Even then, you will often be

too early with that first turn. Once you find a

thermal, take your time to explore its size and

strength while remaining in part of the lift. Do

not waste time circling in the weak junk around

the edges of a good core. The first pilot to find

the core is the pilot who climbs out the fastest.

Find the core; do this by exploring the lift.

Now that you’ve explored the thermal and

found the core, you have to stay in it. This takes

a continuous adjustment in order to keep your

glider in the best part of the lift. Small cores

will feel like a punchy beach ball rolling around

on the bottom surface of your glider. I like to

call this the “live” part of the thermal. Try to

keep the live part in the middle of your glider,

and don’t let it roll off the edges. Start with a

steeper turn to make sure you have a good

hold on the core. Relax the turn later, as much

as you can, while remaining in the core. Bigger

(flatter) turns increase your efficiency in a

climb because your sink rate is less. It’s also

less work, and less work is a good thing when

it’s a big day. If you can make your vario sound

the same for a complete 360, you are doing it

right. Constant diligence in keeping your turn-

radius in the best part of the thermal is the key

to success.

If cloud base doesn’t get in the way, take

the time to find the top of the lift and note

how the thermal changes in size and intensity

throughout its life as you gain altitude. At the

top, the thermal breaks up into a collection of

small and mildly turbulent chunks of weak lift.

Do a search around the break-up area and see

if there is still a strong piece left, and then top

that out as well. Every day is different, but the

thermals on a given day can be very similar.

Try to get a feel for the pace and rhythm of

a day early, so when it comes to thermalling,

your choices and timing will be more in tune.

When thermalling with other pilots, climb-

ing efficiency should increase, but we all know

that’s not necessarily true. Pilots will often stop

coring a thermal and start avoiding each other

while flying in circles. There is no doubt that it’s

harder to stay focused on the core and adjust-

ing your circles while flying in a group versus

by yourself, but that is what you have to do in

order to belong there. We all climb faster when

everyone in the thermal is contributing to the

overall efficiency by showing everyone else

where the best lift is (or isn’t). The group then

makes coordinated adjustments to maximize

the climb. Avoiding each other also becomes

almost automatic when everyone is making

the same size circle, in the same direction, over

the same place, which happens to be the loca-

tion of the core. I know it sounds strange, but

it’s true. Be sure to turn with certainty and pur-

pose, and others will follow your lead. Make a

game out of every thermal by doing your best

never to let anyone out-climb you. Do this by

making every circle count.

YA.GOTTA.TURN.IN.THE.LIFT..BILL.BELCOURT

Ja

ckso

n, W

Y |

ph

oto

by N

ick G

ree

ce

June 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero41T

he R

ed

bu

ll S

pe

ed

Ru

n in

Kit

zb

üh

ely

| p

ho

to b

y F

elix W

ölk


Experience, it is said, is a hard teacher because she gives the test first and the lesson afterwards. Despite that

prospect, it was in the quest of furthering our experience that a small group of us set out to sample one of the premier flying sites on the continent. We were going to Mexico! Valle de Bravo is a small village that sits in the high Sierras ap-proximately 100 miles south-west of Mexico City.

Although our cadre is from all over the eastern and south-ern United States, Lookout Mountain in northern Georgia is our home field for flying pur-poses. Dan Zink, Lookout’s affable lead flight instructor, organized and led our group. Accompanying Dan was Matt Taber, the owner and operator of Lookout Mountain Flight Park, who decided to take time off for a flying vacation as well. Other than Dan Davis, an ad-vanced pilot and judge from Tupelo, and Don Murdoch, a long time flier out of Birmingham, the rest of our group were intermediate pilots looking to expand horizons and hone skills at a new venue. This trip represented a fairly large

step outside the box for us but one we were anxiously anticipating.

We were met at the Mexico City Airport by a rep from Fly Mexico, our host for the week. Fly Mexico is operated by Jeff Hunt, whose enterprise was created in hopes of at-tracting grounded winter fliers to warmer climes with superb soaring opportunities,

and attract, it does. Dialed into the needs of the group, Fly Mexico handled all of the logistical difficulties associated with a trip of this complexity with ease and elan. Outside of our personal equipment,

the gliders, shuttles, accommodations and on-site info, much more help was supplied. This is a class act.

After gathering our stuff at the airport, we were off on a three hour ride to a new adventure. The road trip alone out from the congested sprawl of Mexico City into the country was worth the price of admission.

Leaving the fifth largest city in the world and heading into the hills, we were treated not only to a kaleidoscope of culture but also to wonderful overlooks as we wended our way deeper into the mountains.

My first impression of Valle (pronounced va-yea) de Bravo was that this place could be a set for a Hollywood movie. It was quintessential Mexico with all the colors, cobble stone streets, charm and lakeside tranquility one might hope to find. The village was small but bustling, modest but well maintained. It boasts of an alpine setting capa-

ble of stirring the heart and inspiring poets. Valle is a getaway for the well heeled from Mexico City as well as the destination for the Monarch butterflies who make their yearly winter migration from Canada. In

ourmetalsaSG by DENNYPISTOLL

MEXICO


addition to the stunning physical beauty, the people—warm, friendly, and welcom-ing—provide the real charm. Visiting here is a boost in a post 9/11 world.

Once in town, we had numerous op-tions available for living accommodations. Most of our group elected to stay in a com-fortable club house with a full kitchen, fire place and maid service. This also became our central meeting place. The four cou-ples among us were billeted in more pri-vate, hacienda-like quarters that were clean, plainly appointed and very comfortable. All were equally convenient and close to everything; it’s that kind of a town. The three non-flying companions in our group found plenty to do and interesting places to visit. They were by no means constrained to marking time out on launch or waiting down in the LZ.

Iliana, Jeff’s vivacious and lovely Mexican born wife, held conversational Spanish lessons every morning for those who were interested. The classes were rele-vant to our activities, participative and fun. Food was on our own, but that was easy as there were a plethora of eateries within easy walking distance, and the offerings were outstanding—everything from little walk-up joints to upscale, full service restaurants, elegantly appointed. By virtue of its south-ern latitude and high elevation, Valle de Bravo has a year-round springtime climate. Picture a typical afternoon in San Diego or summer’s day on Lake Tahoe and then look up the Spanish word for IDEAL!

Valle de Bravo sits on the crest of the Sierra Madre Del Sur, a spine of mountains that runs from the US border to Guatemala. The main launch is a flat slope that is broad enough to accommodate four paragliders

abreast. It sits at 7,546’ MSL with approxi-mately 2,000 vertical feet to the primary landing zone. There were numerous other LZs available as well and getting there required only a minimum of 1300’ over launch, prior to proceeding cross-country. There was a concern that the density alti-tude would weigh-in as a factor for both launch and landing. True enough, it was a factor but hardly a major one. Airspeeds were slightly higher but only negligibly so and after every one’s first flight, all were well acclimated to the differences.

Our primary landing zone was called The Piano. It was so named because it is said that even if you flew like a piano, you could make the LZ. The Piano is consid-erably smaller than what most of us were accustomed to at Lookout Mountain. In addition, it was bordered by a nasty canyon that dropped off at the approach end and corn fields that extended beyond the upwind boundary. On approach, you definitely didn’t want to run out of energy and land short (YIKES!!!) and, as a result, a few occasionally over compensated, over-shot, and alighted into the surrounding cornfields which were quite safe and very user friendly. An exacerbating factor was that the LZ slanted slightly downhill at the midpoint, so if you didn’t touch down by mid-field, it became easier to overshoot. As no opportunity to bust on a fellow pilot (in good spirit, of course) is ever overlooked, we created a special award to commemorate this miscalculation; it was called the John Deere award. Until the next guy landed in the corn, the most recently anointed was dubbed, El Senor Corn Holieo.

The flying conditions were consistently ideal with soaring opportunities unlike

anything we’ve ever experienced. Soaring thermals, I’ve concluded, is three parts sci-ence, two parts art and one part luck. Even though luck may be a part of the equation, the immutable reality was that that the best and brightest among us consistently did better than the newer, less experienced. Obviously, there is a lot to learn.

Matt Taber held an impromptu ther-malling tutorial topical to the Valle de Bravo conditions which was extremely helpful to all of us. In addition, it was in-structive to hear how the advanced pilots in our group managed their flights. A big help with multiple flights was the trans-portation set up by Fly Mexico. Shuttles back to launch were always at hand or, if it was your last flight of the day, a cold beer awaited. What a way to end the day.

An added and unexpected plus to the whole scene was the gang of kids who hung

[opposite] Zack Castille heading for cloud base | photo by Colin Hodsdon. [opposite, inset] Lakefront at Valle de Bravo. [below] Dan Zink landing at “The Piano”| photos by Zack Castille. [bottom left] Left to Right: Matt Taber, Dan Davis, Don Murdoch, Denny Pistoll, Mack O’Rear, Scott Adams, Alfredo, Zack Castille, Stacy Murdoch, Colin Hodsdon, Dan Zink | photo Nydia Pistoll. [bottom right] Roger Tubbs relaxing in the LZ with his crew of helpers | photo by Colin Hodsdon.


out in the landing zone. After landing and being besieged by the pack, you would pick two, and for 20 pesos, they would proceed to break down and pack our gliders. In the meanwhile we’d visit, shoot the bull, and otherwise revel in the details of our flight. These, indeed, were luxurious conditions.

In preparation for the up-coming pre-world’s competition to be held at Valle, there were a large number of paraglid-

ers from all over the world, but there was very little conflict between the two com-munities. They typically launched earlier in milder conditions and were off on their cross country tasks by the time we were gearing-up and ready to go. The notable exception to this otherwise harmonious relationship were a few individuals who, after landing, would ignore universal LZ protocols and leave their equipment strewn in the middle of the field while others were making their approach.

In all, there were 15 in our cohort which made for an interesting and eclectic group. The experience levels ranged from H-2 to Advanced Instructor with an age span from 27 to 66. Mack O’Rear, an at-torney from Chattanooga, enjoyed his first soaring flight on his 60th birthday… how cool is that! It was a really fun and very

companionable group. We all carried radios, and though they

were primarily used for retrieval purposes, we were in radio contact with Jeff who would observe our flights and provide help-ful tips if he felt we needed it. He is a total pro, a great guy and was a huge help.

So how did the trip measure up? First off, an experiential gain was well realized by all and everyone agreed that we expanded our

horizons both figuratively and literally. The flying could only be described as super and overall conditions, optimal. As Jeff Hunt put it, “we fly every stinking day.” The quotable quote of the trip, however, must be attributed to Dan Davis, who summed up the conditions when he radioed in to say, “even the sink was going up!”

Though experience may indeed be a tough teacher, the flying was conducted safely and well within the capabilities of our group. All of us scored a personal best in one category or another whether it was altitude gain, distance, duration or just pegging-out the internal fun meter. Metrics aside, one theme common to every one of our flights was that they were spec-tacular in every meaning of the word. The mountains, valleys, climate, smooth air and the wonderful camaraderie made our trip to Valle de Bravo a flier’s dream. It was a zesty, south of the border feast – it was gourmet salsa of the first order, and a trip we will long remember and hope to repeat soon again.

Denny has been flying for three years and holds a Hang 3 rating . He and his wife, Nydia, live in Stroudsburg,

Pennsylvania .

[above] Denny Pistoll off launch. | photo by Zack Castille. [right] Colin Hodsdon

conferring the “John Deer” award to Jack Mitch | photo by Roger Tubbs.


When most people think of a holi-day in Greece, they think of the islands. But I’d been there and

done that. I wanted to get a taste of the real Greece, so I started researching main-land Greece. The Peloponnese, a large pen-insula in southern Greece that covers about 8,300 square miles, is known as “the heart and soul of Greece.” The Peloponnese is rich in history and natural beauty. It has a mountainous interior, an enchanting coastline and charming villages. With dry, warm summers, mild sea breezes, good food, a fascinating culture, friendly people and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation—including paragliding—the Peloponnese has everything I look for in a vacation destination.

Last year, the Peloponnese suffered

devastating wildfires that will impact the region for many years, but that didn’t deter me. I Googled “paragliding and Peloponnese” and found Flying Paradise at the top of the list. Because paradise is in the eye of the beholder, I was a bit skeptical about Flying Paradise. I started an email correspondence with Christophe Dubois, the owner of Flying Paradise, and I was so impressed with how responsive and helpful he was that I bought two tickets to para-dise.

Base camp for Flying Paradise is Epidavros, a small village on the Aegean Sea, about eighty miles southwest of Athens. There are literally hundreds of archeologi-cal sites in the area. But Epidavros is most famous for the fascinating Asclepios ar-cheological site, a renowned healing center

built in the 4th century B.C. The ancient amphitheater at Asclepios seats 14,000, and the view, aesthetics, and acoustics of the theater are remarkable. From the top row of the theatre, you can actually hear the unamplified sound of a match being struck at center stage. What a thrill it is to get a birds-eye view of the site as you fly over it, under a paraglider!

Flying Paradise operates out of the Hotel Apollon, a relatively small hotel on a quiet beach with views of the mountains and the sea. The hotel is modern, clean and comfortable. The restaurant serves great food and the bar is open for drinks and coffee at all hours of the day or night. The staff is especially friendly and accom-modating to pilots, who made up most of their guests when I was there.

by KIMGALVIN photos by CHRISTOPHEDUBOIS

Paradise

GREECE


There are eight paragliding sites exclu-sively for guests of Flying Paradise within a twenty-to-forty minute drive from the hotel. The launches are rocky but well groomed. I love the fact that you can land almost anywhere due to a good system of roads that are maintained for farmers who use them to herd their goats and tend their olive trees. On a typical day, Christophe meets the pilots at the hotel after break-fast, usually between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. Already having checked the wind conditions, he’ll direct the pilots to one of his “minibuses” and drive them to one of the nearby launches. With eight sites to choose from, the chances of flying are pretty good.

You can easily reach cloud base (6,000-8,000’ ASL) and fly as far 60 miles. But the conditions are not so strong that you’ll feel uncomfortable in the air. The skill level of the visiting pilots ranged from newly rated pilots to competition pilots, and I can honestly say that everyone got what he/she came for. Flying Paradise provides a supportive environment where pilots of all skill levels can challenge themselves and improve. Novice pilots can have as many sled rides as they please, with a driver avail-able to drive them back to launch. More experienced pilots can head out on one of the well-established XC routes, with a driver also on-call for retrieves.

My favorite flights were from a launch called “Ted’s Café.” Although there’s a bail-out LZ in a clearing among some olive

trees, about 2,000’ below launch, it’s not difficult to get high enough to fly around the hill with enough altitude to make it to the soccer field, a popular alternate land-ing site. From here, you can fly on to the famous amphitheater, and, if you still have some altitude, either try for an out and return flight or head over the pass to the hotel. This is where I usually lost it, but next year my goal is to make it all the way to the hotel.

Midday, you can either fly back to the hotel(about fifteen miles) and land on the beach, or return in the minibus for a tasty Greek salad and some freshly-squeezed orange juice from one of the nearby orange groves. After lunch, you can hang out at the hotel and enjoy the beach, go into town for some shopping, or head back up for an

afternoon flight or two. The last flight of the day is typically from Tin Tin, where you can land on the hotel’s beach and have a beer, swim, and shower before dinner.

Nightlife in and around Epidavros is relatively quiet. I like to start each eve-ning with “happy hour” at the Apollon’s open-air bar overlooking the beach. My drink of choice is Ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur that is widely consumed in Greece. You can either dine at the hotel or at one of several very good restaurants in Epidavros, approximately six miles from the hotel. My favorite restaurant, Kalojericho (“Monk’s House”), is just around the corner from the hotel. Like many restaurants in the area, it offers open-air dining in a garden-like setting. The cuisine goes beyond the typical kabobs and moussaka found on most Greek menus. They offer subtlely-seasoned meats and fish, savory stews, and garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. The Peloponnese has one of the most historic wine-growing regions in Greece, and these wines are an excellent complement to the cuisine. A perfect day in paradise usually ends back at the hotel in the bar with more drinks or coffee.

Flying Paradise is an ideal place to bring your non-flying friends and family. Use of the facility’s ten mountain bikes, sea kayaks, snorkel equipment/wet suits (all in good condition), sightseeing trips and tandem flights for non-pilots, as well as transportation to and from the village every evening, and occasional sightseeing


trips are all included in the fee. Who needs Club Med? My only regret is that I didn’t make some time to kayak along the coast, do a little snorkeling, or take a bike ride along the back roads. Maybe next time…

What’s missing? There are no worries about rides to the sites, no worries about retrieves, no rainy days, no parawaiting and no paradriving. The weather was fly-able every day when I was there and, if you choose not to fly, there are lots of other fun things to do and interesting places to visit within an easy drive of the hotel.

Flying Paradise is open for business when the conditions for paragliding are at their best in Greece—from March 15 through July 5 and from August 25 through November 5th. You really can’t go wrong if you plan a trip during this time,

although May and September are usually the best months for flying. As you might expect, it’s cooler in April. In May, the sea starts warming up, the days are longer and the thermals are stronger. Although the water stays warm through October, the days start getting shorter.

Flying Paradise lived up to its name—I had some of the best flights in years on this trip; the entire adventure was great fun! I intend to return to Flying Paradise later this year. Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information.

Flying Paradise charges a daily fee that is very reasonable for what you get. The fee includes your hotel room with a full breakfast, airport transfers, transportation to and from the flying sites, XC retriev-als, site intros and thermal, SIV and cross

country guidance. Your fee is based upon your experience level (beginner, interme-diate, advanced or non-pilot). The more times you visit, the less you pay. Payment must be made in cash, but there are ATMs in nearby Epidavros.

Contact Christophe Dubois for more information at

[email protected]

Kim lives in the San Francisco Bay Area . She started paragliding in 1995 and launched Zephyr Paragliding in

2000 .


May 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero48

LABOR DAY

Lessons

From the "What-not-to-do-guy", M

itch McAleer


..Labor.Day.weekend.2007,.San.

Bernardino,.California.

On the way home from Burning Man 2007, my gaze turned upward to

incredible skies filled with high cloud base, and I longed to be there. As I continued on Highway 395 along the eastern Sierra, I saw epic development well north of Bishop; down the grade at Tom’s Place, there were cloud streets the length of the Whites and Inyos. And the Sierras had happy clouds way over the top of the ridge. It looked as if the base was up over 18,000 feet. No party is worth missing days like that, so I made the decision to stay home and fly over Labor Day weekend.

Because of prior obligations, flying around home seemed the best option. On Sunday I rode up to Crestline launch around 11 a.m. and immediately hucked off in my Airwave FR2. Since it was already gusting to over 15 mph at launch, I had to push on the bar to get forward from takeoff. As I moved off to the Billboard, the resident thermal boosted me up over nine grand. I was surprised that there were only two other hang gliders on launch during a big holi-day weekend. Perhaps it was because on Saturday a 30 mph gust-front rolled through the LZ over Big Bear, 20 miles to the south?

No matter. I made a photo pass, by launch, in heavy sink, followed by a turn-out to Marshall’s. It seemed for a while that I might not make it—after a 9000-foot loss in less than one mile. But as soon as I was within 100 yards of being directly over upper-Marshall’s launch, the

“rocket-ship-to-the-moon-ther-mal” appeared, and off to ten grand I went! Tooling around a couple miles north at ten grand over Pine Flats, I noticed a bit of dust kicking up over Norton AFB, about five miles upwind, which

seemed to indicate it might be a good time to get down—before a calamity occurred. However, lift was so strong everywhere, includ-ing over the LZ, that there was no getting down. As the wall of dirt approached, it seemed that “bad” things were bound to happen if I stayed. As I fled north, while re-citing Homer Simpson’s “DOH” exclamation, lift was everywhere and strong. I had no difficulty keeping the glider open; I was busy, but it sure felt good to be back up two miles high in less

than 20 minutes! As I was soaring, I remembered a cool and unusual

flight from the Crestline area across the Cajon Pass that was in this locale. In 20+ years of flying around Southern California, I had never done the crossing in a HG or PG. A big, deep, narrow pass of about 13 miles that always has howling wind caused by a strong venturi effect occurs regularly; only a few hang gliders have done it over the years. I found it was no problem on that day because the gust-front rolling down from Big Bear Mountain almost made the crossing manda-tory.

Flying up over the 11000 foot Cucamonga Peak was spectacular! However, as I approached the mountain, the happy cloud over the crest of the ridge turned dark in about 30 minutes. I encountered fear and mayhem from all sides as the gust-front followed me ten miles across San Bernardino, almost in line with the base of the mountain. The cloud over Cuc Peak looked as

evil as the one over Big Bear. I decided to stay out in front, far away from the cloud and as far west from the rising dust as pos-sible. That strategy seemed to work, and I got to cloudbase at around 13000 feet where I enjoyed a rare view: the San Gabriel Mountains, downtown LA (lost in the haze to the west), my hometown of Elsinore to the

“Lift was so strong everywhere, includ-

ing over the LZ, that there was no

getting down.”

LABOR DAY


southwest, and the San Jacinto Mountains and Palm Springs to the south. The gust-front came as far west as the 15 / 210 Freeway Junction, about ten miles from the LZ and 20 miles from Big Bear Peak.

The cloud that produced the dropout started to dissipate after 2:30 p.m. I had been in the air more than three hours—funny how time flies. The dust began to dissipate in the leading edge of the gust-front, so I headed back and found that it wasn’t dif-ficult to get most of the way to Andy Jackson Airpark. Two miles out, I hit some heavy sink and east wind, and landed in 10–15 mph southeast winds short of the LZ by about 1/4 mile. Marcello Barros picked me up; I showed him some of the pictures shot from the flight, had a beer and unwound.

In retrospect, I think it was a great weekend. Maybe next year, I’ll fly a hang glider. About a week before, I had read articles in Cross Country about Ewa and the Korean pilot in Australia get-ting sucked up over 20 grand. Their experiences didn’t come to mind until a few days later while I was looking at my pictures. Another recent article told of an eastern European pilot getting sucked up over 20 grand and surviving, in shorts! What occurred to me was that these pilots who flew into the edge, or under the bottom of clouds that developed into giant cumulonimbus were experienced, so I assume their flights were intentional. Even if I had the fastest paraglider on the market, it never would occur to me to fly toward the edge of clouds that were clearly becoming extremely overdeveloped, not only because of the strong and pos-sibly inescapable lift, but also the gust-fronts that are common with clouds of this size.

In 1991, when I was driving back from a 100 mile task, a gust-front blew across the road, the only cloud in sight was over the horizon, and only the top of the anvil was visible far to the east across the flat terrain. I was humbled to think that the gust-front with 20–30 mph winds could have that kind of reach. I hope this story will remind the appropriate pilots that hang gliders and paragliders are still light wind aircraft.

Mitch McAleer launching from Woodrat

on his trusty Airwave Magic FR2


TODD'S SAGA According to my wife, I am a hang glide-aholic. For many years, I was also a hang gliding evangelist, spread-ing my love for personal flight to all who would listen. My college friend Todd was one of those people.

Todd seemed to have all the attributes required to excel at hang gliding. He was smart, athletic, and had the fire to learn. He was an expert motocross rider, and it was perhaps that sense of balance and coordination that made him the quick-est hang gliding study that I’ve ever seen. He was one of those rare students who just seemed to “get it.” He not only understood the concepts, his brain also commanded his muscles appropriately, and his initial flight attempts resulted in smooth launches and landings. His learning curve was so steep that he only spent a couple of days on his trainer glider before purchasing an advanced Pliable Moose Elite like mine.

Todd knew I was planning a Thanksgiving trip to Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, and set out to convince me that he should be allowed to join the group. Since we only had a month for him to gain experience, we flew as much as our college schedules and Mother Nature allowed. Within two weeks, Todd was making beautifully linked figure-eight turns, ridge soaring his Elite over the Kansas Flint Hills. I figured he was ready for bigger and better flying.

The Lookout officials, however, were wary of an unrated Kansas pilot vouching for the experience of another, especially one with only a few weeks of experience. But I eventually convinced them to issue

Todd a helmet sticker that allowed for su-pervised flight in light winds.

We assembled our respective gliders, and Todd called me over when he was ready to move to the launch ramp. The conditions were absolutely perfect—smooth winds, blowing straight in at his ten mph limit. This was to be not only his first high flight, but also his first cliff launch. I reviewed the assisted cliff launch procedures with him and re-emphasized the flight plan. I knew Todd would be tempted to try to soar, but for his maiden flight he was to fly straight out, working only on proper airspeed control and proper entry into the land-ing pattern.

I escorted Todd to the launch ramp, explained his flight plan to the direc-tor, and hastily returned to my glider to queue up behind him. Todd picked up his glider, worked with his wiremen for a few moments to balance the glider in the breeze, yelled “CLEAR” and launched. To my dismay, he did a snappy left turn and disappeared from sight. I unhooked and ran to join the launch director at the cliff’s edge. Todd was nowhere to be seen. The good news was that he hadn’t crashed into the trees just south of launch, but the bad news was that any credibility we had, had just evaporated. I mumbled an apology and returned to my glider. As I was preparing to launch, Todd’s Elite reappeared in view, well-out over the valley floor, making a beeline for the LZ. He was much lower than he should have been but was able to squeak over the trees and make a safe landing.

I was annoyed. I figured he had tried

to soar, but by the time he realized his at-tempt wasn’t working, he was much fur-ther from the LZ than he had planned. The truth was much worse. In those days, the center of the crossbar stayed fixed to the keel; the glider was assembled for flight by inserting a bolt through the side-wire tang at each crossbar and leading-edge junction. Todd unknow-ingly trapped the right-side deflexor wire inside the crossbar, prior to inserting the bolt, and continued with the assembly, significantly over-tightening the sail on that side. Todd didn’t realize his mistake until he looked at his wireman as he was about to launch.

But, incredibly to me, Todd decided to avoid admitting his error in public, opting instead to fly a misassembled glider! The result was that his Elite had a wicked left turn in normal flight but would drop the right wing at stall. He narrowly avoided crashing on launch and spent the entire flight fighting to main-

HangInTHERETechnique | Safety | Training | Flights

by Mark “Forger” Stucky

[above] Steve Smith soars his Pliable Moose. Assembling a hang glider used to require

fastening and attaching multiple bolts, cables, and deflexors, greatly increasing the chances

of an assembly error.


tain control. He risked his life to avoid what only should have been a minor em-barrassment and delay.

A month later Todd and I decided to spend the week after Christmas camp-ing at Lake Wilson, intent on forgetting about our engineering studies by flying as much as possible. Todd was complain-ing that his glider still had a turn in it and swore at me when I questioned if it had been correctly assembled. Being the nice guy I am, I let him fly my glider while I flight-tested his. The glider did have a slight turn, so after I landed at the base of the hill, I spent a few minutes adjusting the deflexor wires. The winds were picking up, and as I carried the as-sembled glider up the 150-ft hill, I ob-served that Todd was soaring my glider back and forth in the ridge lift.

Eager to join him in the soarable air, I hurriedly pushed on to the top. As I crested the hill moments later, I was shocked to see my glider lying inverted on top of the ridge. Todd was splayed out—motionless—atop the sail, his face a deep shade of blue.

He was suspended in his harness in a head-low position with his neck cocked at an extreme angle. I feared the worst, having previously witnessed a broken neck. I knew I had to unhook him, straighten him up and perform CPR

without causing more damage to his spinal cord. As critical seconds ticked by, I struggled with repeated attempts to hoist his adult-sized body and unhook him from the glider, hoping that I wasn’t causing irreparable harm. With one last Herculean effort, I finally succeeded.

I only had to straighten out his neck and clear his airway before he began breathing on his own. His color returned to normal, but he remained unresponsive,

with fixed, unseeing pupils. It was just he and I—no cell phones, no radios, no way to summon help and no car nearby.

I hooked into his glider and flew down as fast as I could. Luckily, I only had to drive a few miles before I spied a man taking photos of the lake. I explained the situation, gave him exact directions and asked him to call for help. I had to get back to Todd ASAP in case he stopped breathing again.

The flying site had a grass landing strip on the flat plateau behind launch, so I took that route to save critical time. As I was speeding through the tall prairie grass past the end of the runway with the glider in my sights, I discovered a hidden ditch the hard way—my car took a sudden nosedive into it at sixty mph. The car rebounded out the other side, mortal-ly wounded. The harsh metallic clanging I heard—fan blades taking chunks out of the radiator—stopped as the engine seized. I was able to coast to a stop next to Todd, hopeful that help was on the way because now we were stranded.

Thankfully, Todd was still breathing.

“It was just he and I–no cell phones, no

radios, no way to summon help...”


Eventually, an ambulance arrived and we were both transported to a hospital thirty minutes away. Todd suffered a severe concussion as well as a couple of cracked cervical vertebrae and remained comatose. Todd’s father and older broth-er joined me by Todd’s side as we waited for him to recover consciousness. On the third day, Todd magically awoke, and, although he had no recollection of the accident, he appeared relatively normal. As we talked, however, it was apparent that more than his short-term memory had been affected.

Todd’s father is a mild-mannered ac-countant who failed to see the signifi-cance of hang gliding in Todd’s life, and, I’m sure, would have rather seen less sig-nificance in my role in his son’s life. The following exchange didn’t help matters.

Todd: “Dad, who’s your ruler?”Dad (uncomfortably): “Uh, I’m not

sure what you mean, Todd.‘Who is your ruler’?”

Todd (pointing directly at me): “Mark is!”

A very uncomfortable silence ensues…

Thankfully, Todd improved enough to return home for the remainder of the holiday break, but mentally he was not the same person he had been before the accident. For some reason his father thought that my being around might

somehow aid with his recovery. A couple of weeks after the accident, we decided it might help jog Todd’s memory if I took him out to a local disco to see some of his old high school friends. Todd was in mid-conversation when he looked at me strangely. It was as if someone had flipped a magic switch and proclaimed him healed. Although he had no recollection of any event from just before his accident until that very moment, his mental state

was back to normal. Regretfully, I simul-taneously lost my “ruler” status.

Back at college, the weeks clicked by and Todd’s neck healed fully. I was making plans to spend spring break hang gliding at Buffalo Mountain, Oklahoma, and once again, Todd wanted to go. A group of us went out to a local hill and Todd picked up just where he had left off. There was no reason to tell him no.

Buffalo Mt. is a 1200-ft tall, shallow-sloped ridge. The launch was a narrow slot carved out of the forest at the top of a 30-ft cliff. A short steep ramp only allowed for a few running steps prior to taking flight. I would rather launch from a gradual slope or a thousand-foot cliff because if something goes wrong on a short cliff, you can find yourself with in-sufficient height to recover but sufficient height for a serious injury.

The winds were cross for our first flights. Todd had a nice launch but drift-ed dangerously close to the trees. After all of us landed, we discussed our flights in the LZ. Someone asked Todd how close he had come to the trees immedi-

P E R F O R M A N C E P A R A G L I D E R S

Try the Mentor and make your opinion! Nova only replaces a glider by a new one, if the new one is clearly improved compared to its prede-cessor. This time the level is pretty high due to the Mamboo.

MENTOR – THE NEXT STEP

3-year warranty on materials and crafts-manship included.

Including a 1-year full warranty.

Please note: International warranty differs from regulations in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

DISTRIBUTION USA

SUPER FLY INC, | 8683 Sandy Parkway · Sandy, UT 84070 , USATel. 801.255.9595 · Fax 801.256.9898

NOVA HEADQUARTERS

NOVA INTERNATIONAL | Bernhard-Höfel-Str. 14 · A-6020 Innsbruck, AustriaTel. ++43 (0) 512 - 36 13 40 · [email protected]

Is progress still possible?Is progress still possible?Is progress still possible?Is progress still possible?

PH

otos

: Till

Got

tbra

th

Nova team pilot Ingo Kallmayer during test � ights in autumn over the achensee (Tyrol).

“There was nothing for us to yell; the

gilder stalled and his fate was sealed.”


Mosquito Power Harness

Two New Options Available• Internal Fuel Tank• High Performance

Exhaust with Silencer

Dealers across America & Canada

www.mosquitoamerica.comTraverse City Hang Gliders/Paragliders

Bill Fifer • Traverse City, MI231-922-2844 phone/fax • [email protected]

New tank pictured above

Pilot: Paul Farina Photo: Greg Dewenter

ately after launch. “What trees?” he asked. The next morning the wind was blowing lightly downhill.

We hoped for a few rounds of flights that day and were happy to have an early sled run. Todd was ready first. I stressed that the secret to a successful downwind launch was to “start at the top of the ramp, keep the nose low, run like hell, and let the glider dive for flying speed.”

Todd charged down the ramp with great speed but to every-one’s dismay, pushed-out hard on the control bar. There was nothing for us to yell; the glider stalled and his fate was sealed. We held our breath as the glider pitched nose down, diving into the rocks below. Once again, Todd lay motionless and I sprang into action, leading the way down the cliff. I lead faster than I intended, slipping about halfway down, then falling the rest of the way, and breaking my ankle.

Todd was dazed and in a great deal of pain. His prone har-ness had a long gash that penetrated all of the layers, but, aside from some minor facial cuts, he appeared relatively unscathed. We both managed to climb back up the cliff with assistance from our friends. We had a full car, so we drove down the dirt road to town with Todd sitting upright and groaning as we went over each of the many bumps.

At the hospital, we learned that Todd had a broken back and internal injuries that exceeded the capability of this Native American clinic. The doctor asked that someone to call his home. Todd decided it was time to let me in on a little secret—his father had ordered him to give up the sport and had no idea his son was even on a hang gliding trip! I refused to make that phone call.

Todd eventually healed, but he knew that as long as his father was supporting him, he could never hang glide again. However, shortly after the school year ended, Todd decided he just had to have a little taste of flight, so he took his training glider to


a nearby dike. The winds were calm and Todd sprinted as fast as he could down the short slope. While running at full speed, the control bar touched the ground and dug in. Todd held on too long and his forearm snapped in two.

He knew what he had to do. With his one good arm, he gingerly broke down his glider, loaded it on his truck, and re-turned it to its rightful spot in the garage. He then got on his motorcycle and went for a short ride. When the time was right, he took a deep breath, pulled his front brake-handgrip fully, yanked the handlebar to the side and jumped. It’s been thirty years since this occurred, and Todd’s father still thinks his son, the expert motocross rider, broke his arm that day on his mo-torcycle.

There is more to garner from this story than just the realiza-tion that some folks may not have the situational awareness to be a safe pilot. Going flying with only two people can make it impossible to simultaneously conduct essential first-aid and go for help. This is especially critical in locations without a means to communicate with emergency services. If someone is injured and you decide to drive him to a hospital, lay him in a prone position, if possible. We were lucky we didn’t compound Todd’s injuries. Lastly, when I watch a pilot approaching launch, I now do my best to scan his entire glider to check that he has hooked in correctly and has properly assembled his glider.

I love hang gliding and paragliding but rarely encourage anyone to take up either sport. I figure if someone wants to fly badly enough, they will figure out how to go about it. And if it doesn’t work out for them, I’ll be spared the pangs of guilt that occasionally surface when I think of Todd and the others that I may have wrongfully influenced over the years.

Fly safe.

[above] The author waits with his Elite for the down-slope winds to abate atop Buffalo Mt.

57

GALLERY | FELIX WÖLK

[left] Over Hallstätter See in Austria. To realize this wingwalk, we needed smooth evening air. I slowed down the speed of my hang glider in order to softly climb up to paraglider pilot Ralf Reiter s feet. We touched for a couple of seconds before my glider stalled. As I started the dive, I hoped the keel camera would not touch Ralf s legs. [below] Michael Gebert goes cross-country in northern Brazil. With the sun high above you and big flatlands below, it’s hard to keep a steady course without a GPS. Only the shadows of clouds indicate the wind direction; you feel compelled to go with them to chase your personal records.

[from

top

left,

cloc

kwise

] Mich

ael G

eber

t on

a dist

ance

flig

ht in

Qui

xada

, Bra

zil. B

ush

fires

caus

e dus

ty a

ir on

the w

ay

wes

t. St

rong

tail-

win

ds ta

ke yo

u hu

ndre

ds o

f kilo

met

ers.

We m

ade t

hree

hun

dred

on

this

day.

Soar

ing

the s

kysc

rape

rs.

This

artifi

cial s

oarin

g rid

ge e

xpan

ds it

self

to fi

ve ki

lom

eter

s on

the c

oast

line.

Som

etim

es th

is m

agic

up-d

raft

even

last

s un

til d

ark w

hen

you

are a

ble t

o fly

hig

h ab

ove a

Sout

h Am

erica

n cit

y with

brig

ht lig

hts a

nd m

usic

belo

w. E

vent

ually

, yo

u la

nd at

the b

each

, con

cludi

ng a

grea

t day

with

hal

f-a-li

ter C

aipi

rinha

in yo

ur h

and.

Land

scap

e in

north

ern

Bras

il on

a one

-way

cros

s-co

untry

flig

ht.

June 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero

[opp

osite

] Tak

ing

off f

rom

the e

dge i

n th

e Dol

omite

s, Ita

ly. Th

e las

t mom

ent o

f sile

nce a

nd a

mom

ent

of p

ure f

reed

om: w

hen

you’

re th

inkin

g of

not

hing

, just

follo

win

g yo

ur in

stin

cts t

o su

rvive

. The

n th

e ac

cele

ratio

n of

gra

vity

take

s con

trol o

f you

. Whi

le p

ullin

g th

e bar

to th

e kne

es, h

eavy

win

d hi

ts yo

ur

ears

in a

big

noise

. You

’re te

nse,

wai

ting

for t

he g

lider

’s pi

tch to

bite

. The

se se

cond

s see

m to

exp

and

to

hour

s. Fin

ally

you

feel

the g

-force

s on

your

bod

y. Th

e hor

izon

appe

ars b

efor

e you

r eye

s, an

d ad

rena

line

pum

ps th

roug

h yo

ur ve

ins.

phot

o as

sista

nce A

ndy B

löch

l [th

is pa

ge] I

ll nev

er fo

rget

the m

omen

ts

befo

re I p

ulle

d of

f the

firs

t dam

dive

in th

e wor

ld in

my h

ang

glid

er. O

n th

e eve

ning

of m

y 28t

h bi

rthda

y, I m

ade t

he d

ive a

s a p

rese

nt to

mys

elf.

Whe

n I c

limbe

d up

our

mob

ile ra

mp

(two

woo

den

plan

ks o

n to

p of

a be

er cr

ate)

, and

bal

ance

d on

the r

ailin

g, I c

ould

see t

he la

st d

aylig

ht d

isapp

ear b

ehin

d a c

loud

. As

a hug

e sha

dow

race

d ac

ross

the d

am, t

here

was

no

time t

o w

aste

. I pu

shed

the s

hutte

r rel

ease

, lock

ed

it, a

nd b

egan

to sh

oot 3

6 Pi

ctur

es in

seve

n se

cond

s fro

m th

e pilo

t’s p

ersp

ectiv

e. Th

en I l

et th

e glid

er g

o be

fore

the fi

lm w

as th

roug

h. W

hen

I thi

nk o

f tha

t mom

ent,

I can

still

hear

the c

amer

as sh

ootin

g an

d on

e of t

he p

lank

s fal

ling

dow

n. W

aitin

g fo

r the

righ

t lig

ht w

as cr

itica

l to

ensu

re th

at w

e had

the m

ost

dram

atic

light

situ

atio

n fo

r thi

s stu

nt—

the d

am in

two

colo

rs w

ith a

shar

p sh

adow

of t

he w

ing

upon

it.

[abo

ve] C

anar

y Isla

nds [

right

] Ita

jai is

a so

arin

g sp

ot in

sout

hern

Bra

zil. T

he ci

ty’s

harb

or lie

s clo

se to

the fl

yabl

e coa

stal

ridge

site

. Whe

n a s

hip

com

es in

or l

eave

s, it’

s pos

sible

to fl

y abo

ve

it in

low

alti

tude

and

com

e bac

k to

get a

lift f

rom

the r

idge

. Whe

n fe

rries

are

leav

ing,

you

can

wav

e to

the p

asse

nger

s. [o

ppos

ite] M

omen

ts af

ter l

aunc

h in

the D

olom

ites (

see p

revi

ous p

age)

.

June 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero

65

[opposite] Michael Gebert over the landscape of Northern Brazil. [left] Wingover. Alps, Italy.

Felix Wölk has been flying hang gliders since 1993, and para-

gliders since 1992. He was a member of the hang gliding German national team for cross country, speed gliding and aerobatics. Wölk also jumps out of airplanes and teaches speed flying in the Alps. He is currently work-ing on a free-flight comedy film with his friend and fellow instructor, Michael Gebert. Felix Wölk uses Gradient paragliders and Supair harnesses. When he's not teaching hang glid-ing or paragliding he can be found playing guitar in a rock band in Munich. Go to www.felixwoelk.com for more information.


Calendar items will not be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, contact name and phone number). Items should be received no later than six weeks prior to the event. We request two months lead time for regional and national meets. For more complete information on the events listed, see our Calendar of Events at: www.USHPA.Aero

SANCTIONED COMPETITION

HG JUne 1-7 Ridgely, Maryland. 2008 East Coast Hang Gliding Championships. Registration opens March 1, $225 before April 15, $275 after for Class 1 & 5. $175 before April 15, $225 after for Sport Class. More information: aerosports.net.

PG JUne 8-14 Woodrat Mt., Ruch, Oregon. West Coast Paragliding Champion-ships. Registration opens February 15, $325 until April 15, $395 after. More informa-tion: mphsports.com.

HG PG JUne 29-JUly 4 Chelan, Washington. Chelan XC Classic, cross-coun-try flying for hang gliders and paragliders. Score is best 4 out of 6 days. Registration $80 until April 30, $100 after, or come for part of the week and pay $25/day. Includes T-shirt and barbecue. Best 4 out of 6 days. More information: cloudbase.org.

PG JUly 6-12 Woodrat Mt., Ruch, Oregon. Paragliding Rat Race. Registration opens February 15, $395 before April 15, $450 after. Introduction to competition with education and training in GPS use and competition strategies, mentoring pro-gram, evening classroom discussions, much more. Additional information: mph-sports.com.

PG JUly 28-AUgUSt 2 Chelan, Washington. Chelan Paragliding XC Open. Registration opens March 15, $285 by June 26, $325 after. More information: che-lanXCopen.com.

HG AUgUSt 2-9 Big Spring, Texas. Big Spring International. Registration opens April 15th. Entry fee is $325, late fees TBD. More information: www.flytec.com.

HG AUgUSt 17-23 Lakeview, Oregon. Hang-on Hang Gliding Nationals. Regis-tration opens March 15, $295 postmarked by May 15, $350 postmarked May 16-July 31, $425 after. More information: mphsports.com.

PG SePtember 14-20 Bishop, California. Owens Valley US Paragliding Na-tionals. Registration opens April 1. Contact: Kevin and Kristen Biernaki. More infor-mation: www.2008USParaglidingNationals.com.

COMPETITION

PG JUne 21-22, JUly 19-20, AUgUSt 9-10, SePtember 6-7, october 4-6 Dunlap, Potato Hill and Owens Valley, California. 2008 Northern California XC League. $10/task for pre-registered pilots. Prizes awarded on Saturday nights. For more information email Jug at [email protected], or go to www.santacruzpara-gliding.com.

PG mAy 31- JUne 1 Rifle, Colorado. SOUTH WEST CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE at the Rone cliffs. Adventure Paragliding will once again host the SWXC League meet. This league meet is a low-key fun event for everyone with tasks ranging from 20-40 km. It will be a two-day event this year, entry fees are $30 plus local club fees.Entry fees include transport, camping at LZ, beverages and instructional seminars. The fly-ing at the Rhone Cliffs can be epic and we encourage everyone to come and join us for a fun event. For more info www.adventureparagliding.com.

HG PG JUne 5tH-8tH Vail, Colorado. Teva Mountain Games Paragliding Com-petition. Fun Competition, Cross Country Race to Goal. This will be a Showcase event in an effort to make it a regular part of the Teva Mountain Games. Hopefully sanc-tioned next year. The dates are June 5th-8th. There will be give-aways, drink specials, parties galore, and mingling with other extreme athletic enthusiasts. Prizes will be medals for the two divisions-open and serial class. Sign up will begin on the website March 1st, tevamountaingames.com. More information: call Greg Kelley at 970-376-0495, or write to [email protected].

HG JUly 14-19 King Mt., Idaho. 2008 King Mountain Hang Gliding Champion-ships, in Idaho’s Lost River Range, near Arco and Moore. Open, recreation, and team classes, driver awards, raffle, trophies and more! Collectors-edition shirts designed by Dan Gravage! Free camping, BBQ’s, prizes, and tons o’ fun...PLUS some of the best XC flying the sport has to offer! For more information and registration forms, go to www.flykingmountain.com or contact Lisa Tate, (208) 376-7914, [email protected].

HG PG JUly 27- AUgUSt 2 Boone, North Carolina. 3rd Annual Tater Hill Open. XC and Race for paragliders and low performance hang gliders w/ concentration on new XC pilots. Registration opens April 1, $175 until August 1. Per day rate for week-end only. More info: www.flytaterhill.com or contact Bubba Goodman at 828-773-9433.

HG SePtember 28 - october 4 Dunlap, Tennessee. The 2008 Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge. Pilot check-in and registration starts Saturday Sep-tember 27. Competition strategies with a focus on mentoring, and fun. More informa-tion: treetoppers.net.

HG PG october 31- november 2 Puebla, Mexico. Vuela Puebla 2008, Paragliding and Hang Gliding Open Championship. FAI/CIVL Category 2 Events. Competitions will occur at same time at two different launches. Great flying, and cool colonial city. 75$ entry fee. More information: www.vuelapuebla.com.

FLy-INS

PG JUne 20-29 Girdwood, Alaska. Join the Arctic Air Walkers for the 6th Annual 10 Days of Solstice Fly-In. Open to all P-2 pilots with 75 + flights. The main fly-ing site at Alyeska Resort has Tram access to launch 2,000 feet above a large easy to reach LZ. The 270 degree main launch has spectacular views of Turnagain Arm and Glacier Valley. With 20+ hours of daylight you can soar with the eagles at midnight! Weather permitting there will be a helicopter accessed flight from a glacier in Glacier Valley at 6000 feet. elevation for a scenic 6 mile flight back to Girdwood. Depending on conditions other sites including Eagle River and Hatcher Pass will be flown. Chris Santacroce will hold a 3-day Maneuvers Clinic at Horseshoe Lake after the fly-in. Go to: http://www.peaktopeakparagliding.com/articles/midnight-sun.pdf for an article on a previous fly-in. For Anchorage area flying sites: http://www.midnightsunpara-gliding.com/sites/index.html For more information about the fly-in e-mail Arctic Air Walkers at: [email protected]

PG JUne 21-22 Jackson, WY. Aerofest 2008. Come and fly from the Bridger Gondola at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, 3,000 ft. agl. Fun events including a hike and fly, balloon drop, spot landing contest, thermal clinic, aerobatic demonstra-tions and BBQ. Discount on lift tickets and lodging. Presented by Jackson Hole Para-gliding and the Jackson Hole Free Flight Club. More information: www.jhparagliding.com. Friends and family welcome as there are many activities in and around Teton Village besides the great flying!

PG JUne 21-29 Girdwood, Alaska. Come fly under the Midnight Sun! Peak to Peak Paragliding Kay Taushcher will lead a trip (experienced P-2s and up) for some amazing flying during the Arctic Airwalkers’ annual fly-in. For details see www.peak-topeakparagliding.com or contact Kay at (303) 817-0803 or [email protected].

CALENDAR


HG JUly 3-6 Lakeview, Oregon. Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free Flight. Hang glider and paraglider pilots will compete for cash prizes and a chance to catch the thermals that rise over the high desert. This year’s festival includes a flour bomb drop, as well as a pig roast for pilots and their families. Cash prizes for the hang glider trophy dash from Sugar Hill to Lakeview, and spot landing for both hang gliders and paragliders. Paraglider pilots compete to accumulate the most air miles during the contest. More information at www.lakecountychamber.org.

PG JUly 25-27 Millerton, New York. Summer Fly-In and Superfly Demo Days at Brace Mountain, New York with Chris Santacroce and Let's Go Paragliding, LLC. Come and enjoy fun competitions, prizes, BBQ and test fly latest harnesses and glid-ers from Gin, Advance and Nova. Directions to Brace Mountain: www.thebraceclub.com. For more information contact: [email protected].

PG JUly 26 Tiger Mtn., Seattle, Washington. Come enjoy flying, competing (spot landing, duration, fastest hike and fly, etc.), BBQ and music at the North West's premiere flying site sponsored by the North West Paraglidng Club. USHPA mem-bership and P2 level required for registration. $50 gets you Fly-In T-Shirt, unlimited shuttle rides all day, BBQ lunch tickets for you and your guest and door prize ticket for a chance to win a bundle of great prizes. More information www.nwparagliding.com/flyin or contact Amy Leonard Heim (253-350-2284), [email protected].

HG SePtember 25-28 Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lookout Mountain. 2008 Women’s Hang Gliding Festival. Join us for a celebration of women in hang gliding. Beautiful mountain and aerotow flying, clinics, discounted training, fun flying tasks, raffle prizes, food, parties and camaraderie. Lots of non-flying activities for family members. Registration is Thursday afternoon. All female and male hang glider pilots welcome. More information: www.hanglide.com. Contact: Jen Richards, 706-398-3541 or [email protected].

CLINICS, MEETINGS, TOURS

mAy 28-JUne 2 California. Over the water maneuvers clinics in southern Cali-fornia with Eagle Paragliding. Top all around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnus-cio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. More information: www.paragliding.com.

mAy 30-JUne 1 Jackson, Wyoming. Tandem clinic. Presented by Scott Harris at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. (307) 690-8726, www.jhparagliding.com.

JUne 5-8 Utah. Cross-country competition clinic; a friendly introduction to cross-country flying with instruction from US and North American XC record setter, and 2005 US XC Competition Champion Bill Belcourt, and Ken Hudonjorgensen. All aspects of XC & Competitions will be covered. Utah XC sites. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

JUne 6-8 Jackson. Wyoming. Instructor clinic. Contact Scott Harris, (307) 690-8726, www.jhparagliding.com.

JUne 20-22 Salt Lake City, Utah. Hang gliding aerobatics clinic! Mitch McAleer joins Wings Over Wasatch hang gliding to teach the in's and out's of aerobatics in a hang glider!!! More information at www.wingsoverwasatch.com, or call Ryan Voight at (801) 599-2555.

JUne 21-22 Utah. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer new sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

JUne 27-JUly2 California. Over the water maneuvers clinics in southern Cali-fornia with Eagle Paragliding. Top all around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnus-cio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. More information: www.paragliding.com.

JUly 18-19 Utah. Central Utah Mountain flying and site pioneering with Stacy Whitmore and Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

AUgUSt 9-21 French and Swiss Alps. Join Rob Sporrer, Jamie Messenger, Bob Drury, Nick Greece, and our local guide and weather guru for amazing flying during what is typically the most consistent part of the Alpine summer. This annual tour to the Haute Alps, will be based in Grand Bornand, at our own flying lodge, we will work on cross-country flying strategies and tactics in the finest terrain imaginable. Every night eat five star meals after our debriefs. Plan on flying at least six different sites ranging from Grand Bornand to Interlaken depending on the weather. More informa-tion: http://eagleparagliding.com/?q=node/27#30.

AUgUSt 28-30 Utah. Central Utah Thermal Clinic with Stacy Whitmore, Ken Hudonjorgensen & Bill Belcourt. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

SePtember 6-8 Utah. Thermal Clinic at Utah flying sites with Ken Hudonjor-gensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

SePtember 13-16 Ridge Soaring Clinic, near Grand Junction, Colorado. Ot-to's Ridge is an undiscovered ridge-soaring paradise. We soar above our tents in the morning, midday we tow up in building thermals, and in the evenings we enjoy glass-off flights. P-2 pilots will learn to ridge soar and tow up into thermals. Details at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/lessons/ridge _ soaring _ clinic.php.

SePtember 23-28 Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and ad-vanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. More in-formation: www.paragliding.com.

SePtember 27-28 Utah. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer new sites with Ken Hudonjorgensen. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.

october 3-5 Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing recertification. More informa-tion: www.paragliding.com.

november 1-5 And 5-9 Phoenix, Arizona. Come to warm Phoenix for some last flights before winter. Parasoft offers pilots rated P-2 and higher a chance to im-prove your skills in warm thermals. Fly into Sky Harbor on these dates and we will take you flying nearby. We have hotel, transport and guiding all arranged. Details at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/travel/phoenix.php.

november 5-30 Iquique, Chile. Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand to fly the never ending thermals where the Atacama Desert meets the Pacific Ocean! As Co-Chilean Open Distance record holder (193 km) and Iquique Open Competition Champions, Luis and Todd have over 11 years of combined guiding experience in Iquique. Multiple tours for all levels and USHPA certified instructional courses avail-able. Fly every day or get money back! Don’t believe us…. check out our program for more details! www.paraglidechile.blogspot.com www.atlantaparagliding.com.

nov 8-15 &/or nov 15-22 Iquique, Chile. Flying sites w/Ken Hudonjorgens-en , Bill Belcourt and local guides. A great trip to what many pilots consider to be the best place to fly in the world. Phone (801) 572-3414, or email [email protected]. More information: www.twocanfly.com.


2008King.MountainHang.GlidingChampionships

Moore,.Idaho

July.14.to.July.19

Entry.fee.$60

More info: Lisa Tate

(208).376-7914

Info and registration forms at

www.flykingmountain.com


for Airfoil BasetubesWHEELS

Raven Hang Gliding LLC(262) 473-8800

www.hanggliding.com

Raven Hang Gliding LLC(262) 473-8800

www.hanggliding.com

MARKETPLACE


BOOKS | FILMS | APPAREL

FLEECE JACKET | $35.00 - 45.00

DENIM BRUISER | $30.00

FLYING OVER EVEREST DVD | $41.95

ADULTS & KIDS TEES | $8.00 - $18.00 2008 CALENDAR | NOW ONLY $6.00!

THERMAL FLYING | $52.95

FLEECE VEST | $35.00UNDERSTANDING THE SKY | $24.95

APRES-VOL CLUB POLO | $30.00WEATHER TO FLY DVD | $39.95

So you just made 10K and

sent it over the back. No

retreive? Why let that stop

you? Be prepared for a

chilly hike out. Signal for

help with the big USHPA

logo. In Zero Viz Black.

Big air taking you for a

rodeo ride? Oh, forget the

silly cowboy/pilot metaphor

- you know what this is,

because your dad wears

one. Keep it real. In High

Pressure Blue denim.

Check out the review of Flying

Over Everest in this month's

magazine. The title says it

all. If flying over Everest isn't

good enough we recommend

a few hours in the barometric

chamber and a chill pill.

We know you have many choices in tee shirts, and we appreciate you choosing us. The inspirational mes-sage on the sleeve reads "Looks good, you go first." Adults in Stratus. Kids in Sky & Fog. All sizes listed online.

Hang Gliding or Paragliding. Pick up one of these full size wall calendars and enjoy stunning photography year round (and a fully functioning Gregorian calendar too!)

Thermal Flying is a comprehensive guide to the art of thermaling and XC flying. This 260 page book is illustrated with clear diagrams and photos to help pilots make sense of the concepts, techniques and meteorology knowledge you need to make the most of each flying day. Not bad, eh?

Your mama told you to in-

sulate your core. But if you

want the top of the stack

to know you're IN the core,

send them an odiferous

message by setting your

pits free. In Zero Viz Black.

If you own one weather

book, this is the one you

want. Dennis Pagen's

famous tome will arm you

with knowlege and cool

sketches of invisible stuff.

Now you can wear the

same polo shirt

we wear to

the country

club. Where we

work our second

jobs. In Dusk & Dune.

Join Dixon White for an

enlightening discussion

of how the weather affects

free flight. Don't believe

thermals are like bubbles?

You will. Don't understand

lapse rates? You will.

PLAY GRAVITY DVD | $41.95

SWEATSHIRT WOOBIE | $20.00

Speedflying, paragliding, BASE

jumping. A plethora of multi-sport

action packs this slickly produced

DVD with more great moments

than a Mariah Carey holiday spe-

cial. Buy "Play Gravity" and hide

your copy of "Glitter" inside.

Sucked up into a cloud? Nuts.

After you've landed and

emptied the hail out of

your pod, snuggle up in

a 100% cotton sweatshirt

blanket, complete with the

USHPA logo in Zero Viz Black.

Call your order in to 1.800.616.6888

Or enjoy reduced shipping charges when you order online at

www.USHPA.AERO/STORE

1/2 PRICE

Airtime of San FranciscoAtlanta paragliding

Cloud 9 Soaring CenterCritter Mountainwear

Cross Country MagazineFlytec USA

Foundation for Free FlightFingerlakes Aerosport park

Gin Gliders USAHall Wind Meter

NorthwingNova

O'Connor Flight SchoolOzone paragliders

Sky Wings MagazineSoaring Society of America

Sol paraglidersSport Aviation publications

Thermal Tracker paraglidingTraverse City HG & pGTorry pines Gliderport

USHpA bank of America Credit CardWills Wing

United States parachuting Assoc.

Adventure productionsFlytec USA

Kitty Hawk KitesLookout Mountain

MoyesMpH Sportsparasupply

Raven Hang Gliding LLC

1317231433801814 11171953542215066810545579552

6969696969696969

BROKEN TOE ACRO DVD | $44.95

HG & PG MAGAZINE ARCHIVES ON DVD | $30.00

RED BULL X-ALPS 2005 DVD | $41.95

2008 CALENDAR | NOW ONLY $6.00!

RED BULL X-ALPS 2007 DVD | $45.95

FLYING WITH EAGLES DVD | $45.95

Join Enleau O'Connor and

friends as they examine the

ins and outs of SIV and acro.

Get out your airsick bag and

call the attendant because

you're in for a ride. A full 2

hours and 20 minutes!

33 great years of free flight

fun are packed into these

digital archives. Watch

technique and technology

evolve. Learn how sites

have opened and closed.

Get to know the old school.

The race designed to kick

your butt and take no

prisoners. The 2007 edi-

tion, last year's race, is also

available below. Grab a bag

of chips and watch people

hurt. It's fun!

Americans Nate Scales and

Honza Rejmanek tested

themselves at last year's

edition of the Alpine torture

device known as X-Alps.

Epic flights. Monster hikes.

Determination. Inspiration.

You've considered taking

your pet monkey flying so

someone can panhandle

while you steer. But mon-

keys aren't nearly as cool as

eagles, so drop the banana

and buy this DVD.

Oregon Record | Pre-Worlds | Giving Back | Bhutan

MARKETPLACE

ADVERTISERSPUBLICATIONS

A RISK MGMT MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95AND THE WORLD COULD FLY . . . . . . . . . . . .$32.95AVIATION WEATHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95BIRDFLIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19.95CONDOR TRAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95CLOUDSUCK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.95FLY THE WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.95FUNDAMENTALS/INSTRUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . $12.95HANG GLIDING TRAIN. MANUAL . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95INSTR. MANUAL (HG or PG) . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15.00THE ART OF PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34.95TOWING ALOFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95PG-PILOTS TRAIN. MANUAL & DVD . . . . . . . . . .$39.95PERFORMANCE FLYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95POWERED PARAGLIDING BIBLE . . . . . . . . . . .$39.95SECRETS OF CHAMPIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95THERMAL FLYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$52.95UNDERSTANDING THE SKY . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95

FLIGHT LOG BOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.95

DVD'S

BORN TO FLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34.95BROKEN TOE ACRO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$44.95DARE DEVIL FLYERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95FLYING WITH EAGLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45.95FLYING OVER EVEREST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95FRESH AIR RIDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$22.95GROUND HANDLING & THE ART OF KITING . . . . . .$36.95HANG GLIDING EXTREME . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34.95INSTABILITY II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95LIFTING AIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39.95NEVER ENDING THERMAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95PARAHAWKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35.95PARAGLIDING:LEARN TO FLY . . . . . . . . . . . .$44.95PARAGLIDING: GROUND HANDLING TECHNIQUES . . .$35.95PARAGLIDER TOWING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95PARTY/CLOUDBASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95PERFORMANCE FLYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$42.95PLAY GRAVITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95RED BULL X-ALPS 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $41.95RED BULL X-ALPS 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$45.95PURA VIDA FLYING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95RISK & REWARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95THE PERFECT MTN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36.95SPEED TO FLY/SECURITY IN FLIGHT . . . . . . . . . .$48.95SPEED GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95STARTING PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95STARTING HANG GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95STARTING POWER PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . .$36.95TO FLY: HANG GLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00TO FLY: PARAGLIDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.00WEATHER TO FLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$39.95

ACCESSORIES

AEROBATICS POSTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1.00IPPI CARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10.00LICENSE PLATE FRAME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $6.50MUGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.95RATING CERTIFICATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10.00WINDSOCK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$42.00ZING WING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.50

bE suRE to ChECk out ouR EntIRE sElECtIon at thE onlInE stoRE!

0807


CLASSIFIEDSCLASSIFIED ADVERTISING RATES - The rate for classified advertising is $10.00 for 25 words and $1.00 per word after 25. MINIMUM AD CHARGE $10.00. AD DEADLINES: All ad copy, instructions, changes, ad-ditions & cancellations must be received in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. September 15th is the deadline for the November issue. ALL CLASSI-FIEDS ARE PREPAID. If paying by check, please in-clude the following with your payment: name, address, phone, category, how many months you want the ad to run and the classified ad. Please make checks pay-able to USHPA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. If paying with credit card, you may email the previous information and classified to [email protected]. For security reasons, please call your Visa/MC or Amex info to the office. No refunds will be given on ads cancelled that are scheduled to run multiple months. (719) 632-8300. Fax (719) 632-6417

HANG GLIDING ADVISORY: 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.

PARAGLIDING ADVISORY: Used paragliders should always be thoroughly inspected before flying for the first time. Annual inspections on paragliders should include sailcloth strength tests. Simply performing a porosity check isn’t sufficient. Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sailcloth.

If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding business-es will be happy to give an objective opinion on the con-dition of equipment you bring them to inspect. bUy-erS SHoUld Select eQUIPment tHAt IS APProPrIAte For tHeIr SKIll level or rAtIng. new PIlotS SHoUld SeeK Pro-FeSSIonAl InStrUctIon From A USHPA certIFIed InStrUctor.

FLEX WINGS

EVEN-UP TRADES - Looking to move up from your beginner or novice glider, but can’t put up cash? (262)-473-8800, [email protected], www.hangg-liding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

FALCONS CLEARANCE SALE - School use, one season. Falcon 1s and 2s. All sizes $1,250-$2,500. (262)-473-8800, [email protected], www.hangg-liding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

PULSE II-11 METER, SP Bar, Pneu. tires, PDA20 chute w/ Paraswivel, Cacoon, V-bridal, 4020 Vario, Helmet w/ radio. All excellent. No BS. $1800/ 321-604-9991.

WW SPORT AT 167 nice, Sport Euro 167 bad sail, har-ness parachute etc…Make offer. Florida. More informa-tion: [email protected] , (352) 481-3322.

PARACHUTES

INSPECTED RESERVES - For HG or PG $199+up. Used Quantum, all sizes $475+up. Some trades ac-cepted. (262)-473-8800, [email protected], www.hanggliding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

BUSINESS & EMPLOyMENT

BRIAN WEBB, experienced Australian tandem paraglid-ing pilot looking for tandem work during August / Sep-tember 2008. Email [email protected].

NORTH WING DESIGN - is accepting applications for metal shop/wing and trike airframe mechanic. Also ac-cepting applications for sail maker and sewing machine operator. Send App. To: 3904 airport way, E. Wenatchee, Wa. 98802 or Fax 509-886-3435 (www.northwing.com)

HARNESSES

HARNESSES - 5’0”-6’5”. Cocoons $125+up. High Energy Cocoons $200+up, Pods $200+up. Inventory, selection changes constantly. Some trades accepted. (262) 473-8800, [email protected], www.hangg-liding.com, http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS

ALABAMA

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - The best facil-ities, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more. Wide range of accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877)-426-4543, hanglide.com.

ARIZONA

FLY HIGH PARAGLIDING.COM - over 10 years of ex-perience, offers P-2 certification, tandem flights, towing, new and used equipment, the best weather to fly in USA. (480)-266-6969.

CALIFORNIA

AIRJUNKIES PARAGLIDING - Year-round excel-lent instruction, Southern California & Baja. Powered paragliding, clinics, tours, tandem, towing. Ken Baier (760)-753-2664, ` airjunkies.com.

DREAM WEAVER HANG GLIDING - Competitive pric-es, state-of-the-art equipment. Complete lesson pro-grams. Northern California Mosquito harness dealer. Ideal training hill. tandem instruction. USHPA Advanced Instructor Doug Prather (209)-556-0469, Modesto, Cal-ifornia. [email protected].

EAGLE PARAGLIDING - SANTA BARBARA offers the best year round flying in the nation. Award-winning in-struction, excellent mountain and ridge sites. www.Fly-SantaBarbara.com, (805)-968-0980

FLY ABOVE ALL - Year-round instruction in beautiful Santa Barbara! USHPA Novice through Advanced certi-fication. Thermaling to competition training. Visit www.flyaboveall.com (805)-965-3733.

THE HANG GLIDING CENTER - PO Box 151542, San Diego CA 92175, (619)-265-5320.

MIKE BUTLER HANG GLIDING SCHOOL - Training hill just 30 minutes west of Yosemite National Park.Wills Wing and Flytec dealer. [email protected] (209)-742-8540

MISSION SOARING CENTER - Largest hang gliding center in the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment: Wills Wing, Moyes, AIR, High Energy, Flytec, Icaro. West Coast distributor for A.I.R. Atos rig-id wings including the all-new VX Tandem Atos. Parts in stock. We stock new and used equipment. Trade-ins welcome. Complete lesson program. Best training park in the West, located just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Pitman Hydraulic Winch System for Hang 1s and above. Launch and landing clinics for Hang 3s and Hang 4s. Wills Wing Falcons of all sizes and custom train-ing harnesses. 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035. (408)-262-1055, Fax (408)-262-1388, [email protected], www.hang-gliding.com, Mission Soaring Center, leading the way since 1973.

TORREY PINES GLIDERPORT - Come soar in San Di-ego! This family-owned and operated flying site offers USHPA certified instruction, advanced training, equip-ment sales, tandem flight instruction, motorized pg/hg instruction and site tours. We also have an extensive pg/hg outfitting shop offering parachute repacks and full-service repairs. Bring your family for our amazing sun-sets and dining at the Cliffhanger Cafe. Importers for Paratech and Independence gliders. We also carry Aus-triAlpin, Center of Gravity, Crispi and Sup’Air. Check us out online for sales and questions at: www.flytorrey.com, or call toll-free at 1-877-FLY-TEAM (359-8326). Also, tune in to the Internet Paragliding Talk Show at www.worldtalkradio.com every Tuesday 9-11:00 a.m. (PST).

WINDSPORTS - Don’t risk bad weather, bad instruc-tion or dangerous training hills. 350 flyable days each year. Learn foot-launch flying skills safely and quickly. Train with professional CFI’s at world-famous Dockweil-er Beach training slopes (5 minutes from LA airport.) Fly winter or summer in gentle coastal winds, soft sand and in a thorough program with one of America’s most pres-tigious schools for over 25 years. (818)-367-2430, www.windsports.com.

COLORADO

AIRTIME ABOVE HANG GLIDING - Full time lessons sales and service Colorado’s most experienced! Offer-ing foot launch, tow and scooter tow instruction. Wills Wing, Moyes, North Wing, AIR, Altair, Aeros, High En-ergy, Finsterwalder, Flytec, MotoComm, and more sold and serviced. Call for more info (303)-674-2451, Ever-green Colorado, [email protected]

GUNNISON GLIDERS - Serving the western slope. In-struction, sales, service, sewing, accessories. Site in-formation, ratings. 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970)-641-9315, 1-(866)-238-2305.

PEAK TO PEAK PARAGLIDING LLC - THE Front Range paragliding school, located in Boulder, Colorado. Offer-ing excellent state-of-the-art instruction. Specializing in over the water & safety training. Equipment & tandems. Phone 303.817.0803 [email protected] www.peaktopeakparagliding.com.


FLORIDA

FLORIDA RIDGE AEROTOW PARK - 18265 E State Road 80, Clewiston, Florida (863)-805-0440, www.the-floridaridge.com.

GRAYBIRD AIRSPORTS — Paraglider & hang glid-er towing & training, Dragonfly aerotow training, XC, thermaling, instruction, equipment. Dunnellon Airport (352)-245-8263, email [email protected], www.graybirdairsports.com.

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Nearest moun-tain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877)-426-4543.

MIAMI HANG GLIDING - For year-round training fun in the sun. (305)-285-8978, 2550 S Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133, www.miamihangglid-ing.com.

QUEST AIR - #1 site for US competition & the big-gest flights on the East coast. No-wait, 1-on–1 lessons from first tandem to advanced XC training. Towing 8am-sunset everyday. All amenities including on-site ac-commodations, time-honored clubhouse, pool, hot tub and private lake. Demos, rentals, sales, storage & re-pairs. Minutes from Orlando in Groveland, FL. Phone (352)-429-0213, fax (352) 429-4846, www.questair-force.com, [email protected]. 1-877-FLY-QUEST

WALLABY AEROTOW FLIGHT PARK - Satisfaction Guaranteed. Just 8 miles from Disney World. Year-round soaring, open 7 days a week, six tugs, no waiting, every direction. 50+ nice demos to fly, topless to trainer glid-ers: Laminar, Moyes, Wills, Airborne, Airwave, Exxtacy, La Mouette, Sensor; also harnesses, varios, etc. Ages 13 to 73 have learned to fly here. No one comes close to our level of experience and success with tandem aero-tow instruction. A great scene for family and friends. 10 motels & restaurants within 5 minutes. Camping, hot showers, shade trees, sales, storage, ratings, XC retriev-als, great weather, climbing wall, trampoline, DSS TV, ping pong, picnic tables, swimming pool, etc. Flights of over 200 miles and more than 7 hours. Articles in Hang Gliding, Kitplanes, Skywings, Cross Country and oth-ers. Featured on numerous TV shows, including Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel & ESPN. Visit us on the Web: http://www.wallaby.com. Please call us for refer-ences and video. 1805 Dean Still Road, Disney Area, FL 33837 (863)-424-0070, phone & fax, [email protected], 1-(800)-WALLABY. Conservative, reliable, state-of-the-art. F.H.G. INC., flying Florida since 1974

GEORGIA

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Discover why 5 times as many pilots earn their wings at LMFP. En-joy our 110 acre mountain resort. www.hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877)-426-4543.

HAWAII

FLY HAWAII - Hawaii’s hang gliding, paragliding/para-motoring school. Mauna Kea guide service. Most expe-rience, best safety record. Big Island of Hawaii, Achim Hagemann (808)-895-9772, www.aircotec.net/flyha-waii.htm, [email protected].

ALOHA! ISLAND POWERED PARAGLIDERS/THER-MALUP PARAGLIDING - The Big Islands only choice for USHPA certified instruction. Both free flight and pow-ered tandems year round. Dvd of your flight included. One on one lessons from our private oceanside launch-es and training facilities. Contact Yeti, (808)-987-0773, www.ThermalUp.com or www.IslandPPG.com. Aloha

PROFLYGHT PARAGLIDING - Call Dexter for friendly information about flying on Maui. Full-service school of-fering beginner to advanced instruction every day, year round. (808)-874-5433, paraglidehawaii.com.

INDIANA

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

MAINE

DOWNEAST AIRSPORTS - paragliding & hang glid-ing instruction using tandems & scooter towing for easy safe learning. Quality equipment sales. www.downeas-tairsports.com, in _ a _ [email protected], Marc (207)-244-9107.

MARyLAND

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

MARYLAND SCHOOL OF HANG GLIDING - Sales, service, instruction since 1976. Specializing in Foot Launch. www.mshg.com (410)-527-0975 Proudly rep-resenting Wills Wing & Moyes

MICHIGAN

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - Aerotow specialists. We carry all major brand hang gliders and accessories. Cloud 9 Field, 11088 Coon Lake Road West, Webber-ville MI 48892. [email protected], http://members.aol.com/cloud9sa. Call for summer tandem lessons and flying appointments with the DraachenFliegen Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field. (517)-223-8683, [email protected], http://members.aol.com/dfscinc.

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/PARAGLIDERS Put your knees in our breeze and soar our 450’ sand dunes. Full-time shop. Certified instruction, beginner to advanced. Sales, service, accessories for ALL major brands. Visa/MasterCard. 1509 E 8th, Traverse City MI 49684. Offering powered paragliding. Call Bill at (231)-922-2844, [email protected]. Your USA & Canada Mosquito distributor. www.mosquitoamerica.com.

NEW yORK

AAA MOUNTAIN WINGS INC. - New location at 77 Hang Glider Road in Ellenville next to the LZ. We ser-vice all brands featuring AEROS and North Wing. Con-tact (845)-647-3377, [email protected], www.mt-nwings.com,

FLY HIGH, INC. - Serving New York, Jersey, and Connecticut areas. Area’s exclusive Wills Wing deal-er. Also all other brands, accessories. Area’s most IN-EXPENSIVE prices! Certified instruction/service since 1979. Excellent secondary instruction! Taken some les-sons? Advance to mountain flying! www.flyhighhg.com, (845)-744-3317.

LET'S GO PARAGLIDING LLC - Paragliding flight school offering USHPA-certified instruction for all levels, tandem flights, tours, and equipment sales. More infor-mation: www.letsgoparagliding.com, (917) 359-6449.

SUSQUEHANNA FLIGHT PARK COOPERSTOWN NY - 40 acre flight park. 160’ training hill with rides up. 600’ ridge-large LZ. Specializing in first mountain flights.Dan Guido mailing address 293 Shoemaker Rd Mohawk Ny 13407 Home (315)-866-6153 cell (315)-867-8011 [email protected]

NORTH CAROLINA

KITTY HAWK KITES - FREE Hang 1 training with pur-chase of equipment! The largest hang gliding school in the world. Teaching since 1974. Learn to fly over the East coast’s largest sand dune. Year round instruc-tion, foot launch and tandem aerotow. Dealer for all major manufacturers. Ultralight instruction and tours. (252)-441-2426, 1-877-FLY-THIS, www.kittyhawk.com

OHIO

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

PUERTO RICO

FLY PUERTO RICO WITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! - Flying tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive Novice courses, full sales. (787)-850-0508, [email protected].

TENNESSEE

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just outside Chattanooga. Become a complete pilot -foot launch, aerotow, mountain launch, ridge soar, thermal soar. hanglide.com, 877-hanglide, (877)-426-4543.

TEXAS

AUSTIN AIR SPORTS - Hang gliding and ultra-light sales, service and instruction. Steve Burns (512)-236-0031, [email protected]. Fred Burns (281)-471-1488, [email protected], WWW.AUSTINAIRSPORTS.COM.

GO...HANG GLIDING!!! — Jeff Hunt. Austin ph/fax (512)-467-2529, [email protected],www.flytexas.com.


UTAH

AIR REVOLUTION FLIGHT SCHOOL – WITH BILL HEANER AND THE REVOLUTION INSTRUCTOR TEAM - Learn true wing mastery from some of the greatest in-structors in the world. We offer P1-P4, T1-T3, tandem flights, USHPG Instructor Certification and paramotor training. Camping and hotels within walking distance from our shop. Contact Bill Heaner (801)-541-8341, [email protected], www.rpmppg.com/school/facility/.

CLOUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check out our huge selection of paragliding gear, traction kites, extreme toys, and any other fun things you can think of. If you aren’t near the Point of the Mountain, then head to http://www.paragliders.com for a full list of products and services. We are Utah’s only full time shop and re-pair facility, Give us a ring at (801)-576-6460 if you have any questions.

VIRGINIA

BLUE SKY - Full-time instruction at Blue Sky Flight Park near Richmond. Scooter, platform and aerotowing avail-able. All major brands of equipment, with Mosquitos and Doodlebugs in stock. Steve Wendt, (804)-241-4324, www.blueskyhg.com.

WASHINGTON

AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT PARK - Award winning instructors at a world class training fa-cility. Contact Doug Stroop at (509)-782-5543 or visit www.paragliding.us

WISCONSIN

WHITEWATER HANG GLIDING CLUB-Hang gliding school and club using aerotow and scooter tow training.We are open for the season.Contact Rik 608 206 9939 608 842 0480 Whitewaterhangglidingclub.com

WyOMING

JACKSON HOLE PARAGLIDING - Come to Paraglid-ing Paradise and enjoy alpine flying at its absolute best. Ten sites in a ten-mile radius including the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Lessons and Guide Service Daily. Maneuvers Training at the Palisades Reservoir on Tow Tuesdays. More information: www.jhparagliding.com [email protected] (307)-690-8726 (TRAM).

INTERNATIONAL

BAJA MEXICO - La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www.FLYLA-SALINA.com. by www.BAJABRENT.com, He’ll hook you up! site intros, tours, & rooms [email protected], (760)-203-2658

MEXICO - VALLE DE BRAVO and beyond for hang glid-ing and paragliding. Year round availability and special tours. Gear, guiding, instruction, transportation, lodg-ing - all varieties for your needs. www.flymexico.com 1-(800)-861-7198 USA

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

ALL HG GLIDERBAGS, harness packs, harness zippers and zipper stocks. Instrument mounts and replacement bands. Mitts, straps, fabric parts, windsocks, radios. Gunnison Gliders. 1-(866)-238-2305

BIG EARS PTT - $99.95. Includes speaker and micro-phone, radio connection, sealed finger switch. Choose the full-face or the open-face model. www.bigearsptt.com (805)-965-3733.

CARBON FIBER BASETUBE - For 06 Moyes Light-speed 5 Zoom frame. Perfect cond. Low hrs. $400. Con-tact: (406) 253-7078.

FLIGHT SUITS, FLIGHT SUITS, FLIGHT SUITS, Warm Flight suits, Efficient Flight suits, Light weight Flight suits, Flight suits in twelve sizes. Stylish Flight suits www.mphsports.com (503)-657-8911

FOR ALL YOUR FLYING NEEDS - Check out the Avia-tion Depot at www.mojosgear.com featuring over 1000 items for foot-launched and powered paragliding, hang gliding, stunt and power kiting, and powered parachutes. 24/7 secure online shopping. Books, videos, KITES, gifts, engine parts, harness accessories, electronics, clothing, safety equipment, complete powered paraglid-ing units with training from Hill Country Paragliding Inc. www.hillcountryparagliding.com 1-800-664-1160 for orders only. Office (325)-379-1567.

GLIDERBAGS - XC $75! Heavy waterproof $125. Ac-cessories, low prices, fast delivery! Gunnison Gliders, 1549 County Road 17, Gunnison CO 81230. (970) 641-9315, orders 1-866-238-2305.

MINI VARIO - World’s smallest, simplest vario! Clips to helmet or chinstrap. 200 hours on batteries, 0-18,000 ft., fast response and 2-year warranty. ONLY $169. Mallettec, PO Box 15756, Santa Ana CA 92735. (949)-795-0421, MC/Visa accepted, www.mallettec.com.

OXYGEN SYSTEMS - THE WORLD CLASS XCR-180 operates up to 3 hours @ 18,000 ft. and weighs only 4 lbs. Complete kit with cylinder, harness, regulator, cannula, and remote on/off flowmeter, only $450.00. 1-(800)-468-8185

RISING AIR GLIDER REPAIR SERVICES - A full-ser-vice shop, specializing in all types of paragliding repairs, annual inspections, reserve repacks, harness repairs. Hang gliding reserve repacks and repair. For informa-tion or repair estimate, call (208)-554-2243, pricing and service request form available at www.risingair.biz, [email protected].

TANDEM LANDING GEAR - Rascal™ brand by Raven, Simply the best. New & used. (262)-473-8800, www.hanggliding.com, [email protected], http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

WHEELS FOR AIRFOIL BASETUBES - WHOOSH! Wheels™ (Patent Pending), Moyes/Airborne & Wills Wing compatible. Dealer inquiries invited. (262)-473-8800, www.hanggliding.com, [email protected], http://stores.ebay.com/raven-sports.

WINDSOKS FROM HAWK AIRSPORTS INC - 1673 Corbin Lake Rd, Rutledge, TN 37861, 1-800-826-2719. World-famous Windsoks, as seen at the Oshkosh & Sun-N-Fun EAA Fly-Ins. [email protected], www.wind-sok.com.

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

SOARING - Monthly magazine of The Soaring Society of America Inc. Covers all aspects of soaring flight. Full membership $64. SSA, PO Box 2100, Hobbs NM 88241. (505)-392-1177, ssa.org.

REAL ESTATE

10 ACRES IN THE BEAUTIFUL LOST RIVER VAL-LEY, close to King Mt HG/PG site. Super glass-offs! Fenced. Partial payment toward well/septic. Don @ 208-554-2405.

MISCELLANEOUS

WORLDWIDE INTERNET PARAGLIDING TALK SHOW — WWW.WORLDTALKRADIO.COM. Listen live or to the archives! Live Tuesday 9-11:00 a.m. (PST). Call toll-free, 1-888-514-2100 or internationally at (001) 858-268-3068. Paraglider pilots and radio hosts David and Gabriel Jebb want to hear about your stories, promo-tions/events or insight; they also take questions!

STOLEN WINGS AND THINGS

STOLEN WINGS are listed as a service to USHPA members. Newest entries are in bold. There is no charge for this service and lost-and-found wings or equip-ment may be called in to (719)-632-8300, faxed to (719)-632-6417, or emailed to [email protected] for in-clusion in Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. Please call to cancel the listing when gliders are recovered. Pe-riodically, this listing will be purged.

GPS GARMIN 76 CSX. The last day of the Rat Race, af-ter the track log information was downloaded, someone picked up my GPS from the table. It had white tape in the upper left corner with my pilot number 326 written on it. If you discover that this GPS in your possession, please contact me at USHPA. Martin 800-616-6888. This GPS was borrowed from a friend, so it would be an enormous relief to have it returned.

GRADIENT ASPEN - My paraglider equipment was sto-len from my vehicle on November 7th in San Diego, Cali-fornia. The wing was a red, gradient Aspen 26m, SOL Large CX harness, SOL 33 CELL reserve, Ozone red and gray backpack. REWARD no questions asked $250 or please contact me with any information regarding the equipment. David Thulin 307-690-5792 or [email protected] Thank you.

STOLEN FROM THE ANDY JACKSON AIRPARK CAL-IFORNIA, MAY 14TH 2007. FALCON 195 #25038. Silver leading edge, red bottom surface white trailing edge. If found please contact Rob or Dianne through www.flytan-dem.com or (909)-883-8488.

CLASSIFIEDS

75

HANG GLIDING | FEB 08

PARAGLIDING | FEB 08RTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE RATING OFFICIAL

P-1 1 Greg Harding Kotzebue AK David BinderP-1 1 William Briskey Monmouth OR Steve RotiP-1 2 Richard James Pleasant Hill CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 2 Jesse Dominick Trinidad CA Randy LiggettP-1 3 Ray Volkoff Ii Kailua-kona HI Kirkeby DeffebachP-1 3 Olena Vasylevska Marina Del Ray CA Bruce KirkP-1 3 Till Hansen Kahului HI David BinderP-1 3 Helek Rutter Santa Barbara CA Bruce KirkP-1 4 Bharath Reddy Albuquerque NM William SmithP-1 4 Maria Aguilar Phoenix AZ Chandler PapasP-1 4 Albert Crusco Yuma AZ Gabriel JebbP-1 4 Andrew Rayhill Phoenix AZ Chandler PapasP-1 8 David Dodge Boston MA John GallagherP-1 10 Mehmet Unlu Brunswick GA Luis RosenkjerP-2 2 Sati Shah Oakland CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-2 2 Melody Dos Santos Oakland CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-2 2 Gianluca Barbieri San Jose CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-2 2 Jesse Dominick Trinidad CA Randy LiggettP-2 3 Kamyar Haghani Encinitas CA Bob Hammond JrP-2 3 Alan Laverne Redondo Beach CA David JebbP-2 3 Olena Vasylevska Marina Del Ray CA Bruce KirkP-2 3 Till Hansen Kahului HI David BinderP-2 3 Helek Rutter Santa Barbara CA Bruce KirkP-2 4 Bharath Reddy Albuquerque NM William SmithP-2 8 David Dodge Boston MA John GallagherP-2 8 Lorenzo Romano South Egremont MA Jarrett HobartP-2 10 Pam Hargett Charleston SC David JebbP-3 1 Ole Kanestrom Port Townsend WA Douglas StroopP-3 3 Brent Riemer San Diego CA Robin MarienP-3 3 Mike Strychalski San Diego CA Robin MarienP-3 4 Kevin Wells Mesa AZ Jim EskildsenP-3 4 Greg Clark Albuquerque NM William SmithP-3 4 Steven Snyder Phoenix AZ Jim EskildsenP-3 4 Shane Idleman Phoenix AZ Chris SantacroceP-3 4 David Grant Glenwood Springs CO Etienne PienaarP-3 4 Craig Hutchinson Salt Lake City UT Stephen MayerP-3 5 Ivan Fazio Ketchum ID Charles SmithP-3 7 Scott Clark Northbrook IL Irene RevenkoP-3 8 David Dodge Boston MA John GallagherP-3 10 David Ledford Inman SC David JebbP-3 10 Richard Eunice Warner Robins GA Luis RosenkjerP-3 10 Christian Hoelzl Greer SC Luis RosenkjerP-3 11 C. Robert Boone, Sr. Friendswood TX Jeffrey FarrellP-4 2 Barbora Rejmanek Davis CA Honza RejmanekP-4 2 Robert Cook Concord CA Juan LaosP-4 3 Claude Phillips Kailua HI Pete MichelmoreP-4 3 Stephen Nowak Huntington Beach CA Marcello De BarrosP-4 5 Ellen Pease Jackson WY Randy AlfanoP-4 8 William Kearney Canton CT Chris SantacroceP-4 12 Othmar Dickbauer Brooklyn NY Sander KoyfmanP-4 13 Muhammed Shirali Istanbul Rob SporrerP-5 1 Conrad Kreick Renton WA Douglas Stroop

ph

oto

by J

am

es

Dvo

rak

Lim

a, p

eru

| p

ho

to b

y b

rad

Co

lte

r

RTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE RATING OFFICIAL

H-1 2 Chad Glissmeyer Redding CA John HeineyH-1 2 April Jefferson Redwood City CA Michael JeffersonH-1 3 Bradley Geary Ramona CA John HeineyH-1 3 Robert Krass Los Angelos CA Andrew BeemH-1 3 Ian Struble Santa Barbara CA Tammy BurcarH-1 3 Jason Spence Long Beach CA Lynden VazquezH-1 4 Christopher Grotbeck Albuquerque NM Mel GlantzH-1 8 Nicolas Mak Old Saybrook CT Steven PrepostH-1 9 Josef Botha Berryville VA John MiddletonH-1 9 Kayla Campasino Street MD Richard HaysH-1 10 Charlie Mullins Cordova TN James TindleH-2 2 Anthony Lowenstein Belvedere Tiburon CA Michael JeffersonH-2 2 Aaron Simmons Antioch CA Patrick DenevanH-2 2 Charles Fiebig East Palo Alto CA Patrick DenevanH-2 2 Matthew Hendershot Arroyo Grande CA Patrick DenevanH-2 2 Dirk Morris San Carlos CA Michael JeffersonH-2 3 Bradley Geary Ramona CA John HeineyH-2 3 Benjamin Haug Goleta CA Gregory BrownH-2 3 Ian Struble Santa Barbara CA Tammy BurcarH-2 4 Shane Smith Tucson AZ Greg BergerH-2 4 Christopher Grotbeck Albuquerque NM Mel GlantzH-2 8 Nicolas Mak Old Saybrook CT Steven PrepostH-2 9 Christopher Bodin Richmond VA Andy TorringtonH-2 10 Charlie Mullins Cordova TN James TindleH-3 2 Antonio Flores Mountain View CA Patrick DenevanH-3 2 John Taylor Boulder Creek CA Patrick DenevanH-3 2 Brian Spyksma Hayward CA Patrick DenevanH-3 11 Martin Jaeger San Antonio TX Jeffrey HuntH-4 3 Jay Scott Wildomar CA Bill SoderquistH-4 4 Kunio Yoshimura Phoenix AZ Greg Berger

76

DON’T MISS OUT.bE SURE TO RENEW.

NO LONGER FLYING?become a

Contributing Member.participate in elections!

Receive the monthly magazine!

Application at

www.ushpa.aero/formsor call 1-800-616-6888

If your USHpA membership expires

on 6/30 we must receive your re-

newal bY June 15th or you will miss

the July magazine. If your USHpA

membership expires on 7/31 we must

receive your renewal bY July 15th or

you will miss the August magazine.

Interested in joining USHpA?

Download an application at

www.ushpa.aero/forms

or call 1-800-616-6888

Ode to a Chemistby John Heiney

We need not be reminded of the well-known experiment-ers/innovators whom free-flyers respect, honor and celebrate for their contributions to our sport. The names of Lillienthal, Chanute, the Wrights, Rogallo, Dickenson and Jalbert are in our thoughts and holidays annually if not more often.

But there is one name that cries out to be included among the revered forefathers of our beloved sporting activity. It’s the name of a man without whose efforts things might be different today.

In the 1930’s a young research chemist named Wallace Hume Carothers (born April 27, 1896) worked his way up to be a Director of Research at Dupont. He is credited with the creation of the fiber we know as nylon. Nylon is the per-fect material for supporting the human body because of its strength and elasticity (softening impact loads) not to men-tion its long life and low cost. I am guessing that every aircraft and space vehicle (not to mention ground vehicle) uses nylon at the interface between human life and cold, hard machine.

True, Wallace was not a pilot and probably did not give a damn about flying. He was just trying to invent a material from which to make women’s stockings. The silk worms were having trouble meeting the production demands of a growing human population.

I believe that if accessible free-flight had existed in Carothers’ time it might have been his salvation, for Wallace suffered from depression. His depression was so bad that he carried a cyanide capsule in his pocket every day of his adult life just in case the depression became unbearable. He was a true believer in chemistry.

Had he been able to discover the spirit-lifting therapy of free-flight, he might have been able to keep that capsule in his pocket. Sadly, on April 29, 1937, he reached into his pocket, looking for the relief that he knew his closest companion for 15 years would bring. He did not live to see the far-reaching ramifications of his humble discovery.

So the next time you are manically skying-out, secure in that wonderful harness you trust with your life year after year, give some thought to Wallace, who might have been happy had he known.

Chris Santacroce with canine co-pilot “Snoopy”,

soaring the South Side, Point of the Mountain, Utah.


By Steve Messman

What a wonderful summer after-noon. Toward its end, I sat with my wife and watched my son, his

wife, and two of my grandchildren close the day in the backyard pool. They were doing nothing but playing, splashing, doing belly flops, having a great time. It was tons of healthy, family fun. Earlier in the day my son, my grandson, and I spent an hour or so playing catch. My seven year old grandson learned very quickly. He had two “experts” teach-ing him all the nuances: stand in front of the ball and keep your eyes on it, if you are going to take a step, then step to the ball instead of away from it. It was an entire day of family fun with my son, his wife, my grandkids. But while we had fun, we also in-structed. Step into the ball. Never take your eyes off it. Hey! Don’t hold your little sister’s head under the water! My wife and I live on the west side of Washington. My older son and his family live in Spokane. My younger son and his family live in Vancouver. We spend more time on the phone and on the computer than we spend in person. When we do get together for a weekend, it is pure magic.

Suddenly, I was re-minded of an earlier email that I had received from one of our newer paragliding club mem-bers. “Steve,” she said. “When exactly is that P2 outing we are having?” I returned again, to the thought of “family.” This time, though, the venue changed. My thoughts strayed to past weekends, past events, past gatherings of that paragliding family that I spend frequent time with. We live miles from each other. Some live

in Port Townsend. One lives in Spokane. There are two-dozen others that fill the spaces between. And yes, we know each other mostly by emails and telephone calls, but we make a conscious effort to get together as frequently as possible.

When we do manage to spend time together, we behave like family. We sit on the hillside watching each other bob on the waves of air. We do wingovers, we

catch thermals, we circle, we spiral, and in general, we just have fun. But while we are having fun, we also instruct. None of us consider ourselves to be “experts” in the art of flying, but we do try to pass on what nuances we can. If the wing wants to fly to your right, then step to your right. At this site, the best way to launch is to bring the wing overhead, take the

time to make sure it’s stable, and then go. The LZ is hot this time of day. Hey! Stay out of that tree! Something about what we do must be good. Our bodies and our friendships remain intact.

My thoughts returned to the email; the question of the P2 outing. One member of our club noticed that we were not doing what we could to welcome newer pilots. It was his idea to have a local P2 outing. That would be a special gather-ing designed to bring our new club mem-bers together. We could introduce them to some of the older club members. We

could introduce them to a couple of different sites quite suitable for new pilots. We could pass on those nuances that we

“elders” have learned over the years of flying these sites. We could offer to fly with them at more difficult sites. We could guide them as best we can, honor their growing need to make their own decisions, and teach as we go along.

So again it is that I find myself having thoughts about the pur-pose of flying clubs. I find myself defining a club as I would a family. We have a tremendous amount of diversity in our indi-vidual lives: where we live, what we do, how we play, what we enjoy. But the one thing that brings us together is our desire to fly, our desire to spend time together in the air. The diversity that makes us individuals blends to form the bonds that

tie our group together. We see in each other the individual strengths that make the family strong. We actively seek each other’s company. We take joy in watching each other have fun. We teach each other, pass on our knowledge, and thus, in our way, protect our family members. When we do get together, in small groups or as a whole, it’s pure magic.

FamiliesAndCLUBSThoughts | Dreams | Impressions

photo by bo Criss

hang gliding & paragliding vol38/iss06 jun 2008

Documents

sports of hang gliding

related hang gliding

paragliding association

paragliding activities

paragliding methods

executive director

art director

mark forbes