ST. PAUL, MINN — Back home after attending the big Sun ‘n Fun airshow and just before that another USHGA board of directors meeting in Colorado Springs (the HQ of the association for those of you just back from another planet). ••• One of the evenings involved a little party at Yoo-shga offices. While the directors and a crowd of perhaps 50 persons milled about, someone pulled old copies of this magazine off the neatly organized shelves. Editor Gil Dodgen, myself, and several others enjoyed the memory lane trip of rifling through the old rags. • As many of you recall, this column, starting its nineteenth year with this issue (!!), is a take off from the old Bill Allen "Flying Bull" column that ran back in the late ’70s. When Bill had to step down, he called for a writer to succeed him. When none came forth, I adapted — and always gave credit to Bill for — his style within my own Whole Air magazine.
Archives for February 2005
Product Lines – May 1997
ST. PAUL, MINN — We’re in the high season now, and except for the excess moisture in some parts of the country, hopefully it’ll be a year for some excellent flying. One place this will happen in in North Carolina at the oldest ongoing hang gliding event in the world. ••• In just a few days, the Kitty Hawk Kites 25th Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular Competition will combine with the USHGA National Fly-in. Those of you who can ought to trek to Jockey’s Ridge in Nags Head, NC and make the event. It should prove memorable… and not just because it is probably the oldest HG event in the world. • Stars will be present: WW prez, Rob Kells; long distance king, Larry Tudor; writer/meet director/gear seller, GW Meadows… oh, the cast of characters goes on. • An action-packed event is planned with a key element being the flying. A great time of year on the Outer Banks, you can soar the famous sand dune that has trained more hang glider pilots than any other in the world, or you can aero tow at the relatively nearby Currituck Flight Park.
Product Lines – April 1997
ST. PAUL, MINN — Back home in cold country after a couple delightful months in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. Soon the season will heat up… and so will the soaring. News surrounds that pleasant development. ••• Moyes has introduced their version of the topless phenomenon that appears to be sweeping the entire design world. The down-under company will call theirs the CSX, saying it is based on the Super Xtralight SX series. • "Due to its use of carbon fiber," Moyes says, "[it] draws upon the technological leaps and bounds made by the massively funded America’s Cup yachting industry." They explained further saying, "The CSX’s center crossbars and divesticks come courtesy of one of the foremost yacht-makers who have been utilizing composite fibers for years." • Moyes also says it is using "Sail Propensity, or SP," which they define as, "an exciting new sail twist innovation which alters the sail’s wingtip loading based on the glider’s angle of attack." • While most glider builders do all their fabrication in house, Moyes continues to outsource work like the carbon fiber parts and even sail making.
Product Lines – March 1997
HENSON’S GAP, TENN. — When I have the opportunity to write from Dunlap, TN — the self-declared "Hang Gliding Capital of the East" — I enjoy writing "Henson’s Gap" at the head of this column. I’m still here and loving it. ••• News this month includes some different stuff. First is a fascinating project just getting underway by my old friend, Tim Morley. Many Californians know Tim and a number of others will remember him as the longtime Wills Wing touring rep (a few souls before Larry Tudor took over nearly a decade ago). After his WW tenure, Tim had an accident when flying tandem. A fairly minor incident injured his spine in a way that took him out of foot-launched hang gliding. Talking to him on the phone, you’d never know, so upbeat is his attitude and enthusiasm for light flight. • Morley’s got a great idea to help disabled folks sample light flight.
Product Lines – February 1997
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Back from warm San Diego to the "Deep Freeze" of Minnesota, I’m still in shock. It’s already hit 25 below zero and we have an average "snow load" of nearly 40 inches, the most snow ever on record for this time of year. Oh, brother! Good news, though. My wife Randee and I are splitting the snow scene for a two month respite. Yup! We’re headed to Chattanooga for the months of January and February, so you needn’t shed any tears for us this winter. In fact this is no vacation; instead it is an off-site working situation that we’ve been carefully arranging for several years. You’ll note a new address at the bottom of this old-timer column, BUT… the address will change back to Minnesota on about March 1st. So, if you’re one of the many who are kind enough to send along your opinions or news, do so to the address below only through the end of February.
Product Lines – January 1997
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — Topless fever is coming! Relax! I’m not talking about the famous nude beach in this southern California city which last month hosted the USHGA board of directors. Of course, I’m talking about gliders without kingposts or upper rigging. Only a couple months ago, I relayed the thoughts of a German competition official who felt America was behind the times because our manufacturers were not embracing this new idea. I speculated myself that it might be another fad like scoops were not long ago. But in the months ahead, you will hear about topless entries from Wills Wing and Pacific Airwave. These will add to the Laminar ST, Terry Reynold’s new glider, and of course, the glider that started it all, the La Mouette Topless (although this brand has only a tiny presence in the U.S. market). ••• Rob Kells of Wills Wing confirmed they expect to put such a kingpostless glider on the market in 1997.
Product Lines – December 1996
ST. PAUL, MINN — With elections behind us (thankfully!) and strains of the "Little Drummer Boy" already driving us a little crazy, we’re in the Christmas season once again. I wish all of you warm holidays with family and friends. Now, on with news in hang gliding. ••• In recent years and months, the glider building business has been remarkably stable (or is that "quiet?"). Wills Wing continues to display dominance of the U.S. scene and also populates sites in Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. Pacific Airwave holds the second seat securely after recovering from the usual trauma of a move. Downwind from these leaders the field is less distinct. Seedwings labors along with their beautiful machines, albeit in smaller numbers but maintaining a ferociously loyal following. Moyes proved to be an import star in last year’s survey and we’ll soon see if the new one you received last month shows a continued success.
Product Lines – November 1996
OSHKOSH, WISC. — In a different location this month, "Product Lines" comes from the headquarters of the EAA or Experimental Aircraft Association, the folks who build their own aircraft. The occasion was the assembly of the USHGA Board of Directors Planning Committee. This group of some the industry’s most important leaders gathers with the goal of looking longer range for the health and capabilities of USHGA. It was my pleasure — and honor, I must admit — to keep company and work with this group. • The PlanComm meeting took place at EAA after Executive Director Phil Bachman and I had met with EAA president Tom Poberezny last May. He offered their venue (versus an hotel somewhere) and we jumped at the chance. After Tom addressed the committee on two occasions, most felt satisfied that we had gotten some sound advice. EAA represents 165,000 members, has 145 employees, and an enormously impressive facility which includes a very professionally executed museum.
Product Lines – October 1996
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Our Just Fly U.S. Nationals are over and I heard little about the influence of the so-called topless gliders. I didn’t think much about this, being unsure if this idea is good design or merely good marketing. ••• However, German team leader Ernst Schneider sent E-mail which suggests that topless acceptance by contest pilots in Europe is much stronger. He writes, "Kingpostless gliders have gained popularity amongst competition pilots in Europe very fast this year and showed very good results at recent competitions." The results he listed put topless gliders in winning positions at the German Open (a Guggenmos "Cut RCS" won, followed by a UP "Speed") and six of the top ten at the German League were topless. Interestingly, though they showed well in the latter meet, the top three were "conventional" hang gliders. ••• In a related item, this German correspondent also states, "Market share of U.S.-built gliders in Europe has decreased significantly during the last years and it rather looks like this will continue." He notes that Americans may regard European gliders as having low standards of quality, safety, and performance, but adds, "…it looks definitely that the U.S.
Product Lines – September 1996
ST. PAUL, MINN — The 1996 U.S. Hang Gliding National Championships — this year known more briefly by its sponsor name: the Just Fly Nationals — is over. Several tidbits of information resulted from the gathering and good ole, late-breaking "Product Lines" is here to tell you some of them. Since Meet Director, GW Meadows, is a regular Hang Gliding writer, you’ll read a thorough article in a later issue. But as I write this at the end of July, Meadows is presently enroute from the Nats to the giant Oshkosh airshow. He was willing to stop along the way and call in a few stats to my voice mail… so, thanks in part to the layout of this back-of-the-book page, you can read a few essentials now, barely after the meet is over. (As this column was completed, the rest of HG is already done and in final preparation for printing.
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