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In the AirSS uu mm mm ee rr ��

3 President’s Message

3 Editor’s Message

4 Administrator

6 AirBuzz

13 AirTech

14 AirEvents

16 AirSafety

38 HPAC Membership

40 AirTrafficAeroTour 99by Dean & Margaret Lutz

Hang Gliding in RussiaBy Igor Khorine

Call for Candidatesby Andre Nadeau

Complacencyby Peter.Toronto@?

Guide to Freestyleby Scott Heiple

5

9

15

18

19

Shadow of the Mayaby Andre Nadeau

Lessons LearnedBy Guy LeBlanc

Transition Reportby Andre Nadeau

One True Religionby Russ Brown

Instructors CourseBy Terry Thordarson

20

23

24

27

29

Air Feature’s

Department’s

Cover: Gerry Grossnegger launches into Dreamland.Above: Club Cup at Coopers Launch.

Air is printed four times

yearly and is a publication

of the Hang Gliding and

Paragliding Association Of

Canada / Association

Canadienne de Vol Libre.

Designed and produced

using an Apple G4, Imac

and G3 Laptop Powerbook.

Graphic Design, Editorial,

Pre Press and Production

by Tony P. McGowan.

All views expressed in this

publication are not

necessarily those

of HPAC / ACVL,

it’s directors or editor.

Printed by

Winnipeg Web Press.

AIR

�� Summer �� www�hpac�ca

Lumby Cup at Coopers

SOGA Wills Wing Visit

Gino, Kevin, Mike & daughter Sarah, Glenn, Rob Kells w/SOGA Sweat shirt, Ken (lower), John Da Birdman, Gary

www�hpac�ca Summer ��

Behind the scenes it has been a busy time working on the creation of the new HPAC. Andre Nadeau has more details elsewhere.The essence of it is that a small core group has been hard at it. The schools/instructor insurance issue came out that our proposed

shift from a school to instructor fee setup was not correct, so we have reverted to the old arrangements for the time being. More onthis elsewhere too.

It is once again flying season, and in some areas in the west, the minimal winter lead to some good early flights. For myself, it wasa great pleasure to get up over the mountains again last weekend, and remember what this is all about - flying. It is with enormousregret to report for those of you who may not already know, that we have already had one horrible fatality this year. Igor Khorine,a HG pilot recently settled in BC from Russia, died suddenly when apparently his HG hit, or came close to a high voltage power lineduring the Easter meet at Savonna. If you go to the West Coast Soaring Club web site at http://www.westcoastsoaringclub.com/and browse the forum you will find some more information, as well as a story of his HG activities in Russia, at http://westcoast-soaringclub.com/Newlsetter/July99/russia.htm. Again, there will be more details from the completed accident report.

For here, my heart goes out to his wife Galina, and their two daughters, Olga and Alexandra. These people are only recently set-tled in this country. At this time, they need some help. A trust account has been setup for the family, and donations may be made atany TD bank. Here are the details: Bank Name: TD Bank Financial Group Bank address: 4630 Kingsway, Burnaby, B.C. V5H 4L9Branch # 94630 Bank # 004 Account # 0926-6207419 Name: MRS GALINA BORISSOVNA KHORINA IN TRUST FOR IGORIVANOVICH KHORINE Many thanks to those who have already contributed to this fund. Your help is greatly appreciated. We areelecting not to publish their address, but if you can find it in yourself to send a card, if you contact myself or Lars Taylor, Presidentof the WCSC at 604-222-7894 or [email protected], we can provide it for you.

It is summer, it is time to go flying. Go out there and fly all you can. Practice your skills, take your lessons, set yourself some realis-tic goals if you wish, discuss your flights with your fellow pilots, and listen to the advice from those with more experience than your-self. Yet above all else, do not let anything push you too far. Above all else we want you here next year and all the years ahead.Fly often, fly high, fly fast, fly far - just please fly safe.

Peter Bowle-Evans President HPAC/ACVL Golden, 13 May 2001

From the President...please fly safe

Well it looks like the flying season in Manitoba is officially in full swing. I kicked off the year with some XC on the trike...I’m still wait-ing for my brand new Wills Wing harness to arrive, so no hang gliding as of yet. Our local club has organized a full summer of fly-ing avtivities catered to everyone’s abilities and so far mother nature is cooperating...my time will come.

It is with great sadness to read of the recent tragedies suffered by our BC flying friends. No one expects this to happen in their com-munity but when it does words are at a loss to describe what you may be feeling. Our sympathy and thoughts go out to those fam-ilies and friends affected from us all in Manitoba.

I am still in the process of refining the design of Air and I hope that you are all happy with the results so far. One of the things I amplanning for next issue is an increase in the size of the page, meaning a larger format. This will allow me more room to create moregraphically interesting pages and a little larger text for you to read, so some of you old guys can put your magnifying glass away.I am also staying with a glossy cover since I got a lot of positive feedback on the look. I welcome any suggestions you may have.Keep in mind the deadline for the Fall issue of Air has been changed to August 31. This will allow time for some of us to write ofour Summer adventures and personal exploits. I also have a new email address for submissions, it is now [email protected], please updateyour files.

Have a good summer everyone and remember to do it safe.

Tony McGowanAir Editor

From the Editor...have a good summer


The Administrator...Who the heck am I?

Ihave been told I have been keeping a low profile. To bring attention to who I am and whatI as the Administrator can do for you I submit the following:

I am a Hang Glider pilot and have tried Paragliding, even owned one for a while. I firsttook up the sport in 1972, when a friend who owned a standard asked if I wanted to tryit out. With no instruction, like a fool I strapped the seatbelt on the swing seat, no harnessfor this high tech glider. I stood on the hill and a little breeze came up and I plunged off. Izoomed down the hill gathering speed; totally terrified I did not push out but ran parallelto the hill. A large rock loomed ahead and to save my butt that is attached to my break-able spine, I put my foot out. I impacted and when the dust settled saw that my one footwas facing the wrong way. They yelled down, " are you all right?" I said " NO", andpassed out. So much for my first lesson.

My second flight was about was early the next spring, when there was still snow on theground. My friend with the glider phoned me and told me about his new much safer wayof being like a bird. The new way involved the same glider only now I am on skis attachedto a 300-foot rope. The rope was attached to a Ski-Doo, with no means of release. I real-ize now this was a setup for a disaster. I was all set, seatbelt on, no helmet even, ropeattached to Ski-Doo, and this looked easy, just like water skiing. He took off and I wentabout 20 feet and plowed into the snow. A little lesson was learned, keep the nose up. Thenext try with nose up I lurched up and just about passed the Ski-Doo which now was waybelow me, but I was flying. Totally ignorant about a little thing called lockout that can killyou.

I did take lessons in 1990 and have had much more success in my flying except for myrecent California flying trip. I broke my arm landing at Lake Elsinore.

Information that will help you get in touch with me:

Gerry LaMarsh#13 - 13670 84 Ave.

Surrey BC. V3W 0T6Phone / Fax # 604-507-2565 (When faxing phone first and you will be cued to start fax.)

Administrator’s Web Page http://www.hpac.ca/administration/index.htmlAdministrator’s e-mail: [email protected] Ignore the [email protected] that you will get if I e-mail you.

Some things you as members and Instructors can do to help me be more efficient:•Instructors check to see on a rating submission that the person for whom the submissionis has; HPAC/ACVL membership, rating is sequential (Novice – Intermediate – Advanced)and print clearly.•Instructors if you need forms and have Internet access check my webhttp://www.hpac.ca/administration/index.html and if you have any problems e-mail meand I will send you hard copies.•Instructors check the web page list of Instructors occasionally to see if you are on there,your membership may have expired. Check the province membership list and see if yourname is on there.•Instructors and Members, please only fax me forms including membership renewal formsunless it is super urgent. I can not take money by Credit Card and I do like to stick to themoney coming in at the same time as the form. I try to have a maximum 3-day turnaroundof form coming in and reply.•Members Print Clearly and if possible include your membership number.

I am here to be of assistance to all members and future members and if you see some areathere needs change by all means contact me at [email protected]

Gerry LaMarsh


Our first park visit was at the Bong Airport in Superior, Wisconsin.We arrived just past 6:00 on Friday evening. The first person we

encountered was Bill Amorde, the airport manager, and he couldn'thave been nicer. When I told him we were glider pilots from Manitobaand asked about campgrounds nearby, he suggested we stay at theairport, showing us several comfy spots with electricity where wecould set up our camper. He also gave us the combination to the hang-er lobby doors for afterhours access to the restrooms and a TV.

We made a call to Doug Johnson and were invited to join him for breakfast at the UpperDeck, (nifty airport restaurant) at 8:30 Saturday morning. Doug and Craig Austin are thetwo certified instructors with the Superior Dragonflyers. At breakfast we were joined byDan (aka Flare), a pilot deep with experience and generous with lore but otherwise tooeccentric to describe in a short article. After breakfast we met the club's tug pilot, 'Engine'at the hanger. Although he lives over an hour north of Duluth , he is by all accounts, asdependable as the sunrise.

The morning was sunny and winds were light and very shortly we were ready to go.Margaret took a tandem with Doug to 3000' and had first look at the country. She seemedpleased with her flying and thought Doug was a very good as well as 'nice' instructor. That'nice' business seems quite important to women. As I hadn't aerotowed since last July inGeorgia at Lookout, I opted for a pattern check tandem with Doug to 1200' which wentsmoothly. During the remainder of the day I made two more solo flights with tows to 2500'.These flights were the first aerotows on my Spectrum and immediately after takeoff I dis-covered the towpoint where the bridle connects to the keel was too far back requiringexhausting back pressure to maintain position behind the tug. An adjustment on landingreduced the problem but the second flight proved more forward was needed. Both werequite satisfying and totalled about 50 minutes. The middle of the day was somewhat rowdyand we were content to watch some of the regulars. Bruce had come in from Winsted, andBill (who bought Barry's Klassic) was over from St. Cloud, Minnesota. The Superior air-port has a fair amount of general aviation traffic, as well as sailplane and parachutingactivities. Everyone monitors the radio, announces their intentions and stays vigilant and itseems to work!

Late in the afternoon I took my last flight and Margaret took another tandem after whichboth she and Doug felt she was ready to solo (again). She had soloed at Lookout ( on theirFalcon) last summer but weather had curtailed the switchover to her Pulse. We decided Iwould testfly the towpoint on the Pulse the next day to reduce the chance of unpleasant sur-prises.

After breakdown we were invited to join the rest of the crew at the Palace Bar which isone of those 'you-have-to-be-there-to-understand' places (like the Waverly) that alwaysattracts glider pilots. Beer is 1$ for 20oz. and the burgers are great. The Packers werebeating the Bears and the place was full of Packer fans. Smart says at least pretend toLove Green Bay. A great way to end the day.

We had high hopes for Sunday and were up early. Doug and Engine were onsite at 8:00sharp along with Flare and Tony. Margaret and I set up her Pulse and Flare helped withthe initial bridle setting. Doug took up one training tandem and----we were blown out! Thewind was predicted to increase all day and the club had just started their fall weekends-only schedule so we moved on.

AeroTour

Margaret and I departedHigh Bluff at mid-morningon the 25th of August. A

family wedding near Detroit,Michigan would occupy us

September 2-5 with a sched-uled return to Manitoba onSeptember 16th. We wouldfish, golf, sightsee and visit

friends, family and flightparks in the uncommitted

days between.

99

By Dean and Margaret Lutz

...continued on pg. 39


airbuzzSCHOOL / INSTRUCTOR FEES

Our master insurance policy currentlycosts about $20,000 a year. We havea figure of approx $6,000 being theportion of this attributable to instruc-tion. At present, about 60% of this$6,000 is covered by the annual feespaid by schools to the HPAC. The bal-ance is paid from the HPAC generalrevenue, which we can also describeas being subsidised by the generalmembership.

Now, there are approx 750 HPACmembers (that's right, that's all therewere a little while ago) 65 instructors,13 senior instructors, and about 16schools. I say approx and about, asthese numbers are always changing.The issue then is, how should this por-tion of the insurance policy cost attrib-utable to instruction be covered?

We have already established that hav-ing either the schools or the instructorscover it alone is not quite right. Wehave to take in at least as much as weare currently - in other words, to saythat it should all be covered by thegeneral membership would meanincreasing the individual membershipfees, in order to avoid budgeting adeficit. These fees may have to beincreased anyway, but this wouldentail an increase on its own.

The fairest version is probably somesort of proportional cost sharing. I donot want to put any numbers into yourheads, and you can all punch calcula-tors. Work with the costs quoted hereto a point, but then convert it into pro-portions, because that is what will beused, as the master policy premium,although it has been quite stable, isnever the less subject to change.

Discuss this around over the summer,and give us, the BoD, some feedback.Remember, this is your association.

Peter Bowle-EvansPresident HPAC/ACVL

The 25th Annual Hang Gliding/Paragliding Lakeside event. Sat. Aug 11,2001

$2000.00 CASH plus prizes. Prizes for Best Dressed, Biggest Splash, Aerobatics....etc..

Canada's longest running hang gliding meet and possibly thelongest of its kind in the world.!!

Target H2O landing, BBQ, (ask friends about the party). Very family oriented, lots of side activities, camping available.

Only 60 mi. south of Golden B.C., Mt Swansea has in the past host-ed several World Class meets including the American cup in 86.

Multiple hr. flights and 6000' gains are not hard.

Any inquiries call Dano or Julie at: Moms Uphostery (250)342-0355 or Home: (250) 342-6387

E-mail [email protected] For site overview check out [email protected]

Looking forward to all our old and new friends showing.

A mechanic in Memphis, Tennessee, finished working onthis Saab turboprop airliner and pushed it out of thehangar with a small tractor. He wanted to do it all by him-self... but maybe he should have found someone to sitinside the cockpit and put a foot on the brakes, or maybehe should have put theparking brake on the tractor....

$2000 CASH!

Crash Bang Smash‘em upSmash up derby is fun!


airbuzz

PRESERVING OUR HG HERITAGEI have been an aviation history buff for as long as I can remember. I always geta thrill of viewing heritage aircraft in museums and I never pass up the opportu-nity of visiting an aviation museum upon my travels. However, every time I viewthe exhibits, I am reminded of all the aircraft that could have been on displayhad somebody taken steps to preserve them before they were left to deteriorate,or even worse, intentionally destroyed as so much useless junk. We never seemto learn that what appears to junk today will be historically significant tomorrow.

We are quickly approaching the point where we are going to repeat the samemistakes with hang gliders. Initially based on the Regallo wing, hang gliderdesign has been driven by a few revolutionary improvements that have produceddrastic changes in the evolution of the sport. The gliders that first exhibited theseimprovements are historically significant and every effort should be made to pre-serve them before it is too late.

It is with these thoughts that I approached Mr. Steve Payne, a curator at theCanada Aviation Museum in Ottawa last February. My proposition was to com-pile a list of revolutionary hang gliders with the ultimate intent of locating speci-mens that the Museum would be interested in preserving and displaying as afuture addition to the Museum. Mr. Payne wholeheartedly supported this initia-tive in his written response to me in March 2001. In addition to the gliders them-selves, Mr. Payne has indicated an interest in related trade literature, documen-tation and illustrative material. This effort is timely since the Federal Governmentjust approved $20M for the construction of a new addition to the Museum.

The door has opened. We have a tremendous opportunity to preserve a littleknown segment of aviation history with the full support of the most important avi-ation museum in Canada. There is no better place for old gliders that in an insti-tution dedicated to the preservation of aviation history. In addition, such anexhibit will promote and popularize the sport to thousands of people who visitthe museum each year.

Unfortunately, one person is not enough to make this a reality. In addition, I amcurrently involved in the restructuring of the HPAC/ACVL and am serving as theHPAC representative with Transport Canada. I need as many volunteers as Ican get. Therefore, I am inviting anybody who is interested in contributing sometime towards this worthwhile effort to contact me at [email protected] we can put a team together and develop a plan of action.

As I mentioned in a previous article, the Canada Aviation Museum considershang gliding to be as historically important as any other segment of aviation.Just check their web site at http://www.aviation.nmstc.ca for obvious proof.And check their collection under the letter W for another confirmation of mystatement (thank you Stewart). The Museum needs hang gliding experts to helpthem build their hang gliding collection. In this segment of aviation, you and Iare the experts so the preservation of our hang gliding heritage is firmly in ourhand.

Note that this effort is not sponsored by the HPAC, at least not yet. I am solelyacting as an interested pilot.

Fly safe,Andre Nadeau

Volunteers Needed

Small PG Incident An instructor was out flying with somestudents on the coast demonstratingthe quick recovery of DHV 1-2 glidersto give them confidence in the equip-ment. "I did a couple of 50-60%Assymetrics when I went for a real hardpulled down on the Right hand A risersto make the situation look worst only tofind it would not re-inflate.

I was quickly loosing height along theridge over the surf side of the ridge andwas trying to work out why it was notre-inflating, whilst at the same time try-ing to steer the glider without hittingthe hill or landing in water - as I wasloosing height. I just concentrated ongetting the glider to the ground.

I found that the center A lines had gotwedged under the speed bar pulley, asI did not have the speed bar connected(it was a light day.) The savage pulleddown was towards the carabiners,which wrapped the lines under the pul-ley.

This situation could happen easily instrong thermal conditions so it showedme that I need to be carefull and makesure any possible snags on the harnessare covered while flying. Anyhowexpect the unexpected, but always flythe Aircraft first and panic later."

Fred Wilson

BoD changes in OntarioI have been notified by Phil O'Connor thatsubsequent to their recent AGM, theyhave made changes as follows:

President - Phil O'Connor continuesVP - Mattew Willox remainsRepresentatives to the HPAC BoDPhil O'Connor - retiringKarl Dinzl - retiring

New Representatives to the HPAC BoDRep#1 Ken Kinzie - Ken Kinzie [email protected] 519-524-1689Rep#2 Michael Gates - Michael Gates [email protected] 416-636-1696 Reserve Gino Ciano - [email protected]

Thanks to the retiring reps, and welcometo the new folks.

Peter Bowle-EvansPresident HPAC/ACVL


airbuzzEaster Panorama Meet

The Easter meet once again proved my strange karmic theories on weather forecasts. Assome pilots remember the forecast was calling for crappy weather but as the pilots who

came out remember the weather was anything but crappy, hell most pilots got soooo muchflying they were almost disappointed at the lack of skiing they managed to accomplish.

For those of you who haven’t heard of the Easter meet, it’s a fun "competition" wherepoints are awarded for estimating your own flight time, dropping an Easter egg (shoppingbag full of snow) on a marked target (Easter Basket) and then managing to drop, excuseme land yourself on a separate target. Some pilots decided that it was more efficient to killtwo birds with one stone and land in the area where you where supposed to drop youregg. Hmmm now that I think about it, that seems to be a smart tactic, considering the factthat few pilots managed to get either their eggs in the basket or themselves on target. Inthe end though, points really didn’t matter because everyone who participates gets aprize.

Saturday was the first day of the meet, and all the pilots were treated to excellent flyingconditions. It was almost non-stop flying, with some pilots getting over 4 flights in that day.Mike Waddington and I were last to launch for the day and before takeoff we both esti-mated our flight times to be around 15min. After takeoff we were both treated to a hugebubble of lift that got us 1000+ over the peak of the mountain. Then the two of us had ourown little competition; who could stay up the longest therefore getting the least amount ofpoints possible. I lost after spiralling down due to my hands turning into a pair of ice cubes.I’ll be back next year though, with bigger and better gloves, then we will see who willcome in last place.

We all awoke to a beautiful Sunday morning with perfect cumulus forming over the eastridges. After warming up in some early thermals we headed down for the awards cere-mony at 1:00, were many pilots experience beer induced ground suck. Cyril Bottoron (TheLumberjack) was the winner of the snowblades, and each pilot who entered received anexcellent set of prizes. A big thanks goes out to our sponsors and to Max and his lovelyvolunteers, without them none of this would be possible. After receiving the prizes I wentup to continue with some great flying. After thermaling for over 40 minutes I managed toget up over 10,000 feet at which point I went for glide across the valley. After arriving onthe other side of the valley I saw a sailplane heading to cloudbase around Juniper Heights,and I made a valiant attempt to join him only to end up sinking out. My total distance wasaround 25k, not bad for my first X-C eh?

Once again I’d like to thank Max for organizing the event and for bringing paraglidingto Panorama Village. A big thanks also goes out to the volunteers who helped out with themeet, without their help none of us could have such a great weekend of flying. ThePanorama Easter meet is a great way to enjoy some flying, skiing and is a great way tospend your Easter. Hope to see you next year.

Gregg Hemingway

Easter Panorama Meet Sponsors:1st Prize: 1 Pair of Salomon Snow Blades by Salomon

Panorama - 15 Crystal Beer glasses, 3 t-shirts and 2 baseball hatsFairmont Vacation Villas - 4 Fairmont sweaters

Babin Air - 1 Valley FlightInvermere Soaring Centre - 1 glider flight with Ernst

Riverside Golf Course - 1 Green fee of golfingSOS School of Skiing and Boarding - 2hours of Ski/Boarding instructions

ReMax Invermere - Golf Gloves, 5 cooler bags, wine openerColumbia Valley Trading Post - 1 back pack

Vella Bella (Alpen Meats) - 2 Bratwurst on a BunCappuccino Hut - Cappuccino Hut Sweater

Muller Wind Sports - 2 cut knives and wind-socksHome Hardware - 2 first aid packages

BC ProParagliding

Championships and fun Fly-In

June 29-July 2ndLumby, Coopers Ridge

Fri 29thTraining and pre comp

day Friday evening, reg-istration and GPS setup

Sat 30thComp day Task (keg

party)

Sun 1stComp day Task

Mon 2ndComp day Task andAwards Ceremony

Cost $45.00

GPS scoring only,no photos.

The following GPS will beaccepted:

Garmin: 12 serie, 38, 40,45 serie, II serie, III serie Aircotec: Top Navigator(with year 2000 update)MLR: SP24XC (with free-

flight firmware)

Garmin models like theeTrek, eMap and Summit

should be avoided astheir tracklog recordingparameters cannot be

change (it only works in"auto"mode).

Fun fly-in events, bombdrop, spot landing and

mini-tasks.

Contact:Glenn Derouin

Paraglide CanadaTel/Fax: (250) 503-1962

Email:[email protected]

by Igor Khorine

International

russiaIgor Khorine was tragically killed in a recent hang gliding accident. This article, which he wrote after shortlyarriving in Canada, is dedicated to his memory.

Iemigrated from Russia 15 months ago. I was pleased to find here, in Vancouver, a lot of opportunity to fly. The hang gliding and paraglid-ing life here is quite different from what I used to know in Russia, so I decided to write these notes about hang gliding in Russia.

I have been flying since 1978. For these 20 years I have flown about 80 hours. Not too much, you will say, that's right. There are manyreasons: family life, 2 years of service in the Soviet Army, and one year of building a house, economic hardships, and so on. A few yearsago, I made my first XC. My best flight (48-km) happened to be my last in Russia.

Hang gliding in RussiaRussia is a great aviation country. By the way, one Russian guy made a prototype of airplane 20 years before Wright brothers, but every-thing it could do was one 100-m long 1-m high flight. First parachute was designed by Kotelnikov; first loop was performed by Nesterov.In 1920s and 1030s there was a big boom of making homemade sailplanes, which is similar to 1970s boom of hang gliding. Manyfamous airplane and spaceship designers (Antonov, Yakovlev, Korolev, etc.) started as sailplane makers and pilots. In case somebody does-n't know who was Korolev: he had launched the first satellite and first manned space flight.

Here I have to clarify what is (was) Russia. In 1922 Russian Empire became the Soviet Union, or USSR. This was a multinational state, and15 main nations had republics of their own, which are independent states now, after USSR collapsed in 1991. These states, despite ofsome differences, have a lot in common, sometimes they even don't have a guarded frontier.

The first hang glider appeared in the USSR in 1973, when a geophysicist, Michael Gochberg, brought it from France. For that reason,hang glider in Russian is called by a French word: deltaplan. In mid-70s, there were a lot of hang glider blueprints published in technicalmagazines for youth. Thus, the hang gliding rush was kicked off. Many flight-dreamers started trying to make a glider of materials theycould get: bamboo, plumbing pipes, aviation fabric. That time, I was studying at the Aviation Institute in Harkov, Ukraine, and we had abig flying club there. One of my wing-mates was Alexander Voronin, now the director of Aeros. We were lucky to have an aviation fac-tory in Harkov, and we could get aluminum tubes, cables and other materials from there, not necessary legally. The biggest problem wascanopy. Two factories in the country produced sail fabric (Dacron-like, but worse in quality), but it was a tremendous deficit (the main eco-nomic category in a Communist country). To solve the problem, we used other, less appropriate materials, and sometimes we got milk fil-tering polyester fabric and saturated it with special resin. And we flew! For 3 years in Harkov, I made a lot of flights off a 30-m (100 feet)hill, up to 40 seconds long, 3 minutes as the record.

In the USSR, all sports were controlled by the state. For aviation and other technical sports, there was a special organization, regulatingthem: DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for Support of Army, Aviation and Navy). It was semi-military, a lot of retired generals and colonelsworked there. They didn't hurry to support the new sport. But there were a lot of enthusiasts in the clubs, and finally the Ultra-light and

hang gliding in

The Russian Countryside


Hang Gliding Federation was organizedin 1980. It ran competitions, sent thenational team to international events, andregulated the clubs actions. Still the great-est problem was lack of gliders. While themajor companies manufactured hanggliders in the West, Soviet hang gliderswere 100% homemade. A typical flyingclub was located in a basement of ahouse, with a few sewing machines and ametal workshop. It was usually supportedby a state industrial organization, whichgave it money and materials. Only in theend of 1980s, after some economic liber-ation, a few big clubs started producinggliders commercially. Only one of them,Aeros in Kiev, Ukraine, became a realcompany.

Transportation was the second problem.More than 50% of Russians don't havecars. Only rich people can afford a 4x4vehicle (they are called jeeps in Russia).The problem is partly solved by club trucksthat are inherited from the Soviet time. Incompetitions, the KamAZ trucks are usual-ly used. KamAZ is known as truck partici-pating in the rally Paris - Dacar; it's verypassable truck, designed for military pur-poses. Each of them is capable to carryup to 25 hang gliders with pilots and har-nesses. Fifteen years ago the only way forme to get to the mountain was a bus, thenwe carried all the stuff on our shoulders atthe 5-km distance. We lived a few dayson the mountain in tents, walking aboutone mile for water. And we carried ourgliders to the summit (100 meters high)after each flight.On my opinion, Russian pilots have lessopportunity to fly, but they are more unit-ed than Canadian ones. They gathertogether in their clubs at least once a

week, and the transportation problemunites them too.

Russian flying sitesMost of European Russia is rolling plain,so pilots from Moscow, St. Petersburg andother Central Russia cities traditionally goto fly to other former USSR republics, tothe Caucasus or Siberia. Since there is stillno private property for land in Russia andthe republics, there are usually no restric-tions for landing in any place. You justneed to watch for a road near the landingand, of course, a good spot to land.

The first popular hang gliding site wasKoktebel in the Crimea Peninsula,Ukraine. It is the legendary place for all

Russian aviators: here the 1920ssailplane boom started. It was discoveredby the famous pilot Artseulov (he was alsothe first pilot to make a controllable spinon airplane). Once he was strolling on aridge with a local poet. He was so fasci-nated with the gorgeous view that hethrew his hat to the wind, and was sur-prised to see the hat soaring. A lot of glid-

ers, not only hats, have flown on the placesince then. The ridge is 8-km long and200-m (700 ft) high. The land below it isplanted with grapes. The warm and clearBlack Sea is just in a few miles. The site isknown mainly as ridge-lift one, though ithas also thermalling potential (by the way,it was here where I saw a thermalling glid-er for the first time, in 1980). In 1980sKoktebel lost its meaning as a hang glid-ing Mecca. Now it is a good base forrecreational flights, with a comfortablecamping and a bar.

North Caucasus. It is a Russian territory.The most popular site in 1980s was YutsaMt. Russian national finals were held thereseveral times. But XC flights are problem-atic there, probably due to poor ther-malling conditions. A 50-km flight is con-sidered an achievement there. The site isespecially loved by paraglider pilots. Thearea is plentiful with resorts and ski-resorts; some of them can be used forflights. The highest point is 5642 m(18800 ft) Elbrus Mt.

Trans-Caucasus. It is occupied by 3republics, now states: Georgia, Armeniaand Azerbaijan. I know only one placethere: Belokan, in Azerbaijan. It is locatedon the slopes of the Main CaucasianChain, in Alazan Valley. The place is verybeautiful and good for soaring. Thelaunch is usually above cloudbase. TheUSSR Cup was held several times inBelokan. The problem with Trans-

Caucasus is that it's the region of multiplewars and conflicts: between Armenia andAzerbaijan, Abhasian separatists andGeorgia, etc. Chechnia is also near. Andthe criminal situation is very bad. Since1990, Belokan ceased to be a flight site.

Yampol, in Ukraine, close to the frontierwith Moldavia. It is an amazing place.


Launch Ongudai

Hang Transport


No mountains in hundreds of milesaround, only a 60-m (200 ft) bank ofDnestr river. No landing below, so youneed a ridge lift to get aloft and find athermal. After that you can fly tens of milesaway. You have to set up the glider in theapple garden, and to wriggle betweentrees to get to a tiny launch site. On theroute, there is so called "Wonder Field":everyone is advised not to land there,because of risk to catch a rotor on zeroaltitude, and there were several fatal acci-dents there. The unofficial USSR open dis-tance record (220 km) was set in Yampolabout 10 years ago. Up to 1991, a lot ofMoscow and Ukrainian competitions wereheld there. There was a base of the localclub there, with repair shops and hostelsfor pilots. In 1991, Ukraine declared inde-pendence of the USSR, and started tomake the state frontiers. Thus, the basewas taken away by frontier-guards.Now the site is still used by theUkrainian pilots.

Askarovo. This is the nameof a small village in theSW part of Ural, oldmountains dividingEurope and Asia. In afew miles from the vil-lage, there is a 350-m(1200 ft) ridge. Theevening breeze is some-times very strong, andthere is a place where thewind accelerates. Once I hada trouble to get out of there.Thermal conditions are sometimesvery good, and tasks are usually 40-50miles. The Magnitogorsk airport is in 15miles, and big airplanes often fly just overthe launch. So the site is sometimesclosed, according to the airport timetable.Once I witnessed an airplane flying near-ly between gliders: its pilot didn't obey theordered air-route. There were no majorcompetitions in Askarovo, it is used usual-ly for training flights and Russian semi-finals.

Kyzyl. It is the capital of the small Siberianrepublic Tuva, which is a part of Russia.Tuva people are of the Mongolian race.The city is located very close to the geo-graphic center of Asia. Although Tuva is amountain republic, there are only a fewmountains in Kyzyl surrounded by adesert. One of them, just 1100 feet ofheight, is used for launch. On a goodday, there is no problem for an experi-enced pilot to make 40 - 50 miles, andcloudbase is usually 7000 - 10000 feet.But the view from air is poor - the desert.

This is the site only for advanced pilots:thunderstorm clouds and small tornadoesare not unusual there. 10-15 years ago, itwas a favorite place for USSR andRussian Cups. There are some factors thatobstruct Kyzyl to become a Russian flyingcenter. First: the mountain doesn't haveenough space for more than 30-40 glid-ers. Second: there is a locator stationnear, and they don't want anybody to flythere. As I know, in 1997, after theRussian final in Kyzyl, the organizers did-n't want to go there anymore.

Ush-Kunur. This is a 1000-m (3300 ft)mountain in 25 miles from Alma-Ata, theformer capital of Kazahstan. It is probablythe only place visited by American pilots:in 1990 a group of hang glider pilotsfrom

USA participated in the USSR champi-onship. Kazahstan is the second-largest(after Russia) state of the former USSR. Itsnative nation - Kazahs - are only 50% ofpopulation, some of them don't speakKazah language. Kazahstan is one of themost integrated with Russia states.Probably for that reason, Russian (andUkrainian) pilots like to hold finals inAlma-Ata. The best time to fly isSeptember. I was there at the Russian finalin 1992, in June. May be that's why mostof the event we could not fly, getting wetin the rain. Alma-Ata is a big city, locatedat the slopes of Alatau Mountains. Ush-Kunur Mt. has a tremendous amount ofspace on the top. We were 140 pilots,and did not have problems to set up aglider or to take off from one of fourlaunches. The launches face a wide val-ley, and XC routes usually go along theline between mountains and the valley. Apilot can choose between flying over the

valley and taking chance in mountains.The city is to the right, so long routes goto the left. The tasks are usually 40 - 50miles. As a rule, thermals are mild andwide. Sometimes they are good to polishscratching technique. Sometimes they aregood to race.

Altai. In 1981 I graduated from theHarkov Aviation Institute and came backto Biysk, in Altai, where I was born andlived most of my life. Altai is a territory inSW Siberia, and it adjoins Kazahstan,Mongolia and China. The climate is con-tinental, with minus 20-25 degrees inJanuary and plus 25-30 in July. But 30degrees heat is perceived like 20 inVancouver. Spring and fall in Altai areshort: summer ranges May - August (andSeptember is often quite warm), winterNovember - March. One third of Altai is

covered by Altai Mountains, withBeluha ("White Mount") at 4506

meters (15000 ft) - the highestpoint of the Asian part of

Russia. The mountainsresemble those in BC.Just wilder, probably.Road infrastructure isnot highly developed,with only one majorroad: Chuisky Tract,which was built by pris-

oners in 1930s andgoes from Biysk to

Mongolia. Other roads arescarce and sometimes hard

for cars.

In Biysk I found the local flying club, whichwas not very big then: about 10 mem-bers. The club had its own premises - afew rooms in a basement that, along withsome financial support, was provided bythe enterprise I was working for. That wasa state enterprise, like everything else inthe USSR, and it had some funds for socialprograms. So money was not a problem.The problem was to get anything for thismoney. The USSR economic system wasadministrative, not market one, so almosteverything was in deficit. The canopy ofmy first glider in Biysk was made of nylonsoaked with rubber, and it stretched inwet weather, resulting in worse perform-ance. Then we implemented technology ofsoaking polyester fabric with specialresins, and this was a popular way ofmaking gliders in the USSR.

Other materials were difficult to get aswell. But we managed to do this. The rulewas: you want to fly, well, make yourselfa glider. I had made one hang glider in


Harkov and two in Biysk (it takes a lot of time to make a glider, particularly with the min-imum of tools we had). This tendency has changed by the end of 1980s: people startedbuying brand name gliders, and some of them, the richest, could afford Western models.In 1991 I got some money from our enterprise to buy a canopy of Aeros S-15 glider (verysimilar to HP-AT). It was of real Dacron. Then I took a reserve parachute and traded it fora set of tubes. And I made the frame for the glider I had flown for 5 years. It is still liveand may be somebody flies it on other side of the world.

In 1981, I started making flights in mountains. Biysk is located in the foothill area of AltaiMountains, and real mountains are in 100 km away. Our main flying site was calledOsipova sopka ("Joe's hill") - a 200-m (600 ft) hill, with a camp and landing zone in 300ft below the summit. We took a bus to a village, then carried all the stuff for 3 miles to thesite (in Russia, hang gliders can be packed to a 7 ft package). That was really hard, andfortunately, in a few years I had friends with cars that helped me to solve this problem. Weusually spent two weekend days in the camp, living in tents, cooking food on fire and mak-ing half-hour walks for water. Sometimes there were no car or motorbike in the camp togo to a hospital in case of emergency; luckily, there were no serious injuries. On that hillI made a lot of good ridge-lift flights, but only one in thermals, and I had to wait for myfirst thermal flight for 8 years. The thermalling potential of the site is not very great due toits relatively small size.

In 1983-1985 I was serving in the Soviet Army as an airplane mechanic. The Army wasduty almost for every man in the USSR; I was a lieutenant in rank, since I have received amilitary specialty in the institute. When I returned home, the club had changed. It becamebigger - about 30 members; there were a few good double surface gliders. Some newpilots participated in Russian finals and semi-finals, taking high places; two of thembecame Sports Masters (the highest hang gliding degree in the USSR). The second strongteam was in the Altai main city, Barnaul.

In 1988 the Altai HG (and, later, PG) Association started looking for a new flying site. Thefirst place taken onto account was a 1800-ft mount Vereskovaya ("Heather Mt") 7 milesaway from Osipova sopka. It was good for thermal flights, and a good truck could get onits top, but... - only in a dry weather. After rain, the mount was closed for a few days.There is a thick (3 feet) humus layer in the area; it's good for agriculture, but not for flights.

In 1990, the Altai Association found yet two spots far in Altai Mts. One of them is in adesert area near Mongolian border, it is a place of severe winds and thermals. A Russianteam pilot said it was like Owens Valley in USA. This spot is still not used for flying.The other spot is noteworthy, since it became one of the best Russian sites and the onlyreally highland one. It is called Ongudai, by the name of a big village, 280 km away fromBiysk.

Ongudai. What is important, there is a road to the top giving access to a big radio relayantenna. On a KamAZ truck, it is possible to get to the launch almost in any weather, inroughly one hour. Beluha Mt is in 90 km, it is visible sometimes from the launch. The launchis in 500 m from the antenna; it is a clearing in the woods capable to place 40 - 50 hanggliders. Its altitude is 1000 m (3300 ft) agl, and a hang glider can fly to a camp, whichis located near the village. The camp belongs to a local school, there are 6 huts, a cook-shop, even a swimming pool filled by a cool river Ursul. There is also a field near thecamp, suitable for landing, it is used in competitions and for training. On a sunny day, it'susually not a problem to catch a thermal, at least for an experienced pilot. Lift rate is upto 7 mps (1400 fpm), and cloudbase up to 3000 m (10000ft) agl. The special feature ofthe site is that the main wind direction is, in most cases, across the launch, so you canexpect a rotor in the first seconds of the flight. It is usually not a problem, but sometimesconditions are really bumpy. Once I caught a dive so deep and steep that people on thelaunch saw the lower surface my glider, although I was 100 m below them. That moment,my most desire was to be on the ground.

The major road, Chuisky Tract, goes through Ongudai, and all the flight routes go alongit. To the northwest, the most distant point ever reached is about 30 km, because of thehigh pass, which doesn't allow flying farther. The southeast direction is much more inter-esting. In 17 km from the launch, there is a 1000-ft pass, Cheket-Aman, and this part ofthe route is most difficult. After Cheket-Aman, flying is just like an easy promenade, with alot of bare rocks giving you a good lift. All you need to do is fly over the rocks and enjoy


q


airtech

Lid Skid Most helmets have a hard shell-like exteri-or, but a new type of lid protector currentlyunder development more closely mimics thehead’s own natural design, which uses acombination of built-in defenses: the scalp,the hard skull and cerbrospinal fluid. Thenew helmet design incorporates a soft mov-able layer on the outside which simulatingthe scalp, a hard inner layer representingthe skull, and a sealed fluid layer separat-ing it from the wearer’s head. The new hel-met is designed to limit the rotational forcesaffecting the head during an impact and iscurrently undergoing bench tests. Earlyresults showed that the helmet gave 60 percent more protection than conventional hel-mets and could potentially save lives. Itslikely that the first benefices of the new tech-nology would be motorcyclists.

If a butterfly flaps its wings Does bad weather in one part of the worldaffect another? Last month, a whitish hazedrifted across a quarter of North America,reaching north to Calgary and south toPhoenix. It all started weeks before as adust storm in the Gobi Desert of Mongoliaand mixed with industrial pollution fromChina, before traveling across the Pacificocean. Atmospheric scientists who trackedthe haze say that the levels of particulate -matter that reduces visibility and can causerespiratory problems - quadrupled whilethe haze was present. It is not the first timethat such a storm has been tracked all theway to North America, but it is unusual forthe conditions to be so visible to the nakedeye.

Health officials are advising people at risk- the elderly, children or pilots staring end-lessly at the sky - to stay indoors if theynotice any effect from the pollution.

Power up As pilots are well aware, there is nothingmore frustrating than losing power to elec-tronic equipment mid-flight because of fail-

ing batteries. With pilots increasing thedigital gear they carry - radio, vario, gps,mobile phone - power demands continue tosky rocket. It takes semiconductor manufac-tures about 18 months to double the num-ber of transistors on a piece of silicon andthus give a huge performance boost to thedevices they run. But it takes battery makersfive to 10 years to achieve a comparableincrease in power.

On the one hand, consumers are quick todemand new features to the products theybuy. But they’ve also been quick to rejectfancy hardware that seems to run out ofpower in the blink of an eye. There are twonew developments that one day might pro-vide solutions.

The first comes from scientists in Germanywho have developed synthetic fibers thatgenerate electricity when exposed to light.The fibers could be woven into machinewashable clothes, like a T-shirt or even intothe top of a glider. Just like the solar cellsfound in many pocket calculators, the newwires work by sandwiching three layers ofa special silicon between two conductingelectrodes. When photons hit the top layer,they displace electron from the middlelayer, creating an electronic current thatcan be used to power electronics or charge batteries.

Besides being flexible and very cheap toproduce, strands of the new material isabout a thousand times better at absorbingsunlight than current methods. Although thefiber is transparent, it can be made to takeon different colours by adjusting the thick-ness of a protective coating.

The second design researchers are workingon uses refillable fuel-cell batteries. Oneday we might be able to recharge our bat-teries by simply popping in a cheap, newcartridge of methanol. The prototype fuel-cell would reenergize and provide a monthof power using an ounce of methanol. Earlyindications are that fuel cells will be betterat recharging batteries than at directlypowering electronic devices.

Bionic hearing If you’ve ever struggled to listen to whatanother pilot is saying above wind noise,then a new ear piece that screens outunwanted noise could make your life awhole lot easier. Initially designed by themilitary to help troops talk to each other innoisy tanks, planes or artillery placement,

the bionic ear piece is being prepared forcivilian sale. The ear piece contains a tinycomputer, equipped with a program thatcan recognize particular sounds - thehuman voice, for example - by their char-acteristic waveforms. This lets it pick up thesound of people’s voices while intelligentlyfiltering out any other types of sounds youchoose - wind noise or repeated requestsfrom spouses to take out the garbage. Inquite surroundings the device transmitseverything it hears.

If you are suddenly surrounded by clamour,excessive pilot boasting for example, itswitches on so fast that you won’t evernotice the noise. The ear piece is smartenough to block out droning, cyclicalsounds with components within the vocalfrequency range. It can even home in on asingle voice - so you could shut out all voic-es except the weather forecaster.

Gender Bender Everyday we hear reports from the mediaabout what is good or bad from us. Redwine is good, too much exposure to com-puter screens is bad. For years we’ve beentold to cover up from the harmful effects ofthe sun and use liberal amounts of sunblock. Now we receive word from Swissresearchers than many sunscreens containchemicals that mimic the effect of estrogen,and can trigger developmental abnormali-ties in animals. Scientists know that chemi-cals which behave like estrogen can causehealth problems and have a dramatic effecton animals, even turning fish into her-maphrodites.

Researchers tested six common UV screen-ing chemicals used in sunscreens, and dis-covered that five UV screens behaved likeestrogen in lab tests, making cancer cellsgrow more rapidly. The tests were conduct-ed using the same concentrations that arefound in sunscreens.

Researchers aren’t advising people to ditchsunscreens, but suggest that sunblocks likezinc oxide might make a healthier alterna-tive. Nobody knows if doses are highenough to create problems for people.•

Dean Trueman is paraglider pilot fascinat-ed by advances in technology. He still can’tprogram his VCR to stop blinking 12:00.

SciTechnology and Science

FlyBy Dean Trueman


aireventsCanada / USAJuly 1st SOGA Fly-in & Open House The normal introductory rate of $25 fornon-members will be waived for the 3 dayweekend. Pay only for your earotows upto 2500 feet. We encourage you to joinus chasing thermals instead of the wind.Camping is free, just make sure you takeyour garbage home with you. For more info contact Ken Kinzie [email protected] or (519)524-1689

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SOGAJuly 28th - August 3rd2001 HG Nationals to be held at Mt 7,Golden.This meet will also constitute theHG part of the Willi Muller XC Challengethis year.Check the HPAC Web Site forfurther details.July 28 - Aug 3

Willi HG and PG Challenge in Golden

Aug 4 - 6 SOGA Competition This is a fun competition with somethingfor everyone. Open distance XC, spotlanding, and a XC seminar. The 5 dayspreceeding this event will bepractice/free flying days. This is primetime for this site. For more info contactKen Kinzie [email protected] Aug 4 - 6Western Canadian HG ChampionshipMt. 7, Golden, B.C.Format and scoring TBA Contact: Karen Keller, 403-293-4008 email: [email protected]

Aug 4 - 6Canadian Paragliding Nationals Mount 7, Golden, BCMeet Sanctioning: As last year, our intentis to seek Category 2 sanctioning from theFAI for this event. Those intending to gainpoints for world meets will need Sporting

Licenses. Aug 11-12 Aug 18-19Grouse Mountain Fly-in (HG & PG)Aug 18 - Aug 25

US Nationals - TexasAug 25 - 26Can-Ams at Black Mountain Washington (Mark Dowsett) (HG & PG)

Sept 1 - 3Cache Creek Team MeetSept 1 - 3

Qu’Appelle Valley Classic, SaskatchewanCompetition run by the MHGA. Pilots meetat the Waverly Hotel in Melville Friday.Contact: [email protected] for info

The WorldJune 6 - July 1, 2001World Air Games HG ChampionshipAlgodonales-Cadiz (Spain)

June 6 - July 1, 200113th World Hang Gliding ChampionshipAlgodonales-Cadiz (Spain)

Advertise your next eventhere for MAX expo sure

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for the 2001 Election of DirectorsCall for Candidates

REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURESFOR THE FIRST ELECTION OFHPAC/ACVL DIRECTORS

1.0 General

1.1 The HPAC/ACVL is beingrestructured from an Association whosemembers are the Provincial associationsto an association whose members are theindividual pilots in Canada. As part ofthis change, the directors of theHPAC/ACVL will no longer be appointedby the Provincial Associations but will beelected by the individual members (pilots)of the HPAC/ACVL. The new organiza-tion structure is defined in PRDs 110-0Draft 1 can be found at http://mem-bers.home.net/andre.nadeau/transi-tion/home.htm.

1.2 This document details the reg-ulations and procedures for the first elec-tion of HPAC/ACVL directors by the indi-vidual members.

2.0 Number of Directors

2.1 There will be one directorelected in each of the seven HPAC/ACVLregions in which there is at least one can-didate. There will be no director electedin a HPAC/ACVL region in which there isno candidate. Thus, it is possible that theelected board of director of theHPAC/ACVL will consist of fewer thanseven directors. The seven HPAC/ACVLregions (see PRD 110-0 Draft 1) are:

A. British ColumbiaB. AlbertaC. SaskatchewanD. ManitobaE. OntarioF. Quebec; andG. Atlantic provinces.

2.2 Members in the Yukon,Northwest Territory or Nanuvut can votefor one candidate in the region of theirchoice.

3.0 Candidate Requirements

3.1 Candidates must be membersof the HPAC/ACVL.

3.2 Members can only be candi-dates in the region in which they reside.


The Transition Committee is now accepting candidatures for the 2001 election of Directors. Applications should besubmitted as per the regulations and procedures for the election that are included below.

3.3 The Election Supervisor andthe Chair of the transition Committee willaccept candidatures until 15 August2001. Members can submit their candi-datures by mail or e-mail and must includetheir name, address, e-mail address andmembership number in their application.

3.4 There is no limit to the numberof candidates in a region.

4.0 Voting Procedures

4.1 Each HPAC/ACVL member asof 30 September 2001 is eligible to vote.Each HPAC/ACVL member has one vote.

4.2 Members can vote in one oftwo ways:

a. Members can annotate the bal-lot that will be included in the Septembereditions of the AIR and Survol magazinesand mail the ballot to the ElectionSupervisor at the address that will be pro-vided on the ballot; or

b. Members can vote on line inthe manner that will be specified in theSeptember editions of the AIR and Survolmagazine and on the HPAC web site (Thisis tentative at this point and will be con-firmed in the September issues of the AIRand Survol).

4.3 The Election Supervisor mustreceive a ballot no later than 30 Octoberin order for that ballot to be counted. Allvotes on-line must be cast by 23:59 hrs on30 October in order to be counted.

4.4 The candidate that receives themost votes in a region will be elected asthe director for that region.

4.5 If there is only one candidatein one region, that candidate will beacclaimed as the director for that region.

5.0 Recount of Votes

5.1 There will be an automaticrecount of votes in each region wherethere is a difference of 5% in the numberof votes between the winner and one ormore runner up. The Election Supervisorwill conduct the recount. However, amember of the Transition Committeeappointed by the Chair of the Transition

Committee will conduct the recount uponrequest by a runner up.

5.2 Only one recount will be con-ducted.

6.0 Announcement of Election Results

6.1 Results of the election will beannounced to the candidates by e-mail nolater than 16 November 2001.

6.2 The result of the election willbe published in the December editions ofthe AIR and Survol magazines and will beposted on the HPAC/ACVL web page nolater than 31 November 2001.

7.0 Election Fraud

7.1 It is illegal for a member tovote on behalf of another member. Amember caught doing so will be subject toexpulsion from the HPAC/ACVL.

7.2 The Election Supervisor willconduct an audit of voters to detect elec-tion fraud.

8.0 Candidates Campaign

8.1 Candidates will be providedwith a list of HPAC/ACVL members intheir region to assist in their campaign.

8.2 The HPAC/ACVL will only pro-vide the following support to the candi-dates. All other expenses are the respon-sibility of candidates:

a. Each candidate will be provid-ed with space for up to 500 words andone picture that will be published in theSeptember edition of the AIR magazine.Each candidate in the Quebec region willbe provided similar space in the Survolmagazine. Candidates must provide theirsubmission to the Election Supervisor orthe Chair of the Transition Committee NLT1 August 2001 to ensure that their sub-mission is published. The HPAC/ACVLwill not guaranty that submissionsreceived after that date will be publishedin the magazine.



airsafety

The tell-tale signs on launch were indicating strong regular cycles. The sun was heatingup the expanse of rock below launch. The glider had been given a thorough pre-flight

and the pilot was in his harness ready to go. The pre launch banter was giving away tomore serious considerations, such as retrieval arrangements, car key locations, wind direc-tions and the thermal cycles. “Isn’t this site under a control zone? the pilot on launch asked.“I dunno, I haven’t got the site guide with me. Anyway, I’ve seen the top of your gliderfrom this site more often than I’ve seen the bottom. Your usual problem is ground suck, notcloud suck.” Give me a hang check will you? He was ready and eager to launch.

“Melbourne Approach, Good afternoon, Alpha Bravo Charlie, one hundred DMEMelbourne, cruising flight level 12.” Alpha Bravo Charlie, 8,000”.”

The captain and co-pilot had the approach plates for Tularmine ready, although a visualapproach was expected. the GPS indicated a ground speed of just under 200 knots. Thecaptain glanced at the towering columns of cumulus cloud both on and to the left and rightof track. He illuminated the fasten seat belt sign.

Hang check. Carabiners straightened - checked locked. Vario switched on. “What heightabove the bomb out are we?” “I dunno. I think it’s 1350. I think the hill’s 2400 accordingto the map.” “I thought it was 1800. I’ll just set 1500.” Radio check. The pilot shuffled tothe top of the ramp. After takeoff he adjusted his feet to a comfortable position in the pod.While making the first climbing pass to the right he zipped up the pod. On the return pass,he was above launch and still climbing. A quick 180 and the vario told him what the pitchup and rush of air had already announced - a boomer thermal. He circled tightly to theright, drifting slowly back over launch and the parked gliders and cars which were fastshrinking below.

The sun’s reflection glowed on the polished spinner of the starboard propeller. The first offi-cer pinched his nose and blew gently to equalise the pressure as the cabin pressure slow-ly increased. He enjoyed the heightened impression of speed as the aircraft flew near orthrough clouds. The sixteen passengers were putting magazines aside, and preparing forarrival. The captain checked the destination weather, and methodically scanned the instru-ments. Cockpit view from inside a Boeing 737 “Melbourne, Alpha Bravo Charlie passingthrough 9.000.”

When well above launch, the pilot widened his circles and maintained a steady 350-400fpm up. He started to enjoy the view and glanced at the altimeter - 3.200 and going up.He put his hands in the neoprene mitts as the base bar got colder. Climbing through 4,500he could see the pub in the valley where he and his mates usually met after flying. But hecould also see the highway to the west with its towns that could usually only be seen oneat a time, and away in the distance a couple of distinctive hills beyond which he knew laythe city.

The lift grew stronger, and the vario was indicating 800 fpm up as he climbed through6,000. He looked forward and up and saw the gray base and white borders of a largeCu. He pulled on some speed to make sure he stayed out of the cloud. Sooner than heexpected though he was at cloud base, even with the bar back around his waist some-where. The wind noise was considerable. The altimeter was showing 7.200 and increas-ing. He straightened his arms for maximum speed, passing in and out of cloud, with theearth appearing and disappearing beneath him.

The nose of the aircraft came up slowly as the auto pilot began to level the aircraftapproaching 8000. The altimeter continued to wind down...8,300...8,200...The fist offi-cer had depressed the microphone switch on the control yoke to seek onwards descentclearance. He could see glimpses of tree below as the aircraft approached the cloud base.

The turbine powered twin engine aircraft destroyed the hang glider on impact.

The pilot died instantly. The hang glider wreckage and pilot’s body disabled the portengine, and caused such damage to the port wing that control of the aircraft was lost. Thecrew and passengers on the aircraft died on impact in a fireball of wreckage. The Bureau

A fictional account of a possible eventHang Gliders and Controlled Airspace


of Air Safety Investigation determined theprimary cause of the crash of the aircraftto be an unauthorized penetration of con-trolled airspace by the hang glider pilot,contributed to by an incorrectly set altime-ter and the pilot’s ignorance of the verticallimits of controlled airspace. The pilot’sfailure to remain at least 500 feet belowcloud base was also a clear contributingfactor, but the nineteen people who knewthat the collision occurred at cloud baseare all dead, and accordingly this factorwas not recognised in the investigation.

Calls were made in the Senate and in thepress for an inquiry into hang gliding. Asuggestion was made in parliament thatall hang gliding be restricted to a ceilingof 300 feet AGL. At the Coroners Inquest,the Coroner recommended that hang glid-ers be banned from flying beneath con-trolled airspace. The Coroner also foundthat the sport had failed to self-regulate inthat basic altimetry principles were notadhered to by a large number of hangglider pilots. CAA Investigators wereordered to attend take off and landingsites, to check ratings, carriage of altime-ters, pilot currency requirements and thelike with a view to prosecutions under theCivil Aviation Act and regulations. Theland owner closed the site.

Land owners of other sites threatened sim-ilar action. Altimetry received newemphasis in training and rating theorytests. Hang gliding featured in adverseeditorial comments across the nation.

The pilots’s actions were clearly criminal,and he would have been prosecuted andjailed for considerable number of yearshad he survived. As it is, his widow has tomeet from his estate claims from thedependents of the passengers and crew ofthe aircraft, and she will lose the familyhome and all other assets of her hus-band’s estate. The pilot’s insurance wasinadequate to meet claims of such magni-tude.

* The launch elevations was 2,400 feetabove mean sea level. * The launch was directly below the8,000 foot control step. * An altimeter set at 1500 feet at launchwould register 7.100 feet at the lowerlimit of the 8,000 foot control step (that is,at 8,000 feet above mean sea level). * An altimeter set at 2,400 feet at launchwould register 8,000 feet at the lowerlimit of the 8,000 foot control step.

Avoiding controlled airspace involvesknowing at any point in flight your heightabove mean sea level, and the verticaland lateral limits of controlled airspace.

Reprinted from HGFA

1) Don’t go near trees at all, if you can possibly avoid it. They eat the lift,they cause rotors and general turbulence.

2) If you CAN’T avoid a tree, make sure you hit it good and HARD. Fly rightat it, and get some speed up. Most tree injuries happen when you fall out,or lightly catch a wing-tip.

3) If you’re going over a line of trees and you see you won’t make it, tryand land in the top, rather than over the other side. (There’s NO excuse forhitting a solitary tree!)

4) As you enter the foliage, keep you legs together (for OBVIOUS reasons!)and your knees drown up. Protect your face as soon as you touch substan-tial stuff, grab a big handful and HOLD ON TIGHT! Don’t let go until you’resure that the glider won’t fall out.

5) YELL FOR HELP! Unless you’re very securly wedged, its probably betternot to try to climb out without assistance. Helpers should get ropes and ifpossible, a ladder.

Once you’re on the ground, have a rest before trying to retrieve the glider. For sure, you’ve got a difficult, frustrating, and probably expensive timeahead, and you’ll need your strength!

Paragliders! Don't aim for that narrow road in the forest with tall treesbecause your wing tips will catch the branches, Collapse (Asymmetric,Recovery) your wing and make you fall to the road.

Also beware of power lines next to mountain roads. Instead, pick thebiggest, softest looking tree, face the wind, cross you legs (to avoid cuttinga vein) and close your arms, then flare to land right in the center of it, reduc-ing your forward speed to zero.

Keep braking until you can hold on to something. If this goes well you willend up suspended in the tree by your wing resting on the forest canopy, butyou will not have a big fall to the ground.

It will take time to untangle and maybe some repairs (at least an inspec-tion), but you will have saved your bones from a fall. You can use yourreserve as a "rope" to help you down. Look into creating your ownEmergency Kit.

Reprinted in part from Wings! August 1977

Tree’sby Tony Fuell and John Hunter

Hang Gliders! The rules forsurviving in trees are few,and simple:

8�� Summer �� www�hpac�ca


What? How can you agree with the sentiment, and beguilty of the sin? The crux of the problem is in the

nature of complacency. Merely acknowledging the truthof a statement, is not the same as internalizing the crit-ical issues. Familiarity with the word is not sufficientto overcome complacency.

We all know what we should do prior to flights, dur-ing flights, and in landing approaches. However,

how often do we stop to ponder and reflect on all ofthe factors? In other words, when we cease to con-

sciously focus, it's like hearing words, but not appreciat-ing the meanings of the words.

Almost all incidents and accidents occur due to some form of pilot error of judgment. Eitherthe pilot did not know something (sometimes), or he/she was complacent. Sure there maybe other reasons offered, but the root cause fundamental to all of these events is the "C"word.

Complacency manifests itself in many ways: rushing, shortcuts, laziness, wishful thinking,lack of thinking, overconfidence, and many more. Sometimes it is represented by a feel-ing that your past good fortune automatically ensures the safety of your next flight. Sureyour previous flights were beneficial in developing your skills and judgment, but they areindependent from your next flight. It’s the same as the toss of a coin, wherein the previousoutcomes transfer no propensity to any subsequent outcome.

When we first started to fly, we were apprehensive and thought about many things, thenwe improved. As we develop our skills, and expand our knowledge, we become more con-fident. There is nothing wrong with appropriate confidence. Nonetheless, when we focuson the fact that we know more, we usually fail to realize that some of our knowledge, expe-riences and judgments, have diminished over time. We constantly need to redirect andsharpen our focus. We must ensure that we maintain all that we have learned.

Complacency is not a thing or condition, but the very absence of something. It can becalled "critical thinking". There are many analogies. One example is -- falling asleep whiledriving. As you get more tired, you are less aware that you are becoming less aware.Becoming complacent is easy; it requires no awareness or effort.

How do you know when you are being complacent? You can't tell! That the insidiousnature of complacency. A complacent attitude does not always produce an incident. So,it is natural that we consider our repeated successful flights, as though they were deserved.You usually realize your complacency only after you have had a problem. Only then withyour eagle vision of hindsight, you can admit your failing -- "I was complacent.".

Another aspect that makes complacency so hard to overcome is its shifting nature. As youfocus on one aspect, your lack of critical thinking just shifts somewhere else. The more youfocus on one area the less you concentrate on other matters. You may be very aware andconcerned about slightly bent downtubes, but you may not have given serious thoughtabout replacement of your flying wires.

Another significant characteristic of complacency is its ubiquitous nature. It is found inevery aspect from inattention to details, to overconfidence, to risk assessment. How do youknow, what it is that you are not aware of? How can you become aware of what you arenot aware of? Do you think about your thinking?

One phrase you may hear is that he/she was too complacent. This suggests that there aredegrees to it. It's a condition that allows no middle ground. There aren’t degrees in failure– either you hooked-in or you failed to hook-in. You may be lucky in the degree of the con-sequences you may encounter.

If you read this titleand immediately said

to yourself, "Yeah,that's right, I’m aware

of that.", then youhave committed the

eighth deadly sin.

Complacency:

The Eighth Deadly Sin


Veteran masters have been looping, spinning and wanging their way through beautifulroutines for nearly twenty years now and a wealth of information has been gathered

and disseminated by both pilots and the media creating a richer technical atmospherewithin the freestyle arena. This guide is intended to summarize some of what has beenlearned about freestyle hang gliding and to inform pilots and spectators about what youmay expect to witness at a competition or local practice site. Freestyle is a truly fascinat-ing genre of our sport and my hat is off to the freestyle pilots and judges who have helpedit get this far. Enjoy.

Freestyle jargon A climbing freestyle maneuver is one in which pilots first gain airspeed by diving thenconvert some of that dive energy (kinetic energy) back into altitude (potential energy) bypitching through a climbout and ensuing climbing maneuver. This type of maneuver followsan arc and has both an entry and an apex. The challenge for safe freestylers is to let thebar out at a proper enough rate to remain positive throughout the maneuver. The only waythey learn this rate is through dedicated practice. It’s all about motor memory. The loop isa good example of a climbing freestyle maneuver.

The entry (sometimes referred to as "pitch level") is the lowest point of an aerobaticsmaneuver where the glider’s chord is parallel with the surface of the Earth. The entry is animportant reference point for executing and judging freestyle routines. Advancedfreestylers recognize the importance of wings level at the entry in performing precision aer-obatics.

The apex is the opposite of the entry. It is the highest point of a climbing freestyle maneu-ver. This is where we see advanced pilots go "over the top." Judges note the comp pilot’sbank angle and heading change in order to define the type of maneuver executed. Flyingthrough the apex with excess speed is an important aspect of safe aerobatics.

Attitude is orientation of the glider relative to the horizon. 90 degrees nose-up from theentry is going "straight to the moon," for example.

A Spectator’s

Guide to

Freestyle

By Scott W. Heiple

With the increasingpopularity of high

profile freestyle andspeed gliding events

across the countrypilots and spectators

are more often witnessing world class

freestyle pilots do whatthey do best –

radical aerobatics.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Aerobatics And Then Some

Dedicated to Don Shimoda andfreestyle pilots everywhere. ...continued on page 31


Panajachel (called Pana by just about everybody) is located on the shore of Lake Atlitan at 5,000 ft in theWestern Highlands of Guatemala. Panajachel is relatively small and it does not take more than 20minutes to walk across town at its widest point. The town is also a tourist destination and the

wintering spot of choice for quite a few individuals. Most activities are centred along CalleSantander and the waterfront where most restaurants and shops are located. Lake Atlitan is sur-rounded by steep hills and mountains and there are three inactive volcano located across the lakemaking for a scenic location. Small towns and villages are located at various spots around the lakeand many of them can only be reached by boat. Indigenous people are of Mayan descent andhave proudly kept many of their traditional colourful dress and customs.

There are numerous places to stay starting with expensive luxury hotels to inexpensive pri-vate rooms with shared bathrooms. I shared a triple room in the Hospidaje El Varejo withJeremy and Dave and we paid approximately $7 per night each. The room came witha private bathroom and hot water, at least most of the time. One of the inconvenienceI hinted at earlier is that your nights will be disturbed by the noise of dog bark-ing pretty well all night long and by the roosters than join the cacopho-ny at about three o'clock in the morning. If you are a light sleeper, I rec-ommend you bring earplugs with you as I did or you might easilybecome sleep deprived.

The other inconvenience is that the Guatemalan foodrange from very ordinary to awful. Most everythingtastes bland so this is not the spot for pilots look-ing for a culinary experience (unless it is abad one in which case the place qualifies).Furthermore, although we werecareful about what we ate, all theguys (for some reason Helenewas spared) suffered fromperiodic bouts ofthe runs.

By Andre Nadeau and David Walker Photos by Jeremy Val.

...continue


Although nobody was incapacitated, it was an inconvenience that we could have lived without.Our Immodium quickly became our best friend and was not used sparingly.

Launch is accessed after a 200-feet steep uphill climb through a private property.There is a cost of about $2 per person per day to access the site. Most cab

drivers know where launch is located and will figure out where you wantto go if you say vuelo libre and parapente. Cab are mostly oldJapanese pickup trucks of dubious mechanical integrity and the ride tolaunch (in the back) is often the most exciting and dangerous part ofevery day. On the plus side, the 20-minute drive to launch cost a pal-try $4 for the entire party.

Launch is located near the top of a ridge at the back of abowl overlooking the village of Santa Caterina which isapproximately 4 km east of Panajachel. Launch is a rec-

tangular grassy area on the slope of the ridge. It iswide enough for a tandem glider and long enough

for a no-wind forward inflation. The slope isabout 50 degrees which makes for an easy

inflation. Most of the slopes of the bowlare cultivated with corn and short

crops that do little to break thelaminar flow of the wind and

could be used for emer-gency landings when

lift is non-existent.

This is a siteof many

There are many winter flying-destinations in the Americas withMexico being the most popular. Many pilots may not associateGuatemala as one of them but that would be a mistake as I,

Jeremy Val, David Walker and Helene Jacob can attest after spendingthe last two weeks of March 2001 in Panajachel. Our experience isthat this is a site well worth visiting if you are willing to live with afew inconveniences while you are there. This article is the summary ofour experience in Panajachel and is targeted at pilots who may beinterested in a flying vacation out of the beaten track.

ed on pg. 30


characters. Although there are some constant elements like the south wind pick-ing up almost every afternoon, we found that every day varied and presenteddifferent challenges. Generally, there was decent to good lift on both lightwinds and strong wind days.

Clouds can be a problem here as the moist air from the lake condenses as it islifted in the bowl. Sometimes the clouds form below the pilot. It is important to

be aware of that development or the unwary pilot can easily be engulfed. Most of the time, the clouds are merely an annoy-

ance if one is careful as they limit visibility. However, oneday, I launch under a relatively low ceiling.

Approximately 10 minutes after I was airborne, theclouds started to form and it was not long before thelaunch was engulfed in clouds and I could no longersee the ridge. I continued flying at the edge of thecloud whose development kept pushing me furtherand further away from the ridge until I was out ofthe lift band and had to go land. Half an hourlater, the cloud cleared and there was widespreadlift all over the bowl.

Sunny morning before the wind picks up providesquite different conditions. At those times, the only lift

is created by small, virulent thermals that are both elusiveand difficult to impossible to core. This is the type of ther-

mals most people would probably run away from most of thetime. I first experienced these thermals on one day during the first

week and believed that it was my poor technique and over conservatism thatprevented me from coring them effectively. With this in mind, I tried again dur-ing the second week. I can now conclusively say that coring these thermals iswell beyond my ability although expert pilots may manage to do it. After 30minutes in the spin cycle that was the ridge that day, I had enough and went toland. Half an hour later, the wind came in and the conditions smoothed to per-fection. I got back to the ridge later on and join my three amigos who werehaving the time of their life in the smooth, magic-like air. Jeremy spent four hoursin the air that day and could have stayed much longer.

There are two LZs. The closest one is a large and dusty dry-river bed (at leastduring the dry season) and is located about 4 km from launch. The LZ is easi-ly reachable which is a good thing since the emergency LZs are so tight that theyare basically for expert or very lucky pilots only. There are a number of obstruc-tions in the LZ (including rocks, soccer goal post, small 3-feet high posts and theoccasional buses) that you have to watch for. Also, there can be crowds of kidsthat may decide that getting tangled in your paraglider lines is a great way toplay – you will likely disagree. The second LZ, which I personally much prefer,


Above: Andre LaunchesBelow: Travellers Helene

Jacob, David Walker,Andre Nadeau, &

Jeremy Val


Still learning from the pros, XC # 11 was just getting a little long after four hours. Noproblem: leave the cloudstreet, land by chase, go for a beer (Air, Aug '97). We had

dinner nearby, and then marveled at the outstanding cloudstreet overhead which was stillvery much active hours after landing...

Only back home did I realize what I had missed out by leaving lift early, while in greatshape to go on. To this day, I still wonder how much further than 100 miles I could havegone had I stuck with it. For three years, I had been kicking myself over this beginner'smistake fairly regularly, especially after working my butt off for four hours, only to sink outat the 40 or 50 mile point. I was definitely getting desperate, with no opportunity at bigmileage showing up.

The 2000 XC season started fairly early in Alberta, with a few decent HG and PG flightsunder my belt. In early May, I was finally given a second crack at it: off tow at 1200 ft, Iscratched for a while, had a few low saves, then climbed to 7000 ft under an huge cloud-street extending well past my 100-mile landmark. Under-dressed (first mistake), I did notfeel the thirst and allowed my water to freeze (second mistake); I was totally dehydratedand chilled to the bone three hours later. My foggy mind misjudged a glide to the nextthermal, sinking out at 80 miles on a 150-mile kind of day!

Having blown it once again was certainly disheartening, but it offered me a superb lessonfor what was to come. My wife Laurence and I drove out to Edmonton a week later,enroute to the annual Camrose meet. We left Cold Lake during a mid-May snowstorm, badomen at the time but with perfect post-frontal conditions to follow. The next day, we foundourselves towing out of Tofield, under an overcast sky. After Laurence went for a few morn-ing tows, the sky cleared up and small cumulus formed at 3000 ft. Expecting a marginalday, I wished for a 50 km flight at best, but still prepared myself thoroughly: fresh batter-ies, dressed-up, waterbag full!

It took three attempts before I was able to catch a workable thermal. I spent the next 45minutes scratching to stay up, never getting above 2000 ft. I constantly kept an eye onpotential LZs, expecting to sink out any minute, and stuck with the lift instead of runningfor potential triggers. Getting really low at one point, I saw a few hawks circling in anearby thermal, so I went for it: in addition to the graceful presence on my mentors, I wasrewarded with light but steady lift to 4000 ft. Over the town of Ryley, I tried gliding to apromising cloud, but again only weak lift was to be found. Going back to survival mode,I parked myself in the light lift, maintaining 4000 ft, and drifting eastward ever so slowly.As cloudbase slowly rose with daytime heating, I still struggled to stay high, only glidingout to find new lift when absolutely required to. Nearing Viking after two hours, I foundmyself scratching at 2000 ft AGL once more, having reached my initial goal of 50 km forthe day.

Preparing for landing as I arrived at nearby Thomas lake, I hooked up solid lift off the lakeshore. Cranking at 1000 fpm to cloudbase, I noted that the flying conditions were final-ly shaping up nicely by then. I kicked out of survival mode and started flying moreaggressively, crossing to the next cloud whenever I could safely make the glide. Whilecloud streets were definitely forming all around me, a blue hole ahead was holding meback. The slow pace allowed Laurence to be extremely helpful as chase, driving, navi-gating, keeping me visual, pointing out circling birds and thermals, as well as making rec-ommendations on cloud selection and reminding me to push north to stay clear of theWainwright military ranges. My only job was to turn and glide, and keep my canopystraight over my head in stronger lift!

Making more headway, I was still maximizing altitude and hesitant to pass up any lift.After topping out at 9000 ft ASL under my dead-end cloud street, I gambled a long glideacross to the next cloud street north of my position. I got somewhat low, but was able tofind something solid to get back up under a nice line based at 10T, with tops near 13T:perfect! Back to 9000 ft and nothing stopping me, I engaged full speed, barely slowingdown in lift and speeding out through sink. I even managed to stay at 8000 ft for almost30 minutes without a single turn, brakes up and speedbar slightly out! Laurence was hav-ing a hard time keeping up, driving at high speeds on gravel roads, forced to go eithersouth or east on section lines, while I proceeded directly southeast with a decent tailwind.

From beginner's luck, to doing it right!

Let's be honestthree years ago,I messed up.Totally blew it. I was having agreat flight,knew I had gonefar, but had noidea what I wasdoing.

Lessons Learned


By Guy LeBlanc


By Andre Nadeau

The Transition Committee is making good progress on all four areas of work and is pret-ty much on schedule. The new by-laws should be approved by Industry Canada by the

time you read this article. The development of policy documents is well under way. Theelection rules are set and the Transition Committee is now seeking candidates for the elec-tion of the first elected BoD. Finally, the development of the improved web site is pro-gressing well. For more details, keep reading this article.

Incorporation MattersThe HPAC will soon have brand new by-laws in both official languages. The new by-lawswere submitted for approval to Industry Canada on 24 April 2001. Copies of the sub-mitted by-laws can be found on the Transition web site.

When you read the new by-laws, you may wonder why they deal with some topics andnot others. The reason is simple. Industry Canada mandates that specific topics must becovered in every non-profit corporation by-laws before they can be approved. Not sur-prisingly, the new HPAC by-laws include all these mandatory topics. What is of more inter-est is that the HPAC by-laws do not include anything beyond the mandatory topics and,for these mandatory topics, they include only the minimum level of detail acceptable toIndustry Canada.

This approach to the new by-laws is intentional and was taken to minimise the need toamend the by-laws in the future. Amending by-laws is a major exercise that is best avoid-ed. Any changes to the by-laws must first be approved through a resolution that is votedon, and passed by the members of the corporation. Under the restructured HPAC, themembers are the pilots so a vote is not trivial. Once the resolution is passed, the by-lawsmust be amended and the amended by-laws have to be filed with Industry Canada forapproval. The entire process constitutes a major administrative overhead and can con-ceivably take many months. This is not the bureaucracy we want within the association.

Instead of putting details in the by-laws, we are capturing them in supplementary docu-ments called Policy and Regulatory Directives ("PRDs"). Since the PRDs are documents thatare internal to the HPAC, we can amend them internally without the approval of IndustryCanada. Furthermore, the BoD can approve amendments to the PRDs – a vote by the mem-bers is not required. This approach is very flexible and will facilitate the implementationof changes that will benefit the association.

A couple of examples can best illustrate what I mean. The old by-laws specified that theBoD would consist of two Directors from each Provincial Association. Any change in thecomposition of the BoD would have required an amendment to the by-laws (one reasonwe had to amend the by-laws in the first place). The new by-laws simply state that the BoDwill consist of a minimum of three directors and the specific composition of the BoD is spec-ified in PRD 110-0. If we want to change the composition of the BoD, the BoD, , canamend the PRD and we are done. Now, before you go ranting about a perceived lack ofcontrol with the BoD being able to set its own size and composition, think about it. Theseare your elected representatives, and issue of a power-grab within HPAC is far less a con-cern than is getting anyone to work for the organization in the first place.

Since the PRDs can be amended unilaterally by the Directors, the logical question is whatis the role of the members in all that. Quite simply, the members still have the most impor-tant role to play and that is to elect Directors that they trust will bring about the necessarychanges to the policy and directives that will advance the mission and goals of the asso-ciation. If members believe that some elected Directors have lost their original focus andare acting against the best interest of the HPAC, the new by-laws allow for members toremove such directors through a vote during a special meeting of members called for thatpurpose. Thus, the members ultimately retain control over the Association while letting theDirectors get on with business efficiently and, hopefully, effectively.

Note that we are using a convoluted way to put the new by-laws in place. This approachwas approved by the BoD at the AGM in January and does the job effectively and effi-ciently. If you care about processes as much as about results, then I invite you to read thesidebar titled "How we actually changed the by-laws". If you are not interested in theprocesses, then you can skip the sidebar and will not be any worse for it.

Policy and Regulatory Directives (PRDs)Work on the PRDs is progressing well. At this time, we have identified most topics thathave to be captured in the PRDs. The first drafts of many PRDs are completed and areposted on the transition website ) . HPAC members are invited to send their commentabout specific PRDs to the authors of these PRDs. Comments will be collected, analyzed

TransitionCommittee

ProgressReport

The original information about therestructure of the HPAC appeared

in the March editions of the AIRand Survol magazines. The

Transition Committee has madesignificant progress in the three

months since then. The purposeof this second article is to updateon what has been accomplished

to date and where we are headedover the next three months. I will

address the four main areas ofwork, namely: incorporation mat-ters, policy documents, elections

of Directors and an improvedHPAC web site in turn.

Note that the information in thisarticle is not up to date since thisarticle had to be translated and

submitted to the magazine editorsby 15 May. For the latest infor-

mation, you are invited to visit theTransition web site at http://

members.home.net/andre.nadeau/transition/home.htm.


and may be incorporated in the second drafts that should be coming out beginning inAugust. If there is a topic that you feel should be, but has not yet been, addressed in aPRD, please let me know. You can email me at: [email protected].

In the writing of the PRDs, the Transition Committee is not trying to reinvent the wheel.Foremost in our mind is capturing existing policies. For example, we are not redefiningthe rating system or the instructor certification program. We are simply capturing thesetopics in the PRDs and making changes to how they are administered so they fit within therestructured association. In some instances, we have noticed a lack of details that makesome of the policies difficult to interpret or understand or some inconsistencies. In thesecases, we have made some minor changes or additions, most often in co-operation withsubject matter experts to make the PRD clearer and eliminate the inconsistencies.

Drafting some of the PRDs has proven to be a challenge because we have had troublesecuring source documents about the existing policies. In such cases, we had to rely onpeople understanding of what the policies are and there are some cases where peoplehave had different understanding and interpretations. In such cases, we have strive tomake the policies as simple as possible.

It has never been our intention to write perfect PRDs. We understand that PRDs are a workin progress and changes will be made to them on an on-going basis. In fact, I have iden-tified a few policies and directives that I believe should be changed for a variety of rea-sons but that will be the challenge of future elected BoD. What we are providing with thePRD mechanism is one repository for all policies and directives that is shared by, and avail-able to, all members, and a convenient means to allow for continuous improvement in thepolicies without bureaucratic overhead. We are also providing a configuration manage-ment process that will ensure that all changes made to PRDs are controlled and approvedand that all changes to policies and procedures are captured. This will be a majorimprovement from past years where many changes were never captured anywhere andwhere individual made changes to policies without formal approval.

Note that the Transition Team is not yet committed to the name, number or format of thePRDs. Once all the policies and directives have been identified and drafted, the TransitionTeam will review the whole lot and determine how best to format them for easy reference.

Election of DirectorsThere is another article in the magazine that is a call for candidates for the positions ofregional directors of the HPAC. The election rules and details are contained in that articleso I will not dwell on those details. Suffice to say that the election mechanisms are now inplace.

The candidates will each get some space in the September editions of the AIR and Survolto make themselves known to you and present their platforms. I strongly encourage allmembers to get to know the candidates and question them. You are about to entrust someof these candidates with the future of our sports. By electing strong candidates, you willindirectly contribute to a prosperous future. For the first time since the introduction of thesports, our future is firmly in your hand.

New Web SiteWith the increasing public dependence on the Internet, our web site will continue to gainimportance in informing and supporting members and potential members. The TransitionCommittee is fully committed to the development of a first-class web site. A web site proj-ect team has been assembled and is lead by Phil D’Eon who is a member of, and in thisrole reports to, the Transition Committee.

We want to build a website that is, in fact, a useful tool for the members and administra-tion of HPAC and other people who may visit the HPAC website for various reasons. Wewant it to be a vehicle for attracting new members to the sport. Most of all, in keeping withthe nature of HPAC as a volunteer organization, we want the content to be maintainableby many volunteers across the country, with appropriate controls for the safeguarding ofinformation.

This is a huge project. We are approaching it by independently developing an architec-ture that separates the content from the functions that serve up that content. That way muchof the existing content can be imported from the current website, and that, plus new con-tent, can be modified as easily as a database. And it can all be served up with a consis-tent look and feel through functions that will be designed to serve the needs of the varioustypes of website users – members, administration, schools, the curious public, etc. Our

To advertise inAir please

email the editorat [email protected] more info.


How We Changed the By-lawsThe objective of reviewing our incorpora-tion status was two-fold. First, we had toofficially rename the Association fromHGAC to HPAC, something that wasnever done officially with IndustryCanada, even though we have using thename for many years. The second was tomake changes to the by-laws so we couldset the stage and move ahead with therestructure.

There were two approaches available tous to achieve these objectives. The firstapproach was to send one application torename the corporation followed by oneapplication to amend the by-laws. Thesecond approach was to create a newcorporation named the HPAC, transfer allassets and membership from the HGAC tothe HPAC and then dissolve the HGAC.The end result is effectively the same i.e.we get a new name and new by-laws.

In analyzing both approaches, we recog-nized that there were significant advan-tages in proceeding with the secondapproach. These advantages follow:

a. Better control of the restructured sched-ule. Amending the by-laws (approachone) would have required that the existingBoD pass a resolution to that effect. Thenon-elected BoD has historically been veryslow in voting on resolutions and therewas a risk that they would not action thisone fast enough thus threatening the earlyschedule of the restructure. By creating anew corporation, we eliminated the needfor that resolution which has allowed us tokeep the restructure on schedule;

b. Backup plan. There is always the risk,albeit small, that the restructure will fail. Itis conceivable that the members of theTransition Committee (myself, Phil D'Eonand Peter Bowle-Evans) could be victimsof accidents, thus eliminating the entireleadership of the transition committee.Or perhaps, the current BoD may decideto cancel the restructure for some reason.

goal is that the content will be maintain-able without programming skills in orderthat many volunteers can join in, lifting theburden off the shoulders of the few whocurrently do all the work on the website(notably Stewart Midwinter and FredWilson).

The core team for the new website devel-opment is a group of four volunteers inToronto (geographically convenient for bi-weekly review and guidance meetings),but the bulk of the architecture develop-ment work is being done by one volun-teer, Charles Warren. Riding herd on thecore team there is a larger website advi-sory team comprised of selected HPACmembers across the country, most ofwhom are involved in one way or anotherwith the current website. We are using aversion of the spiral development model,which means effectively that we specify,prototype, review, and re-direct or refine.The new website project got its green lightto proceed on March 1, so the first proto-type functions are soon coming up for thefirst review by the advisory team.Meanwhile, there has been some hot dis-cussion on architecture issues.

ConclusionThis last quarter has been a busy but fruit-ful quarter for the Transition Team. Weare far from being out of the wood but wehave a clear and definite plan for the wayahead and are fully confident we willbring the restructure to a positive conclu-sion.

There will be another update in theSeptember editions of the AIR and theSurvol magazine. We expect to make sig-nificant progress by then. We also hopethat many members submit their candida-tures for the upcoming elections. No mat-ter how much work the TransitionCommittee does, the HPAC cannot besuccessful without a strong and dedicatedBoD.

Creating a new corporation allow us tokeep the existing structure in place at thesame time that we are building the newstructure. Thus, reverting to the status quois very simple, something that cannot besaid had we moved ahead with the firstapproach.

c. Easier up-front administration. It is actu-ally simpler and faster to create a newcorporation than to make changes to anexisting corporation. The reason is thatIndustry Canada requires that all changesto the by-laws be identified and substanti-ated when they are amended. There is nosuch requirement for substantiation whennew by-laws are file for a new corpora-tion. Our approach will create someextra paperwork in the long term but thereis no urgency to file this paperwork untilafter the restructure is done when we willhave plenty of time to do so.

d. Getting a Clean break. The HGAChas been much less than responsible, tosay the least, in following Governmentregulations and preserving and filing his-torical records. I continually cringe aboutthe possibility of having to demonstrate tothe government, or worse, to a court oflaw that we have our act together. Bycreating a new corporation, we get aclean slate and all our demonstrated short-comings hopefully disappear with theHGAC. We can then focus on ensuringthat the HPAC never gets in this kind of amess again. The new organization struc-ture should facilitate that.

Because of these advantages, theTransition Committee has selected the sec-ond approach. Thus, what has actuallybeen submitted to Industry Canada is theapplication to form a new non-profit asso-ciation called the HPAC.•

Andre Nadeau

A I R I N F OWhen to SubmitNext deadline for the Fall edition of Air isthe week of August 27.

What to SubmitAll articles must be submitted before thedeadline to be considered for publication.If you do not see your article or submis-sion please be patient. I will make everyattempt to get your article printed in theupcoming issue.

Where to SubmitBy email at [email protected] McGowanc/o 1430 Church Ave.Winnipeg, MB, R2X 1G4

Advertising RatesRates can be viewed on the web at:http://www.hpac.ca/hpacsop/air/backissues.htm

Design and LayoutPlease call me for pricing if you needyour ad designed or touched up.

Sur Vol EditorLine Turcotte [email protected] 850 Claude de Ramezay, Marieville, Québec J3M 1E8 Deadlines: Feb. May, Aug and Nov 15th.

Transition Report...continued from page 25


Which isthe one

true

I've long had a respect and fascination for the Amish - a people whose deep religiousbeliefs forbid the use of electricity or complicated machinery. They're happy without

computers, TVs and telephones, cellular or otherwise.

In the aviation arena, hang gliding would seem to get the Amish seal of approval. Wehave no motors, no licenses, not even a cockpit. We ought to fly with straw hats, nothelmets.

But wait - what about the splinter sect of foot-launch zealots that despite their day-glooutfits have seemingly reached a higher plane of orthodoxy by shunning aluminum andbolts - the paraglider pilots?

About a week ago I scraped the muffler of my Honda CRX up to the top of MarshallPeak (near Crestline, CA), set up the old Comet 2 hang glider and launched at 1:15into very clear and surprisingly strong conditions for this time of year. Indeed, gliderswere visible above all three major peaks. I immediately snagged a boomer to the leftof launch and worked up into the gaggle of paragliders above Marshall. (Knock onaluminum but I've never had a bad experience flying amongst PGs - even in the noto-rious Torrey Pines HG/RC/PG/sailplane air cocktail.)

Although I was a bit nervous to leave Marshall without a driver, I challenged myself torun "the circuit" today (what I call flying the triangle with Crestline, Pine Flats, andMarshall as turnpoints). As I was gaining enough altitude to shoot over the back toCrestline I noticed a fairly square, faded, orange PG heading back about 300 feetbelow me.

"Wow," I thought. "This guy's got balls to head out that low in a PG."

I made another circle and saw that he wasn't hitting any massive sink so I followed himand caught up to him at the Crestline launch where I hung out and watched him raceto the "billboard" (a microwave reflector at the west end of the mountain) while hehugged the terrain. I got to the billboard and was having a little trouble working sometrash when I looked up and was surprised to see the intrepid Orangeman real high andstarting off towards Pine Flats. Now my competitive fires were ignited.

"Wait a second! This guy's ahead of me on "the circuit"! ...in a bagwing!" I thought.

Getting frustrated by the trash close in, I switched strategies and blundered into anunusually strong 1000 fpm thermal farther away from the mountain, over the concretecylinder. After I topped at 700 above I shot over to Pine, circled the peak, then head-ed towards Marshall. I could see the orange PGer working the foothills of Pine. Iadmired his guts and got a quick new respect for PG capabilities considering how fastand how far he had flown.

After one additional thermal I flew back to Marshall and top-landed while the condi-tions were still good (I didn't want to risk getting drilled without a driver). I hadn't top-landed Marshall in 15 years and had forgotten what a satisfying, independent feelingyou get landing next to your car after a thermal flight.

While bagging my glider I noticed the orthodox congregation at the edge of launch.As I struggled to heft my metal tubed contraption to the top of my car, a lean figureparted the PG crowd and walked toward me. I looked twice.

"It couldn't be... it is... The Creator!" I thought in awe.

There standing in front of me with palms outstretched, dust majestically swirling aroundhis feet and cloaked in a faded day-glo jumpsuit was the greatest hang glider design-er in history, the creator of the Comet, and now paraglider pilot - Roy Haggard.

Was he here to lay hands on my fluttering trailing edge? What profound utteranceswould this holyman impart? Would he speak of his religious journey to the purenessof paragliding? What wisdom would he choose to reveal to me?

"Do you have any toilet paper?" he asked.

Russ Brown, Huntington Beach, California, USA

"Real"religion?


Overcoming ComplacencyWe counter complacency in two main ways. Either, through conscious efforts we work toimprove our awareness, or we have a near-death experience. Hopefully you will neverencounter the latter circumstance. However, because you have escaped serious injury, inno way protects you from any other problem. As a matter of fact, you can become so"wise" about that kind of incident that you reduce your perception about other safety mat-ters.

One way to fight complacency is by using checklists. If you make your own checklist, howdo you know that you have covered everything? What else could be added? Confer andcompare with your fellow pilots.

Another way is to spend time thinking about complacency itself. I have only covered a briefdescription of some of its manifestations. Perhaps you could write an article to explainsomething to the rest of us. The very process will stimulate your thinking and produce thenecessary focus beyond the passing acknowledgment.

One other way, is to think about all the things that could possibly go wrong. Now I real-ize that a pilot should not focus on "what not to do", but rather on "what to do". However,think of this simply as defensive flying. Being oblivious to potential problems makes you nosafer than an ostrich. Ask yourself questions, such as, "what am I not considering?", "whatproblems might arise and how would I handle them?"

Study accident reports, and develop principles that you can apply to other circumstances.

A good question is -- "what can I do to improve my safety and that of my fellow pilots?

Like freedom, safety requires constant vigilance. The ultimate penalty for complacency isdeath.

If you don't read this article twice, and then stop and ponder the ramifications, then youwill be committing the eighth deadly sin. Well? •

Send feedback to [email protected]

The Eight Deadly Sin...continued from page 18 The Eag les Eye

Look way up h igh , I

mean h igh in the sky.

H igh in the sky in the

Eag les eye ,There ' s a g i r l

on a k i te learn ing to f l y.

The Eag les swoops down

then passes rea l s low,

He sp ies the g i r l w i th

her face a l l ag low.He

g ives a f l i ck o f h i s

wings and d ives ou t o f

s i te , Leav ing the s t range

b i rd to i t ' s p rec ar ious

p l igh t . The g i r l pu l l s in

to ga in some speed ,

On ly a thermal c an fu l f i l

her need . Her senses are

t ing l ing as she turns to

the r igh t , She ge ts a

g l impse o f the eag le c i r -

c l ing up ou t o f s igh t .

Thr i l l ed by the chance to

soar tha t day, The g i r l

on the k i te fo l lows the

eag les way, As she turns

and turns she s lowly

r i ses , N ice smooth l i f t

no supr ises . The Eag le i s

now way up above , Bu t

s t i l l i n common they

have a love . The cur-

ren ts o f a i r they r ide

way up h igh . So bo th

may fee l a t one

wi th the sky.

by Jane Katy Hunt

The annual Instructors Certification course was again hosted by MullerWindsport, in Cochrane Alta. Instructors were Chris Muller, and John

Janssen. Ten Students attended, they were: Tom Korte, Willie Damgaard,Ian, Robertson, Greg Hemingway, Moore Newell, Bill Woloshyniuk, SimonJones, Tihi Bukvic, Steve Milchack, and Terry Thordarson.

Chris and John opened the morning with introductions, and an outline of the course mate-rial and direction. Ian and Willie pulled their twin scooter Paragliding tow rig down fromEdmonton with them. They had prepared course material on basic instruction, which theypresented using Power Point on the first morning of the course.

The afternoon of day one was spent writing the advanced hang gliding-paragliding exam,and was followed by exuberant discussion, and marking of the exams.

Day 2Day two of the course began with a presentation on safety by Max Fanderl, fromInvermere. This was much more than a safety presentation, as Max is a very experiencedand pationate flyer, and he knows what he is talking about. We learned about the impor-tance of weather conditions, and the basics of how to handle surprises. Particularly thosesurprises that crop up from time to time, while flying in the Golden Valley.

We were all given food for thought, and Max asked us to look in the mirror when it comesto safety incidents that can be prevented. Max provided an excellent method to set up astudy of landing fields that pretty much eliminates second-guessing a landing approach,under any condition. A very impressive presentation.

After lunch, we had a visit and presentation from Lenora Crane-Shaw of TransportCanada. Her husband Miles, who is a commercial pilot, aided Lenora. Lenora started hertalk by praising the Hang-Para community, for our continued cooperation wit T.C. over theyears, and claimed that of all the wind sport disciplines, we were the most educated andinformed group. She thanked us for that.

Also Lenora went over the important issues with regard to airspace, control, and gave ususeful hand out material. While she was talking, it became obvious the hill out side wassoarable when hang gliders and paragliders, could be seen cutting across the upperQuonset windows. After Lenora's presentation, we had a break that some people used toset up their hanggliders.

When the class resumed, Chris spent the rest of the day on reserve chute deployment, andre-packing. When he had finished, we noticed it was still soarable, and a number of uswent flying. It was superb on the hill, one of those Cochrane days that keeps getting bet-ter as the day progresses. By 6:00 p.m. the conditions were too strong for the paraglid-ers, but were ideal for the hangs, dead in at 25 to 30 k's. It did make landing a bit of achallenge, as the south approach always does when it is strong. When I left the hill, theonly reason not to be flying was the approaching darkness.

By Terry Thordarson

Instructors Course...or how to pick up women!

...continued on next page

Ian Robertson takes up Tihi B

ukvic



Day 3The morning of day three, Sunday, was clear, but warm with light thermals bubbling upfrom Cochrane town. As we stood by the Quonset, eating our donuts and coffee deliv-ered each morning, by Bill, courtesy of Vincene and Chris. Today Willie and Ian weregoing to demonstrate their scooter tow system. They setup at the lower landing field, andgave us a review of how the system works, and how they prepare students for a first tow.With two eager volenteers at the ready (Tihi, and Greg), they payed out twin lines andTihi geared up. This system worked like a charm. After a 30 or 40 second climb out Tihireleased at about 150 ft, and actually milked the light lift for a couple of minutes. I knowhe could have cleared the top of Cochrane hill, and landed on top, but he received a par-tial radio transmission from Chris, telling him to come down. What Chris actually said was"Tihi if you don't come down, you'll fail the course!" He was joking of course. All Tihiheard was '……..come down…..", so he did. Greg also had an excellent tow, release,and flight.

Ian and Willie do a great job, have professional equipment, and teaching methods thatcan only advance the sport of paragliding in a positive way. They were going to try ahangglider tow up, but conditions, and time worked against them.

After a lunch break, it was time for student presentations. This is always a nerve-wrackingtime for the student, as they must demonstrate their teaching ability on any subject theywish, within a ten-minute period. It was noted that the presentations are getting better andmore professional each year. This year the presentation topics had a wide range. From'How to pick up women', to 'trigonometric functions', and from 'how to clean your CD's'to making a delicious plate of crepes. Each student instructor develops an individual styleof delivery, and needs to shape that style over time with practice.

We all couldn't help but notice the soaring conditions had returned to the hill, and with thecourse complete, some students joined the visiting pilots already airborne. A great way toend the day, and the annual instructor's certification course.

A big thanks goes out to Chris and Vincene, for their hospitality, and use of their facilities.

Terry Thordarson

Wes Teskey over C

ochrane

is a beach about two hundred feet longand fifty feet wide located about anotherkilometre across town. The beach is locat-ed behind a tranquil hotel and you canfold your wing on the grass surroundingthe hotel pool where nobody will botheryou. Both LZs are suitable for novice withreasonable landing skills. The usuallystrong wind at both LZs make for steepapproaches and there is little danger ofovershooting. Note that although there issome hang gliding in Panajachel, the siteis more suitable for paragliders becausethe dry-river bed is not hang glider friend-ly due to obstacles and the beach may bea bit small for less-experienced hang glid-er pilots. Note that the hang glider launchis located on a different ridge from theparagliding launch although I see no rea-son why hang gliders could not use theparaglider launch if one is willing to carryhis equipment the short way to launch.

There is another flying site across the lake(south shore) that we did not get theopportunity to fly. Presumably, the site ischaracterised by fat, medium-strengththermals. That site must be flown in themorning before the south wind picks up asthe launch is facing north.

How to get thereAir service to Guatemala is limited and noCanadian companies fly there. Lacsa, theCosta Rican airline, operates daily flightsfrom Montreal and Toronto using modernAirbus 310s. The Montreal flight we tookstopped over in Havana and in ElSalvador where we transferred to a Boing737 for the final leg to Guatemala City.Our airfare was approximately $700including taxes. United Airlines is one ofthe few US airlines with services toGuatemala City and can provide an alter-native for westerners although it is likelymore expensive.

Panajachel is located approximately 160km west of Guatemala City, the Capital ofGuatemala and the entry point for inter-national flights. There is a good two-laneroad between Guatemala City andPanajachel that winds its way throughmountain ranges. Slow truck traffic andthe many steep grades and turns make fora lengthy ride of approximately threehours despite the short distance. In theo-ry, there are mini buses ($20/person) thatwait for all international flights but wenever say any, probably because wewere the last one out of the airport due tolost luggage (see xxx). Instead, we took ataxi to Panajachel instead at a cost of $90

US, which is cost-effective for four per-sons. We took a minibus on the way backto the airport.

Local Contact and InformationThe best contact is a Canadian expatriatenamed Roger Lapointe (locally known asRogellio) who operates the only full-timeschool and tandem joy-ride operation inPanajachel. For a fee of $10 per person,Rogelio will show you the LZs and emer-gency LZs and launch. Rogellio e-mail [email protected] and his localphone number is 710-4630. You cannotYou cannot call long distance at that num-ber so you will have to rely on his e-mailaddress to make preliminary contact.•

In The Shadow of the Maya...continued from page 22

Andre Nadeau and David Walker


Reference is the Earth or horizon line.Visual reference tells freestylers wherethey are during many of their maneuvers.The loop, for example, is unique becausepilots lose visual reference momentarilyduring the maneuver and must rely onother indicators like bar position, G load-ing or wind past their faces to safely com-plete the maneuver.

Lazy 8s (linked roll reversals) is a basicaerobatics maneuver. Freestylers descendby linking a series of smooth, climbingturn-roll reversals. Practicing this maneu-ver helps them to "tune in" to the naturalcadence of their glider. Properly execut-ed, the maneuver looks like a series of 8s,with tips curled upward, staircasingdownward. All other freestyle maneuvers(short of the spin) are based on the Lazy8s.

A wingunder is an attempted maneuverin which the pilot rolls too much beforereaching the entry, then pitches abruptlyaround and down in corkscrew fashion.Think of it as a twisting diving turn with nodiscernable apex. This maneuver cancause disorientation from high G loadingand has broken gliders. Many freestylersexecute climbing turns like in lazy 8sinstead.

The mush-stall sequence is a commontechnique used by freestylers to help gettheir gliders to dive steeply. With wingslevel and from minimum sink, they slowthe glider into the mush mode prior to ini-tiating the dive ball-up. Mush-stalls allowpilots to better control their dive entry andare less of a tumble risk.

Whipstalls occur if pilots carry excessenergy with them into the stall sequence.

They essentially trade airspeed for altitudein an accelerated stall. Pilots have gonenegative and tumbled their gliders duringwhipstall attempts. Many veteranfreestylers utilize the safer mush-stallsequence instead.

Balling-up refers to the fetal posturefreestylers assume in order to achieve agood dive, for instance. They essentiallyperform a front somersault over the controlbar while burying the basetube at theirfeet.

Max dive is a radical freestyle dive -nearly vertical in attitude with speedsapproaching 100 mph. Freestyle pilotsare often proficient at and comfortablewith this sonic boom dive. It is their enginebeing as steep as ~60 to 80 degreesnose-down and is normally maintainedfrom 5 to 6 plus seconds at lower alti-tudes. (NOTE: In its first dive, Japan’snewest super-roller-coaster plummets 310feet and attains 95mph.)

Divergence is a term applied to the raretendency for some gliders to go negativeduring radical dives. Most gliders eitherbuild progressive-positive bar pressure orremain neutral as pilots gain airspeedduring a dive. This is good. Some models,however, can do the opposite, go nega-tive, and potentially "tuck" at high air-speeds. This is not so good and one rea-son safe freestylers use caution in devel-oping their dives.

A hanger occurs when a freestyler mis-manages energy during a steep maneuverattempt. This often results in a gliderstalled upside-down at the apex with thepilot "hanging" negatively from the base-tube. Pilots usually ball-up and look for thehorizon to help the recovery from thisevent.

The climbout phase of a climbingfreestyle maneuver occurs between theentry and approximately 90 degreesnose-up. It’s been said pilots may experi-ence up to 4Gs during loop climbouts;therefore, smooth confident inputs arerequired for safe well-executed maneu-vers. A good climbout typically equals agood maneuver for the practicingfreestyler.

High-speed stalls occur if pilots allowthe bar to come forward too quickly afterdiving to high airspeeds. Many high-speed stalls take place during steepclimbouts. The glider will appear to twistout and pitch up abruptly as the laminarairflow around the wing is disrupted -spoiling precious energy for safely com-pleting the maneuver. Smoothness iseverything in safe aerobatics.

Terminal velocity is the speed in Maxdive at which the glider is essentially infree-fall equilibrium with the air resistancearound it. That is to say it is diving as fastas it will for that particular attitude. Thiscan be an excellent reference point forfreestylers as to when to initiate a steepmaneuver.

Degree of difficulty refers to howmuch skill particular maneuvers require. • Shallow maneuvers: lazy 8s, climbingturns up to 90 degrees bank • Steep maneuvers: climbovers from 90-120 degrees bank • Radical maneuvers: loops, climboversand rollovers over 120 degree bank, andspins

Recognized maneuvers This section describes for the reader thefour recognized advanced maneuversupon which pilots are judged in freestylecompetitions.

The spin is a descending, low airspeed,autorotating maneuver in which one wingis stalled, or partially so, and the otherwing flies around it -- like a falling mapleseed. It is difficult for freestylers to executeand truly beautiful for spectators to watchwhen well performed. During the spinentry the glider simultaneously nosesdown and twists rapidly about its roll axis.This action requires about 90 to 180degrees of rotation to complete. The glid-er may then enter a "steady state" inwhich it seemingly autorotates near itsyaw axis. Veteran spinners sometimeshold this maneuver for many revolutionswhile losing tremendous altitude. (VIDEOCLIP: Watch Tammy Burcar in"Aeronauts" for a world class example ofthe spin.)

The climbover (sometimes called"wang" or "wingover") is a climbingfreestyle maneuver in which the glider’sheading change is greater than 90degrees from entry to apex. Spectatorsmay visualize this maneuver like a loopoff to the side. A safe pilot practices liter-ally thousands of these more fundamentalmaneuvers before attempting the difficultloop. (VIDEO CLIP: Watch WashingtonState’s Aaron Swepston in "DaredevilFlyers 2" for good examples of worldclass climbovers)

All loops are climbovers, but not allclimbovers are loops. The loop is a radi-cal maneuver and type of climbover inwhich the heading change from entry toapex is exactly 180 degrees. This is themaneuver that goes straight over the top.It is recognized, semiballistic, and difficultto execute. The loop differs from other rad-ical maneuvers in that the pilot looses visu-

Freestyle...continued from page 19


al reference for a brief period of time.(VIDEO CLIP: Watch California’s RonYoung in "E-Team Raw" for world classexamples of the loop.)

The rollover (sometimes called a"twistee") is freestyle’s last recognizedand probably most difficult climbing aero-batics maneuver. The heading change ina rollover is less than 90 degrees fromentry to apex as the glider "twists" overon its back following an up-line createdduring the climbout phase. Visualize thismaneuver like the weightshift version ofthe three-axis split S. Rollovers are trulyspectacular to watch and difficult forfreestylers to execute. (VIDEO CLIP: MitchMcAleer is one world class pilot who hasmastered the rollover. He’s one to watchin "Aeronauts.")

Freestyle potpourriGliders: Choice of glider is an importantconsideration for the practicing freestyleras many pilots fly a certified high-per-formance glider with known "looper" rep-utation. These gliders retain energy welland are of superior strength. Comp pilotstypically perform radical freestyle with full-VG for improved energy retention.

Harnesses and proper posture:Freestylers typically fly cocoon-type har-nesses. These provide maximum flexibilityfor proper ball-up. Pods are also flown,but many pilots leave the bombayunzipped for greater flexibility. Beinghead-down in their harness may be amore important factor than the type theychoose to fly.

Conditions and practice areas: Anideal practice condition for many

freestylers is perfectly calm air. Sled runsfrom tow or mountain launches are com-mon events. Pilots will normally find anarea to perform that is away from specta-tors and other pilots, perhaps over the rel-ative safety of a tree canopy or water.Safe practicing pilots allow themselves atleast 1500’ clearance for all maneuvers.Comp pilots are penalized for executinglow maneuvers.

Pitch before roll is common mantraamong freestyle veterans. Their goal is tocreate smooth climbing turns by pitchingthrough the entry before they add roll totheir maneuvers. This is "pitch beforeroll." With practice, they can roll later intheir climbouts and thus execute steepermaneuvers. The wingunder is an exampleof "roll before pitch," something manypilots wish to avoid.

Wings level at the entry is hallowedadvice among aerobatics pilots.Freestylers can control the shape of eachmaneuver more precisely, in a routine forexample, if they establish wings level atthe entry first. Spectators may recognize itis difficult for pilots to be rolling throughthe entry and achieve a well-definedclimbing maneuver.

Lazy 8s is the descending series ofclimbing turns-roll reversals described pre-viously. You may note freestylers beginwith a shallow dive, then "let" the bar outthrough the entry, add some roll, continuepitching through the apex, pull in, rolllevel, and repeat the process in the oppo-site direction. It’s typical for successivedives to get a little steeper. Many novicefreestylers start with 45s and thenprogress carefully from there. Lazy 8s isfundamental and a good practice plat-form for steeper maneuvers. Perfect prac-tice makes perfect.Because of the inherent pitch stability in

their gliders, freestylers have to exercisetechnique to get their noses pointed earth-ward. One way they do this is to mush-stall before they initiate the dive. They typ-ically begin this sequence by slowing theglider to minimum sink with wings level,then attempt to further slow the glider’s for-ward motion with a steady push into mushmode. The glider eventually stalls and itsnose drops to recover. The pilots mayappear to simply pull in and follow thegliders lead. Mush-stalls are said to haveadvantages over whipstalls in that thefreestyler doesn’t go negative and thedive entry is more easily controlled.

The dive is the freestyler’s engine andprobably most fundamental tool they useto execute climbing aerobatics. Manypilots learn to steepen their dives throughdiligent practice. The reader may observepilots’ to begin with shallow dives fol-lowed by shallow climbing turns. Safepilots often progress cautiously from there.In each maneuver they note dive angle,entry, apex and overall shape. Freestylerspractice literally thousands of dives of dif-ferent types. Perhaps this is what buildsconfidence for executing advancedmaneuvers safely.

Advanced maneuversChampion pilot Ron Young is onefreestyler to watch closely for good exam-ples of advanced maneuvers. He has thedistinction of being the first man to holdstatus of consecutive looper in modernflexwings. He began looping in the early80s. He still loops today. Mr. Youngmakes the loop look easy. It’s not! It’s verydifficult to execute safely even with amethodical approach to learning – onereason it scores so well at meets.Advanced freestylers typically practicethousands of wingovers before theyattempt their first loop. The following sec-tion describes what spectators may expectto see in a well-executed loop and otheradvanced maneuvers. For clarity’s sakewe’ll call our loop example pilot FreestyleDave.

Loop: (AKA – Dooming Circle of Flaming Death)

Mush-stall: Freestyle Dave slows theglider’s forward motion with a mush-stallsequence. You may observe the glider’snose to slowly rise.

Max dive: Once the glider is stalledFreestyle Dave will toss his upper-bodyforward through the control frame in som-ersault fashion and bury the basetube athis feet. It’s important here that heachieves a head-down attitude relative tohis hips in order to gain maximummechanical advantage over loopingspeed bar pressure. Here you witness theglider to sharply nose-down and begin its



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Work: ( _____ ) __________________________ Medic Alert:______________________________________

In Case of EMERGENCY contact: __________________________________ Relationship:________________

Phone: ( _____ ) __________________________ Address: _________________________________________

City: ____________________________________ Prov.: ________________ Country: ___________________

It is MANDATORY to carry liability insurance to fly most sites in North America. HPAC Liability Insuranceis only available to financial members of the HPAC. If you are applying for full membership please completethe attached Liability Waiver.

I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS FORM IS AN APPLICATION FOR LIABILITY INSURANCE

AND THAT ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN ABOVE IS CORRECT.

Dated: ________________________________ Signature: __________________________________________

Did you have an accident in the past year that was not reported? Y N HPAC Form A- Rev.2000-6

2001


RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK

I, _________________________________, hereby acknowledge and agree that in consideration of

being permitted to participate in Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities, I hereby agree to

release and discharge "Owners and/or Lessors of land who have granted permission for the use of property for Hang

Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities, the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada a/o Association

Canadien De Vol Libre, their officers, directors, representatives, employees, members and all other persons or entities acting

in any capacity on their behalf" (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Releasee") from all liability and I do hereby waive as

against the "Releasee" all recourses, claims, causes of action of any kind whatsoever, in respect of all personal injuries or

property losses which I may suffer arising out of or connected with, my preparation for, or participation in, the aforesaid

Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities, not withstanding that such injuries or losses may have been caused solely or

partly by the negligence of the "Releasee"

1. And I do hereby acknowledge and agree;

a. that the sport of Hang Gliding / Paragliding and Hang Gliding / Paragliding is very dangerous, exposing

participants to many risks and hazards, some of which are inherent in the very nature of the sport itself, others which

result from human error and negligence on the part of persons involved in preparing, organizing and staging Hang

Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities;

b. that, as a result of the aforesaid risks and hazards, I as a participant may suffer serious personal injury, even death, as

well as property loss;

c. that some of the aforesaid risks and hazards are foreseeable, but others are not;

d. that I nevertheless freely and voluntarily assume all of the aforesaid risks and hazards, and that, accordingly, my

preparation for, and participation in the aforesaid Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs and activities shall be entirely

at my own risk;

e. that I understand that the "Releasee" does not assume any responsibility whatsoever for my safety during the course

of my preparation for or participation in the aforesaid Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities;

e. that I have carefully read this RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK agreement, that I fully

understand same, and that I am freely and voluntarily executing same;

g. that I understand that by signing this release I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge and agree to indemnify

and hold harmless the "Releasee" for any loss or damage connected with any property loss or personal injury that I

may sustain while participating in or preparing for any Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities whether or

not such loss or injury is caused solely or partly by the negligence of the "Releasee"

h. that I have been given the opportunity and have been encouraged to seek independent legal advice prior tosigning this agreement;

i. that the term "Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities" as used in this RELEASE, WAIVER AND

ASSUMPTION OF RISK agreement includes without limiting the generality of that term, the Hang Gliding towing

programs and activities as well as all other competitions, fly-ins, training sessions, clinics, programs and events;

j. this RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK agreement is binding on myself, my heirs, my executors,

administrators, personal representatives and assigns and;

k. that I have had sufficient opportunity to read this entire document. I have read and understood it, and Iagree to be bound by its terms.

Signature of Participant: _________________________ Print Name: ____________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

Phone: _______________________________________ Date: _____________________________

Signature of Witness: ___________________________ Print Name: _____________________________


free fall into Earth’s gravity well. In a gooddive our example pilot may experience aphenomenon known as "wing lurch"about one second into the dive. His glid-er’s attitude may steepen slightly and hemay experience some neutral G perhapsslightly negative G – a common phenom-enon for many pilot-glider combinations.He will typically hold Max dive for 5 to 6plus seconds while listening for terminalvelocity or feeling for increased bar pres-sure, good signs the dive is complete.Freestyle Dave will have lost 300 to 500feet at this point and is travelling atupwards of 85 to 100mph. Smooth inputsare a must.

Climbing freestyle maneuverentry: The entry of our pilot’s exampleloop begins at the bottom of Max dive.Here the glider will end its dive and beginto level with the horizon. Spectators maynote Freestyle Dave extending fromballed-up to prone in his harness. Thisslight shift in CG aft typically initiates hisentry.

Climbout: Following the entry you willnote the glider to nose-up and begin itsclimbout to past vertical. It may twist outslightly and appear to pull Freestyle Davethrough this phase of the maneuver. Hewill lose visual reference at some pointhere, so it important that he not focus onthe horizon and instead look upward,continuing with his smooth pitchingmotion. Ideally the basetube will be some-where near his face as he tops theclimbout - still pulling Freestyle Dave sky-ward.

Apex: Spectators may note FreestyleDave’s arms continue to extend as hewatches now for the opposite horizon. It

will come into to his view somewhere nearthe apex, but this may take a few secondsto occur. Keep in mind he is without visu-al reference for 180 degrees of pitch arc.Just prior to apex you may observe thepilot to push out with his remaining air-speed. This action takes him over the apexand is the only time during the maneuverhe has "pushed" anything. There is subtletiming involved as to how much andwhen, but Freestyle Dave is past the apexand he now pulls in to exit his exampleloop. He’s back in safer territory.Well…sort of. Read on.

Trouble spots: Freestyle Dave’s exam-ple loop went pretty well. He did every-thing correctly and knew what to expectfrom lots of practice. The reality is though;loops (and other radical maneuvers) arevery difficult for freestyle pilots to learnand thus don’t always go this smoothly.So, I’ll describe a few potential loop trou-ble spots you may observe to occuramong practicing freestylers.

• The exit dive from the loop is oftensteep, fast and hard to control. Novicefreestylers have been "tossed" into ensu-ing involuntary maneuvers because theysometimes mismanage remaining energyin the post-apex portion of their loops bypulling in too much, too soon, or tooquickly. This action can rock them uprightin their harnesses relative to the controlbar. From this head-high posture theyhave very little mechanical advantageover exit dive bar pressure – somethingsafe freestylers try to avoid. • When learning to loop some novicefreestylers get to the apex of their maneu-ver in good shape then blow the backsidebecause they pull in prior to reaching theapex. Freestylers sometimes refer to thisas balling up too soon. With excessspeed, pulling in early causes the glider tonose-down (nose-up in this case) and thepilot ends up with a "hanger," or worse.He may get light or go slightly negative –perhaps not a pleasant feeling when oneis hanging upside-down. Once stalled,many pilots remain balled-up and holdtightly to control bar. You may observe theglider to "fall" momentarily then the luffwall should kick in and rotate it earth-ward.

• Loss of visual reference can have apotent psychological effect on practicingpilots and some have stalled their glidersgoing straight up in premature loopattempts. If pilots are unprepared orunaware that they will lose visual refer-ence during a loop they may mistakenlyfocus on the horizon during their climbout.You may observe this action usually resultsin a near vertical stall – tailslide tumbleterritory.

Climbover: The climbover is the maneu-ver on which many advanced freestylerscut their teeth before attempting the loop.Good reason. Climbovers allow them topractice progressively steeper maneuverswithout loss of visual reference and arelow risk up to about 90 degrees if onepractice lazy 8s on a regular basis.Calling their bank angle prior to attempt-ing the maneuver and then followingthrough consistently is a good indicationto freestylers that they can add a degreeof difficulty to future attempts. Theadvanced climbover looks much like ourloop example above except pilots addvarying amounts of roll as they passthrough the entry. It is said pilot input canbe as subtle as simply relaxing one arm orthe other. The reader may visualizeclimbovers like loops off to the side.

Rollover: Veteran freestylers begandeveloping the rollover (twistee) duringthe late 80s. It is unique to advancedfreestyle in its shape and difficulty of exe-cution. During this maneuver the pilot"rolls" over the apex - turning about anupline created by a pitch-roll-adverse yawcombination through the entry and earlyclimbout. This is the split-S-like move pre-viously mentioned. In a well-executedexample spectators may observe the apexheading to be nearly the same as theentry heading. It is the pitch-roll combina-tion in conjunction with proper timing thatmakes the twistee so challenging. Also, itcan be difficult for pilots to gradually prac-tice for the rollover (unlike the climbover)because they have to get pretty steep justto execute a basic example. You may alsoobserve some freestylers appear to look inthe opposite direction from which theyroll. This seems counterintuitive and per-haps a good reason rollovers score high-ly in competition. Many pilots get goodand comfortable with loops before theytangle with twistees.

Spin: Our final advanced freestylemaneuver for discussion is the spin. It isperhaps safe to say more pilots have got-ten in trouble from failed spin attemptsthan from any other recognized maneu-ver. To perform a spin freestylers must firstradically stall a tailless flying wing in mid-flight to initiate an entry, then hold this



b. Candidates will be providedwith one page on the HPAC/ACVL website subject to a limit of 5 MB per candi-date. Candidates must submit the contentof their page to the Election Supervisor.

9.0 Election Supervisor

9.1 The Election Supervisor is (tobe determined).

9.2 It is certified that the ElectionSupervisor is not a candidate or involvedwith the campaign of any candidate.

10.0 Responsibilities

10.1 The Election Supervisor isresponsible for the following:

a. Review the submission of candidates

for the AIR and Survol Magazine and theHPAC/ACVL web site;b. Design the ballot for inclusion in the AIRand Survol Magazine;c. Establish procedure for on-line voting;d. Collect all votes;e. Vet and count all votes; f. Conduct recount as required;g. Report the result of votes to the Chair ofthe Transition Committee;h. Advise all candidates of the electionresults;i. Prepare the submission for the electionresults and provide these submissions tothe AIR and Survol Magazines and to theHPAC/ACVL web site administrator; andj. Conduct an audit of the vote to detectvote fraud.

10.2 The Administrator is responsi-ble to provide the list of voting members

Call for Candidates...cont’dfor each region to the Election Supervisorin the format specified by the ElectionSupervisor.

10.3 The Chair of the TransitionCommittee is responsible to:

a. Appoint a member of the TransitionCommittee to conduct a recount asrequired; and

b. Approve the result of the elections.

11.0 Information

11.1 All questions regarding theseregulations and procedures should beaddressed to the Election Supervisor.

Andre Nadeau

As she no longer had time to navigate, I hadto scout out for her on numerous occasions,advising her on which roads to take to avoiddead-ends. This was definitely getting fun.Based on her last map check, Laurence point-ed out that crossing into Saskatchewan wouldlikely mean that I had broken my previousrecord, but I did not need any prompting tostay focused that day: the years of self-kickingkept me motivated to press on... Despite theslow start, I was now on a roll, well dressed,well hydrated, in good shape and totallyfocused to stay up. Lessons learned!

Shortly after five PM, I crossed the provincialborder under live cheering from my chasecrew (both Laurence yahooing and Mouloukbarking on the radio!). Although getting a lit-tle tired, I was determined that only darknessor lack of lift would force me to the ground thistime. Larger gaps started appearing in mycloudstreet, so I slowed back down to "secondspeed", maximizing height before jumping tothe next cloud ahead. As the thermals grewweaker, I was getting bolder with the use ofspeed bar, feeling immune to collapses inlighter lift. Part being tired, part being sur-prized by a stronger core, I reacted to a sud-den surge in my canopy by unwillingly push-ing out the speed bar with both feet, inducinga full frontal collapse. As the glider dove, thetop surface of my canopy curled up before myeyes as I fell between the lines. Cursingmyself, I suddenly remembered the advice Igot from Charles Warren four years earlier:stay off the bar or use only one leg in turbu-lence... Anyway, the Supra 28 did its thing,whacking once or twice as I pumped it out,then I was flying again. I lost minimal alti-tude, but it did give me the incentive to slowdown and stay alert.

By six PM, the clouds were definitely dissipat-ing and I was fully back into survival mode.

Facing the prospect of crossing Manitou Lake,a fairly large body of water directly in mypath, I was trying to maximize altitude.Scouting out for Laurence, it became apparentthat she would have to make a 45 km detouraround its northern edge, as no roads wereapparent to the south. Getting low again, Iworked any lift I could find, hoping to get highenough to attempt the crossing. As I got tothe lake shore, I found some nice 500 fpm up,and gave Laurence the green light to meet onthe other side. I stuck with the thermal for aslong as I could, then glided across the watersafely. By then, only a few scattered cloudsremained in the sky, however light lift was stillavailable on the lee side of the lake. I parkedmyself into zero sink at 3000 ft AGL untilLaurence showed up. She was more than sur-prized to find me airborne, still tightly workinglow altitude thermals after such a long flight,and again cheered me on! Talk about moti-vational support...

Slowly losing altitude, I told her I was going onfinal glide to max out the distance. She sug-gested I might want to hang on for an extra 13minutes to break the six-hour mark milestone.Taking the cue, I stuck with lift until it peteredout, then glided out downwind, working small-er stuff once or twice. She gave me a count-down to 6 hours, which I met by mere sec-onds! I did my usual airborne "running" onfinal to get the blood flowing into my legs,then pulled off a half-decent no-wind landingby 7h15, in a ditch between a road and apowerline.

I barely had time to finish filling up the ditchbefore the local farmer arrived! Afterexplaining that no jumping out of a plane wasinvolved, we pulled out the map and gave himthe short version. We quickly checked thedistance, estimating it at roughly 140 miles,which was later verified to be slightly over230 km, or 143 miles. Our long drive backto our campsite somewhat interfered with our

celebrations, however there was definitely nocomplaining going on!

I'd like to conclude with a few remarks. First,never give up! I was convinced that I wouldsink out in the first hour, then truly thought thatI had wasted my time covering only 50 km intwo hours. Second, I only managed to go143 miles on a 200-mile day. I fly a rela-tively old glider, and I know lots of pilots withmuch better PG skills than mine. Better equip-ment and better flying conditions will also leadto much longer flights off tow than this one.Third, it should be painfully obvious that someof the best long-distance flying in this countrycan be found in the prairies. Cloud basesaround 10,000 ft, predictable weather pat-terns, huge LZs everywhere and uncongestedairspace, all make for a perfect mix for XC fly-ing in the spring. Pilots all across Canadashould not hesitate to share these incredibleflying conditions with us. Please call us andcome out!

Finally, I could not have had such a great flightwithout the help and guidance of several peo-ple. In addition to acknowledging the sever-al excellent advice I received from theEdmonton, Wetaskiwin and Calgary pilots, Iwould like to express special thanks to the fol-lowing individuals: Robert Gagn?, for intro-ducing me to this outstanding form of flying,after years of inept HG flying from my part;Willi and Chris Muller, for providing top-qual-ity training and mentorship; Roger Nelson, forhis insightful XC flying tips; and Russ Hunter,for teaching me about endurance flying.Above all, I need to thank Laurence for her tire-less dedication and support, towing, chasing,cheering me on, and always looking out forme. I got my dream flight, hopefully you'll getyours soon!

Guy Leblanc Cold Lake, AB

Lessons Learned...continued from page 23


Hang Gliding in Russia...continued from page 12

marvelous views around. In 30 km from the launch, the tract goes along Katun River, thegreatest river of Altai beginning from a glacier at Beluha Mt. In 50 km, the road turns leftto go along Chuya River. The most distant point available is in 80 km, with no landingsbeyond that point. On the route, there are several areas, up to 7 km long, with no land-ings at all. Sometimes you fly over a valley resembling a bottleneck, and you need to becareful to choose a landing spot. Choosing landing direction can be a problem. Once Iwas going to land, and a friend of mine was showing me the wind direction. I landed in100-200 m from him and got a strong tail wind (thanks to wheels). Wind at his spot wasstill the same, opposite of mine!

Competitions in Ongudai started in 1993, when we had Altai Cup and Russian final there.There were yet three Russian finals in Ongudai. Many Russian high-level pilots regard thesite as the best for excellent flights and spectacular views. Altai Cup is a family event, witha lot of wives and kids having fun while their husbands and fathers are flying. It's really agood recreation for them. My family still misses it. The entrance fee for Altai Cup was morethan $100 US, real big money in Russia (with average monthly wages about $200). I waslucky to be freed of the fee, since I would calculate results (points) on my computer. Evenwith that fee, Altai Cup was not always financially successful, and last year it was skipped(I don't know about this year). It's amazing, but the weather was uniform on all events:50% of sunny days, 50% of rains.

The president of the Altai HG & PG Association Vladimir Mitin did a lot to organize andpopularize the Altai Cup competitions. He wrote articles in the Cross Country magazine(France), he invited foreign pilots. Five years ago one Frenchman (Raymond) and threeGermans (Yurgen, Hanness and Martin) came to Altai. Raymond (he was 60 then) wasunlucky to twist his arm on the first flying day. But he looked amazingly optimistic, andeverybody loved him. He spoke only French, and no one of us knew French, but he man-aged to talk with his hand. The Germans spoke English well. For me it was a great oppor-tunity to speak English, before that I had talked to an English-speaking person only once(in Russia, few people can say in English anything more complicated than "good bye" and"thank you").

For many of us, they were the first foreigners ever seen alive. First, there was someestrangement between us. It was broken by an incident. Martin had landed on the wrongside of Katun River, in a spot without any roads. To get him back, our driver had to makea 100-km detour through wild mounts and woods. Luckily, he could do it, and Martin washappy to see the truck when he was preparing to spend a night with bears. As this wasthe only truck, we were stuck along the tract. When we came back to the camp, our wivesand kids were very excited not knowing what was going on. Martin felt guilty, and hebought a lot of beer to soothe everybody. From this moment, we became a good compa-ny, and were really sorry to part in a week.

On the next year, an Australian guy came to Altai. His name is Russell, and somebodymight see him serving as a driver at Australian competitions. A Chinese air companyrefused to carry his glider, so he had to leave it in Australia. He was given a glider, buthe could fly only once or twice. He could not become acclimatized from winter to summerand lied down with high temperature most of the event. He gave his emergency kit to ourdoctor as a present, and the doctor was happy with it, as Russian doctors are notequipped so well.

In 1996 and 1997 Patricia Ormsby, an American living in Japan, participated in AltaiCup. Pat is very interesting person to talk to. She knows Russian and Japanese. Her hus-band Shinobu is a Moyes dealer. Pat sometimes writes articles for Cross Country maga-zine. In Altai Pat made her personal record XC, because there is no possibility to make XCflights at her usual site, western Fuji. She has relatives in BC and told me she knew somepilots in Vancouver. It was she who recommended me Vancouver as a good place to liveand fly. Now she and Shinobu struggle against undisciplined pilots to save the Fuji site.•

Igor Khorine

A little bit of Russian exotic:

1. Bomb-out LZ in Russia iscalled "tea field". This isbecause there is a specialword (slightly humiliating) fora novice - "tea-pot" (or "ket-tle", which is the same wordin Russian). Patricia gaveanother explication in CrossCountry magazine: that'sbecause pilots are steamingwhile waiting for the truck totake them out. That is inter-esting but not correct.

2. At competitions, therewas a rule of daily medicalexaminations, mainly bloodpressure measuring. Somepilots had problems withpassing the test. Sometimesdoctors softened andallowed them to fly. In thebeginning of 1990s, theexaminations ceased.

3. It may be not specific toRussia, but Russian pilots arenot water-drinkers at all.One pilot from our club helda shop, and he brought avan full of drinks (vodka,wine and beer) and snacksto every event in Ongudai.The van was empty in aweek. In the camp, youcould hear merry parties upto 4 - 5 in the morning. Butthere were no accidents dueto pilot's bad conditions;sometimes somebody juststayed in the camp fillingbad.

4. It is not Russian specific atall, but there is some frictionbetween HG and PG pilots.On my opinion, paragliderpilots are kind of reckless.Once a PG pilot broke hisleg on top of a mountain. Hisfriends decided to launchhim rather than to carry himdown. Since wind wasweak, they had to make sev-eral attempts, dropping himdown to the ground eachtime. This was video tapedand shown on a Moscow TVchannel.


PresidentPeter Bowle-EvansBox 2035, Golden, BC, V0A 1H0 H: 250-348-2227 F: [email protected]

Vice PresidentPhil Siscoe502 19th Ave NW, Calgary, AB, T2M 0Y6 Hm: 403-289-7750 Wk: 403-295-5419 Cell: [email protected]

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AdministratorGerry LaMarsh#13-13670 84th Ave.Surrey, BC, V3W [email protected]

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Transport CanadaAndre [email protected]

wwwwww��hhppaacc��ccaaRatings OfficerGerry LaCroix310 Bouchard Rd. Petersfield. MB, R0C [email protected]

InstructionChris MullerBox 2, Site 13, RR#2Cochrane, AB, T0L [email protected]

CompetitionBernard Winkelmann2012 - 35 St. SW Calgary, [email protected]

Accident Review & Safety Committee ChairmanIan McArthurBox 41 Heffley Creek, BCVOE 1ZO, [email protected]

InsuranceGregg Humphreys2388 Epworth, Victoria, BC, V8R [email protected]

Cross Country / FAIVincene MullerBox 2, Site 13, RR#2Cochrane, AB, T0L [email protected]

B.C. Hang Gliding andParagliding AssociationMark Dowsett – BCHPA President353 East 19th St.North Vancouver, BC V7L 2Z4604-984-2588

Alberta Hang Gliding andParagliding AssociationPO Box 2011, Stn M. Calgary,Alberta, T2P 2M2

Manitoba Hang GlidingAssociation200 Main St, Winnipeg,Manitoba, R3C 4M2

Ontario Hang Gliding andParagliding AssociationBox 151, 1792 Liverpool Rd.Pickering, Ont. L1V 4V9

Saskatchewan Hang Gliding Association741 King St.Regina, Sask. S4T 4E1

Hang Gliding andParagliding Association ofAtlantic Canada32 Chelsea Lane, Halifax, NSB3M 1K9, Canada

L’Association Quebecois De Vol Libre4545 Pierre de Coubertin, C.P.1000, Succ. M,Montreal, Quebec, H1V 3R2

For more info on clubs in your areacheck out the new and improvedHPAC website @ www.hpac.ca

stalled condition to maintain continuoussteady state spins. Stall equals increasedtumble risk. Spectators may observefreestylers to never carry excess speedinto their entries and typically attempt to"finesse" the spin from their gliders.

The incipient again is the ~180 degreerapid twist about the roll-pitch axes thatbegins the spin. You may note freestylersperform the entry by first slowing theirglider to minimum sink, then set a 20 to30 degree bank, and continue pitchingthrough mush to full stall and hold. Theglider’s inside wing will stall first; the out-side wing will race around it as the nosesimultaneously pitches downward. Thisquick gyration is the entry. Pilots some-times pull in and roll flat to exit at thispoint, or try a little high-siding for transi-tion to a continuous spin. Even veteransspinners find the incipient is often elusive.

During the steady state phase you mayobserve the glider to stop its pitch-roll twistand begins to rotate more about its yawaxis. The transition from entry to steadystate is often difficult for freestylers to per-form. Typically the glider does one of twothings: It either (1) partially coordinatesinto a downward turn, or it (2) levels outand progressively stalls straightforward.To remain in the steady state, pilots typi-cally hold pitch while returning to centerfrom their high-sided entry position. Theythen use subtle lateral and pitch inputs tomaintain a constant bank angle. If theglider starts to overbank (coordinate),they may high side a little. If the gliderbegins to flatten its bank (progressivestall), they normally ease in a little. Withexperience freestylers can hold this phasefor many revolutions. They often pull inand roll level to exit. Expect to witness awild ride when freestylers exit some spins.

SummaryIn summary I would like to thank freestylepilots Aaron Swepston, Bill Heaner, DallasWillis and Lauren Lefever for their helpfulcomments in improving the content of thiseffort. If this guide has piqued your inter-est in freestyle, I encourage you attend acontest as a spectator or perhaps partici-pate in one of the many clinics currentlybeing presented by world class pilots.Also, I would be happy to discuss thisguide or freestyle with the reader at any-time. Life’s all about having fun. [email protected] (706) 657-3107 •

Scott Heiple is a husband, father, and experiencedinstructor who has enjoyed flying safe freestyle forseven years. He practices often on an aero-modified,low-hour Axis 13 and considers himself a freestylepilot of intermediate skill having thus far learned theloop, climbover and spin.



This flight park, virtually on the Lake Superior Shore, is a great place to fly with goodinstruction, safety conscious and friendly pilots. We highly recommend a visit.

Cloud 9 Field is the dream made real of Tracy Tillman and Lisa Colletti at Webberville,Michigan. This couple pooled their resources and created something special in the rollinghills near Ann Arbor. Their home sits on a knoll overlooking their new hanger and 100acres of manicured golf course quality turf which is the LZ. The hanger includes a club-house with kitchenette, classroom, bath/shower facilities, and a gorgeous elevated deckwith a superb view of the LZ. They own two Dragonflys, one in partnership with Mark Bolt.All three are glider and tugpilots and Tracy is a certified instructor. Although distracted bythe social swirl surrounding a very gala wedding in Margaret's family, I did manage toget 4 flights at Webberville and enjoyed them muchly.

The tows were 2500-3000' and all three pilots are very competent. I am getting more pro-ficient with utilizing lift and was able to add close to 2 hours to my total time. Lots of woodsin that part of the country so cross-country would be trickier than up our way. Margarettook a tandem with Tracy and received positive feedback about her flying but lost trackof the LZ . The tug took them quite a ways off and she was bummed at becoming lost.

Lisa and Tracy are blessed with a volunteer named Ed who is a treasurehouse of lore aboutgliding in the early days and a real sweetheart. If you land at any distance from the hang-er, Ed will often come and fetch you on a quad with a dolly. Should you feel briefly atloose ends, their golden retriever, Bailey, will play fetch with you. This park is a delightand well worth visiting. They operate seven days week until September, then mostly week-ends. Rough campsites and some plug-ins are available.

We pulled into Whitewater,Wisconsin on Wednesday evening, September 8th. Flying hadceased for the day but we were welcomed by Mike who lived at the airport in his RV andwas an x-ray tech at the local hospital. He showed us where we could set up our camper, plug-in, get water and shop for groceries. Met Brad Kushner and a couple of his staff,Dan and Igor, next morning. Brad was very congenial and informative regarding localconditions. Unfortunately, we were blown out Thursday and Friday and had to contentourselves with golfing. There is a championship par-3 course at Spring Creek, just north ofthe airport which is extraordinary, both pretty and tough. It was a challenging alternativewhen we couldn't fly. Margaret and I had the outdoor hot tub to ourselves both eveningsenjoying it along with a glass of wine.

Saturday dawned with more promise and I got one nice flight from a tow to 3100' around9 in the morning. More pilots arrived and more gliders set up. This was going to be a busyday. I managed another flight about 10:30 in mild turbulence and stretched it out for twen-ty five minutes. By 11 or so there were 17 gliders either set up or flying with twoDragonflys running. Near noon, I flew once more and while conditions were better withmore lift, I sank out after only 12 minutes. We needed to depart by early afternoon so Ireluctantly broke down. When we pulled out at 1:30, there were 9 gliders aloft with every-one saying it was hard to get down.

Pilots were generally pretty friendly and mutually helpful on takeoff. There are number ofgolf carts owned by the club and somebody will usually come and get you if you land ata distance from launch. This is a class operation that seems to function very efficiently. Theystart when they say they are going to and seem to have a lot of volunteer input. Brad toldme this input was tracked and could be exchanged for free tows and other considerations.

All three of these flight operations were a treat to visit and I would recommend them with-out reservation either just to fly or to learn to aerotow. None charged for parking our tenttrailer which was a pleasant surprise. Tows are usually $15 and the tug will take you to2500-3000' for that. No club charges for early disconnect under 1000'. As Lisa andBrad both said to me, " We don't want a pilot hurt trying to save a bad launch becausethey're worrying about losing $15".

Each setting has it's own charm and a tour allows you to see different terrain from that spe-cial vantage point available only to we who have realized the dream! Thanks to all whowere gracious to us on our trip.•

Dean & Margaret Lutz

AeroTour 99...continued from page 5

Top: Margaret the driverMiddle: Dean off dolly

Bottom: Dean prepares for launch


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STOP THE PRESSJune 17, 2001

Congratulations toWill Gadd

of Canmore, AB48 DAYS,

3000 MILES!PARAGLIDE

AMERICA PILOTSARE THE FIRST

TO CROSS AMERICA!

report will follow onwww.paraglideamerica.com

Remember deadlinefor the Fall

issue of Air will beAugust 31, 2001.

REMINDER

Goodbye Dear Friend...It is with great sadness that I share the news of the death of my friend, andco-owner of Airdreams Hang Gliding, David Palmer on Sat. June 2ndapprox. 4:15 pm. David was taking a licensed pilot for an introductory flighton the Moyes Dragonfly, setting up for final approach on runway 12 at thePort Alberni (Vancouver Island) airport. He pushed the nose down for asteep descent and pulled up hard at about 300 to 400 ft.

At this point the left wing broke off the ultralight, it rolled over anddescended rapidly. Both David, and his female passenger, were killedinstantly.

David was meticulous in his upkeep of the tug. Earlier in the day I hadtowed him and a tandem passenger to 3000 ft. No hint of what was tocome. David has been hanggliding for many years and is a cornerstone ofthe Vancouver Island Hanggliding/Paragliding club. He will be dearlymissed by his family, and many many friends in the flying community. Hisspirit flies on.

Steve Parson

Manitoba Elects New ExecutiveCongratulations to the new members of the ManitobaHang Gliding Associations Executive Committee. New

club President Gerry LaCroix, Vice President GerryGrossnegger, Treasuruer Martin Paskewitz

and Secretary Morgan Ahoff. Many thanks go to outgoing President Steve Pederson

for a fantastic job over the past 2 years.

Claire Bernier and Bertrand Rochefrom France climbed up Everest bythe NE ridge and flew off in a tandem paraglider last month. Youcan read their complete story onthe following website; even if youdon't read French, the pics aretremendous! http://perso.wanadoo.fr/clairezeb/fr/journal/everest.html

Paraglider Off Everest

Tom Clark will be leaving Vancouver for the first ever Powered Paraglideflight across Canada in early June and will be looking for any kind of spon-sorship or donations along the way. This flight will be dedicated to cancerresearch and he hope’s to raise $50,000 and awareness. Tom and histeam will be looking for places to sleep between here and Toronto.

Any help would be appreciated for this historic flight, please contact themon the web at FLYFORHOPE WWW.DEIMOSPARAGLIDING.COM

FLY for HOPE ...dedicated to Cancer research

NEW EMAIL

OK BJ, meet me here,I’ll pack up my glider,then we can drive 50miles, drop me off and

I win the comp!

What the hell! Doesthis guy know whathe’s doin! I thought Iwas goin’ to get to fly

this thing!

Ahhh! ohhh! yea!!!Come on baby!

I’ve been waiting all day for that!Hmmm...It sure is nice of some-one to put some shade over the

the latrine!

OK that’s it for the ride! If you got an

extra $100 bucks I’ll takeyou up... and for

another $500 I might even let you fly!

OKSteve!

Is that guypissin’ on my

harness? If he isI’ll slap his ass!!

What theHell doesthis say?

What losers! I thought this

was the sign upfor Survivor!

OK...go, go ,go!!!Hmmm...something’s wronghere, aren’t I supposed to

be in the air when I do this?

Two all beef patties,special sauce, lettuce,cheese, onions, pickles

on a sesame seedbun...please!

Hmmm...this must bethe line up for freefood and brewski’s.I wonder if they’ll

recognize me!

Could this bemy long lostson, Gerry!

Nahh, this guylooks likesome bumwho wantsfree food!

This guy doesn’t have theslightest idea what he’s

doin’. I betcha I could wuphis ass real good!

Herekittykitty!

Hey pal! you can see better ifyou take those

shades off!

Yippy!Looks like Iwon a free

hang glidinglesson.

Paragliders by Apco

Kite Boarding Equipment by Windtech and Slingshot

Hang Gliders by Wills WingFusion SP • UltraSport • Eagle • Falcon

Brauniger InstrumentsSonic • Basis • IQComp/GPS • Cockpitmount for Brauniger/GPS

and other cool stuff... LIKECharley Helmets!

www.mullerwindsports.com

Box 2018, Cochrane, Alberta, T4C 1B8 • Ph: 403.932.6760 • Fax: 403.851.0737Email: [email protected]

2001Fly in

with

$1395.00

$795.00

$895.00

$1195.00

Includes back protection

Includes back protection

summer - acvl · summer lumby cup at coopers soga wills wing visit gino, kevin, mike & daughter...

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