ST. PAUL, MINN. — Welcome to a new year of soaring. While much of the country endures cold winter weather, spring thermals make for pleasant thoughts. ••• According to early reports, Moyes is preparing a new glider called the Litesport. Parlaying the popularity of their topless, high performance Litespeed, Moyes will reportedly build the new Litesport with a kingpost. Naturally it doesn’t offer the performance of their top-of-the-line model, however, Moyes competition star Gerolf Heinrichs is planning to compete on a Litesport in the (now summertime) Australian contests. At least he’ll fly one in the Australian Open, though observers say he’ll return to the Litespeed for the Aussie Nationals later in their season. Keep updated at MoyesAmerica.com where you can also find a detailed and well-presented tuning guide for the Litespeed. • An interesting sidebar to this story are numerous comments I heard at the October USHGA Board of Directors meeting where a surprising number of highly experienced pilots commented on their enjoyment of flying “simpler gliders,” like the Wills Eagle and Falcon.
Archives for April 2004
Product Lines – January 01
ST. PAUL, MINN., — An interesting thing happened last fall. As 2000 came to a close, Italian flex-wing (Laminar) producer, Icaro, reached an accord with Germany’s top rigid wing (ATOS) producer, A.I.R. ••• Web writer, Davis Straub, reported in his Oz Report, "A.I.R. has moved its assembly operation and shipping to Icaro in Italy. Icaro has been a strong partner with A.I.R. from the start, producing parts and making sails, as well as being responsible for a significant portion of the distribution. Now it looks like Icaro is in a stronger position with respect to A.I.R." • Icaro confirmed Straub’s report saying, "In these past years, Icaro played already an important role at A.I.R. with producing the major part of the sails, the A-frames and the keels for the ATOS and, in addition, has sold over 130 of them." Icaro expressed, "Since the ATOS has been performing in such an incredible manner (present World and European Champions fly ATOS), we will not modify it for next year." • Straub, an outspoken supporter and user of rigid wings — such as in his notable record reported here in October — adds his personal feelings, "As a customer I feel more secure in having a larger and more diverse hang gliding company taking on more responsibilities for the ATOS.
Product Lines – January 00
ST. PAUL, MINN., — Welcome to a new era of hang gliding… well, and everything else, I guess. If you’re reading this, the Y2K bug evidently didn’t stop civilization as some feared. At least you got your Hang Gliding magazine. Is something more important than that? ••• As we start a new millennia, it pays to take stock of the state of the art. Topless flexwings are achieving great flights and cost Six Grand. Rigids wings seem to be the new darlings despite breaking the Ten Grand price barrier. We have carbon/kevlar helmets, highly sophisticated electronic navigation and flight performance instruments, and everybody flies with a parachute, sometimes two. Heck, we’ve even got luxury sport utility vehicles to haul it all around. Aren’t we something, cool 21st Century pilots? So I suppose it makes sense that lots of attention seems focused on the harness as we start a new year. It’s the new front line in the relentless drive for more performance.
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