hang gliding & paragliding vol42/iss06 jun 2012

http://flyozone.com

EDITOR

BRIEFINGS

AIRMAIL

ASSOCIATION

ASSOCIATION

GALLERY

DISPATCH

RATINGS

USHPA STORE

ON GLIDE

Higher Education

by Drs. Lisa Colletti and Tracy Tillman

The Right Stuff

Niviuk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .by Matt Beechinor

Villa Grove

by Rich Jesurogu, Larry Smith & Tiffany Smith

Science Fair

How Fairings Fair . . . . . . . . . by Kelsey Pearson

Train Your Brain

for Flying Performance . . . . . by Patrick McGuiness

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8

10

12

13

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66

75

76

78

54

16 30

42 13

4640

12

50

16

30

42

46

50

JUNE2012 H A N G G L I D I N G & P A R A G L I D I N G

WW SPORT2

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

PERFORMANCE REDEFINED

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING | WWW.USHPA.AERO 7

J une is here, and the flying season is in full swing. This issue will be the last to follow the winning format we have utilized over the past several years. Stay tuned for a nice change in the next issue.

This issue starts with staff contributor and copy editor, CJ Sturtevant, interview-ing USHPA’s newest staff addition, Jeff Mosher. Next up is a piece on the USHPA awards ceremony that took place at the spring board of directors meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Take a look at your local flying community, individual pilot, or landowner to see if they deserve extra recognition, and submit them for an award in 2012.

The “doctors of towing” are back with another installment of Higher Education, focusing on the intricacies of weak links, while Matt Beechinor reports on a shift in the paragliding racing world that will affect more pilots than just the US paraglid-ing team. With the new certified competition wings hitting the market, Niviuk has come to the plate swinging for the fences with an accessible race machine for the masses.

The West’s Best Kept Secret—Villa Grove, Colorado—is profiled by the organiz-ers of the fly-in that will go down this month, and Kelsey Pearson from the Wills Wing family submitted her amazing science project showing that our flying “dribble” can be used for the power of good by our families and friends.

Patrick McGuinness is back with another fascinating piece on another ever-im-portant mental aspect of flying and performing at one’s best.

The June gallery is a brief look into the amazing travels of Veso Ovcharov, one of the best pilots in the world, who spends all year travelling and flying around the world.

All of us at USHPA wish you a summer full of safe landings!

EDITOR N I C K G R E E C E

Ph

oto

by V

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HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING | WWW.USHPA.AERO10

AIRMAIL L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

WISE MAN'S HOBBY Since you were so kind as to print my Hyner cloud shot in last year’s November issue, I thought I would send you a shot of my latest art creation based on that picture. I do stained glass as a hobby and was looking for an interesting scene to do this past winter. I chose that picture, ran it through Photoshop

(PS) to extract the main edges, then “painted” it in PS to clean up the noise and simplify it. Then I printed the result out as the pattern to cut the glass with.

I know you’ve done some hang glid-ing art stuff in the mag, so if you ever do it again, feel free to include this.

- John Wiseman, #71410

Incredible work, John! Thanks for

your amazing submissions. Hope

to see more in the future. Would

you want to do one of those a year

for the Bettina Gray Photography

award winner? - Ed


NomiNatioNs FoR tHE BoaRD oF DiRECtoRs

aRE NEEDED!

Nominations can be submitted in

the members’ only section under

the Forms tab at the top of the

page, at https://www.ushpa.aero/

member_login.asp.

Nominations are due July 15th,

2012 and biographical information

about nominees should be received

no later than August 4th, 2012 for

inclusion in the October election

issue of the magazine. All of the

currently serving directors are auto-

matically re-nominated to run for

another term. The directors whose

terms are up for election are:

R1-(AK, OR, WA)Rich Hass

R2-(North CA, NV) Steve Rodriguez

R3-(South CA, HI) Bill Helliwell

R4-(AZ, CO, NM, UT) Ryan Voight

R7-(IL, IN, MI, MN, ND, SD, WI, IA) Tracy Tillman

R8-(ME, NH, VT, CT, MA, RI) Michael Holmes

R9- (DC, DE, KY, MD, OH) Felipe Amunategui

R10- (AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VI. PR)Steve Kroop

R12-(NJ, NY) Paul Voight

R5 and R6/R11 do not have

an election this year.

http://www.letsgogliding.com

http://thermaltracker.com


By C.J. Sturtevant

JEFF mosHER, PRogRams maNagER

W hen I met Jeff Mosher at the spring USHPA BOD meeting last March, he’d

been on the staff less than a month. Yet as I watched him interacting with the arriving board members, he already seemed to know many of them, by name and by reputation, even as he was being introduced. That, I soon learned, is typical Jeff: He does his homework, absorbs information like a sponge, pro-cesses it all and isn’t shy about making suggestions or offering insights relevant to the topic at hand. Those are just the characteristics that define an effective programs manager, and USHPA is fortunate to have found Jeff to fill that position in the office.

Jeff comes from a background in developing local, regional, national and international programs for USA Volleyball. As programs manager, he is responsible for enhancing the programs USHPA already has in place, as well as creating new ones and assisting the members in meeting their goals and objectives. He has considerable experience in working with national governing bodies, and sees his position with USHPA as “an opportunity to make significant impacts in a unique industry.” Somewhat apropos, he adds,

“Free flight is super cool, and many of my friends are jealous of my new role.”

USHPA has brought risk manage-ment—particularly in regards to spec-tators—to the forefront and made that a primary focus of all programs and events. As programs manager, Jeff’s role in this will be significant, and he’ll be the go-to guy for chapters and site stewards as we all work towards devel-oping and implementing protocols for each of our sites. Jeff sees the increased focus on risk management as “one of

our biggest challenges, and a great opportunity for everyone to make all aspects of our sports safer for everyone involved.”

Although he has yet (as of early April) to get a flight on either a hang glider or a paraglider, Jeff has been fascinated by free flight “all my life,” he says, and is excited to finally be closely involved with our sports. Once the weather becomes conducive to flying, he’s ready to get some hands-on experi-

ence and plans to “give both hang glid-ing and paragliding a shot,” and then decide which sport to pursue. “I tend to let my passions consume me, and if I’m not careful that can become obses-sive. So, I can relate to the extreme passion that free flight can cause and I respect those who obsess over it.” He’s already scheduled a trip to Oregon for the paragliding Rat Race in June, and hopefully he’ll be able to fit in some additional competitions and fly-ins, for some first-hand experience with pilot

obsessions and some face-to-face time with the folks for whom he’s develop-ing and finessing programs. “I’m a people person,” he says, “and I love meeting new and interesting folks. Plus, I love being in the outdoors, and what better way to enjoy it!”

I asked Jeff to put on his programs manager hat and tell us what he’d like us to do to help him feel successful in his job. He spells it out for us: “One of the most important things that members can do is share their ideas and successes. There are a lot of very talented and bright people out there who are doing some incredible things to make the sport fun and appealing. By sharing ‘best practices’ and things that are working, we can help everyone expand the sports and increase oppor-tunity and participation. By passing along lessons learned to others, we can all be better at what we do. I encour-age pilots to become mentors to newer pilots to help them grow and mature in the sport; meet directors to take on an apprentice so that there can be more opportunities for competitions; site managers to share their techniques in building relationships with landowners to provide more access for the sports; instructors and flight schools to work together to make all instruction more efficient and effective in a safe and professional manner; and all USHPA members to promote the sport by rais-ing awareness and getting their family, friends and neighbors to give it a try.”

USHPA currently has in place sev-eral formal programs to assist members in becoming mentors, meet-director apprentices, and site managers, as well as the well-known pilot proficiency and instructor training programs. If you’d like more information on any of these programs, or have ideas or input to share with the programs manager, you can reach Jeff at [email protected]. He’ll be happy to hear from you!

ASSOCIATION W H O ' S W H O A T U S H P A


By C.J. Sturtevant

CaLL FoR 2012 NomiNatioNs

B y the time you read this, the seemingly interminable cold-and-wet season should be

behind us – that means sunshine, and thermals at last! What’s the flying season look like in your neck of the woods? Fly-ins, comps, social gatherings, fund-raisers are all essential parts of what holds our communities together, and keeps us involved. If your community is like mine, there are some key players who make things happen year after year, and if you’re lucky there are also some new folks who are coming forward with energy and creativity to spice up the old traditions.

So, how do you let those movers and shakers know you appreciate their efforts? Whatever your local group does, it’s all good, but how about adding an official “thank you” from USHPA? It’s easy, it costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time, and USHPA has awards for everything from club-level participation through contributions that enhance hang gliding and paragliding on a national level.

For example, who’s the photographer who keeps your website updated with eye candy from your local flying scene? If you think his or her images are aes-thetically pleasing, original, and portray hang gliding and/or paragliding in a positive light, then they precisely fulfill the requirements for USHPA’s Bettina Gray photography award. Is there a tal-ented videographer in your group who’s produced a theater-quality film that pro-motes hang gliding or paragliding? The Best Promotional Film award recognizes one outstanding promotional film (and its creator) each year. If you don’t nomi-nate your local artists, the rest of us may never have the opportunity to appreciate

their creations!On a more nuts-and-bolts level,

for someone who has given excep-tional service as a volunteer (i.e. no pay) organizer/meet director for a comp or fly-in, or worked on site or public-relations issues, or participated in a heroic rescue operation, or done just about anything that enhanced someone else’s enjoyment of flying, or promoted the sport in some manner, there’s the USHPA Commendation (for USHPA members), and the Recognition for Special Contribution for non-members.

ASSOCIATION U S H P A A W A R D S

[above] Harold Johnson accepting his Commendation [below] A tableful of awards. Photos by Nick Greece.


Nominations that make a clear case for award-worthiness are accepted. The few minutes of your time required to fill out the online nomination form can go a long way toward assuring that our volunteers keep on volunteering, and our relationships with landowners remain strong!

Typically the most hotly contested annual award is Instructor of the Year; one paragliding and one hang gliding instructor is selected each year. Students, colleagues and friends invest consider-able time, thought and feeling in craft-ing their nominations, with the intent of convincing the Awards committee mem-bers that their favorite instructor stands head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Nominations are not considered

“votes” for the candidate (so a form stat-ing “I agree with so-and-so’s opinions” is a waste of your time and ours), but since many of the instructors are not person-ally known to the committee members, it’s these “from the heart” tributes that determine which of the many nominees will be selected from the pool of highly qualified candidates.

Does your local club provide essential services that impact your flying com-munity’s activities? The Chapter of the Year award recognizes a club with strong programs in areas such as site procure-ment/development/retention, safety, support of beginner and novice pilots, membership development and more. If

your newsletter or website is a state-of-the-art tool that supports and enhances your club’s activities and functions, nominate it and its editor/webmaster for the Newsletter or Website of the Year award.

USHPA also has awards for those whose efforts reach beyond their local community: The Exceptional Service award is given for outstanding service to the Association during the past year, while the Presidential Citation, USHPA’s highest award, is for someone who has made significant contributions to the sport recently or perhaps over a span of years. The Rob Kells award recognizes an individual who’s been actively supporting hang gliding and/or paragliding, Rob Kells-style, for at least 15 years. The NAA Safety award recognizes someone who has made a significant contribution to hang gliding

and/or paragliding safety.Submitting a nomination for any of

these awards isn’t quite a no-brainer, but it’s close. Except for the photography, videography, and newsletter or website awards, which require examples of the nominee’s work, you can complete the nomination online at http://www.ushpa .aero/emailaward.asp. Links to a more detailed description of each award, and a list of past recipients of each award, are on that page as well.

You can submit a nomination at any time before the fall BOD meeting (mid-October), when the Awards committee reviews the submissions and makes the decisions, but earlier is better, especially if you’re gathering a bunch of testimoni-als for the Instructor of the Year or Rob Kells awards.

USHPA’s awards are simply one more way for pilots to say, “You rock!” to their friends and neighbors in hang gliding and paragliding. It’s much easier to take on a task again next time around when you know your efforts have made a difference and are appreciated. It only takes a few minutes of your time to submit the nomination, but the award recipient will remember those minutes of thoughtfulness for a long while!

[left] George Sturtevant introducing Presidential Citation winner John Dickenson via Skype | photo by Nick Greece. [below] George Sturtevant (on left) presents Larry and Tina Jorgensen with their USHPA Commendation at the annual Frostbite Hang Gliding Festival, which they organize | photo by C.J. Sturtevant.

http://hanglideuniversity.us


by Drs. Lisa Colletti and Tracy Tillman

A WEAK LINK WALKED INTO A BAR…tRaCy: You’re a surgeon; do you need

to know much about knots and strings?Lisa: I seriously have to know about

knots and strings. It’s not very cool to have a knot come undone inside some-body when they are recovering from surgery.

tRaCy: Yeah, that’s serious and techni-cal stuff. Most of this article is going to be serious and technical. So, let’s start on the not-so-serious side. How about telling your knot and string story?

Lisa: Nearly 20 years ago, you had a consulting job to do in southern California, and I tagged along to do some flying. After a day of fun for me and work for you, I met up with you and some of your colleagues at a very upscale restaurant in San Diego. You guys were all dressed nice, and I showed up in dirty, torn, grass-stained jeans and a t-shirt, with messed-up “helmet head” hair. I’d had a way-fun day of flying.

The hostess at the restaurant was NOT happy about my looks and attire, and said so, but she went ahead and sat us all in a corner of the restaurant, away from the other patrons. We proceeded to have

a great time, with lots of drink and talk, and a joke came up. It was the string joke. It goes something like this…

We were sitting at the table, when a string walked over and said, “This is a nice place. Do you suppose they serve strings here?” We told the string that we didn’t know; he should go up to the bar to find out.

So the string went up to the bar and asked for a beer. The bartender said, “Hey, you look like a string. Sorry, we don’t serve strings here.” The string came back to our table, looking bummed and told us the bartender wouldn’t serve him. We told him to go to the other end of the bar; maybe that bartender would serve him.

So the string went to the other end of the bar and asked for a glass of wine instead of a beer, hoping to fit into the ambience of the place a bit better. The bartender said, “I saw you asking for a drink at the other end of the bar. You look like a string—sorry, we don’t serve strings here.”

The string came back to our table, look-ing really pissed-off, rather than bummed. We told the string to relax, sit down and try one more time when the waitress came back to our table. When the waitress came over, the string told her she’ d get a big tip if she would get him a bottle of their best champagne. The waitress said, “I’ d like to

serve you. It’s $300 a bottle, and it would be great to get a nice tip—but, we don’t serve strings here. Aren’t you a string?”

The string just lost it. He rubbed his hair frantically, folded his arms and said, “I’m a frayed knot!” (Afraid not.)

tRaCy: Yeah, that’s a good one! But this article is about weak links used for aerotowing. What’s the connection to frayed knots?

Lisa: Many pilots don’t really un-derstand weak links. Simply, the ideal weak link used for aerotowing consists of a continuous loop of string or length of material, without a knot in it—es-pecially not a frayed knot—because a knot weakens the string and weakens it inconsistently, resulting in inconsistent breaking strengths.

tRaCy: The idea of using a continuous loop of string is great, but knot—I mean not—practical. It is too hard to make and attach a continuous loop of string.

Lisa: Ah, but there’s a way to get close to that ideal. Before we get into the specifics of how to tie a better weak link, let’s discuss some of the legal and practi-cal aspects of weak links.

tRaCy: OK. Now, we are going to get serious and technical, with numbers and calculations. If readers want to know details on the WHAT and WHY of weak links, they should continue reading from here. If they just want to know the HOW, they can skip most of the words and numbers and jump down to the section with the pictures.

Lisa: Oh, like reading a Playboymagazine.

tRaCy: I’ll start with a legal review. The FAA has mandated requirements for weak links in FAR 91.309(a)(3) [ref 1] for civil aircraft towing sailplanes, ultralight gliders, and hang gliders in the US. It

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states:(3) The towline used has breaking

strength not less than 80 percent of the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle and not more than twice this operating weight. However, the towline used may have a breaking strength more than twice the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider or unpowered ultra-light vehicle if—

(i) A safety link is installed at the point of attachment of the towline to the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle with a breaking strength not less than 80 percent of the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider or unpowered ultra-light vehicle and not greater than twice this operating weight.

and(ii) A safety link is installed at the point

of attachment of the towline to the towing aircraft with a breaking strength greater, but not more than 25 percent greater, than that of the safety link at the towed glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle end of the

towline and not greater than twice the maximum certificated operating weight of the glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle.

So, for the weak link at the hang glider end of the towline, the FAA man-dates a breaking strength that is 80% to 200% of the maximum certificated operating weight (MCOW) of the glider. The MCOW of the glider is the total allowable weight of the glider, pilot, har-ness, and anything else attached to the glider, based on certification. In contrast, USHPA aerotow guidelines recommend a weak link breaking strength of 1G, which is 100% of the actual operating weight of the hang glider [ref 2]. A weak link that breaks at the actual operating weight of the glider may or may not fall within FAA requirements, depending on

where the weak link is placed.Lisa: Could you explain how that

works, with examples?tRaCy: I’ll explain how that works by

comparing FAA weak link requirements with USHPA recommendations for (a) a very light, small hang glider, (b) a larger, heavier hang glider, and (c) a tandem glider.

If you look at the specifications for the Falcon 3 145 on the Wills Wing web site [ref 3], it shows that the hook-in weight range is 120 to 190 lbs. The glider weighs 45 lbs. and the maximum hook-in weight allowed is 190 lbs., so we can assume that the total MCOW for this glider is 235 lbs. That means—per the FAA’s require-ments—the weak link on the hang glider end of the towline must have a breaking

T I E A ( B E T T E R ) W E A K L I N K “Simply, the ideal weak link used for

aerotowing consists of a continuous loop of

string or length of material, without a knot in it.”

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148 sq.ft.32.33 ft.7.0126°68 lbs.160 - 245 lbs.3 and above3 and above

Sail AreaWing Span

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strength between 188 lbs. and 470 lbs., which are 80 percent and 200 percent of the operating weight of the glider, respectively. If a pilot hooks in at the high limit of 190 lbs., then per USHPA’s recommendation of using a 1G weak link, the weak link should have a breaking strength of the actual 235 lb. operating weight of the glider, which is within the FAA required range of 188 to 470 lbs. If a pilot hooks in at the low limit of 120 lbs., then per USHPA’s recommendation of using a 1G weak link, the weak link should have a breaking strength of the actual 165 lb. operating weight of the glider, which would be below the FAA required range of 188 to 470 lbs.! Any pilot with a hook-in weight less than 143 lbs. would have to use a weak link with a breaking strength of more than 1G to be legal. Conversely, a pilot who hooks in at the low limit could legally use a weak

link with a breaking strength of up to 470 lbs.

Lisa: That would be a 2.85G weak link, which is 285% of a 1G weak link.

tRaCy: That example assumes that the weak link is placed directly on, or in line with, the towline, such as on the end of the towline or at the apex of the pilot’s V-bridle. The situation is differ-ent when the weak link is attached to one end of a V-bridle, such as at the top of the V-bridle, where it connects to the primary release. To break at a certain towing load, the strength required of the weak link on the V-bridle would be half of that load, plus about 15% due to the vector angle of the bridle. It works out to be a ratio of about 0.575 to 1 for a typical 3-point bridle. This ratio is dependent on the length of the V-bridle and the angle it makes relative to the towline, which is explained in the Pagen/Bryden book

Towing Aloft [ref 4]. As such, USHPA’s 1G recommendation for weak link strength for a weak link on a V-bridle is considered a nominal 1G value, rather than an actual 1G value. Using the same ratio of 0.575 to 1, a nominal 1G weak link on the end of the V-bridle equates to about 1.74G of force on the towline.

If a pilot flying a 45 lb. Falcon 3 145 hooks in at the high limit of 190 lbs. and uses a nominal 1G weak link of 235 lbs. at one end of the V-bridle, the weak link will actually break when the load on the tow rope is 409 lbs., which is within the FAA required range of 188 to 470 lbs. If a pilot hooks in at the low limit of 120 lbs. and uses a nominal 1G weak link of 165 lbs. at one end of the V-bridle, the weak link will break when the actual load on the tow rope is 287 lbs., which is also within the FAA required range of 188 to 470 lbs.

The relationship for an actual 1G weak link placed on or in-line with the towline for a Falcon 3 145 compared to the FAA’s requirements and a nominal 1G weak link placed on the V-bridle is illustrated in the chart below.

Lisa: So when an actual 1G weak link is placed directly in line with the tow rope, it will not be FAA-legal across the pilot hook-in weight range of the glider—but a USHPA-recommended nominal 1G weak link placed on one end of the V- bridle will be legal across the pilot

1

USHPA Nominal 1G Weak Link

on V-Bridle

FAA Required 80%-200% MCOW

Actual 1G Weak Link

on Tow Line

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Towline Force in Pounds

Weak Link Strength for Falcon 3 145


hook-in weight range for the glider and is relatively in the middle of the FAA’s required range for breaking strength.

tRaCy: Let’s look at another example for the larger and heavier Wills Wing Sport 2 175. Their web site [ref 3] shows that the hook-in weight range is 175 to 320 lbs., and the glider weighs 70 lbs. We can assume that the MCOW for this glider is 390 lbs. In this case, per FAA requirements, the weak link used for the hang glider must have a breaking strength between 312 lbs. and 780 lbs. if it is placed directly in-line or on the towline. The actual operating weight of the glider can range from 245 to 390 lbs. If an actual 1G weak link was used on or in-line with the towline, anything used less than 312 lbs. would not be FAA-legal. Conversely, a pilot who hooks in at the low limit could legally use a weak link with a breaking strength of 780 lbs., which would be a 3.18G weak link.

If a pilot flying a Sport 2 175 hooks in at the low end of the allowable range and places a nominal 1G 245 lb. weak link on one end of his/her V-bridle, the weak link would break when actual towline load reaches 426 lbs. If a pilot hooks in to the Sport 2 175 at the high end of the allowable range and places a nominal 1G 390 lb. weak link on one end of their V-bridle, the weak link would break when actual towline load reaches 678 lbs. The range of 426 to 678 lbs. is within the FAA-legal limits of 312 and 780 lbs. So again, a nominal 1G weak link placed

on the V-bridle is legal for all allowable hook-in weights for this glider. This rela-tionship is illustrated in the chart above.

Lisa: Again, an actual 1G weak link attached in line with the towline will not always meet FAA requirements, but a USHPA nominal 1G weak link placed on the V-bridle will be FAA-legal and will be relatively in the middle of the FAA-required range of breaking strength. You mentioned that you would also give an

example for a tandem glider.tRaCy: According to the specifica-

tions for the Falcon 3 Tandem that are posted on the Wills Wing web site [ref 3], the allowable hook-in range is 185 lbs. to 500 lbs., and the glider weighs 71 lbs. MCOW can assumed to be 571 lbs. The FAA would require use of a weak link for the hang glider that breaks when towline loads are anywhere between 457 lbs. and 1142 lbs., which is 80% to 200% of

2


on V-Bridle


Actual 1G Weak Link

on Tow Line

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800


Weak Link Strength for Sport 2 175


MCOW.If an actual 1G weak link was used

and placed directly in line with the towline, it could have a breaking strength as low as 256 lbs. or as high as 571 lbs., depending on hook-in weight. Any actual 1G weak link used that is below 457 lbs. would not be FAA-legal. However, if a nominal 1G weak link was placed on one end of the tandem’s V-bridle, it could handle towing loads as low as 445 lbs. to

as high as 993 lbs., depending on hook-in weight.

This relationship is illustrated below.Lisa: So, except for the very lightest

pilot scenario, a nominal 1G weak link placed on the V-bridle is legal across the recommended hook-in weight range of the glider, whereas it is not for an actual 1G weak link placed in line with the towline.

tRaCy: Actually, if the tandem’s

V-bridle was made just a little bit longer, to change the force vector angle and reduce the load placed on the weak link, a nominal 1G weak link would work across the entire hook-in weight range for the tandem glider.

Lisa: Can the same strength weak link legally be used for different sized gliders?

tRaCy: Sure, as long as it is a weak link that breaks when tow forces reach 80% to 200% of MCOW for the par-ticular glider being towed. For example, we can legally use weak links for the small and light Falcon 3 145, placed on the V-bridle, that can range from 108 to 270 lbs. Comparatively, we can legally use weak links for the larger and heavier Sport 2 175, placed on the V-bridle, that can range from 179 to 449 lbs. The over-lap is 179 to 270 lbs., so any weak link within that range could legally be used for both these gliders.

Lisa: So, the typical weak link used for aerotowing most hang gliders, made as a single loop from 130 lb. line, will have a nominal 1G breaking strength of 260 lbs. and be legal for both the very small, light glider and the heavier, larger glider—assuming there is no reduction in strength of the weak link due to a knot in the line.

tRaCy: And these are extreme cases. When we look at gliders and pilots of more average size, the standard 260 lb. weak link placed on the end of the V-bridle is FAA-legal for most gliders and

3


on V-Bridle


Actual 1G Weak Link

on Tow Line

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200


Weak Link Strength for Falcon 3 Tandem


pilots, and closer to the USHPA nominal 1G recommendation.

Lisa: What about the weak link used for a tandem glider?

tRaCy: OK, let’s look again at the specs for the Falcon 3 Tandem glider on the Wills Wing web site [ref 3]. The glider weighs 71 lbs., and the maximum allowable hook-in weight is 500 lbs. This means the MCOW of the glider is 571 lbs. The FAA would require use of a weak link with a breaking strength of 457 lbs. to 1142 lbs., if it was placed directly in line or on the tow rope. If placed at the end of the tandem pilot’s V-bridle, a legal weak link would have a breaking strength between 263 and 675 lbs.

Lisa: So the standard 260 lb. weak link used for solo gliders is not quite strong enough to be legal for the Falcon 3 Tandem.

tRaCy: Actually, it could be legal if a longer V-bridle was used to reduce the load experienced by the weak link.

Lisa: If a stronger weak link was used, could the same weak link legally be used for the small Falcon, the large Sport 2, and the Tandem glider?

tRaCy: Legally, yes! Assuming that the force vector angle of the V-bridles was the same for all three gliders, it would require use of a weak link on the V-bridle with a breaking strength between 263 and 270 lbs., which equates to being between 458 and 470 lbs. of towline force.

The overlap is illustrated in this chart:

Lisa: There is a fair bit of overlap be-tween the two solo gliders, and a fair bit of overlap between the large solo glider and the tandem glider, and even a little overlap between the small solo glider and the tandem glider. The FAA’s require-ments for weak link breaking strength are not very restrictive. Your description helps to show that the allowable range is quite wide, and that because of that wide range, the same strength weak link can legally be used to tow most solo and tandem hang gliders. Although legal, that may not be so practical, as we will discuss in detail later.

tRaCy: It gets a bit more complicated when it comes to calculating the legal requirements for the weak link at the tug end of the rope. But in the example given above for hang gliders, the tug could legally use the same weak link for all three gliders if it was only slightly stronger than the one used by the hang glider pilots, but not greater than 270 lbs. if placed at the end of the tug’s V-bridle, or 470 lbs. if placed directly in line with or on the towline. The way to make the weak link just slightly stronger on the tug is to use the same weak link, but with a longer bridle that has a more acute angle so that the resultant load is less and the tow load breaking strength is a little higher.

Lisa: Some people may not under-stand the difference between nominal values and actual values.

tRaCy: Nominal is a categorical refer-

ence [ref 5]. For example, most everybody knows that 2x4 lumber is not actually 2 inches thick and 4 inches wide. It rough-ly starts out that size when first cut, but by the time it is finished being made, the actual dimensions are about 1½ inches by 3½ inches. Here’s another example of a nominal classification: NiCad batter-ies are given a nominal value of 1.2 volts, but their actual voltage can range from 1.45 volts to 1.0 volt, depending on state of discharge. [ref 6]

Likewise, the USHPA nominal 1G value for weak links is a handy guide-line for pilots, as they can easily figure out the approximate strength of the weak link that they should use on their V-bridle, based on their glider’s actual op-erating weight. There is no specific range of tolerance specified for USHPA’s nomi-nal 1G recommendation--it is not meant to be an exact requirement. The actual weak link used by the pilot must, accord-ing to the FAA, perform appropriately for the operation [ref 7], and function within FAA legal limits [ref 1].

Lisa: You covered some legal aspects of weak link strength. Being legal is important, but so is being practical. Let’s talk about some practical aspects of weak links.

tRaCy: Unlike the FAA’s relatively clear-cut legal rules, the practical aspects of weak link technology and application are not so clear-cut. For some people, talking about weak links is more like talking about religion, politics, or global

4

80%-200% MCOW Falcon 3 Tandem

80%-200% MCOW Sport 2 175

80%-200% MCOW Falcon 3 145

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200


FAA-Required Weak Link Strength for Falcon 3 145, Sport 2 175, and Falcon 3 Tandem


warming—they can get very emotional about it and have difficulty discussing it logically, rationally, or with civility.

Lisa: So let’s try to talk about it ratio-nally, logically, and practically here.

tRaCy: Let’s start with the definition of practical. A good definition of practi-cal [ref 8] is: “of, relating to, governed by, or acquired through practice or action, rather than theory, speculation, or ideals.”

Lisa: Even though the FAA does not specify the technology of weak link con-struction, there are practical, accepted standard methods of constructing and attaching weak links for sailplanes and hang gliders.

tRaCy: That’s because there are two types of standards, de jure and de facto [ref 9].

De jure standards are those dictated by law, like the FAA’s requirement for weak link strength or created by a stan-dards organization, like ASTM standards for construction of light sport aircraft. Neither the FAA nor ASTM has a de jure standard for weak link construc-tion. About all that the FAA has to say about it is: “Tow ropes and weak links are assembled using a tow ring that is appropriate for the operation” [ref 7]. Similarly, ASTM standards state: ”The rated ultimate strength of the weak links to be used in the towing cable shall be established and shown to be suitable in operation” [ref 10].

De facto standards are those that are market driven and have received wide acceptance by the industry. De facto standards result from many organiza-tions adopting the use of them. When it comes to weak links, the FAA lets the industry and marketplace develop, sell, and use what works—meaning that which is practical and “appropriate to the operation” [ref 7].

Lisa: I get it—it’s like de jure and de facto standards for hang gliders. Hang gliders must meet FAA de jure standards as unpowered ultralights under FAR part 103, and should meet HGMA de jure certification standards. But, the common design and construction methods used by

hang glider manufacturers are de facto standards, as are the selection and use of hang gliders by individuals and organiza-tions.

tRaCy: Right. The FAA doesn’t require hang glider manufacturers to make hang gliders a certain way. It is a practical de facto standard that hang gliders are made from aluminum tubing, carbon fiber, steel wire, bolts, other hard-ware, and Dacron, Mylar, and some other sail materials. Likewise, it is a practical de facto standard that light, easy-to-fly single-surface gliders are used for train-ing, and that heavier, more difficult-to-fly topless gliders are usually used by compe-tition pilots.

Lisa: Flying an appropriate glider is practical. The FAA doesn’t dictate that to us for solo flight, as long as we meet the requirements of FAR part 103 when we fly.

tRaCy: Right again. Likewise, the FAA regulations and ASTM standards allow us to use whatever weak link design works for our towing opera-tion, as long as it is appropriate to the operation and falls within their required range of breaking strength. If, after all these years, the FAA—and more recently ASTM—have not set specific design and construction requirements for weak links for sailplanes, they are probably not going to set specific weak link design and construction requirements for hang gliders, either.

Lisa: Sailplane weak links rarely fail inadvertently—that’s not so much the case for hang gliding weak links. To help people understand why this is so, I think that it would be good to describe and compare de facto standard sailplane weak link designs with hang glider weak link designs.

tRaCy: One standard weak link design for sailplanes is to just use the tow rope itself as the weak link, as long as it has a breaking strength between 80% and 200% of the MCOW of the glider, per FAR 91.309(a)(3). The de facto stan-dard is to use ¼”, 5/16”, or 3/8” hollow braid polypropylene rope, commonly

with breaking strengths of about 1000 lbs., 1500 lbs., and 2000 lbs., respectively [ref 11]. These tensile strengths can vary a bit, depending upon manufacturer of the rope. Any of those three rope diameters would be legal for us to use as a weak link for our Blanik, with a MCOW of 1100 lbs., but, practically, we feel that 1500 lbs. is best. Of the three diameters of polypro tow rope, only a ¼” tow rope would be legal for us to use as a weak link for our Alatus ultralight sailplane.

Lisa: 1000 lbs. is at the maximum limit for our Alatus. Practically, it is better for us to add a lighter weak link at the end of the ¼” tow rope for the Alatus.

tRaCy: Adding a second, lighter weak link on to the towline is a very popular de facto standard weak link design for sailplanes. Here, a thicker tow rope is used as the weak link for the tug and a short length of thinner tow rope is attached to the glider end of the long tow rope as the weak link for the glider. The short length of thinner rope can be spliced directly into the thicker tow rope or attached to the end of the tow rope using hardware. Splices are used rather than knots, because knots significantly and inconsistently reduce the strength of the rope. We prefer this weak link style for our Blanik as well as the Alatus. For the Blanik, we use 3/8” polypro as the towline and 5/16” polypro as the weak link line added to the end of the towline. This way, the weak link for the glider is 1500 lbs. and the weak link for the tug is 2000 lbs., which is 25% greater than the weak link for the glider, but not more than twice the MCOW of the glider.

The top rope in the picture above is a 5/16” polypro 1500 lb. tow rope that defaults as the weak link for both the tug and sailplane, the middle one is a 3/8” polypro 2000 lb. tow rope that defaults as the weak link for the tug with a 5/16” 1500 lb. weak link for the sailplane spliced into the end, and the bottom rope is an alternative 5/16” 1500 lb. weak link that can be separately attached to a tow rope. The top two use a TOST-style tow ring for use with a TOST release

mechanism, while the bottom one uses a Schweizer tow ring for use with a Schweizer release mechanism.

Lisa: Those approaches to weak link design are very practical and are widely used for sailplanes. It is important to realize that most sailplane operations use polypro for the tow rope rather than Spectra®. Unlike Spectra, polypro has some stretch to it under load—and can stretch up to 20% before breaking. It acts like a shock absorber to soften impact loads, which helps to prevent damage to the structure and hardware of the tow plane and sailplane and helps to avoid unnecessary weak link breaks.

tRaCy: A third practical, but less common and more expensive, de facto standard for sailplanes is use of a metal TOST weak link. This weak link design is more commonly used in Europe than in the U.S., and is more commonly used for winch towing. The TOST weak link is a small strip of metal precisely fabri-cated to break at a specific load, within a tolerance of plus/minus 5% [ref 11]. It can be attached to one or both ends of the towline with shackles, and is covered by a protective metal sheath. A primary and secondary TOST weak link can be mounted together under the same protective sheath, so that the secondary is a back-up in case the primary weak link fails prematurely. They will both fail properly in an overload situation. TOST weak links come in eleven different color-

coded sizes, including sizes light enough to be used for hang gliders.

Lisa: How about describing de facto standards for weak links used for aerotowing hang gliders?

tRaCy: Based on several decades of experience and hundreds of thousands of tows conducted by numerous aerotow operators across the county, the de facto standard has become use of a 260 lb. weak link made as a loop of 130 lb. green spot IGFA [ref 12] Dacron braided fish-ing line attached to one end of the pilot’s V-bridle. It is a de facto standard, because it works for most pilots and gliders and is usually near the USHPA recommenda-tion of a nominal 1G weak link for most pilots. For example, a mid-size Sport 2 155 with a pilot who has a hook-in weight that is in the middle of the recommend-ed weight range will weigh about 260 lbs., so a loop of 130 lb. line is just right. This strength of line also meets FAA requirements for most sizes of gliders and weights of hang glider pilots. Lighter green spot line is available for very light pilots, and heavier line is also available for heavier pilots, tandems, and the tug.

It is important to realize that, per FAA requirements, the weak link on the tug cannot be more than 25% stronger than the weak link used for the glider. That means, in most cases, for solo pilots when 130 lb. green spot is used to make a 260 lb weak link, the weak link at-tached on one end of the tug’s V-bridle

should have a breaking strength that is no more than 325 lbs. Green spot 160 lb. line works great for a weak link on the tug’s V-bridle, because it makes a 320 lb. weak link, which is just under the 25% greater limit of 325 lbs. If a trike or some other tug is used where the tug’s weak link is incorporated as part of the towline, rather than on a V-bridle, the tug’s weak link should have an actual breaking strength of about 520 lbs. if towing a hang glider using a nominal 1G 260 lb. weak link on the V-bridle. This can be adjusted up or down a bit for performance and to stay within FAA requirements, but is convenient because a double loop of 130 lb. green spot line can be used to make a 520 lb. weak link.

The same approach works for tandem gliders, but the numbers are higher. For example, if the total weight of a tandem glider with pilot and student is 416 lbs., then per the USHPA recommendation of using a nominal 1G weak link, the weak link on the tandem glider’s V-bridle should be 416 lbs. and no more than 520 lbs. for the V-bridle on the tug. In this case, a loop of 200 lb. green spot line could be used to make a 400 lb. loop for the tandem glider’s weak link, and a double loop of 130 lb. green spot could be used to make the 520 lb. weak link for the V-bridle on the tug. Of course, the FAA would legally allow us to use a much stronger weak link, up to 675 lbs. as we described earlier for a Falcon 3 tandem, but it may not be practical to use such a strong weak link on a tug’s V-bridle.

Historically, a 520 lb. double loop of 130 lb. green spot line has been the de facto standard for weak link used on the V-bridle for both the tandem and the tug. Technically, this can be legal if the V-bridle on the tug is longer and has a more acute angle than the V-bridle on the glider, which results in a vector angle that effectively makes the weak link on the tug act slightly stronger than the weak link on the glider. There has been a trend lately for some tandem operators to go with about a 400 lb. weak link on


both the tandem glider and tug V-bridles, rather than 520 lbs., to help protect the equipment from large stresses. If tandem operators think that, practically, a 520 lb. double-loop weak link is too much for a tandem, it is way too much for a solo pilot.

Solo hang glider pilots should not place a 520 lb. double-loop weak link on their V-bridle, unless they get specific approval from the tow operator. It could be hard on the equipment and could be illegal if the tug is using a weaker weak link. It is also far beyond USHPA’s nomi-nal 1g recommendation.

Lisa: Why is green spot IGFA braided Dacron fishing line used?

tRaCy: It ties well, it holds up well, and has about the right tensile strength—and, according to John Vitek, who does line testing for IGFA, it breaks very consistently near 130 lbs. A caveat is that his experience is with line supplied to him by manufacturers, distributors, users, and world record applicants. He said that it is possible that the tensile strength of some line made by a manufacturer could vary more than the line samples that he has received and tested. He also said that if an aerotow operator wants to send him a sample of weak link line to be tested, he will be happy to do it for IGFA’s usual fee.

IGFA braided Dacron fishing line is readily available in a wide range of strengths that work for us, including 100, 130, 160, 180, 200, 250, and 300 lb. line. One source states that their Dacron braided line is IGFA approved, and they publish a chart of the actual tested breaking strengths for their various lines [ref 13]. They state that their 130 lb. line breaks within one pound of 130, which is 5 to 10 times more precise than a metal TOST weak link. Their least precise 180 lb. line breaks within four pounds of 180 lbs., which is still twice as precise as a metal TOST weak link.

Lisa: Can you explain some methods of constructing weak links for hang gliders?

tRaCy: Sure. I’ll start by discussing

some methods that may be legal, but are not common de facto standards. One method would be to make the entire tow rope a weak link, which is a de facto standard for aerotowing sailplanes. For example, a 200-foot length of 400 to 500 lb. braided line would work and be legal as a tow rope that also functions as a weak link for aerotowing most hang gliders. Unfortunately, this line would have such a thin diameter that it would not hold up well to the whipping and dragging on the ground that it would experience over multiple tows. If this were practical, people would be using it as a standard method.

Another method would be to attach a TOST metal weak link to one or both ends of a stronger towline, like they do for sailplanes in Europe. It would work fine at the tug end of the towline, but it may not be practical to have a relatively flat and sharp strip of metal at the end of the towline near the hang glider pilot. Likewise, it would probably not be prac-tical to put it on the pilot’s V-bridle, be-cause it is a flat and sharp piece of metal and would not pass through the tow ring well at release. If this were practical for hang gliding, people would be using it as a standard method.

Lisa: How about explaining some accepted standard methods of making

weak links for hang gliders?tRaCy: An old de facto standard,

from the early days of aerotowing hang gliders, involved placing a pre-tied 1G weak link loop directly on to the end of the tow rope or at the apex of the pilot’s V-bridle. This was a method borrowed from surface towing. Early ultralight tugs did not have much power compared to the LSA tugs used today, and weak links could be weaker. The climb angles were shallow and the tow forces were lighter, so an actual 1G weak link used in-line with the tow rope was practical—and likely the basis for creation of the original 1G USHGA recommendation for weak link strength. Like today, a 130 lb. line would work fine for making the weak link. Some older literature on hang glider aerotowing describes tying weak links for use on a V-bridle with an extra knot in the line to weaken it. In this situation, the weak link on the V-bridle would only be about 1/2g, but would break when about a 1g load was placed on the tow rope. [ref 4]

The LSA tugs used today are much more powerful, with greater climb angles and tow forces. To prevent inadvertent weak link breaks, the de facto standard today is to place a 1g weak link, usu-ally 260 lbs., on the end of the V-bridle instead of on the tow rope or at the apex


of the V-bridle. The USHPA recommen-dation of making a weak link with a 1G breaking strength still applies, but the 1G weak link is now normally placed on one end of the V-bridle instead of onto or in line with the tow rope. The current 1G recommendation is a nominal value, whereas the original 1G recommenda-tion was an actual value. Bear in mind, that a 1G weak link placed in-line with the tow rope may not be FAA-legal, if a light pilot is flying a big glider with a high MCOW, as we explained ear-lier. However, in almost all cases, a 1G weak link placed at the end of the pilot’s V-bridle will be FAA-legal.

Lisa: So, specifically, what standard de facto methods are now used for tying weak links for hang gliders?

tRaCy: Today, there are two gener-ally accepted and widely used methods for tying weak links: (a) Pre-tied and (b) Wrap and Tie (WT). One involves pre-tying the weak link line into a loop before putting it on the V-bridle; the other involves threading the weak link line through the loop at the end of the V-bridle, wrapping it three to five times, and then tying it to make a loop.

To make a pre-tied weak link, a short 9-10” length of line is tied into a loop with a grapevine knot, then attached to the smaller loop at the end of the V-bridle with a lark’s head knot [ref 4]. The resultant loop should be one to two inches long—if longer it can whip and snag on to the tow ring as it passes through the ring at release. Pre-tied weak links made from 130 lb. green spot line work well for many aerotowing opera-tions, are practical and appropriate for those operations, and thus this method has become a de facto standard.

The picture to the left shows the length of line, tied into a loop with the grapevine knot, then attached to both a thin Spectra and a thicker polypro bridle with a lark’s head knot. Note how much more surface area is provided by the polypro bridle, so that pressure subjected to the weak link by the bridle is spread out over a much a larger area, and is thus

reduced per unit area of the weak link—which helps to reduce the chance of an inadvertent weak link break.

Some aerotowing operations—partic-ularly ones with more powerful tugs like ours here at Cloud 9—have found that pre-tied weak links fail inconsistently and too frequently. Sometimes they per-form well by breaking as expected under high loads, and not breaking inadver-tently in mild turbulence, but sometimes they fail unexpectedly. This inconsistent weakness is likely caused by (a) the knot in the line that is used to pre-tie the weak link, (b) the garroting action of the lark’s head knot, and (c) the ability of the weak link to loosen, shift, and wear. This is ex-acerbated by use of a Spectra bridle rather than a polypro bridle due to the smaller surface area of the Spectra bridle line and the inability of Spectra to absorb shock.

We and some other tow operators get significantly better results by using a Wrap-and-Tie (WT) weak link, made of the same 130 lb. green spot line. To make this kind of weak link, cut a 12-inch piece of line, thread it through the loop at the end of the V-bridle, wrap it around three to five times, and tie it with a simple overhand knot at the very end. Then, add two more overhand knot ties, just inside the other ones. Pull the inner loop to use as your weak link, leaving the knots on the inside of the V-bridle loop, so that the knots are separated by the remaining loops as much as possible from the pulling force applied on the weak link in the middle. Here at Cloud 9, we prefer wrapping five times, so that the center loop is used for the weak link, and the knot is separated from the weak link loop by the two additional loops on each side of it.

The picture on the following page shows the cut piece of line, threaded through and wrapped five times around the loop of the bridle, and then tied at the end with three overhand knots. The knotted end of the weak link is moved into the inside of the bridle loop, and the middle loop of the weak link is pulled out. Then the middle weak link

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loop is pulled tight, snugging down the additional outer loops on to the bridle. The resultant loop should be one to two inches long to prevent it from snagging on to the tow ring.

The WT style of weak link performs very consistently, likely due to the extra weak link loops snugging down onto the bridle and not shifting around, and because the knot used to make it is separated far from the pulling pressures. Basically, it removes the knot from the actual weak link loop that is used, so it behaves much like a continuous loop of line without a knot in it.

Lisa: What about a three-line weak link?

tRaCy: It is an acceptable method [ref 4], but not necessarily a de facto standard. It can be used to make, for example, a 390 lb. weak link from 130 lb. line for use on a tug. It requires the use of two knots, one at each end of the weak link to attach it to the bridle or ring, and it doesn’t really work on a pilot’s V-bridle. A practical option would be to just make a 400 lb. WT loop from 200 lb. line.

Lisa: You and I have flown sailplanes for almost as long as we have flown hang gliders. We own two sailplanes and have two airplanes that we use for towing full-size sailplanes. In all the time that we have flown and towed sailplanes, we have not experienced or even seen a sailplane

weak link break.Lisa: It’s not that it doesn’t happen,

but it is a rare occurrence.Russell Brown, a founder of Quest Air

in Florida and a well-known Dragonfly tug pilot, is also a sailplane pilot, tug pilot, and A&P mechanic for a large commercial sailplane towing operation in Florida. He told us that, like us, he has never seen a sailplane weak link break, either. Russell owned the first 914-pow-ered Dragonfly ever made—he helped us build the second one, which we still fly. He is the one who, many years ago, showed us the method for making a WT weak link and suggested we use polypro-pylene rather than Spectra for hang glider V-bridles.

Jim Lee, two-time US Hang Gliding National Champion and six-time US comp point champion, was our com-mercial pilot sailplane instructor. He is a sailplane distributor, instructor, and tow pilot in Florida. He recently told us that he has only seen two sailplane weak link breaks, and experienced one himself, when he and the tow plane had to turn sharply on tow to avoid a helicopter that flew into their flight path. He said that his weak link performed properly in that situation.

tRaCy: So, let’s look at the purpose of weak links used for sailplanes. The FAA doesn’t say much about that in print.

Based on other literature and what we have learned, weak links are primarily used to help prevent structural failure of the glider or tow plane when unusu-ally high loads are applied on the towing system. The SSA specifies the purpose of a weak link as: “designed to break under extreme load to prevent damage” [ref 14]. They should be weak enough to fail before anything on the tow plane or gliders fails, but not so weak that un-intentional breaks occur. In addition to preventing structural failure, weak links may break: (a) to prevent loss of control of the tow plane or glider in unusual attitudes, (b) when tow forces increase as a glider gets outside of the cone of safety, and (c) sooner or later after a lockout has started.

A pilot should not expect a weak link to break to prevent a lockout. Sometimes the pressures produced at the start of a lockout are high, and the weak link may break early. Sometimes the pressures are not very high at the start of the lockout and don’t get high until the lockout pro-gresses much further—in that case the weak link will break later. In either case, the primary purpose of the weak link is to protect the structure and equipment of the glider and tug by separating them—it is not to prevent a lockout.

Lisa: Actually, that is our expectation of performance for weak links on hang gliders here at Cloud 9, too. Primarily, we want the weak link to fail as needed to protect the equipment, and not fail inadvertently or inconsistently. We want our weak links to break as early as pos-sible in lockout situations, but be strong and reliable enough to avoid frequent weak link breaks from turbulence. It is the same expectation of performance that we have for the weak links we use for towing sailplanes.

tRaCy: Practically, some hang glider aerotow operators may want to use weak links that are at the low end of the legal range, let’s say with an actual breaking strength between 80% and 100% of the MCOW of the glider. In this case, they may experience more unintentional

breaks, but breaks will occur with less stress applied to the structure of the tow plane or glider. In this case, there is less likelihood that the tug will experience loss of control or structural failure before a weak link breaks when a glider gets out of the cone of safety. On the other hand, some operations may want to use weak links that are stronger but legal, primarily to avoid unintentional weak link breaks.

Either case is legal if within FAA limits, and can be ethical and practical if it works effectively and safely for that operation. The strength of the weak link that is appropriate for a particular opera-tion can depend on the power of the tug and resultant climb rate and climb angle of the tow. To be legal, a hang glider pilot should not just use any strength weak link they want to use, it must be within legal limits, and coordinated with the weak link used at the tug end of the rope.

We have very powerful tugs here at Cloud 9 with very large and efficient Prince P-tip propellers. The diameter of the propellers we use on our Rotax 914 engines is the same diameter as the propellers we have on our Skymaster 225 hp engines—in fact, because of the P-tip, the effective diameter is increased by 6 inches, to 84 inches, which is 7 feet [ref 15]. The climb rate we get is amazing. Weather permitting, we tow on a daily basis here through most of the flying season, but we only see a few weak link breaks here each season. Most of our solo pilots here at Cloud 9 use the 130 lb. line, so that they are towing with a 260 lb. nominal 1G WT weak link on a polypro V-bridle, which equates to using an actual 1.7G weak link on the towline.

Dr. Lionel D. Hewitt, professor of physics and developer of the 2-to-1 center-of-mass Skyting bridle for surface towing, is well respected for his knowledge of towing, bridles, and weak links [ref 4]. His position on weak link strength for aerotowing of hang gliders seems to be consistent with ours. He has acknowledged that we especially need to avoid inadvertent weak link breaks while

aerotowing, because much of aerotowing takes place over unlandable terrain. That, along with recognizing that towing pres-sures vary considerably while on aerotow, has led him to suggest the use of a weak link that breaks in the neighborhood of 1.5G of towline pressure [ref 16]. This is near to what actually results when a USHPA-recommended nominal 1G weak link is placed at the top end of a V-bridle used for aerotowing.

Lisa: We know that some aerotow hang gliding operations and pilots experience a relatively high incidence of weak link breaks. Why do you think that happens?

tRaCy: There are many reasons, but for most pilots it is not because the standard 130 lb. green spot Dacron line used to make weak links for hang gliders is too weak.

One problem for them could be use of a pre-tied weak link, which has both a grapevine knot and garroting lark’s head knot that can cause the weak link to break inconsistently. Sailplane weak links avoid using knots, and the WT style of weak link effectively doesn’t have a knot near the working weak link, which allows the line to maintain its integrity and break reliably as needed.

Another factor is the size and material used for the pilot’s V-bridle. A Spectra bridle has almost no stretch, so sharp, impact loads are transferred directly to the weak link, while a polypro bridle has a reasonable amount of stretch and can act as a shock absorber and reduce the intensity of the impact load.

Lisa: Without shock absorption, a Spectra bridle acts somewhat like an impact wrench on the weak link.

tRaCy: Right. It just hammers away at it. A Spectra bridle typically has a rela-tively small diameter, and thus applies a type of garroting action on the weak link, compared to a larger diameter polypro bridle, which spreads the pressures over a larger area of the weak link. Also, the shorter the V-bridle, the more stress is applied to the weak link due to the resultant vector of force. The worst per-

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formance comes from a relatively short Spectra or thin pro-tow bridle, especially when the weak link is attached directly onto the thin curved pin of the second-ary release, which imparts high loads over a very small area of the weak link. The best performance comes from three-point bridle using an appropriately long primary V-bridle made from ¼” or 5/16” diameter polypro. The overall length of a three-point bridle system is much longer than that of a short pro-tow bridle, and thus will have more stretch and shock absorbing quality. Here at Cloud 9, we experience the most reliable weak link performance by using WT style weak links and three-point polypro primary and secondary bridles.

The use of a Spectra bridle is an ac-cepted de facto standard, and works well for many towing operations. It just does not work well for our towing operation here at Cloud 9.

Lisa: We used to see more weak link breaks happen here at Cloud 9 in the past, when more visiting pilots flying here were using pre-tied weak links and Spectra bridles. Because Spectra is slippery, we also used to see their bridles sometimes slip apart on tow. Some bridle makers are sewing their Spectra bridles now. We just have not had a problem with our polypro bridles slipping apart.

tRaCy: There are other factors that affect weak link performance. Faster tows create more drag, which increases load on the weak link, and makes the turbulence impart a sharper impact load on the weak link. Higher climb rates and climb angles impart more load on the weak link, as does towing in a position that is too high or low, or too far to the side, rather than in the center of the cone of safety. Towing without a fin decreases directional stability and smoothness of the tow, which increases load and wear on the weak link. Likewise, pro-towing decreases smoothness and the ability to control the tow and can increase loads on the weak link, as described earlier.

These factors lead to a relatively high frequency of weak link breaks at aerotow

hang gliding competitions. An inad-vertent weak link break places a pilot at a competitive disadvantage and can increase the chance of personal injury or damage to their glider—which is also a competitive disadvantage.

To be safer and tow more smoothly, a comp pilot could use a small fin [ref 17] on his/her glider and use a three-point V-bridle instead of a pro-tow V-bridle. If they want to stick with a pro-tow bridle, they could reduce the likelihood of an inadvertent weak link break by: (a) using a polypro rather than Spectra bridle, to reduce the intensity of the shock load placed on the weak link; (b) making their bridle a bit longer so that the force vector on the weak link has the effect of making the weak link stronger; (c) using a slightly stronger weak link, such as 160 lb. rather than 130 lb. line—but only if that stronger weak link is coordinated with the weak link used by the tug; and/or (d) using a WT-style weak link rather than a pre-tied weak link, so that it will more consistently break at its intended strength.

Lisa: Finally, everyone should know that thorough aerotow training and cur-rency results in a more proficient aerotow pilot who can tow more smoothly and can stay more precisely in the center of the cone of safety [ref 18]. When hang glider pilots can fly their gliders on tow as smoothly as a sailplane flies on tow, it is less likely that they will experience an inadvertent weak link break.

Is that it for this article?tRaCy: We could get into details of

lab testing weak links and bridles, but this article is already getting long. That would be a good topic for an article in the future. Besides, with our back-grounds in formal research, you and I both know that lab tests may produce results with good internal validity, but are often weak in regard to external validity—meaning lab conditions cannot completely include all the factors and variability that exists in reality in the big, real world. What we have covered in this article is practical information and

knowledge gleaned from the real world of aerotowing, developed over decades and hundreds of thousands of tows by experts in the field. This information has practical external validity. Hopefully, someone will develop methods and technology that work better than what we are using as standard practice today. Like the methods and technology used today, it is unlikely that the new technol-ogy will be dictated onto us as a de jure standard. Rather, to become a de facto standard, that new technology will need to be made available in the marketplace, proven in the real world, and then em-braced by our sport.

Lisa: I’m looking forward to that. You were right; this has been a serious and technical discussion. So to finish, I have another joke…

An old weak link walks into a bar and sits down next to a string. The string says,

“This is a string bar, they don’t serve weak links here. Aren’t you a weak link?” To which the weak link replied: “No, I’m a frayed knot!”

tRaCy: You know, you’ve got to be kind of weird to tell a joke about weak links.

Lisa: And just as weird to understand it!

This article was peer-reviewed and ap-proved for publication by the USHPA Towing Committee.

Lisa is the Associate Dean and Professor of Surgery at the University of Michigan Medical School, and is past chair of the USHPA Towing committee. Tracy is a retired university professor, current chair of the Towing committee, and regional director for USHPA Regions 7 & 13. He is also a FAAst Team Safety Counselor for the FAA Detroit FSDO area. They are both very active multi-engine commercial airplane and glider pilots, tug pilots, and tandem hang gliding instructors for the Dragon Fly Soaring Club at Cloud 9 Field (46MI), Michigan. Please feel free to contact them about towing related issues at [email protected].


References1. “Towing: Gliders and Unpowered

Ultralight Vehicles.” Title 14 CFR

Part 91.309: http://ecfr.gpoaccess.

gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=0

95a2e79c9ef532c2a007af7076bf5dc

&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:2.0.1.3

.10.4.7.5&idno=14

2. USHPA written Aerotow (AT)

examination.

3. Wills Wing web site: http://wills-

wing.com

4. “Towing Aloft.” By Dennis Pagen

and Bill Bryden, 1998. Sport

Aviation Publications.

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Dimensional_lumber#Dimensional_

lumber

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_

versus_nominal_value

7. FAA “Glider Flying Handbook.”

(FAA-H-8083-13) p.6-3: http://www.

faa.gov/library/manuals/aircraft/

glider_handbook/media/faa-h-8083-

13.pdf

8. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

practical

9. http://aiimstandardswatch.

typepad.com/aiim_standards_

watch/2007/05/defacto_vs_deju.

html

10. ASTM Standard F2245-11 Annex

1 “Additional Requirements for

Light Sport Airplanes Used to Tow

Gliders” A1.6.1.6.: http://www.astm.

org/Standards/F2245.htm

11. TOST weak link information:

http://www.wingsandwheels.com/

page30.htm

12. International Game Fish

Association web site: http://www.

igfa.org/

13. Tuf Line Break Strength Chart:

http://www.fishingtackledepot.biz/

TUF-LINE-PREMIUM-DACRON-

BRAID-s/2079.htm

14. “Soaring Tech: Unique Soaring

Terms.” By Bill Collum. Definition

of a Weak Link. Soaring magazine,

October 2009, p.11.: http://www.ssa.

org/magazine/archive/ViewIssue.

aspx?year=2009&month=10

15. “Towline: Dragonfly Tales: Tails,

Tips, Tricks and Treats.” by Lisa

Colletti and Tracy Tillman, Hang

Gliding and Paragliding magazine,

September 2007: http://www.ushpa.

aero/article.asp?id=54

16. Dr. Lionel D. Hewett, Interim

Chair Department of Physics, Texas

A&M University-Kingsville. Various

comments posted online.

17. “Higher Education: Welcome

to Fin Land.” by Lisa Colletti and

Tracy Tillman, Hang Gliding and

Paragliding magazine, March 2012:

http://issuu.com/us_hang_glid-

ing_paragliding/docs/1203_

final?mode=window

18. “Higher Education: More about

Aerotowing and the Cone of Safety.”

by Lisa Colletti and Tracy Tillman,

Hang Gliding and Paragliding maga-

zine, September 2011: f

http://issuu.com/us_hang_glid-

ing_paragliding/docs/1109_

web?mode=window

Chelan XC Open2012

Chelan, Washington USA

Cross Country Paragliding CompetitionJuly 8 - 14 thth

We are excited to be putting on theChelan XC Open for 2012! The dates for this years comp will be

July 8th - 14th with the mandatory pilot meeting on the 7th. Check out

our website for more event information.

Chelanxcopen.com

See you in Chelan!Doug and Denise

Chelan XC Open2012

Chelan, Washington USA

Cross Country Paragliding CompetitionJuly 8 - 14 thth

We are excited to be putting on theChelan XC Open for 2012! The dates for this years comp will be

July 8th - 14th with the mandatory pilot meeting on the 7th. Check out

our website for more event information.

Chelanxcopen.com

See you in Chelan!Doug and Denise


you manage get to the top as an industry leader so quickly? Our quick rise to the top did not happen by chance. We knew our market well and had a solid, clearly defined strategy and plan from the beginning. This direction has always been a team choice, and together we are providing innovative products that make a difference. We don’t release products until they are completely finished. We put out beautiful high quality products and

provide impeccable sales and service seven days a week.

Fifteen of the top 20 ranked US pilots will be flying the Niviuk Icepeak 6 this season, with a grand total of 36 IP6 wings being flown by the USA’s top competition pilots. Are you getting similar orders all over the world for the IP6?A big thanks to all the American pilots who, while flying Niviuk wings, have made a mark. This is not limited to competition pilots. I’m delighted we have been able to produce what they want and appreciate their confidence. Niviuk’s serial class Icepeak 6 wing seems to have struck the desired security and performance balance pilots had hoped for this year. The results and pilot feedback received on the IP6 after the Superfinal in Valle de Bravo last February has been very satisfying for Niviuk. The top American pilots have made it clear that they want to fly this glider. We are getting huge orders worldwide. Our importer, Eagle Paragliding in Santa Barbara, California, has done an excellent job of supporting American pilots, and, I must admit, their sale of 36 Icepeak 6’s is one of the highest numbers for a single country.

[above] Joël Debons and Olivier Nef feeling it out | photo by Luc Hentsch.

[below] The IP6 resting at Niviuk headquarters |

photo by Rob Sporrer.

33

[below left] The Niviuk staff takes a photo break at the Coupe Icare. [below right] Simon Takes a test flight and makes goal at Niviuk Headquarters. Photos by Rob Sporrer.

You support the team pilots by showing up for the world-class events. Why is this important? Traveling to various events and competitions in support of our pilots helps tune the small details we are founded on. We need to maintain contact with the pilots who we already know and meet the new faces. These pilots give us excellent input and also drive our design details.

Niviuk now has the world record for foot launching a paraglider from Mount Everest and flying higher than any other glider on the planet. How did Sherpas Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tshering convince you to let them have a Takoo2 tandem wing to fly off Everest? Babu and Lakpa had apparently started their flying with Niviuk paragliders. They contacted us and were clear they wanted to realize this dream with one of our wings. So we got to work creating a lightweight Takoo2 tandem wing for them to fly from the roof of the world. The achievement of these two men is amazing; when I received the news, it left me speechless. I have friends who have climbed Everest. One of them has summited several times. When I shared the pictures Lakpa and Babu had given us, he couldn’t believe it.

You are one of the few brands in the world to have your own factory. How has this changed things for Niviuk, and why is it so important? We started in the beginning doing what we knew best, which was designing and marketing. The high demand for our product gave us visibility in the market, and this success was the link allowing us to make the next step: having our own production facility.

This was our goal from the beginning. We now control the entire process of design, prototyping, production and marketing of our products from A to Z. There can be more headaches; managing a team of 100 people can be challenging, but this control means our hard work and innovations remain private until the product is released.

How did you get hooked up with Gavin McClurg and Jody McDonald and the crew on the Ocean Odyssey? Olivier told me about the Ocean Odyssey (www.offshoreodysseys.com). I received an email from them and realized what they were doing, and, since then, we have enjoyed a close collaboration. I must say it is a pleasure to work with this easygoing couple who are so interesting and professional. They truly inspire.

You did some promotional road tripping here last summer visiting Jackson Hole and Salt Lake City. What did you think of the Wasatch and the Teton Mountains? What story can you share about your trip here? The Alps are beautiful, but after seeing your mountains, I think you have nothing to envy. I was impressed and enjoyed driving through the Wasatch Range into the Tetons. These mountains had me dreaming of the potential for incredible flying. I’ve kept my memories of everything from my trip, including the people. We were welcomed by the local pilots, and we all had a wonderful time together. Skydiving in a wind tunnel was a super experience. Looking at Chip Hildebrand’s large map of his flying accomplishments in Wyoming and listening to his stories of his distance flights where he took food for three days


and crossed areas without landing in bear country was fascinating. I also appreciated the waitress asking for my ID when I ordered a couple of beers with my 45 years and gray hair.

Dominique, is green your favorite color? It’s all over Niviuk products. It is the color of hope.

OLIVIER NEF: CHIEF DESIGNER, R+D, TEST PILOT

Olivier, tell me about your history as a designer, and how you came to work as Niviuk’s designer.I started to design wings in 1999 at Advance with Robert Graham and continued until the end of 2004. Then, a new challenge and opportunity presented itself with Niviuk. I took the leap to go out on my own as a designer.

What is your design philosophy? I design with a focus on the feel of a glider. This feel makes a stronger connection between the pilot and the glider. These design changes must be tested in reality again and again to maximize this concept in each design.

How does the design process work? What is the hardest part of designing wings, and how does the testing come into play? We start with a work plan defining our specific goals and the characteristics we want to be inherent in the final design. We introduce technical solutions to achieve the plan, and we go through many cycles of test flying and modifications. We test and assess each prototype in both thermal flight and the certification testing.

At the Superfinal in Valle de Bravo, Niviuk was the only design team to bring the shark nose to a serial wing. How did you manage to build a glider that proved to be the pilot’s choice at the Superfinal in Mexico? We did a huge amount of work on the IP5 in terms of development, and that hard work gave us a good base to refine that wing into the IP6. I was really excited about working on this year’s IP6, which is a high performance wing that is less extreme.

What is your opinion on wing design debate and regulation? I take every mandatory rule as a new challenge. The certification test and its classifications have their own limitations, and it is relied on too much at this point.


The EN-C Artik 3 is quite a performer with excellent security. What aspects of design helped make this wing exceptional? It’s always the same recipe in all models—technical contributions from the competition designs and a bit of success.

How do consumers know what to believe on the web about glider performance? Is there any way to get through the marketing hype and get real numbers for the wings made by the manufacturers? The figures in calm air are one thing, but in reality they are another. It is very interesting to compare wings in real conditions, in thermals, into the wind, etc. There are many videos on the web moving in this direction.

What’s the one thing pilots should know about their gliders that most don’t? It’s a large puzzle of 1000 pieces, more or less!

What is the most important characteristic for safety on a paraglider? Be aware of its capacities and do not exceed them.

Do you believe in lightweight wings? Is there a downside to having an ultra-lightweight wing?Yes, it’s a wing evolution that I like very much, but there are trade-offs. The wing and material are lighter and easier to transport, but the material is more expensive, and its durability and life are limited.

JEAN-MARC CARON: NIVIUk ABAC TEAM PILOT

Besides your accomplishment of consistently being on the top of the results page for world-class paragliding racing events, what is your role at Niviuk? It’s true that my first role in Niviuk is to make the brand shine with my results, but I’m also here for giving my opinion and my comments about the competition products.

Why have you been so loyal to Niviuk? That is my way of being in life. I’m also experienced enough to know that a paraglider brand cannot always be on top in performance all the time. There are always ups and downs. I know there is no compromise with Olivier Nef, and in Niviuk

[above] Gavin McClurg crosses the skies of Morocco on the Artik 3 | photo by Jody McDonald. [opposite top] Oliver Nef and Eric Reed working out the details. [middle] Edu flying back to work after his lunch break. [bottom] A reminder of the mission greets them at headquarters every day. Photos by Rob Sporrer.

[below] Oli and Simon working it out | photo by

Rob Sporrer.

“Niviuk is just beginning to develop harnesses. It’s amazingly com-

plicated to develop a harness. So we do it as usual: step by step,

we try out many design options and develop the necessary tools. ”

spirit the research and development through competition is a priority in order to develop our business.

What do you think the future of glider certification will look like? What are your hopes? The ban on the open class was too radical, but it was necessary that something was done in order to protect the life of pilots lacking sufficient awareness. I think that one EN E or one EN X will relax the actual test and would be a positive thing. However, performance should not ignore the passive safety of our wings, as we have seen it in recent years.

Racing in 2012 will be about the operator and not the machine, similar to one-class sailing. Do you prefer open-class wings, or do you think the new serial wings are a better choice? The decision taken by many countries is to exclude the open-class wings. I think it’s a good decision. It was necessary to preserve pilots’ lives and restrict our machines’ speed; going through EN testing was inevitable. The competition game has not changed much.

Let’s talk racing, Jean Marc. Any secrets you can share on how to win? I’ve been on many

international podiums, but I’ve never won. The top step escapes me closely every time. I’m still searching how to achieve it. The paragliding “race to goal” competition must be approached much like the “Tour de France” in cycling. Rarely do the escapists on a breakaway win. It’s important to learn how to use the other pilots and to leave at the right time to re-join the lead gaggle. Regularity is a better payoff than the ephemeral bursts, and I’ve understood this from very early on in my racing.

What is the key to getting a good start at a competition? Quickly analyze the different options for a good start position, and do not change the plan 15 minutes before the start. You need to start with the lead group.

Do you use your speed bar to adjust angle of attack to manage your canopy as you enter thermals? Can you elaborate on the two-riser system, and how you fly that system? What is important? I fly with the accelerator and not the “B” risers. I prefer to feel my wing by putting my hands on the “A “ riser. When my angle of attack increases, I accelerate more, when it decreases, I rest. This is a simple concept, but it requires a great deal of energy and can be a real workout on a long task. With the new “2-liners” there is no difference in flying. The only impression one has about this glider is that it is a very resistant glider on the leading edge.

Where in the weight range do you prefer to fly your wings? All the wings have an optimum weight for performance. With the ABAC Team pilots, we test this weight one or two kilograms up and down from the optimum weight and choose a weight best for the conditions.

What is the best single piece of advice you can give competition pilots in order to improve their consistency? You must know how to use the other competitor to be well placed at the end of a race. To win a task is cool, but it’s ephemeral. The

points are counted at the end of the competition, and having regularity is rewarded when the final numbers are tallied.

SIMON ISSENHUTH: DESIGNER, R+D , TEST PILOT

Tell me how you got involved with Niviuk, and how you fit in presently. I’ve known the guys since my early flights. We got along well, and my studies in aerodynamics and engineering at university have been focused on paraglider design. Niviuk has made me a part of their team. Our plans are developed step by step.

How old were you when you started working on glider design? While cleaning out my office recently, I found my first train ticket from six years ago to Verbier’s station to go share ideas with Olivier. At age 22, I started asking Olivier about some modifications on the shapes and other aspects of the glider.

Do your professors at university allow you to bring in paraglider design projects, and do you get your fellow students to help out whenever you have a group project? Yes. Until recently it was

informal, but there has been a great deal of interest among my peers and professors. Some professors are setting up group projects on paraglider design for next year. That’s all I can say about that for now.

Tell me about the harness design and testing facility Niviuk developed. Niviuk is just beginning to develop harnesses. It’s amazingly complicated to develop a harness. So we do it as usual: step by step, we try out many design options and develop the necessary tools. Niviuk just built us a brand-new workroom entirely dedicated to developing new products. This will allow us to do all kind of materials testing and so much more.

The Drifter Pod is the most aerodynamic harness available and took many years to complete. What are the biggest challenges in developing a pod harness? Harness design, especially pod-style design, is a huge undertaking. You need to imagine and visualize the 3D shape you are aiming to create, and then design it with the 2D fabric layers. With a glider, a computer does this stuff. The pod harness design incarnations burn your brain. You make any change on the pod in

[above] Olivier Nef, the designer, finds a climb on the Artik 3.


one location, and it changes some other part of the design. It’s all connected. Material wrinkles show up directly when it’s wrong, and there’s a big stitching job for any change.

How many gliders might you construct to completely finish a design after all the back and forth on the testing and modifying? The record for the shortest amount of iterations of a design may be three gliders before the final product. Usually it takes 5 to 10 gliders to reach a well-balanced glider, fitting our own goals and also the homologation requirement.

Simon, what is there about glider design that regular pilots may not realize? Pilots are at the center of the design process. So many of our major choices are made just to give pilots the feel which we believe is so important. This feel is the strongest characteristic of the Niviuk spirit.

ROB SPORRER: ExCLUSIVE US NIVIUk IMPORTER

How did you begin working with Niviuk? I was competing in Peru at the Cuzco Open back in 2006. I had seen Niviuk wings while traveling in South America. The pilots I spoke with about them had only great things to say. A local pilot offered me a test flight, and I really loved the feel of the glider. I contacted Niviuk and after a courting period, they decided to make me the exclusive US importer.

What have you noticed about Niviuk that sets them apart from other brands? They have not created a single lemon at this point. They refuse to offer a product until it has been completely refined. There is no hesitation on my part to stock the shelves with their product. We don’t need to have one wing sent before making a big order to see if it will be something we like. They have proven themselves. We know whatever arrives will be exceptional. Their focus is solely on paragliding products, and they put more time into product refinement than anyone else.

What do you like best about flying? Definitely the “freedom.” Paragliding can be enjoyed at so many different levels, and pilots have the freedom to choose what they wish to make of their flying experience. Some favor ridge soaring or top-to-bottom flights at their local hill or mountain. Others try to extend their flights going as far as they can on cross-country adventures. Some choose aerobatics by exploring the energy and power found in that realm. You have the freedom to pick the risk/reward equation that suits you, and the sky tribe will not judge you.

What’s your story, and how did you get to where you are—an instructor, administrator, regional director, and coach of the US team at the world championship every two years? I was lucky to find both paragliding and Santa Barbara in 1995 and even luckier to have Eagle Paragliding find me in 1997. Pilots on the south coast here in Santa Barbara had Tom Truax showing us the way. Sundowner has some stories, but nobody had more passion and gave as much to students as Tom. I apprenticed with SD for a year before working for, and eventually taking over, Eagle Paragliding. Dixon White became my instructing mentor, and

[above] Big Guns Brad Gunnuscio testing out the

Zion micro glider at his backyard launch on the north side of the Point |

photo by Rob Sporrer.


I’m still working to fill those big shoes. Marty DeVietti and a handful of others helped me become a better instructor.

I’m still learning from the exceptional instruc-tors I work with at our school, as well as the new instructors who show up at our instructor clinics. The new instructors sometimes show us something none of us had ever thought of, which becomes a new standard. The learning never ends, and I love that! Besides teaching student pilots of all levels here in Santa Barbara and on our worldwide tours and clinics, I enjoy directing future instructors and our organization as a USHPA regional direc-tor. I’m more of a co-team leader with Jeff Huey than a coach at the world championships every two years. I learn more from the team than they do from me. They are my friends, and we support them on the trip as much as we can, so they can focus on the flying.

What do you think is most important in flying? What are some key concepts pilots of all levels should remember? As far as paragliding goes, flying is the easy part. I think it’s important to realize how solid your launching and landing skills need to be to ensure you can fly again tomorrow. Assessing conditions and the slope of the launch will help you visualize what your launch should look like. Being completely focused on launch will help minimize incidents.

While flying, give yourself as much terrain clearance as possible when the conditions call for it. We need to constantly re-evaluate conditions and adjust our tolerances accordingly. Don’t at-tempt a 360° turn close to the hill. Go for figure-8 turns until you are absolutely certain you will have clearance.

Realize nobody will ever be mad at you for throwing your reserve parachute, but they may be really upset if you don’t.

Challenge yourself to hit a spot landing on every flight, and know sometimes it becomes necessary to embrace the downwind landing. This is much better than trying to turn when you are close to the ground.

Where do you think paragliding is going? Do you think the sport will ever become as popular here as it is in Europe? USHPA members can look at the statistical data USHPA provides to see if the sport is shrinking or growing. Total paragliding members passed total hang gliding members in

the USA for the first time last year. There hasn’t been any sign of real growth happening.

People realize paragliding is plausible when they actually see it in person. Public perception puts paragliding in with skydiving, base-jumping, and parasailing most of the time. We need to clarify the differences and explain soaring to over-come these hurdles.

Part of helping our organization grow is fight-ing attrition. There are too many pilots who start flying, then fade away. The mentor concept is a good theory, but understandably most want to fly when it’s on rather than play mentor. The people organizing weekend competitions, educational clinics, or organized flying events deserve praise. All schools could give more in the way of contin-ued training to help keep people in the sport.

You can help by supporting the right people with your purchasing. Support instructors who teach lessons and give continuing education. They need and deserve your sales. Selling is easy, and some acquire the instructor rating in order to sell equipment instead of serve students, pilots, and the flying community. Some manufacturers will give anybody a dealership. The manufactur-ers make the same profit selling to an instructor making a difference as they do for someone who offers no service at all. Supporting those who serve and give is a simple concept. In Europe, being a paragliding instructor is considered a noble profes-sion. We need to make it that way here as well. It is a glorious job for those who enjoy teaching and working outside. It’s so rewarding to share this sport with so many different people who all have the dream to fly.

[below] Ty and Rob Sporrer wrapping up another day of teaching with all their Eaglets.

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I f you were lucky enough to design your own mountain flying site, you might include a short 4WD road to

launch, a grassy set-up area with amazing down-range views, a sweet launch, miles-wide ridge lift, booming thermals, wave lift and smooth as a baby’s butt glass-offs. All of which take you to unspeakable altitude gains and many miles of cross-country flying. Finally, your flying would end with a landing area that’s a thousand square miles of open flat terrain. Welcome to Villa Grove, Colorado.

Villa Grove, hereafter referred to as “Villa,” is located in south-central Colorado, nestled in the northern San Luis Valley and bordered to the east by the towering 12,000- to 14,000-foot peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range: aka, the Sangres. Villa, which rests at 8,000 feet above sea level, is home to a mere 130 people and exemplifies a photographer’s visual paradise. It is also home to one of the best hang gliding and paragliding sites in the western US.

The Villa Grove launch, at 9,700 feet, faces the prevailing southwesterly flow and is located on the northern end of the Sangres. From launch, the Sangres run south for 155 miles. After a gap of about 15 miles in southern Colorado, the range continues into New Mexico, offering up excellent cross-country potential. With nine peaks above 14,000 feet, this rugged

mountain chain is one of the longest continuous mountain ranges in the US. It runs so far south that from launch the mountains literally disappear over the southern horizon.

Villa Grove is located in a dry, high desert that averages more than 330 days of sunshine a year. Flying conditions at Villa include thermal, ridge lift in stronger wind, and spectacular late-day glass-offs, sometimes all in the same day.

The main landing area consists of a 40-acre parcel about one mile from launch, owned by hang glider pilot Larry Smith and his lovely wife Tiffany. Recognizing the potential of Villa Grove years ago, they bought the large tract of land and built their dream home. It’s a wonderful place to land after a long flight, as well as a gathering place to tie down and drink cold beer while sharing flight details with your free-flight brethren.

With the exception of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, virtually the whole San Luis Valley (about the size of Rhode Island) is landable. The terrain is flat and covered in desert grass, small sagebrush and scattered prickly pear. While land-ing at 8,000 feet on a hot day can seem daunting, the LZ often has fairly smooth laminar flow at the surface, providing pilots who are flying the hottest ships comfortable landing conditions. The launch is straightforward, and, thanks to Larry for his work over the years, it is clear of obstructions and nicely flagged. With a good strong run, the pilot is quickly away from the hill. While it can be big-air conditions, given the nice launch and wide open landing area, Villa Grove is an H2/P2 site.

Much like the Tetons in Wyoming, the Sangres rise abruptly from the valley floor to their snow-capped peaks. There is some alluvial fan at the base of the mountain range—just enough to get the southwest-

erly flow deflected upwards. If you add all of these conditions to a really consistent ridgeline and the aforementioned prevail-ing winds, the Villa Grove launch elicits feelings of awe and trepidation.

Meteorological conditions can vary greatly along the Sangre mountain range. Many new visiting pilots inquire of the locals what they think about the expected conditions. Looking south from launch, the wind tends to be more southerly. North of launch the wind comes more from the west to northwest. Right behind launch, cumulus clouds collide in the Hayden Pass convergence zone. When sufficient moisture is available to create afternoon thunderstorms, downbursts of

“On a good day, altitude gains to 14,000

feet are customary and climbs well

above that occur often.”


cold air sometimes generate gust fronts that can propagate through the valley for miles. Fortunately, gust fronts passing over the dry valley floor often kick up plumes of dust, making them visible from miles away. An advancing pilot is wise to keep a close eye on conditions and be in radio contact with other pilots in the air and on the ground.

The southern mouth of the valley is 55 miles wide with an elevation of 7,000 feet. The north end is only six miles wide

with an elevation of 9,000 feet. As the sun starts to heat the valley, the winds begin to blow northward up the valley, and the topography accelerates the wind up toward Villa Grove. Blanca Peak, part of the Sangre mountain range, plays a big role in this acceleration due to its monolithic size. Blanca, with its 7,000-foot vertical rise above the valley floor, has a huge footprint with a circumference of 113 miles.

The San Juan Mountains, located on the valley’s west side, constrict and ac-celerate the southwesterly flow even more. Additionally, with 13 peaks over 14,000 feet, any moisture imbedded in a westerly

flow aloft is captured by the San Juans, leaving the San Luis Valley dry. Villa Grove locals call the valley “the keyhole” or “the blue hole” and joke how the valley is “severe clear” every morning. North of the San Juans, the Cotchetopa Hills and the Saguache range run north to the six-mile wide northern end of the valley.

FLYING THE SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINSFlying along the massive expanse of the Sangres can be magical. A thousand feet above launch is timberline. Above timberline, snow-covered jagged peaks offer pilots breathtaking scenery. On a good day, altitude gains to 14,000 feet

by RichJESUROGA, LarrySMITH & TiffanySMITH

The West's Best Kept SecretVILLA GROVE

[above] Gliders lined up on the Villa Grove launch. [opposite top] Alex McCulloch high above the Sangre de Cristo mountain range.


are customary and climbs well above that occur often. As Jim Yocom points out, pilots exercising patience and hanging on to a good thermal can climb above an inversion that sometimes occurs in the valley and soar the stronger ridge and thermal lift at higher altitudes. In the evenings, as the air cools aloft and cold air drainage flows down along the surface from the north end of the valley and various canyons along the Sangres, the ambient air mass lifts make for wonderful glass-offs with silky smooth air.

On light-wind days pilots scratch their way up, as Villa is a bench-up site sporting 1,700 vertical feet backed up by 12,000- to 14,000-foot peaks. Pilots who get low will find the site well-flagged, guiding them to fresh thermal cycles and low saves. The Rocky Mountain Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (RMHPA) and the local Hayden Pass hang glider pilots maintain the Villa Grove site.

WHALE HILLWhale Hill, 3,800 vertical feet above the valley floor, is part of the Saguache mountain range on the west side of the upper San Luis Valley. At 12,200 feet,

Whale is a very high altitude east-facing launch and affords the opportunity for an early start to a cross-country adventure, well before any overdevelopment might occur. The launch itself is smooth, sloping tundra that topographically resembles the south side at Point of the Mountain. While there are plenty of LZ options for extended sled rides, make no mistake: Whale offers up immense cross-country potential. Due to its high altitude, it’s imperative that pilots have strong launch-ing skills.

FLYING THE SUMMER MONSOONFor weeks, from around mid-June until September, the southern extension of the

[above] The San Luis Valley bordered to the east by the Sangre de Cristos. Virtually the whole valley is landable | photo by Tiffany Smith. [below] Rich Jesuroga flying an evening glass-off above the Sangre de Cristos.


Rocky Mountains in Mexico heats up so strongly that moisture is drawn inland from the Pacific Ocean. Strong vertical air currents over that part of the moun-tain range inject copious amounts of Pacific moisture very high into the upper atmosphere. Once aloft, the moisture is carried north into New Mexico and Colorado. We call this our monsoon season. Typically, during this period much of Colorado begins the day with clear skies that commonly cloud up as thunderstorms develop by midday. The entire state can fall prey to wet weather, but the San Luis Valley remains open in the blue hole. This time of year can be our favorite, as thermals are smooth, due to the stagnant upper-level monsoon mois-ture. During the monsoon, great flights can be had from both Whale Hill in the morning and Villa later in the day.

We encourage pilots traveling across the country to make Villa Grove and the San Luis Valley a definite pit stop on the way to their final destination. Our valley not only offers some of the best flying in the country, but is also home to an abun-dance of non-flying activity, providing your driver/wife/family and friends with

many things to do. There are two mineral hot springs within ten miles of Villa Grove, the Great Sand Dunes National Park is 60 miles to the south, hiking and off-road biking opportunities are plentiful and a visit to the Colorado Gator Farm is not to be missed. For more information on non-flying activities, please visit http://www.slvguide.com/Saguache/INDEX.HTM. Our site contacts are Larry Smith, (970) 209-5212 or Rich Jesuroga, [email protected]. You can also email Tiffany Smith for recommendations on where to stay and any other non-flying inquiries at [email protected].

If all of the information contained in this article isn’t enough to whet your ap-petite, you surely won’t want to miss the July 4th week comp and fly-in! We will offer daily flying tasks and goals, drivers, nightly bon-fires, live music, entertain-ment, T-shirts, food vendors and more. The event will begin June 30 and extend to July 7. More details will become avail-able as it gets closer. Come fly and play with us!

[figure 1, above] A Google Earth image showing surface winds converging along the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. The Villa Grove launch and Whale Hill are located in the north part of the San Luis Valley. [below right] Martin Palmaz and Mike Jobin bank it up in a beautiful thermal.

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by Kelsey Pearson

I guess most people assume that I grew up with hang gliding. And they would be right. Listening to

stories of flying and manufacturing hang gliders has been a dinnertime conver-sation for as long as I can remember. Those terrifying and hilarious “there I was” stories are particularly memorable. I am surrounded by people who love the sport and are often obsessed with it.

My first exposure to hang gliding was at age three, when I “helped” my dad set up a glider at our local flying site, Crestline. When I saw him launch into the sky, I turned and asked with much concern, “Mommy, is Daddy ever coming back?” When she explained that he was going to the landing site where we had first stopped, before traveling up the mountain, my next concern was whether she knew how to get back there. I never feared, as most kids would, that he would get hurt—just that my mom could not find him again. So it seemed only natural that someday I would do a school project evaluating hang gliders.

For my project, I chose to compare the performance of a Falcon 2 170, with and without crossbar fairings, to a Sport 2 135, with loose and tight variable geometry (VG) settings. Hang glider companies usually obtain performance data from side-by-side flight compari-sons, competition results or by collect-ing data from repeated high flights in smooth wind and weather conditions. I initially tried collecting performance data from repeated flights off the small sand dunes at Dockweiler Beach. I wanted to use both an experienced and an inexperienced pilot, so my dad and I were the pilots.

After dozens of flights, the results were inconclusive, because the flights were not long enough to differentiate between gliders, configurations or pilots. We were also not able to maintain a steady airspeed for a sufficient duration, so it took a very long time to acquire just a small amount of data. Because I did not have the time or budget to pursue flight testing, I had to think of another solution.

I decided to try collecting perfor-

mance data with the Wills Wing hang glider test vehicle, which functions like a wind tunnel by measuring the lift and drag forces generated by the glider. The test vehicle had not been used for per-formance evaluations, because motion of the truck causes variation or “scatter” in the data from inertial loading. The stan-dard procedure is to drive the truck at a constant speed while constantly chang-ing the glider’s angle of attack.

However, there are only a few data points collected at each angle of attack, and an even bigger problem is that for any given airspeed there is only one angle of attack that corresponds to free flight at 1g wing loading. For example, at the start of a typical 40mph test run, the glider will be at a low angle of attack, perhaps with negative lift. At the end of the run, the angle of attack is as much as 30 degrees and the corresponding load could be greater than 600 pounds. These data would not be useful for calculating in-flight performance.

The new method I used was to isolate each test to a fixed angle of attack and airspeed associated with 1g flight, by

Science Fair


monitoring the computer load display inside the vehicle. Each angle of attack was maintained until a large data sample was acquired. Then the angle was low-ered and the speed was increased until 1g (approximately 180 pounds) resultant load was achieved. The charts at the end of this article show an example of these data for one angle of attack.

The new vehicle testing procedure was shown to be accurate and efficient for measuring aerodynamic perfor-mance. Each of the four configurations was tested at six angles of attack, for a total of 24 discreet tests. Each test included between 50 and 200 data sets of Angle, Airspeed, Lift, Drag, and Moment. The six angles were sufficient to construct a smooth polar diagram for a range of flight speeds from stall to faster than best L/D (figure 2 and table 1). It was effective because a large quantity of data was acquired from the tests, and these data were statistically reduced to produce accurate and reliable results. The vehicle performance testing produced more accurate and complete results than what had been previously obtained from in-flight performance testing, with less time and expense.

Most of the results of the testing were consistent with my expectations, but there was a notable surprise. My first observation was that the Sport 2 135 with an enclosed crossbar is more aerodynamically efficient than a Falcon 2 170 with an exposed crossbar. My second observation was that the Sport 2 135 was aerodynamically more efficient when configured with low wing twist than when configured with high twist. The increased aerodynamic efficiency of the low twist configuration is a result of lower induced drag, as predicted by the aerodynamic theory. These results were expected, but the testing provided pre-cise quantitative information. My final observation was that a Falcon 2 170 with aerodynamic fairings on the exposed crossbar had slightly less performance than the Falcon 2 170 without fairings. This was a surprise to both my dad

and me. Even though the fairings were created to improve the performance of exposed crossbar gliders, they are appar-ently ineffective.

A lot more information is available in these graphs (including figures 3 and 4). For example: The best-glide speed of the Falcon is about 5mph slower than the Sport 2; the Sport 2 with VG activated achieves a higher lift coefficient but stalls at a lower angle of attack; the Falcon lifting characteristics are the same with and without fairings; and the Falcon achieves a higher lift coefficient than the Sport 2. Please note that the polar diagrams show higher performance than you would achieve in-flight because they do not include pilot drag.

My eyes were opened to a whole new world of the dynamics and complexi-ties of hang gliding. It was a lot of work driving to Dockweiler in the LA traffic, waiting for the right wind and weather conditions, setting up hang gliders, run-ning up and down sand dunes, plotting points on the GPS and journaling all the

data. But it was balanced with the fun of learning how to fly at the beach, playing with the gliders in various wind condi-tions and, most importantly, spending time with my dad.

My experience at the Fullerton Airport with the Wills Wing test vehicle was beyond eye opening. Communicating with the airport control tower, while simultaneously running a computer program to record our flight data, was a surreal experience. What a contrast we experienced from viewing the serene ocean surf to watching for planes on the active runway and listen-ing on the radio for permission to run our tests! I am grateful to the Fullerton Airport for allowing us to use their runway and to the mentorship of Mike Meier and Steven Pearson.

Mike and Steve were very happy with the accuracy of the results and the new vehicle procedure. I am hopeful that this new testing procedure will contribute to the development of new and improved gliders in the coming years.

“Even though the fairings were

created to improve the performance

of exposed crossbar gliders, they are

apparently ineffective.”


[above] Kelsey and Mike with Wills Wing test vehicle computer.

Conclusion by Kelsey Pearson

I uncovered significant and meaningful information in

the results of my experiment, including some that was

surprising and beyond the scope of my three hypoth-

eses.

My first observation was that the Sport 2 135 with

an enclosed crossbar is more aerodynamically efficient

than a Falcon 2 170 with an exposed crossbar. This

result is best illustrated in the “L/D vs. Flight Speed”

graph which shows that the Sport 2 in both high twist

and low twist configurations has a much higher lift-to-

drag ratio than the Falcon, except at speeds below 18

mph, when the Sport 2 wing is stalling. In my hypothe-

sis, I expected the Sport 2 135 to be more aerodynami-

cally efficient than the Falcon 2 170, because it does

not have an exposed crossbar that causes parasitic

drag. This illustrates that the first part of my hypothesis

was correct.

My second observation was that the Sport 2 135 was

aerodynamically more efficient when configured with

low wing twist than when configured with high twist.

This result is also best illustrated in the “L/D vs. Flight

Speed” graph, which shows that the Sport 2 with low

wing twist has a maximum lift-to-drag ratio of 17 at 24

mph; with high wing twist, the maximum lift-to-drag

ratio is 13 at 22 mph. The increased aerodynamic effi-

ciency of the low-twist configuration is a result of lower

induced drag, as predicted by aerodynamic theory.

This shows that the second part of my hypothesis was

correct.

My third observation was that a Falcon 2 170 with

aerodynamic fairings on the exposed crossbar had ap-

proximately the same performance as the Falcon 2 170

without fairings. I expected the faired crossbar to have

lower drag, so the final part of my hypotheses was

not correct. The reference literature shows that thick

fairings at low Reynolds numbers are not aerodynami-

cally efficient and are subject to flow separation and

high drag. A better fairing configuration is needed to

produce the expected results.

After completing the initial performance testing by

making repeated flights from a small hill, I realized that

the results were inconclusive. The flight-testing was not

able to differentiate the performance between gliders

or configurations. The flight-testing did not produce

data that can be differentiated, because the flight dura-

tion was too short and the test pilots were not able to

maintain a steady airspeed.

Hang glider companies obtain performance data

from side-by-side flight comparisons, competition

results and the collection of data from repeated high

flights in smooth wind and weather conditions. I did not

have the time or budget to pursue any of these meth-

ods.

I decided to try collecting performance data with

the hang glider test vehicle. The test vehicle is like

a moving wind tunnel; it measures the aerodynamic

forces produced by the glider. This method had not

been used because the data collected in this way typi-

cally have a lot of variation or “scatter” from the inertial

loads caused by driving the vehicle on a non-uniform

surface. The new method that I used was to isolate

each test at a fixed angle of attack, which allowed me

to use statistical methods to average large quantities

of data.

The new vehicle testing procedure was shown to be

accurate and efficient for measuring aerodynamic per-

formance. A total of 24 discrete tests were performed

with the aerodynamic test vehicle. Each test included

between 50 and 200 data sets, which included angle,

airspeed, lift, drag, and momentum. The vehicle test-

ing was very effective. A large quantity of data was

acquired from the tests, and these data were statisti-

cally reduced to produce accurate and reliable results.

Vehicle performance testing also produced more accu-

rate and complete results than what had been previ-

ously obtained from in-flight performance testing with

less time and expense.

Some of additional information provided by the test

vehicle is itemized below:

On the “Lift Coefficient vs. Angle of Attack” graph,

the rounded top of the curves indicates that the gliders

are starting to stall at the higher angles of attack. As

expected, the lift characteristics of the Falcon with

and without fairings are the same, because fairings do

not contribute to lift. Finally, the Sport 2 with low twist

produces more lift at the same angle of attack than

the Sport 2 with high twist, as expected from flight test

reports.

The “L/D vs. Flight Speed” shows the airspeed asso-

ciated with the best performance of each configuration.

The Falcon has a very narrow speed range with good

performance, and the Sport 2, especially when config-

ured with low wing twist, maintains good performance

across a much wider speed range. We also see that the

performance drops dramatically on all configurations

as the airspeed is reduced and the wing begins to stall.


by Patrick McGuinness

W inding your way up the switchbacks of the Austrian Alps, butterflies build in

your stomach as you think about the day ahead. Your friends will not be flying until you land; most of them are on standby in the event of a disaster. The national news team waits, as you pull in and unload your gear. You’re not break-ing anyone else’s records today, because you are setting one in a new category—

a record-breaking swoop that covers more ground than anyone in the sport ever thought possible.

There is little precedent for swooping in the sport of hang gliding. The high level of risk associated with increasing speed while decreasing proximity to the ground or water is, no doubt, a factor in why more pilots don’t pursue this spe-cialty area to push their limits. You will need to be confident and focused.

Securing your glider, you walk some distance away from your friends to a

warm rock and sit to collect yourself. Mentally slowing down, you begin the ritual of focusing on your breath. You observe the sun on your skin as it cuts through the cold morning air. You feel warmth emanating from the rock onto your hands and legs. With body and mind now calm and focused, you begin to rehearse your performance. Sitting with eyes closed, you imagine the entire event. You launch, clear the trees, and see the cliff below you drop well over 1,000 feet. Setting up for final, you pull

Flying PerformanceTrain Your Brain for


in for speed and dive, achieving maxi-mum acceleration.

The glider begins to rock and sway as you breathe deeply, steadying the glider. The water comes up quickly, and you pull your leg out of the harness. Having generated maximum speed, you are acutely aware of the glider’s movements. You tune into the input from the control bar. Getting dropped even a few feet by a cold pocket or draft could be fatal. Over-correcting could also be fatal, so you practice feeling and staying loose, sensing movements. Adjustments are intuitive. Noticing the subtle input from the bar, you rehearse minor corrections. The shoreline comes up and your mind is calm; sensing slight movements in the control bar, you feel the energy begin to fade as you push out and two-step the landing.

The supreme swooping skills of Wolfgang Seiss are documented on video and posted for the world to see. A brief clip in a German newscast caught this young Austrian closing his eyes and making an exaggerated exhalation immediately prior to launch. Is he using sports visualization and mental imagery to rehearse his flight? For our purposes, we will assume that he is. With his eyes closed, Wolfgang is recalling exactly how he wants to perform in his mind. He can feel the sensation of a rapid descent. He can feel pressure and speed as the glider rounds out. He can even feel the pressure of the bar change as he prepares to flare. Opening his eyes, he feels focused, his energy is even and he is confident, anticipating a successful flight. The use of mental imagery is a powerful tool.

VISUALIZATION–THE SECRETS OF ELITE ATHLETESSports Visualization has been used by Olympians and world-class athletes for over 20 years. It’s a mental skill that uses all of your senses to create or re-create an experience in your mind. It helps

one develop concentration, focus, and confidence as well as reduce anxiety by using a combination of mental imagery and relaxation techniques. While most athletes today have heard of sports visu-alization or even practiced mental skills to enhance performance, many have only a partial understanding of it and do not use it regularly.

How do you rate yourself?Whether or not you’ve practiced

mental imagery, you should take a moment to assess your ability to use sports visualization. Pick a skill se-quence, such as your final approach and landing. Then answer the following questions to yourself with regard to that particular skill set.

Can you picture yourself clearly, in detail, performing just as you want to?

Do you use your muscle memory to feel the movement sensations that ac-company the particular skill set?

Do you know what aspects of your

flying need mental training?Do you know how to refocus when

distracted? Do you mentally rehearse strategies

and tactics prior to competition?Can you reliably adjust your level

of energy and arousal during stressful situations?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, congratulations! You are skilled at the use of mental focus, relaxation and sports visualization. If you answered no to some or all of those questions, you can, no doubt, improve your performance by mastering skills like mental rehearsal and visualization. The components of visualization include focus, motivation to persist, and ability to manage energy level and improve confidence. Other uses of imagery include recovering from an injury or learning a new skill. Some athletes use it primarily to refocus when they are distracted.

“Sports Visualization has been used

by Olympians and world-class athletes

for over 20 years. It’s a mental skill

that uses all of your senses to create or

re-create an experience in your mind. ”


Imagine it, feel it, sense it…. do it!Mental imagery involves all of your

senses, not just visual memory. Sound, smell, sensations on the skin and muscle awareness are connections that your nervous system uses to interact with the world around you.

When using imagery, it is important to relax the mind and body. This gives you increased access to feelings and sensations. For example, a cliff launch with a hang glider is something you can anticipate. You remember what the glider feels like in your hands and on your shoulders. You also have informa-tion about how the glider will behave in the wind from watching others and assessing the conditions. We all have the ability to combine this information and feel the experience before it happens. When you mentally rehearse a maneuver, you are integrating this information and gaining clarity. In this case, it prepares you for a successful launch.

Assembling this information and combining it with relaxation, prior to performing the action, increases the range of mental resources available during crucial moments. Achieving relaxation during a stressful moment is a skill that requires training and practice. It should first be mastered in a quiet setting. Over time, you can develop

an abbreviated version that helps you get there more efficiently. You will also improve your consistency if you make a conscious effort to rehearse before each performance.

VISUALIZATION—SCIENCE MEETS NATURESport science and applied psychology capitalize on the deliberate and pointed use of your mind’s natural abilities. Everyone has the ability to use imagina-tion. In many instances, visualization happens naturally and spontaneously. The hours that follow an amazing flight are a good example. Your body may be sitting in the pub with your friends, but your mind sporadically flashes away from the conversation and back to your flight. Recalling the sensations of enter-ing a thermal, you might feel a fleeting impulse to use body language and core an imaginary thermal.

Research has demonstrated that in situations like this, the mind’s ability to use imagination is more available than people realize. The nerves connecting your brain to the muscles in your arm become activated when you think about or imagine waving to someone, even when you don’t actually wave.

To understand how the disciplined use of these techniques plays out, imagine yourself launching a paraglider.

After you’ve developed a mental routine at home and before you step out onto launch, find a quiet spot, close your eyes and make a conscious effort to relax your muscles. Remind yourself of how you want to feel when you stand on launch and bring that feeling into your awareness.

Next, mentally rehearse relaxing your muscles while your back is toward the wind. You’ve already assessed the condi-tions and watched others launch, so you know what kind of day it is. As you sit, you imagine yourself standing on launch while you feel the wind filling the lead-ing edge as you build a wall. Recall the feel of opposing pressure when you lean back and pull. As the glider rises, you twist into a forward launch position and move. Notice the physical sensations of your body and the feeling of the glider as it rises. Imagine giving brake input intuitively, noticing the varied pressures and motions of your forearms and wrists. Notice the sensations of lift. Rehearsing this experience in advance increases awareness and improves concentration during the brief and crucial moments at launch.

COACH YOURSELF IN FLIGHTVisualizing each part of the flight requires a flight plan. After develop-ing your flight plan, consider how you want to feel during each part of the flight. When is it most important to be alert? When is it most important to feel relaxed? Rehearsing the flight in your mind gives you an opportunity to consider these experiences.

Athletes who use mental training often report making mistakes during rehearsal exercises. These mistakes can lead to problem solving and result in being better prepared. In the opening vi-gnette, the pilot feels the glider begin to rock and sway during flight. He knows what to do to avoid pilot-induced oscil-lation, so rather than reviewing a set of instructions, he feels himself doing it. It’s far better to make a mental mistake in rehearsal than to make a real mistake


while skimming over water. If you see yourself making a mistake during a mental rehearsal, be sure to continue the exercise until you can visualize yourself doing it correctly. Never stop a visual-ization exercise until you can imagine yourself doing it successfully.

During your rehearsal, focus on the solution and make an effort to be positive. Coach yourself into a clear and focused attitude. To help you do this, pick at least one positive belief about yourself as a pilot and be sure to include it in your routine.

MAKING IT HAPPENIf you have the discipline to learn and practice mental imagery, you will no doubt see results. The first step in suc-cessful performance is imagining that you can do it. Use all your senses to create a complete picture. Deliberately choose the images you use.

If you want to use mental imagery to improve your performance, start train-ing and become proficient in these skills. You should also consider a sport psychol-

ogy coach to teach and help you apply the right skills to the areas you need most. Supervised practice will accelerate your learning and assure competent use of these skills. If you don’t already have a mental training program, get started by taking the following steps.

Identify your strengths and weak-nesses (focus, confidence, anxiety, etc.).

Discover where increased mental control will yield the best results.

Learn and practice visualization, imagery and relaxation skills.

Use at least one positive statement about yourself as a pilot.

Never stop a visualization exercise until you can imagine yourself success-fully accomplishing the task.

Develop an abbreviated routine to use before you fly.

Practice the skill first on routine flights where your comfort level is high and your risk is low.

Gradually increase the use of these skills.

Whether you’re Wolgang Seiss set-ting the bar for future generations or

a beginner learning the fundamentals of flying, mental training will improve your performance. Decide where you can improve your mental game and develop a plan to practice mental skills and get the advantage you’re looking for. While the skills take advantage of your natural ability, the disciplined practice and strategic use of the skills determine success. If mental skills can help you improve your performance, build a training routine and watch your performance soar.

Patrick McGuinness is the owner of Mountain View Performance Coaching. Patrick works with individuals and organizations to achieve results through human transformation. His background in athletic coaching, sport psychology and psychotherapy has led to the service he offers athletes everywhere. Contact Patrick and learn more about performance coach-ing now at (603) 545-2774, [email protected] or www.MountainViewPerformanceCoaching.com.

GALLERY [above] Pancas, Brazil | photo by Veselka Velcheva


Cashueira Alta, Brazil.

[opposite] Pancas.

Photos by Veso

Ovcharov.


Iqique, Chile | photo by Veso Ovcharov


Iqique, Chile | photos by Veso Ovcharov


Oludeniz Air Festival, Turkey | photo by

Stefan Iliev. [opposite top] Khali Gandaki,

Nepal | photo by Veselka Velcheva (infinity

Himalaya film). [bottom] Sondor ruins, Peru

| photo by Maurice Mathey.


Veso & Kennio D. over Bucaramanga, Colombia | photo by Nathalia Gomez.


USHPA SANCTIONED COMPETITION

HG JuNE 3-8 East Coast Hang Gliding Championship / USHPA Sanctioned Hang Gliding Race-to-goal Competition. Highland Aerosports Flight Park, Maryland. Pilots need a GPS, a H4 rating, or H3 with meet director approval, XC, Turb, AT ratings, previously flown in USHPA aerotow comp or have written approval prior to registering from the safety director. Pilots must have successfully aerotowed their glider model in competition conditions at least 10 times. USHPA H3 & USHPA membership with aerotow sign-off required at least 7 days prior to start of the meet. Prize money TBD by entries. More information: Highland Aerosports, 410-634-2700, [email protected], or www.aerosports.net.

PG JuNE 17-23 Rat Race/Sprint National Paragliding Competition / USHPA Sanctioned Paragliding Race-to-goal National Championship. Woodrat Mtn., Ruch, OR. Pilots need a P3 with USHPA radio frequencies. There will be two independently scored groups in the event with each side having stand alone NTSS points. Rat Race will carry the National moniker and will allow paragliders tested by DHV with and LTF Class of 2 & 2/3 or by EN with a certification of C & D. The Rat Race Sprint will only allow paragliders tested by DHV with a LTF Class of 1, 1/2 & 2, or by EN with a certification of A, B. Entry fee: $425 to 4/15, $475 to 6/1, $495 after 6/1. Trophies will be awarded. More information: MPH Sports [email protected], or mphsports.com.

PG JuLy 8-14 Chelan XC Open 2012 / USHPA Sanctioned Paragliding Race-to-goal Competition. Chelan Butte, Chelan, WA. P3 w/XC & turbulence endorsements required, SPOT highly recommended. Registration dates are March 1 through July 7. Entry Fee: $375 by June 7 $425 after. For more information contact Doug Stroop, [email protected], 509-782-5543. http://chelanxcopen.com.

HG JuLy 9-14 2012 King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships / USHPA Sanctioned Hang Gliding Open-Distance Competition. King Mountain, Moore, ID. All the elements of a fun Fly-In with some competition and learning experience thrown in the mix. More information: Connie Work, 559-338-2621, [email protected], or www.FlyKingMountain.com.

HG JuLy 22-28 Big Spring Ð US HG Nationals / USHPA Sanctioned Hang Gliding Open-Distance National Championship and USHPA Sanctioned Hang Gliding Race-to-goal Competition. Big Spring Airport, Big Spring, TX. Best weather, great locals, excellent facilities, tons of airtime, and long flights. Longest continuously sanctioned competition in the US. $350 entry fee. Trophies to be awarded. H3 with aerotow signoff required, along with current aerotow experience on glider to be used during the competition. More information: David Glover 405-830-6420, [email protected], or www.endlessthermal.com.

CALENDAR ITEMS will not be listed if only ten-tative. 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 com-plete information on the events listed, see our Calendar of Events at: www.USHPA.AERo

CLASSIFIED 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, additions & cancella-tions must be received in writing 2 months pre-ceding the cover date, i.e. September 15th is the deadline for the November issue. ALL CLAS-SIFIEDS ARE PREPAID. If paying by check, please include 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 payable to USHPA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. If paying with credit card, you may email the pre-vious 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 sched-uled to run multiple months. (719) 632-8300. Fax (719) 632-6417

HANG GLIDING ADVISoRY: Used hang glid-ers should always be disassembled before fly-ing 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 isnÕ t sufficient. Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sailcloth.

If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding businesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect.

BUYERS SHoULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPRoPRIATE FoR THEIR SKILL LEVEL oR RATING. NEw PILoTS SHoULD SEEK PRo-FESSIoNAL INSTRUCTIoN FRoM A USHPA CERTIFIED INSTRUCToR.

PG august 27 - sEPtEmBER 1 US Open-Distance Nationals / UHSPA Sanctioned Paragliding Open-Distance Competition. Bald Mountain, Hailey, Idaho. Flying far in Idaho. P3 with Turbulence signoff required. $375-$450 entry fee. Register April 1 - August 27. More Information: Mike Pfau 208-721-0897 [email protected].

HG sEPtEmBER 16-22 Santa Cruz Flats Race / USHPA Sanctioned Hang Gliding Race-to-goal National Championship. Francisco Grande Resort, Casa Grande, AZ. $300 entry fee, and tow fees (TBA). Trophies & day prizes to be awarded. H4 or foreign equivalent with Aerotow, Cross Country & Turbulence signoffs required, along with a 3D GPS and extensive aerotow experience on the glider to be flown in the comp. More information: Jamie Sheldon 831-261-5444, [email protected], or www.santacruzflatsrace.blogspot.com.

NON-SANCTIONED COMPETITION

PG tHRougH oCtoBER 8 Northern California. The Cross-country League is an informal series of cross-country competitions running from March through October held at flying sites within driv-ing distance of the Bay Area. The league is set to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially fly-ins with a mission, with the focus on distance and not speed. Dates for 2012: March 24th-25th, April 28th-29th, May 19th-20th, June 9th-10th, July 14th-15th, August 11th-12th, Sep-tember 1st-3rd, September 29th-October 1st, and October 6th-8th, More information: Jugdeep Aggar-wal, 831-566-8652, [email protected], or www.santacruzparagliding.com.

PG JuNE 9-10 Northern California. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross coun-try competitions running from March through to Oc-tober held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set up to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a fly in with a mission, with the focus on distance and not speed. More information: Jugdeep Aggarwal 831-566-8652, [email protected], or www.santacru-zparagliding.com.

CALENDAR C O M P S , F L Y - I N S , C L I N C S & T O U R S

http://www.flytec.com

http://www.hanglide.com

http://minigliders.com

FLY-INS

HG PG JuNE 15-17 Eagle Rock, VA. Fly Eagle Rock in beautiful southwest Virginia with the Sky-wackers Club. The mountain has a NW and a SE launch within walking distance of each other. Easy drive to the launches with large fields for landing. Easy retrieves from the LZs. This mountain is one of the most flyable mountains on the East Coast, es-pecially since it has launches facing two directions. Bring a mountain bike and challenge yourself to rid-ing the miles of dirt roads, logging roads and trails on both sides of the mountain. Barbecues will be available for use on Saturday night. Free camping in the LZs and near the launches. Come out, have a great time flying with us, enjoy the spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, commune with nature and enjoy the companionship of new friends. PGs & HGs welcome! CU there More Information: Larry Dennis 540-529-1638, [email protected], or www.skywackers.org.

HG JuNE 26-28 King Mountain, Idaho. Season opener for King. Fun flying, open XC, cash priz-es, $20 donation entry, BIG BBQ, and fun for all of course. 11th annual. More information: Alan Paylor 208-390-0205, [email protected], or www.kingmountaingliders.biz.

HG PG JuNE 30 - JuLy 8 Villa Grove, CO. The Hayden Pass Hang Gliding Club and Colorado Fly Week 2012 introduce The Rocky Mountain Air-manÕ s Rendezvous & The Mountain Flyer Champi-onships. Make this a part of your summer western circuit. Compete for killer trophies and/or enjoy ca-sual flying fun with big air or heavenly glass-offs, all along the 100+ mile Sangre de Cristo moun-tain range boasting nine Ò fourteeners,Ó and easy retrieves. Make your way back to the main LZ for cold beer, live music, food vendors, stage shows and banquet night with burlesque show on Satur-day night. The Salida Circus will entertain the kiddos on Saturday. No other meet will have more beautiful women serving drinks, selling tees, caps and more. This is a fundraiser to preserve our road to launch, so come sky out and support our cause! Please con-sider making a donation, and/or taking advantage of early registration for $75 versus $90 at the door. For more info on the competition, contact Fred Kae-merer, [email protected], or 720-295-7678. For site info, contact Larry Smith, 970-209-5212. For general info about the area, places to stay, things to do, to help with volunteering, dona-tions and for pre-registration details, contact Tiffany Smith, [email protected]. Also be sure to check out our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/Colo-radoFlyWeek2012.

HG PG JuLy 5-7 Lakeview, OR. Umpteenth Annual Festival of Free Flight. Three days of fun and competitions with cash prizes for Spot Landings, Sugar Hill Run, Accumulated Distance, and a special Ò Golden HammerÓ award for the strangest landing! More information: Audrey E. Henry, 877-947-6040, [email protected], or www.lakecountychamber.org.

HG PG august 18-26 King Mountain, Idaho. Glider Park Safari. Annual Idaho event just east of Sun Valley. Hang gliders, paragliders, sailplanes, and self-launching sailplanes are all welcome. Awesome glass-off, and cloudbases near 18,000’. Fly to Montana or Yellowstone. Wave window. Campfire, potlucks, star gazing, hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Free camping at the glider park. For more information call John at 208-407-7174. Go to www.kingmountaingliderpark.com for directions and more info. See the pictures from prior Safaris in our gallery. Film clip about the King Mountain Safari is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E _ 7WJPlDDR4.

HG PG sEPtEmBER 29-30 Chelan, Washington. Annual Lake Chelan Bike and Fly. This fun and unique meet is open to hang gliders, paragliders and non-flying cyclists as well. The competition combines spot landing and bomb drop at the Chelan Falls soccer field LZ with a 10-mile bike race through the Chelan Falls river gorge. We hope to see you at this relaxed and fun event. Bombs will be issued at the LZ. Entry/donation $25.00. More information: Tom Johns or Lori Lawson 425-681-2458, [email protected], or www.cloudbase.org.

CLINICS & TOURS

may 31 - JuNE 2 Entiat, Washington. Come join Aerial Paragliding and Brad Gunnuscio for SIV training this spring! We are holding these clinics in beautiful Entiat on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, close to world-famous Chelan Butte. These clinics are tailored to each pilot so youÕ ll be comfortable and challenged whether you are a be-ginner or advanced. More Information: Aerial Para-gliding 509-782-5543, [email protected], or http://www.paragliding.us.

JuNE 1-3 Jackson Hole, WY. Tandem Clinic presented by Scott Harris at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Aerial Tram, 4,139 vertical feet. More information: Scott Harris, 307-690-8726, [email protected], or www.jhparagliding.com.

JuNE 3-5 Entiat, Washington. Come join Aeri-al Paragliding and Brad Gunnuscio for SIV training this spring! We are holding these clinics in beautiful Entiat on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, close to world-famous Chelan Butte. These clinics are tailored to each pilot so youÕ ll be comfortable and challenged whether you are a beginner or ad-vanced. More Information: Aerial Paragliding 509-782-5543, [email protected], or http://www.paragliding.us.

JuNE 7-9 Northern California. Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics with Eagle Paragliding. AmericaÕ s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

JuNE 8-10 Jackson Hole, WY. Instructor Certification Clinic presented by Scott Harris at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Aerial Tram, 4,139 vertical feet. More information: Scott Harris, 307-690-8726, [email protected], or www.jhparagliding.com.

JuNE 10-12 Northern California. Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics with Eagle Paragliding. AmericaÕ s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

JuNE 16-17 Utah. Mountain Flying and learning how to pioneer a new site in Utah with Ken Hudonjorgensen. More information: Phone 801-572-3414, email [email protected], or www.twocanfly.com

JuNE 16 - JuLy 15 Peru. Touching the Andes of Peru Tours. Join Jeff Cristol and Adventure Tour Productions for our annual paragliding tour to the Andes of Peru. From Huaraz in the northern cordil-leras to the famous flying near Cuzco, visit the high mountains of Peru with Jeff Cristol, who intimate-ly knows sites throughout the country. Please vis-it www.paraglideperu.com, or www.adventuretour-productions.com/articles/touchingtheandes.htm to read about these adventures and for any questions or to reserve a spot. More information: Call 001-970-729-0078, or [email protected] .

JuNE 21-26 La Jolla, CA. Torrey Pines Glider-port. We offer clinics to earn your Basic Instructor, Advanced Instructor and Tandem Instructor ratings for paragliding. These clinics can be a few to sev-eral days and the minimum rating is an active P3 in good standing. More information: Jeremy Bishop, 858-452-9858, [email protected], or flytorrey.com.

JuNE 21-30 Tolmin & Kobarid, Slovenia. Slo-venia in the European Alps is where personal and world records are set. Europeans flock here every summer to fly in abundant and gentle thermal lift, and consistent conditions make it a true pilotsÕ par-adise. This trip is suited for fresh pilots through sky-gods. The takeoffs are grassy and the landings in the valleys are big and flat. We will fly high moun-tain sites and often cross borders in the air. Our trip includes English-speaking tour coordinators with years of XC flying and tour-guiding experience. YouÕ ll receive lots of coaching and weÕ ll arrange all your transport and accommodation. We will be stay-ing in beautiful alpine Soca Valley. Take a non-fly-ing spouse with you. There is so much to do and see here. More information: Jarek Wieczorek, 303-800-6340, [email protected], or http://www.an-tofaya.com.


NovEmBER 6-22 Iquique, Chile. We take you to South America to fly over the driest desert in the world—the Atacama. This is our fifth consecu-tive trip to what many pilots consider to be the best place to fly on the planet, and more consistent than any other flying location. Iquique offers pilots of all levels plenty of XC miles and endless thermal-ing days. Year after year our guests beat their per-sonal distance and airtime records. With us you get to fly with Jarek Wieczorek, multilingual paraglid-ing guide, XC specialist and site pioneer with un-surpassed knowledge of the desert. Our topnotch logistics, stunning locations, in-depth local knowl-edge, deluxe off-road trucks, and gorgeous beach-front accommodation will make your flying experi-ence in Chile unforgettable. More information: Jarek Wieczorek 303-800-6340 [email protected], or http://www.antofaya.com.

NovEmBER 9-27 Iquique, Chile. Where can you ride thermals every day of the year? Only in Iquique! Soar endless sand ridges high above the Pacific Ocean until you are tired, thirsty, and hun-gry, then land on the beach next to our 4-star ho-tel! Your guides, Luis and Todd, have been mul-tiple Iquique XC competition champions and have pioneered many new sites and XC routes over the years. Join them on a paragliding trip of a lifetime where most pilots collect more airtime and pilot skills in one week than they normally would in an entire year! With over 18 years of combined guid-ing experience in Iquique, they guarantee you will fly every day, or get money back! More details at: www.paraglidingtrips.com.

NovEmBER 9-27 Iquique, Chile. Four tours: Nov. 9-14, Nov. 14-19, Nov. 9/19, and Nov. 19-27. The most flying hours per day of any site I have ever heard of or experienced. Please go to our web site for details. More information: Ken Hudonjorgensen, 801-572-3414 [email protected], or twocan-fly.com.

NovEmBER 9-11 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. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

NovEmBER 12-13 Santa Barbara, California. Tandem Paragliding Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. Classroom and practical training at our world-class training hill. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

CLASSIFIEDFLEX WINGS

A GREAT SELECTIoN oF HG&PG GLIDERS (ss, ds, pg) -HARNESSES (trainer, cocoon, pod) -PARACHUTES (hg&pg) -WHEELS (new & used). Phone for latest inventory 262-473-8800, www.hanggliding.com

ALABAMA

LooKoUT MoUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - The best facilities, largest inventory, camping, swimming, volleyball, more. Wide range of accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543, hanglide.com.

ALASKA

SKYDANCE PARAGLIDING and PARAMOTOR SCHOOL - Year-round; USHPA + USPPA certification. Novice, refresher training, equipment. Frank Sihler 907-841-7468 www.skydanceparagliding.com

ARKANSAS

RIVER VALLEY PARAGLIDING - Year-round paragliding and paramotoring school on the Arkansas/Oklahoma state line in Fort Smith. More information: www.RvPPG.com

CALIFORNIA

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

EAGLE PARAGLIDING - SANTA BARBARA offers the best year round flying in the nation. Award-winning instruction, excellent mountain and ridge sites. www.flysantabarbara.com, 805-968-0980

FLY ABoVE ALL - Year-round instruction in beautiful Santa Barbara! USHPA Novice through Advanced certification. Thermaling to competition training. Visit www.flyaboveall.com 805-965-3733.

FLY AwAY HANG GLIDING - Santa Barbara. Best hill/equipment, glider shuttles up hill, tandems, sales, service, 20 years experience, Instructor Administrator Tammy Burcar, 805-403-8487, www.flyawayhanggliding.com

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

oCtoBER 6-8 Owens Valley Thermal and Cross Country Clinic with Eagle Paragliding. Many pilots are sure to get personal bests. View photos and videos from our last clinic at www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

oCtoBER 12-15 Owens Valley, CA. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Kari Castle is a bi-wingual pilot and a 3-time world champion, world record holder with multiple national champion titles under both of her wings. Let Kari’s 30 years of flying and 23 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! I will help customize your 3-4 day adventure to fit your needs whether you want one on one or a group setting. We will work on everything from take offs to landings, high altitude launches, dust devil awareness, reading the sky, how to map a thermal, goal setting and cross country. For more information contact: [email protected], or 760-920-0748,or sign up at www.karicastle.com

oCtoBER 19-22 & 26-29 Owens Valley, CA. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Kari Castle is a bi-wingual pilot and a 3-time world champion, world record holder with multiple national champion titles under both of her wings. Let Kari’s 30 years of flying and 23 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! I will help customize your 3-4 day adventure to fit your needs whether you want one on one or a group setting. We will work on everything from take offs to landings, high altitude launches, dust devil awareness, reading the sky, how to map a thermal, goal setting and cross country. For more information contact: [email protected], or 760-920-0748, or sign up at www.karicastle.com

oCtoBER 26-28 Torrey Pines Gliderport, CA. Pi-loting is a sport of continual learning. Once you re-ceive your rating to fly, your journey is just begin-ning. From there, you can continue to learn to earn more advanced ratings, as well as special skills that make you a more talented and versatile pilot. The Torrey Pines Gliderport offers several short (2-3 day) clinics throughout the year that let pilots con-tinue to grow and learn. Please call to make reser-vations or check out our website. More information: Jeremy Bishop, 858-452-9858, [email protected], or flytorrey.com.

NovEmBER 2-6 Owens Valley, CA. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Kari Castle is a bi-wingual pilot and a 3-time world champion, world record holder with multiple national champion titles under both of her wings. Let Kari’s 30 years of flying and 23 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! I will help customize your 3-4 day adventure to fit your needs whether you want one on one or a group setting. We will work on everything from take offs to landings, high altitude launches, dust devil awareness, read-ing the sky, how to map a thermal, goal setting and cross country. For more information contact: [email protected], or 760-920-0748, or sign up at www.karicastle.com


MISSIoN SoARING CENTER LLC - Largest hang gliding center in the West! Our deluxe retail shop showcases the latest equipment: Wills Wing, Moyes, AIR, High Energy, Flytec, Aeros, Northwing, Hero wide angle video camera. A.I.R. Atos rigid wings- demo the VQ-45' span, 85 Lbs! Parts in stock. We stock new and used equipment. 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 training harnesses. 1116 Wrigley Way, Milpitas, CA 95035. 408-262-1055, Fax 408-262-1388, [email protected], Mission Soaring Center LLC, leading the way since 1973. www.hang-gliding.com

ToRREY PINES GLIDERPoRT - NEw NEw NEw- we have been working hard to bring you more! Let's start with the LIVE music and off the charts BBQ festivities happening every Saturday during the summer months. For all you snow birds, call us this winter for details on our domestic and international thermaling clinic/tours we are now offering. Speed Flying your thing? Come test fly our new mini wings from Little Cloud. USHPA certified instruction for ALL ratings including Tandem and Instructor Clinics, SIV and PPG. We have expanded product lines to include Triple 7, Little Cloud, Aircross, SkyWalk, Niviuk, Ozone, UP, Plussmax Helmets, Paratech, Independence, Crispi Boots, Black Hawk Paramotors, GatorZ, FlyMaster, GoPro, Flytec, Ki2Fly, Sup Air, Dudek, MacPara, Woody Valley, Maillon Rapide, and much more! Our full service shop offers reserve repacks, annual glider inspections, repairs and more. We also carry an extensive certified used invemtory of gliders and harnesses. Check us out at flytorrey.com or give us a call 858-452-9858.

ToRREY PINES, SAN DIEGo Beach Cottage (2BR) furnished vacation rental; whitewater views! FLYING: TP (20mins); Lake Elsinore (60mins); Soboba (90mins); LaSalina, Baja MX (90mins). Cheaper than Hotel! 760-203-2658/email [email protected].

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

COLORADO

GUNNISoN GLIDERS Ð X-C to heavy waterproof HG gliderbags. Accessories, parts, service, sewing. Instruction ratings, site-info. Rusty Whitley 1549 CR 17, Gunnison CO 81230. 970-641-9315.

FLORIDA

FLoRIDA RIDGE AERoTow PARK - 18265 E State Road 80, Clewiston, Florida 863-805-0440, www.thefloridaridge.com.

GRAYBIRD AIRSPoRTS Ñ Paraglider & hang glider 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 mountain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

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

QUEST AIR HANG GLIDING - We offer the best instruction, friendliest staff, beautiful grounds with swimming pool, private lake and clubhouse, lodging, plus soaring in our super-famous, soft, Sunshine State thermals. Come fly with us! 352- 429- 0213, Groveland, FL, www.questairhanggliding.com

wALLABY RANCH – The original Aerotow flight park. Best tandem instruction worldwide,7-days a week , 6 tugs, and equipment rental. Call:1-800-WALLABY wallaby.com 1805 Deen Still Road, Disney Area FL 33897

GEORGIA

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

HAWAII

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

INDIANA

CLoUD 9 SPoRT AVIATIoN - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

MARYLAND

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

PARAGLIDE TANDEM Ð Spring, summer, fall, para-gliding instruction in the MD, VA, WV area. Begin-ner through T-3 training. World-wide tours. Con-tact: Peter 304-596-7442, [email protected], or www.ParaglideTandem.net

MICHIGAN

CLoUD 9 SPoRT AVIATIoN (hang gliding equipment), North American Soaring (Alatus ultralight sailplane and e-drive systems), Dragon Fly Soaring Club (hang gliding instruction), at Cloud 9 Field, Webberville, MI.More info: (517) 223-8683, [email protected], www.DFSCinc.org.

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

FLY HIGH, INC. - Serving New York, Jersey, and Connecticut areas. AreaÕ s exclusive Wills Wing dealer. Also all other brands, accessories. AreaÕ s most INEXPENSIVE prices! Certified instruction/service since 1979. Excellent secondary instruction! Taken some lessons? Advance to mountain flying! www.flyhighhg.com, 845-744-3317.

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

NORTH CAROLINA

KITTY HAwK KITES - FREE Hang 1 training with purchase 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 instruction, 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, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

TEXAS

FLYTExAS / JEFF HUNT - training pilots in Central Texas for 25 years. Hangar facilities near Packsaddle Mountain, and Lake LBJ. More info: www.flytexas.com, (512)467-2529

UTAH

CLoUD 9 PARAGLIDING - Come visit us and check out our huge selection of paragliding gear, traction kites, extreme toys, and any other fun things you can think of. If you arenÕ t near the Point of the Mountain, then head to http://www.paragliders.com for a full list of products and services. We are UtahÕ s only full time shop and repair facility, Give us a ring at 801-576-6460 if you have any questions.

SUPER FLY PARAGLIDING Ð Come to world famous Point of the Mountain and learn to fly from one of our distinguished instructors. We teach year round and offer some of the best paragliding equipment available. Get your P2 certification, advanced ratings or tandem ratings here. We have a full shop to assist you with any of your free flight needs. 801-255-9595, [email protected] , www.superflyinc.com.

wINGS oVER wASATCH HANG GLIDING - Salt Lake / region 4 area. Certified HANG GLIDING instruction, sales, service. World class training hill! Tours of UtahÕ s awesome mountains for visiting pilots. DISCOUNT glider/equipment prices. Glider rentals. Tandem flights. Ryan Voight, 801-599-2555, www.wingsoverwasatch.com.

VIRGINIA

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

PARAGLIDE TANDEM Ð Spring, summer, fall, para-gliding instruction in the MD, VA, WV area. Begin-ner through T-3 training. World-wide tours. Contact: Peter 304-596-7442, [email protected], or www.ParaglideTandem.net

WASHINGTON

AERIAL PARAGLIDING SCHOOL AND FLIGHT PARK- Award winning instructors at a world class training facility. Contact: Doug Stroop at 509-782-5543, or visit www.paragliding.us

WEST VIRGINIA

PARAGLIDE TANDEM Ð Spring, summer, fall, para-gliding instruction in the MD, VA, WV area. Begin-ner through T-3 training. World-wide tours. Contact: Peter 304-596-7442, [email protected], or www.ParaglideTandem.net

INTERNATIONAL

BAJA MExICo - La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www.FLY-LASALINA.com. by www.BAJABRENT.com, HeÕ ll hook you up! site intros, tours, & rooms [email protected], 760-203-2658

CoSTA RICA - Grampa Ninja's Paragliders' B&B. Rooms, and/or guide service and transportation. Lessons available from USHPA certified instructors. USA: 908-454-3242. Costa Rica: (Country code, 011) House: 506-2664-6833, Cell: 506-8950-8676, www.paraglidecostarica.com.

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

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

FoR ALL YoUR FLYING NEEDS - Check out the Aviation 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 paragliding units with training from Hill Country Paragliding Inc. www.hillcountryparagliding.com 1-800-664-1160 for orders only. Office 325-379-1567.

GUNNISoN GLIDERS Ð X-C, Factory, heavy PVC HG gliderbags. Harness packs & zippers. New/used parts, equipment, tubes. 1549 CR 17, Gunnison, CO, 81230, or 970-641-9315.

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

SPECIALTY wHEELS for airfoil basetubes, round basetubes, or tandem landing gear.(262)473-8800, www.hanggliding.com.

PUBLICATIONS / ORGANIZATIONS

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

REAL ESTATE

SEDoNA, ARIzoNA - Private 235' red rock butte with contemporary home for sale. Borders National Forest. Private launchsite and LZ for paraglider. Excellent ridge soaring. See www.sedonacliffhouse.com for more information, or contact Bruce Tobias, RE/MAX Sedona, [email protected], 928-204-1950

SERVICE

CLoUD 9 REPAIR DEPARTMENT - We staff and maintain a full service repair shop within Cloud 9 Paragliding; offering annual inspections, line replacement, sail repair of any kind (kites too!), harness repairs and reserve repacks. Our repair technicians are factory trained and certified to work on almost any paraglider or kite. Call today for an estimate 801-576-6460 or visit www.paragliders.com for more information.

GET YoUR ANNUAL INSPECTIoN, repair or reserve repack done quickly and professionally. Super Fly does more inspections, repairs and repacks than any service center in North America. Call or email for details and more information. 801-255-9595, [email protected].

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

WANTED

wANTED - Used variometers, harnesses, parachutes, helmets, etc. Trade or cash. (262) 473-8800, www.hanggliding.com.


HANG GLIDING

PARAGLIDINGRTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE RATING oFFICIAL

P-1 1 Kelsi Labelle Williams OR David (Dexter) BinderP-1 2 Jerry Martin Granite Bay CA Jesse MeyerP-1 2 Todd Martin Granite Bay CA Jesse MeyerP-1 2 Ki Lee Cupertino CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 2 Thomas Winkler Foster City CA Jesse MeyerP-1 2 Justin Thomas San Francisco CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 2 Janie Thomas San Francisco CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 2 Jonathan Zhang Mountain View CA Jeffrey Greenbaum

P-1 2 Chris Pak Stanford CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 2 Scott Whitaker Pacifica CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 2 Jeff Guillena South Lake Tahoe CA Mitchell NearyP-1 2 Luke Wayman North Fork CA Michele McculloughP-1 3 Erik Delf Murrieta CA Rob MckenzieP-1 3 Robert Manthey Imperial Beach CA John RyanP-1 3 John Leming San Diego CA Troy HartmanP-1 3 David Koski Santa Barbara CA Michele McculloughP-1 3 Jose Guzman San Diego CA Bradley GearyP-1 4 Charles Glantz Albuquerque NM David PrenticeP-1 4 Hermanus Hattingh Dillon CO Etienne PienaarP-1 4 Keri Brown Draper UT Patrick JohnsonP-1 4 Mark Hillier Tijeras NM T Lee KortschP-1 4 Gregory Lott Spanish Fork UT Chris SantacroceP-1 4 Cybele Christine Las Cruces NM Hadley RobinsonP-1 4 Christopher Tatum Flagstaff AZ Chandler PapasP-1 4 Caleb Belford Flagstaff AZ Chandler Papas

RTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE RATING oFFICIAL RTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE RATING oFFICIAL

H-1 1 Philippe Blanc Ashland OR James TibbsH-1 2 Mark Malmberg Orinda CA Patrick DenevanH-1 3 Tal Wolf Los Angeles CA Joe GrebloH-1 4 Landon Armstrong Mesa AZ Mark KnightH-1 7 Scott Pertler South Range WI Daniel ZinkH-1 10 Patrick Murray Chattanooga TN Daniel ZinkH-1 12 Jorge Grey Jr Harris NY Bryon EstesH-1 12 Heiber Grey Harris NY Bryon EstesH-1 12 Heiner Grey Harris NY Bryon EstesH-2 2 David Gibbs Crescent City CA Harold JohnsonH-2 2 Dennis Boic Redding CA James TibbsH-2 2 Park Lane Fresno CA Dan FlemingH-2 2 Joy Dutta Milpitas CA Patrick DenevanH-2 2 Travis Golden Berkeley CA Barry LevineH-2 4 Landon Armstrong Mesa AZ Mark KnightH-2 7 Scott Pertler South Range WI Daniel ZinkH-2 10 Patrick Murray Chattanooga TN Daniel ZinkH-3 2 Christopher Mathews Walnut Creek CA Harold JohnsonH-3 5 Everett Atherly Red Lodge MT Daniel GravageH-4 2 Bob Shelton Milpitas CA Eves Tall ChiefH-4 4 Rick Powell Globe AZ Mark KnightH-4 7 Paul Olson Racine WI Mark KnightH-4 7 Zack Marzec Libertyville IL Jon Thompson

RATINGS I S S U E D F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

P-1 4 Ang Sherpa Salt Lake City UT Chris SantacroceP-1 5 Robert Meuchel Hamilton MT David (Dexter) BinderP-1 7 David Dunn Westville IN Jaro KrupaP-1 9 Marlin Stroh Pipersville PA Terry BonoP-1 11 Nelson Gray El Paso TX Hadley RobinsonP-2 1 Kelsi Labelle Williams OR David (dexter) BinderP-2 2 Jerry Martin Granite Bay CA Jesse MeyerP-2 2 Todd Martin Granite Bay CA Jesse MeyerP-2 2 Jennifer Berg East Palo Alto CA James BurgessP-2 2 Jeremy Conrad Lake Arrowhead CA Stephen NowakP-2 2 Thomas Winkler Foster City CA Jesse MeyerP-2 2 Scott Whitaker Pacifica CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-2 2 Luke Wayman North Fork CA Michele McculloughP-2 3 Erik Delf Murrieta CA Rob MckenzieP-2 3 Robert Manthey Imperial Beach CA John RyanP-2 3 John Leming San Diego CA Troy HartmanP-2 3 David Koski Santa Barbara CA Michele McculloughP-2 4 Charles Glantz Albuquerque NM David PrenticeP-2 4 Hermanus Hattingh Dillon CO Etienne PienaarP-2 4 Keri Brown Draper UT Patrick JohnsonP-2 4 Mark Hillier Tijeras NM T Lee KortschP-2 4 Gregory Lott Spanish Fork UT Chris SantacroceP-2 4 Christopher Tatum Flagstaff AZ Chandler PapasP-2 4 Caleb Belford Flagstaff AZ Chandler PapasP-2 4 Ang Sherpa Salt Lake City UT Chris SantacroceP-2 5 Robert Meuchel Hamilton MT David (dexter) BinderP-2 11 Nelson Gray El Paso TX Hadley RobinsonP-2 13 Patrick Bal Barrigada Hts GU Chris SantacroceP-3 1 Clyde Kelso Fairbanks AK Tyler SporrerP-3 2 David Hellerstein Placerville CA Jason ShapiroP-3 2 Andreas Krause Gilroy CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-3 2 Scott Mcdermott Las Vegas NV Max MarienP-3 3 Glen Lockwood Volcano HI Christopher LanganP-3 3 Angela Albota San Diego CA Max MarienP-3 4 Roman Rampton Salt Lake City UT Jonathan JefferiesP-3 4 William Alms Glendale AZ Chandler PapasP-3 4 Cody Mittanck Logan UT Chris SantacroceP-3 4 Shane Denherder Draper UT Chris SantacroceP-3 4 Hermanus Hattingh Dillon CO Etienne PienaarP-3 9 Jacob Catt Valencia PA Terry BonoP-3 10 Ivan Boasher Tampa FL Granger BanksP-4 2 Chris Mckeage Sutter Creek CA Robert CookP-4 3 Adam Fischbach Oceanside CA Max MarienP-4 3 Glen Lockwood Volcano HI Christopher LanganP-4 3 Richard Graham Santa Barbara CA Chad BastianP-4 3 Bryan Rice Carlsbad CA Bob Hammond JrP-4 3 Jon Blake Santa Barbara CA Rob SporrerP-4 4 Michael Haberstock Cottonwood Hts UT Mike SteenP-4 4 Blake Pelton Colorado Springs CO Jeffrey FarrellP-4 4 Cody Mittanck Logan UT Chris SantacroceP-4 4 Shane Denherder Draper UT Chris SantacroceP-4 4 Hermanus Hattingh Dillon CO Etienne Pienaar

http://www.superflyinc.com

hang gliding & paragliding vol42/iss06 jun 2012

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