hang gliding & paragliding vol42/iss09 sep 2012

1HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2012 Volume 42 Issue 9 $6.95

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2 HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

http://flyozone.com

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine is published for foot-launched air-sports enthusiasts to create further interest in the sports of hang gliding and paragliding and to provide an educational forum to advance hang gliding and paragliding methods and safety.

SUBMISSIONS HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine welcomes editorial submissions from our members and readers. All submissions of articles, artwork, photographs and or ideas for articles, artwork and photographs are made pursuant to and are subject to the USHPA Contributor's Agreement, a copy of which can be obtained from the USHPA by emailing the editor at [email protected] or online at www.ushpa.aero. HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING magazine reserves the right to edit all contributions. We are always looking for well written articles and quality artwork. Feature stories generally run anywhere from 1500 to 3000 words. News releases are welcomed, but please do not send brochures, dealer newsletters or other extremely lengthy items. Please edit news releases with our readership in mind, and keep them reasonably short without excessive sales hype. Calendar of events items may be sent via email to [email protected], as may letters to the editor. Please be concise and try to address a single topic in your letter. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. If you have an idea for an article you may discuss your topic with the editor either by email or telephone. Contact: Editor, Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, [email protected], (516) 816-1333.

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

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COPYRIGHT Copyright (c) 2012 United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc., All Rights Reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, Inc.

Martin Palmaz, [email protected]

Nick Greece, [email protected]

Greg Gillam, Art Director [email protected]

C.J. Sturtevant, Copy Editor [email protected]

Terry Rank, Advertising [email protected]

Staff Writers

Steve Messman, Dennis PagenChristina Ammon, Ryan Voight,

C.J. Sturtevant

Staff PhotographersJohn Heiney, Jeff Shapiro

Hang gliding and paragliding are INHERENTLY DANGEROUS

activities. USHPA recommends pilots complete a pilot training

program under the direct supervision of a USHPA-certified

instructor, using safe equipment suitable for your level of

experience. Many of the articles and photographs in the

magazine depict advanced maneuvers being performed by

experienced, or expert, pilots. These maneuvers should not be

attempted without the prerequisite instruction and experience.WARN

ING

ON THE COVER, Jon Patterson flying over Ferry Peak in Alpine, Wyoming | photo by Nick Greece.

MEANWHILE, Charles Uiebel gets a classic shot at the Point of the Mountain, Utah.

EDITOR

BRIEFINGS

CENTERFOLD

CLASSIFIED

RATINGS

USHPA STORE

ON GLIDE

USHPA in Action

Rogue Valley’s Association � � � � � � � � � � � � � by C.J. Sturtevant

Safety is No Accident

The Art of Sled Rides � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Ryan Voight

Wings and Things

Wills Wing Covert Harness � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Ryan Voight

FEATURE | Confessions

of a Cross-country King � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Katrina Mohr

FEATURE | Two Fly or Not Two Fly

Flying Tandem � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �by Andy Pag

FEATURE | No Stopping

Nova Dasalla � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Christina Ammon

FEATURE | Buddhism and Free Flight

Take the Middle Cloud � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Patrick McGuiness

Hang Gliding Finishing School

Part X: A Flock of Turns � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Dennis Pagen

Fly More

C�J�’s Big Secret � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Henry Baker

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START

FINISH

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

475 MILES

Congratulationsto team pilot Dustin Martin for his record

breaking 475 mile flight. The longest flight on

a hang glider... EVER.

SEPT

EMBE

R 201

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START

FINISH

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

475 MILES

Congratulationsto team pilot Dustin Martin for his record

breaking 475 mile flight. The longest flight on

a hang glider... EVER.

http://willswing.com


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that will guide and mentor them from their P2 to their P5. Material benefits would be keeping the sites open. But I’ll say again that without the commu-nity and camaraderie, many members would not be nearly as active.” Several pilots agree with Paul’s final point, pointing out that much of the energy and impetus for getting things done derives from the tight bonds and group

morale that is such a part of this club. Eddie the Eagle suggests that “without the club, all the issues surrounding such things as LZs and liability would not be addressed by a unified approach,” and, he postulates, the opportunities for flying would be severely curtailed.

Dave, who’s been flying Woodrat since 1978, sees the 34-year history of successful collaboration and partner-ships between RVHPA and the BLM and landowners as a huge benefit. “The biggest benefit of being an RVHPA

member is the opportunity it gives to have an impact in the formation of our sport and our landscape for the next 30 years. That opportunity comes with a responsibility to contribute in ways that we each can.” Dave is owner of Fiasco winery, and has recently (with the as-sistance of a grant from the Foundation for Free Flight) buried power lines on his property to create an additional safe, friendly landing option in the Applegate valley.

With over 200 members, RVHPA has to be one of the largest chapters in USHPA. Sam, one of the local instruc-tors, says, “RVHPA recently navigated some bumps in the road. In order to stabilize our finances and prepare for LZ acquisition, we raised rates and made membership mandatory. We did this to get away from a ‘pass the hat’ and ‘hand-to-mouth’ budget formula, which was based on the largesse of a few wealthy club members. It wasn’t sustainable. In the years since, our membership has grown. We get good press here. People know who we are. Our instructors are fully engaged. I think it also has to do with focusing our efforts and our presence on mainly one site, Woodrat.” Kevin, also an in-structor, says, “I was the only instructor

AbOVE Dave’s Fiasco Falcon. bELOW LEFT Dave Palmer cruising. Photos by Dave Palmer.


for quite a while. Now there are several of us teaching, as well as providing more tandem flights, which leads to more exposure and more students. I also think, personally, that my instruc-tion has improved significantly since the late ‘90s, which has led to a much higher student/pilot retention rate over

the old days when folks essentially had more opportunity to scare themselves out of the sport.”

RVHPA.ORGThese days, every organization recog-nizes the importance of a user-friendly, feature-filled website. RVHPA.org, recently reworked by Greg Babush, is a daily pre-flying destination for many pilots. It’s where I started my

research for this article, reading Bill Shaw’s in-depth, and highly entertain-ing, chronicle of the early days of hang gliding in the Rogue Valley. Two of the pilots listed by Bill as among the very first to fly from Woodrat Mountain, back in the spring of 1978, are among those who contributed to this article. How amazing is that?! The whole history, from the pre-Woodrat days up through a reminder that the 50th

AbOVE Flying to Fiasco | photo by Dave Palmer. bELOW October 1978 flights at Tallowbox | photos provided by Dave Palmer.


annual Starthistle meet is coming up in a couple of years, is here: http://rvhpa.org/about/history/.

Reading history is for the non-flying days; when it looks like it might be a good day to get airborne, the website is the first stop for many RVHPA mem-bers. The weather page lists dozens of links to forecasts and soarcasts, TFRs, forest fire maps, satellite images—whether you’re a serious weather geek or just want a quick look at what the wind gods have in store for the day, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Sam, a local instructor, points out that, after spending time assimilating the infor-mation online, you still “need to go to the mountain to see what’s really going on—I’ve been amazed more than once when I thought it wouldn’t be flyable and ended up soaring for an hour or more. It is sunny over in the Applegate (where Woodrat is) more often than not, even when Medford (just 15 miles away) has been in the fog for weeks…”

The chatbox is the other top-rated website feature, used by both locals and visitors as, in Dave’s words, a “tool for immediate and broad communication” regarding when and where to meet, what the weather looks like where the chatters are, any unexpected changes in LZ options, where the party is that evening…

As of 2011, all pilots who fly Woodrat must be club members. The full details of this new requirement are on the Membership page of the website; the short answer is (also from the website), “With increasing site usage, we need to better manage the site and equitably pay for the costs of maintain-ing it into the future.” The club has made a point of making visiting pilot membership both affordable and easily obtained, by mail (very slow), online, and (fastest, and recommended) in person at the Ruch Country Store.

Sam points out that Woodrat “is a mountain site and it’s very thermic at times. There is a lot of local knowledge that is readily shared with visitors in order to protect them and our rela-tionship with the various landowners.” Barbara adds that pulling out-of-towners into the club makes them “feel secure and safe and welcome—and there are the three things I would look for in a flying site.”

THE GOOD OLD DAYSBill Shaw’s online history of RVHPA makes excellent reading, but there’s always more backstory. Several pilots provided their personal recollections of the Rogue Valley flying community back in the 20th century. Jeff, who was one of the very first to fly in the region, recalls, “Those of us who formed the original RVHGA did so during a very difficult and challenging time. Prior to the club’s formation, there had been two separate instances in which pilots were killed flying into power lines. The small communities in southern Oregon had naturally formed the opinion that hang gliding leads to death, usually by electrocution. To say we were outliers of questionable sanity is truly an under-statement. Imagine for a moment that you were in Dr. Doug Hildreth’s shoes: a well-known member of the local medical establishment and a leading member of the hang gliding commu-nity. The resistance and condemnation from fellow professionals must have been challenging, to say the least. Yet Doug charged forward and provided the group with invaluable guidance, tremendous support of fellow pilots and 110% commitment. I am certain he did so both because of his passion for free flight and because he was one of the most responsible, conscientious people I have ever known. At a time when mi-crometeorological awareness was limit-ed, glider technology was in its infancy, new flying sites were being tried out

weekly and instruction was minimal and evolving, the RVHGA was able to maintain a sound safety record. There were many pilots from that time who transitioned through their early days of flying without an incident because of Doug’s commitment to the sport.”

Dave, also a charter member of RVHGA, adds, “We were all new pilots, discovering something new literally every day. We were truly breaking new ground. We were the first. We built log ramps and launched from mountains no one else had ever launched from! We were more interested in exploring new sites as a club. Whereas today we fly Woodrat almost exclusive-ly, 35 years ago we flew from a dozen mountains, ridgelines and hillsides. Today I think RVHPA members are more interested in exploring their personal ‘mountains’—highest, longest, farthest. Most of what we do today, somebody else has already done.”

Kevin recalls, “When I joined, in the early ‘90s, I was the only paraglid-ing RVHGA member. At the club Christmas party in either ‘93 or ‘94, I was the only paraglider among the maybe 40 pilots there. Someone asked me, ‘Is there anything I need to know when flying with you?’ Back then, the top launch was FLAT, and required much better skill to get off safely. It was also of slightly higher elevation than it is now. Mid launch was overgrown and not used—too bushy. Both launches have gone through slow evolutions since then.

Some of the pilots that I met back then, who were among the first to fly Woodrat, have since passed away. We’re aging…”

Karl elaborates on the evolution of top launch: “At one point years ago the BLM dynamited the top launch to remove shale. It was a disaster, very difficult to launch from. We made do


the typical holiday gifts and cards, to physical labor like cutting firewood, installing cattle guards and speed bumps and gates, as well as quarterly road cleanups along Hwy 238, RVHPA members are out there. Local tandem instructors offer landowners and their family members free flights, provid-ing them a unique perspective on their community, and an opportunity to experience the beauty of free flight.

Cementing ties with individual landowners takes many forms. Paul explains, “We get to know the land-owners and their issues. Each one has a different concern or motivation. We try to honor their requests, though we know we can’t police everyone. We learn what is important to them and

but were unsure what the future was going to be for top launch. We’d lost a lot of altitude, and the trees down the hill looked much bigger. The BLM contacted us after they were done, and because we were the main users and best stewards of the mountain, they asked what we needed. So with what the BLM first built for us and a lot of hard work from the club members, we now have a world-class launch.”

Without RVHPA’s diligence in building strong relationships with landowners, top launch could well have remained that post-dynamite “disaster,” and that leads us to…

LANDOwNER RELATIONSThe main LZ for Woodrat, a huge field right below launch, is part of a working cattle ranch. It’s the same field, owned by the same family, that has been “the”

bELOW Dave Palmer circa 1978/1979 | photos provided by Dave Palmer.

Woodrat LZ since 1978. There are cows, and cowpies, and gates that absolutely must be kept closed. Given the number of pilots who fly Woodrat, it’s amaz-ing that the privilege of landing in this ideal location has endured for so many decades. Paul provides some insight:

“Billy Joe and Joan Hunter just enjoy seeing pilots doing what they love. They, and their son Tim, also resist the increasingly litigious tone of modern culture. They don’t like to see activities curtailed due to fear of lawsuits.”

This atmosphere of mutual respect hasn’t happened by accident. RVHPA works very hard at establishing and maintaining a positive profile in the Applegate valley. If there’s an opportu-nity to provide physical assistance to a landowner, the members turn out in force, or turn out their pockets. From


then police the sites pretty aggres-sively to be sure we are living up to their requests. If an issue arises—and one will—we take care of it, then tell them what we’ve done. ” Sam adds, “We quickly address any issues/concerns that may come up from someone landing somewhere that bothers a local land-owner—we do this by contacting the landowner right away and asking what we can do to make it up to them before it gets blown out. We also request all pilots to be courteous and respectful if they inadvertently land where they are not wanted, and to always exit through gates and not climb over fences as that can cause damage.” Karl points out that most pilots take it one step fur-ther: “One of the things we do well is to remind visiting pilot to always, always if they are approached by a landowner to thank them for letting us land on their property, telling them we really do appreciate it.” Courtesy and respect go a long way to cementing relationships within any community!

In addition to paying close attention to the landowners whose property is part of the flying experience, RVHPA has made a priority of supporting the local school and other community groups, and this has had a huge impact.

“Schools are the focus of many rural communities,” Paul explains. “Our support for the school ends up having a very broad reach. We often hear about it when we go out canvassing for new LZs.” Fund-raising efforts, often con-nected with the Starthistle fly-in and the Rat Race, have been channeled to the Ruch school music program and to help the school survive budget cuts; other beneficiaries have been the local library and playground, Search and Rescue, neo-natal car seats, scholarships for local students, and other charities and causes identified by both club members and landowners. Karl sees these strong relationships extending from the present into the future. “When these kids grow up, they’ll remember what a great effect we had on them during their school years. These are the future landowners. The parents—the current landowners—love what we are doing for their kids today.”

Woodrat launch is owned by the BLM, and RVHPA has developed an excellent relationship with this govern-ment entity over the years. “There’s a good deal of trust between RVHPA and the BLM,” Paul points out. “Free flyers are an attractive user group. We are high visibility and low impact. Compared to

timber interests and OHV enthusiasts, we are pretty benign. BLM benefits from providing recreational user-days to the public. We can provide those numbers without much trouble. In response, the BLM has been very responsive to our needs.”

The bottom line, according to Bruce, is this: “The club recognizes that our site depends upon our good relationship with those who own the fields in which we land, and we reach out to those indi-viduals in every way possible. They are the ‘life support’ of our flying sites.”

MENTORINGAny organization with an eye to the future realizes that passing skills and knowledge down to the newbies is an essential ingredient for surviving and thriving.

“Mentoring happens!” Barbara says, on a regular basis and at many levels. Group mentor sessions are frequently on the agenda at the monthly club meetings. New P2s are encouraged to ask experi-enced pilots to serve as their mentor, and pilots of all skill levels ask for impromp-tu mentoring at launch whenever they feel the need. Locals take the initia-tive to mentor pilots who are new to Woodrat, making sure visitors are aware of all the subtleties of landing in this active farming/ranching valley. Dave says, “We take our mentorship program seriously. Safeguarding our sites as well as each visiting and every new pilot are complementary roles that we believe in and individually take responsibility for.”

Instructor Kevin points out, “We saw a strong need to develop a mentoring system many years prior to USHPA’s official launch of one. Woodrat pres-ents some unique needs that have to be shared with new pilots. The conse-quences of a pilot ‘messing up’ are far more severe than at most sites, so we found the mentoring system was a must. It works great! Having a mentor gives

bELOW Club Meetings | photo by Sam Crocker.

Ask any group of pilots to recount their favorite flying experiences, and you’ ll get an earful. The RVHPA gang is no exception. Enjoy!

JEFF VANDATTA, who was the first to fly from Woodrat back

in 1978, reminisces: “One flight in particular remains vivid to

this day—that first one. The RVHPA (then the RVHGA) was

in its infancy and exploring mountains throughout south-

ern Oregon in search of good flying. Dr. Doug Hildreth (who

went on to become a USHGA regional director and one of the

greatest contributors to safe flying in the history of the sport)

and I along with several other pilots drove to a clear-cut area

near the top of Woodrat, marveled at the spectacular view

stretching west through the beautiful Applegate Valley and,

with a very light breeze coming up the steep mountainside,

decided to try it out. The only available launch option at

that time was to stand with the keel poking into the steep

embankment on one side of a very narrow logging road,

run across the road and dive to gain airspeed. I went first and

clearly recall the numerous very formidable tree stumps that

skimmed by as the wing gradually consumed enough air to

lift me away from disaster. With my heart pounding hard the

glider arched out into a welcome band of smooth lift and I let

out a scream. Our flights were not long in the 6:1 L/D equip-

ment, but when we landed there was immediate consensus:

The club had found something extraordinary. Thanks to

encouragement from my son Marty, I have returned there to

fly in recent years and was even fortunate enough to share

some air with him a couple years ago. It’s quite amazing and

very satisfying to see all the major improvements that sub-

sequent generations of RVHPA pilots have made to the site,

and to know that hundreds of pilots continue to experience

the awesome flying that Woodrat has to offer. Thanks to the

continued efforts of the RVHPA, I am hopeful that pilots will

experience the incredibly good flying and great views from

high above this mountain for years to come.”

PAuL has “too many favorite Woodrat flights to list. My

new favorite thing is to fly to engagements. There is noth-

ing like launching from mid on a July afternoon and flying

to a BBQ in Talent. Even though it is a relatively short XC, it

couldn’t be done without such an accommodating mountain.

My other favorite thing is to fly in the Rat Race, where visiting

pilots show us all new possibilities at the site.”

KARL seconds Paul’s closing sentiment: “The best educa-

tion I received was the first Rat Race (2003). In the early

days we were told to be out of the air by 2 p.m. because the

mid-day thermals at Woodrat are just too strong. We would

fly around the mountain and then go land. Later, around 6:30

p.m., we would come out for glass-off. For the most part no

one would XC from Woodrat other then a few well known

top-ranked pilots who would visit from time to time. The rest

of us would say, ‘That is just crazy!’ Now the first Rat Race

comes along, I enter and begin to learn how to use my GPS

for more than ground speed. Someone took my GPS and

loaded a bunch of waypoints in it and showed me how to set

up the task. These tasks took us away from Woodrat, much

farther than the locals would normally venture. Each day I

listened to my mentor, plugged in the task and went all over

the place. It was so cool! and those flights were the most

interesting and educational for me at that time. I have not en-

tered the Rat Race since, but every year I fly during the race

and continue to learn about our site and paragliding.”

DON’s home sits on a chunk of property that’s a favor-

ite XC destination from Woodrat, but more often than not

he’ll opt to touch down in the Applegate Valley. “Flying at

Woodrat used to end with a landing at the Hunter LZ, a work-

ing cattle ranch at the base of the mountain. In the last few

years, some local wineries have invited us to land on their

property. Seemingly, paraglider and hang glider landings are

viewed as assets to vineyard tasting rooms, and our landings

there are encouraged through a policy of some to provide a

free glass of wine to incoming pilots. We sometimes have to

pinch ourselves to believe our good luck: We’re welcomed

into large, mowed LZs, our landings are applauded by vine-

yard customers and then we’re handed a complementary

glass of fine Applegate wine. In the last couple of years, the

contribution by early USHGA member and hang glider pilot

Dave Palmer of Fiasco Winery has been huge. Dave accom-

plished Herculean tasks to make his Fiasco acreage friend-

lier to foot-launch flyers, including tree removals, leveling a

depression with 2400 cubic yards of fill, and, thanks to help

from a grant from the Foundation for Free Flight, burying

power lines that were menacing landings at Fiasco.”

DAVE, who has more history at Woodrat than any other

pilot, says, “Woodrat ranks right up there as one of the most

consistent yet challenging sites I have flown. It’s not the big-

gest air site but because of the combination of the Cascade

and Siskiyou mountain ranges and the intricacies of the wind

and thermal patterns across the valleys that surround the

area, it offers pilots cross-country choices in every direction.

Landing sites are slightly less than abundant and therefore

require careful selection and mature choices.”

bARbARA, who flies nearly every day when she’s in town,

recalls a day “last year, just getting back from Japan and I

flew glass off the next night with about 20 people. It was a

classic glass, smooth, buoyant, and we all roamed the valley

freely with Norm taking pics of us all. After we landed, we

headed up to top launch for a moonrise BBQ. It will always

be a fond memory…”

KEVIN sneaks in a gloat—“I held the Woodrat paraglider

altitude record of 11,000’ for all of the ’90s, and achieved it

flying without a vario (confirmed by my altimeter watch and a

hang pilot who was up there with me)”—and then reminds us

that great memories can be built on ordinary events: “Some

of my most enjoyable memories are from when I was teach-

ing and flying with the landowners’ daughter, Megan Hunter.”

MICHAEL much prefers the other RVHPA-managed site,

Whaleback, in northern California. “It’s my favorite site, by

far, right in my backyard. Big distances have been flown

from here, and glass-off is epic! The views, the scale of it,

all are extraordinary!” bRuCE concurs, saying, “Whaleback

is personally my favorite site due to its beauty as well as

its potential for XC. Launch is at 7200 feet and at glass-off

thermals are wide and smooth and go high. One drawback is

its short season due to snow on the road till very late spring

or early summer.”


less experienced pilots an opportunity to fly when they might not otherwise, as well as an opportunity to learn about our landowners’ needs and our site’s diverse conditions from pilots with more experience. Ultimately it leads to better site security.”

Club president Paul identifies Rick Ray as “our den mother and mentor-on-duty,” adding that Rick has personally guided many new P2s to bigger and better flights. Paul considers mentoring “a critical piece of staying engaged in flying. We forget what an incredible, exciting—and scary—thing this is. Working with a new P2 revives that sense of wonder. Our eyes have grown fuzzy and jaded. Theirs are sharp and alert and, best of all, excited. It’s the difference between celebrating Christmas with or without little kids. Their enthusiasm is infectious.”

Even the experienced pilots ask for

informal mentoring from those one rung up on the skills-and-knowledge ladder. Barbara recalls, “One day I was checking with Rick about how the thermals were working that day, and why I kept falling out of them, and he explained very thoroughly what he thought was going on. Then he said he had to go retrieve Hayden (Glatte), and then he would learn from Hayden what HE (Rick) should have done to get away—a sort of chain of mentor-mentee!”

In conclusIonLike most USHPA chapters that have been around for many years, RVHPA’s long history of hang gliding and para-gliding at Woodrat is stitched together with shared tales of good times, great flights, and big dreams. Obstacles have been overcome, lessons learned, policies

critiqued and tweaked and updated to accommodate all the changes that have been encountered over the decades. Through all those changes, the club has integrated many new members and many different perspectives, while re-taining its integrity and its core values of thoughtful, respectful, and caring interactions with everyone within the flying and the geographic community. Dave sums it up well:

“RVHPA is the entity recognized by the local landowners, businesses and community leaders. The continuity that RVHPA has provided our sport is the biggest benefit and most important factor in the future of hang gliding and paragliding in southern Oregon.”

ABOVE Emigrant Lake training hill. RIGHT Sunset flight at Woodrat. Photos by Sam Crocker.


Light Soaring Trike

Solairus

Light Soaring TrikeATF

Climb to cloudbaseshut down engineand soar!

[email protected] TRIKES & WINGSHANG GLIDERS

T hanks to these pilots who brought the RVHPA to life on these pages through their thoughtful com-

mentary and numerous photos: Ron Andresen, Karl Blust, Sam Crocker, Don “Donato” Fitch, Kevin Lee, Bruce Logan, Paul Murdoch, Dave Palmer, Barbara Summerhawk, Jeff VanDatta, Michael Zanger, “Eddie the Eagle”

C�J� Sturtevant is an H5/P5 pilot who’s been flying off and on at Woodrat since the mid-1980s, including several Starthistle fly-ins and all 10 Rat Races� This profile is the third in her ongoing series highlighting noteworthy chapters� If you know of, or belong to, a chapter with a rich history and an active member-ship that ought to be showcased in this magazine, please contact C�J� at copy@ushpa�aero�

http://northwing.com

http://www.thermaltracker.com

http://hangglideuniversity.us

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after examining it myself, I wouldn’t doubt it! The slider mechanism is machined from solid aluminum, after which it’s Teflon-coated to minimize sliding resistance (it works). Finer de-tails, like the zipper tabs with oversized rings that are easy to grab, even with gloves on, and the just-big-enough plastic ends on the zip/unzip cords add to its appeal. Also, the bag the harness comes with is well designed and con-structed. After unboxing, assembling, touching and playing with a Covert, my anticipation is high. I need to fly this thing, ASAP!

First, I fly the harness in the garage. By that I mean I spend lots of time hanging in it, going upright, going prone, zipping up, unzipping, reach-ing for the reserve handle, adjusting my pitch with the butt-lever cleat, etc. I also make a few adjustments, the first being to calibrate the string that attaches the boot of the harness to the slider mechanism that pulls the slider to the aft position when I go prone. I make sure the slider is pulled all the way back, without the string limiting the outer shell of the harness from being pulled tight. Once I get that string just right, I adjust the shoulders for proper fit. Then, I play with deter-mining how far head-down I can get when I release the butt-lever cleat. Last, but not least, I adjust the length of the leg loops. I want them loose enough to be comfortable (not tight) during flight but tight enough so I am barely able to drop down in the harness before they tighten. If they are too short, getting upright is more difficult. And if they’re too long, I’ll slide down in the harness, and the backplate will move up behind the back of my neck, perhaps restrict-ing my shoulder movement, depending on how far down I am in the harness. Once I get the leg loops adjusted prop-

erly, the backplate remains reasonably stable, and I am able to rock upright fairly easily and stay there without holding myself up. Very confidence-inspiring.

I do my first real Covert flights on a single-surface glider, in forgiv-ing conditions, at a site I know well. I recommend this type of setting to anyone looking to make the switch to a racing harness, because there is definitely a period of adjustment. I also recommend flying with your bags and stuffing as many of them as you can into the hollow boot-cone of the har-ness. More on this later.

When launching, I immediately notice a bit of a different feel compared to my cocoon. No surprises there. Because of the slider mechanism in this style of harness, the pilot hangs lower when upright. This means that when launching, the period of time during which the glider lifts off your shoul-ders and takes the slack out of your harness main is longer. It’s obviously very important to control your pitch during this critical phase of the launch, so practice in forgiving conditions is a must. Despite the tight race-fit of my harness, I found it very easy to launch. The Covert did not restrict my run in any way, and the boot did not interfere with my stride. A harness is the connec-tion between pilot and glider, and the Covert feels like an intuitive and solid connection. My inputs felt like they were efficiently transferred to the glider, and I felt I had solid control through-out the launch.

The next components of the harness I noticed were the leg loops. Or maybe I should say the next parts I DIDN’T notice. When hanging in my garage, I was a bit concerned that the leg loops would be uncomfortable if the bits weren’t adjusted properly. I was worried that after a long launch run, hanging on the leg loops would be unpleasant,

LEFT Ryan Voight flying in the Wasatch | photo by Desiree Voight.

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ping you down; it slides much earlier as you rock upright. I’ve found this makes it far easier to maintain focus and con-trol over the wing during this phase.

Another positive difference from the “other” harness: The Covert gets you a bit more upright and maintains you there without your needing to pull on the uprights. I have always felt I need a loose grip on the uprights in order to land well, so I can feel not only what is going on, but also the flare timing. The Covert lets me do this, which is fan-tastic, and quells one of my fears when making the switch to a race harness. Also, if I load all of my glider bags into the boot-cone of the harness, the ad-ditional weight at the tail of the harness seems to help me get even more upright for landing (simple see-saw mechanics). I can’t say for sure that it helps, but I’m convinced, so that’s what I’ll continue doing.

There is one major catch to landing in a race harness of any make: Pulling in while flying from the uprights is un-anatomical, to say the least. Because of the lower hang and semi-prone posi-tion, pulling in “all the way,” at which point your hands are about even with your chest, still doesn’t move much of your weight forward. Because of the more prone position, much of your weight is still behind your chest, rather than below your chest as in a conven-tional harness. There are a few ways to compensate for this; the most popular seems to be flying the glider from the base tube all the way into the ground-skim phase of landing, and THEN moving one’s hands to the uprights. I am not comfortable with this, yet, since the move from the base to the uprights is challenging for me, because one of my shoulders is limited in range of motion due to shoulder surgery a few years back.

What other people do to come in with more speed is hold lower on the uprights. Because of the rake of the control frame, holding lower also means holding farther forward, which means when you pull in to the same hand position, relative to your body, you have actually pulled yourself farther forward relative to the glider. I have also been playing with pulling my knees forward a little as I pull in. Since our legs are half of our bodies, pulling them forward will help get more weight shifted forward for the same hand posi-tion. I haven’t had enough time in the harness at this point to have perfected any of these techniques, but I know the secret to learning to do anything well is repetition and practice, so I’ll keep at it.

I’ve found there is a learning curve when switching to any race harness, but the Covert is a harness worthy of the effort. The comfort, connection, and performance gain is very, very good.

But I must add: Race harnesses aren’t for everyone! I have noticed that many recreational pilots are now flying in single-suspension-point backplate-slider harnesses, and the additional challenges all of these harnesses present aren’t worth the minimal performance gain a recreational pilot will see. The big performance gains happen at high speeds—best glide and above on a topless or rigid. Few recreational pilots spend the majority of their time flying these speeds.

At this time I still feel SAFER landing my cocoon, but it’s just so damned easy it’s not a fair compari-son. Competing in a cocoon would be a handicap. I plan to keep a cocoon handy for “fun” flying, but my Covert is my XC and competition weapon.

If you are a competitive pilot and feel you need the edge a race harness provides, check out the Covert. It’s the most gain with the least compromise, and it’s freakin’ sexy!

http://flymorningside.com


King

Confessions of aCross Countryby Katrina Mohr


S ome pilots don’t pay much attention to the weather unless they’re planning a flight. Chris Galli is not one of those pilots. Chris is the

Research Associate of Atmospheric Science at the University of Utah and the man behind the XC Skies Soaring Forecasts (xcskies.com). It’s safe to say that weather is something he thinks about a lot, and this knowledge has played a part in the impressively long flights he’s cracked off over the past few years.

Chris set a new Wyoming state distance record of 165 miles on May 29, 2012, as well as site records at Heber and Monroe Peak in Utah. He and Bill Belcourt share the Utah state distance record with for their 174-mile flight from Jupiter Peak, Utah, on August 21, 2011. Their flight held the US foot-launched distance record for almost a year, until Matt Beechinor flew 188 miles on June 30, 2012, from Sun Valley, Idaho. Chris has also been a notable presence at recent compe-titions, placing 1st at the 2011 East Coast Paragliding Championships and 1st at the 2011 US Paragliding Open Distance Championships. Katrina Mohr caught up with Chris, in between flights and projects, to talk about the weather and the benefits of a well-planned flight.

King

Confessions of a

How did you get into paragliding?The short answer is that I was too late to get into hang gliding. I grew up near Draper, Utah, and when I walked home from grade school, I could see little flecks of color hovering above the ridges on the Point of the Mountain. When I was eight, I told myself I’d fly a hang glider one day.

It took years before I called Wasatch Wings to ask about lessons. They told me to check out a new sport called paragliding before I decided if I wanted to hang glide. I went out to the Point and watched paragliders get dragged through tall weeds and end-less dust. Almost all of them ended up on their backs with lines tangled around gear and limbs.

At that time, I didn’t have much time to commit, be-cause I was still in college. But a few years later, in 1997, I went out to the Point, and paragliding seemed magical and amazing. I lined up lessons the next weekend and the rest is history. I still want to hang glide, but I’m having so much fun with paragliders right now that I’ll just leave it out there and eventually circle back.

OPPOsITE & AbOVE A record day in Wyoming | photos by Sarah Strobb-Galli.


150 miles together, sometimes wingtip to wingtip, until close to sunset. We landed a few feet from each other. It’s pretty surreal to be that far out on a course and still be close enough to talk out loud to each other in the air.

Do you have your sights set on breaking any more records?Not really. I just like to keep trying to go farther each time I get out. Whether the flight is on an established route, or I’m trying to come up with new lines, I just like to get out and explore cross-country flying in my own terms. It’s fun to finally be at a level of flying where I can actually get to distances that end up set-ting new records, but that’s never been a driving factor. Something clicked last season, so I’ll take it while I can get it. I actually hide the “distance to takeoff” section on my vario, so I don’t get too focused on numbers. That’s seemed to help recently. I always end up thinking I’m going too slowly, if I look at the num-bers during flight. If I can stay in the air all day and work my way downwind until close to sunset, I feel as if I’m doing pretty good, no matter what the final distance actually is.

What do you want to see in your future as a pilot? Just more of the same: adventure and a lot of good times with my friends and amazing wife, Sarah.

Do you do much competition flying? If so what do you enjoy about it?I’m not a competition pilot by any stretch of the word, but I love flying competitions. It’s so much fun to observe how other pilots fly and solve problems, and there is no better place than a competition to watch and learn. Admittedly, I’ve been completely caught up in the moment during competitions, but at the end of the day, I really don’t care too much about how well I do. If you are interested in flying cross-country and don’t care about racing to goal, then you should be the first one to register for a competition, because our top pilots understand how to fly fast and efficiently. You can’t learn those skills flying alone at your local site. I go fly with these pilots to really understand how inefficient my flying is. It’s the single best resource any pilot can and should use if he/she is interested in cross-country distance flying.

If you haven’t checked it out already, go to xcskies�com for all of your global soaring forecast needs�

What about cross-country flying appeals to you?Not knowing how a flight will turn out and not having a particular destination in mind are the most appealing aspects for me. It’s such an adventure to pick the right day and the right location, and then let each moment of being in the air dictate how the next moment will evolve. For cross-country, I truly believe that picking the right time and place is more important than anything you can do once you’re in the sky. The planning part of a potentially big flight is sometimes more intense and exciting than actually trying to fly it.

What do you fly?Gin Boomerang 8.

Do your long flights tend to be well planned or spontaneous?The days I pick are mostly well planned, sometimes days in advance. A lot goes into getting the right support lined up, especially a good solid retrieve. Without the support of Sarah, my best friend and wife, I wouldn’t be getting after distance flying like I have been lately. So having a couple of days’ notice to juggle schedules around is needed. Plus, having forecast tools like XC Skies is critical for picking the right location and time for trying to go big. It feels as if each year life gets a little busier, so I have to prioritize. I love to fly whenever I can, but I can’t blow off any day of work right now, so planning is key. I might have an idea of how a flight will go, but it always changes the second my feet leave the ground. You have to roll with what the day is giving up, once you’re headed into the horizon. And that’s where good support comes in. It makes it easier to pick a more committing line when you know someone has your back.

Where do you enjoy flying the most?The Wasatch Mountains are by far my favorite place to fly. I grew up in those hills, so flying new lines across them over the years always brings back great memories from being on the ground as a kid when I was tucked deep in the peaks staring up at the clouds, eating my sack lunch with my brother. That’s really quite magical for me. The Wasatch is a great place to lose myself and let reality disappear.

Can you describe a few of your favorite flights?There are so many of them. One of my most memorable flights was when Bill Belcourt and I flew Jupiter last year for the new Utah record. It wasn’t the distance or the record that was so cool, but the fact that, once I finally caught up to Bill, we were able to fly more than

OPPOsITE Wamsutter, Wyoming on I-80 is one of the few establishments between Rock Springs and Rawlins | photo by Sarah Strobb-Galli.


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or Not Two FlyTwo Fly

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landing. Mostly the landing. I don’t like to hear about new tandem pilots taking little kids, huge people, or those with disabilities or afflictions. I don’t like to hear about tandem XC or flying tandem in strong air. I like to see folks keeping it really simple for about a year and then branch out.”

Both Senior and Cone agree and suggest learning on a site that is familiar.

“There is no point in learning at a ridge-soaring site if your local is a thermic site,” says Senior. You’re better off learning at the same place you intend to fly the most tandems. Preferably a site that has large launches and LZs. Tandems are big wings and can take a bit of prac-tice to land consistently well in tight spots.”

Cone says: “It’s all about takeoffs and landings, so coastal sites make getting that experience easy. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a 1000-foot sledder. My local site isn’t the best as it has a tricky L.Z.”

When?The USHPA system for accrediting tandem pilots requires them to log at least 25 flights with passengers rated P2 or above. It’s an inspired system which means the peers you fly with, and those who know your pilot-

ing skills best, are also the people who will judge you. If no one around you thinks you’re safe to fly with, you can’t

progress. My dearly beloved, who is an accomplished pilot in

her own right, has already made it very clear that she won’t be joining me in the passenger harness. I like to think this is less about my flying skills and more about my relationship skills. I remember trying to teach my ex to drive. Ouch. Perhaps I should combine the T1 clinic with a contemporaneous course of couples counselling?

But putting my personal relationship issues to one side, other experienced tandem pilots I’ve flown with have encouraged me to pursue my tandem rating and compli-mented my flying style. But how do I know if I’m being overconfident or if I am now ready to pull up the A-risers of a

42m wing?Santacroce thinks I’ll know if I’m ready. “A pilot

won’t have to wonder if it’s time to fly tandem; if it is appropriate, he/she will know. 100%.”

“I think the USHPA requirements should be the minimum level of experience required before pilots even consider going for their tandem ratings,” says Senior.

“But again, they should also have excellent ground han-dling skills and good judgment.”

And Cone thinks that it helps if you’ve lost that beginner’s enthusiasm for flying that drives you to take off when you shouldn’t. “If you are an experienced pilot who is finding boaty glass-offs mundane, or you don’t immediately rush up the hill on days that are epic, then you’re probably ready. In a way, being a little bit jaded about flying means that you won’t be impatient and make poor decisions.”

What?Thus far, I feel as if I’m still in the running, so my mind turns to asking about what’s involved in flying a tandem that solo pilots don’t have to think about. “The pas-senger,” comes the quick retort from my dearly beloved. And my panel of experts agrees.

Cone says that taking a passenger adds a whole new level of responsibility that solo pilots don’t ever contend with. “Before you fly, you have to ask, ‘Would I take my mother up in these conditions?’” (Clearly, he’s never met my mother. We talk briefly about the film Throw Momma from the Train, but return to tandems.) “The first thing I tell my passengers is that this flight is all about them,” Cone says. “If they want to land after three minutes, I tell them I’ll be stoked to head down to the landing; if not, we can stay up for as long as they like. I don’t want them to feel any pressure that stops them from enjoying the experience. You have to keep them in mind throughout the whole experience.”

“There’s a constant need to communicate with your passenger. Whether it’s the passenger’s first instructional flight or their fifth XC flight, it’s always important to keep talking to them while flying, so they can get the most out of the flight. Talking with the passenger (especially during longer thermic flights) also enables the pilot to judge when a passenger might be getting motion sickness,” says Senior.

Santacroce points out that along with responsibility to the passenger, there’s a responsibility to the sport and to the FAA exemption that permits paraglider pilots to fly with passengers. “It’s important for a new tandem pilot to protect tandem flying.”

The passenger also puts technical demands on the

BELOW Matt Cone.


tandem pilot. Cone tells me about passengers who sit in the harness prematurely while both parties are supposed to be running off the hill, passengers who run in the wrong direction, or just come to a stop at the edge of the hill. “No matter how good the pre-flight briefing is, some people just don’t follow the instructions when it counts, perhaps because of nerves or a language barrier, so your wing handling skills have to be razor sharp. Can you kill a wing in nil wind, when it has forward momentum, and you are stopped on the precipice of a 300’ cliff?”

Santacroce also stresses that varying conditions put a much higher demand on the technical skills of a pilot hanging under a tandem compared with a solo wing.

“Any monkey can fly a tandem if he takes off and lands in a breeze, but if it’s zero wind or high wind, a pilot might need a decade or two of experience to be truly qualified for the job at hand. A tandem pilot needs to be able to discern these sometimes subtle differences.”

Why?So given that your passenger may try to kill you, thecontrols weigh you down, the wing is difficult to maneu-ver and there is a potential for legal liability, why do it?

Santacroce is pretty honest about the ups and downs of flying 2-up. “People fly tandem for different reasons. It can be joyous or it can be a nightmare.”

“It’s a pretty intimate experience. There’s a contact-high of taking someone flying” says Cone, who never charges passengers for flights but instead directs them to make a contribution to Karma Flights. “A lot of very skillful pilots do it for money, and they can make a decent living at it. It becomes a job to them, but that often leads to their losing interest in flying or complaining about their pas-sengers. I love the personal relationship, which is hard to maintain when it’s also a commercial relationship. I particularly like flying with another pilot; it’s so much fun.”

My enthusiasm to fly with non-flying friends and family is also shared by Senior. “The upside to flying tandems is the stoke you get in sharing the experi-ence with your passengers. At first I wanted to fly tandems to share my addic-tion with friends, and for a few years it was simply a way to get enough money to

make the next comp. Now I only fly close friends and other pilots when the flying forecast is good with the hope of going XC. This way my mates get to know why I’m always chasing the weather, and other pilots get to experience the basics of XC flying from the front seat, without all the distractions.”

Barf?Finally I had to ask this trio how they avoid getting puked on.

Senior has the most practical advice; “If I notice one of three behaviors in my passenger, I immediately take my left knee to their right side and assume the side-by-side flying position. Then I instruct them to lean to the left if they feel at all uncomfortable. The three indicators I look for: 1) if they suddenly become quiet 2) if their head drops 3) If I feel their upper body twitch.”

“If your passenger is sick, it’s your fault and it’s never cool,” says Santacroce. Cone has only had one passenger vomit in flight—his wife. And Senior remembers that Craig Papworth, an Aussie tandem pilot, and his pas-senger were both hit in the face by ejecta from a tandem passenger above them in the house thermal. I don’t know how you’d avoid that!

AbOVE Matt Senior.


Stoppingby Christina Ammon

NOFor those searching for something more than

just the norm. We lay it all down, including what

others call sanity, for just a few moments on

waves larger than life. We do this because we

know there is still something greater than all of

us. Something that inspires us spiritually. We

start going downhill when we stop taking risks.

–Laird Hamilton, big wave surfer


The number-one ranked acro pilot in America, Nova Dasalla, is hoping to pull off a new trick this summer.Some people prefer the certainty of well-trod paths. Not Nova Dasalla. The San Francisco-based pilot is on a nonstop quest for novelty—new lifestyles, different art forms, and, most recently, a new acro trick he calls the “Carambole.” This maneuver entails a seamless transition from the deadly high-altitude jump rope that is an Infinite Tumble into the maple-seed-like whirl of a SAT. When done correctly, the move resembles the Spanish billiards game it is named for: The wing turns in one direction and then suddenly pings off in a differ-ent one. If Dasalla can pull it off, he’ll be the first.

He and a few of his acro buddies have come close. They’ve done the Infinite-to-SAT combination as part of a sequence of moves they call the “ Esfera.” But while the Esfera allows rotations between the maneu-vers, in a true Caramabole the transition must be done with no pause between the maneuvers. “It’s much harder,” Dasalla explains.

When talking about acro, Nova’s communication style is bold and exacting—borderline fundamentalist. Details matter. There is a right way and a wrong way of doing the maneuvers. For example, a helicopter does not count as a helicopter if the wing is oscillating and the wingtips are deflated.

Dasalla thinks many pilots are in a rush to learn the tricks and make them look like the ones they see on the Internet. The results are often sloppy. “Just making the wing do crazy things like swinging around it wildly by yanking hard on the brakes doesn’t mean you’re doing acro.” He calls this rash approach a “microwave mentality.”

“When a pilot can effortlessly control the wing with sensitivity, awareness, flow, intelligence, touch, and timing— without depending primarily on brakes— he’s doing acro!”

Inflection PointIn 2009, Dasalla was the first American to pull off the Infinite Tumble. The granddaddy of all acro moves, the

Infinite requires impeccable wing energy management. Poorly timed brake inputs can land the pilot in the wing with a good chance he or she won’t get out.

When Dasalla posted his Infinite video online and claimed to have completed it first, a small controversy erupted. Again, details matter. Is an Infinite Tumble five, or 15 to 20 turns? In 2009, the FAI defined it as an entry tumble, plus five straight vertical rotations. Dasalla and his peers said it should be 15 or more. “That’s why it’s called The Infinite. Because it doesn’t stop,” Dasalla contends.

Whichever criteria you choose, Dasalla meets both, achieving 15 turns in 2010.

How important is it to him to be declared the first? Dasalla’s answer is diplomatic: “When I train, I don’t have any thoughts about maintaining my ranking. Instead, I focus on achieving excellence in my tricks and moving past any fears that arise. When I focus more on the process than the prize, that stuff takes care of itself.”

Venturing into unknown territory has inherent risks. It’s hard to write about Nova’s acro-trajectory without mentioning his now well-known accident in September 2009—an experience that had dramatic physical and emotional consequences. One of his routine maneu-vers—the Misty-to-Helico—went dramatically wrong, resulting in riser twists and auto-rotation. After falling

AbOVE What does performing acro at peak level feel like? “It’s tough to describe in words,” Dasalla says, “but I’ll try by succinctly saying, it’s ‘going without knowing.’” Photo by Pearl Schroy.


200 feet and hitting the north side of Utah’s Point of the Mountain at 40 mph, he was dragged 100 feet by his reserve. Dasalla was left with two broken legs and a broken back and shoulder.

After months of intense rehabilitation, he had to learn to walk again.

But a good attitude helped him reframe the event as a lesson learned, instilling in him a new appreciation of life and relationships. He refers to this emotional trans-formation as being like a new acro move, calling it an

“Inflection Point.” Soon after, he met his wife, a fire-spinning beauty named Jinju. “Without the accident, I wouldn’t have much of what I have today: a beautiful wife, a great job, and a completely renewed, revamped, and reenergized vigor for life . . . and love.”

Both Nova and Jinju contribute creative ideas for an endeavor called “Project Esfera,” which combines acro and fire dancing. “Jinju realized that the dance I do

in the sky is, like hers, a flow art, and combining them in a video would be a first.“ They hope their collaboration will inspire others to face fears and live their dreams. As they travel the world with their project, they will highlight local organizations that are helping

children. This won’t be the first time Dasalla has enlisted his

visibility in the service of others. Last December, he attempted to be the first American to make the Infinite on a paramotor. While he didn’t pull it off (yet, he em-phasizes), he did bring attention and donations to an organization called the Global Children’s Peace Project.

“For sure, when I make the Carambole,” Dasalla says, “a philanthropic organization will benefit!”

He has set his sights on The Cloudbase Foundation, an organization of pilots determined to help children who are living near flying sites worldwide. “I hope more pilots will make donations,” Dasalla says.

Fear Management As Dasalla ventures into new acro moves like the Carambole, it’s hard not to wonder if he is haunted by his 2009 accident. He actively counters his fear with a program called OPS, or “Optimal Performance Under Stress.” The practice involves a lot of conscious breath-ing and simulation through visualizing. He adds that OPS has been used in the field in the military’s elite special operation forces.

But he doesn’t seek to eliminate fear completely.“Fear isn’t all bad, when channeled carefully,” he

RIGHT A true Carambole entails transition to an Infinite

Tumble to a SAT with no pause. At this time, no one

has done the real Carambole yet. Photos by Nova Dasalla.


explains. “A good friend of mine has a tattoo wrapped around his wrist. On the top, it says, ‘Fear’ and on the bottom, ‘Fuel’. On both sides, it says ‘ = ‘. So, it reads ‘Fear = Fuel = Fear = Fuel’.”

The SolutionAs with many firsts in acro paragliding, if Dasalla does pull off the Carambole this summer, controversy is bound to rear its head. Someone will claim he did it first, but didn’t put it on the Internet, or enact a sloppy equivalent. But in Dasalla’s mind, the move must be done cleanly, or it doesn’t count. “What would happen if pilots started to proclaim, ‘I made goal every day at the PWC in Valle’ or ‘I vol-biv’ed across the entire Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan’ when they only hit two turn points or only flew 10 miles down-range? Did they really do it? Aren’t they missing some important details?”

Dasalla thinks he has the solution to the Carambole and hopes to achieve it this summer, before heading to Europe for this season’s competitions. I ask him again how important it is to be the first.

“I think it’s important for sponsors to see that their athletes are pushing the sport and being innovative, for sure,” he explains. “I also think it’s a personal measure

of accomplishment to try to do things that no one else has done. For me, I’d rather be a leader who takes some risks trying new things than a follower who does what everyone else can do.”

When I ask him what the solution to the Carambole is, America’s number-one acro pilot remains closely guarded.

“Ancient Filipino secret,” is all he’ll tell me.

AbOVE Dasalla and his wife Jinju find common ground in acro paragliding and fire spinning. Both arts engage “The Flow.” Photo by Pearl Schroy. bELOW Dasalla’s dramatic paragliding accident in 2009 resulted in an emotional transformation he calls an “Inflection Point.” Soon after, he met his wife Jinju.


Buddhismand Free Flight

by Patrick McGuiness

Free-flight CompetitionSearching for lift at 3000 feet. It’s early on the last day of competition. Hitting turbulence evokes a feeling of hope. You feel lift, bank up, and the vario sings. At 700

feet per minute, you take the elevator ride to cloud base. You form a mental image of yourself leaving for your next glide at 6000 feet. At 4600 feet, you

notice your climb rate slows. You decide to exercise patience and stick to your plan.

Looking down, you spot the leader in his blue-and-green glider entering the same thermal. Paris Williams starts his climb just below 3000 feet. Two, three, four other competitors are hot on his tail, circling like sharks. They core the thermal and rise up fast. While your heart rate increases, you become aware of your decreasing climb rate, barely 400 feet per minute.

You look down again and see Paris burst out of the side of the thermal at an angle. The second and third pilots follow, while the fourth continues to climb. The gaggle is on glide once again. You’re not quite up to 6000 feet, and it’s slow going. The cloud has diminished and seems to be breaking up.

You tug the VG and pull in the bar, leaving the cloud with 5500 feet of altitude. You should have left the cloud ten minutes ago. What made you stay? Why

didn’t you leave as soon as the 700 feet per minute slowed to four?

Buddhist Psychology and Free FlightBuddhist psychology has served as a guide for living one’s life for thousands of years. Its principles help individuals accept themselves and the world as it is. Applying Buddhist concepts to one’s life creates a sense of freedom in the midst of an ever-changing world. Buddhist principles transfer well to performance psychology, especially as it relates to cross-country flight and competition. Applying these principles will help pilots maximize their performance.

AttachmentOne of the beliefs of Buddhist psychology is the notion of attachment. Attachment is what kept the pilot in the above example from performing at a winning level. He became attached to the idea of leaving on glide after he’d reached 6000 feet. Imagine his observing the leader and the rest of the gaggle maximize an efficient climb rate. They came, hit lift and were off. Watching them might have made him feel like a small child standing on the sidelines while the big kids went out on the field to play ball.

OPPOsITE New Zealand tandem | photo by Mark

Vanderwerf.


by Patrick McGuiness

The Buddhists believe that the root of all human suffering is caused by attachment. Attachment to a solu-tion can provide a feeling of certainty or security, but it might also prevent us from being able to “let go” of an alternative solution, strategy or idea.

Situations sometimes change to the point where a perfectly good strategy is no longer relevant, and a new problem presents itself, requiring a new solution. The space between successful action and a new challenge is marked by uncertainty, which exposes insecurities and provokes various levels of emotion. Depending on an individual’s ability to tolerate and accept fluctuating emotions, the human ego tries to protect itself from dis-comfort. This may result in individuals exchanging truth for comfort, without realizing it.

Let’s examine how this principle plays out in competi-tion. The pilot’s attachment to gaining altitude might have been the best decision on a different day or even later in that day. His decision to choose altitude pro-vided a sense of security, but the desire for security led to the pilot’s overlooking important information that was readily available.

If a pilot identifies a winning line or strategy, he should stick to it—that is, until environmental variables change to the point where the plan must be altered. The sky is constantly transforming. When flying conditions change, the pilot must be present to stay open to each new development, responding effectively to a changing environment.

When you discover a good plan or strategy, you experience positive emotions; subsequently, you focus your energy on protecting it for the future, as if to lock it in. Perhaps it’s an attempt to capture a greater sense of certainty. But the sky is fluid and ever-changing. Clouds are ethereal and not meant to last. Therefore, a pilot’s strategies must be dynamic and adaptable.

The process of attaching to a notion, such as reach-ing a target altitude or a certain cloud or a large area of sink or lift, moves us away from being present. We are less likely to notice that a cloud is breaking up when we are focused on maximizing altitude before leaving the security of the cloud to go on glide.

Mike Barber frequently uses the notion of attachment with his students. Mike is a former national champion and expert cross-country pilot who, until recently, held the record for the longest straight-line distance flight in a hang glider.

To maximize performance on cross-country flights, Mike explains, pilots newer to XC spend a great deal of time “waffling around in the crap.” His goal is to get his students to “let go” of a tendency to cling to whatever

lift they’ve found. They become attached to the idea that “there is lift” in a given area and continue to search in that area while gradually sinking out. Instead, Mike encourages his students to “let go” of this attachment and continue to “move on” until they find good lift—a thermal that will take them to cloud base.

AversionThe Buddhists also embrace the notion of aversion. This simply means that we sometimes have a desire to move away from things, thoughts, behaviors, or ideas that make us feel uncomfortable. All pilots can relate to having an aversion to sinking out while soaring. We avoid it by spotting lift indicators early and minimizing sink rates. This causes a problem when the aversion be-comes rigidly enforced or the individual is unaware of it.

We need to be aware of these behaviors and avoid acting on impulse. We must simply try to make the best decisions and change plans with care. What if your aversion to sink is so strong that you always go around it, no matter what the consequences? There may be an occasion when going through sink is your best option. If you’re not open to that possibility and your competitors are, you might miss opportunities.

Non-attachmentThe Buddhists posit that practicing non-attachment is the answer to freedom, mental clarity and happiness. When you are free from attachment, you are more pres-ent. In unpowered cross-country flight, being present can lead to greater acuity and better decision-making.

To practice non-attachment, you must engage in a metacognitive understanding of your own thought processes. Meta-cognition means, “thinking about your thinking.” If you develop the ability to analyze your thought process without judging it, you’ll not only improve your performance, you’ll be happier and more confident.

For example, if you’re on glide and allow your thoughts to drift to the lovely single female pilot you met the previous evening, your lapse in attention might cost you. You suddenly realize that the pilot who was on glide behind you has changed course. Ahead a hawk is climbing, and, hoping to compensate for your inatten-tion, you adjust your glide angle to the thermal. But now, you’re coming in below the pilot who moments before was behind you.

At this point you have two choices: 1) You can judge yourself harshly for the error, or 2) you can simply notice the distraction and bring your attention back to the


new information. This new information will allow you to develop a new strategy before others can conceive of it. This special skill marks the brilliance that Paris Williams uses as his underlying approach.

To benefit from a summary of these principles, con-sider the examples above and apply the lessons to your own XC flying. Consider participating in a paragliding or hang gliding competition.

Use a meta-cognitive approach and “think about your thinking.” Develop the discipline of observing your own thoughts and emotions in response to environmen-tal changes, mistakes, and setbacks as well as advantages and opportunities.

Practice being non-judgmental by noticing when self-evaluations occur. Identify a more accurate and neutral way of labeling the experience and absorbing the pertinent information.

Ask yourself productive questions: “What options are available now that the situation has changed?”

Avoid attachment to things that aren’t permanent. Accept the fact that nothing is permanent.Don’t allow aversions to unpleasant inner experiences

drive your decision-making processes.Practice non-attachment by recognizing your desire

to do so and accept the negative emotions that stem from letting go of certainty.

Be present by directing your thoughts, feelings and emotions to the “here and now.”

Increasing awareness allows you to take advantage of the dynamic properties of the sky. Being truly pres-ent requires an understanding of how to deal with a constant stream of thoughts, feelings, and judgments. Increasing awareness of your own conscious experiences will prepare you to apply these principles for better results. Make note of the times you respond to making a mistake with a negative comment or judgment about yourself as a person. Consider viewing the situation in terms of how your options have changed, instead. Move toward a general approach of the recognition of changing circumstances and start adapting, while having the end goal in mind. Returning to the here and now, letting go of attachments and seeing each situation with greater clarity will help you develop more effective strategies and the ability to implement them during XC flights as well as in competition.

Patrick McGuinness has a master’s degree in applied psychology and uses his background in sports psychology and extreme sports to help athletes, professional and businesses maximize performance and achieve better results� For more information, contact Patrick at (603) 545-2774 or go to his website, www�MountainViewPerformanceCoaching�com�

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precise turn you want every time. But don’t despair; this practice is fun. One point to note is that each glider and wing loading results in slightly differ-ent control responses and timing. So you simply have to fly your glider in a variety of conditions, making turn after turn until the controls become second nature, and you are able to perform the desired bank and heading changes without thinking about them

Note: In this discussion we assume you have had simulator and actual practice moving your body’s center of gravity, not your shoulders, when you make a roll control.

TOO LITTLE PUSHOUTThus far, we haven’t mentioned pitch control. We didn’t want to compli-cate matters, but now we have to face the music. Pitch control input is an integral part of making a turn in a coordinated, efficient manner. You probably already know a bit about

that. However, I have had many pilots ask, “How much should I be pushing out (or pulling in, for that matter) in a turn?” The quick answer is: You push out until the glider settles into a steady airspeed�

Once the glider begins respond-ing to your roll input, it will begin to speed up if you don’t push out at all. In fact, it will gradually dive more and more into a turn if you hold the roll control or move back to center to maintain whatever bank you have reached. That’s because centripetal force is added to the weight on the glider as you enter a bank, requiring you to increase the lift by pushing out a little to increase the angle of attack to prevent the glider from accelerating. In addition, the more you curve your path, the more the tips of your glider meet the air at a higher angle of attack, causing them to increase lift and lower the nose. Push out a bit to offset these effects in order to get an efficient turn.

Again, you learn the right amount

for your glider and the bank angle you have produced through experiment and experience. Gentle (low-banked) turns hardly require any pushout. But as you learn to bank more steeply and hold the turn longer, you should start to feel the right amount needed to push out. Look for the glider to settle into a steady airspeed. With too little pushout, you will feel it gradu-ally accelerate. Try applying too little pushout when you are high to feel the effect. You can always stop the dive at any time by leveling out and gradually slowing to best glide speed. The airspeed clues may be subtle, but all good pilots can and do learn to recognize them; they readily become second nature.

Figure 1 shows the path of a glider in a turn with proper pushout and too little pushout. Note: A diving turn is sometimes useful for losing altitude, when so desired, or gaining speed, when setting up a final landing leg.

TOO MUCH PUSHOUTIf you push out too much, the glider will gradually slow while in the turn, until the wing on the inside of the turn begins to stall. You can prob-ably feel your glider pushing back noticeably on the base tube. Plenty


will overshoot. Hopefully, you have practiced many turns of lesser heading change, with the goal of making per-fect heading changes plenty of times before attempting 360s.

Once you can do a 360 and roll out precisely on heading, you need to add some more heading change. You should strive for a 540 (a 360 plus a 180); then it’s on to a 720 (two 360s held continuously). Gradually add 360s until you can perform a continu-ous turn round-and-round as long as you want, without leaving the sweet feeling of coordination. We emphasize the importance of adding extended turns one 360 at a time, at least until you perform about three in a row, so you don’t suffer any disorientation. We all have experienced dizziness when we spin around in a circle as kids. You can train your brain to avoid such effects,

but you have to do it gradually. Start with one 360 and then add more head-ing change, bit-by-bit.

The tighter you turn (more bank angle), the more likely you are to ex-perience disorientation at first. That’s because G forces add to the effect. So start your early 360s with fairly shal-low banks, then gradually increase the bank angle. Feel the Gs and be aware of what you are doing at all times. Also, pay attention to where you direct your attention. Generally, the best place to look is towards the inside wing. Don’t focus on the wingtip, or you may be confused by the ground whirling by out-of-focus in the back-ground. It is best to look at a distant point without fixating on it and let your eyes flick to a new point every so often. Eventually, you will learn to relax and be able to let your eyes look to where you are turning for traffic control. Note that the worst thing

you can do in a 360 is turn your head suddenly in the opposite direction (to the outside of a turn). Yet, experienced pilots are forced to learn to do this, since we have to monitor traffic in crowded thermals both on the inside and the outside of the turn. The key here is helping your brain learn to cope through lots of practice. Pilots of all aircraft train their sense of balance and orientation in this manner.

It’s very important to practice all turns in both right and left directions. Don’t let yourself become turn- direction prejudiced, for that habit will limit you. And perhaps even more important— the landing setups at some fields are much better one way or the other.

Next month we look at bump tolerance—flying in turbulence�


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MEETINGS

OCTObER 18-20 The 2012 USHPA Fall Board of Directors & Annual Meeting of Members will be held in Newburgh, NY, at the Ramada New-burgh. During the Friday (committee) and Satur-day (general) sessions, all members are encour-aged to participate in the process undertaken by the board, and staff, that create policy and imple-mentation for the membership. More information is available on our homepage at www.ushpa.aero where agendas for the meeting are available, and warrant your feedback. Please save the date, we’d love to see you there!

SANCTIONED COMPETITION

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.

ACCREDITED COMPETITION

PG sEPTEMbER 4-8 Inspo/Monroe, Utah. This five-day mentoring competition is limited to 20 mentees and 10 mentors and is about learn-ing and flying, with daily classes presented by the mentors. More info: Ken Hudonjorgensen, 801-572-3414, [email protected], or www.twocanfly.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 driving 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, September 1st-3rd, September 29th-October 1st, and October 6th-8th, More information: Jugdeep Aggarwal, 831-566-8652, [email protected], or www.santacruzparagliding.com.

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

CLINICS & ToURS will not be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, con-tact name and phone number). Items should be re-ceived no later than six weeks prior. For more com-plete information on the Clinics & Tours 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 & cancellations must be re-ceived in writing 2 months preceding the cover date, i.e. September 15th is the deadline for the No-vember issue. ALL CLASSIFIEDS 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 USH-PA, P.O. Box 1330, Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1330. If paying with credit card, you may email the previous information and classified to [email protected]. For security reasons, please call your Visa/MC or Amex info to the office. No refunds will be given on ads cancelled that are scheduled to run multiple months. (719) 632-8300. Fax (719) 632-6417

HANG GLIDING ADVISoRY: Used hang gliders should always be disassembled before flying for the first time and inspected carefully for fatigued, bent or dented downtubes, ruined bushings, bent bolts (especially the heart bolt), re-used Nyloc nuts, loose thimbles, frayed or rusted cables, tangs with non-circular holes, and on flex wings, sails badly torn or torn loose from their anchor points front and back on the keel and leading edges.

PARAGLIDING ADVISoRY: Used paragliders should always be thoroughly inspected before fly-ing for the first time. Annual inspections on para-gliders should include sailcloth strength tests. Sim-ply performing a porosity check isn’t sufficient. Some gliders pass porosity yet have very weak sail-cloth.

If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding busi-nesses 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 LEV-EL oR RATING. NEw PILoTS SHoULD SEEK PRo-FESSIoNAL INSTRUCTIoN FRoM A USHPA CER-TIFIED INSTRUCToR.

PG sEPTEMbER 1-3 Northern California. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October 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.santacruzparagliding.com.

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.

PG sEPTEMbER 30 - OCTObER 6 Whitwell, TN. Join us for the first ever Paragliding Team Challenge and the first paragliding competition in the Sequatchie Valley! This is a unique competi-tion designed to educate and motivate pilots to ex-plore competitive and XC flying. We will be using the same format successfully implemented by the Tennessee Tree toppers for many years. Entry fee $160.00. More information: Richard Amend, 615-319-0647, or [email protected]

PG OCTObER 1-3 OR 6-8 Northern California. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driv-ing 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 fo-cus on distance and not speed. More informa-tion: Jugdeep Aggarwal 831-566-8652, [email protected], or www.santacruzparagliding.com.

PG JANuARy 6-12 Valle de Bravo, Mexico. 10th Monarca Paragliding Open. FAI Paragliding Competition paradise. Well-known organization and prize money. Entry is $265 until December and $295 after. $12 pick up at Mexico City Int. Airport. More Info: Alas del Hombre, 726-262-6382 [email protected], or www.monarcaopen.com.

CALENDAR

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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 set-ting. We will work on everything from take offs to landings, high altitude launches, dust devil aware-ness, 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

NOVEMbER 3-5 Sebring, Florida. Sebring SIV: over-the-water safety maneuvers training at a world-class SIV location. All pilots progress at their own pace. Asymmetrical collapses, frontals, b-stalls, full stalls, spins, spirals, asymmetrical spirals. David Prentice, with 20 years of experi-ence, will guide you every step of the way. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or [email protected].

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 para-gliding guide, XC specialist and site pioneer with unsurpassed knowledge of the desert. Our top-notch logistics, stunning locations, in-depth local knowledge, deluxe off-road trucks, and gorgeous beachfront accommodation will make your flying experience in Chile unforgettable. More informa-tion: Jarek Wieczorek 303-800-6340 [email protected], or http://www.antofaya.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 9-11 & 12-14 Yelapa, Mexico. SIV / maneuvers clinics in beautiful tropical Ye-lapa. Tow up and land from the beach in a warm friendly location with lots of great places to stay. Brad Gunnuscio world class xc, acro pilot and In-structor of the Year will be teaching these cours-es. February dates tba. Cost: $750 for the three-day course. More information: www.ascensolibre.com or [email protected] 801-707- 0508, or Les in Yelapa 011 52 322 209 5174.

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 Hudonjor-gensen, 801-572-3414 [email protected], or twocanfly.com.

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.

DECEMbER 8 - JANuARy 15 Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Fly south this winter at world-renowned Valle de Bravo, with some of the most consistent flying that planet Earth has to offer. Improve your thermal and XC skills under the guidance of Da-vid Prentice, who has 20 years paragliding expe-rience and 11 years guiding in Valle. World-class lodging and logistics. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or [email protected].

JANuARy 20 - FEbRuARy 17 Columbia. Come explore some of the best flying sites Colombia has to offer. From Medellin to Roldanillo we will fly many of the best-known sites. Improve your thermal and XC skills under the guidance of Da-vid Prentice, who has 20 years paragliding expe-rience including 11 years guiding. World-class lodging and logistics. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or [email protected].

FEbRuARy 23 - MARCH 17 Brazil. Espirito Santo, Governador Valadares, Pancas, Bixou, and Guandu. Come join us as we trek and fly across the amazing sites of Espirito Santo. Seven to 14 day tours. We will fly the amazing monoliths of Pancas, and Bixou Guandu, on our way to the world-renowned Governador Valadares. Improve your thermal and XC skills under the guidance of David Prentice, who has 20 years paragliding ex-perience including 11 years guiding. World-class lodging and logistics. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or [email protected].

OCTObER 12-14 Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico. Three-day over-the-water maneuvers training course from beginner to advanced. All pilots progress at their own pace. Asymmetrical collapses, frontals, b-stalls, full stalls, spins, spi-rals, asymmetrical spirals. David Prentice, with 20 years of experience, will guide you every step of the way. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or [email protected].

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. Piloting is a sport of continual learning. Once you receive your rating to fly, your journey is just be-ginning. From there, you can continue to learn to earn more advanced ratings, as well as special skills that make you a more talented and versa-tile pilot. The Torrey Pines Gliderport offers several short (2-3 day) clinics throughout the year that let pilots continue to grow and learn. Please call to make reservations or check out our website. More information: Jeremy Bishop, 858-452-9858, [email protected], or flytorrey.com.

OCTObER 27-29 Sebring, Florida. Sebring SIV: over-the-water safety maneuvers training at a world-class SIV location. All pilots progress at their own pace. Asymmetrical collapses, frontals, b-stalls, full stalls, spins, spirals, asymmetrical spirals. David Prentice, with 20 years of experi-ence, will guide you every step of the way. More info: David Prentice, 505-720-5436, or [email protected].


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

PARAGLIDE TANDEM – Spring, summer, fall, paragliding instruction in the MD, VA, WV area. Beginner through T-3 training. World-wide tours. Contact: 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. Area’s exclusive Wills Wing dealer. Also all other brands, accessories. Area’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 aren’t near the Point of the Mountain, then head to http://www.paragliders.com for a full list of products and services. We are Utah’s only full time shop and repair facility, Give us a ring at 801-576-6460 if you have any questions.

SUPER FLY PARAGLIDING – 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 Utah’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.


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


INTERNATIONAL

BAJA MExICo - La Salina: PG, HG, PPG www.FLYLASALINA.com. by www.BAJABRENT.com, He’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 – 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.


HALL wIND METER – Simple. Reliable. Accurate. Mounting brackets, control-bar wheels. Hall Brothers, PO Box 1010, Morgan, Utah 84050. (801) 829-3232, www.hallwindmeter.com.

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.

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.

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 – 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.

http://www.letsgogliding.com


HANG GLIDING

PARAGLIDINGRTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL

P-1 Jim Weitman OR Kevin LeeP-1 Kara White Moyes WA Marc ChiricoP-1 Jared Odell WA Marc ChiricoP-1 Jeff Rafuse WA Marc ChiricoP-1 Lianne Oneal WA John KraskeP-1 Matthew Henderson WA Marc ChiricoP-1 John Boone OR Jon MalmbergP-1 Keith Urwin OR Kelly Kellar

P-1 Evan Mathers AK Peter GautreauP-1 Jason Douglas WA Marc ChiricoP-1 David Bish OR Justin BoerP-1 Ross Weitman OR Kevin LeeP-1 James (J.D.) Weitman OR Kevin LeeP-1 Scott Vincik AK Peter GautreauP-1 Kendall Cardwell CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 John Yost NV Christopher GranthamP-1 Amit Shah CA James BurgessP-1 Michael Victor CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 Dustin Miller CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 Reagan Wilson NV Christopher GranthamP-1 Anthony Barroga CA Klaus SchlueterP-1 Larkin Oshea CA Klaus SchlueterP-1 Jun Nagaoka CA Klaus SchlueterP-1 Leo Montejo CA Juan LaosP-1 Thomas Abel CA Rob SporrerP-1 Michael Harms CA David (dexter) BinderP-1 Daniel Palaima CA Rob SporrerP-1 Will Ramsey CA Rob Sporrer

RTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL RTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL RTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL

H-1 Anthony Policani WA Dale SandersonH-1 Nik Babinchuk WA William DydoH-1 Josh Laufer CA Michael AppelH-1 Mark Morgenlaender CA Michael GlobenskyH-1 Harpreet Johal CA John SimpsonH-1 Charles (Marty) Allen CA Eric HinrichsH-1 Timothy Ballard CA Eric HinrichsH-1 Carl Orr CA John SimpsonH-1 Piotr Gulbicki CA David YountH-1 Thomas La Hue CA David YountH-1 David Hards CA Rob MckenzieH-1 Shane Beams CA John HeineyH-1 Victoria Bates UT Rob MckenzieH-1 Michael Dozier CO Mark WindsheimerH-1 Patrick Donaghy UT Kevin KoonceH-1 Jade Chun UT Bill HeanerH-1 Joe Bedinghaus IN Andy TorringtonH-1 Michael Johnson VA Andy TorringtonH-1 Scott Brafford SC Johnathon BlandH-1 Tim Graham GA Daniel ZinkH-1 James Aron GA Gordon CayceH-1 Vance Moody NC H Bruce Weaver IiiH-1 Theodore Hurley NC Michael AppelH-1 Matthew Masters NC Michael AppelH-1 Troy Simpkins TN Daniel ZinkH-1 Samuel Varner GA Daniel ZinkH-1 Mark Sams GA Gordon CayceH-1 Ian Taylor SC Gordon CayceH-1 Aaron Johnson NC Michael AppelH-1 John (David) Templeton TX David BroylesH-1 Blake Pender TX Daniel ZinkH-1 Andrew Macfie Jr NY Amy RoseboomH-1 Frederick Macfie NY Amy RoseboomH-2 Nik Babinchuk WA William DydoH-2 Ziyad Ibrahim CA Harold JohnsonH-2 Jay Granzella CA Harold JohnsonH-2 David Hards CA Rob MckenzieH-2 Robb Derringer CA Greg DewolfH-2 Ben Dankongkakul CA Andrew BeemH-2 Shane Beams CA John HeineyH-2 Victoria Bates UT Rob MckenzieH-2 Patrick Donaghy UT Kevin KoonceH-2 Scott Brafford SC Johnathon BlandH-2 Tim Graham GA Daniel ZinkH-2 James Aron GA Gordon CayceH-2 Troy Simpkins TN Daniel ZinkH-2 Samuel Varner GA Daniel ZinkH-2 Mark Sams GA Gordon CayceH-2 Ian Taylor SC Gordon Cayce

H-2 John (David) Templeton TX David BroylesH-2 Blake Pender TX Daniel ZinkH-3 David Gibbs CA Harold JohnsonH-3 Harry Cocco CA Michael JeffersonH-3 Michael Wiest CA Harold JohnsonH-3 David Hards CA Rob MckenzieH-3 Julian Abiodun CA Fred BallardH-3 Raffael Housler CA Tammy BurcarH-3 Arthur Ellison CO Kevin KoonceH-4 Changiz (chris) Moradkhani CA Patrick DenevanH-4 Ananth Vikram Bommireddipalli CA Eric HinrichsH-4 Matt Barker CA Rob MckenzieH-4 Zachary Castille TX Jack WaltersH-4 Ann Triki Carmela Moreno

P-1 Michael La Tour CA Kyoung Ki HongP-1 Caleb Morgan CA Stephen NowakP-1 Mylene Lamarche HI Scott GeeP-1 Michael Gabor CA Max MarienP-1 Kurt (Erik) Johns CA Hadi GolianP-1 Brad Bell CA Rob SporrerP-1 Graham Peake HI David (dexter) BinderP-1 Katie Myers CA Granger BanksP-1 Lindsay Holden UT Kevin HintzeP-1 David Gertiser CO Kelly DavisP-1 Patrick Nedele CO Jake WalkerP-1 Michael Pavlik CO Gregory KelleyP-1 Douglas Delquadro UT Ken HudonjorgensenP-1 Amy Markowski CO Jonie MillhouseP-1 Daniel Sharp UT Kevin HintzeP-1 Paul Roys MT Michele McculloughP-1 Patrick Palmer ID Cade PalmerP-1 Nicholas Berling WY Scott HarrisP-1 Norman Barker OK Ron KohnP-1 Mark Belitz SD Peter HammettP-1 Matt Da Silva MA David PrenticeP-1 Anna Tsykalova MA Murat TuzerP-1 Patrick Rumley VA Noah MerrittP-1 Mark Williams VA Terry BonoP-1 Billy Wilson FL Jesse MeyerP-1 J C Perren FL David PrenticeP-1 Mark Costello GA Luis RosenkjerP-1 Justin Reich GA Luis RosenkjerP-1 Mark Burnett TX Anthony (bud) WruckP-1 Christopher Pyse TX Marc ChiricoP-1 Anant Hariharan NJ Philippe RenaudinP-1 John Keegan NJ Terry BonoP-1 Malcolm Vargas NJ Terry BonoP-1 Liew Jun Jiet Rob SporrerP-1 Michael Saunders Hadi GolianP-1 Alper Karaoglu Murat TuzerP-1 Erich Schultz Murat TuzerP-1 Ludmila Demtchenko Murat TuzerP-1 Russell Nunns Christopher GranthamP-1 Sushil Gurung David HanningP-1 Sachin Bomjan Tamang David HanningP-1 Anil Gurung David HanningP-1 Khum Bahadur Gurung David HanningP-1 Bimal Adhikari David HanningP-1 Richard Jagger Ivo SalomonP-2 Jim Weitman OR Kevin LeeP-2 Jared Odell WA Marc ChiricoP-2 Lance Roberts WA Steve StackableP-2 Scott Marchant OR Kelly Kellar

RATINGS ISSUED IN MAY

http://www.superflyinc.com

hang gliding & paragliding vol42/iss09 sep 2012

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