Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol42/Iss08 Aug 2012

2 HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

http://flyozone.com

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

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

ADVERTISING ALL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MUST BE SENT TO USHPA HEADQUARTERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS. All advertising is subject to the USHPA Advertising Policy, a copy of which may be obtained from the USHPA by emailing [email protected].

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

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

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

Martin Palmaz, [email protected]

Nick Greece, [email protected]

Greg Gillam, Art Director [email protected]

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

Terry Rank, Advertising [email protected]

Staff Writers

Steve Messman, Dennis PagenChristina Ammon, Ryan Voight,

C.J. Sturtevant

Staff PhotographersJohn Heiney, Jeff Shapiro

Hang gliding and paragliding are INHERENTLY DANGEROUS

activities. USHPA recommends pilots complete a pilot training

program under the direct supervision of a USHPA-certified

instructor, using safe equipment suitable for your level of

experience. Many of the articles and photographs in the

magazine depict advanced maneuvers being performed by

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

attempted without the prerequisite instruction and experience.WARN

ING

ON THE COVER, Chris Gibisch. MEANWHILE, Peter Thompson and A.J.

Frye share the excitement of setting the new Colorado distance record together | photo by

Peter Thompson.

EDITOR

BRIEFINGS

CENTERFOLD

CLASSIFIED

RATINGS

USHPA STORE

ON GLIDE

USHPA in Action

Ken Grubbs & Bill Bolosky � � � � � � � � � � � � by C.J. Sturtevant

Tales from the Training Hill

The Charts of Reliability� � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Michael Robertson

Wings and Things

Stepping Up to the T2C � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Andrew Stakhov

FEATURE | Paragliding State Distance Records

Eight New Numbers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �by Steve Roti

FEATURE | Another Andean Odyssey

Part 1: The Ruins of Ronin � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Jeff Cristol

FEATURE | Floridian Tales in Spring

Fun and Sun � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Claudia (Maria) Mejia

FEATURE | Sixth Annual Tater Open

Good Times Out East � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by John W� Robinson

Safety is No Accident

Y’all Yaw! � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Ryan Voight

Hang Gliding Finishing School

Part IX: Wire Assistance � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � by Dennis Pagen

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Good things do come in (slightly) smaller packages.

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investigated, analyzed and probably flown by guys back in the ‘70s and early ‘80s.

As gliders increased in performance in the ‘80s we all had to relearn how to land. Some of us still are learning. My most cherished memories are the Telluride Town Park landings—those will entertain me for the rest of my life.

What pulled you into the politics of hang gliding? What do you hope to accomplish from your current exalted position?

BILL: Some of the Seattle-area pilots talked me into “running for” (mean-ing being the only one willing to be) treasurer of our local club, Cloudbase Country Club. After a couple of years doing that, our regional director Gene Matthews decided that his 10 years on the USHGA board had been long enough and asked me to run for his seat. So, I ran (again unopposed) and started my term as Region 1’s direc-tor in 1997. I spent a few years on the

USHGA board and lost in my first attempt to get on the EC. In the fall of 2000, no one else was willing to be treasurer, so I ran (unopposed) and won. After I’d been treasurer for two years, USHGA president Jim Zeiset wanted to step down, but needed someone to take over. I agreed to do it, ran for that office (unopposed—do you see a theme here?) and served two years as president of USHGA. At that point I needed to take a less time-intensive role, so in the fall of 2004 I asked my friend Randy Leggett to take over as president. He agreed to run on the condition that I’d stay on the EC as his treasurer. Randy won, but this time someone ran against me, and I lost.

I spent two more years as a re-gional director before retiring so I could concentrate my efforts on the Foundation for Free Flight. I stopped attending USHPA board meetings, and while I missed the friends I’d made, I was pretty burned out on the actual meetings and board work. Four years later, in the fall of 2010, I went to the USHPA board meeting to present the

annual report from the Foundation, where I’d been trustee since 2002, and treasurer for most of that time. Somehow, I wound up not only presenting the report, but also being elected as USHPA director-at-large and secretary. I’ve held those positions since.

KEN: My passion for the USHPA pushed me to run for the office. Having enjoyed over 30 years of wonderful flying and friendships with all the flying community, those still flying, those not, and those departed, I knew that it was time to give back to the sport that has changed my life. So in 2008 I agreed to serve out the remain-der of my dear friend Jim “JZ” Zeiset’s term as Region 4 director. I have been privileged to serve since that time as regional director, USHPA VP, and the chair of the Publications committee.

My goal while serving at the USHPA is to increase public awareness on how wonderful the hang gliding/paragliding lifestyle can be. Any suc-cess I have had in my family and work

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You can only get this far with the right attitude. And the right equipment.

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I want to push my own limits. Launch where I please,not just where the cable car ends.

Participate and with a bit of luck you might win one of 20 skywalk polo shirts. Just scan the adjacent QR-code with your smartphone and complete the entry form.

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13HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING MAGAZINE

career has been dramatically influenced by the lessons and experience gained by flying and associating with the kind of people I’ve met while flying. I believe that slowly but surely we can turn around the numbers decline in the active flying community and begin to rebuild the dynamic we have had in the past and will have in the future.

Aside from politics, my most significant impact on the USHPA has been that I was the first pilot to file an insurance claim under our liability policy after impacting the side of a Dodge ¾-ton pickup while landing at the Crested Butte (Colorado) Aerial Weekend in 1984.

What’s been the toughest part of your job?

BILL: The toughest things I’ve had to deal with during my terms of office were the financial crisis that USHGA was in when I first took over as treasur-er in 2000, and finding and hiring two executive directors. These days I find

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producing the several hundred pages of USHPA board meeting minutes a little mentally taxing, too.

KEN: The toughest part of being on the executive committee with the USHPA is keeping the sport safe. There are so many things that can impact our sport; airspace issues, insurance/liability and loss of flying sites must constantly be considered and dealt with.

In my opinion, the most critical issue our sport faces is a lack of training sites that are easily accessible, predict-able and training-friendly. Identifying and developing these sites are the keys to the future of our sports.

What’s the most interesting (not flying-related) job you’ve ever had? What are you doing work-wise currently?

BILL: I’ve spent most of my career working as a computer scientist at Microsoft Research. We’ve done all kind of fascinating things, but probably the most interesting is a project I’ve

been involved with for the past year that’s trying to significantly improve the speed, accuracy and cost of whole-genome sequencing. We’re working on developing techniques that will be particularly applicable to cancer treatment and hoping that what we’re doing will make it more likely that folks will survive cancer in the future. It certainly wasn’t what I’d expected to be doing when I was in graduate school for computer science (and decidedly not for biology).

For the past few months, I’ve taken a break from Microsoft Research to give technical advice to one of Microsoft’s business group presidents. It’s very different from research work, and I get to rub elbows with tons of executives and be involved much more directly with new products than when I was in the lab.

KEN: After 38 years in the field, I still really enjoy geology and geophys-ics; at this time in life I love the pure science of it, studying global tectonism and Precambrian plate configurations. Presently I’m mapping a 400-square-

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mile 3D seismic program offshore in Israel. Sometimes when I am flying, the ability to view some wonderful geology from the air really knocks my socks off.

What do you and your family enjoy doing in your spare time?

BILL: I’ve been married for 13 years. I tried to get my then-girlfriend into flying, but when all she had to say after her first tandem was, “It hurt my back,” I knew that hang gliding wasn’t for her. We have two sons who are now 12 and 10. They’ve each done a paragliding tandem flight from Tiger and both were really excited. They don’t much like to think that they’re years away from the level of judgment and maturity that it takes to be a solo pilot, though. We do all kind of things together, from playing board games to biking to paddling kayaks all over Lake Chelan (sometimes for multi-day

kayak camping trips) to geocaching. Once in a while I’ll drive my Tesla on a racetrack.

KEN: When not flying in winter, I get 80 to 100 days skiing each year (including 10 heli-ski days). I’ve been married to my wife Colleen for 28 years; we have two daughters, Elizabeth and Rachel (age 20 and 17 respectively), and two goldens. We own a ski boat and enjoy water skiing and camping on the boat, as well as backpacking and watching Rachel play high-school tennis.

If you were offered an open-ended flying-related, family-oriented vacation, with cost and time off from work/school not an issue, where would you want to go?

BILL: I think I’d love to try flying Australia. The pictures and stories from there have always excited me. Well, as long as I don’t run into any really nasty poisonous snakes after landing out,

that is.KEN: I would take the whole family

over to Europe, get them settled in an Italian villa and then proceed to fly the Dolomites, northern Italy, Switzerland and Bavaria (yes, Tegelberg/Neuschwanstein, flying my VQ) for at least two weeks, better a month. I’m really hoping this will happen in the next year or two…

What kind of “stuff” is stashed in your garage/attic/back room?

BILL: I’ve got four hang gliders (I can never bring myself to sell any-thing—I’ve still got a Pacific Airwave Vision Mark IV that I bought in ’92 when I was in Rochester). We have more kayaks than we really need, bikes for everyone, backpacking gear that doesn’t get used much anymore, and lots of boxes of books.

ABOVE Bill Bolosky in a Tesla sports car.


Light Soaring Trike

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KEN: Rachel ski races, so among all of us we have 18 or 20 pairs of skis in the garage at any one time, along with my three hang gliders. And I have LOTS of books.

Here’s your opportunity to add any interesting tidbits that I didn’t know to ask about...

BILL: I was the one who asked Rich Hass to run for my seat as Region 1 di-rector—as far as I know he didn’t have any plans to be on the board before I suggested it. I think that I made a pretty good choice!

KEN: My best memories of flying are of those wonderful Telluride years. I had the privilege of attending the Telluride Airman’s Rendezvous from 1979 to 1999, and the fun and flying during those years generated enough memories for 20 lifetimes.

My most memorable public hang gliding event was a landing in the Telluride Town Park in the 1980s. I was known for my spiral landing approach-es into Telluride’s very small, very high-altitude LZ. I was near the end of a spiral approach to the Town Park, at very low altitude, when JZ came on the radio and barked out the order, “One more!” I being of open mind and being completely susceptible to suggestion, promptly executed one more spiral turn, which resulted in me shooting across the tiny landing area sideways, at high speed and maybe a foot above the ground. I don’t remember how, but I pulled it off...

And there you have it� Bill and Ken are ½ of the USHPA Executive Committee (Rich Hass and Mark Forbes being the other half)� These guys are just pilots, like the rest of us, but they’re investing a lot of time, energy and other resources in keeping our flying options open� If you see them on the hill, give them a thumbs up for taking care of all the behind-the-scenes details that we, because of their attention, seldom need to worry about�

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mine was struggling with tight grip and over-control issues. What a buzz when he had his breakthrough. He landed after a perfect flight and jumped up and down, hands waving in the air! The RCRs provide an opportunity for simi-lar joy from exercising good judgment. Later in the week, near the end of the morning session, Matt was flying high and boxing the field. The winds were picking up; it was getting gusty. Asked if he’d like to fly again, as pumped as he was, he said “No!” He passed the judgment test. He realized conditions were deteriorating, his RCR scores were dropping and he chose to pack it in. A little trap was set for him; he made the right call. Awesome!

Err on the side of safety; that’s what the charts are all about. On New Year’s Day I was participating in the tradi-tional flight to the beach/Mesa in Santa Barbara (dating back 30 years when DS flew down off the mountain without harness or clothes!). The wind was honking cross. Two guys flew from “the Back o’ the Rack” but after watching the noble wind dummy get hammered, the other dozen broke down. The lone exception paid the price and got away from the mountain as quickly as he could. “Little John” Greynald, who holds the local XC record, and several others could have made the flight but chose not to. Love it. Good judgment in action. In fact, Greynald said he was meticulously applying his Wind RCRs lately since his personal chart was scor-ing low.

The price is $55. Schools may order multiple copies at regular commercial discounts. Try it; you’ll like it. To pur-chase single copies please go to: http://www.flyhigh.com/reliability.html. For multiple copies please write or call. The USHPA also has the notebooks and DVDs in stock.

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High

1. Health Sick, Weak Well, Strong

2. Conditioning Couch Potato Fit

3. Reflexes Slow, Sluggish Quick, Alert

4. Eyesight Blind 20/10

5. Fatigue Tired Fresh, Rested

6. Ego Egomaniac Saint

'7. Spectators 1000's 1 Friend

8. Cameras ABC T.V. None

9. Peer Pressure Pushy Supportive Negative

10. Competition Macho Co-operative

11 Experience Intermediate Expert

12 Confidence Over-Confident BalancedOptimum is

13. Time Since Last Good Flying Too Long 10 x Flight Time

14. Drugs Any None

15. Mood Foul Fair

16. Maturity Impatient Patient

17. Intuition Oblivious Sixth SenseTriple Triple

18. Biorhythms (optional) Critical Positive

19. Self-Awareness Low High

20. Relaxation Tense, Uptight Loose, Relaxed

NOTES:

0

Friends

Beginner

Too Short

Negative

15: Recent trauma reduces reliability (e.g. birth, marriage, death, divorce etc.) for up to 1 year. 20: Visualize a perfect launch and landing before takeoff. Breath!

TOTAL SCORE =

RELIABILITY =

© M. Robertson 1979 (Rev. 02/2008)

÷ by 2

Fearful

NB - Any '0's reducethe overall

reliability to 0!

13: Optimum time between flights is 10 times duration of last good flight.

Do Your Wind C har t !

LIST OF VARIABLES RELIABILITY SCORE0 - 10Medium Low


sail made me drool when I unpacked it. I had to keep my cool and remind myself that this glider needs to be treated with respect. I also needed to shake the dust off from winter by flying the Sport 2 before I even consid-ered trying the new bird. The weather made the temptation even worse, since we were blown out for two days, allow-ing me only one flight on a Sport 2.

When I launched from Wallaby,

I sensed that the launch-line was making me nervous. I felt rushed due to the sheer number of pilots and strong upper winds—hardly the recipe for putting me at ease with the idea of trying the new toy. Finally, a sliver of hope appeared when the weather for Sunday was forecast to be light winds with good sun.

Because I’d been having problems with my camping gear, I decided to

relocate to Quest for Sunday, after the big party at Wallaby. I also knew the tug pilot there and could count on him for an unrushed launch early in the morning. At sunrise on Sunday, I stepped outside and knew this was the day. Within the next hour, I had as-sembled the glider, carefully prepared all of my equipment and double-checked everything. Not wanting to take any chances, I moved the wheels from my Sport 2 onto the T2C (I’d

modified my Sport 2 with a carbon base bar, so I could easily swap wheels).

The winds were almost nil, which meant an easy takeoff but challenging landing, especially with the new bird. After I lined up for launch, I took some last-minute advice and was given reas-surance by other pilots, which helped me relax. Then I grabbed the handles of the cart and shouted, “Let’s rock and roll!” When the tug acknowledged

me, I knew there was no turning back. As the cart accelerated, I finally felt enough pull to let go and dropped the cart. In spite of the excitement I had about moving up, this was the moment I feared the most. Several thoughts crossed my mind: What if the glider is too sensitive and I PIO 50 feet off the cart? I’ve seen plenty of scary videos on YouTube to know what can happen�

My fears proved to be unfounded. The glider stayed straight and tracked perfectly behind the tug. As we gained

altitude, I caught myself thinking this was actually easier than towing my Sport 2. But when we’d climbed to 2500 feet, something unexpected happened: The rope dropped, and I thought the weak link had broken. I had requested a high tow in order to get used to the glider before I had to land. This was a little lower than I’d anticipated. Looking around while trying to diagnose what happened, I


realized the secondary release had opened accidentally. Stuffing the re-mains of the towrope into my harness, I knew I had no time to waste, since I had to learn the glider quickly before the final test—landing it.

The first order of business was turns. As I pushed on one side of the control bar, I found the glider turning some-what, but far less than I expected. All the mental preparation I’d made came back. I did a proper J coordinated turn, and the glider rewarded me with a good, smooth turn. At this point, I thought I should get in as much handling as possible and released all of the VG. The handling became almost as easy as my Sport 2.

Now that I knew I could turn the glider and have it go where I wanted at will, the next order of business was learning to stall. I gently pushed out until I felt the onset of stall and the nose drop. I repeated that exercise another six times, made a mental note that the trim was different from the

Sport 2, and tried to memorize the position of the control bar when this happened. Taking it a step further, I put my legs out and repeated a few more stalls on the down tubes. Then, I felt I’d learned enough to put the glider down successfully. Time to see what else this toy can do, I thought to myself.

Remembering all the advice about the pitch pressures and the amazing glide, I pulled in, with a mental note to remind myself to slow down if I encountered PIO. The air was hitting my face faster than I’d ever felt it on my last glider, making my eyes tear up. I promptly dropped the visor on the helmet and knew all the waiting was worth it. With 1800 feet to spare, I cranked the VG up to the max and pulled in again. No PIO, but I felt like a rocket. As I quickly made it to the other end of the field, all I could think about was the XC potential of this glider and the ability it would give

me to explore clouds I had previously found unreachable.

As I passed 700 feet, I started set-ting up my approach. With my experi-ence flying aircraft and consideration of the speed of the glider, I decided to set up a wide approach. I pulled in about two inches of extra speed and started going downwind. As I observed my rate of descent, I realized I would have to make my approach at least 50% wider then I’d gauged. I entered final glide and knew the only ques-tion was the flare. The windsock was hanging flat with barely any wind, and the ground was moving by pretty fast. Don’t look at the ground… It’s all about airspeed… Feel what the glider is doing, I reminded myself. I put one hand on the downtube early but decided to keep the other on the base bar for control. Finally, I entered ground effect and transitioned to uprights. The flare window came, and I flared. The timing

was right, but I was not expecting the sheer weight of the glider that came down on me as it settled. Being a scrawny, tall dude, my knees didn’t like the weight dropped on them, and the glider just plopped down on keel and wheels without any forward momentum. But I knew I’d made the right choice of a glider.

After taking an hour’s break, I went for another “quick” flight. I could see cumulus clouds in the sky, even though student pilots who were landing told me they weren’t find-ing anything. As we started towing, I sensed the air was different from my first flight; there was lift, and I had no excuse for not finding it. After releas-ing at 2500 feet, I quickly searched for a thermal. As I rolled the glider into the core, I was amazed at how the glider “just stayed there.” This maneuver was easier than in a Sport 2, because I didn’t have to make as many

adjustments, and the glider wasn’t get-ting rolled by punches of lift coming through. After finishing three circles, I put my hand in the middle and managed to drink some water, barely having to do anything to control the glider. I realized that even though I was being fully distracted, the vario confirmed I was still in a good part of lift, which made me feel as if I were on autopilot. As I climbed out, I brushed the side of the cloud and went on glide to the next one. I couldn’t believe how fast I made it there and how little alti-tude I lost. After 90 minutes of flying, I opened the helmet and shouted into the GoPro: “This is AWESOME!”

Special thanks to Mark Frutiger, my tug pilot, for an unrushed and reassur-ing first tow and to Michael Robertson, who taught me how to fly and trans-ported my gliders to Florida.

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ParaglidingState Distance Records

New

by Steve Roti


E ight new paragliding state distance records were set in 2011 by ten

pilots. How is that possible? In two of the states, Colorado and Utah, there were ties for the record when two pilots flew to-gether and landed in the same place. The list at right summa-rizes the 2011 record flights.

Most of the record flights were on EN D or competition gliders, but one was on an EN C glider (Advance Sigma 8) and two were on EN B’s (Gin Sprint). This shows that on the right day with the right pilot it’s possible to get high and go far on a recreational glider. Below are pilot comments on four of the new state records.

ColoradoA.J. Frye, on an Ozone Mantra R10.2, and Peter Thompson, on an Ozone Mantra 4, set the record launching from Skinny Ridge, New Castle, Colorado. A.J. writes, “We both flew exactly 122.2 miles, launching and landing side by side intentionally to co-hold the record.” Here is a short excerpt from a newspaper article about the flights published in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent.

OPPOSITE Alaska | photo by Jack Brown. ABOVE 17,500’ over the Sawatch Range in Colorado’s high country | photo by Peter Thompson.

Pilot Mi Km Dur. Takeoff Site Date Wing

AK Jack Brown 42.3 66.1 2hr20 Eagle River 5/06/11 Ozone Mantra R10.2

AR Britton Shaw 78.2 125.8 4hr24 Mt. Magazine 7/20/11 Ozone R11

CO A.J. Frye (tie) 122.2 196.7 5hr25 New Castle 8/12/11 Ozone Mantra R10.2

CO Peter Thompson (tie) 122.2 196.7 5hr25 New Castle 8/12/11 Ozone Mantra 4

IA Steve Sirrine/T 63.0 101.4 3hr30 Northwood 5/18/11 Gin Sprint

NV Tony Lang 85.7 137.9 3hr59 Goodsprings 5/13/11 Gin Sprint

OK Britton Shaw 75.4 121.3 4hr38 Buffalo Mtn 7/02/11 Ozone R11

UT Bill Belcourt (tie) 173.6 279.4 6hr11 Jupiter 8/21/11 Gin Boomerang 8

UT Chris Galli (tie) 173.6 279.4 6hr02 Jupiter 8/21/11 Gin Boomerang 7

WY Don Duerr/T 145.9 234.8 5hr30 14-Mile Road 8/22/11 Advance Sigma 8

NOTES /T indicates a tow-launched flight

Distance is straight line measured from launch to

landing. Complete list of records is at www.ushpa.

aero/comppgstaterecords.asp


ABOVE GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — While most of us take I-70 to get to the Front Range, local

Adventure Paragliding guides Peter Thompson and A.J. Frye would rather avoid the traffic. On Aug. 12, the duo took flight from up Main Elk Canyon, north of New Castle, and didn’t set foot on the ground until they reached Aspen Park, 122 aerial miles later, breaking

the Colorado record for distance in a glider. Thompson and Frye maneuvered their gliders over the Flat Tops Wilderness, passing by Eagle, then over the Sawatch Range, north of Leadville, over the Climax Mine and

past the back side of Breckenridge, finally landing in Aspen Park, south of Evergreen, along Highway 285.

IowaSteve Sirrine set the first-ever Iowa paragliding distance record with a respectable 63-mile flight on a Gin Sprint. Phil Russman writes, “Steve is the designer of an innovative tow system that may prove to be the best solution for commercial tow operations. In fact, Steve towed up and logged his 63-mile Iowa record flight on a tow rig that he designed and built himself. Amazing!” Steve’s description of the flight follows:

“This was the third day of four days of flying with Thad Spencer, Phil Russman, Andy Dahl, and Jon Sirrine. Today Jonathan was on Tow Tech duty. Checking XC Skies, the best conditions looked south; Phil and Thad found the new tow road with street views from Google Earth. Since Iowa had no cross-country record on file, we decided this would be a great opportunity to snag another record, but I did say if it wasn’t over 50 miles, we weren’t going to claim it. We all launched early and sank out. I was last to be re-launched (watching from a distance as Thad, Phil and Andy all climbed out high over Northwood, Iowa) and headed downwind. Jon finally picked me up and rescued me from a local on steroids! The wait worked to my advantage as the day was opening up and the guys were really struggling downwind. After working the lift over Northwood for what seemed like forever, I finally went on glide and caught my next good climb 12 miles downwind over the casino on I-35. I had one low save about halfway over some guys drilling a well. The Gin Sprint I was flying held up to its name; on glide it was going 65-70 km/hr. Thank you, Jon, for the tow launch and retrieve and to the others for the encouragement to go for it.”

UtahThe other tie was in Utah, where Bill Belcourt and Chris Galli flew together from Jupiter Peak near Park City and

ABOVE Cloud streets over Iowa | photo by Steve Sirrine. BELOW From L to R, Andy

Dahl, Thad Spencer, Jonathan Sirrine and Steve Sirrine |

photo by Phil Russman.


Odyssey

Another

Andeanby Jeff Cristol


O nce again, I had an excuse to travel to Peru—the church wedding of my brother-in-law. I dutifully advertised a paragliding

tour, something I’ve done for almost ten years, not very successfully. Again, no American pilots wanted to have anything to do with adventure flying on a commercial tour to the Andes. A friend suggested he could join me, but, of course, I would have to pay him. After some negotiations, we agreed to each pay each other and take turns launching first.

My friend, known by various pseudo-names and aliases— James, Roc, Kiwi, Glen and perhaps even Bogrock— had been to Peru before, but to research aya-huasca for a book he was writing rather than flying. Roc has written extensively about ayahuasca, as well as many other less well-known brain chemicals.

Traveling, flying and sharing rooms with Kiwi while reading his book, Tryptamine Palace: 5-Meo-DMT and the Sonoran Desert Toad, was incredible.

It took me weeks to read the tome, while asking him questions and filling in the blanks. With three titles, he says the book is more like five books in one. Kiwi is defi-nitely an expert in neurotransmitter modifying drugs. In many ways flying seems to be similar to doing drugs,

Another

and so I thought Roc would be a good travel partner for the trip.

Of course, he wanted to see the entire country in five weeks, and I had numerous family obligations, so we decided to play it by ear, but not spend all of our time traveling between flying sites without ever getting in the air. Also, a crazy Canadian named Peter Chrzanowski was trying to set up an XAndes event and wanted us to join him. Peter’s repu-tation preceded him, which is a polite way of saying: I’d been forewarned.

Peter initially planned a race north-to-south from Huaraz to Cuzco, along a thousand kilometers of the Andes chain and high Altiplano. It was a dream to say the least; his most recent fantasy was to start high in the Andes at Alpamayo basecamp, a three-day trek at high altitude, and end on the coast. The route seemed determined by what satis-fied Peter’s sponsors. His entire life appeared to revolve around sponsorship and media hype, but that’s another story.

My friend (I still wasn’t sure what to call him) and

OPPOSITE Tessa Brijs enjoying the view from the air. ABOVE Tessa Brijs and Christopher Van Daele on launch. Photos by Jeff Cristol.

Part One: The Ruins of Sondor


Heinrich Berg and Rafael Plaza. Rafael was working the local government for food and accommodations for us; they, in turn, wanted us to bring news of the great flying potential to the paragliding world. They didn’t realize I’d been attempting to persuade pilots to come to Peru and Sondor for the last ten years.

At any rate, they put us up in a local hostel and fed us some great meals. (Trout for breakfast and trout cebiche with fried trout for dinner. Too bad my buddy Roc doesn’t like trout!). In return, I was supposed to publicize that the flying site is not in Andahualyas, but half an hour away in the small pueblo of Pacucha, nestled at the end of the beautiful Laguna Pacucha. (Not Pachuca, as both Roc and I had a habit of saying, much to the mayor’s dismay).

I’ve written about the flying Sondor before, using words like spectacular, beautiful, picturesque, huge, colorful, sublime, classic, and maybe even consistent. All

heard a glider come up. The youth tried to re-launch without walking back up or setting out his wing. He was only ten feet above a six-foot road embankment and, without even inflating his wing, went backwards off the embankment and hit the road with a loud smack.

He called up that he was all right. Roc and I looked doubtfully at each other and, after a pause, our buddy called up that he had broken his leg. So went our first day of flying in the Andes. We quickly splinted his leg, hauled him into the (thankfully) waiting Land Cruiser and sent him down to the hospital, while we callously went back to fly.

It was a typical day of flying the Capanallo site. Great conditions and easy to get several thousand over, but downwind, the Altiplano lurked with high ground and increasing winds. I landed at my regular too-short-XC spot, a couple of thousand feet above launch on a windy pass. We’d flown Ayacucho, and we left early the next morning for the long drive to Andahuaylas.

We arrived late and found our flying buddies, two of the most experienced and responsible pilots from Lima,

ABOVE Flying above the crowds at the Sondor Raymi Festival | photo by Jeff Cristol.


Well, it went something like this: We launched, flew, took pictures of and admired the stunning views, such as the laguna behind the launch, the misty jungle ridges rolling off towards Machu Pichu and Cuzco with their deep valleys and gorges below. When it was time for a break, we returned to the site and landed back at launch. The total experience was so simple, so easy, yet so incred-ibly fun. In addition, it was flyable every time I stood on launch.

So we flew and flew and flew. The day of the big festival, with thousands watching, we flew and flew and flew. They re-enacted battle scenes, released a captured condor, ate, drank and generally trashed the place, though it all looked the same from the air. Roc and I spent a day seeing how high we could get (while flying, of course). It was especially memorable. Then it was time to fly back to Lima.

The Sondor site was so good that we hadn’t even bothered to go to the four other launches I flew on my first visit. Even with the cross-country potential of Cerro San Jose and the convenience of sites closer to Andahuaylas, our little pyramid of ruins above Laguna Pacucha was all we needed. It was time to head up to Huaraz and discover what epics awaited us there.

of which are as true as ever. When we arrived at the location of the ruins, I couldn’t believe it was as beauti-ful as I remembered—a truly magical, powerful place that is still empty of the tourist hordes that inundate and totally diminish the nearby World Heritage site of Macchu Pichu.

While thousands line up to view the ruins there, we had Sondor to ourselves. It was time for us to enjoy it, because, as usual, it was on. And, in a couple days the Solstice Festival of Sondor Raymi, with a thousand tra-ditionally dressed dancers and a crowd of five thousand onlookers, would fill the ruins with locals and trash.

When I was here ten years ago, I wrote: “A short drive around Laguna Pacucha took us to Sondor, the third new site of the day. In the ridge-top ruins of Sondor we discovered a classic Lost Incan Puerta al Cielo (portal to the sky). This place stole our hearts. We flew Sondor exclusively for the next week, never return-ing to Cerro San Jose or Pacucha. David thought Sondor more sublime than any site he had visited, including those in Nepal and Bali. For me, comparisons are impossible. Each place radiates its own unique magic, experienced by pilots in their own place in time. Still, there is something about Sondor. The hours and days passed quickly in the air. Too soon it was time to move on.”

If this doesn’t express the nature of the site, noth-ing does. I published those words in the short-lived Paraglider magazine in 2002, yet to my knowledge, only Peruvians have flown here in the last ten years.

Oh, yeah, the flying. This is a flying article, after all.

OPPOSITE Roc flying above the Sondor ruins.

BELOW LEfT Peruvian market scene from Andahuaylas.

RIGHT Street food with pig parts for sale.

Photos by Jeff Cristol.


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Floridian Talesin Spring

by Claudia (Maria) Mejia


I t’s said that Florida has lots to offer people from all around the world and, consequently, the state welcomes many tourists each year. It also appeals

to hang gliders, on a smaller scale, during the winter and spring, especially now that activities for us held in Florida seem to be getting bigger, better and more popular every year.

During April of 2012, Florida was definitely the place to be. Three flight parks—The Florida Ridge, Quest Air and Wallaby Ranch—each hosted events throughout the entire month. A pilot could literally participate in hang gliding-related activities from April Fool’s Day until International Labor Day—May 1st. The coordination of events was simply awesome!

In the hope that those of you who were not there will join the group next year, I’d like to tell you about some of the events, and the people who made them possible, this year. And for those of you who attended, I hope you’ll glean some nice memories from my recollections.

The events were recreational, competitive, informa-tive and didactic. Wills Wings held their Demo Days; Wallaby hosted a landing clinic and a fly-in; The Florida Ridge held the Team Challenge as well as the annual Rob Kells Memorial Competition; and Quest Air’s pilots gave XC training and hosted the Race & Rally for a couple of days. To top it off, even the Sun ‘n Fun was on!

in SpringQuest Air’s training sessions were held from the end

of March through the beginning of April. The staff issued weather reports in the morning, set up interesting practice tasks that were delineated on their task board, and held briefings before takeoff. The tasks were open to anyone who wanted to participate. In the evening, pilots analyzed their flights; those with varying skill levels shared information about techniques, providing a learning experience for all of us. Several pilots revealed they were happy to have had the opportunity to share some “serious XC flying with several really good pilots.” Visitors were also able to take part in a variety of practices, including land-ing clinics and using ET, the electric tow system.

During that week at Quest, I decided to go to the world famous Sun ‘n Fun Fair, an all-out flying exposi-tion where I met a couple of my good buddies from Colombia. Luckily, the weather was ideal. (Those of you who have not been to Sun ‘n Fun: If you ever get the chance, do not hesitate!) After spending one full day there, we were overwhelmed by the number and quality of the exhibits. We passed from the experimental and ultralight aircrafts through sections of vintage airplanes, military transport, smaller engine planes and luxurious jets. The pavilions containing thousands of instruments, equipment and gadgets were impressive as well. In ad-

OPPOSITE The Team Challenge group | photo by Taylor Christiensen. ABOVE The Sun ‘n Fun Air Show | photo by Maria Mejia.


dition, we spent a couple of hours watching air shows that were so thrilling I felt like a kid again. All of these were compelling, but my favorite was the video of Jane Wicker doing her extraordinary wing-walking act with

“no strings attached.” What they achieved at this fair far exceeded my expectations.

Throughout their Demo Days, usually held the first week of April at Wallaby Ranch, Wills Wing delivers new gliders, lets pilots test fly different WW models, provides personal technical support by Steve Pearson and holds a great party, including a live band and feature video presentations. This is a brilliant way not only of thanking the people who support them but also of open-ing the window for pilots to try out new products, and attend a master class of sorts with the folks from Wills Wing. This year, during the April 4-7 Demo Days, Wills Wing introduced their new “little” T2C with 136sq. ft., which has been a great success. Pilots Joe Bostik and Tom Lanning flew it at the Wallaby Ranch and were really enthusiastic. This important program, which was

created by Wills Wing to allow pilots to test fly various glider models, also occurs on a smaller scale at other flight parks. I was able to fly the little T2C at The Florida Ridge and really liked it. Without this type of event, someone like me would never have had a chance to fly

this wing, which opened new possibilities for me. To implement this program, Steve Pearson, after

completing his work at the Wills Wing factory, left California at the end of March in order to make the journey to Florida in time, hauling 33 gliders on his trailer. They had to ship six more.

During the dinner and party, Seth Warren and Sara Close showed the feature presentation of their new docu-mentary titled Living the Dream, and Californian Dave Aldrich presented the trailer for his new documentary, Dreaming Awake. Both are exhilarating videos about our sports. You can find more info by following the links provided (see box). Approximately 250 people attended the party, enjoying the food, videos, music and great company. Moreover, during the fly-In, people had the chance to practice, learn and share their experiences.

That same week, Ryan Voight held his renowned landing clinic on Friday and Saturday. The clinic itself is free; pilots just have to pay for their tows and, if they pre-register, they are given lower towing rates. The clinic included video recordings of the landings as well as analyses, comments and suggestions from Ryan.

Our next stop took us 128 miles south on Highway 27 to The Florida Ridge, another flight park located between Clewiston and Labelle, on Highway 80. James

TOP Load of Wills Wings.

MIDDLE Ready to launch.

BOTTOM Taylor taking one of the dozen pictures of the

group. Photos by Maria Mejia.


Tindle has been working nonstop on weekends flying tons of tandems.

Before The Ridge’s annual Rob Kells Memorial meet this year, the staff decided to put up a Team Challenge. For the past several years, Steve Larsen has been at-tending the legendary Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge and talking to James Tindle about holding one at The Ridge. That dream was finally realized this year and, with the help of their staff, The Florida Ridge held their first Team Challenge. Congratulations on get-ting the job done!

The main objective of such an event is to motivate and prepare pilots to step into larger events, to spare them from being clueless and feeling unprepared during their first competition and, perhaps, to save some money. It was interesting to observe the participants in this event. Not only was it a mixed group because of their wide range of skills, but also because of the locales from which they had come. In addition to pilots from across the United States, there was a group of Latinos and about 10 novice Russian pilots, who had flown at least 5,717 miles (the distance between the international airports of

Miami and Moscow) to learn aerotowing, cross-country flying and some competition skills.

When I asked Steve Larsen their aim in hosting this event, he said: “I would like to have new pilots live the experience of a competition. For them to do lots of personal bests here, to get familiar with the dynamics of competition flying without the pressure, to motivate them to ‘stretch’ themselves so they will go a little farther and, finally, to consider participating in comps in the future. I would like more experienced pilots to have their own challenge to enjoy mentoring others, to willingly fly down to escort another pilot back up or even to goal, and for them to be an active part of the personal bests of the rookies!”

Being the first Team Challenge held at The Ridge, it was expected that the number of participants might be small, and it was. This size was convenient for both parties: Organizers could ascertain what worked and what needed to be improved while handling a smaller group of people, and the pilots experienced all the drills of a bigger event with less stress. The Challenge was comprised of three teams: beginners, intermediates and

ABOVE The Sun ‘n Fun Air Show | photo by Maria Mejia.


experienced pilots. For the first time in Team Challenges in the US, the teams were determined by the language of the participants. Each group contained a mentor, the

most experienced pilot, who was willing to fly with a very different mindset, i.e., thinking more about his “ducklings” than about his performance—an inter-esting approach for these pilots.

The team designations were: Air Hogs, English-speaking, mentored by Steve Larsen; Cloud Base, Latinos, mentored by Pedro García; and Below Me, Russian-speaking, mentored by Derreck Turner. It is worth mentioning that the whole Florida Ridge team expended a lot of energy to host the event. Everyone was terrific throughout the Team Challenge—industrious, productive, and motivational.

It seemed as if pilots were able to gain valuable knowl-edge from the experience. The tasks were different but complementary and several bonus options were available. Consequently, flying was never boring or too easy, no matter how new or skilled one was. Each day a different team was given priority on launch. Active safety and task committees appointed a different team member every day to participate in each group’s decisions. Many of the pilots did’nt realize what is involved in these sessions. These task committees lived their experience by meet-ing every morning at Davis Straub’s trailer and getting weather and other information. Based on this informa-tion, they then had to make decisions about where and how far to fly; all of this was enlightening for someone who had never before done it. Also, Davis had the op-portunity to exhibit his latest technical combination: a computer hooked up through a wireless connection to a screen set up outside his trailer, where he displayed all the weather info and task images. I think even he got

a personal best for the comp, because this system was definitely impressive.

There was a total of five scheduled days, with different conditions and types of flying, providing real training for the participants. The diverse weather throughout that week allowed pilots to do several types of flights. The first task ended up being a duration flight, which was perfect. On the initial day, pilots had a challenge that made them fight to stay in the air looking for thermals; at the same time, by not having to venture far from the official LZ, they were able to be more relaxed on this introductory flight. The tasks that followed built up in length and difficulty, with shorter goals for the less-experienced pilots, but still having the groups fly together a lot. The last day was cancelled due to overdevelopment and rain, giving the safety committee practice in analyzing the weather information, discussing the situation, and making a decision. This can be seen as an important lesson: Sometimes it is better not to fly�

However, all was not lost on that no-fly day. The orga-nizers quickly arranged chats on different subjects such as weather forecasts and models, how to use the GPS and how to optimize flying. The closing ceremony was held earlier, with Team Below Me winning the Challenge. The only aspect of this event that differed from a big comp was the scoring system. A system was devised to award points according to the distance flown, and a set of bonuses was assigned for different levels of participa-tion, such as helping or escorting the less-skilled pilots to their goal and re-flights. As an observer and outside aide, I enjoyed witnessing how the “trainees” improved and gained confidence and knowledge day after day, and how the teams grew closer and enjoyed helping each other. Every morning during the pilot briefing many of them proudly shared yet another personal best. I am not kidding; you could literally see this evolution.

Bruce Thomas, from Guatemala, was one of several pilots I met at The Florida Ridge this year. He has been flying for a long time and loves it; however, until this event he had only flown his Wills Wing Falcon and had almost no XC flying experience. This year he decided he would take two steps forward: He bought himself a beautiful, brand-new WW Sport2 and signed up for the Team Challenge. After the event, he shared some thoughts about his experience: “During this week I was able to improve my skills a lot. Being able to analyze your flights and decisions makes you really learn, even through your mistakes. I found this concept and the mentor system, where you practice for bigger competi-

BELOW Waiting on the last day, assessing conditions.

OPPOSITE Gliders being towed to the launch lane.

Photos by Maria Mejia.


tions, to be quite interesting and an important step for me. This event gave me the possibility to go farther: I went for my longest flight ever (30 miles). Moreover, I was able to experience—several days in a row—the feel-ing of making the decision to leave the official LZ, to go elsewhere, to go XC. I loved it! I would definitely want to repeat this experience and am sure that it will be even better, because I know the guys here at The Ridge. Even though they did a great job, it will improve a lot next year, too.”

I also had the chance to talk with Dimitriy Seniuta from Russia. Although he is fairly new to hang gliding, he is already flying a topless Aeros glider. He decided to come to Florida this spring with his buddies, in order to learn how to aerotow and to compete in his first in-ternational meet: the Rob Kells Memorial. During their training, he heard about the Team Challenge, to be held just before the bigger meet, and the concept captured his interest: “I was finally able to really go XC and also had a chance to learn a little about the flatlands. It was very interesting for me to be able to take part in a task committee. I learned how it works, how it feels; I feel I could take part in one back home, and this makes me feel good. Trying to fly tasks that are shorter makes you feel you can make it and feel more motivated. Flying with other pilots and with your mentor helped a lot to spot the thermals and try to follow the more experienced

pilots. When you try this on your own, it does not work this well. I was also able to practice flying close to other pilots in friendly circumstances. I feel it will make things easier for me back home. I feel there were a lot of emo-tions involved in this experience for me and that I will feel more at ease the next week when I compete. It also reminded me that hang gliding is all about having fun. I had a lot of fun, great flights, learned a lot, and feel better prepared for my first international competition (the Rob Kells). It was just great.”

A total of four Russians flew in the Team Challenge; Dimitriy told me it had been an enjoyable and positive experience for all of them.

S o here we are—already halfway through the month of April—and so many superb events have already taken place in Florida. Let’s say

these were warm-ups for the second half of the month when racing begins. More pilots started arriving in Florida from all over the country and the world. Many of them picked up brand-new hot racing machines and were taking them on their initial flights, getting acquainted with them, enjoying the feel of their crispy tight sails and their great performance. The second part of these tales will tell you more about the Rob Kells and the Flytec Race and Rally competitions. Stay tuned!

“Living the Dream” | http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/livethedream/live-the-dream

http://www.willswing.com/blogs/PilotBlogs/tabid/38/BlogId/10/Default.aspx

“Dreaming Awake” | http://www.kessleru.com/2011/08/dreaming-awake-production-bts/

http://wideopencamera.com/cameras/kessler-pocket-jib-bts-on-set-for-dreaming-awake-movie-by-dave-aldrich/


Tater OpenThe Sixth Anuual

by John W. Robinson


I t’s the third day of the comp, and the task com-mittee is faced with a challenge; the micro weath-er has us stymied. We end up calling a modest

task, somewhat convinced that conditions are weak and will stay that way. It turns out we under-called it; by mid-afternoon conditions turned on in a big way. Cloudbase boomed to above 8500 feet—a couple thousand higher than usual—and several pilots made goal without landing, preferring to XC even farther on this perfect Blue Ridge Mountains summer day. There were some lengthy retrieves that evening.

This is the Tater Open, held in Boone, North Carolina, and hosted by Bubba Goodman and Beth Burgin, along with a helpful group of volunteers. Although hang gliders are welcome, the Tater attracts mostly paraglider pilots. Typically a fun, relaxed comp which hosts 40 to 60 pilots, the sixth annual Tater Open was no exception. Some of the epic days were exceptional, however, and some fine flying was had.

In 2011, a change was made in the design of the comp. The pilots were divided into two groups accord-ing to experience, the categories informally and affec-tionately known as the “serial” and “open” classes. The first category was meant primarily for P-2 pilots, with shorter, less-committing tasks, with the second cat-egory designed for more experienced pilots, including more challenging tasks as well as the requirement to fly well beyond the standard LZs. Typically, the tasks set by the committee for both categories were the same, with the advanced group continuing to turnpoints and goal beyond the goal for category one. In this way, the beginners could initially fly with the advanced group and benefit from watching the routes and results of the decision-making processes of the more advanced pilots. This proved to be a great learning opportunity. The system worked well.

As I already mentioned, flying conditions were ex-cellent for most of the comp, with high cloudbase and

by John W. Robinson

OPPOSITE Clouds build in the distance beyond Tater Hill. ABOVE Prepared! Photos by John W. Robinson.


oscillation we call PIO. Even though the pilot may have initiated it, this isn’t really PIO if it is self-sustaining. In most gliders, though, this oscillation will dampen itself out after a few cycles.

A better example of PIO is when a glider yaws a little, and a pilot inputs roll to correct the yaw. If a glider has yawed to the right, an instinctual cor-rection would be to bump to the left. This will roll the glider left, but adverse yaw will actually yaw the glider MORE to the right. As the aerodynamics of the glider cause the nose to point back in the direction of travel, the wing will gain inertia and will continue past center, now yawing the other way. So now the glider is rolled left (from the pilot’s input) and yaws to the left. To level out, the pilot bumps right—which yaws the glider to the left. And so the cycle continues.

It’s even worse if the pilot doesn’t bump, but holds the input until the wing is level. Holding it means a bigger input is given, and by the time the wing is level and the input released, there is a LOT of inertia the other way. This is the classic example of PIO. I once heard Rob Kells call it “ringing the bell.” That phrase has stuck with me, as it provides an excellent visualiza-tion of a pilot repeatedly swinging his/her body from side to side.

So, great, we know that yaw hap-pens. Now we know how NOT to fix it. But what should we do to fix it? Most of the time, the answer is nothing. In hang gliders we have pitch control and roll control. We can’t do any yaw inputs, so don’t create problems trying. Yaw, by definition, means the direction of travel of the wing is still straight, so just continue steering the glider where

www.letsgogliding.com

http://flysandia.org


you want it to go and the yaw should dampen out by itself. If the yaw oscil-lation is pretty severe, slowing down to trim will almost always remedy it. Performing a turn (either direction) can also be very helpful.

A few techniques can lessen the occurrence of yaw. First, big, drastic roll inputs will create a lot more adverse yaw than a small, smooth input. The more prone to yaw your glider is, the more you need to be very smooth and

subtle in your inputs. Also, certain speeds or VG settings result in roll and yaw not being coupled as well as at other settings. Practicing flying your glider (high, away from terrain or other gliders) at various speeds and configurations can help one learn what works best and what to watch out for. Another problem to avoid is combining big pitch and roll inputs—especially what is commonly referred to as a

If you have a question you’d like answered or a topic you’d like

to see discussed, email [email protected] and

you just might see your answer in the magazine.

SEQUENCE The pilot levels for the ground-skim portion of the landing. Note the direction the center zipper is pointed in the main photo. Then, just an instant later, look at the direction of the center zipper. The wings are still level; this is yaw, and it is the byproduct of a low/late turn to final. Next, the flare is pretty well timed and the wings level… But, in the last image, the left wing drops from the yaw oscillation. If the flare were earlier, or poorly timed, the yaw would have contributed to a much worse outcome than just a dropped tip. Yaw cannot be prevented; the only thing this pilot could have done is to perform his turn to final higher and earlier, leaving more time between the turn and the flare for the yaw oscillation to naturally dampen out.


“slipping turn,” where the pilot pulls in and rolls at the same time. Doing this will cause a BIG adverse yaw!

There is one stage of our flights where yaw oscillations are more likely, and more serious, than all others, and that is when landing. At some point you’ve probably seen someone on approach, coming in fast, barely in control as the glider oscillates all over the place. Scary stuff! It is common during landings because A) we almost always incorporate turns into our ap-proach, and B) we almost always come in with extra airspeed. Sometimes it’s a factor of just not being used to how sensitive our gliders can be at those faster airspeeds, and the pilot is simply over-controlling the glider.

Other times, the yaw can be in-duced by our turn onto final. The turn to final may not have been smooth and coordinated, causing more adverse yaw. A “slipping turn” is the worst. Once the yaw is initiated, it is most likely per-petuated by the pilot. Not to say that a really good, dialed-into-his-glider pilot can’t cancel out yaw oscillation, but most of us aren’t that good, so doing nothing is better than making it worse. The glider will dampen out the yaw all on its own, assuming you have the TIME for it to do so.

I recently approached a landing where I put my turn to final just a little too close to my landing spot, and the yaw wasn’t quite gone yet. Recognizing this, I had to wait longer to flare, ran out the landing, and still dropped one wingtip when I did flare. It was an ex-cellent reminder to me: I either need to make a longer/straighter final approach, or I need to carry more speed through that low turn, giving me more time in

ground-skim to wait for the oscillation to dampen out.

Yaw is all around us. Now that you’re thinking about it, watch some landings and you’ll be amazed how prevalent it is. It can happen in any (every?) glider, but is more common in high-performance wings. Because they are slippery with less drag forces to dampen the yaw, they tend to have more weight out at the tips (wands, sprogs, etc.) so there is more inertia to carry that yaw oscillation another cycle or two or three. There is also more delay between pilot input and the glider’s response, making it harder to keep from perpetuating the oscillation once it starts.

Go up high and become more famil-iar with how your glider behaves in regard to yaw. Play at different speeds and VG settings. Try it prone, and try it upright. Try a “slipping turn” as if you were diving into your final, and see what happens. See if you can smooth that out. Then stick your land-ing, watch all the other gliders come in and evaluate if yaw was a factor in their landing. Ask yourself: why/why not? Learn what works and what doesn’t. You’ll be a better pilot for it! Remember: Safety is no accident!

Ryan is a second-generation hang gliding instructor and flight school owner� He has been flying since he was still wet behind the ears, and he’s the youngest person to ever earn the Hang 5/Master rating� He currently resides near Point of the Mountain in Utah, and flies as much as he can (hang gliders and paragliders)�

http://www.kittyhawkkites.com


down immediately if the non-assisted side starts to lift. A good wire person can help by pushing up on his wing if the other side gets lifted. This tech-nique only works briefly and for small changes in the wing, so you, the pilot, must be ready to set the glider down immediately.

THE TECHNIQUESNow let’s get down to your techniques and practices. The main point to remember is that you are the pilot in command and you determine what happens at launch: when the wire men let the glider lift, what wing to bring up or down, what wing to bring forward or back, and when to release hold of the wires. For sure, in your early high flights and even at the training hill you may have had your instructor telling you to lift one wing or another, and in stronger wind he/she may have been on a side wire telling you, “I am lifting this wing,” or “I’m pulling down a bit.” Along with that input, he/she was probably telling you when to launch as well. Now that you have experience feeling the wind and the glider’s inputs, you can determine all of these factors

with the help and necessary input from the wiremen.

Now let’s start from launch position and assume you have two wiremen in winds that are about strong enough to soar. The launch technique starts before you even pick up the glider. In the process of getting settled at launch you should be doing a hang check and asking what the wire crew has been seeing at launch, and what other pilots have been launching in, assuming that the wire crew has been there helping others. Even if it is a fresh crew, they have less to do than you in getting ready (and they just may be a bit more relaxed), so they can help be your eyes and ears, especially if they are experi-enced pilots. Ask them or determine yourself how strong the maximum cycles are, how long they last, whether or not the wind tends to cross (and how much the direction changes in a cycle), how difficult it has been to hold the glider steady and whether one wing or another has been lifting. All this information lets you know how quickly you have to get balanced and start your run, and how much you’ll have to fight to maintain control.

Two more things: Before you lift the

glider, instruct your wire crew on your procedures and commands, even if they are experienced. This instruction lets them know that you are in charge (they

Photo by Eric Thorstenson

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completely free of the glider before I start. I want to be able to balance the glider myself, if only for a second, before beginning my run. If there isn’t a second of balance available, then I consider not launching unless the winds are light enough to control through (as soon as the glider lifts some bar-shifting control is available, and a lower attitude helps increase control authority). I may use words like “Let me have the glider,” or “My glider,” or simply “Let go of the wire.” This policy and communication is discussed before I even get ready to pick up the wing. It is especially impor-tant to do this type of communication at a fly-in or meet where the wire crew may be dealing with many pilots using slightly different techniques. I always look to both sides to see that I am free.

Sometimes the wire crew can’t let go of the cables until you begin moving. Such a case is when the winds are quite strong. They may be holding down quite hard to keep you from being pulled off the ground before you are ready. We call this a twanging launch

because that’s the sound a bowstring makes when it’s released. (I remember a seven-man wire crew at a windy cliff launch meet in Tennessee. They all had to let go at once and the pilot was rock-eted skyward.) The important matters in this situation are clear communica-tion by you, the pilot, and the wire crew, as well as balance. The crew should be saying things like “I have strong up!” or “Wings are balanced!” while you are saying, “Is it balanced?” and finally

“Clear!” when everything feels good. In this case DO NOT hesitate, but push forward into launch as soon as they re-lease. Chances are you will go right up and have weight-shift control as soon as they release.

With the wire crew holding down so hard you probably can’t feel if one wing or the other is lifting more, but one thing I always do in this situation is to look to both sides to see if my side wires are pulled down an equal amount, in-dicating equal force. I am always ready to input control in my grapevine holding position as I clear and lunge for launch.

Finally, here’s a word to the wise:

Learn to relax on launch so you are paying attention to the conditions and the inputs from your wire crew. DO NOT yell “Clear!” unless and until you have heard “Neutral!” or “I’m off the wire!” from both wiremen. If one has up or fails to let go when you yell

“Clear!” you will be launching with a wing high and an instant turn, or you will be yawed back into the hill. Neither scenario is pleasant in my book.

I like to think that every problem has a solution. We are clumsy on the ground, but we can use the equivalent of training wheels by installing wire-men on our side cables. A good pilot should be able to launch in all types of safe conditions, especially soarable conditions. To do this successfully we have to be able to use a wire crew and be able to direct them clearly and suc-cinctly. Then maybe thank them with a post-flight reward of your choice. And yeah, serve some time as a wire person yourself.

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MEETINGS

OCTOBER 18-20 Ellenville, NY. The fall meet-ing is also the annual membership meeting. Come out and help USHPA usher in the next fly-ing season! More information: Rich Hass, 425-453-7177, [email protected], or www.ush-pa.aero.

SANCTIONED COMPETITION

HG PG AUGUST 18-25 2012 PWC Sun Valley Idaho/USHPA Sanctioned R2G Competition, Bald Mountain, Sun Valley, ID. Come test your skills in a World Cup Gaggle and have some fun going pulley to pulley through the skies of Idaho. Anyone interested in volunteering contact Mike@ [email protected] 208-721-0897. More Info: http://flydaho.com

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

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

ACCREDITED COMPETITION

PG SEPTEMBER 4-8 Inspo/Monroe, Utah. This five-day mentoring competition is limited to 20 mentees and 10 mentors and is about learn-ing and flying, with daily classes presented by the mentors. More info: Ken Hudonjorgensen, 801-572-3414, [email protected], or www.twocanfly.com.

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

CLINICS & ToURS will not be listed if only tentative. Please include exact information (event, date, con-tact name and phone number). Items should be re-ceived no later than six weeks prior. For more com-plete information on the Clinics & Tours listed, see our Calendar of Events at: www.USHPA.AERo

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

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

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

If in doubt, many hang gliding and paragliding busi-nesses will be happy to give an objective opinion on the condition of equipment you bring them to inspect. BUYERS SHoULD SELECT EQUIPMENT THAT IS APPRoPRIATE FoR THEIR SKILL LEV-EL oR RATING. NEw PILoTS SHoULD SEEK PRo-FESSIoNAL INSTRUCTIoN FRoM A USHPA CER-TIFIED INSTRUCToR.

NON-SANCTIONED COMPETITION

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

HG PG JULY 29 - AUGUST 4 Boone, NC. Tater Hill Open. Cross country race for paragliders and hang gliders with concentration on new XC pilots. Includes clinics by world-famous pilots, TBA. We will utilize a unique scoring system so everyone has a chance to win. Registration opens May 1st. $200 entry fee includes rides up the hill, retrieve on competition days, T-shirt, and awards party Saturday night. We will be giving away lots of prizes and money for top placing pilots. More information: www.flytaterhill.com, or contact Meet Director Bubba Goodman at 828-773-9433.

PG AUGUST 5-11 Lonestar R2G Competition, Hearne, Texas. Site of the 2011 US National Championship finale, which logged the most miles ever flown in a competition and the longest task ever completed in the world! This year we are introducing a new race format alternating between race-to-goal and open-distance, based on the weather. This event will be the finale of a two-race series to crown the “King of the Flats.” Pilots are required to have P3 with tow sign-off. GPS scoring and prize money! Limited space. More information: David Prentice 505-720-5436, [email protected], or www.earthcog.com.

PG AUGUST 11-12 Northern California. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set up to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a fly in with a mission, with the focus on distance and not speed. More information: Jugdeep Aggarwal 831-566-8652, [email protected], or www.santacruzparagliding.com.

PG SEPTEMBER 1-3 Northern California. The Cross Country league is an informal series of cross country competitions running from March through to October held at flying sites within driving distance of the Bay Area. The league is set up to help pilots of all abilities in improving their flying skills by flying set courses with other pilots. These are essentially a fly in with a mission, with the focus on distance and not speed. More information: Jugdeep Aggarwal 831-566-8652, [email protected], or www.santacruzparagliding.com.

CALENDAR

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

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

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

OCTOBER 26-28 Torrey Pines Gliderport, CA. Piloting is a sport of continual learning. Once you receive your rating to fly, your journey is just be-ginning. From there, you can continue to learn to earn more advanced ratings, as well as special skills that make you a more talented and versa-tile pilot. The Torrey Pines Gliderport offers several short (2-3 day) clinics throughout the year that let pilots continue to grow and learn. Please call to make reservations or check out our website. More information: Jeremy Bishop, 858-452-9858, [email protected], or flytorrey.com.

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

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

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

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

NOVEMBER 9-11 & 12-14 Yelapa, Mexico. SIV / maneuvers clinics in beautiful tropical Ye-lapa. Tow up and land from the beach in a warm friendly location with lots of great places to stay. Brad Gunnuscio world class xc, acro pilot and In-structor of the Year will be teaching these cours-es. February dates tba. Cost: $750 for the three-day course. More information: www.ascensolibre.com or [email protected] 801-707- 0508, or Les in Yelapa 011 52 322 209 5174.

SEPTEMBER 28-30 Lake Isabella, CA. Pilot-ing is a sport of continual learning. Once you re-ceive your rating to fly, your journey is just begin-ning. From there, you can continue to learn to earn more advanced ratings, as well as special skills that make you a more talented and versatile pilot. The Torrey Pines Gliderport offers several short (2-3 day) clinics throughout the year that let pilots continue to grow and learn. Please call to make reservations or check out our website. More infor-mation: Jeremy Bishop, 858-452-9858, [email protected], or flytorrey.com.

SEPTEMBER 28 - OCTOBER 4 Owens Valley, CA. Fly one of the best sites in the US with one of the best pilots in the world. Kari Castle is a bi-wingual pilot and a 3-time world champion, world record holder with multiple national champion titles under both of her wings. Let Kari’s 30 years of flying and 23 years of living/flying the Owens Valley, be your guide! I will help customize your 3-4 day adventure to fit your needs whether you want one on one or a group setting. We will work on everything from take offs to landings, high altitude launches, dust devil awareness, reading the sky, how to map a thermal, goal setting and cross country. For more information contact: [email protected], or 760-920-0748, or sign up at www.karicastle.com

SEPTEMBER 20-22 Northern California. Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

SEPTEMBER 23-25 Northern California. Over-the-water Maneuvers Clinics in Northern California with Eagle Paragliding. America’s top all-around acro and competition pilot Brad Gunnuscio will be coaching with our state-of-the-art towing setup. Visit www.paragliding.com, or call 805-968-0980 for more information.

OCTOBER 1-4 Bishop CA. Piloting is a sport of continual learning. Once you receive your rat-ing to fly, your journey is just beginning. From there, you can continue to learn to earn more ad-vanced ratings, as well as special skills that make you a more talented and versatile pilot. The Tor-rey Pines Gliderport offers several short (2-3 day) clinics throughout the year that let pilots continue to grow and learn. Please call to make reservations or check out our website. More information: Jer-emy Bishop, 858-452-9858, [email protected], or flytorrey.com.

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


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

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

COLORADO

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

FLORIDA

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

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

LooKoUT MoUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Nearest mountain training center to Orlando. Two training hills, novice mountain launch, aerotowing, great accommodations. hanglide.com, 877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

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

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

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

GEORGIA

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

HAWAII

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

INDIANA

CLoUD 9 SPoRT AVIATIoN - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

MARYLAND

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

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

MICHIGAN

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

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

NEW YORK

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

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

NORTH CAROLINA

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

OHIO

CLoUD 9 SPoRT AVIATIoN - See Cloud 9 in Michigan

PUERTO RICO

FLY PUERTo RICo wITH TEAM SPIRIT HG! - Flying tours, rentals, tandems, HG and PG classes, H-2 and P-2 intensive Novice courses, full sales. 787-850-0508, [email protected].

TENNESSEE

LooKoUT MoUNTAIN FLIGHT PARK - Just outside Chattanooga. Become a complete pilot -foot launch, aerotow, mountain launch, ridge soar, thermal soar. hanglide.com, 1-877-HANGLIDE, 877-426-4543.

TEXAS

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


UTAH

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

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

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

VIRGINIA

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


WASHINGTON

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

WEST VIRGINIA


INTERNATIONAL

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

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

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

PARTS & ACCESSORIES

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

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

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

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

ORGANIZATIONS

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

SERVICE

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

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

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

WANTED

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


HANG GLIDING PARAGLIDINGRTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL

P-1 Michael Underwood WA Marc ChiricoP-1 Bill Pritchard WA Marc ChiricoP-1 Scott Marchant OR Kelly KellarP-1 Marc Shepard WA Marc ChiricoP-1 Nichole Arrenbrecht OR Rob SporrerP-1 Nikolas Arrenbrecht OR Rob SporrerP-1 Bryce Adams WA Andy MacraeP-1 Loren Sperber CA Jason Shapiro

P-1 Michael Vergalla CA Klaus SchlueterP-1 Dana Hoffmann CA Jeffrey GreenbaumP-1 Mark Donner CA Jonie MillhouseP-1 Albert Wu CA Marcello De BarrosP-1 Karl Schackmann CA Max MarienP-1 Kevin Lin CA Aaron PriceP-1 Douglas Bearmar CA Ken BaierP-1 Kaysie Klein CA Max MarienP-1 Reginald Moore CA Philip RussmanP-1 Blair Du Hamell CA Max MarienP-1 Ernesto Sanchez Sosa CA Rob SporrerP-1 Mark Paur CA Max MarienP-1 Jeremy Eisen CA Max MarienP-1 Robert Beighley CO Rob SporrerP-1 James Tucker UT Kevin HintzeP-1 Arthur Hough CO John FullenkampP-1 David Hebert CO Chris SantacroceP-1 Travis Hotchkiss UT Rob SporrerP-1 Griffin Palmer CO John FullenkampP-1 Mark Egan UT Ken HudonjorgensenP-1 Jaime Bonfiglio UT Kevin HintzeP-1 Andy Munro UT Brad GunnuscioP-1 Myndy Wadsworth UT Kevin HintzeP-1 Stan Prichard CO Jonathan JefferiesP-1 Christopher Wille AZ Chandler PapasP-1 Theresa Wille AZ Chandler PapasP-1 Michael Sargent AZ Carlos MadureiraP-1 Travis Eliasen CO Jonathan JefferiesP-1 Jennifer Nester UT Stephen MayerP-1 Tim Connelly WY Nicholas GreeceP-1 Clint Koehler NE Andy MacraeP-1 Amber Koehler NE Andy MacraeP-1 Daniel Seidel MO Heath WoodsP-1 James Heckenkamp WI Christopher GranthamP-1 Patrick Terry MD Chris SantacroceP-1 Kym Cochran PA Rob SporrerP-1 Mary Mccormick PA Terry BonoP-1 Marco-antoni De Alvarenga FL David PrenticeP-1 Kyle Formella GA Luis Rosenkjer

RTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL RTNG NAME STATE RATING oFFICIAL

H-1 Sean Connell OR John MatylonekH-1 Alfredo Moreno WA Dale SandersonH-1 Richard Abi-habib CA George HamiltonH-1 Donald Athon Jr CA Patrick DenevanH-1 Eric Rasmussen CA Patrick DenevanH-1 Loren Crow CA David YountH-1 Charles (cruser) Putnam HI Gregory PutnamH-1 Ben Dankongkakul CA Greg DewolfH-1 Jason Pratt CA John HeineyH-1 Faisal Nasrawi CA Greg DewolfH-1 Mitch Turley CA Greg DewolfH-1 Chris Grimm CA Daniel ZinkH-1 Scott Howard AZ David YountH-1 Keith Trimels WY Mark WindsheimerH-1 Samir Varma IL Daniel ZinkH-1 Scott Burke MA Robert Stewart IiH-1 Andrew Richardson MA Daniel GuidoH-1 Keith Kindall CT Daniel ZinkH-1 Srihan De Livera OH John AldenH-1 Susie Vernon NC Zack MarzecH-1 Jae Zae Chue NC Jennifer CoppleH-1 Kurt Greiner GA Daniel ZinkH-1 Kelly Myrkle GA Daniel ZinkH-1 Joseph Price SC Daniel ZinkH-1 Todd Unruh FL Daniel ZinkH-1 Jeff Webb FL James TindleH-1 Cj Giordano TN Daniel ZinkH-1 Edward Strong GA Daniel ZinkH-1 Jeff Kannard TX Daniel ZinkH-1 Preston Flake LA Daniel ZinkH-1 Jeffrey Walker NY Paul TjadenH-1 Vladimir Klimenchenko NY Greg BlackH-1 Kimon Diomis NY Greg BlackH-1 Steven Draisey NY Greg BlackH-1 Peter Geoghegan NJ Greg BlackH-1 Sean Delle NY Bryon EstesH-1 Paulo Gustavo Braz Da Silva Xavier Paul VoightH-1 Jose Alejandro Gonzalez Eric WilliamsH-2 Sean Connell OR John MatylonekH-2 James Beyersdorf CA Harold JohnsonH-2 Eric Rasmussen CA Patrick DenevanH-2 Jason Pratt CA John HeineyH-2 Chris Grimm CA Daniel ZinkH-2 Joel Holzman CO Kevin KoonceH-2 Sean Cumiskey UT Kevin KoonceH-2 Hatchet Speed UT Kevin KoonceH-2 Stephen Gal UT Kevin Koonce

H-2 Matt Meibos UT Kevin KoonceH-2 Samir Varma IL Daniel ZinkH-2 Mark Kindall CT Daniel ZinkH-2 Tal Seaman MD Gordon CayceH-2 Srihan De Livera OH John AldenH-2 Nickolas Lopez NC Andy TorringtonH-2 Jae Zae Chue NC Jennifer CoppleH-2 Kurt Greiner GA Daniel ZinkH-2 Kelly Myrkle GA Daniel ZinkH-2 Joseph Price SC Daniel ZinkH-2 Todd Unruh FL Daniel ZinkH-2 Cj Giordano TN Daniel ZinkH-2 Edward Strong GA Daniel ZinkH-2 Jeff Kannard TX Daniel ZinkH-2 Preston Flake LA Daniel ZinkH-2 Jeffrey Walker NY Paul TjadenH-2 Jorge Grey Sr NY Bryon EstesH-2 Jorge Grey Jr NY Bryon EstesH-2 Heiber Grey NY Bryon EstesH-2 Heiner Grey NY Bryon EstesH-2 Sean Delle NY Bryon EstesH-2 Paulo Gustavo Braz Da Silva Xavier Paul VoightH-2 Jose Alejandro Gonzalez Eric WilliamsH-3 Patrick Pannese CA Michael JeffersonH-3 Kym Ryan CA Harold JohnsonH-3 Jonathan Schjei CA David BroseH-3 Jason Thomas CA Harold JohnsonH-3 Joe Rodriguez CA Malcolm JonesH-3 Andrew Balk MD Shawn MacduffH-3 Matt Christensen VA Steve WendtH-3 Jason Thomasson TN Gordon CayceH-3 Steven Sexton NC Wayne BakerH-3 Nickolas Lopez NC Andy TorringtonH-3 John Whitehead TN Daniel ZinkH-3 Timothy Painter GA Daniel ZinkH-3 Greg Fergus TX Gregg LudwigH-3 Jeffrey Walker NY Paul TjadenH-3 Michelle Haag NJ Jon ThompsonH-3 Paulo Gustavo Braz Da Silva Xavier Paul VoightH-3 Jose Alejandro Gonzalez Eric WilliamsH-4 Greg Porter AZ Mark KnightH-4 Jason Thomasson TN Gordon CayceH-4 Robert Wreyford TX Gregg LudwigH-4 Paulo Gustavo Braz Da Silva Xavier Paul Voight

RATINGS ISSUED IN APRIL

http://www.superflyinc.com

Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol42/Iss08 Aug 2012

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Transcript of Hang Gliding & Paragliding Vol42/Iss08 Aug 2012