If your wind meter is reading twenty mph at launch, it's a good,
soarable day. I suspect there is some compression going on at launch, because if
it's blowing twenty mph there, it's still pretty easy to make progress up and
down the ridge, even at min. sink. However, there are days there where you can
"park it", i.e., slow down to no forward ground speed, which is interesting.
Then there are the days where if you slow down to max out your sink, you
actually start moving backwards. A little disconcerting.
(editor's note: One mile west of Michigan City, Indiana, on
highway 12, just
follow the signs.)
We are running this years comp with GPS's and will score it using
CompeGPS and Race. We did a "FishBowl" comp in Sylmar last year and it went
pretty well (for a small regional comp). We are still learning how to run the
comp with the CompeGPS software and Race. I went to the Big Spring meets the
last two years to get an idea how the whole thing goes.
We are hoping for a decent turnout this year from the local clubs in San Diego,
Sylmar, Santa Barbara, Crestline and, of course, Elsinore. There's a blog
started as well at
http://elsinorexc2005.blogspot.com
What: ELSINORE XC OPEN
Where: Elsinore CA.
When: September 3rd, 4th & 5th.
We will have three Classes this year Topless, kingposts, & paragliders. GPS will
be required for scoring. $75.00 entry fee includes tee shirt and BBQ. If you
have a GPS cable bring it!
This is a fun meet with a race to goal format. Tasks will be called for each
class. Goal & turn points will vary per class. Turn points will be scored by a
GPS.
Activities: Free BBQ dinner on Saturday location to be announced. (Will provide
directions that morning.) Awards presentation will be in the LZ Monday after
flying results totaled.
The Executive Director details two new FAA developments:
1. The Noise Violation Group at the FAA has received a complaint about one of
our flying sites. The FAA sent the complaint to the EEA and the EAA sent it on
to our Executive Director.
2. It may be time for USHGA representatives to make a trip to WA to visit with
FAA officials to make sure they understand our unique challenges and
requirements regarding implementation of the Sport Pilot rule. These officials
include Anne Graham, Deputy of General Aviation, Jim Blalog, Flight Standards
Director and Frank Pascowicz, Manager of Production and Airworthiness Division.
The ultralight industry as a whole face some of the same challenges regarding
Sport Pilot and these include: Access to DAR's or Designated Airworthiness
Representatives, access to DPE's or Designated Pilot Examiners, and to date, FAA
has not certified a single A&P or mechanic for the inspection of Light Sport
Aircraft.
USHGA is working closely with Earl Lawrence, Vice President of Industry and
Regulatory Affairs, and Chair for the F-37 Light Sport Aircraft Committee of the
ASTM.
The Committee needs to address who will represent the USHGA with the Executive
Director during these Sport Pilot and ASTM discussions: Bill Bryden or Mike
Meier.
From the Executive Director's Report:
Executive Director to make another concerted effort to contact
appropriate FAA officials regarding the existing exemption request submitted one
year ago September regarding Sport Pilot and USHGA's Towing Exemption; official
status (on hold) of the tandem standard under ASTM F-37 Light Sport Aircraft
committee; and the possibility of submitting another exemption request asking
FAA for a waiver to the sport pilot rule for pilots who want to tow hang gliders
using Experimental Light Sport Aircraft or Special Light Sport Aircraft.
The new exemption request or waiver would make it possible for a Sport Pilot to
tow hang gliders (for compensation - interpretation) if the Sport Pilot: 1.
Meets the requirements of Part 61.69 or 2. Maintains a current USHGA membership
and a USHGA ATP rating. (This concept originated with the executive director and
Bill Bryden). Executive Director has actively pursued information on all fronts
without definitive results.
Action has been taken on the exemption request submitted one year ago. It was
written by Bill Bryden and there were two parts to the request affecting towing
operations and the pilots of fixed wing "aircraft" used to aerotow hang gliders.
Sue Gardner has reported to Executive Director that FAA divisions AFS-840 and
AFS-820 are undergoing reorganization. Both departments are involved with Sport
Pilot under the guidance of AFS-800 or General Aviation. Sue Gardner also
reported contacting Mike Brown, in Flight Standards, who may inherit
responsibility of facilitation of continued development of the Tandem Standard
in the ASTM venue.
I had a similar experience to Angelo's report about five years
ago. I was aerotowing a Laminar on the light end of the weight range on a
thermally day. Just after leaving the cart I started drifting right. I was
comfortable at the time and did a minor correction that usually brought me back
in line with the tug. However this time the glider drifted further to the right
into a lockout at only fifty feet above the ground.
I reached for the release (too slowly) and popped off the line in a wingover. I
kept the glider flying and completed the wingover with feet to spare over the
ground concluding in a no step landing. After reading Angelo's report I now
realize how lucky I was.
I believe I came off of the cart in a thermal, the tug was high and before I
could climb up to him the thermal was gone and the line went slack. I pushed out
to attempt to climb back up to the tug when I started drifting right. When the
slack came out of the line it only exacerbated my attitude resulting in the
lockout.
I learned a valuable lesson today just by reading the report and recapitulating
an event from long ago.
See the September issue of HG/PG Magazine. Gary Solomon <gary>
writes:
I helped Arlan get a pretty decent low latency microwave
connection going at the HGC office at Cushing. Solid DSL level performance and a
wireless connectivity usable by anyone in the office or a nearby vehicle. Turns
out some hacker kids in Newark put a system in on a tower to do gaming and are
ISPing for a few mile radius.
Also there is a reasonably maintained bathroom with full water/toilet. A shower
is setup in a nearby hangar running off a hose. I guess nearby camping is still
what it is, but the on-site amenities are now pretty decent.
Here are a few links to videos I took myself, the entire video is
over an hour and I have been making smaller clips at lower resolutions for
viewing on the internet.
No longer on a barrier island at Biloxi, Mississippi
This is no longer there:
http://OzReport.com/7.51#0 according to the
NY Times. There were miles of fancy houses facing the ocean from the north
side of highway 90 and they were hit by a thirty foot wall of water that went a
mile inland.
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The Oz Report, a near-daily, world wide hang gliding news ezine, with reports on competitions, pilot rankings, political issues, fly-ins, the latest technology, ultralight sailplanes, reader feedback and anything else from within the global HG community worthy of coverage. Hang gliding, paragliding, hang gliders, paragliders, aerotowing, hang glide, paraglide, platform towing, competitions, fly-ins. Hang gliding and paragliding news from around the world, by Davis Straub.
