ByDanJohnson.com

ByDanJohnson.com Launches New Features:SpecCheck, Pros & Cons, and PlaneView
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The Web’s largest resource for ultralight & Light-Sport Aircraft pilot reports, ByDanJohnson.com, recently launched new features aimed at improving a site member’s experience. The new features are SpecCheck, Pros & Cons, and PlaneView. Another eagerly-awaited feature, PlaneFinder, remains in development.
SpecCheck helps visitors compare specifications of multiple aircraft without having to page back and forth through printed buyer’s guides. Members select airplanes from a long list of aircraft presented on the site, denoting them as “Favorites,” and can then compare the wingspan, empty weight, and much more for each aircraft in tables created instantly by this database-driven Web site.
Pros & Cons is a popular an element of pilot reports appearing only in Ultralight Flying! magazine. The new Web site feature lets visitors contrast the positives and negatives of various aircraft in nine different categories. This a quick way to review what attributes you may like or wish to avoid and no other Web site, magazine, or book offers this resource.
PlaneView allows a pilot to pull up photos of any aircraft reported on the site. You choose the airplane from the long list available and ask for all photos to be displayed. You see a thumbnail view and can click those you want to enlarge. When enlarged a photo legend will accompany most photos.
PlaneFinder is a question-and-answer system aiming to guide buyers to aircraft that interest them. This work appeared in print for in three issues of EAA’s Experimenter. It was prepared with the Web in mind and will ultimate work to help buyers narrow down a large field of interesting aircraft to the several that fit the answers they provided. “This project has proven more technically challenging than we thought,” said Johnson on behalf of his development team. “We want it to be right when released so we’ll hold back for now, but we are pleased to bring online SpecCheck, Pros & Cons, and PlaneView.
Site membership is required to access the new features. Members pay $29 a year and get more than a dozen pilot reports free. Members also get full and unlimited access to SpecCheck, Pros & Cons, and PlaneView. Visitors can register for free and view plenty of free material. They can also buy articles one at a time but only Members have access to the new specialty tools.
ByDanJohnson.com is a source for literally hundreds of pilot reports on a wide variety of light aircraft, accompanied by thousands of photos and specifications of these aircraft. Dan’s work to create pilot reports dates back into the mid-1970s and covers a large fleet of ultralights and light-sport aircraft made in the USA or abroad. ByDanJohnson.com is updated at the rate of 40 new aircraft reviews per year.
Dan Johnson is a well-known aviation writer submitting monthly to Ultralight Flying!, Kitplanes, EAA Sport Pilot, GA News, and Hang Gliding & Paragliding. He has published pilot reports on over 280 light aircraft. Johnson is the 1999 winner of USUA’s Moody Award, the 2001 recipient of the Spirit of Flight Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and was awarded the 2003 Outstanding Leadership Award from ASTM International. Dan narrated the 1998 FAA/EAA video, First Flights in Your Ultralight / Lightplane. Two books plus an annual calendar have exclusively featured his flight reports.

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ByDanJohnson.com Launches New Features and Content;Celebrates First Anniversary Online
ST. PAUL, MINN. – For pilots and newcomers interested in light-sport aircraft (LSA) and ultralight pilot reports, ByDanJohnson.com offers the Internet’s largest database of pilot reports. On its first anniversary, the website added “SPLOG ByDanJohnson,” a web log (or blog) of light sport aviation observations by Dan Johnson, the site’s author. Additionally, nearly 200 articles have been added to the site’s database in the last year.
“The upgraded site has much new content. In particular, SPLOG will catch the interest of those following developments in light aviation,” said Dan. A sport pilot-oriented takeoff on the popular blog concept, SPLOG is a series of photo and paragraph blurbs often giving advance information about new aircraft that Dan may subsequently cover in full-length aircraft evaluations. SPLOGs will be added weekly, or more frequently if warranted, with a complete archive of this quick-read content available at the click of a mouse. Although the items may present aircraft developments or achievements in the light sport aviation industry, Dan said the site is not a news outlet and is not intended to replace or compete with aviation magazines or news websites. SPLOG is offered for free to all ByDanJohnson.com visitors. Many other articles are also available free of charge.
Since going live one year ago, ByDanJohnson.com has added nearly 200 articles including a wide range of pilot reports, plus a decade’s worth of “Product Lines,” the author’s long-running column in Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine. “We now have more than 600 articles posted to the site, which includes approximately 300 full-length pilot reports, complete with photos, specs, and contact info,” said Dan. Members can access more than a dozen articles for the site’s $29 annual fee, and then can purchase more articles at half-price. Visitors who register (by e-mail address only) can purchase articles individually.
During its first year ByDanJohnson.com also added “SpecCheck,” “Pros & Cons,” and “PlaneView.” These three “buyer’s help” components allow site members to compare aircraft “live on screen,” said Dan, “That’s something you can’t do with printed material.” SpecCheck allows you to match specs on a number of airplanes on one screen, while Pros & Cons allows comparison of many planes in nine categories of evaluation. PlaneView allows make and model viewing of all airplanes evaluated on ByDanJohnson.com.
Dan contributes regularly to several recreational aviation magazines and has 300 ultralight/light-sport aircraft pilot reports published to date. He is the 1999 winner of USUA’s Moody Award, was honored in 2001 by the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and was given a 2003 Outstanding Leadership Award from ASTM International for his work on light-sport aircraft standards. Dan also consulted on and narrated the 1998 FAA/EAA video, First Flights in Your Ultralight / Lightplane. Two books and an annual calendar have exclusively featured his flight reports.

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Finally! ByDanJohnson.com Goes LiveST. PAUL, MINN. – After three years of effort, Dan Johnson is pleased to announce that his Web site will go live on April 12th, 2004, the day before the season-starting Sun ‘n Fun airshow opens.
ByDanJohnson.com is intended to be a source for literally hundreds of pilot reports on a wide variety of light aircraft, accompanied by thousands of photos of these aircraft. Dan’s work to create pilot reports dates back into the mid-1970s and covers a large fleet of ultralights and light-sport aircraft made in the USA or abroad.
“This is one of those projects where if I’d known how much work it was going to be, I might never have started,” admitted Johnson. “But, at airshows and at speaking engagements, pilots often ask, ‘You’ve flown all these airplanes. Which one should I buy?’ The question is difficult to answer because each person has different skills and needs, and I don’t usually know the individual asking the question,” Dan explained. “In addition, after writing hundreds of aircraft evaluations, it becomes challenging to contrast the latest aircraft with another flown months ago, much less offer a comparison of five different models.”
ByDanJohnson.com offers visitors the chance to interactively research aircraft before a purchase. The database-driven Web site contains articles complete with photos, specifications, and contact information. Special features in final development include “PlaneFinder,” a question-and-answer system aiming to guide buyers to aircraft that interest them. “SpecCheck” helps visitors compare specifications of multiple aircraft without having to page back and forth through printed buyer’s guides. “PlaneView” allows a pilot to pull up photos of any aircraft reported on the site. “Pros & Cons,” an element of pilot reports appearing in Ultralight Flying! magazine, lets visitors contrast the positives and negatives of various aircraft in nine different categories so they can line up which meets their needs the best.
“The magazines for whom I write have been very cooperative and I’ve made it easy for visitors to go to their Web sites as well. But of all the aircraft companies covered, none are advertisers. “I’ve established this as a member-supported Web site,” says Johnson, who notes that members paying $29 a year get more than a dozen pilot reports free and can buy more for half price. Registered visitors can view plenty of free material and buy articles they like one at a time. After buying an article a current member can reread it anytime. Since Dan writes 40+ articles per year, the Web site will be continuously updated with new reports.
Dan Johnson is a well-known aviation writer submitting monthly to Ultralight Flying!, Kitplanes, EAA Sport Pilot, GA News, and Hang Gliding & Paragliding. In 27 years he has published pilot reports on over 280 light aircraft. Johnson is the 1999 winner of USUA’s Moody Award, the 2001 recipient of the Spirit of Flight Award from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, and was awarded the 2003 Outstanding Leadership Award from ASTM International. Dan narrated the 1998 FAA/EAA video, First Flights in Your Ultralight / Lightplane. Two books plus an annual calendar have exclusively featured his flight reports.

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ST. PAUL, MINN. – Here’s an interesting perspective on the World Meet in Hay. The
missing Manfred (Ruhmer) saw the event in his own way and expressed himself
clearly. He didn’t go|which also means somebody else got to win after Manfred has
won the last two World Meets. In the fifteen World meets that have been held since
1976, only one man has achieved more. Tomas Suchanek won the event three times
running, a record. Looking at the history of hang gliding’s
main worldwide competition, a New Zealand pilot unknown to most Americans, Terrence
Delore, won the first event. He was followed by Josef Guggenmos, the talented
German wing designer (’79); by Brazilian Padro Paulo Lope (’81); by famous Australian
Steve Moyes (’83); by British legend John Pendry (’85); by another Australian
Rick Duncan, now a partner in AirBorne (’88); by Robert Whittall who also
went on to paragliding competition fame (’89); and then three times in a row by Czech
pilot Tomas Suchanek (’91, ’93, and ’95); by German Guido Gehrmann (’98); twice by
Manfred (’99 and ’03); and now by Ukrainian star, Oleg Bondarchuk (’05). About
their hero, Aeros notes that Oleg has been ranked for for some time but has not won
the big contest. And he did so while flying as the lone Ukrainian while other
country teams worked together for victory. As you can see, an American has never
won the event. So, with a chance to tie Suchanek at
three victories in a row, why did Manfred stay out? It’s about his principles.
According to published letters, Manfred did not like the Hay location. More
than just a remote place with fewer services, Hay would not offer the media attention
to help hang gliding grow, wrote Ruhmer. His other reason is to protest the high-flying
Austrian team not getting their own vote at FAI competition meetings. According to
Manfred, Austria and Germany get one vote between them. He adds, “As weird as it
may sound, the Austrian Hang Gliding Team (yes, currently the best team worldwide,
almost unbeaten since 1994) is not free to express its own ideas when it comes
to voting for the World Championships!” Not that Manfred’s
absence takes anything away from Oleg’s victory but I have to admire his courage
at turning down another possible victory to make his statement.
Speaking of Europeans, Icaro is promoting their success at the World meet
(their gliders placed second and seventh) but that’s not all. Right while Angelo
Crapanzano was busy preparing gliders for the Hay World Meet, he wrote Mike Riggs
to express interest in Mike “ePod” (as it’s becoming known|no doubt in a nod
to Apple’s runaway music success, the iPod). Speaking for himself and Icaro owners
Gianni and Franco, he wrote, “We all like it. The finish looks perfect and the design
very sleek. I’m very impressed!” Icaro currently represents the Swedish Mosquito
but doesn’t have much experience with trikes. “However,” Angelo added, “next year
are planning to enter that market, too, with a new double seater wing we are working
on.” (For those that don’t know, Angelo is the longtime owner of Metamorphosi
parachutes and is now developing new gliders for Icaro.) He punctuated his enthusiasm
with, “I would love to have one for myself.” As I have
long promoted this development, people often ask me how the project is going. You
should get it straight from the horse’s mouth at Mike@fly-seagull.com but the former
Mr. Seagull (hang gliders) reports he’s still on track for an appearance at the Sun
‘n Fun airshow later this month and then he plans a tour of the Florida flight parts
where the unpowered Pod Racer could become a rental hit. (Because this column
was written in February, check with Seagull for the latest.) FMI: fly-seagull.com
Meanwhile,
Mike isn’t the only guy working on such a nanolight soaring trike. Felix Ruhle
and his tandem rigid wing ATOS VX has experimented with Helmut Grossklaus
and his Silent trike. Grossklaus has been developing highly faired trikes
for years and my experience in flying a two place model was very interesting. That
Silent Racer trike had a partial canopy (open only at the sides) and its gear retracted.
But to accommodate two people in an enclosure, the trike got rather large and needed
a much larger engine than a nanolight would use. However, the larger Silent Racer
is only one of Helmut’s designs. Another is the Silent Glider M which you
can see flying under the ATOS VX wing on Helmut’s website (FMI: silentfamily.com;
then click Silent Family, then Glider M). When I flew with Felix last fall, he told
me the combination seemed to work very well. Their experience certainly suggests
that an ATOS VX on an ePod or Silent would make for a self-launched soaring machine
with great potential.
Talk about your high-flying gliders! They may go up noisier than any aircraft
you ever heard, but they come down very quietly|or as much so as very high speeds
allow. I’m referring to the follow-on to SpaceShipOne, specifically to Virgin
Galactic’s plan to fly tourists into space. People
wonder how space tourists will be assured of safety without strict federal rules
that could stifle the industry’s growth. “Consensus industry standards are the answer,”
says Michael Kelly when speaking before the U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee. Kelly
compared such standards to voluntary Underwriters Laboratory approval for electronic
devices but he missed the most obvious analogy|Light-Sport Aircraft and the
consensus standards written by ultralight and kit builders with participation by
hang gliding leaders. Government has shown they are willing to let self regulation
happen. Why not in space? A group of space entrepreneurs announced recently that
they are organizing a new Personal Spaceflight Federation to promote growth and safety
in their new industry. The federation will work with the FAA as it develops industry
standards for passenger safety and crew training. At last
count, Virgin Galactic had 14,000 reservations priced at an “affordable” $200,000
a seat. FAA has already licensed four commercial launch
facilities, in California, Florida, Virginia and Alaska, and several more are in
the works. “In 2004, there were only 15 worldwide commercial space launches,” said
Gregg Maryniak of the X Prize Foundation, one of the organizers of the new Federation.
Initial members of the group hoping to far surpass 15 launches a year include Burt
Rutan, designer of SpaceShipOne.
So, got news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax
to 651-450-0930. E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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OSHKOSH, WISC. — While the deep snow swirls in strong winter winds up here in the
southern tundra, it’s enjoyable to think about the 15th World Meet taking
place in sunny, hot Australia where this time of year is “summer.” The event concluded
just as this column was sent to the editor, and I’m pleased to report a few highlights.
Some contest enthusiasts followed this on Davis Straub’s
Oz Report (ozreport.com) from which I’ve distilled a few points of interest.
The new
reigning champion of flex wings is Oleg Bondarchuk of the Ukraine. Working
for Aeros, he was, of course, flying an Aeros Combat L and finished with a
clear lead over second place finisher Rob Reisinger of Austria flying an Icaro Zero
7, followed by fellow Austrian, Gerolf Heinrichs, flying a Moyes Lightspeed S4. Congratulations
to these top three finalists in hang gliding’s top worldwide competition. You may
also note with interest that the top three pilots flew different brands so no company
“swept” the top positions. Before I go further, let me
repeat my often-stated comment when reviewing brands at contests: the results do
not necessarily reflect brand purchase decisions by recreational hang glider pilots.
Some pilots are sponsored and all comp pilots are motivated by different flying goals
than the vast majority of fly-for-fun pilots.
It should surprise no one that Moyes dominated the contest with 48%
of the field. The contest was held in remote Australia where Moyes has long been
the overwhelming favorite and Moyes has long been involved with competition flying.
However, also-local AirBorne didn’t fare as well with only 6% of the contestants
flying their wings. (As a side note, AirBorne does quite well in America with their
powered trike division being one of the top brands.) In second position was Aeros
with a very respectable 26% of the field. I find it intriguing that a Ukrainian
company can do this well on the world stage only a decade and a half after the country
emerged from behind the old Iron Curtain. In America we know Aeros quite well, thanks
to the efforts by GW Meadows and his US Aeros operation – now in search
of a new owner – but this contest brought contestants from all over the globe and
a quarter of them chose Aeros. In third place was Icaro at 15%, a drop
from some earlier participation rates the Italian company enjoyed. Australia’s AirBorne
came in fourth with their 6% followed by Wills Wing at 3%, France’s
La Mouette at 2% and England’s Avian with a single pilot of
the 101 who finished in the points of the big world event.
The top U.S. pilots included Curt Warren in 13th place flying a Moyes Lightspeed
S4, Kevin Carter in 17th on a Aeros Combat L, and Dustin Martin in
19th flying a Moyes Lightspeed S4. These pilots were trailed by Tom Lanning (68th
on a Lightspeed S4), Davis Straub (78th on a Lightspeed S4, not his usual rigid wing),
and Dean Funk (83rd on a Lightspeed S4.5).
In contest results by country, Australia came in first, though barely ahead
of the Austrian team. France was third, followed by Italy (4th), the
USA (5th), Germany (6th), Japan (7th), Czech Republic (8th), Spain (9th),
and The Netherlands (10th).
Unfortunately, the 15th World Meet, a tow-launched event, was marred by the death
of Robin Strid, a Norwegian pilot, who “chose to foot launch in light cross
wind conditions in spite of the pleadings from the ground crew|to use a cart,” writes
Straub in his Oz Report. “As he took off his left wing was dragging. Bobby
Bailey, the best tow pilot in the business, moved to the right into get further
into the wind, and Rob got his left wing up and flying as he lined up behind Bobby.
Then Robin shifted off to the left again getting his right, upwind wing, high again.
He was seen reaching for his release. I understand that Bobby also released him.
He kept doing a wing over to the left and dove straight into the ground from about
50 feet. He was killed immediately.” Condolences to Robin’s family.
Last month you got to read about Angelo d’Arrigo’s flight over Mount Everest.
Now you can see some exceptional video clips at the following website: http://www.mounteverest.net/story/BestofExplorersWeb2004AwardsFlightoftheEagles-AngelosstoryJan62005.shtml
Even after I studied all the facts of this exceptional
flight, I didn’t get the flavor as well as I did when I saw the video which
runs for several minutes (a high-speed connection may be required; I didn’t test
this at dial-up speeds). Presented are some points of view that I never expected,
including on-board camera views when the towline snapped and left Angelo stranded
over the most forbidding terrain imaginable. I don’t know how long these stories
stay posted so I’d advise you point your browser to the above address soon and have
a gander.
While you’re browsing|You can view some spectacular Eagle flight footage with
a tiny, one-ounce camera (and transmitter) mounted on the neck of the Eagle. See
a series of video clips at http://media.animal.discovery.com/convergence/spyonthewild/birdtech/birdtech.html.
These are really quite amazing views and a great way to kill time at work or when
you can’t go flying in person.
Finally, the 2005 contest season in the U.S. is fast approaching. Regarding the U.S.
Nationals, those events that seem annually to happen in Florida are often oversubscribed.
Of the upcoming Nats at Quest Flight Park, organizer Steve Kroop writes, “We
received over 90 applications on the first day of registration and, to date we have
received over 120 applications, which means we have a waiting list. Of course, we
will be working on securing more tugs so we can let everyone in.” This event also
serves as the pre-Worlds meet from which it gains additional importance. Contact
Steve at Quest: 352-429-0213 or questair@mpinet.com.
So, got news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax
to 651-450-0930. E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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ST. PAUL, MINN. — As this issue went to press, the Christmas cards and calls were
arriving as usual. One call was a flashback to precisely two years ago, when in this
column (Feb. ’03) I wrote a farewell to longtime Hang Gliding editor, Gil
Dodgen. So, perhaps it was fitting that he should call recently.
Gil was charged up over a big success by his employer of the last couple years. Vertigo
is an aviation and defense developer and they’d just done a specialized parachute
drop that hit the target perfectly. The SoCal company creates solutions and has found
answers when others couldn’t to create a successful enterprise. This is no surprise
as Vertigo has quite a brain trust so the addition of software writer Dodgen was
quite appropriate. In addition to Glen Brown, who you may not know, Vertigo’s staff
is “hang gliding heavy.” Brown’s founding partner is CEO Roy Haggard whose
most notable hang gliding claim to fame was developing the UP Comet, a glider
widely believed to have forever changed the design of hang gliders. Other staff members
include Tom Price, former owner of ASG hang gliders and for many years
an aeronautical engineer who helped raise the level of sophistication for a maturing
hang gliding industry; Dave Cronk, a partner in the original Eipper-Formance
hang glider company which morphed into the worldwide ultralight industry’s largest-ever
producer, Quicksilver; Roger McCracken, a former Wills Wing production boss;
and now Gil Dodgen, 25-year editor of the magazine you are reading.
To show just how HG friendly Vertigo is, Wills Wing owners Rob Kells, Steve
Pearson, Mike Meier and Linda Meier were invited to the company Christmas party.
And, as he has done before at WW-brand events, Gil worked a keyboard of a different
sort. If you’ve forgotten or never knew, Dodgen is a concert pianist quite adept
at entertaining through music.
Product news this month is the pending sale of U.S. Aeros, the company founded
in 1996 by GW Meadows and his partner Sunny Venesky. After a satisfying
nine-year run, GW decided he had other ideas he wanted to pursue and running a successful
import business takes so much time that he felt he couldn’t do both.
As they started their enterprise, a natural division of labor occurred, with Sunny
handling flight testing, shipping, and receiving and GW handling everything else
the business required. This method has worked for U.S. Aeros for almost a decade.
In 1997 and 1998, the business “went nuts,” says GW. He explained saying that it
was the time of topless glider emergence. American topless glider prices were
edging beyond $6,000, a price many buyers found high. When the Stealth came out and
U.S. Aeros priced it at $4,800, they unleashed pent-up demand and “we sold
hundreds,” Meadows reported. Those still considering kingposted gliders now turned
to topless and never looked back. Then came 1999 and a
recession that ushered in the 2000s. As GW sees it, lots of HG pilots had just bought
a topless and needed to fly it for a while to justify the investment. It wasn’t until
2001 that topless sales again picked up. Now, the Aeros line is back on track with
2004 the best ever for U.S. Aeros. GW’s longtime
partner, Sunny, is the operator of Highland Aerosports in Ridgely, Maryland.
Sunny had been partners with Chad Elkin who was tragically lost while flying a Dragonfly;
his brother later stepped in to help run the hang glider training and towing business.
Though GW Meadows was the out-front guy that everyone knows, Sunny has quietly done
the good work and in 2004 was feted as USHGA’s Instructor of the Year.
The plan to sell U.S. Aeros does not include Sunny’s Highland Aerosports enterprise
nor GW’s mail-order business, Just Fly, which will continue business as usual.
In fact, that identifies one of the reasons for GW to sell. “Selling hang gliders
and harnesses is a very pilot-focused effort. It takes lots of time on the phone
or in person to transact a sale because customers have lots of questions,” Meadows
reports. It simply was not allowing him the time to stretch his creative wings…or
his figurative ones. He concluded, “I’m looking forward to just being a hang glider
pilot once again.” And despite the hassles of conducting glider trades, he added
“I’ll really miss the day-to-day interactions with my fellow pilots and loyal customers.”
So, if you’re looking for a nice import business all set
up and ready to go, contact GW at 252-480-3552 or GW@JustFly.com.
Though it isn’t hang gliding or paragliding, it is the world’s longest-ever
soaring flight. Do you know the name Steve Fossett? He’s a wealthy pilot with
the time to pursue world records. You may have read recently that he plans to fly
solo around the world nonstop in a specially built airplane by Burt Rutan, the designer
of SpaceShipOne and Voyager (which also circled the world nonstop, but with
two pilots on board). Here’s the report from AvWeb.com, an aviation e-zine.
“Chalk up another record for Steve Fossett — compliments of one of the longest
stretches of ridge-soarable geography in the world (the Andes). The world’s best-known
extreme aviator broke the straight-line distance record for sailplanes December 4
when he flew an ASH 25M high-performance sailplane about two-thirds the length of
Argentina, a total distance of 1,358 miles.” “The flight,
between the Argentine cities of El Calafate and San Juan, is roughly equivalent to
the distance from New York to Dallas. It took Fossett and copilot 15 hours and 42
minutes and beat the old record, set by Klaus Ohlmann on the same course, by about
eight miles. Fossett said conditions were perfect for the flight, which took him
over the spine of South America in the stiff winds that mark spring over the Andes.”
Fossett now holds world records in five categories: hot-air
balloons, airships, sailboats, gliders, and jets. He planned to attempt a nonstop,
80-hour solo flight around the world in the Rutan-designed GlobalFlyer in early January,
2005 from Salina, Kansas.
Outta room. So, got news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages
or fax to 651-450-0930. E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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St. Paul, Minn. – Paraphrasing a famous speaker, “You can satisfy all of the people
some of the time or all of the people some of the time, but, well| that’s about it.
I’m referring
to my story about Raven Sky Sports – it’s sale, then non-sale, and the challenge
to its name. First, I got in trouble for announcing
a purchase by an Oregon-based pilot. He and founder/owner Brad Kushner could
never quite close an almost-done deal. The would-be buyer was at first very upset
with me that I would share this news with the public without getting permission (though
I received an email announcement letter along with numerous other recipients). We
patched that up between us but then the sale never happened.
Next, I got a very unhappy but carefully written, four-page letter from the lawyer
who asked Kushner to stop using the name Raven Sky Sports. He thought I characterized
him in a poor light. In fact, I know Marshall McFarlane, owner of the ultralight
business named SkySports. I just didn’t know the half of it and Marshall wanted me
to hear the rest of the story. It turns out he’s a USHGA member, an avid paragliding
pilot, and occasional hang glider pilot whose business is actually quite active with
hang glider or paraglider pilots. “About 20% of my revenue is from this community,”
he says. I’ll report more on the HG and PG products SkySports offers in a subsequent
issue. FMI: airstuff.com. Twenty years ago, McFarlane
bought the backup parachute business from SkySports, producer of the Kestrel
and other fine hang gliders of its day. Except for a short period when he sold it
to another man, McFarlane’s SkySports has continued selling parachutes and a wide
range of other flight gear. As to the name dispute, he
reports several times asking politely for Kushner to cease using the name. After
requests on SkySports letterhead were ignored, he sent one from his law firm. Since
he works in the area of trademarks he knew he had the right to SkySports but preferred
not to resort to legal action against a fellow hang gliding enthusiast. The matter
has now effectively been laid to rest as Raven ceased operations.
Fortunately for midwest hang gliding fans, John Gamble sent an update. “I wanted
to pass along the following| The hang gliding pilots in the area were not about to
give up our love of flying so the Whitewater Hang Gliding club has been formed
to replace the operation. The club has leased the airport and a hangar at
the same location (Twin Oaks Airport) in Whitewater, Wisconsin and is nearly ready
to begin the flying season.” He reports the club is well organized, growing, and
has the support of a broad membership, presided by Terry Kramer who “has the
help and support of many people to keep things moving along smoothly.” Tim Thompson
purchased a tug and is establishing his own business offering 7-days-a-week towing
to the club. Tim formerly worked for Raven and is a tug pilot at the Florida Ridge
operation in the winter, a plan he’ll continue. Flying was expected to be operational
as you read this and they’re hoping someone will offer lessons and tandem flights.
The Wisconsin Hang Gliding club extends an invitation to area pilots. FMI:
john gamble@cunamutual.com
In mid-March Ken Brown did some proselytizing to the bunch that flies powered
ultralights. He was on UltraFlight Radio – an Internet broadcast – talking
about suprone flying. It was quite progressive of radio show boss Roy Beisswenger
to have Ken as a guest, giving him a chance to promote hang gliding to guys used
to throttles rather than varios. I applaud Ken for reaching out to other pilot groups
with magic of soaring flight. But we also need to reach the general population with
our message.
With that in mind I recently presented an idea for a Light-Sport Aircraft Promotional
Board to attendees of the ASTM meeting which deals with certification standards
for aircraft above Part 103 in the aviation food chain. If you think about “Got Milk”
or the “California Raisin” commercials you’ve seen, what you witnessed was the work
of a industry group that joins competitors together to approach new markets none
of the producers can afford to reach on their own. All
of aviation shares one common problem: we are seeing little growth over a period
of years and the current population of pilots are graying. Fortunately, we’ve seen
enough new entrants – paragliding has helped USHGA a lot – that we’ve kept our numbers
or grown slightly despite the loss of retiring pilots. But simply holding steady
isn’t much of future. You think it doesn’t affect you?
Well, may I observe that we once had several glider manufacturers in the USA and
now we have one, basically. While Wills Wing is doing an excellent job, it is challenging
to maintain development in a declining market. New enthusiasts will bring more money
that can be used to create better products for current pilots.
I’m hopeful that the promotional board can form, start some good marketing work,
and begin solving the problem by appealing to the general public in phases. I’m also
hopeful that this effort, the only one I know of, will include USHGA.
Traffic on my Web site started gradually, but picked up nicely in May after I sent
an email announcement to 1,700 folks who’d asked to be notified. Based on results
in the first half of May, ByDanJohnson.com should exceed 150,000 hits for
the month. USHGA pilots can read this column from
January 2000 to the present; I plan to add the 1990s next. In this completely free
area, you can search all of “Product Lines” looking for a specific reference. I’ll
be adding regularly to the site, so even if you’ve already visited once, stop back
periodically to see what’s new. And, of course, if you’ve got news| but wait! |that
my trademark ender.
So, got news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax
to 651-450-0930. E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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WALLABY RANCH, FL — While northerners prepare for winter and snow, it’s hot and
sunny here in Florida. I’m in the state for a collection of aviation events, kicked
off by a big gathering at Malcolm Jones’ “Ranch.”
They called it the Moyes Boys Reunion. When most of us hear “reunion” we think
of Class Reunions, and many groan about having to attend. Since I similar gatherings
like Dockweiler and Grandfather Mountain, I was pleased to make this one. I saw old
friends I hadn’t seen in 20+ years. But what really moved me was meeting John
Dickenson, who may have been THE man who invented the hang glider as we
know it today. John taught both Bill Moyes and Bill Bennett
to fly “ski kites” as they were then called. Moyes went on to become a major brand
name. Bill Bennett once directed a leading company that gave Bob Wills his start
in the business. Without John Dickenson, we might not have gotten modern hang gliders
as soon|or maybe at all! Who knows? John tells a great
tale about how he happened into this endeavor. A water ski club, of which John became
a member, planned their annual event and “assigned” John the duty of building and
flying a towed kite. They were thinking of a flat kite or some variation. But early
in 1963, John saw photos of Francis Rogallo’s work. From January when the
club made their request to November when the event occurred, Dickenson developed
an airframe for Rogallo’s wing design and added a version of the control bar we accept
as standard today. He even filed a patent for the invention way back in 1963. His
total cost: $24. John added many other facts I found fascinating but which
are too numerous to present here. For a more complete account of the Dickenson
story go to www.bchpa.org/newsletter/may04/hghistory.htm
John mentioned that the British Hang Gliding Association (BHPA now) gave him a free
lifetime membership in recognition of his ground-breaking work to develop the modern
hang glider. Other nations have also honored John but the U.S. — arguably the biggest
benefactor of his work — has never formally recognized his formative work. Perhaps
it’s time we changed that? For a minor annual expenditure, USHGA might provide John
with a complimentary membership. It seems a small gesture for a man whose work has
given so many of us so much pleasure.
One glaringly obvious missing element in the festivities was Bill Bennett.
As reported here last month, Bill perished in a trike accident in early October.
He was reportedly pursuing lessons and had taken the front seat after a few flights
in the rear. Details will surely follow but hang gliding has clearly lost one its
true pioneers. For pilots with some memory, “Uncle Bill,” as he was affectionately
known to many, was one of the first brand names they knew. Delta Wing Kites
was a leader for many years and Bill’s company released numerous essential products.
The gliders developed rapidly in those early days and Delta Wing was right in the
forefront. However, as Bill came from a tow-flying orientation, he also sold tow
equipment and floats. His company was one of the first to promote “back-up parachutes,”
and he offered the first commercial powered back-pack power setup of which I’m aware.
Beside his technical developments for hang gliding, he was also one the sport’s genuine
characters, always with a quick smile and a joke. Most would agree he was one
of a kind! Bill, we’ll miss you.
Well, it was after all a Moyes reunion. Moyes USA sponsored the event in concert
with Wallaby Ranch. Naturally, Ken put plenty of pilots on demo Moyes gliders. A
Doodlebug flew many times and, of course, the Dragonflys did the towing —
all are Moyes (or Bailey/Moyes) products. Ken was pleased with the results as he
took orders at the event and believes he’ll see more in the weeks ahead. Together
with Wallaby, Ken and his wife did a bang-up job with the event and all 350
or so attendees had a terrific time.
Even though it was a Moyes reunion — and perhaps as a sign of our growing maturity
as an industry — A.I.R. man Felix Ruhle showed up with four of his still-quite-new
ATOS VX designs. Felix reports about 45 VXs are flying, but it was the first time
I saw one live. What a beautiful construction, from its compound leading edge to
its cascading spoilerons to its shapely all-carbon control bar to its high-tech leading
edge junction hidden under a nose cone. VX is built big for tandem flying with a
46 foot span, 172 square feet of area, and 92 pounds of empty weight.
My tandem flight with Ruhle proved to be an excellent way to check out a new
wing. Felix gave tips about operation while skying out in decent thermals. When I
took over the controls, I didn’t squeeze as much out of it, but I did credibly well|enough
so that following lunch at the Ranch, I took up Malcolm’s new specially configured
VX for an solo flight. In a word: impressive! Nice job, Felix and crew.
The ATOS effort has been a solid one over the years. Ruhle reports selling 980
ATOSs since the first one went out the door. Given their lofty prices, this is
an enviable sales record for a new kind of hang glider wing. The tandem-capable VX
is priced at 12,500 euros, which at today’s exchange rates is about $15,600,
a rather wide gap from flex wings at something over $6,000, but this VX a different
bird altogether and you have to pay for technology this high. While I enjoyed free
flying the wing, I admit I looked at the VX as a soaring trike wing, given
it’s capacity to carry almost 500 pounds of load (Felix said A.I.R. is also pursuing
use of the VX on nanotrikes). It appears as well suited for that use as it is for
big pilots or tandem operations. I feel sure you’ll hear more about ATOS VX in the
months ahead.
So, got news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax
to 651-450-0930. E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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ST. PAUL, MINN. — Just as the October “Product Lines” was headed to press a last-minute
update was inserted into the column by USHGA’s alert art director, Tim Meehan. At
the end of last month’s column I was writing about Alan Chuculate’s paraglider
aerotow trike, the SlowTow. A week after the deadline, Alan wrote, “The SlowTow
project suffered a major setback on Wednesday when Floyd Fronius crashed
in the trike and crushed a vertebrae and his heel. It was a classic case of a low
altitude aerotow problem resulting in the towplane pilot getting pitched down and
not releasing early enough. Both trike and glider were airborne at approximately
150 feet AGL.” Alan reports that Floyd thought the glider had released because the
towline was slack. He began to descend and turned left to reconnect and try again.
“But as he turned left the towline tightened rapidly, the glider climbed dramatically,
and the trike was slowed and pitched nose down.” Perhaps Floyd should have released
at the first sign of the problem, but it takes a short time to comprehend the situation
and he didn’t have those precious seconds. Neither did Floyd have time to hand deploy
the reserve parachute that was part of the SlowTow’s equipment list.
Alan supposes, “If he had more altitude he would have fully pulled out of the dive,
but instead impacted between a 45-degree and a 60-degree descent angle.” The good
news is that surgery on his L3 vertebrae was a complete success and he is expected
to fully recover in about four months with the exception of some titanium preventing
flexure between L2 and L4. Were it not for his broken heel he could be standing today,
Alan says. His heel will be operated by next week and is expected to take three months
to heal. The airframe appears to have sustained little
damage based on a superficial inspection. About the project, Alan reports, “The SlowTow
project will probably continue but possibly using a different configuration than
a trike. We may abandon use of the trike because of it’s inherent limitation of liftoff
speed being significantly faster than stall speed.” He expects Floyd will continue
participation in the project after he recovers. For those
who’d like to help out while Floyd is unable to operate his business, you
can send donations through a fund made available at Lite Touch Films, the Website
of friend and pilot Phil Russman: www.litetouchfilms.com/floydfund.html.
Phone calls to Floyd at home are encouraged: 619-238-0835 or cellphone 619-283-2336.
Best wishes to Floyd as he recovers.
Paul Hamilton is known to many hang glider and paraglider pilots as the “video
guy” who produces more DVDs than anyone I know in our favorite segment of aviation
(he reports producing over 40 films!). Some years ago, he branched out into powered
aviation and today, he is taking steps to be part of the Sport Pilot/Light-Sport
Aircraft explosion. His Hamilton Training System is catching the attention
of organizations like NAFI, the National Association of Flight Instructors.
NAFI held its first of several symposia to educate the general aviation community
of certified flight instructors on the business potential of Sport Pilot. The premiere
event took place in Sebring, Florida at the end of October when that city hosted
the first-ever U.S. Sport Aviation Expo. Paul was one of the speakers. He
also worked with the NAFI at the summertime airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. FMI:
www.sport-pilot-training.com/hts.htm
Another guy reaching out to alternative flying groups is Mr. Moyes USA, Ken Brown.
Many in HG and PG seem focused so tightly on our favorite way to fly that we forget
to go beyond our borders. Yet all human endeavors require growth for the health of
an organization, business, or activity like soaring flight. I commend people like
Paul and Kenny for marketing their goods and services to the wider group of aviators
or non-pilots. To that goal, Kenny is promoting participation
in the Soaring Society of America’s Airsports Expo coming up in Ontario, California
over February 10-12, 2005. Ken writes, “SSA is very excited about the inclusion of
our Part 103 ultralights to the mix. As a supporter of the Expo I have taken on the
task of building up the participation of vendors in the Part 103 end of the flight
spectrum.” He continues, enthusiastically, “No where on the west coast will you find
more aviation enthusiasts gathered. Sailplanes, motorgliders, sport planes, hang
gliders, paragliders, motor harnesses and accessories will be on display in the main
hall. Manufacturers, distributors, dealers, school and flight park owners will be
on hand with the latest gear and info.” You can also attend
lectures by experts in various soaring fields. Brown says topics will include
performance flying to how to crash confidently. He advises you can go to www.SSA.org
for information and the speaker schedule. Vendor info is available from Gaynell@ssa.org.
If USHGA or other groups wish to meet at the event, Ken
promises, “A room is being provided free of charge to our group as a result of our
participation if we can pull together a cohesive group. I will be proposing to the
HGMA that we hold a general meeting open to all professionals to hammer out a future
marketing strategy.” I applaud Kenny’s efforts to push hang gliding businessmen
to work harder at reaching out to other groups. FMI: flyamoyes@aol.com or 530-888-8622.
So, got
news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax to 651-450-0930.
E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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St. Paul, Minn. — Wills Wing has released their new Sport 2 model
in the 135 square foot size. The company says, “The Sport 2 135 is a high
performance glider for lighter pilots that’s easy to fly and land. All of the HGMA
vehicle tests are completed, and we are releasing the glider for sale at this time.”
The new model comes with their popular Litestream control bar and an aluminum faired
base tube. WW reports that the Sport 2 can achieve a glider of about 13:1. The smaller
model weighs only 54 pounds (your shoulders will love it!) and, as its mainly
intended for smaller pilots, the control bar is three inches shorter than on the
larger 155 model. More stats: Span is 29.3 feet (versus
31.5 on the 155), hook-in weight is 130 to 200 pounds (versus 150 to 250), and it
will work best for someone with a body weight of 130 to 160 pounds (versus 150-200
for the larger model). Deliveries should be underway as you read this for a reasonable
price of $4,275. Wills plans a 175 model
for bigger pilots but no release date has been set. FMI: www.willswing.com
The “Moyes
Boys” are hosting a “Reunion and 37 Year celebration” later this month.
Make your way to Wallaby Ranch during the weekend of October 23-24 to join the party.
According to U.S. representative, Ken Brown, the weekend festivities will include
a demo days experience with Moyes gliders and harnesses available for demo flights.
Additionally, he plans to introduce the Dragonfly C model that has won German
certification. You can also get in on tuning and maintenance seminars, or
competition and cross-country flying clinics. Ken
also notes that nearby Cypress Gardens will reopen in October. This onetime
tourist resort was where many folks saw hang gliders for the first time — and, interestingly,
many of them were Moyes gliders many years ago. FMI: www.moyesamerica.com
or dial 530-888-8622.
What Ken may not know is that just a few days later, the Sebring (FL) U.S.
Sport Aviation Expo will occur at the airport owned by the famous auto racetrack.
Just down Highway 27 from Wallaby, the Sebring Expo runs October 28-31. Visitors
will be able to see a wide array of light-sport aircraft that now fall under FAA’s
newest rule. The first-year event is the first of its kind, dedicated 100% to
light sport flying machines and exhibit space was totally sold out in the summer
of 2004 (though organizers may add some additional spaces). EAA will present forums
of all kinds to educate visitors about the new rule and other matters and all day
long, LSAs should be flying around and giving rides to those interested. To my knowledge,
no hang glider or paragliding companies will be present, but I don’t have the complete
list of exhibitors. FMI: www.sport-aviation-expo.com
Little trikes and big trikes for hang gliders pilots|Michael Riggs’ Seagull Aerosports
has his Escape Pod fully faired trike nearly ready for flight testing. He
hopes to be ready in time to attend the Sebring Expo and, if so, would stay in Florida
and make his way around to the various hang glider flight parks of the Sunshine State.
The Escape Pod shown at the huge Oshkosh AirVenture airshow was a marvel of
engineering achievement with its tiny paraglider engine tucked neatly away in the
pod’s body along with a rocket-deployed parachute system. Escape Pod is obviously
the powered version but an unpowered, towable model called the Pod Racer may
also be completed by this fall. For now, Seagull’s Web site is up and running for
you to see and read more. FMI: www.fly-seagull.com or dial 952-473-1480
From Alan Chuculate comes news of his aptly named “Slow Trike.” This
is a project to build a special-purpose trike suitable to aerotow paragliders. Alan
has been doggedly pursuing this for months and progress is becoming visible. In mid-July
he reported that Floyd Fronius completed construction of the trike.
It stands taller than most trikes to accommodate a very large prop (72 in.) with
generous ground clearance (18 in.). The wheel track (width) was also broadened to
increase stability with the very large wing needed to fly slowly enough to safely
aerotow paragliders. Testing started with taxi runs to
verify the steering precision, the suspension effectiveness, and the bicycle-style
front disk brake. All worked fine. Alan writes, “We then mounted the modified
Condor wing on it for the first time. We had adequate prop clearance beneath
the keel and the rear wires. Floyd made three flights of the SlowTow for a total
of one hour of airtime in midday summer thermal turbulence with gusty winds.” Alan
wisely chose to wait for a mellower day so “my first flight would be fun and easy.”
Alan and Floyd planned to be out on the El Mirage dry lakebed
in the high Mojave desert (4,000 ft MSL) for additional testing later in the summer.
Alan projected, “If everything is go after some trike-only flights, we intend to
make our first attempts at towing. We will probably start with a solo hang
glider because neither Floyd nor I have any experience as a tug pilot. We may also
try towing the Light Hawk ultralight sailplane that Danny Howell will be bringing.
When it comes time for paraglider towing Floyd will be the tug pilot and I will be
the paraglider pilot.” This is an exciting development that could open up the
flatlands to paragliding (without a back-pack engine, that is). More as Alan
updates me|
So, got news or opinions? Send ’em to: 8 Dorset, St. Paul MN 55118. Messages or fax
to 651-450-0930. E-mail to Dan@ByDanJohnson.com. THANKS!

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