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ST. PAUL, MINN. — As you read this, the 2002 Air Sports Expo is happening. Hope you made it. This event — a rare traveling indoor air show — has great potential for new enthusiasts to find hang gliding and paragliding, I believe. Of course, they may also find sailplanes, ultralights, aerobatic aircraft, R/C models, and more since the show features all these elements of sport aviation. u EAA has a magazine called “Sport Aviation.” Yet their coverage isn’t what we might call “sport aviation”(unless you consider homebuilding an aircraft a “sport”). Conversely, the Air Sports Expo features the kind of flying that’s done strictly for fun, for sport. Some of those EAA aircraft are 200-mph transportation alternatives. Building and flying them may also be for sport, but the aircraft themselves can serve a purpose of transport. Nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t what we do (nor is it what sailplanes, ultralights, aerobatic aircraft, or modelers do).

ST. PAUL, MINN., — Aeros is finally getting ready to show their new Stalker rigid wing entry after much design work and generating considerable market interest. U.S. Aeros, the Yankee distributor for the low-price producer, will show the Stalker at this month’s Air Sports Expo in Indianapolis, Indiana (7-10 Feb.). The show will present lots of aircraft from sailplanes to ultralights to aerobatic machines, plus RC models, powered parachutes, and, of course, hang gliders. Typically hang gliding enjoyed a good turnout at these events. • I believe the Air Sports Expo has the potential to be a powerful marketing tool for all the air sports and I encourage all midwest pilots to try to make the event. Contact fellow organizer, David Newill, at 317-873-2262 or go to www.soar-indy.dhs.org • If you attend you can examine the Aeros Stalker up close and personal. To date, only a private web site has let dealers (and the odd reporter) have a first glance.

ST. PAUL, MINN., — Bits and pieces are floating around in the aftermath of a new millennium and celebrations of grand style around the globe. It’s a good time of year to catch up on details before a new contest and soaring season begins. ••• Why did Aeros name their new rigid wing, "Stalker?" Aeros is the maker of the Stealth topless hang glider, which has achieved amazing U.S. market penetration. To explain the choice of names for their new rigid glider — which conjures a negative image for many Americans — Aeros identified "Roadside Picnic" as a popular novel with a mystical theme. In the book "Stalker" is the main character, idealized as "Neither hunter nor militarist, he’s just trying to survive, to understand, to learn… fearless and courageous, a pathfinder, an explorer, looking for happiness." OK, very positive and perhaps very appropriate for a new high-perf glider, but the name is still odd for American consumption.

ST. PAUL, MINN. — Happy New Year, glider fans. Once again a new year brings wintertime
chills, at least for us northerners. So, this month I have some warm-up ideas
to get you in the mood for a new soaring season.
Mexican Flying Tours are in full swing for HGs and PGs. Cold weather flyers take
note of temperatures in the 80s with plentiful thermals and authentic Mexican food.
One outfit calls the experience a “Mextravaganza.”
Super Fly Paragliding Mexico Tours 2004 treks to the famous Valle de Bravo
site in central Mexico. At it for eight years, Super Fly takes you to fly three sites
in seven days during January and February. PG gurus Jeffrey Farrell and Chris
Santacroce are leading two tours in January and one in early February for pilots
with P2 ratings or better and a minimum of 50 flight hours.
They’ll handle the language, pickup and delivery from Mexico City airport, offer
5-star lodging in “a new, secure, classy, and clean hotel,” local club memberships,
XC retreival in air conditioned vehicles, and in-flight coaching by radio.

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.

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.

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.

ST. PAUL, MINN. — The big Florida aerotow meets are now history. Oleg Bondarchuk performed well taking his Aeros Combat 2 to the top of both meets, an impressive accomplishment when flying against Manfred Ruhmer and a large field of talented pilots.
Yankee Paris Williams and his Icaro MR700WRE has also confirmed his position at the top of Team USA, adding a fine Second Place to his Third Place finish at Wallaby the week prior. Other great finishes by Americans included Glen Volk in 3rd on his Litespeed and Curt Warren in 5th also on a Litespeed.
*** In fact, Moyes had itself a terrific representation at Quest. The Australian manufacturer mustered an even greater field at Quest (35% of flex wings) after holding the top position at Wallaby with 29%. Competition has always been a strong suit for Moyes and it seems to have a firm grip on that mantle as the 2002 season starts out.

ST
ST. PAUL,
MINN. — Since last month’s column, I’ve been to the USHGA board
of directors meeting
in Salt Lake City, Utah. As usual, the large group of directors spent many
hours — all unpaid, volunteer work and they pay most of their expenses to do so! If you want
more details, ask your regional director or read articles elsewhere in this
magazine. ••• However, my focus at these meetings is as chair
of the Publications Committee. Often, this committee’s work is obscure
but this time, the committee recommended and the full board blessed an idea
that will affect everyone in Yooshga, including both hang gliding and paragliding pilots.
The committee recommended and the board approved a plan to combine our two
magazines into one.
• Now, before I go off and make someone angry, let me stress that you
will see articles in both magazines surrounding this change AND members will be given a chance to
provide their thoughts.

What’s in a name? A Texas-based event, last summer’s World Record Encampment, predicted accurately its own success; two top hang glider pilots set world records for distance flying and broke another record that stood for nearly a decade.
On July 19, Dave Sharp flew his A.I.R. ATOS rigid wing hang glider for an astounding 311 miles (501 kilometers), narrowly beating the long-held record of 308 miles set by another leading competitor, Larry Tudor.
Tudor first broke the magical 300-mile barrier by flying 303 miles in July, 1990. He repeated this achievement, flying 308 miles several years later, but nearly a decade passed with no other pilots exceeding 300 miles. That unique status was shattered thanks to participants at the World Record Encampment 2000.
Sharp flew more than 9 hours to earn his world record. The one that people will remember is the 311-mile flight of straight distance, but along the way he also set a record for a flight to a declared goal of 203 miles.