ST. PAUL, MINN. — Long recognized as the premier hang gliding contest of the year, the 1998 Nationals are over and we have a winner. Well, in a sense, "we" don’t because the two top placing pilots in flex-wings (Class I) are not Americans. Congratulations to one of the world’s winningest pilots, Manfred Ruhmer, flying his Icaro Laminar ST. In second place was a Ukrainian not well known to U.S. pilots. Oleg Bondarchuk flew his Aeros Stealth KPL past the first Class I American, Chris Arai, in his Wills Wing Fusion. All three pilots deserve a virtual round of applause. As with other contest reports, I’ll leave the main story to a follow-up article, but in this edition of "Product Lines" we’ll look at the gliders that made up the field. ••• Certainly the U.S. Nationals bore more than a passing resemblance to the Atlantic Coast Championships last April (both directed by USHGA president GW Meadows, by the way).
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Product Lines – November 1997
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Whew! I’ve never seen rigid wing fever like this. Based on several reports received — plus intensifying chatter on various Internet lists — these gliders have more inertia than during any of the 19 years that I’ve been writing this column and reporting on rigid wing developments. Throughout that long period, rigids as a group held a fairly steady 4-5% of the market, but they never found the mainstream. ••• That may be changing! One glider in particular, the Exxtasy from Germany is showing some serious market strength. Reportedly, producer Flight Designs has already sold more than 150 copies including better than a dozen in the USA. However, Exxtasy is not alone and the others appear to be benefiting from the general excitement surrounding these wings. ••• To date, I am familiar with the Exxtasy, the Pegasus, and the Millennium. Less well documented (as of late Sept.
Product Lines – July 1997
DUNLAP, TENN. — Back in the Chattanooga area and up at Henson Gap for Memorial Day weekend, I was hoping to do a lot of soaring on the newly completed Cumulus motorglider. However, with only one day remaining, a stationary weather system was foiling those plans. Meanwhile I had some time to put out another "Product Lines." So, on with the news, as promised last month. ••• First off, congratulations are deserved for friend and fellow USHGA Board of Director member, Pete Lehmann. He can now claim he flew the longest flight in the east, no slight feat after worthy accomplishments in the past. Previous marks had been held by Mike Neuman (135 mile Penn. state record), the more difficult 157 mile East Coast Record by Tony Smolder, and the east of the Mississippi record by Larry Bunner (178 miles). Pete managed an excellent 182 miles on May 7th. He’s already written an interesting account of the accomplishment but I wanted to add my appreciation of fine flying by an excellent pilot.
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 – 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 1995
ST. PAUL, MINN. — Up here (too) near the arctic circle, it’s clear that winter is just ahead. It didn’t appear that way in Orlando, Florida at the end of October when You-shga’s board of directors got together for another of their twice-a-year meetings. In addition to the business of the association, many directors took flights at one of the two airparks near Orlando. For some of these leaders, the operations provided their first chance to see aero towing happening in an enthusiastic way. For others it was their first chance to be aerotowed. ••• The Quest Air bunch at Groveland Airport (just west of Orlando) hosted the Thursday night "Ice Breaker" party that forms the first assembly of the board. Many directors arrived early enough to tow from behind three Dragonfly tugs present. (One is operated by Quest Air, and the airport is the new home of Bobby Bailey’s Dragonfly building enterprise.) After sundown, Quest Air and friends put out a superb Mexican Buffet and served beverages in their newly remodeled clubhouse.
Product Lines – September 1995
ST. PAUL, MINN. — As I write this, the U.S. Nationals are underway and the ’95 World Meet in Spain has just concluded. ••• One wonders if a new "dynasty" is beginning? More to the point, will anyone ever beat Tomas Suchanek? Unprecedented in world hang gliding competitions, Suchanek won his third-in-a-row World Meet! A stunning accomplishment, I’m sure all hang glider pilots will join me in congratulating Tomas for winning the 1995 edition in Spain. Through eleven days of world-class flying by 190 pilots from 36 countries, Suchanek prevailed. After his again-repeat performance, it may appear all a contestant can hope for is Second Place. ••• Moyes Delta Glider is understandably pleased with the results, quickly sending out a mailer that heralds Suchanek’s and their accomplishment. While it’s Suchanek’s third World Championship title, Moyes brand can now claim five titles and even their Xtralite glider has two. Moyes had the most gliders represented in the top 50 finishing pilots.
Product Lines – August 1995
ST. PAUL, MINN. — In this summer edition of "PL," I want to add a few more places you can fly in what I view to be a subtly but surely changing landscape. Once you leave the big mountains and big air of the west, towing takes on more impact in delivering flight to hang glider pilots. However, towing is also moving west as trikes catch on as tugs and as ultralight sailplanes add dimension to areas formerly occupied only by flex wings. ••• This month, I’ll touch on five more sites where you can pursue towing. In the east but not in Florida or Texas (where towing is well established), we find two Midwest centers, one north, one south. • Well known to hang gliding pilots around the world is Matt Taber’s Lookout Mountain. Matt is well into his second decade running one of the largest and most developed sites in the country.
Product Lines – July 1995
ST. PAUL, MINN. — The season is hot and the flying is sizzling… even here in Minnesota, where at the beginning of May Gerry Uchytil got nearly 100 miles in his quest for 200 in the state. About the feat fellow pilot Bruce Bolles says, "Oh, he’ll do it; he’s obsessed… and good." Way south, Wallaby Ranch reports many 50-mile flights and a 100-miler. I’ve got more news of active shops, but first some glider updates. ••• The Ram Air is gone and the XC is… back. Back!? Well, only in that the sail underside reads, "XC." Many of you can remember Bob Wills and his XC, a glider many of us flew quite successfully. Wills endured the last year as a "tough one for us all," and has now released their new bird, the Cross Country, complete with numerous enhancements. Their dealer bulletin also says, "This is the first time we have ever had a glider without a scoop that beat the Ram Air at gliding speeds." Certified with and without winglets — still being evaluated by master designer, Steve Pearson — Wills says the Cross Country had a measurable gliding advantage at 25 [mph], and a slight advantage the rest of the way through the speed range, all the way to 65 mph!" The new top-of-the-line Wills sells for $4,700.
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