hang gliding & paragliding vol38/iss05 may 2008

MAY 2008Volume 38 Issue 5

$4.95

w w w.USHPA.aero

MAGAZINE STAFFUSHPA, Publisher: [email protected]

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

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

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

OFFICE STAFFPaul Montville, Executive Director: [email protected]

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

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

[email protected]

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

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

Mark Forbes, Treasurer: [email protected]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, a division of the National Aeronautic Association,

is a representative of the Fédération Aeronautique Internationale in the United States.

Cuzco, Peru. Photo by Matt Combs

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

4

ExPloring thE MonstErAn exceptional book that looks into the wave phenomena.

WoMEn's WorlDs Ladies of distinction set their sights on Italy, where the big show awaits.

lA PAlMA ChAllEngEOver the volcanic islands of the Canary chain off the coast of Spain, a year long competition keeps them coming back for more.

PArAgliDing WorlD CuP nEWbiEAnd you thought PWC stood for something else... Loosen up a little and get to know the cup.

PArAgliDEr linEsSo there you were, suspended thou-sands of feet above the ground by little more than a thread. Shouldn't you know more about the kite string you hang from the sky with? Yes, you should.

by Lisa Verzella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

by Tom Webster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

by Jeff Wishne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

by Nick Greece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

by Steve Uzochukwu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

0805EDitor

Pilot briEFings

AirMAil

ushPA

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MArKEtPlACE

ushPA storE

ClAssiFiEDs

rAtings

PAgE 78

7

8

10

12

16

40

66

68

70

72

75

Jeff Shapiro lays it over near Mount Rainier, Washington.

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

3 DECADEs in thE liFE oF lizLiz Sharp is one of those legends that gave the sport color. Follow along as her hang glider color scheme becomes cool once again.

bACK to vAllEThe first in a number of stories about what is arguably the yummy taco stand promised land of North American paragliding.

hAng in thErEYou think you know how to botch a launch? You don't know the fifth of it.

thE FlYing EYEWe've got the skinny on one of the greatest paragliding sites on the net - Ojovolador.com

gAllErY |MAtt CoMbs

by Liz Sharp / C .J . Sturtevant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

by Dennis Pagen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

by Nick Greece . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

On my return flight from the board of directors meeting in Colorado Springs, I couldn't

help but reflect on this experience and wanted to communicate to those that were not present, the unbelievable dedication and insight that our leader-ship provides to our growing band of pilots. Twice a year they spend their own time and money to help steer the national organization along its course with the hopes of bettering the sport for everyone. The level of knowledge and interest is staggering, and I highly encourage you to attend at least one of these meetings.

The days are packed with discussion covering everything from safety and training to marketing as well as one of my favorites-competitions. The "fi-nancial redistribution committee" (aka poker), of which your editor seems to be a lead contributor, chaired by Paul Voight, begins its meeting around mid-night. After careful explanation of the high/low aim points, members attempt, through the use of skill and cunning, to redistribute each participant's per-sonal wealth.

Beyond the late night camaraderie, the board meeting moved effortlessly with all participants working toward the common good. A new and exten-sive marketing plan, which you will hear more about in the coming issues, was unanimously approved. Also of note, a comprehensive U.S. site manual is almost complete and PilotConnect is now officially online. PilotConnect allows members to send email messag-es through USHPA while not divulg-ing any contact information. All one has to do is go into the "members only" section and set up your account.

I would like to thank all the con-tributors who have sent us great ma-terial and encourage others who have interesting stories and photos to do so. The flying season is upon us and we all look forward to hearing the twice-told thermal tales of 2008!

7

inversion over Jackson, Wyoming. Photo by nick greece


FLX PASSES LOAD TEST AT 13G ▲ The new Felix

Rodriguez Pro Model is here! Ozone created

the ultimate acro wing for pilots who want

to fly like Felix. Designed by David Dagault

and Felix Rodriguez, the FLX has evolved

over a year long progression of ideas and

feedback. Finally, Felix is happy! What will

the FLX do? The answer: Everything! More

info: www.flyozone.com.

APCO ANNOUNCES NEW CHUTES ▲ In line with

the market appetite for lightweight equip-

ment, APCO Aviation announces addi-

tions to their emergency parachute range.

The Mayday 16 Light (LT) and Mayday 16

Superlight (SLT)-designed for pilots who

wish to keep their equipment extremely

light The time proven classic DHV certified

Mayday 16 from APCO has undergone an

intensive diet! Keeping the performance

and quality same, but just slimming

down the weight and bulk to incredible.

APCO's Mayday 16 SLT is the lightest

reserve on the market, in terms of canopy

weight for the maximum load it can

carry-12.2 grams of canopy per each kilo

load. The LT is exactly the same as SLT, but

uses the PN1 cloth that is slightly heavier.

RUSH 2 AVAILABLE NOW ▲ The Rush 2 is now

certified LTF 1-2 / EN B in the S, M, and L

sizes. XS and XL will follow shortly.

Ozone says that the Rush 2 is the highest

performance 1-2 / B class wing they have

ever produced, or flown. Designed for long

XC flights, the Rush 2 features the same

ultra-smooth and easy speed system from

the Mantra M2, and Addict 2. It delivers

easy and light bar pressure allowing you to

use it with confidence all day, without tiring

or wasting unnecessary energy. More info:

www.flyozone.com.

AEROFEST REINVENTS ITSELF ▲ The 2008

AEROFEST at the Jackson Hole Mountain

Resort is being re-invented this year in a

major way. One of the most active flying

communities in the country will be hosting

this resort-backed event. The Jackson Hole

community is inviting all pilots to come enjoy

what the Tetons have to offer. Their will be

educational seminars from some of the best

pilots around, covering topics ranging from

GPS use, to thermalling techniques, and site

introductions. The event is slated for June

21-22 launching from the Bridger Gondola,

3,000 ft. agl. Fun events include a hike and

fly, balloon drop, spot landing contest, ther-

mal clinic, aerobatic demonstrations, and

BBQ. Discount on lift tickets and lodging.

Presented by Jackson Hole Paragliding and

the Jackson Hole Free Flight Club. For more

information: www.jhparagliding.com.

NEW SCHOOL IN TOWN The newest addition

to the hang gliding world is Wings Over

Wasatch, a full-time, full-service hang glid-

ing school and business based at the Point

of the Mountain in Draper, UT. Wings Over

Wasatch plans to train and educate new

pilots, as well as focus attention on help-

ing current pilots progress through clinics

and advanced instruction. As authorized

Wills Wing, and Flytec, dealers Wings Over

Wasatch is dedicated to providing sales and

support to the flying community. For more

information visit www.wingsoverwasatch.

com, or call Ryan Voight at (801) 599-2555.

RAT RACE MENTOR PROGRAM ▲ Rat Race

2008 boasts a great mentoring program

hosted by two USA Paragliding National

Champions-Len Szafaryn and Bill Belcourt.

The mentoring format includes evening lec-

tures in competition strategies, GPS use,

and guest speakers. Pilots desiring to enter

the competition scene, or improve their

flying skills will be thrilled with the Rat Race

system. Szafaryn’s, and Belcourt’s collabo-

ration in organizing an evening of education

will be well worth the entry fee.

PilotBRIEFINGSNew | Improved | Buzzworthy


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


MEMBERSHIP SURVEY ▲ Dear USHPA mem-

bers, As part of the USHPA effort to grow the

sport of Hang Gliding and Paragliding, the

Membership and Development Committee

have been doing some research.

Several weeks ago we sent out an e-mail

survey to approximately one-third of the

membership, selected at random. We of-

fered a prize of a 100-dollar gift certificate

to the USHPA store as an incentive for com-

pleting the survey. We sent the survey to 1/3

of the members, rather than all members,

because we intend to do other surveys in

the future and do not want to cause “survey

fatigue”.

This survey was intended to help us learn

about the demographics of our members,

and to gain insight into the process of which

people decide to become a pilot and why.

The response was excellent! About 37%

of those who received a survey completed

it. We would like to thank those who com-

pleted the survey. Your feedback will be

used to help profile potential new pilots and

grow the sport.

We presented the results of the survey

at the spring USHPA Board of Directors

meeting, as part of our plans to market Free

Flight. The presentation is available in the

Members section of the USHPA web site.

For those members who were disap-

pointed at not getting to provide input

on this survey, please be assured that we

will select participants for future surveys

from the pool of members who were not

surveyed this time (and yes, there will be

prizes). In the meantime, you should always

feel free to send us your feedback. I can be

reached at [email protected]. Thanks for

your enthusiasm and support.

submitted by Leo BynumChairman, USHPA

Membership & Development Committee

Rants | Raves | Ramblings

AirMAIL

CALL FOR ENTRIES!2009 Calendar Photos

HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING PHOTOS NEEDED

WE NEED YOUR PHOTOS!Please send us your best-composed, most colorful horizontal-format 35mm slides or digital photos as candidates for the 2009 calendar project. Launching, landing, soaring, setting up, breaking down – if your photo represents the thrill and beauty of why we y, send it in. Don’t delay! Take advantage of winter’s down time and dig out those outstanding photos that you’ve been wanting to show off. Since our calendars are printed large format, we prefer digital submissions at the preferred resolution (3900x3000) or slides for the best reproduction possible. Please read the photo submission guidelines carefully.

Contact Martin with questions at 1-800-616-6888 / [email protected].

PHOTO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Horizontal photos in slide or digital format with a MINIMUM of 3120 W x 2400 H pixels (7.5 megapixels), although 3900 W x 3000 H pixels (11.7 megapixels) is preferred. Please submit unaltered at the preferred resolution, if possible. Only submit photos taken after January 2006.

Each submission MUST INCLUDE: Signed contributor agreement (1 per photographer) photographers name, mailing address, phone, email address AND a photo caption, location, site name, pilot name, wing type, month & year of photo.

Submission info & forms are found at: www.ushpa.aero/calendarproject.asp

Please submit digital photos on CD or DVD if possible, but FTP is also available at the link above.

Submissions deadline is May 31st. Send your photos to: USHPA Calendar, Attn: Martin Palmaz, PO Box 1330, Colorado Springs CO 80901-1330.

All contributors will receive con rmation of receipt and photos will be returned upon completion of the project.

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

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


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

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

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

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

REGION CURRENT DIRECTOR STATES WITHIN REGION

Alaska, Oregon, Washington

Northern California, Nevada

Southern California, Hawaii

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah

Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

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

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

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

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

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

New Jersey, New York

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 . . . . . NOMINATIONS.NOT.NEEDED

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

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

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

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

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

11. . . . . NOMINATIONS.NOT.NEEDED

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

2009 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS


DEAR MEMBERS, As you know, in October of 2005 the USHPA Board of Directors

unanimously approved our first comprehensive strategic plan. This

plan focuses the efforts and resources of the association on a goal

of proactive growth.

While some criticized the plan and the association’s goals, the

BOD continued to steadily move forward with execution of the plan.

In the strategic plan, we identified six key areas in which we need to

be successful if we are to achieve our goals. They are:

Develop & execute strong internal marketing•

improve organizational efficiency and accountability•

Develop & execute strong external marketing•

Develop and support instruction•

increase safety awareness•

Expand and develop flight opportunities/ site preservation•

Our first goal was to stabilize the organization. This involved the

resolution of highly volatile issues that were polarizing the organi-

zation and our membership, such as the power harness issue and

the name change. Let’s take a look at the six key success factors

and where we are now:

INTERNAL MARKETINGMembership presentations

To raise awareness and understanding of USHPA and the strategic

plan, I started giving a “tour” of presentations to clubs and chap-

ters across the US. Other goals of the presentations were to foster

better communication between chapters and the organization, to

allow members to voice concerns and comments in an open, con-

structive environment, and to recruit volunteers with specific ex-

pertise to assist in execution of plan. 32 presentations have been

given to chapters and clubs across the U.S. since 2005, with ap-

proximately 2500 members attending.

Mentoring program

This flagship program for the organization went online in 2008. It

addresses key issues with new pilot retention, as outlined in the

strategic plan. Wayne Michelsen was appointed National Mentoring

Coordinator. For more information on this program, please see the

April 2008 issue of HG/PG Magazine.

Chapter support

The chapter support committee was reactivated in 2008 to assist

with the promotion of the sport at the local level. Ernie Camacho

accepted appointment as chairman of committee.

Internal marketing areas still needing attention:

Creating a higher value / perceived value of the organization to the •

membership.

resolving conflict between hang gliding and paragliding communities.•

organizing an annual convention.•

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFICIENCYThe USHPA Board of Directors conducted our first-ever organi-

zational assessment in 2006 with the Social Ventures Partnership

Organizational Assessment Tool. This assessment, which will be re-

scheduled every two years, allows us to identify key areas for direc-

tor training and weaknesses in our governance practices.

To assist us in building a better board of directors and, therefore,

a stronger organization, we created a schedule for director training

and new director orientation to be conducted each spring for new

directors and each fall for ongoing BOD training. We also devel-

oped collateral materials to assist directors and committee chairs in

the performance of their duties, and we worked hard to clarify the

roles and responsibilities of the BOD and staff.

The BOD developed and executed strategies to comply with the

California Non-profit Integrity Act and recognized non-profit “best

practices”.

An audit committee was established to create an additional

level of financial oversight for the organization.

EXTERNAL MARKETINGThe reactivation of the marketing committee in 2006 failed due

to a lack of professional marketing expertise on the committee. A

new marketing work group was established with high level experts

gleaned from membership and the BOD.

The work group presented a summary of their work to date,

along with a marketing plan, to the BOD at our spring 2008 meet-

ing. This plan was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.

A copy of the work group’s presentation is available online at www.

ushpa.aero.

FromThePRESIDENTMission | Policy | Membership | Involvement


DEVELOPMENT & SUPPORT OF INSTRUCTIONInstructor insurance program:

This new program, developed to address liability concerns of

USHPA instructors, is fully implemented and running smoothly. It

has a much higher success rate than originally contemplated.

Scooter tow program:

USHPA sponsored scooter tow instructor clinics in 2006 and 2007

proved to be successful and popular. The BOD approved a con-

tinuation of the program in 2008 with additional clinics and greater

geographic distribution.

Instructor support areas still needing attention:

instructor certification: the strategic plan identified several problems •

with the current instructor program that still need to be addressed.

instructor clinics and recertification processes need to be more accessible.•

Professional and ethics standards need to be addressed.•

SAFETY AWARENESSOngoing reporting in HG/PG Magazine with accident analysis and

articles regarding public perception of sport are continously printed.

FLIGHT OPPORTUNITIESUSHPA was able to assist aggressively in prevention of site losses

at the national level in the case of Mt. Sentinel in Missoula, Montana.

We are also developing a resource manual to assist local grass roots

efforts in obtaining and keeping sites.

USHPA initiated an effort to correct the incorrect classification

of hang gliding and paragliding in a 1983 NPRM by meeting with

Secretary of Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, his chief of staff, and NPS

Deputy Director to discuss resolution of this issue.

SUMMARYWe have made significant progress through phase two of the stra-

tegic plan implementation in the following areas:

organization stability•

internal marketing•

organizational efficiency and governance•

instructor assistance•

Launch of next phase in 2008:

internal marketing•

External marketing•

site assistance•

Additional instructor assistance•

Many projects are ongoing and several areas still need work. Stay

tuned for how you can help!

Sincerely, Lisa Tate, President, USHPA


I have wanted for some time to put together

an automatic tracking system for my hang

glider, to make it easier for a chase driver to

track me. Because I wanted to avoid put-

ting a laptop in the truck, I decided that I

needed to display my position on a GPS as

a waypoint, and chose to accomplish this by

using Icom V82 digital radios.

The V82 transmits your current position

by connecting it to a compatible GPS RS232

port and properly configuring it. The V82

can recognize three messages from a GPS

containing position information (GPRMC,

GPGGA, GPGLL). The device adds your

call sign and a 20 character message to the

GPS message before transmitting it, from

every 30 seconds to every 30 minutes, to

any location. Although the V82 will display

the coordinates of a received message, it

will not create a GPWPL(waypoint) mes-

sage to display on a GPS. A messages from

a GPS may look like this:

$gPrMC,154944,A,3401.8348,n,11810.280

5,W,58.6,199.8,130107,13.7,E*69 (Crlf)

3401.8348,N is the Latitude.

11810.2805,W is the Longitude. The trans-

mit radio adds the call sign and a message:

$gPrMC,154944,A,3401.8348,n,11810.280

5,W,58.6,199.8,130107,13.7,E*69 (Crlf)

Callsign,Message (Cr)

I had to custom build the WC (Waypoint

Converter) in order to display positions as

waypoints. The WC uses a PIC12F683 from

Microchip, MAX202 RS232 driver, LM2931-D

5 voltage regulator, and ,of course, some

capacitors, connectors, etc. In the truck, the

WC is wired up between the GPS and the

radio. I attached it to the back of the GPS.

On the hang glider the radio connects di-

rectly to the GPS.

The V82 has a few parameters that can

be configured by using a dummy terminal

(like hypertrm). It can have a group code to

filter out unwanted receptions, an alternate

name for the waypoint (instead of the call

sign), and the capability of adding a number

to the waypoint name at specific distances,

thus creating a trail of waypoints. It can store

two separate setups, each of which can be

selected by a switch. A properly configured

radio transmission could look like this:

$gPrMC,154944,A,3401.8348,n,11810.280

5,W,58.6,199.8,130107,13.7,E*69 (Crlf)

Kg6gAD ,12345,,Dennis (Cr)

KG6GAD is the call sign. 12345 is being

used as a group code. Without the code, re-

ceptions are ignored. Dennis is an alternate

name for the waypoint, which is easier to

identify than a call sign.

I do not use the same radio for both

voice and data in my setup. I fly with two

radios: one voice and one data on separate

frequencies. After landing, I also can use

the data radio for voice. I like the two part

setup because I had a radio break down

once when I really needed it.

The WC has made it easier for the driver

to track me and pick me up. I am able to

give rough estimates of my position , allow-

ing the driver to verify the general area of

the location of the waypoint. Most of the

time the driver will be able to pinpoint my

location. Once, while I was flying in Ojai,

California, my driver Erwin and I had lost

communication because we were on op-

posite sides of a mountain. Erwin had a

general idea of my whereabouts, which he

used to get back into radio range. After

we made verbal contact, Erwin was able to

receive an update of my position from the

GPS. He drove right to me by homing in on

the waypoint. This is an example of how the

V82 speeds up retrieval in unfamiliar terri-

tory.

TrackingSYSTEMA Closer Look

by Dennis Johnson

[above left] GPS shown with the cable

connecting it to the radio. [above] I mount

the data radio to the hang glider cross bar. I

run a cable down the left down tube to my

GPS. [right] The GPS is connected through the

WC to the V82 handheld radio for data reception.

One of the waypoints is my position. The

mobile radio is used for voice communication.


2008 King Mountain Hang Gliding Championships

Moore, Idaho, from July 14 to July 19

The contest will begin on Monday and end on Friday, giving you time to drive home on Sunday! Come and stay for the week, and have a great time flying this popular and challenging contest. The competition will be open distance XC along a specified route with bonus LZ’s and handicap scoring. Best four out of six days will be scored. BBQ’s, pilot breakfasts, free camping, killer trophies, full color shirt, great daily prizes and

tons of other fun stuff!

Entry fee is $60More information: contact Lisa Tate, (208) 376-7914

Information and registration forms are online at

www.flykingmountain.com


2007 ACCIDENT SUMMARIES ▲ This month we

summarize accidents reported during 2007

that have not been described in our earlier

columns. Anecdotal evidence indicates to

us that this is but a small subset of the total

number of mishaps that actually occurred

in 2007. If you experience an event from

which others could learn a valuable lesson

(and virtually every mishap qualifies in this

regard), please report it. If you experience

one sufficiently noteworthy event that can

fill an entire column, consider writing a

“there I was” story. Help others to benefit

from your experiences. We are all in this to-

gether. To retrieve an online accident report

form, access the website: www.ushpa.aero/

emailacc.asp.

HG VA | WINTER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: After a 30 minute soaring flight,

an advanced pilot attempted to land. The

pilot circled the LZ, entered and complet-

ed the downwind leg of a DBF approach.

While turning on final, the pilot determined

the wind was cross, so he elongated the

turn to correct his heading but lost altitude

by prolonging the turn. This resulted in a low

final approach. The glider hit a small tree

with the left wing tip, turning the glider 90

degrees. The glider impacted the ground

sideways, sliding 40 feet. There were no in-

juries to the pilot; the glider suffered a bent

downtube.

Lesson learned: Flying an approach with

plenty of safety margin (altitude in this

case) is the key to dealing with unexpect-

ed sink. Always maintain an easy glide well

above obstacles into the field, even if sink is

experienced. Lengthening the turn was the

error the pilot committed.

HG VA | SPRING | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: An advanced rated pilot was

attempting to land in a restricted LZ on a

single surface glider during turbulent con-

ditions. The pilot encountered wind shear

and severe turbulence on final approach,

resulting in a plunge from a low altitude and

severe impact with the ground before the

pilot had time to react. The pilot sustained

shoulder and wrist fractures. The glider’s

control frame was damaged.

Lesson learned: Be very wary of landing in

a restricted field during peak thermal activ-

ity. If available, consider an out landing in a

friendlier field, even though there is no real

guarantee that the conditions will be less

turbulent in the friendlier field than those

in the initial LZ. A second observation is

that there were no wheels on the control

frame of this glider. Had there been siz-

able, preferably pneumatic, wheels on the

control frame, there is a distinct possibility

that a good portion of the impact’s energy

may have been absorbed/dissipated by the

wheels.

HG CA | SUMMER | STATIC WINCH TOWSummary: An uneventful tandem tow to

1,300’ AGL. A left-hand aircraft approach

was entered. A long final ensued, with

good speed through the gradient. The tow

pilot executed a well-timed flare, but sev-

eral steps were still required to run it out to

bleed off the excess energy. The tandem

pilot/passenger fell instead. The tandem

pilot broke his humeral head and upper hu-

merus bone. The tandem passenger sus-

tained a spiral fracture of his right humerus.

Lesson learned: From the tandem pilot: “

Although I usually foot land, I should have

landed on the wheels, since we were at

5,100’ msl, with a light surface.”

HG UT | SUMMER | STATIC WINCH TOWSummary: An advanced instructor launched

normally and climbed normally. At about

100 feet AGL, he began to over-fly the tow

vehicle. Instead of increasing pitch, he

elected to pin off. He fumbled with the re-

lease and the nose of the glider climbed. At

that point, the towline was under very high

tension. Upon release, the stored energy in

the line and its tension departed from the

glider. The glider whip stalled. The pilot did

not have sufficient altitude to recover. The

pilot suffered multiple injuries and spent the

night in the hospital.

Lesson learned: The pilot failed to control

pitch during the tow and improperly re-

leased from the towline. Pitch control and

properly releasing from the tow are critical

to the safety of the tow. Other factors con-

tributing to the accident were that the glider

was an older glider design with poor stall

recovery characteristics and that the pilot

was not highly experienced with towing,

having had only a few successful tows in the

previous two years.

HG MI | SUMMER | AEROTOWSummary: The pilot was flying about 30

mph at 20-25 feet agl in preparation to land

when the glider tucked and did not recover

prior to hitting the ground, nearly vertical.

An ER qualified surgeon and a paramedic

were on hand. 911 was called immediately

but was then cancelled when the pilot was

found to be uninjured. It looked as if the

glider had encountered a bullet thermal just

breaking off (maybe invisible dust devil)

and went over the falls without enough al-

titude to recover. The horizontal tail on the

glider may have contributed to the prob-

lem. The pilot was not injured, but his chin

guard was broken and his parachute con-

tainer was torn from his harness. Initial in-

spection revealed that the tail of the glider

was broken, the control frame was broken

in many places, and a wing rib was broken.

It was unknown at the time if the glider suf-

fered more serious structural damage.

Lesson learned: This incident may be clas-

sified as one where things happen out of

our control. We do everything right, yet an

unforeseen thermal lifts off right when we

are on final descent to the round out phase

of the approach. Luckily the pilot escaped

injury, and the glider bore the brunt of the

impact. One thing to consider is that with

more performance comes less stability in

pitch and roll.

HG CA | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: During landing, the pilot over-

shot the LZ and impacted a tree. The LZ

had a bit of a slope to it. The pilot came into

the slight wind, but down slope. When he

realized that the approach he was flying to

fit into the LZ wasn’t working, he decided

to fly between two trees and flare and the

end of the green area. The glider clipped

the left wing on one of the trees at about 10

feet above the ground. A left-turn ensued,

induced by the tree clipping, with a little bit

of nose up. The glider impacted into a pine

tree (mostly dry branches on the lower half

of the tree), about 10 feet from the ground.

There was significant damage to the glider-

broken left leading edge, keel, and a ripped

SafetyBULLETINAnalysis | Preparedness | Incidents

by Bacil Dickert


sail. The pilot did not suffer any significant

injuries, other than minor shoulder pain that

went away after a few days.

Lesson learned: The pilot was distracted

when the senior pilots were giving instruc-

tion on the various approaches used to land

in the main LZ. He admitted playing around

with his new vario while the approach in-

structions were being given. It was also a

new site to the pilot as well as his first cliff

launch. And to add even more to this dan-

gerous cocktail, the pilot had been taking

only paraglider lessons for a month and a

half before this hang glider flight.

HG CA | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: The pilot was warned 30 minutes

before the accident about previously flying

into an area that was known to have rotors.

The pilot’s response was: “I have been flying

here since 197?!” The pilot then flew again

and crashed. He was doing wingovers and

said he did a few too many at a low altitude.

Realistically, he was doing wingovers behind

the ridge on a south wind day. The pilot suf-

fered a broken right clavicle, sore wrist, and

a minor concussion. The glider suffered a

broken right inboard leading edge and right

downtube. There was no sail damage. The

pilot claims he was stupid and lucky.

Lesson learned: Aerobatics close to the

ground have very little safety margin. The

small safety margin is further compromised

if the surrounding air is not smooth and

ideal. The pilot said it best.

HG CA | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: A blown tandem launch resulted

in a gentle crash in the bushes below launch.

The tandem pilot and 235-pound student

were flying in mid-afternoon in moder-

ately strong winds of 20+ mph. Due to

modest ground handling problems w/ the

large glider, the tandem instructor elected

to wait for a conservative lull. The tandem

pilot launched in what he thought was a

momentary lull and start of another cycle of

wind and was not adequately prepared for

the large reduction in wind speed and the

longer than expected duration of the lull.

In retrospect, the tandem pilot launched

in winds lighter than he was capable of

managing safely. Although there was a sig-

nificant potential for injury, the area below

launch was thickly vegetated, and the glider

nestled in the greenery without as much as

a scratch to the student or the instructor.

Lesson learned: Conduct a more thorough

and lengthy evaluation of launch conditions

before developing launch tactics. Provide a

greater safety margin before launching.

HG CA | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: On an XC flight the pilot found

himself scratching low and finally made the

decision to land. The pilot did not heed his

instructor’s advice about making sure he

had plenty of altitude before setting up an

approach, so he flew directly away from the

mountain into final. The pilot flew slowly to

extend his glide to get closer to the road.

At under 100’ AGL, the pilot was sharply

turned 180 degrees by turbulence. The pilot

was 10-20’ AGL headed downwind in 5-10

MPH winds. The pilot aimed for a bush

and braced for impact. The glider hit hard,

causing the right leading edge and right

downtube to break cleanly. Luckily the pilot

suffered only scratches and bruises on the

arms.

Lesson learned: The pilot left the ridge


too late, sacrificing precious altitude that

he needed to set up a proper approach. At

altitudes near the ground you must have

plenty of extra airspeed to combat turbu-

lence and gradients. Flying slowly is not the

way to go.

HG CA | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: Two pilots landed at midday in

thermal conditions. The first pilot report-

ed turbulence on final. The accident pilot

landed five to ten minutes later, aiming for

dirt next to a cement runway. There were

no problems until he was about ten feet

above ground. The glider stopped flying

forward, and began a near 90-degree prog-

ress to the left. The wings stayed near level,

and the glider did not turn. The pilot pulled

in, but did not try to steer into the new wind

direction, planning to land crosswind. The

glider came down harder than most land-

ings, and the pilot could not run it out side-

ways. The pilot let the glider down on the

basetube, but not without letting some

impact of the glider dislocate his shoulder.

The impact of the crash did bend the down-

tube breakaway bars.

Lesson learned: Always try to land as much

into the wind as possible. If there are wind

indicators nearby (such as a windsock by an

airport runway), try to land as close to the

windsock as possible, if practical. If a pilot

has already landed, try to have him indicate

the wind direction repeatedly, especially if

you are landing in midday thermal condi-

tions.

HG MD | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: The accident pilot got down in

the slot but apparently not far enough and

waited for the wind to decrease. The pilot

cleared the gentleman on his nose wires,

made sure the wings were level and start-

ed his run. About three steps into the run

the nose just sharply turned down and the

glider power whacked into the ground. The

pilot ended up requiring ten stitches in his

lips from kissing terra firma.

Lesson learned: An accident eyewitness

offered this explanation: “Mechanically, the

accident pilot’s nose was simply too low. His

wings were level and the winds looked good,

but he put the wire person on his nose and

kept the nose very low because he was

worried about a strong gust lifting him. He

then held the nose low after clearing the

wire person and started running with the

nose too low due to the same fear.”

HG TN | SUMMER | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: A student was attempting first

mountain launch under instructor supervi-

sion. Conditions were typical for a summer

evening first flight. There were occasional

cycles in, a slight tailwind at times, but the

conditions were mostly calm. The student

seemed nervous on launch, which is not un-

usual for first high flights. The student said

“clear”, and then began the launch sequence.

The student’s launch was very weak. The

glider never got up to launch speed, and

it slid off the student’s shoulders and went

nose high. The student continued off the

ramp with no airspeed. The glider nosed

over. As the student went down the ramp,

the rear of the glider’s keel caught a safety

net at the foot of ramp. This brought the

nose back down. The glider went into the

trees directly below the launch ramp and

came to rest in treetops about 25-30 feet

off the ground. A lengthy mountain rescue

ensued. The student was ultimately re-

trieved from the treetop with no injuries.

Lesson learned: The first mountain launch

is a very trying experience. The latter of the

two authors had the same thing happen to

him (blown launch caused by nose high and

weak run) on his third mountain launch (first

time at site). The fundamentals learned on

the training hill must be applied. The cor-

rect AOA must be established, the wings

must be balanced, and a strong launch run

must ensue when the time is right to launch.

A nose high attitude coupled with a weak

launch run is a recipe for disaster.

HG NV | FALL | FOOT LAUNCH TOWSummary: The pilot was foot launch towing

on a dry lakebed using a payout tow rig. On

the first tow the glider veered to the left

upon takeoff. The pilot was able to correct

for the turn before the tow was aborted and

the rest of the tow was normal. Once the

pilot landed, he disassembled and reassem-

bled the glider in hopes of correcting the left

turn. On the second tow, the pilot was con-

nected to the release; the tow vehicle pulled

out 200 feet, and waited for the start signal

from the pilot. Instead of the start signal, the

pilot gave the halt signal. After the pilot did

some adjusting to his hang point and/or har-

ness, a second tow commenced. Another

left-turn ensued. The pilot did not correct

for the turn. The tow operator aborted the

tow and released all pressure. The pilot lev-

eled out and released from tow. At 30’ AGL,

the pilot dropped out of the glider and hit

the ground. The pilot was seriously injured,

with a broken hip, arm, nose, and both legs

seriously broken. Post flight inspection re-

vealed the hang strap, harness, and cara-

biner were normal. Immediately after the

accident, the pilot had no recollection of

what happened. A week later his memory

of the accident came back. He reported for-

getting to hook into the glider. At the begin-

ning of the tow, he knew he was not hooked

in, yet still held onto the glider and released

from the towline. Fatigue forced him to let

go of the glider.

Lesson learned: A preflight checklist is criti-

cal for verifying that the glider is assembled

correctly, the towlines are connected and

routed correctly, and the pilot’s harness is

connected to the pilot and glider correctly.

An observer with the pilot verified that the

pre-flight checklist was run successfully.

HG TX | FALL | FOOT LAUNCH TOWSummary: This was an incident, not an ac-

cident. There was no crash. The pilot was

scooter towing, using a particular brand HG

double release with an over/under towbar

bridle. The pilot had one uneventful launch

with the bridle. The second launch had a

knot in the V-bridle slip, causing the towline

to come loose. The pilot tied a better knot,

and launched successfully. At 200 feet the

pilot tried to release the top line, but found

it would not release. The pilot signaled to

stop the tow, and the tow operator reduced

power to let the pilot descend without over-

running the line. The pilot landed safely.

Inspection of the release showed that the

head of the release pin had gone through

the loop of the final string of the release,

making it impossible to release. The pilot

had insufficient altitude to use his hook

knife safely, so he did not cut the line.

The design of the release was such that

the release loop was about one inch too

long, so that the head of the release pin

could easily pass through the loop. The pi-

lot’s tow operator and the pilot were aware

of this problem, and they thought they

CAREFULLY inspected the double release

for correct assembly each time a launch

was attempted, because they were in the


habit of not trusting the particular release.

The nature of the double release was that

it often released both top and bottom lines

when the top was released, so they were in

the habit of thrusting the pins in quite far so

friction would keep the pins in place during

the tow. The tow operator commented

that the pilot’s launch was quite aggressive,

and that the pilot may have run faster than

the towline at the beginning of the launch.

They thought that the line slacked, and the

release loop may have migrated from the

front to the back of the pin. If, in fact, this

would have happened with the bottom line

instead of the top, the release failure would

have been at the top of the tow, rather than

1/3 of the way up the field, and would have

been much more serious.

Lesson learned: Such releases should be

designed so that there is a positive way to

prevent the head of the pin from passing

through the release loop. The manufacturer

was made aware of the deficiency of his

design prior to this incident. He said that it

was not a problem and refused to change

the design. The pilot decided that he could

prevent such problems by careful preflight,

so he did not have it modified. The pilot was

lucky that the in-flight failure was benign in

its consequences.

HG CA | FALL | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: The pilot’s primary glider was a

single surface glider. The pilot took recent

uneventful demo flights on two intermedi-

ate gliders at the pilot’s home site. On an-

other intermediate glider demo flight, at a

new site, the pilot set up for an out land-

ing. The pilot stalled the base leg turn over

power lines and sunk into a power line, strik-

ing the conductor with the leading edge of

the glider, breaking the conductor, land-

ing hard on the dirt field below. There was

minor damage to glider-a broken keel. The

pilot suffered lacerations to the face.

Lesson learned: A dangerous cocktail is too

many new things at once. The pilot was at

an unfamiliar site, with an unfamiliar glider

and attempting to land in an unfamiliar LZ.

Ideally, a pilot should only introduce one

new thing at a time in order to keep a siz-

able safety margin in his flying. The unfamil-

iar glider’s turn characteristics coupled with

the unfamiliar LZ and its unfamiliar obsta-

cles combined to factor in this accident.

HG TN | FALL | FOOT LAUNCHSummary: The accident pilot launched in

strong cycle, stalled, and got blown back to

the left and hit the cliff. The pilot didn’t think

to check the wind speed with a wind meter.

The wind was strong and gusty. The pilot

suffered a broken shoulder and a broken

ankle. The pilot also required a knee-skin

graft.

Lesson learned: Launching in strong con-

ditions increases the risk for un-command-

ed turns to occur during the critical time

period from just leaving the ground, to

flying directly away from the mountain with

good control airspeed. Setting the correct

AOA for the conditions and maintaining that

AOA is critical for sufficient airspeed for

maneuverability against un-commanded

turns.


California’s Owens Valley is a place of su-

perlatives. It’s the deepest valley in the

United States, with an elevation difference

of ten thousand feet from the valley floor

to the highest nearby peaks. The moun-

tains on the east side of the valley have the

world’s oldest trees, the Bristlecone pines,

some of which are more than four thousand

years old. It’s also one of the most impres-

sive landforms in the world. If you pull over

at a scenic viewpoint near the Bristlecone

forest, you can see the Owens’ defining fea-

ture from one end to the other: the Sierra

Nevada range, an eighty mile long, two mile

high wall of mountains and granite cliffs that

looms over wide open desert scrub and a

few scattered cowboy towns.

The air above the Owens is known for

its share of superlatives, too. In the early

1970s, hang glider pilots discovered that

they could make cross-country flights like

sailplanes, and the quest to find the ulti-

mate hang gliding cross-country area was

on. The Owens Valley soon became that ul-

timate destination. The mountains were big

and open, the lift was well-organized, and

the thermals were so strong that they met

and sometimes exceeded the structural

limits of the hang gliders. It became a prov-

ing ground for new designs and a gigantic

theater in which to set distance records.

The first hundred-mile and two-hundred-

mile hang glider flights were both done in

the Owens Valley.

But the history of record-setting flight in

the Owens goes back further than this. In

Exploring the Monster: Mountain lee Waves:

the Aerial Elevator, Robert F. Whelan tells

the story of a U.S. Air Force project that

enlisted sailplane pilots in the Owens Valley

to explore a newly discovered atmospheric

phenomenon called mountain lee waves.

The project began in 1950 and exposed the

pilots to unheard-of atmospheric forces. It

also allowed them to set several altitude

records, and, in fact, helped set a new di-

rection for record setting in the sport of

soaring.

The “mystery” of atmospheric waves

goes back even further than that. In the

spring of 1933, only a few years after thermal

soaring had been discovered, two sailplane

instructors in the central European town

of Grunau shared a very perplexing expe-

rience. Wolf Hirth and Hans Deutschmann,

while soaring near a 1,000 foot high ridge

one day, found themselves able to climb

thousands of feet higher than they expect-

ed and to maintain this height nearly three

miles upwind of the ridge. They noted two

more unusual things: they experienced ex-

treme turbulence while being towed aloft,

and they could not manage to find lift where

they expected it, right in front of the ridge.

When Hirth landed, he still had not figured

out the source of the lift, but he suspected

that the Reisengebirge mountain range

twelve miles upwind of their gliderport had

something to do with it.

By 1937, a few more things were known

about this phenomenon. It was often ac-

20

ExploringTheMONSTERFilms | Books | Sites | Links | Gear

by Tom Webster

The Sierra Wave, looking south toward the town of Independence. Photo by Bob Symons.


companied by a smooth, lens-shaped cloud

of unknown height which didn’t move. The

lift at altitude was turbulence-free. And it

only seemed to happen in the presence of

nearby mountains. On May 22, meteorolo-

gist and sailplane pilot, Joach Kuettner, or-

ganized an experiment during a sailplane

competition in Grunau to test his hypoth-

esis that the lift was due to standing waves.

After analyzing the traces from the pilots’

barographs (recording altimeters), he deter-

mined that lift in the Grunau Valley on that

day was organized into distinct bands, neatly

organized downwind of the Reisengebirge.

The data seemed to show that his hypoth-

esis was correct. One band even extended

to three times the height of the mountain

range, lifting a pilot to a new world altitude

record of 18,720 feet and breaking the old

record by nearly a mile. Kuettner returned

to Grunau in September and set another

record himself, finally reaching the station-

ary wave cloud at 22,300 feet.

A mountain lee wave is an atmospheric

phenomenon that resembles the rippling of

the surface of a stream, just downstream

from a rock or underwater ridge oriented

perpendicular to the water’s flow. In the

stream, water is deflected upward by the

obstacle and then comes back down, back

into equilibrium. But under the right condi-

tions, with the right size and shape of obsta-

cle and the right amount of water flow, the

water behind the obstacle will bounce back

up again, then down again, and so on, form-

ing a long series of standing waves from just

one bump on the bottom.

Air is a fluid too, and so it behaves a lot

like water. But it’s a gas, not a liquid, which

accounts for some important differences.

In a stream, the downstream waves are no

higher than the first one, but atmospheric

waves can extend many times higher than

the terrain that generates them. At the peak

of each wave, a long and skinny “wave cloud”

is usually formed, oriented perpendicular to

the wind direction. And the conditions re-

quired for a mountain lee wave to appear

are fairly specific. You need:

gradual wind speed increase with altitude•

wind direction nearly perpendicular to a •

ridge or obstacle

fairly strong low-altitude winds•

a stable atmospheric lapse rate•

ridge-top winds of at least 20 knots.•

The strength of the wind that creates

the wave is important to consider, too. In

many wave situations, the speeds are quite

high, up to 100 knots, at altitude. And as

the California sailplane pilots discovered,

the area right behind the ridge contains

incredible turbulence, or “rotor,” so much

that they often feared for their safety while

being towed up to the wave. For most foot-

launched pilots, the best use of a wave

cloud is as a warning that it’s too windy to

fly. Some hang glider pilots in the eastern

United States, though, have reported soar-

ing in lift that is undoubtedly caused by

Photo by honza rejmanek


mountain lee waves. As hang gliders get

faster and more efficient, using them for

wave soaring becomes a more reasonable

idea, but, obviously, great care must be

taken.

After the end of World War II, pilots flying

in the Owens Valley started to become

aware of waves. The first recorded encoun-

ter may have been in 1947, when a Cessna

140 pilot reported extreme sink and turbu-

lence two miles east of the Sierra Nevada

range, followed by 2,000 foot per minute

smooth lift. By turning parallel to the moun-

tain range, the pilot was able to stay in the

wave and climb 4,000 feet with reduced

throttle. Around the same time, another

local pilot was able to feather the props on

his seven-ton war-surplus Lockheed P-38,

climbing in the wave to over 30,000 feet.

The Owens is especially good for producing

lee waves because of its shape and position.

It is oriented roughly north-south, so the

stable winter air masses can come in from

the west, crash down the face of the Sierra

Nevadas, and bounce back up to strato-

spheric heights.

California’s sailplane pilots were also

discovering this phenomenon in the

Owens, which had become known as the

Sierra Wave. One such pilot was a young

grad student from Los Angeles named Paul

MacCready, Jr. MacCready would later go

on to become one of the world’s most in-

fluential aeronautical scientists, but in the

winter of 1948-1949 he was all about setting

records. At that time, most sailplane pilots

still assumed that altitude records could

only be broken by climbing to the top of a

mature thunderstorm, as a pilot in Sweden

had done recently, gaining over 27,000 feet.

MacCready was preparing to go to 40,000

or higher in the Sierra Wave.

MacCready was part of a team based in

the town of Bishop, which sits in the middle

of the Owens Valley. The “Bishop Wave

Camp,” as it was called, convened every

winter for three years when wave condi-

tions looked optimal. During the Wave

Camps, the pilots made dozens of flights

over 30,000 feet (high enough to see the

Pacific Ocean), endured temperatures

below -70F, and made several flights of over

200 miles. MacCready didn’t get a 40,000

foot flight, but pilot Bill Ivans did, reaching

42,100 feet in 1950. During the flight, Ivans

faced plenty of obstacles. Frost covered the

inside of his canopy to a depth of one inch,

he nearly flew out the back of the wave

while engulfed in stratus cloud at 33,000

feet, and he encountered some unexpected

and very unsettling turbulence near the top

of the wave. Over the course of the project,

MacCready did have a sort of revelation,

though: he developed a feeling of intimate

attachment to the stationary wave clouds.

He saw them as friends; as he put it, “they

were the only living thing you have with you

up there in a very unfriendly world.”

Meanwhile, the newly formed U.S. Air

Force was developing an interest in the haz-

ards of mountain flying. During World War

II, U.S. pilots suffered many crashes while

flying across the Himalayas between India

and China, and they seemed to be related

to turbulence above the peaks. Many other

military and civilian incidents, including one

in which a B-29 bomber nearly lost control

of its altitude, added to their desire to know

more about waves. It was also obvious that

waves could affect commercial airliners.

After the Bishop Wave Camp had estab-

lished the existence of the waves beyond

a shadow of a doubt, the Navy and Air

Force began funding a new project called

the Sierra Wave Project, and continued to

research waves later on in the Jet Stream

Project. The military combined pilots of the

Southern California Soaring Association

with some of its own pilots and scientists,

including Joach Kuettner, who had immi-

Photo by honza rejmanek


grated to the U.S. after the war.

Why didn’t they use power planes for

the projects? First, the limitation of fuel:

gliders can stay up as long as there is lift,

and since the point of both projects was to

study lifting air, gliders had no disadvantage.

Second, the absence of an engine greatly

simplifies the problem of subtracting out

the influence of the engines on the data the

scientists wanted to measure. Once the per-

formance of a glider is known, it’s simple to

subtract it from the data measured by the

barograph and the ground-based trackers

to get a very accurate measurement of the

motion of the air.

The Sierra Wave Project revealed a

startling variety in the sizes and shapes of

waves generated by the mountains. They

found single wave systems, multiple wave

systems, traveling waves, cloudless waves,

stacked wave clouds, and a huge range

of updrafts and downdrafts. Some pilots

reported lift in excess of 4,000 feet per

minute (50 miles per hour, straight up) and

equally strong sink.

During the Jet Stream Project, pilot Larry

Edgar had a very interesting flight one day.

Even though the forecast wasn’t ideal, he

towed up and released at 10,500 feet, just

west of Bishop in the lee of Mt. Tom. He

climbed out and flew south to the town of

Independence, topping out at 39,000 feet,

just in front of the leading edge of a wave

cloud. He decided that conditions weren’t

very good after all, and flew back toward

Bishop. By the time he got close, the west

wind had increased and the rotor area in-

tensified, forming a “roll cloud” that now

eclipsed the Bishop airport.

Joach Kuettner had flown, too, and came

in to land before Edgar, reporting incredible

conditions: 1600 foot per minute lift fol-

lowed immediately by 1000 foot per minute

sink; quick changes in airspeed from 45 to

90 mph; and turbulence creating G-forces

of over 4.5. Kuettner was nearly swallowed

by the roll cloud, and came down in a “wide

dark hall” of clouds with heavy drapes of

black virga descending from the ceiling.

Edgar was forced to follow, and suddenly

flew into a wind shear so violent that the

G-forces made him black out. Then, he felt

himself floating outside the sailplane and

managed to throw his parachute. When his

vision started to come back, he was under

canopy and could see some of the lighter

parts of the sailplane drifting upwards past

him. He eventually made a safe landing,

minus his boots, helmet, oxygen mask and

gloves. Doctors later estimated that Edgar

had experienced a force of -20G.

Whelan’s book is a fascinating read for

anyone interested in the contributions that

these aerial pioneers made. They risked

their lives to explore the dangers and op-

portunities of the atmosphere, in much the

same way and in some of the same places as

the early hang gliding pioneers. Sometimes

the only way to learn about a mystery is to

insert oneself directly into it, and hope for

the best..

Exploring the Monster:

Mountain lee Waves: the Aerial Elevator,

Robert F. Whelan, 2000

Published by Wind Canyon Books, PO Box

1445, Niceville FL 32588-1445

TOMWEBSTERhas been hang gliding since 1988 and paragliding since 1996 . In 1994, he moved from North Carolina to Salt Lake City to get more airtime, and has remained there ever since . He has worked as a hang gliding and paragliding instructor, a hang glider test pilot,

and a paraglider repairman .

North Wing Design 3904 Airport Way East Wenatchee, Washington 98802

Celebrating 12 years of making Flight and Dreams come together!

[email protected]

www.northwing.com

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FANTASY FLYING IN ITALY ▲ Antonio drives

past the immense empty field in his stylish

Alpha Romeo. Suddenly he spies a colorful

hang glider emerging from the sky, rapidly

coming his way. He watches the pilot lev-

eling out, skimming the ground at a speed

that nearly outpaces his car, and executing

a perfect landing. Amazed and impressed,

Antonio screeches to a halt and dashes to

assist.

The pilot whisks off her helmet and

flashes a winning smile at the dark haired

Italian as he approaches. Antonio’s heart

races faster. As he begins to speak, another

glider whooshes overhead and startles him.

Another follows closely behind, both lining

up for landings like airplanes on a runway.

The womyn land, unhook, and toss their

hair as they remove their helmets. Antonio

thinks he has died and gone to heaven.

Quickly grabbing his cell phone, he texts

his friends to spread the word of this spec-

tacular event. Before the pilots have broken

down their gliders, several locals arrive and

they all share an evening of wine and sto-

ries.

Far from fantasy (except possibly

for the last part), this is a scenario that

could likely take place this summer at the

11th FAI Women’s World Hang Gliding

Championships in Segillo, Italy. From July

21st to August 2nd, 2008, the top female

pilots from several nations will compete in

daily cross-country tasks across the fer-

tile lands of Umbria, hoping to bring home

medals.

Three different launches may be used

during the meet. Monte (Mt) Cucco in Segillo,

Mt Subasio in Assisi, and Mt Gemmo in Tre

Pizzi offer launches for nearly all aspects,

each about 4000 feet (1200 feet) MSL. The

Class 2 and 5 (Rigid) World Championships

will be held concurrently.

The United States team will be traveling

light this year. The womyn have dropped

nearly 500 pounds of equipment and body

weight for the meet. Due to various reasons

of logistics and desire, only 4 pilots, out of a

possible 6, will be representing the US. But

that doesn’t mean they’ll be any less com-

petitive, having more than 50 years of com-

petitive flying amongst them.

The team will be comprised of 3-time

Women’s World Champion Kari Castle,

2-time Women’s National Champion Linda

Salamone, 2006 Women’s World member

Lauren Tjaden and 1998 Women’s World

Team member Lisa Verzella. Linda, Lauren

Women'sWORLDSCompetition | Gathering | Clinics

by Lisa Verzella

[top of page] Lisa Verzella on launch [far left] Lauren Tjaden tests the waters [top] Uber-champion and record holder Kari Castle [bottom] Lisa Verzella, aka "Speck Mistress" [near left] 2-time Women's National Champion, Linda "Gottafly" Salamone | photo by Tim Meaney


and Lisa will each be flying a Moyes

Litespeed (shall we say the team is going to

“L” this year?), while Kari’s choice of glider is

up in the air. Joining the gals as Team Leader

and driver extraordinaire will be hang glider

pilot James McGuire.

Kari Castle’s record speaks for itself.

A long-time resident of Bishop, CA, she

knows the famous Owens Valley inside and

out. In addition to the world titles she holds,

she has won the National title 15 times and

bested an entire field of male pilots to win

the 1995 Canadian Championships.

Kari is the only US female pilot to have

qualified for the male US National Hang

Gliding Team. She also holds several state,

national and world records. She’s also a

paraglider pilot and an instructor, Kari has

been a mentor to hundreds of pilots from

around the world. Asked why she competes,

Kari gleefully replies, “I love flying with

people! I love the camaraderie, I love being

pushed to fly better and I love winning!!!”

Linda “Gottafly” Salamone, a Rochester,

NY pilot, began flying in 1995. By 2002 she

was competing, and won her first National

title in 2006. She placed 6th overall at the

2006 Women’s World Championship, and

recently broke the east coast women’s

distance record with a 130-mile flight in

Florida.

Her reason for competing? “To be the

best at what I love.” Linda figures her odds

are 1 in 20 of winning big in this meet, pos-

sibly capturing the world title and help-

ing to bring home a gold medal for the

US. Sponsored in part by Moyes and 360

Wireless, she will be flying in a Moyes Matrix

harness.

Lauren Tjaden, another East Coast pilot,

first tasted flight in 2001. By 2005 she had

bagged her first win at the Florida Ridge

competition in the sport class. Jumping to

the open class, her next few comps earned

her a spot on the 2006 Women’s World

Team. She finished a respectable 12th in the

World Meet and helped to bring home the

silver medal. Lauren claims her reason for

competing is that “It allows me to fly with

pilots that I admire and learn from...but the

REAL reason that I fly in comps is because

it is the most fun thing in the entire universe

to do.” Keeping it fun in competition is no

easy task, so Lauren’s presence will be truly

welcomed at the meet.

The last of the Ls, Lisa “Speck Mistress”

Verzella, is a Utah cross-country pilot. She

began flying hang gliders in 1989 and para-

gliders in 1998. Having found her niche fore-

casting the best route for downwind epic

hang flights, Lisa has amassed a bushel full

greater than 100 miles. A four-time winner

of the Utah Cup for longest flight originat-

ing in Utah, she came within a mile of the

then-state record of 190 miles last summer.

A few weeks later Utah pilot Jeff O’Brien

smashed it with a 219-miler.

Competition holds many alluring as-

pects for Verzella. Gaggles (surely you

mean “kettles”) dismay her, but the joy of

pimping miles off her flying buddies more

than makes up for that. Having an extended

family that one can visit year after year is

what makes meets like the King Mountain

Championship so awesome. And getting to

pit one’s skills against dozens of great pilots

while flying in the coolest places in the world

is ‘untoppable’. Lisa is sponsored in part

by the Utah Hang Gliding and Paragliding

Association and her dad Nick Verzella.

So, ready or not Italy, here we come. The

team is grateful for the support and spon-

sorship of the Foundation for Free Flight,

USHPA, the Oz Report, hangglliding.org

and Yesterday’s Sportswear. We are selling

beautifully designed t-shirts via the web-

site http://www.rochesterareaflyers.com/

GOTTAFLY.html. You can also make a do-

nation through the website or by sending

a check to Linda Salamone at 115 Council

Rock Ave, Rochester, NY 14610.


THE YEAR-LONG COMP ▲ La Isla Bonita, also

known as La Palma, is a magical volca-

nic ocean island off the coast of Morocco

where the flying is technical and the terrain

rugged. It’s the home of a year-long para-

gliding competition, the Challenge of La

Palma, that boasts the largest cash purse

in the world. Every year some of the world’s

best pilots gather to race short circuit tasks

spanning the length of the entire island, in

order to determine who is going to leave

the island with the big money.

The first round of the Challenge is a qual-

ification phase that consists of flying open

distance in La Palma, a Canary Island. Last

year, the window for competing was open

from December of 2006 to November of

2007. Those pilots who flew, and submit-

ted their flights during that period, accu-

mulated points for the final Challenge of La

Palma (one point per kilometer flown plus

20%, with a maximum of three flights).

The pilots with the highest scores quali-

fied to enter the final round, taking with

them the points they had accumulated

from the first phase. The pilots who came

via wildcards started with zero points, so

they had a slight disadvantage. For ex-

ample, the Valics had more than 30 points

from the first phase, which made it difficult

to catch them.

In the second phase, the 50 pilots who

qualified from round one were ranked ac-

cording to the average of their three quali-

fying flights. Slovenian pilot Aljaz Valic,

who flew more than 380km in five tasks and

carried over 38km from the first round, took

home first prize from the 2nd Challenge:

8,000 euros in cash!

The two Valic brothers, as swift as any,

turned the final into a closely fought affair,

with Urban leading the ranking the first

several days but finally finishing a few kilo-

meters behind his brother, Aljaz. Other top

pilots were also in the running for the top

prizes: Gin Team members Charles Cazaux

and Hans Bollinger (former World and

World Cup Champion) used all their experi-

ence, and expertise to try to catch the Valics.

They finished third and fourth, respectively.

Spanish champion Iván Colás, who set the

La Palma distance record in November, was

close on their heels and managed a strong

performance. After a couple of errors, it

looked as if he would have difficulty finish-

ing in the top six. However, a decisive vic-

tory in the last task enabled Colas to climb

up a couple of places in the ranking ahead

of Stéphane Drouin (FR, Mac Para Magus 5)

to finish fifth.

Current world champion Bruce

Goldsmith (Airwave FR4), started well by

ending second in a task, but an accident

while landing put him out of the competi-

tion after task three. Fortunately, it wasn’t

serious and he’s now recovered. In the

DHV2 Category, Paratrike World Champion

LaPalmaCHALLENGECompetition | Gathering | Clinics

by Nick Greece

The Sierra Wave, looking south toward the town of Independence. Photo by Bob Symons.

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Daniel Crespo (ES, Sky Antea) took first

prize, while Belgian pilot Thierry Moreau

(Axis Vega 2) won the DHV 1-2 Category.

As the last task drew to a close, the elder

of the Valic brothers wasn’t the only happy

pilot: for the great majority it had been a

fun competition with a great atmosphere

and excellent tasks. The leaders flew any-

where from 55km to 86km daily. Twenty

different prizes distributed a total of 24,000

euros over the three different competition

categories-the highest prize money ever

awarded in a paragliding event!

“This competition was very well orga-

nized with lots of media coverage. La Palma

is a small island but the excellent conditions

facilitate fast flying, so you’re less depen-

dent on luck. . A pilot’s skill and decisions

are more important,” explained Aljaz. This

prize is approximately “three times” the

largest sum he had won up to that time.

The Challenge Organizer, Javier López,

was very pleased with the event, since it

surpassed the expectations of tourist pro-

motion for the Island as well as for flying.

“It’s been great for this sport: not only have

the pilots had a good time and gone home

happy, but also we’ve shown the PWC ob-

servers that we are capable of organizing

an important event and they’ve taken it into

account,” he commented.

It’s possible that in the future top pilots

will visit La Palma on the World Cup cir-

cuit, but the Challenge hopes to return in

2009 to award more great prizes for flying

in winter.

More information: http://www.pal-

ma c lub .co m / Eng l i sh / Pa ra G u id e/e -

paraguideservice.htm.

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My view of the Paragliding World Cup. by JEFFWISHNE


I started competing three years ago at the Monarca Open, in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. My goal at the time was simple-to not hurt myself, or others. But

competing swells the head and soon I was dreaming big-dreaming of flying in the worlds top meets.

As a new naïve comp pilot, I thought that meant working my way up the rankings, joining the US na-tional team and flying the world championships.

I still want to make the team-Josh, Tom, Bill, and the 50 or so pilots out their who regularly kick my ass, you’re on notice. But until the day I can beat those top pilots, I’ve started flying a series of competi-tions that is both more challenging than the World Championships and easier to enter.

The Paragliding World Cup is a pilot organized (no FAI here) series of five meets held at top flying sites the world over. And to confuse your typical tequila addled hypoxic comp pilot is referred to as the PWC-the C standing for Cup not Championship. It’s confusing to compete on the world level!

The World Championships and the World Cup differ in several ways: The World Championships are team events; the World Cup meets are individual. The World Championships are a single meet every two years; the World Cup is a series of five meets annually, with cumulative scores crowning the male and female World Cup champions. World Championship team membership is determined by the national association of each competing country; The World Cup selects and invites individual pilots based on their competi-tion track record. The World Championships are run by a bunch of crazy French people from the FAI-Fédération Aéronautique Internationale; the World Cup, on the other hand, is run by, well, a bunch of crazy French people, not from the FAI.

It’s specifically these differences that make the PWC both more competitive and easier to enter. The PWC is more competitive because the organizers at-tempt to invite the top pilots of the entire world, re-gardless of country affiliation. A quick scan of the FAI World Pilot Rankings (http://civlrankings.fai.org/?a=312&ladder_id3) shows that most top pilots are from the same few countries: Switzerland, France, Italy etc...

The World Championships invites a three men + two women team from each participating country. This means that though Switzerland has many top

ranked pilots, it can bring only three male pilots for the male squad, even though there are currently six male Swiss pilots ranked higher than the highest ranked American. So while the Swiss have to take only three of six pilots in the top 60, the US then invites its top three: pilots who are ranked 69, 112, and 127.

Because each participating country brings it’s top no matter their international ranking, the field at the World Championships can be unbalanced with a lot of top pilots, but many not-so-top pilots. The PWC is different. Pilots are invited in absolute rank order based on their performance in the previous year’s na-tional championships and PWC meets. If you want to know the gory details of how the individual meets are ranked and contribute to the absolute PWC ranking (you get a higher ranking for doing well in the Swiss

Cup


championships than the US), the PWC rulebook, at 42 pages, makes for fine reading: http://2007.paraglid-ingworldcup.org/sites/new.pwca.org/PWC2007ICR.pdf. If, like me, you aren’t into reading 42 page PDFs, you can take my word that the PWC tries to invite the best pilots in the no matter where they happen to live.

The process is simple: the PWC will invite as many pilots as a competition site can handle, usually 130 to 150. If you receive an invite, you have a few days to accept and pay your entry fees. For each invited pilot who can’t come to a meet, a slot is opened and those further down the list will be invited. Repeat until the meet is full. Given that there are so many good pilots in Europe, this means you really need to be top 150 to fly any of the ‘local’ European meets. But for ones that would require Europeans to travel (e.g. those in Asia

or South America), enough people can’t come that being top 200 or 300 is good enough to get an invite. If you are like me, it’s easier to be top 200 or 300 in the world than top 3 in the US.

MY FIRST SPANKING: IBERAKI, JAPAN

The first 2007 PWC was held in Iberaki, Japan. Iberaki is far from Europe and has a reputation for long stretches of un-flyable weather. Just what

a low ranked pilot needs for an invite. Arriving on launch for our first (and only) good task the increased level of competition was immediately evident. At most North American meets, you see a mix of competition gliders (maybe 10 to 20), DHV2-3 gliders (also 10-20), a whole bunch of DHV2s (80 or so) and a smattering of DHV1-2s. I arrived in Japan with my new speedy Gin Boomerang Sport, the first DHV2-3 I’d flown, and discovered that at a PWC, 80% of the pilots are riding competition gliders. The remainder of the glid-ers are not DHV2-3s, they are prototype competition gliders-even faster and squirrelier than the ones the manufacturers end up selling. What about DHV2-3s? In Japan there were about 10.

Meditate on this for a moment. In a typical meet, the serious pilots are flying the comp and DHV2-3s. New comp pilots are on DHV2s. The DHV1-2s? They’re just boating around having fun, not really competing. At a PWC, you pull out a DHV2-3 and they give you a look that says: “How cute! Little Jeff has come to play with us!”

That first task, I got spanked. I got spanked so hard that I didn’t even know I’d gotten spanked. I flew fast (or so I thought). I made goal. I was pysched. When the results were posted, I was 88th of 120. To goal. Fast. 88th place. Them’s the big leagues, folks.

The rest of that meet was a wash-one more scor-ing day, but about 80 of us bombed out (weather was crud) and a lot of cancelled tasks.

The Taste of Glory: ArgentinaAfter Japan there were two PWCs in Europe to

which Jeff was not invited, and one in Turkey that I had to miss for work-damn that job! When the invite arrived for Argentina, land of tango, beef, and frus-trating light thermals, I cleared the work thing out of the way and sent in my entry fees.

Then I started contemplating the previously un-

[previous page] Andi Aebi on course in Brazil during the pre-PWC | photo by Martin Sheel. [this page] PWC start gaggle over Cornizzolo | photo by Martin Sheel.

NewbiePWC


imaginable... a competition glider... Japan had changed my perspective. I went from thinking

“Comp glider? That’s for nutjobs!” to “My DHV2-3 seems so gentle and slow”

Plus, Gin, maker of the best gliders in the known universe, had just released the Boomerang 5 and it was getting rave reviews for performance and stability. Plus my good, sage friend, and sky god, Josh Cohn, offered me this advice: “In competition, when your glider no longer scares the crap out of you, it’s time to move up.”

GULP. And the kicker, the very good folks at SuperFly (http://www.superflyinc.com) offered to sponsor me. I’ll cut short the story of hand wringing and sweaty sleepless nights, and say simply that I ar-rived in Tucumán Argentina with Superfly sponsor-ship, a brand new, flown once (ridge soaring at the Dumps) Boomerang 5 and a matching, flown once (at the Dumps) Gin Genie Race pod harness-my first and only pod.

Unlike Japan, this PWC was a real competition. The best in the world were there. We flew four valid tasks. And I was on a competitive glider. Here is a short rundown of the 4 valid tasks.

TASK ONE: THIS BOOMERANG GOES FAST.

Throughout the entire meet conditions were light and tended to worsen or shut off through the af-ternoon. Because of these concerns, the organizers

chose individual starts for task one. Usually, competi-tors launch in a short (hour or so) launch window and gaggle up until a shared start time. Then we all race at once. The first one to reach goal wins. With individual starts, you launch, and start the course whenever you want. Your start time is when you enter the first turn-point cylinder. With an individual start people tend to launch, get high, and head out. Without the hour or two of jockeying before a shared start time, individual start tasks tend to finish early-before conditions get dangerous or shut down. The drawback is that as a competitor, you have no idea how you are doing. You could be the lead glider, but someone 10 minutes behind you who started a half-hour after you is kick-ing your butt by 20 minutes! Conversely, you can be in the back of the pack with the advantage of seeing lots of gliders ahead and be winning. Most competi-

tors hate individual starts.The Americans present-myself, Josh Cohn,

Matt Daddam, Todd Weigand, Eric Reed and Brett Zaenglein-all launched toward the end of the launch window and therefore found ourselves behind most gliders. With no idea how I was doing, I concen-trated and getting know my glider and figuring out to weight shift in a pod. I played with my speed bar enough to understand that I needed to play with it a lot more. And I played a game-I couldn’t tell how well I was doing, but I could try to catch and pass whatever glider I saw ahead of me.

I made goal and the next day was shocked to learn that I had come in 12th. 88th place on my first PWC task. 12th place on my first task with real competition gear. I know it isn’t all about the glider, but clearly the glider (and pod) make a difference.

TASK TWO: SCRATCHFEST.

The second valid task was too tough or maybe con-ditions were too light. We flew, but no one made goal and the day was worth almost no points. I

came in 21rst and earned 8 points (out of a possible 1000 for a good task).

TASK THREE: BETTER MAKE MORE CIRCLES.

The third task started out looking a lot like the second. After much desperate scratching-let me tell you, scratching light lift in a gaggle of

aggressive PWC pilots on comp and proto gliders is scary-the day improved and 35 of us made it to goal.

I got confused by my new Flytec 6030 (did I men-tion I was flying a new glider, new harness, and new vario?). In the last thermal I climbed way too high-taking those extra circles to guarantee a glide into goal. I lost a lot of time and came in over goal with at least 3000ft of altitude that I didn’t need. The result? I was second to last in goal. But hey, I was in goal and 34th for the day.

TASK FOUR: SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

Task four was frustrating and instructional, a teacher from the school of hard knocks, and a great example of one more way that a PWC is

“in competition, when your glider no

longer scares the crap out of you, it's time to move up.”

[opposite] Chrigel Maurer, the overall PWC winner for the last two years, climbing up off of launch at the Cornizzolo PWC event in Italy | photo by Martin Sheel.


different from all other paragliding meets. The quick summary: the conditions were light. No one made goal. I fought, but dirted toward the middle of the pack at 49th place. Because of the nature of PWC scoring, the day was worth a full 1000 points for the winner and my 49th place finish dropped me out of the top 20 down to 22nd overall.

PARAGLIDING WORLD CUP SCORING

To understand PWC scoring, the final major dif-ference between the PWC and all other compe-titions, it’s important to understand how most

comps are scored.Typical FAI sanctioned meets use a scoring system

called GAP. GAP uses a complex set of formulas to value each task. A ‘good’ task being worth 1000 points for the winner and a ‘bad’ task being worth less, maybe significantly less. A lot of factors go into determining good vs. bad-gory details are here: http://www.fai.org/hang_gliding/competitions/race.

In general, if a bunch of pilots make goal, and the rest have a pretty good day, it’s a good task. If very few or no pilots make goal, and a lot of people dirt early, it’s a bad task. The general goal of GAP is the normal-ize scores across all tasks in a meet and all meets in the world so that the results can feed into the FAI World Pilot Ranking System and produce a fair world-wide ladder. The idea behind devaluing a ‘bad’ task is that results on a bad day have a lot to do with luck-maybe everyone got flushed but one guy launched into a lucky good cycle and flew off to goal-and can’t be compared to results from ‘good’ tasks. Although GAP strikes me as fair, it has the unexpected side effect of taking pres-sure off of the pilots to fly as well as they can. On a bad day, like Task 4, where no one is making goal, with GAP scoring you can slack off. Get lazy. Bomb out. You know the day won’t be worth much and won’t greatly effect the overall score.

The PWC, the bad-ass of competitions, follows a different scoring scheme-gory details in the PWC handbook (link above). The key difference with PWC scoring: total available points to the winner in a PWC is 50 x number-of-pilots-passed-validation-distance. So if 20 pilots make it a bit along the course, it’s a 1000 point-to-the-winner day. Because of PWC scor-ing, PWC tasks generally fall into only two categories:

fully-valid (1000pt) and worthless (like Task 2). And worthless tasks are very rare. This puts far more pres-sure on pilots to make the most out of every day. No matter how bad the weather or how crazy impossible the task (temporary task-committee insanity is not uncommon, see the first couple of tasks at the 2007 US Nationals), you must fight to the end. It’s probably going to be worth a 1000 points that day, and every extra kilometer makes a big difference. To quote an American classic, the motto for a PWC is “Never give up. Never surrender.”

I was disappointed when I bombed, but after screaming some choice words at the sky, punching a tree (it deserved it), and watching Russia’s top pilot ride a pony with rifle slung over his shoulder (you have to entertain yourself while waiting for retrieve), I de-cided that I like PWC scoring. It’s cold. It’s unforgiv-ing. But it’s pure.

WAITING FOR MY LETTERS

Every year the PWC assigns pilots a two letter rank-AA to XX. These letters determine the order in which you are invited to a meet. I’m

waiting for mine and am eager to fly the 2008 PWC. It really is the peak and purest form of paragliding competition. There is no cost to register for the PWC. You pay entry fees only if you are invited to and choose to attend a meet. If you are a competition pilot and are comfortable flying DHV2-3 or comp gliders, you should register for the PWC regardless of your FAI ranking. You may not make it into the European meets, but any PWC is a great competition. 2008 reg-istration is open at http://new.pwca.org.

[left, from top] Matt Dadem, who took sixth place at the PWC in Argentina, stays hydrated | photo by Brett Zaengelin. USA's delegates at launch at the PWC in Argentina | photo by Josh Cohn. Tucuman PWC Argentina | photo by Josh Cohn. Josh Cohn, Todd Weigand, Barbara Burue, and Walter Sochek discuss tactics at the very serious PWC evening de-briefing. Matt Dadem celebrating at goal | photo by Brett Zaengelin. [opposite] PWC pilot practicing in Anzere, Switzerland | photo by Martin Sheel.

AA


Paraglider lines are a major modern technical achievement. Your life could be hanging by a thread, or

that may be the view of the people who just asked you what you are flying at your local site. “It looks thinner than parcel string/fishing line!” they exclaim. All the non-flyers see is something that looks like very thin string or possibly dental floss, but paraglider strength when new is getting to be pretty good these days. Some gliders have recently resisted up to 16 G when tor-tured on either the DHV or Aerotests load vehicle. The credit for this goes to the cloth and the lines and the way in which they are finished and connected. In the past few years, paraglider pilots have talked a bit about the cloths their gliders are made from but hardly at all about the lines that connect them to the glider itself.

A modern paraglider has between 300m and 450m of line, in several cas-cades, going up to the sail. A paraglider has no rigid structure, so the problem for the designer is to spread evenly the load via a number of connection points to the glider,

while also minimizing the amount of line used to cut down on drag. Gliders used to have one line per cell that were combined together lower down in the cascades to cut down on total line consumption, but after

diagonal ribbing came into common use in the mid 1990s, the lines were placed every two or three cells (again combining them lower down), resulting in a huge reduction in drag. The reduction in A lines from 5

per side down to 2 or 3 meant the lines had to be much stronger than they had been previously. The amount of line used in the modern intermediate glider has almost halved since the introduction of diagonal ribbing, but the paradox for the line manufactur-ers is that the market now demands much stronger, thinner line, which costs more to make. Consequently, the manufacturers of paragliders buy much less line for the same number of paragliders made.

Understanding the process that leads to the finished paraglider lines helps a lot in caring for them. The cost of a replacement set of lines can call into question the life of a paraglider, as an older one may end up beyond economic repair.

Cousin Trestec, one of the largest man-ufacturers of line for paragliders, is located on a factory site in the northernmost part of France near Lille, adjacent to the canal that marks the Belgian border. This 150 year-old family owned business makes high tech lines and ropes for a variety of specialist applications. These include yachting ropes,

Linesphoto by Peter volf


climbing ropes, various ropes and lines for mountain rescue and other emergency ser-vices in addition to paraglider lines. The site is Europe’s biggest braiding machine park, with over 60,000 spindles at work! Cousin Trestec has a turnover of ten million Euros and is part of the Cousin group, owned by the Cousin brothers and Jacques Ferrant.

Paraglider lines are made by using rope construction tech-niques. The most basic rope construction technique involves twisting the fibers together to form a strand. Braiding, a more advanced technique, in-volves the individual strands being passed over or under each other in a mechanized process to form a line or rope more like that in Fig. 1. Using both twisting and braiding techniques produces Paraglider

lines. An unsheathed line is produced as a single braid. If the line is sheathed, the outer is then braided around the core in a second process. Twisting and braiding im-proves strength and makes for a line that is

easier to handle and that doesn’t separate.

There are a large number of brand names for the high technology fibers used in lines; therefore, it’s important to understand which names are similar in order to make a com-parison with other brand names

of the same base polymer. The outer sheath is made from polyester. In the early days of paragliding, the whole line was made from braided polyester. Factors contributing to the end of polyester as a main load bearing material were its stretchiness and its low strength compared to modern materials.

word & images by CHUCKWOODS

THE ANATOMY OF A LINEFor. the.majority.of.pilots,. a. line.has.

two. distinct. parts,. an. outer. sheath,.

primarily. for. protection,. and. a. load.

bearing. inner. core .. For. competition.

pilots. or. sometimes. for. the. upper.

cascades. in. a. canopy,. the. manufac-

turer. may. specify. unsheathed. lines,.

usually.to.reduce.drag ..The.down.side.

of. this. is.a. reduced.resistance.to.UV.

degradation. and. abrasion,. but. abra-

sion. is.not.usually.a.problem.for.the.

lines.in.the.upper.cascades.as.it.is.un-

likely.they.will.touch.the.ground .

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It’s used for the outer since the outer only accounts for 10% of the total line strength. There are now two main materials used as fibers in the core; these are Dyneema, a high modulus polyethylene, and Technora, Kevlar or Twaron, all brand names for aro-matic polyamide or aramid. From now on, we will refer to the two main fibers simply as Dyneema and Technora, as Technora is the brand that Cousin uses in their finished products. It’s easy to tell the difference-a sheathed Dyneema line has a white core, whereas the Technora line has a brown yellow center to it. Other possible materials are Vectran and Xylon. Vectran is a liquid crystal polyester with very low stretch characteristics but high weight compared to Dyneema. It is still in use and specified by a few PG companies today. The other fiber, PBO or Xylon, has fallen out of use due to its extremely poor UV resistance.

Dyneema has high strength, low weight, low stretch, very good UV resis-tance and is great at resisting fatigue and bending damage. Dyneema is lighter than water, which can be a major asset in sail-ing and kite surfing, as the line will float. On the downside, it’s not that heat resis-tant, [softens at 144 C and melts at 165 C] and suffers more permanent elongation than Technora, although Cousin has a combined post braiding heat and stretch-ing process that reduces elongation quite significantly. This process, whose details remain a closely guarded secret, needs to be done under very tightly controlled con-ditions to have the desired effects.

Technora [an aramid similar to Kevlar] is stronger than Dyneema, has very good heat resistance [it doesn’t burn or

melt] and very low stretch, where again it bests Dyneema. Technora is five times lighter than steel on an identical strength basis. On the minus side, it’s heavier than Dyneema, less resistant to UV and fatigue and bending damage. The current push in development is to get Dyneema to the point where it has negated all its disad-vantages compared to Technora. However, just like the choice of materials for a glider sail, paraglider manufacturers don’t use only one material for lines; they tend to use variety. We might have a mixture of sheathed Technora, sheathed Dyneema and unsheathed Dyneema in a typical DHV 2 or 2-3 glider.

Now that you know what the yarn is made of, let’s have a brief look at the pro-cesses that Cousin Trestec applies to the material coming into their factory:

The filaments of yarn arrive in bobbins that are checked at this phase for quality and continuity. The bobbins are loaded onto the braiding machines. These pro-duce a core, or the finished braided line, in the case of the unsheathed lines. To produce a sheathed line, a second braiding process is required that entails the core’s outer sheath being braided over the inner. Both braiding processes are continuous and result in a long length of the line being wound onto a bobbin.

The newer style of unsheathed lines are dyed and coated with a polyurethane compound. This improves UV resistance as well as the way lines handle, making them less likely to tangle. The end product is very different from the unsheathed lines made at the turn of the century.

A second process for the unsheathed

Dyneema lines involves stretching them under very carefully controlled conditions, including closely controlled temperature and stretch rate. This process results in an increase in strength and a reduction in per-manent elongation under load as well as a reduction in the diameter of the lines. This new process has some interesting results:Stretch of the line under a 12kg load re-•duced by 78%Breaking strength increased by 19%•Abrasion resistance increased by 10%•Bending resistance increased by 9%•Diameter reduced by 5%•

The sheathed Dyneema lines also under-go this process, but only after the second braiding operation, at which time they have the sheath applied over the inner.

Samples taken from the finished line will be subjected to a number of tests to ensure the quality of the product, includ-ing a steady loading to failure, shock load-ing and the DHV bending test where the line is subject to 5,000 bends of 150 de-grees each way before being tested for load resistance again.

The lines, and all the necessary informa-tion on the bobbin that allows them to be traced back via all processes to their origin, then leave the factory for the paraglider manufacturer. This traceable quality con-trol is part of the process required for the ISO 9002 certification, for quality, held by Cousin.

The finished lines are amazing. An un-sheathed line made from Dyneema with a diameter of 0.66mm [yes, barely over half a millimeter] boasts a breaking strength of about 56 kg, and after 5,000 cycles on the DHV test would still hold out until 54


kg. If you go up to 1mm [1.12mm], the strength increases to 172 kg, with failure after the DHV aging test reduced to 153 kg. The figures for sheathed lines are still pretty amazing, but they include a less strong polyester coating, so their figures are lower. Even then, strengths of about 128 kg for a 1.1mm sheathed Dyneema line are the order of the day. The sewing process at the paraglider manufacturers, along with the small diameter of maillion the line passes around, reduces this strength somewhat in real life, so the lines will be specified by the paraglider manufacturer with this in mind. Looking at gliders like the Airwave Magic 3, they have managed to sustain +16G on the test rig, so the sums done by the para-glider designers are correct!

Lines are a very high tech piece of man-ufacture, but need to be well maintained to keep up their strength. Advice from Cousin on caring for your lines:Don’t leave your paraglider near heat •sources in winter such as radiators or a fireplace. In summer, avoid leaving your wing in trunk of your car.Never store a damp wing, and avoid hu-•midity when putting your wing away. Don’t dry a wing in direct sunlight-put it

the shade.Don’t drag your wing across the ground.•Don’t leave your wing out on take off for •too long.Avoid kinking your lines and don’t knot •or braid them for storage.Maneuvers [ears, spirals, b line stalls and •any form of acro] accelerate the ageing process and weaken lines. Frequent use of these maneuvers will require that you accept the consequences of more frequent line replacement.After a big shock [like a very big collapse], •a line check will be needed. Any newly acquired but used paraglider •should be subject to a line check.If your lines have heat shrink protection, •examine with great care the end of the heat shrink-the edge leads to damage and fatigue.A stored paraglider that is not used still •ages.Be wary of ultra-thin or unsheathed lines, •especially on competition gliders. They are easily damaged and will require more care.

Reprinted with SkyWings permission.

THE CHEMISTRY BITAramids. are. from. the. polyamide.

family.of.organic.compounds,.which.

also. include. Nylon .. They. are. com-

prised. of. polymers,. which. are. very.

long.chains.of.repeated.organic.units.

called.monomers ..

Polyethylene. is. simply. another.

name.for.polythene ..The.molecules.in.

the.compound.used.to.make.Dyneema.

are.much.longer.chains.than.the.stuff.

that’s. used. in. the. bags. supplied. at.

the. supermarket. to. take. your. shop-

ping. home. in .. Polythene. bags. have.

a. lot. more. branching. on. their. mol-

ecules,.as.well.as.shorter.chains ..This.

results.in.lower.intermolecular.forces,.

and.hence.lower.tensile.strength .

Polyester.is.another.long.chain.or-

ganic.compound,.but.with.an.ester.as.

the.basic.building.block ..It.has.found.

widespread.use. in. fabric. for.clothes,.

as.well.as.free.flying.applications.like.

Dacron.and.Mylar.[hang.glider.sails].

and. Teijin. Tetoron,. a. fabric. widely.

used. in. the. early. days. of. paraglider.

manufacture ..

Polyurethane. [PU],. the. coating.

used.for.the.newer.unsheathed.lines.

is. a. plastic,. and. helps. protect. the.

lines. from.UV.and.abrasion.damage,.

as. well. as. improving. the. way. they.

handle .

REDUCTION IN LINESParaglider. performance. has. im-

proved.massively. since. the. first. ret-

rimmed. jump. chutes.were. flown.off.

the. French. Alps. in. the. mid. 1980’s ..

A.good.deal. of. this. improvement. in.

glide.and.sink.rate.has.been.achieved.

by. drag. reduction .. Compared. to.

the. early. 1990’s,. line. consumption.

is. down. on. the. average. intermedi-

ate. by. about. 40% .. Line. thicknesses.

have.come.down.from.4mm.on.some.

early. retrimmed. sky. diving. chutes.

to.the.1 .9/1 .5mm.commonly.seen.on.

the. modern. intermediate. rigs .. Total.

canopy. airtime. has. extended. from.

tens.of.hours.to.hundreds.and.maybe.

even.thousands,.in.the.case.of.some.

test.gliders.used.by.manufacturers ..

Brand.name Material.Type Owner.of.brand.name

Dyneema High.modulus.polyethylene DSM.High.Performance.Fibres

Spectra High.modulus.polyethylene Honeywell.Performance.Fibers

Technora Aromatic.polyamide/aramid Teijin.Ltd

Kevlar Aromatic.polyamide/aramid DuPont

Twaron Aromatic.polyamide/aramid Teijin.Ltd

Vectran Liquid.crystal.polyester Celanese.Acetate.LLC

May 2008: Hang Gliding & Paragliding – www.USHPA.aero41s

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On April Fools’ Day, 31 years ago, an almost-middle-aged woman showed up at Golden

Sky Sails in Golden, Colorado, for her first-day hang gliding ground school. Instructors Al Godman and Bill Sloatman surely had no idea that this petite student would go on to become one of USHPA’s most deeply involved members. Here, in mostly her own words, is her story.

Decadesin the life of

by Liz Sharp as told to C.J. SturtevantPhotos courtesy Liz Sharp


“At age 39 I decided, for once in my life, I had to risk life and limb and it had to be then – one more year would be too late,” says Liz Sharp, USHPA #22004.

“I chose hang gliding because a television news report branded it as the most dangerous sport ever invented by man. So I bought a lesson package to do flights on the training hill, which would get me a Hang-1 certification.”

Liz and her three fellow students had their first hands-on lesson on April 4. “We all came back after that first day with different aches and pains. The guys had sore legs, we girls had sore arms and shoul-ders, but we soldiered on.”

During her lessons, Liz says, “I was still struggling with, ‘Why am I turning myself into a pack mule for three to five seconds of airtime?’ Then on July 1 I snuck off to the top of Green Mountain with some of the more advanced students and had my first unsupervised flight. As I ran down the hill, eyes locked on the horizon, my peripheral vision made me aware that the earth was falling away from my feet, more quickly and more dis-tant than it had ever been before. I was hooked. Being a pack mule became a badge of honor.

“Al and Bill made a great teaching team,” Liz re-calls. “Al always started the day with ‘OK, people, this

is what we are going to do today…’ and Bill ended the day with ‘Great! Next time why don’t you try [what-ever was the next step up the learning ladder]?’

“After my flight from the top of Green Mountain, Bill said, ‘Great!’ and Al said, ‘You looked like a sack of potatoes.’ They were the best team: One kept me

reaching for the clouds, the other kept my mind grounded while my body soared.

“I soon earned my H-1, but I still had several more lessons paid for which I wanted to use up. That resulted in my H-2 and a friendship with Debbie Duree, who was also finishing lessons at the same time. She needed someone to fly with so we hiked our gliders around the south point at the North Boulder flying site and waited for launchable winds for high-flight sled rides.

“Debbie and I would also drive for the advanced pilots at Lookout Mountain in Golden. One day Glen

Crowder, then the safety director for the local hang gliding club, said he would sponsor me off Lookout. At that time, the LZ was in the highway median where US 6 and Colorado 58 enter the foothills of the Rockies. The open area was a bit shorter than the length of a high school football field. I landed just past the far goal posts, but not on the highway.

[opposite] Liz and her VW bus “Max” scanning the skies for pilots at Coaldale goal, Owens Valley Classic, 1982. (Only one pilot made goal that day) | photo by Bettina Gray. [above] Liz launching WW SuperSport “Orion” at Williams Peak, Colorado, Sept. 1994 | photo by Brad Koji. [left] Liz at the 1979 America’s Cup, Lookout Mt., Tennessee.

“The next day, my instructor Bill said, ‘Great!’ but Al said, ‘You don’t have a H-3; you can’t fly Lookout.’ A meeting behind closed doors followed, and I got my H-3 (only seven months after starting – remember, this was 1977) and I continued sponsored flights at Lookout Mountain. Because my H-3 came so early, I took time (another year) getting my H-4. During this period, we lost the highway median LZ to highway construction, and it was not possible to fly Lookout unless you could commit to landing on top. I would watch Charlie Baughman: If he didn’t land at Charlie’s Last Chance, it was soarable and top-landable, and I would fly.”

In a sport dominated by athletic males, there are surprising challenges and crazinesses that arise from being a small female. “Very early I learned not to out-fly the more macho pilots, or if I did, not to rub their noses in it,” Liz recalls. “During the summer of 1978 a group of Denver pilots traveled to the north end of the San Luis Valley (Colorado) to fly from Galena Peak, above the current Villa Grove flying site. The hike was

long and across fields of loose rock. The guys helped carry my 39-pound glider.

“I was on my Seagull Seahawk, and everyone else was on high-performance gliders (Seagull 10s, Electra Flyer Olys, Delta Phoenix 8s, Sensors, etc.). Somehow I was able to cross Hayden Pass and get as far south as the Orient Mines where I turned around and flew back. Only one other pilot made it out that far, and he also made it back across Hayden Pass. I didn’t and landed about ½ mile

short of the LZ. “As I was folding up my glider, I could see that the

other pilots were coming in to land. As soon as I had my glider in the bag, I started walking to the LZ. The closer I got to the LZ, the more feverish was the ac-tivity to fold up gliders and pack everything on the trucks. I was within shouting distance when they all jumped into the vehicles and took off, leaving me with a three-mile walk to the restaurant in Villa Grove.

“But most of the time the guys were great. During my first soaring flight at the South Side of Point of the Mountain in marginal conditions, Mike Tingy

“Very early I learned not to out-fly the

more macho pilots, or if I did, not to rub

their noses in it.”

[below] Liz and her Condor at 17,500’, Telluride, Colorado,

1979. [below right] Leroy Grannis with Liz on Gold Hill

launch, Telluride, Colorado, 1979 | photo by Leroy

Grannis.


and Larry Tudor always gave me the best part of the lift band. Mark Axon set everything up for my first flight from Mount Lemmon (Arizona), suggested the flight plan (which I was able to follow) and picked me up at the high school athletic field in Tucson. Keith Nichols drove 60 miles (round trip) to pick me up in Gardnerville, California, with only congratulations, after my cross-country flight from Slide Mountain.”

Having been around since the early days, Liz was contem-porary with many of the legends of hang gliding, and she has first-hand experience with the challenges of early competitions.

“My first competition, in 1978, was working with Sean Dever for the Region 4 Championships at Crested Butte. I must have done a good job there, because Dave Rodriguez asked me to help with the Invitational he was organiz-ing at Moab, Utah. Surrounded by all the top pilots, I was in heaven. They were in their 20s or early 30s, very buff and the weather was hot…

“Then, as now, one of the biggest problems in competition was providing an equitable start,” Liz continues. “One of the lower-tech solutions used at a Canadian competition I attended was a large clock (30 to 40 feet in diameter) laid flat on the ground, driven by a motor in the center with the clock hands sup-

ported by wheeled trucks riding on a big circular track. This is when we were using cameras instead of GPS, so the pilot had to be low enough for the position of the hands to be readable in his photograph, thus record-ing his exact start time which would be relevant to all other start times. He could keep retrying until he was in a thermal that would get him up and on course.

“We also used pylons and pylon flag wavers. Pilots had to round the pylons low (so the pylon judges to read the competition numbers on the underside of the sail) and then climb out again. Often the pilots would shout ‘Hi’ and then start working to get back up.” In 1985 Liz received USHPA’s Exceptional Service award, in appreciation of her administra-tion of USHGA’s competition programs and her role in coordi-nation of the 1985 World Team.

With perhaps a note of nos-talgia, Liz comments, “The use

of GPS in competitions is making it too easy for the pilots. And spectators don’t get to see the scraping and scratching that really separates the men from the boys. Competition shouldn’t be all get high, go fast…”

Everyone has their “ favorites” in their flying career, and Liz is no exception. Regarding sites, “While I was still flying, my favorite flying site was the one I’d last flown. The summer after I injured my ankle, the whole

“The use of GPS in competitions is making it too easy

for the pilots.”

[above left] Liz rolling the flat battens into the sail of her UP Condor “Plieeiades,” 1979. [above] Liz and her Condor, 1979 | photo by John Coyne.


state of Wyoming became my favorite flying site: one large LZ punctuated by windy mountain launches – no running necessary. If I were still flying, I’d pick Cathedral Bluffs in Colorado as my favorite site. Alas, this year the oil companies have picked it, too. It’s a 20-mile top-landable ridge out in the boonies with a road that runs most of the way along the top (now providing access for the oil rig crews) and access roads in several places at the bottom.”

As for her favorite wings, “First was my UP Condor, ‘Pleiades,’ which I took to the 1979 American Cup at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, and on which I had some fabulous flights in Venezuela. Second would be my UP Comet ‘Halley’ which glided me through my Owens Valley cross-country clinic with Chris Price and my lon-gest flight (49.5 miles), and many others in Wyoming.”

Not many pilots can boast of such a long and intense involvement with hang gliding, both in the air and on the ground, as Liz can. She admits that her close association with the sport for the past three decades is mainly due to

“my obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you fly, you have to have it or you won’t survive. I can’t just do it. I have to do it better.” She offers some examples:

“In 1980, the USHGA was only seven years past being the Southern California Hang Gliding Association, and as many people have noted over the years, it was still being run as a club, not a business. Ah, lots of room for improvement there! Again I was hooked.

“Now (2008) the association finally has a strategic plan to guide further growth (not my doing), and the current president is insisting that the elected directors attend training sessions to become more professional in their volunteer work for the board. The current board has a better understanding of the prerequisites and requirements of board membership (also not my doing, but encompassing the standards and responsi-bilities I hoped for).”

Liz has attended USHPA BOD meetings regu-larly from February 1980 through 2007, and served as USHPA secretary from 1982-1984, 1988-1989 (managing the headquarters move from California to Colorado) and again from 2004-2007 (to sup-

port the strategic plan initiative). She has also served as competition administrator, as chairman of the Bylaws committee (2003-2006) and chairman of the Competition Sanctioning subcommittee (2004-2007) – an involvement with the USHGA/USHPA board that is arguably longer and at a deeper level than any other [Dennis Pagen is longer but not as “ intense”]member!

She is much encouraged by recent trends in USHPA director education and training. “With a professional

board that knows where the sports should be headed and what to do to get us there, the association will be able to better serve both hang glider and paraglider pilots,” she points out.

“Through annual training sessions, president Lisa Tate is slowly improving the level of competence and expertise of the mem-bers of USHPA’s BOD.”

Liz retired from active flight 11 years ago (on June 30, 1997), and at last fall’s board meeting she declined to run for another term as USHPA secretary. She’s moved on, with passion and energy, into another field: “I have returned to my teenage

love of horses. I am fortunate in finding an excellent teacher and mentor in Loveland, Colorado, close to my home in Longmont. In the last year, I have at-tained my Equine Touch Level 3 student certification and by the end of the year I hope to be an ET practi-tioner. By working over major equine muscle group-ings, the Equine Touch procedures may help relax the muscles and tendons in the area around soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains and lacerations), which calms the horse, and makes it less fussy while recovering. I also used the technique successfully in correcting a learned behavior problem in a large Belgian-Shire horse. When horses are large (close to one ton), it is good to have them well-behaved!”

With Liz’s retirement from her position on the ex-ecutive committee, USHPA will certainly miss her meticulous record-keeping at board meetings, her in-depth knowledge of hang gliding’s roots and devel-opment, and her tireless devotion to making the asso-ciation and the sport “better” wherever she could see a need for improvement. Judging from hang gliding his-tory, the local equine population is in for a treat, now that Liz’s passion has drawn her into their lives!

[inset]Liz landing her Condor at “Seizure” LZ,

Telluride, Colorado, 1979. [opposite] Liz with the latest

communication gear at the 1979 America’s Cup.


Was I ready for this? It had been some time since I’d flown pow-erhouse thermals, having been

stopped by a shoulder operation that said, “Slow down boy-by any definition, you are no longer a boy!” We had set up our hang gliders just behind the famous launch at El Penon, near Valle de Bravo, Mexico. The valley of the brave would certainly test our mettle. The air was cool, the sun was hot, and I was in a lather as I carried my glider to the launch point. Thermals were cycling through, the vultures were taunting, and a few gliders were showing just how robust the thermals could be on a fine Mexican afternoon. Was I ready for this?

Yes! That’s the word that swept through my blissed-out brain as I was wrenched away from terra firma by an ineluctable, invisible hand. I held speed for seconds before I felt brave enough to turn in that first roundhouse punch from the pugilistic thermal, and when I did, I was already a hundred feet over launch and rising fast-a thousand FPM and more. This close to the ground, such a climb is visually dramatic. I was a bit player in the scene, overawed by the ex-perience. I topped out, played with my aerial friends (both avian and human), and flew to the house thermals. Then I went on a little cross-country

trip to a huge grass field an hour and a half later. All the while another question kept nagging me. To wit: “Why did I stay away so long?”

Valle the Town

I headed to Valle de Bravo in mid- February, 2008, to catch the last of the paragliding Pre-Worlds and a bit

of the fine winter flying the place has to offer to an air-horny pilot. I had been there twelve years ago for nearly a month and knew lots of pilots living there. I intended to meet my friends, Dutch pilots Koos de Kejzer, Daphne Schelkers and Leon Seeters in Mexico City for a few days of adventure before reporting to Manzanillo on the coast for the annual meeting of the CIVL-the international governing body of our sport. Because severe ice storms shut down the East Coast, I arrived a day late. No problem. I bussed to Toluca, then on to Valle. Total cost for the several-hour excur-sion: $17.50. And that’s with a depressed

dollar. The bus trip illus-

trates one of the big attractants of flying in Valle: the stretch of the peso. My hotel cost $25.00 per night in the high season, including the luxury of hot water and a bed. When you fly all day and party all night, what else do you need? Valle has an abundance

BacktoValle


of great restaurants with trout as a spe-cialty. (Did I mention that I’m a piscatar-ian?) But my favorite food comes from the local street vendors. They serve authentic tacos with a choice of ingredients and salsa that’s guaranteed to put hair on your chest. Sure, the guidebooks tell you to stay away from the local food, but how else are you going to get the authentic Mexican experi-ence and learn about the compelling dance, the Aztec two-step, and the mighty King Montezuma?

Valle is perched on the hills next to a large, quiescent lake. A takeoff is situated above the town with a landing field right beside the lake. Paragliders and local hang glider pilots land there regularly, but, be-cause it’s small, a special technique with a favorable wind is needed to pull off the feat. I saw even a Pre-World meet para-glider pilot get dunked there. Right next to the landing field is the Boga Boga Bar and Restaurant, owned by long-time pilot, Alex Olazabal. He is also a partner in Fly Mexico, a business specializing in flying trips to Valle.

But the real action is up in town where the square virtually throbs at night with caballeros, viejo hombres, nubile señori-tas, dueños, disapproving priests, familias, peddlers, hawkers, mariachi bands, trouba-dours, floral displays and street performers. Life emanates from the heart of a Mexican town, and Valle, with its special rep as a resort for the nationalistas, is especially vi-brant. The number of ex-pat US pilots who have moved there gives a clue to its quality of life. I could be happy in such a place, where my net worth instantly triples and my net airtime quintuples.

Flying

The big attraction for pilots is El Peñon. The site is named for the im-posing stone monolith that towers in

front and to the right of launch. There is

a good two grand of altitude for thermals to stretch out, gain a hearty head of steam and sweep by launch. It’s not hard to find one of these passing freights and latch on for a free ride. During my previous visit to Valle, we flew 22 days in a row and went XC every day.

This time, an inversion was hovering about 1500 ft over takeoff, so we had to work. Some thermals were wrenching boomers, but many were the type that allowed a few turns, then a “goodbye, Charlie.” When things got tough, it proved wise to hug the hill and keep a sharp eye out for the paragliders who acted like bob-bers on a fishing line. When there was a bite, they tended to be the first to feel the tug. In most cases a little patience paid off, so we cooperated and elevated.

The smart money at El Peñon works the launch area until about a thousand feet are in the altitude bank, then drifts to the right along the ridge. Eventually, you come to the elbow-a 90-degree bend that tends to harbor thermals. Get up there if you can, but if not, preserve your altitude and keep sidling along the ridge until you come to the “wall.” This is a vertical rock face, which tends to trigger thermals. Top up there if you can, but your ultimate goal is the G spot. This point is a little pass that funnels full-steam thermals up from the front, but also connects them to the heat feeding off the open-field plateau in back. If you can’t get your jollies at the G-spot, you likely ain’t getting jolly.

Once you gain, say, two to three thou-sand feet, it’s good policy to head out. There are numerous routes away from El Peñon that have been thoroughly covered by comp pilots, but us casual tourists usu-ally head east, contrary to Horace Greeley’s recommendation. There the roads lead to the mountains and the open fields. No one is setting a world record around Valle, so I like to proceed at a leisurely pace and

sightsee as I bob from cloud to cloud. At Valle, no-pressure XC is the flying for me. On many days, once you’re on track, the horizon’s the limit. And if your driver is lost or non-existent...just take a taxi back to the ranch for about $3 from anywhere.

Launch and Landing

A well-maintained road takes you to launch. There is a dusty set-up to contend with, but that’s the price

we pay for desert-like thermal conditions. The launch itself-a slot in the trees I found twelve years ago-has been improved by the construction of a retaining wall and more than 800 loads of dirt. A huge open area now invites multiple para and hang gliders to get in position at the same time. I find it expedient to use caution when choos-ing both the launch point and time, as the rogue-bull thermals stir the air vigorously.

A controversy has arisen at the launch point. One of the local interests, headed by Alex Olazabal, has acquired financial control of the launch by paying rent to the locals. He initiated a charge for flying; this doesn’t sit well with the pilots who have long used this site gratis. Accusations fly on both sides of the issue, but the issue will eventually be resolved since everyone wants Valle to continue to attract a horde of world pilots. The cold, hard truth that has visited even this flyer’s paradise is

“there is no free launch.”The landing below takeoff is sardonical-

ly known as “the piano” (as in flying like one if you land there). The landing field has also been changed from when I last vis-ited. It is now in a long field that is rented by the same group that controls the top. It has a notorious sink hole at the near end that grabbed at least one pilot when I was there. I was determined never to land in the piano (remember the 100% XC flying on my previous visit), so, of course I did. It wasn’t bad, since there was ample room,


but I did find the sinkhole and landed wa-a-ay short. A subsequent landing (which I refuse to admit I’ll have) will be better since I know the lay of the land.

Flying Royalty & Flying Windows

After flying at Valle revitalized our winter-weary system, we had a couple of little experiences that were like icing on the cake. On the way back to Mexico City, we stopped

in the fir forest where millions of Monarch butterflies spend the winter. There, they store up energy, hang out with their friends and breed, while waiting for the go-ahead signal to start the long journey north. We were awed by the gentle, trusting nature of our fellow flying creatures. They colored the forest burnt- orange and black; they whispered on the wind and sent a subliminal SOS. It is tragic that the dual forces of illegal deforestation in Mexico and the heavy use of herbicides in our county are destroying them. The latter practice has gone into high gear since Monsanto de-veloped a genetically engineered soybean that can withstand the chemical assault of herbicides that eradicate the Monarch’s sole food source: milkweed. One of the problems for those who want to preserve the Monarchs is that they are not a keystone species, meaning that nothing will crash if they disappear. They have little economic impact, but they are unique in that they are the only butterflies that migrate and live through the winter as adults. The fall Monarch soars over 3000 miles in thermals and mountain up-drafts to find its winter haven. Surely pilots will lose a bit of their own soul when this lovely creature disappears.

Our final stop was in Toluca. There we visited El Cosmo Vitral-the Glass Cosmos. This attraction is a large former train station that has been transformed into a huge greenhouse-the largest in the world. Inside, plants from all over the world are festooned over the landscape. The building’s walls and ceiling feature huge stained-glass windows depicting the birth of the cosmos and the ascent of man. The artist, Leopold Flores, clearly had a fascination with flight and birds- men are floating and birds are taking to wing in nearly every panel. Most of the birds are raptors, and I was rapt as I shot an orgy of photos from all angles. Who would have expected such a treat in the old working town of Toluca?

My Mexican journey ended like all such journeys: a hard trip back to the reality of work and the daily ground (as in no flying). But I did recharge my batteries and refresh my memory of how truly special Valle de Bravo is. My visit was too short, but I re-solved not to stay away so long next time. I have put the little flier’s Mecca back to the top of my list of winter getaways. My advice: you should, too. For the inexperienced traveler, there are several businesses running tours for pilots to Valle. Look in the ads in this magazine. Once you’ve been to Valle, your heart will be tugging you back.

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TIW TIWGD! ▲ Anyone who has been hang

gliding or paragliding for any length of

time has heard some “there I was, thought

I was gonna die” stories. These stories are

common topics for online forums, so much

so that they even have their own chat room

abbreviation, “TIWTIWGD”. Perhaps you

have had a TIWTIWGD experience your-

self. I’ve had a few. What follows is the story

of the day that I probably set the all-time

world record for multiple TIWTIWGD ex-

periences per flight hour. Like all of my

stories that are composed from notes and

logbook entries, this one is 100% true. Last

month you read about my experiences of

trying to people-tow from a moving vehicle.

This time I decided to try to people-tow by

people power!

It was October 1978 and I was look-

ing for a way to get more air beneath my

wings in the flatlands of Kansas. I planned

to tow from a large 1/4-mile square campus

intramural field on the outskirts of town. I

decided to use the same simple looped-

cord-around-the-control-bar thumb re-

lease and arranged for five friends to tow

me. Once again, I was being inventive. The

original people-tow article had only two

people pulling. I wanted to have a reserve

for multiple attempts and decided that a

few more wouldn’t hurt. But these weren’t

just five ordinary people; most were fellow

members of the Kansas State University

track team. Yep, they ought to be able to

get me up. I briefed the team on my signals:

a running motion with my legs meant speed

up, opening and closing them in a jumping

jack motion meant slow down. After I had

several successful short flights with partial

rope lengths where everything was working

well, we set out to try to tow to the maxi-

mum possible altitude.

My goal for this autumn flight was to get

high enough to do a couple of 360º turns.

That was unheard of back then but would

be required if I were ever going to catch

a thermal off of tow. In order to get to the

highest altitude, I backed the glider all the

way to the fence at the foot of the field. Just

behind the fence, running parallel to the

rear of the field, was an array of tall power

lines. One of my friends questioned starting

so close to them, but I replied with great au-

thority, “What’s behind you isn’t important!”

After the rope was laid out and the

glider set, everyone was ready. I gave the

“go” signal and off they went. The accelera-

tion was tremendous; these guys knew that

I wanted the highest tow possible and they

were out to give it to me. I only took a step or

two and shot skyward, literally in a lockout

from the moment my feet left the ground. I

tried my best to pull in and stop the arcing

left turn, but it was rapidly getting worse. I

should have released before I took off, but

now it was too late. If I released, I would

whip stall without sufficient altitude for re-

covery. I didn’t have a TIWTIWGD experi-

ence yet, but I was very concerned.

While desperately trying to signal the

team to slow down, I continued to fight

for control. But I might as well have been

hooked to a team of stallions with blinders

because they were off to the races without

looking back! Within a few seconds I had

reached the apex of the lockout and - like

a child’s bat kite gone awry - the glider was

about to begin a fatal arcing dive to the

ground.

TIWTIWGD. #1. -. Tow. Lockout . There I

was 110 feet AGL (don’t ask me how I knew

that butI distinctly remember thinking I was

110 ft up and knowing I was going to die

from a tow lockout). Estimated flight time

about seven seconds.

I knew it was fruitless, I knew that I had

waited too long. If I released, I would side-

slip for about 75 feet while the nose swung

downwards, and I would then dive to my

death without enough altitude to pull out.

I had to try something so I lifted my thumb

and the towrope disappeared.

TIWTIWGD. #2. -. Sideslip. and. Dive. to.

Death . Total flight time eight seconds.

Since I knew there was no way I could

recover normally, my brain flashed another

option that I had never thought of before. I

pushed out abruptly and fully, while swing-

ing my legs to the high side, in an attempt to

get the glider to spin.

In what seemed like a fraction of a

second, the glider snapped into a 1/4-turn

spin, instantly changing heading 90º while

the wings leveled. Incredibly, I would not die

from a lockout nor would I sideslip to my

death, for I had the altitude for a straight-

ahead recovery! If only it could have been

that easy - those huge power lines that I

had so authoritatively declared “not impor-

tant” were now looming a few yards in front

of me.

TIWTIWGD. #3. -. Electrocution . Total

flight time twelve seconds.

Luckily, a single cable crowned the

multiple wires and only that top wire was

rapidly approaching my face. I pushed the

bar out to try to zoom over it, but without

excess speed, the glider descended onto it.

I hit it at a cross angle and sequentially lifted

my hands as the control bar base tube slid

along the wire. (The sound that aluminum

makes sliding along a thumb-sized electri-

HangInTHERETechnique | Safety | Training | Flights

by Mark “Forger” Stucky


fied steel cable is not a sound I ever want to

hear again.) As the control bar slid off the

cable, I arched my back as much as I could

while pulling my legs up as high as possible.

My body cleared the wire but the glider

was in a mushing descent, and the power

line was now sliding along my left side wire

towards the wingtip. The line then hooked

on my lower deflexor post, and I seemed to

hang in the sky for a moment as the glider

rotated around it towards the network of

lines strung out below me. I figured there

was no way that I was going to escape

them. Suddenly, with a TWAANNGGGG,

the glider’s momentum overpowered the

deflexor’s grasp on the line, and once again

I was free! Except now I was not only stalled,

I was flying backwards at about 5 mph at

around 50 feet AGL.

TIWTIWGD #4 - Severe Low Altitude

Stall. Total flight time fifteen seconds.

I knew that if I let the nose drop, I would

dive steeply without room for recovery so

I must NOT let the nose drop. Holding the

control bar with arms spread wide, I ag-

gressively threw my body around, fighting

to keep the wings level as I dropped rapidly

in a total parachuting-type stall. “Don’t put

your legs down,” I thought, “stay prone.” So

that is what I did. Lastly, I moved my hands

from the base tube to the uprights just prior

to impact in order to keep me from smash-

ing my fingers into smithereens on the road

below.

Since I always flew with my feet well

above my head in an effort to reduce drag,

the only part of my body that could touch

the cement would be my chest. And that is

where I had mounted my large Windhaven

reserve parachute. I stayed prone and never

stopped the balancing act until I slammed

into the roadway. It took me a second to

realize I was not only OK-the glider didn’t

even seem damaged!

Just then my incredible sense of relief

was shattered by the loudest squeal in the

world-the squeal of locked brakes and tires,

the squeal that comes when a hang glider

drops unexpectedly into the fast lane of a

four-lane highway.

TIWTIWGD. #5. -. Being. Hit. By. a. Car .

Total flight time twenty seconds.

My sense of impending doom lasted for

what seemed like an eternity, yet I couldn’t

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bring myself to turn my head to watch my

demise. Then I realized that the ear-splitting

noise had been replaced by the sound of an

idling engine. As I peered out from under

my right wing, I saw a car bumper liter-

ally inches from my leading edge. I quickly

stood up, hoisted the glider onto my shoul-

ders, gave an apologetic look to the very

surprised driver, and carried my gear clear.

Final score was five TIWTIWGD inci-

dents in the span of about twenty seconds,

which equates to a ratio of 900 per hour.

Hopefully, none of you will ever come close

to breaking that record.

Once again, I had failed to predict all

the ramifications of my plan. The combina-

tion of my buddies’ excess power and the

attachment of the towline directly to the

control bar generated aerodynamic forces

that were beyond my ability to control by

weight shift. I also did not foresee that the

tow team would fail to look for my signals.

But as any paraglider pilot who has done a

forward inflation off a restricted cliff launch

knows, it’s very difficult to run aggressively

without looking forward fulltime.

Incidentally, you don’t have to touch

power lines for them to be a danger. In 1995

I was living in Houston when the local hang

gliding club was invited to do tow demon-

strations at an event at the Johnson Space

Center. The winds were calm and the road

was short so the club staged the tow rig as

far back as they could, directly under a hu-

mongous set of high voltage wires. I point-

ed out the danger and suggested it would

be more prudent to demonstrate a shorter

tow than to start so close to the wires. After

the club president declined and positioned

his glider on the trailer, I heard the hum and

crackle of the build up of static electricity

and felt as if there were about to be a light-

ning strike. As I began backing away, the

pilot reached out to grasp the nose release

ring in preparation for launch. As he did, he

got the shock of his life, causing his muscles

to contract involuntarily and pull the release.

The glider immediately rotated backwards

and fell off the stanchions, breaking the

keel. Suddenly everybody agreed that the

tow should be further up the road!

Electricity is invisible, instantaneous,

and can be an ugly way to die. We have

lost too many hang and paraglider pilots to

electrocution over the years, yet there still

remain a significant number of flying sites

that expose our members to this deadly

risk. We should not be satisfied simply to

maintain access to such sites; we should

work with our communities and utility com-

panies to divert or bury the lines to make

our sites safer.

Lastly, although my guardian angel was

working overtime on that TIWTIWGD day,

it was not my scariest hang glider incident.

That fateful day was still several years away.

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


Five years after the launch of this website

devoted to Paragliding and Paramotoring,

Theflyingeye.com is one of the most popu-

lar sites for pilots worldwide. Available in

English and Spanish, it receives nearly 2500

visits a day. On Theflyingeye.com you can

find a vast amount of information, such as

the latest news, articles on popular flying

events, online coverage of continental and

world competitions, and a large collection

of pictures and designs inspired by flying.

Daniel Crespo and Claudia Riquelme are the

passionate pilots behind this project that

has become the focus of their lives.

The idea for the website originated with

a drawing made by Venezuelan-Spanish

pilot Daniel Crespo during one of his long

wanderings around South America. At that

time Daniel visualized a symbol of a wide-

open eye with wings as representing the

way he was seeing the world (mainly from

under –or above– his glider). He knew that

he wanted to use this symbol to convey his

observations to other pilots… But how? It

would take a couple of years, some luck,

and a partnership to realize his dream.

“I met Claudia at the Festival of St

Hilaire in 2000. She had just arrived in

Europe from Iquique, Chile, to live in Spain.

Months later we met again in Madrid (where

both of us then lived) and we became

friends. We ended up working together for

a Spanish paragliding magazine, which pro-

vided good training for starting Ojovolador.

com,” recalls Daniel.

The magazine closed and soon after,

Daniel quit his activities with the SAT team

with whom he had produced 3 successful

acro videos. He and Claudia decided to

join forces and start their own communica-

tion venture under the name of Ojovolador

(The-flying-eye). They envisioned it being

more than a collection of articles; they

wanted to create a space where they could

express what flying inspired in them and

other pilots. And they decided to use a dis-

tinctive visual design, including profession-

TheFlyingEYEFilms | Books | Sites | Links | Gear


ally produced written content related to

paragliding.

“We didn’t really know how, or if, we

would make money from our venture;

we just felt that we needed to create

Ojovolador.com because nobody else

was doing anything like that in 2002.

And we could!” tells Daniel. The re-

sponse was promising. The couple wit-

nessed the visits to their site growing

each week as they increased their ef-

forts to post new material as often as

possible.

“Because we had run out of money

and had no income, we decided to

show what we could do as profession-

als through our website (with the hope

that we’d get some paid work). Those

were hard times, but we refused to give

up because Ojovolador was exactly what we

wanted to do for the paragliding world and

for our means of support. “It still is”, explains

Claudia. Both Daniel, a creative graphic de-

signer, and Claudia, a journalist and English/

Spanish translator, were determined to

survive in the flying world. Patience paid

off. Soon they were asked for design and

communication work by manufacturers and

companies related to paragliding, and event

organizers invited them to cover topics and

events on Ojovolador.com.

Later, they decided to introduce public-

ity advertisements, which helped support

the work and expenses involved in posting

the site. Nearly five years after that over-

ture, over 20 advertisers sponsor activities

on this site and some collaborators help

with contents and information at Ojovolador.

com. The site is defined as a “true indepen-

dent online magazine devoted to paraglid-

ing and paramotoring.”

Claudia and Daniel now live on the

Gredos range in central Spain; their house,

which faces the take-off slope, is only a

ten minute drive from the paramotor field.

Theflyingeye has also opened an online

shop where pilots can buy original T-shirts

and other paraphernalia produced by main

paragliding brands. This affords Claudia

and Daniel another way to support the

communication work that Ojovolador.com

demands.

“There is more competition now; many

websites are trying to attract pilots and few

new sponsors are willing to help us pay for

the cost of keeping our site updated. But

we are confident that we’re doing a good

job. And, unlike many sites, our work is

professional: we have degrees in journalism,

communication and graphic design as well

as many years of work in these fields related

to paragliding. We also have more than 10

years of experience as pilots, with good re-

sults in international paragliding and para-

motoring competitions,” says Daniel.

Over the next few months, Ojovolador

plans to completely revamp the site in order

to make it more dynamic and easier to navi-

gate. A new section will be dedicated to

paramotoring news, and other surprises will

be in store for readers both old and new.

Visit them on www.ojovolador.com or www.

theflyingeye.com.

GALLERY MATT COMBS


Scott Harris and Matt Combs of Jackson Hole Paragliding went to Iquique, Chile, in

January of 2008 with P-3 pilot Mike Crothers. The purpose of the trip was to film and shoot pictures as part of an advertising promotion for Evolve Capital, which is owned by Mike.

They report that the flying was consistently good, even though they arrived late in the season. Each morning they made the short drive to the Alto Hospicio launch, which was 2,000 feet above the landing zones on the beach. After a flight or two, they had lunch and took a swim before heading out to the eve-ning site of Palo Buque. This site is a 150-foot dune where they were able to kite and bench up to the 2,000 ft ridge behind. Scott described the beauty of the area: “The setting sun on the red desert sand contrasted with the blue sky and ocean, creat-ing an amazingly spectacular sight.”

The food was excellent, the local people friendly, and the local pilots were fun and helpful. Sascha and Cristian, from Iqairus Paragliding, showed them Pisaqua, and La Oasis–two flying sites north and east of Iquique. Those were some of their favorite days of the trip. They met Gabor of Just Acro, who was there to practice; he threw down the Infinity Tumble, the first time they had seen this maneuver in person.

The trip was a success. They shot thousands of pictures and many hours of video; they flew every day and met an incredible number of amazing people.

If you can, plan a flying trip to Chile; you will not be disappointed!


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

SANCTIONED COMPETITION

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

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

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

PG JUly 6-12 ▲ Woodrat Mt., Ruch, Oregon. Paragliding Rat Race. Regis-tration opens February 15, $395 before April 15, $450 after. Introduction to competition with education and training in GPS use and competition strate-gies, mentoring program, evening classroom discussions, much more. Ad-ditional information: mphsports.com.

PG JUly 28-AUgUSt 2 ▲ Chelan, Washington. Chelan Paragliding XC Open. Registration opens March 15, $285 by June 26, $325 after. More infor-mation: chelanXCopen.com.

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

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

PG SePtember 14-20 ▲ Bishop, California. Owens Valley US Paraglid-ing Nationals. Registration opens April 1. Contact: Kevin and Kristen Biernaki. More information: www.2008USParaglidingNationals.com.

COMPETITION

PG mAy 17-18, JUne 21-22, JUly 19-20, AUgUSt 9-10, SePtem-ber 6-7, october 4-6 ▲ Dunlap, Potato Hill and Owens Valley, Califor-nia. 2008 Northern California XC League. $10/task for pre-registered pilots. Prizes awarded on Saturday nights. For more information email Jug at [email protected], or go to www.santacruzparagliding.com.

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

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

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

HG PG JUly 27- AUgUSt 2 ▲ Boone, North Carolina. 3rd Annual Tater Hill Open. XC and Race for paragliders and low performance hang gliders w/ concentration on new XC pilots. Registration opens April 1, $275 until August 1. Per day rate for weekend only. More info: www.flytaterhill.com or contact Bubba Goodman at 828-773-9433.

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

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

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

FLY-INS

HG mAy 2-4 ▲ Glassy Mountain near Greer, South Carolina. South Caro-lina Springtime Fly-In! Come and enjoy flying and competing in spot landing, duration, X-C, and balloon toss events at this beautiful south-facing moun-tain. Plaques awarded to all 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in all competi-tions (except balloon toss). $20 entry fee for competition flying, and $10 for fun flying. Fly-In T-shirts available. Contact: Paul Peeples, (828) 553-3777, or [email protected]. Paragliders cannot be flown at this site due to tree restrictions at launch.

HG PG mAy 24-26 ▲ Ruch, Oregon. StarThistle 2008 Fun Fly-In. Woodrat Mountain, big thermals and great flying! More information: www.rvhpa.net.

CALENDAR


HG PG mAy 24-26 ▲ Alamogordo, New Mexico. 28th Annual Memorial Day Fly-In. The Rio Grande Soaring Assn would like to invite you to a tradi-tional fun fly-in at Dry Canyon. Great flying this time of year with events such as spot landing, race to goal, duration, bomb drop and x-c for the serious pi-lot. Sunday evening will be an awards and banquet dinner. Entry fee is $35 and covers everything, including a t-shirt, but not a ride up the hill. Contact George Woodcock (575-585-4614) or any contact on the RGSA website at www.flywithrgsa.org.

HG PG May 24-26 • King Mt., near Moore, Idaho. 2008 Spring Fling at King. Welcome the mountain XC season with this fun-filled event. Open XC with 1st place cash prizes for hang gliding and paragliding. All-you-can-eat outdoor buffet, with dessert. More information from www.kingmountainglid-ers.com or (208) 0390-0205.

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

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

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

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

CLINICS, MEETINGS, TOURS

mAy 1-22 ▲ Jackson, Wyoming. Maneuvers training courses. Come tow at the beautiful Palisades Reservoir with the Jackson Hole Paragliding Team. Contact Scott Harris, (307) 690-8726, www.jhparagliding.com.

mAy 3-4 ▲ Santa Barbara, California. Competition Flying Clinic with US Champion Dean Stratton and Eagle Paragliding. Review strategy and tactics for competition flying, and participate in task meetings before we fly the task together. More information: www.paragliding.com.

mAy 9-11 ▲ and May 16-18; Central Utah. Over the water maneuvers courses with Chris Santacroce. Contact: [email protected], (801) 706-6076.

mAy 9-19 ▲ European Alps. The first annual Nova XC Flying Camp orga-nized by Nova team pilot Kay Tauscher and Peak-to-Peak Paragliding. Join Kay and some of her fellow Nova team pilots to learn XC flying skills or be-come a better cross-country pilot in places with amazingly consistent XC conditions. For P-2 through P-4 pilots. Space is limited and the trip is already filling quickly. More information: www.peaktopeakparagliding.com, email [email protected], phone (303) 817-0803.

mAy 15-18 ▲ Tow XC Clinic. This is the easiest way to get high and go far. With our payout winch expect to get 3000’ high and just start turning in lift. Parasoft has offered these clinics since 1999 and seen pilots rated P-2 and higher fly many miles XC. See details at http://www.parasoftparagliding.com/lessons/xc _ clinic.php.

mAy 15-25 ▲ France, Switzerland, Italy. Experience the Alps where it all began! Join Luis Rosenkjer and Todd Weigand to fly world-famous sites ev-ery day: St. Hilaire, Annecy, Chamonix, Mieussy, Verbier, La Madeleine, Les Saissis and more. Luis has been guiding international pilots to France for the last six years – last year one group was able to fly from the Aiguille du Midi on Mont Blanc, launching at 12,000 feet and landing in Chamonix, 9000 feet be-low! More information: www.atlantaparagliding.com, [email protected], or Todd at [email protected], www.paraglidefrance.blogspot.com.

mAy 24-25 ▲ Salt Lake City, Utah. Point of the Mountain Demo Days. Demo gliders, demonstrations, and informative sessions. Contact: [email protected], (801) 706-6076.

mAy 24-26 ▲ Owens Valley, California. Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding joins American free flying icon Kari Castle for a three-day clinic. Clinic in-cludes site introductions, and thermal and cross-country flying with Kari in her own backyard. More information: www.paragliding.com.

mAy 28-JUne 2 ▲ California. Over the water maneuvers clinics in south-ern California with Eagle Paragliding. Top all around acro and competition pi-lot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. More information: www.paragliding.com.

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

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

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


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

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

JUne 27-JUly2 ▲ California. Over the water maneuvers clinics in south-ern California with Eagle Paragliding. Top all around acro and competition pi-lot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state of the art towing set up. More information: www.paragliding.com.

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

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

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

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

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

SePtember 23-28 ▲ Santa Barbara, California. Instructor Certification Clinic with Rob Sporrer of Eagle Paragliding. This three day clinic is open to basic and advanced Paragliding instructor candidates, and those needing re-certification. More information: www.paragliding.com.

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

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

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

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

CALENDAR


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

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

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

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

FLEX WINGS

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

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

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

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

PARACHUTES

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

BUSINESS & EMPLOYMENT

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

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

HARNESSES

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

PARAGLIDERS

EDEL QUANTUM paraglider wing and pack. Used only 50 hrs. Large. Excellent condition. Contact: [email protected], (757) 229-2209.

SCHOOLS & DEALERS

ALABAMA

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

ARIZONA

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

CALIFORNIA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

COLORADO

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

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


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

FLORIDA

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

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

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

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

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

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

GEORGIA

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

HAWAII

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

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

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

INDIANA

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

MAINE

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

MARYLAND

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

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

MICHIGAN

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

TRAVERSE CITY HANG GLIDERS/PARAGLIDERS Put your knees in our breeze and soar our 450’ sand dunes. Full-time shop. Certified instruction, begin-ner 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.mosqui-toamerica.com.

NEW YORK

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

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

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

OHIO

CLOUD 9 SPORT AVIATION - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

PUERTO RICO

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

TENNESSEE

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


TEXAS

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

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

UTAH

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

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

VIRGINIA

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

WASHINGTON

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

WISCONSIN

FREEFLIGHT AVIATIONS – The Midwest’s largest hang gliding school. Using both aertow tandem and on-site training hill, 7 days a week, April through November. For the traveling hang glider pilot, rental equipment is available. (920)-728-2231, [email protected], FreeflightAviations.com.

WYOMING

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

INTERNATIONAL

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

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

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PUBLICATIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

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

REAL ESTATE

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

MISCELLANEOUS

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

STOLEN WINGS AND THINGS

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

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

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CLASSIFIEDS

RTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE RATING OFFICIAL

H-1 2 Mick Tenzing Milpitas CA Patrick DenevanH-1 2 Nile Brewer Stateline NV Patrick DenevanH-1 2 Justin Pettit San Leandro CA Patrick DenevanH-1 10 Nicholas Maganini Clenson SC Gordon CayceH-1 10 Charles Hannon Canton GA Gordon CayceH-1 10 Roy Lenzo Franklin NC Gordon CayceH-1 10 Terry Weatherstone Knoxville TN Gordon CayceH-2 1 Kevin Vanlandingham Scio OR Alexander HarwoodH-2 2 Jim Jennings Moss Beach CA Michael JeffersonH-2 2 Afshin Sarbaz Concord CA Patrick DenevanH-2 2 Damien Dykman San Francisco CA Michael JeffersonH-2 2 Mike Quinn San Francisco CA Michael JeffersonH-2 3 Mike Ivey Northridge CA Lynden VazquezH-2 3 Nathan Goshgarian Redondo Beach CA Joe GrebloH-2 8 Douglas Hirsch Pelham NH Jeffrey NicolayH-2 8 John Minkle Malden MA Jeffrey NicolayH-2 9 David Graney Hilliard OH John AldenH-2 10 Nicholas Maganini Clenson SC Gordon CayceH-2 10 Charles Hannon Canton GA Gordon CayceH-2 10 Roy Lenzo Franklin NC Gordon CayceH-2 10 Terry Weatherstone Knoxville TN Gordon CayceH-2 10 Todd Morrison Daphne AL Jon ThompsonH-2 11 Richard Obousy Waco TX Gordon CayceH-3 8 Edward Germain Haverhill MA Jeffrey NicolayH-3 10 Pablo Indacochea Decatur GA Erik Graper

HANG GLIDING | JAN 08

PARAGLIDING | JAN 08RTNG REGN NAME CITY STATE

P-1 1 Casey Peifer Portland OR Maren LudwigP-1 1 John Howell Salem OR Brad HillP-1 1 Tyler Armstrong Portland OR Maren LudwigP-1 1 Eric Palmer Portland OR Brad HillP-1 3 Sam Blankenship Oceanview HI Kirkeby DeffebachP-1 3 Alexander Adams Santa Barbara CA Chad BastianP-1 4 Matt Hayes Avondale AZ Chandler PapasP-1 4 Shaun Scott Albuquerque NM T Lee KortschP-1 7 Jeff Lueck Fargo ND Paul LundquistP-1 7 Bill Stoll Green Bay WI Chad BastianP-1 9 Ryan Turner Charlottesville VA Chad BastianP-1 10 Robert Eunice Athens GA Luis RosenkjerP-1 10 Emilio Cobo Mableton GA Luis RosenkjerP-1 10 Jason Barrett Madison GA Luis RosenkjerP-1 11 Daniel Stueber The Colony TX David BroylesP-1 13 Juan Salvador Aruizu Perez Guanajuato Robert ChevalierP-1 13 Schneider Markus Cologne David BinderP-1 13 Leo Davies Greenwich Nsw David BinderP-1 13 Sarah Davies Greenwich, Nsw David BinderP-2 1 Casey Peifer Portland OR Maren LudwigP-2 1 Jason Turnbull Anchorage AK Phil SmithP-2 1 Ralph Ezagui West Linn OR Maren LudwigP-2 1 John Howell Salem OR Brad HillP-2 1 Tyler Armstrong Portland OR Maren LudwigP-2 1 Eric Palmer Portland OR Brad HillP-2 3 Jose Luis Salgado Loza San Ysidro CA Alejandro OlazabalP-2 3 Alexander Adams Santa Barbara CA Chad BastianP-2 4 Stephen Donnelly Tempe AZ Carlos MadureiraP-2 4 Jeremy Puhal Scottsdale AZ Carlos MadureiraP-2 4 Marc Maddux Sedona AZ Carlos MadureiraP-2 4 Joanne Stefan Albuquerque NM Nick CraneP-2 4 Shaun Scott Albuquerque NM T Lee KortschP-2 4 Russ Bateman S Jordon UT Bill HeanerP-2 7 Jeff Lueck Fargo ND Paul LundquistP-2 7 Bill Stoll Green Bay WI Chad BastianP-2 8 Daedra Unsicker Dummerston VT Jeffrey NicolayP-2 9 Ryan Turner Charlottesville VA Chad BastianP-2 11 Daniel Stueber The Colony TX David BroylesP-2 11 Richard Miller Ii Dallas TX Bill HeanerP-2 11 Lee Hardesty White Wright TX David BroylesP-2 13 Iain Clarke Mugla Murat TuzerP-2 13 Maximilian Helgert Marzling Murat TuzerP-2 13 Juan Salvador Aruizu Perez Guanajuato Robert ChevalierP-2 13 Schneider Markus Cologne David BinderP-3 1 Jim Whitney Issaquah WA Lawrence WallmanP-3 2 Ann Hansen Grenada CA Kevin LeeP-3 2 Jay Gordon Lincoln CA Mike FifieldP-3 2 Chris Considine Fair Oaks CA Mike FifieldP-3 3 Alan Crouse Cherry Valley CA Rob MckenzieP-3 3 Mark Crispino San Diego CA Gabriel JebbP-3 4 Charles Woods Albuquerque NM David BrownP-3 4 Steve Hanson Windsor CO Granger BanksP-3 4 Lawrence West Albuquerque NM J C BrownP-3 4 Glenn Norman Albuquerque NM J C BrownP-3 4 Liane Tomlinson Sun City AZ Chris SantacroceP-3 7 Jeryl Riebling Peoria IL Nickel PalanzaP-3 9 Dominic Vitantonio Twinsburg OH Chris BowlesP-3 10 Ricardo Fiallo Miami FL Pedro TiradoP-3 11 Micheal Canfield Caddo Mills TX David BroylesP-3 12 Douglas Stoner Spencer NY Paul VoightP-3 12 Barry Nealis Medford NJ Granger BanksP-4 10 James Rooney Pensacola FL Marc FinkP-4 10 Benjamin Egli Miami FL Pedro Tirado

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

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

GEAR STOLEN FROM MEXICAN PILOT IN MEXICO - NIVIUK HOOK XXS (45-65Kg) wing, in orange and white, s/n C20664, and an Ava Sport XS harnes, in blue and black. The reserve is a Firebird R5 S; I don’t have the se-rial number of these last two. If this equipment is found, contact me [email protected] or her directly: Vinda Levy, [email protected] +52(312)3097665

76

Don’t Miss out.bE surE to rEnEW.

no longEr FlYing?become a

Contributing Member.Participate in elections!

receive the monthly magazine!

Application at

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

if your ushPA membership expires

on 5/31 we must receive your renew-

al bY May 15th or you will miss the

June magazine. if your ushPA mem-

bership expires on 6/30 we must re-

ceive your renewal bY June 15th or

you will miss the July magazine.

interested in joining ushPA?

Download an application at

www.ushpa.aero/forms

or call 1-800-616-6888

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i’m Matt gerdes, and I quit flying acro this weekend. not because i was scared or bored. i

quit because acro is no longer acro as it was when i flew acro, just last week. ok, i still find myself in the occasional loop, or sat, or wobblecopter, but that no longer counts as acro. sorry. The bar has been raised too high.

this weekend, i watched Antoine Montant link 122 infinite tumbles. it was pretty damn cool to see. First, he hopped out of a helicopter over a crowd at the largest paragliding event in the world, the Coupe icare. st.hilare, France. then, he wound into a steep spiral and simply reversed his weight-shift, added some right brake, and held on. What happened next is this: he used a lifetime of paragliding experi-ence to finesse weight-shift and precisely timed brake input to tumble directly over the middle of his wing 122 times. And he could have kept going! You can’t even begin to comprehend how hard this is, even if you think you can.

there are now almost twenty pilots in the world who can make at least ten or more turns of “the infinite.” these guys come from places like hungary, France, and spain. they have names like Pal, Antoine, and, of course, raul and Felix. they smoke cigarettes, they sleep in vans, they can out-drink you when they want to and they can go without beer when they have to. They’re disciplined like that. they are the best at what they do, and they love what they do. they train full time. they have no other job besides paragliding. they throw their reserve parachutes at least a few times per year.

How many times did you throw your reserve this year? three times, four times? no? then you’re not even close. Pilots who had this maneuver perfected before you even knew it existed have thrown their reserves more times in the past year-training-than you have in your entire life. that’s a measure of both how good they are, and how hard this maneuver is.

Do you smoke? Drink beer from a can and live in your van for half the year? no? then you’re even further away than i thought. statistics show that you are 96 times more likely to infinite tumble if you spend at least three months per year training in organya, spain, and six months per year on the road doing the Acro World tour in the European Alps and south America. You haven’t even heard of organya? then it’s hopeless. i’m sorry. You might as well quit trying right now. ( And don’t think that starting smoking is going to help, either. i was just kidding about that.)

how many wings did you burn through this year? one? none? it’s just a fact that real acro pilots need up to four wings per year, due to the stress this maneuver exerts on their wings. in fact, Antoine Montant used his wing harder yes-terday than you do in five years. unless you can actually fly hard, in which case i probably know you, in which case i don’t apologize for this article because you know my sense of humor. here’s the kicker - even if you begin to understand it, you’re probably gonna need two more new gliders by the time you get close to doing it for real. i hope you’re spon-sored, although i can’t imagine why you would be.

think you’re getting close? get into the middle of the hardest maneu-ver you can do, maybe a pretty vertical high-speed tumble, then tape one of your eyes shut. now what? lost, confused? Pretty hard, isn’t it? Well, Felix can infinite tumble with one eye. that’s how much better than you he is. And don’t give me that crap about how he’s had most of his life to adjust. I don’t want to hear your excuses.

have you ever fallen into your wing? then you’re not trying hard enough. no one has ever learned the infinite tumble without falling into at least a part of his glider. Want to keep trying? go ahead.

so you can’t do the infinite tumble. Don’t let it get you down, espe-cially if you’re over thirty. Are you? then forget it, again. Every one of these guys was nailing consecutive high-g tumbles and perfect off-axis Mc twists in their mid-twenties, if not their teens.

if you’re still wondering why you can’t, or thinking that maybe you can, let me tell you what else is wrong with you. Your first problem is that you haven’t flown with these people. these men are driven by something. they’re mad. You don’t know what it takes to do what they do. i’d rather jump off of a three thousand foot cliff in the arctic wearing a squirrel-suit, and i did, and they weren’t that impressed: that’s how intense these guys are. they’re mellow, most of the time, sure. raul and Antoine have an almost zen-like calm about them. And Felix is just such a nice guy, right? You have no idea. i’d tell you more about them if i thought i could get away with it. i have to live near these guys.

Your second problem is that you have a job. A stupid, lousy job that takes up all of your time. You have to quit that crap, and start loving paragliding more than anything else. You have to devote one hundred percent of your time (or at least 96%, since there’s one other important thing in life), to train-ing acro. You’ll also need to learn a bit of spanish and French to fit in.

Finally, you’re just not that good. by now, if you’re any good at all, you’ll have known about the infinite for at least two years, which has been long enough for every pilot who is capable of doing it to learn it. the moment i heard about it i knew i’d never bother to try. the new guys getting it are young. they’re the guys that just started flying a few years ago. they’re the guys that didn’t even have hair on their nuts when you started flying. seriously, some of them weren’t even born then.

not to worry: you can still have fun. You can still loop and sAt and do those old-fashioned easy-cheesy tumbles. but just so you know: there are hardcore leading acro pilots and then there’s pond scum, and it’s important to know yourself. Don’t get confused, and don’t misrepresent yourself, because now everyone knows the difference. i’m glad these boys showed us what the difference is.

P.s. i’m joking, simmer down.

MAttGERDES is a former amateur acro enthusiast who has flown in more than 20 countries around the world, and lived in the European Alps for most of the past eight years. He loves speed flying, all forms of paragliding, BASE jumping alpine walls, skiing M to XXL sized mountains, candlelit dinners, walks on the beach, and (especially) puppies. Matt loves you, say hello at www.matttg.com.

This is not me.


By Steve Messman

I sat on the mountaintop, just study-ing. I often sat for an hour or more. I mostly watched the weather. Today,

the winds came directly from the coast, warm and wet. That moist air caused the clouds to explode like giant popcorn ker-nels. I watched seeds too, the soft fluff of fireweed to be specific. Passing thermal disturbances jiggled them loose by the thousands from their mother plants. The passing flocks of minuscule fairies danced on invisible currents toward the mountain’s face; then, cloud destined, they soared straight up. The clouds, the seeds, and the predicted lapse rate promised thrills and chills that would be measured in thou-sands of feet. The valley floor sat nearly 3000 feet below, ex-pectant, waiting. The clouds, a good 2000 feet above launch, showed excellent prospects for a decent cross country flight. The valley floor might just have to wait. I wished aloud for another pilot to share this beautiful day, but none were here. None were ever here. This was, for whatever reason, my private mountain.

I have tried to share this mountain, and I continue to try. It is out of the way, tucked into a small rural forested area next to pretty much nothing. To get to the mountain you have to drive through a couple of small towns with barely a gas station. There’s not a restaurant within 30 miles, unless you count the one gas station that also fries chicken gizzards and jos. The site has no nice landing areas. The launch is barely large enough to unfold your wing. But I love it, and I fly this mountain as often as I can. I opened it. I got permis-sion to fly there from the timber company. That permission applies to any certified pilot, H3 or P3. No one ever comes with me. This particular day, as I unfolded my wing, ready to take a private flight with whatever hawk or eagle would join me, it dawned on me that there were a number of these private sites. I had heard many a pilot talking about them. “So,” I thought,

“What an article that would be; a discovery of private flying sites.”

And off I went in pursuit of my passions: first, an 8-mile cross country flight, second, research with my friends to try to locate a few more of these sites that no one but the very special knew anything about.

My initial shot was the email thing. “Hi all. I have a really cool idea. I would love to write an article on all the good work we do in opening up those little-known places that we all value so much. You know, those small places like Sam and George fly all the time. Sam has that cool place where he literally flies out of some guy’s back yard. George has that huge mountain that’s a

hike and fly, but he holds it pretty secret. You know the one I’m talking about. It’s the one where he launches early and flies down to the lake. A few of us know about a couple of those places. How about help-ing me out and giving up some informa-tion? I need an invite to fly and take some pictures.”

Initially, the responses from my crew were surprisingly supportive. A couple of them sent a return email that went a lot like “Hey. Cool idea, Steve. Go for it.” That was it. No invite. No directions. No names. Just support. So, where was the information I needed? Where were the invites to fly? Where were those driving di-rections? Those remained as mysterious as the flying sites. And the later responses to that email? There were none.

So, then I spoke directly to my friends.

“Hey Sam. You know that place you fly that’s right in some dude’s back yard? I would love to fly that site with you one day, man. I want to write an article about it.”

“Hey! OK Steve. I think that idea is just the bomb. Lots of people know about a few of those little sites. I’ll give you a call to come on over. You’ll love it. It’s so cool.” That was July. This is December. No call. No surprise.

Toward the end of August, though, I re-alized that flying Sam’s site wasn’t going to happen. So I thought I would try a more direct route with another friend. “Hey George. I’m ready to go fly that site you talk about all the time. How about this weekend? I’ve already checked the weather. It looks good.” George was more than ac-commodating. “Hey. Anytime. I’m up for it. Meet me at the normal gas station

at 7:00 Saturday morning. It’s early, but it’s a long hike.” At 6:45 Saturday morning I pulled into the gas station. At 8:00, I drove out, without George. That night I got the email. It contained the most beautiful picture of George’s mountain I had ever seen. And, there was George, flying his Oasis in the foreground. The email said “Hey, man. I waited at the Texaco until 7:30. Where were you?” So, I responded. “TEXACO??? I waited until 8:00 at the Shell.

Thanks a lot!!”And that is exactly how all my research

went for this article. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. It would appear, also, that the names and locations of those very personal flying sites have been adequately protected. I tried. I really did. But, all is not lost. I’ll tell you how to get to my private flying site. Just drive down that big road that is on the right side of Puget Sound when you look at the map. When you come to the little town with that no-name gas station, turn right past the Texaco. Go a bunch of miles through the woods until you come to another town that has both a post office and a gas station. Turn right at the gas station until you get to the gated timber territory. Wait at the gate. I’ll be there to open it for you in a few. You’ll love this site.

PrivateFlyingPLACESThoughts | Dreams | Impressions

photo by nick greece

hang gliding & paragliding vol38/iss05 may 2008

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