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topic: FAA (37 articles)

Speed to Fly Webinar

Thu, Feb 7 2019, 1:10:39 pm GMT

FAA

FAA|Speed to Fly

https://www.faasafety.gov/SPANS/event_details.aspx?eid=89019

"Speed to Fly Theory - What Is It and Why Should I Care?" Topic: An introduction to SPEED TO FLY theory On Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 20:00 Eastern Standard Time (17:00 PST, 18:00 MST, 19:00 CST, 15:00 HST, 16:00 AKST, 18:00 Arizona, 01:00 GMT)

Description:

While on glide, a pilot's two most important performance-related decisions are how fast to fly and in what direction. This webinar discusses the former. Toward that end, it discusses classic MacCready speed-to-fly (STF) theory, how to use your STF-capable flight computer, when to temper or even ignore STF theory, and final glide. Even the best pilots never know for sure (till perhaps after they've landed) whether they were flying the optimum speed at any given time!

To view further details and registration information for this webinar, click here.

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FAA/USHPA Tandem exemption extended to 2014

July 2, 2012, 8:10:37 CDT

FAA/USHPA Tandem exemption extended to 2014

We can still offer "instruction"

FAA|tandem|USHPA

"...for the purpose of sport, training, and recreation."

http://ozreport.com/docs/DOC062912.pdf

New USHPA tandem exemption operating limitations here.

You can tow hang gliders for money

Tue, Jun 5 2012, 7:40:49 am EDT

A clarification asked for by the Soaring Society

FAA|Highland Aerosports Flight Park|Jim Rooney|tow|Zac Majors

The relevant FAA document here response to a request in March 2009.

The FAA is revising §61. 113(g) to allow a private pilot to act as pilot in command while towing an unpowered ultralight vehicle for compensation or hire."

Accordingly, § 61.113(g) permits a private pilot to act as PIC for compensation or hire of an aircraft towing a glider or unpowered ultralight vehicle.

Thanks to Zack and Jim Rooney.

FAA, no real exemption »

March 13, 2009, 8:47:28 EDT

FAA, no real exemption

Can't use all those hours flying illegally

FAA|Gregg "Kim" Ludwig|USHPA

http://www.ushpa.aero/9756.asp

Gregg Ludwig writes:

Unfortunately the several pages of explanation of the exemption that were issued with it are not posted on the USHPA web site (see the URL above). It allows ultra light airplane time to be used toward some of the requirements for aeronautical experience for the Private Pilot license. This is great until you understand the limitations of the exemption that effectively prohibit its use. The significant limitations are:

- flight time only from towing of hang gliders.

- flight time only from fully compliant and legal ultralights. (254 pound max)

The FAA will not (can not) allow credit for flight time from illegal flight activity. The letter specifically excludes "fat ultralights". Because of the fact that the fat ultralight tugs are excluded this exemption essentially doesn't apply because towing has not been done with compliant fixed wing ultalights. The letter leaves no room to interpret differently.

The whole subject here I feel is a case of where technology and innovation out paced regulation.

FAA - Sport Pilot »

Thu, Oct 13 2005, 4:00:05 pm EDT

Like pouring molasses in winter

FAA|Martin Weaver

Martin Weaver «martin.weaver» writes:

The Sport Pilot Aviation Branch is looking back over the accomplishments of the first full year of implementation and we believe the initiative is moving forward slowly and positively. Over 560 airman knowledge tests have been administered since January 1st of this year. The great news is that over 430 of these tests were the Sport Pilot General. There has been sixty-four sport pilot certificates issued to date and the number of additional sport pilot privileges and flight instructor with sport pilot privileges is moving forward. The branch has designated forty-three sport pilot examiners and an additional eight-five FAA District Office designated pilot examiners have accepted sport pilot examining privileges. There have also been over seventy aircraft certificated as light sport aircraft during this period. This would indicate that the interest is for the new program is there and the public is responding slowly.

At this point in the implementation program the branch's primary concerns are the number of sport pilot examiners (SPE) and designated airworthiness representatives (DAR) available to the public. The sport pilot examiner candidate pool is very low at this time. Throughout the summer the sport pilot examiner initial courses have been reduced because examiner candidates have not been taken the appropriate airman knowledge test. The Light Sport Standardization Board has qualified over 200 examiner applicants and only appropriately sixty have taken the test. In order for the manager to ensure we have the best-qualified individuals representing the FAA as examiners the number of applicants taken the test needs to increase. The industry organizations have not been addressing the issue with their memberships even though they are aware of our concerns. We are hoping that a concerted effort will be made by the organizations to address this issue in the near future in order that we can better prepare for the next flying season.

The DAR program is also of concern in trying to get the light sport aircraft certification program moving at a faster rate. Whatever the magic number is of existing light sport aircraft is we still have a lot of work ahead of us. The industry organizations have brought to the FAA's leadership attention a number of problems about DAR appointment. One of the requirements for appointment as a DAR is to complete the initial training. We have had very little interest in the initial course so far. The November 15th class has only eight individuals signed up to attend. Since the branch has assumed responsibility for this course we have scheduled six courses through late 2005 and 2006. There is room for twenty-four students in each class. We are again seeking the help of the industry organizations to encourage qualified individuals to attend the course in order to help with getting the resources available to the public for 2006.

Overall the branch is very happy in the progress being made during the initial stages of this dynamic program. We know that we still have some growing pains to go through in order to continue on the path to success. We thank everyone in the general aviation industry for their support and for the offices within the FAA for their efforts. The branch will be conducting internal FAA information seminars beginning in December to better educate the field inspectors. The branch will hopefully increase in size over the next year to meet the demands being placed upon it to ensure we are servicing the sport pilot/light sport aircraft communities effectively and efficiently.

Discuss Sport Pilot at the Oz Report forum

Finger Lakes Aerosports Flight Park

Fri, Sep 19 2003, 3:00:00 am EDT

aerotow|airspace|Australia|FAA|flight park|Joan Hidalgo Proia|job|Kendrick "Ken/Kenny" Brown|Kenny Brown|Marilyn Vos Savant|Martin "Marty" Beckenbach|powered|site

http://www.longacrefarms.com/flightpark.htm

We hated to leave the wonderful Finger Lakes Aerosports Flight Park, but with the hurricane tipped (as they say in Australia) to come through there on Friday, and with Sun Dogs in the sky, we decided to make a run for it to the southwest through Ohio. It’s raining now late on Thursday night, but was dry with light breezes during the drive out. We hope to be able to drive to close to Chattanooga tomorrow to arrive in time for the Team Challenge.

The party was just starting at the flight park and Marty and Doug Allen were doing a great job. Marilyn and Steve had driven in from Morningside and the cu’s were just coming over after the first band cirrus came through. Kenny Brown was there with his Duddlebug 2. Mike was giving Litesport demos. Ron was demoing everything in the WW line.

The site was absolutely beautiful and a great set up. The Rochester Area Flyers have a wonderful facility to fly at thanks to a $100,000 investment on Marty’s part and Doug and Joan’s farm. Again we hang glider pilots get way way more than we deserve.

Marty has really gone through the process of putting together a flight park with $10,000 in legal fees to set up four limited liability corporations that protect his personal and other business assets. They have a great working relationship with the local FAA office.

They are not in controlled airspace (although only a half hour from Rochester, NY), but they are under a victor airway (centered a mile away) going into the airport. There is undiverted commercial air traffic at 1,200’ AGL and above n the area.

With a residential area just to the north, but huge farming areas in all the other direction, they make sure to keep the noise of the tugs, ultralights, powered parachutes, and powered paragliders to a minimum. The air strip can handle GA traffic and has been there for forty five years.

Marty was able to purchase cheaply a good sized roller that would normally be used for building highways. This was absolutely essential for getting a nice smooth runway (especially after frost heaving). This makes it so much easier on the trikes and tugs.

It’s clear to me that there can be some really great flights from this flight park next year. Maybe all the may into Vermont, which would be very cool.

Congratulations to Marty, Doug and Joan.

Discuss aerotow parks at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2

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USGHA - a period of membership consultation »

Mon, Aug 11 2003, 10:00:03 am GMT

Bill Bolosky|FAA|Roy Mahoney|USHGA BOD

Ever since Bill Bolosky’s announcement of two proposed changes in the USHGA Articles of Incorporation, one to formally allow towing, the other to allow powered harnesses and powered paragliders, there has been considerable discussion, as you can imagine, on the hang gliding list (although I assume not on the USHGA discussion list and certainly not on the USHGA forums). The noise and vitriol to signal ratio on the list is about 10 to 1 as per normal, so every now and then some writers with substance make the effort to cut through the clutter with original thinking.

I could pick out the best (Mark G. Forbes’ messages has been consistently well thought out and reasonable on the pro side) and publish them in the Oz Report (and save you all the trouble of mucking about), but then the Oz Report would turn into a one issue e-zine. Maybe I’ll publish some more of them, now that I think about it, as it has been pretty interesting (one out of ten times). Here’s one that I thought was particularly insightful.

Roy Mahoney <rrrr@alltel.net> writes:

Mark said a while back, commenting about using the term "foot launchable soaring aircraft" in lieu of just dropping the word "fuel-less": He wrote: “I like it. It's good. I just wish you'd mentioned it a month ago…the magazine and the ballot are already at the printers, so it's too late to change it now. …”

That would have been a little difficult (to mention it a month ago), considering that Bill's announcement to the list was only 21 days prior to my post, and in Bill's announcement he had said basically that this is the way it's going to be (what will be voted on) and you'll see it in the next issue of the mag. It was already too late to change when Bill first presented it to the list.

This is what does need to change: the process by which USHGA makes changes.

USHGA has decided in somewhat of a vacuum that this and this is what needs to change in order to include power. Now the membership has to take it (power) or leave it (unpowered) (talking only about the "fuel-less" question) we have to choose between excluding all power in any shape or form, or including power in every shape and form.

Even the FAA has a period for public comment to their proposed rule changes. USHGA should do something similar, and lay out on the table (for all members to see) what they are considering and why, and ask for members to discuss it, in whatever forum they want to discuss it - magazine, email list, chat rooms, at the site, at club meetings, wherever. Get feedback. Use the feedback to make any changes to the proposal. Maybe even have a second discussion/comment period to review any changes made. Then when it's really ready, take the final vote of the membership (if it's a major issue like this one).

Since that is not what happened, we have a "take it or leave it" "all or nothing" choice to make concerning power. In order to include power harnesses, we must either vote "yes" to make USHGA's purpose include power as an end to itself (not just for gaining altitude for soaring), or vote "no" and eliminate powered harnesses altogether from anything associated with the Association. Take it (all) or leave it (nothing).

Since Bill made his announcement on July 16, we have been discussing whether to take it or leave it. There have been some good ideas come about in this discussion that are somewhere in between this "all" or "nothing", but it's "too late to change it now" and "already at the printers". If this period of time were instead a member discussion and comment period, we'd probably be discussing some middle ground right about now.

Regardless of the outcome of the vote, the way USHGA makes changes (still) needs to be changed !

So, how about a member discussion/comment period before anything gets set in stone on major issues like this? I don't mean just a discussion period before an "all or nothing" vote. I mean a discussion period to discuss what is being proposed, that might change what will ultimately be proposed.

Obviously it's too late this time around, but maybe for the next time… you know, when we are deciding whether to include kite surfers or base jumpers or parabouncers because one or more of them can't get insurance.

(editor’s note: I find Roy’s idea to have great merit, but I can understand why the USHGA BOD didn’t figure it out before he did. Unlike the FAA, the USHGA BOD exists only two times a year. They don’t have a way to get back together after a month’s worth of member input and make a decision. They have to wait six months to do anything useful. Maybe that’s okay, but it sure isn’t the same as a day to day tax payer paid administration organizing stakeholder input on administrative issues.

Also, the USHGA BOD continues to function as though the world hadn’t changed. In spite of the fact that Bill Bolosky works at Microsoft, the USHGA as an organization hasn’t figured out what it means that the internet exists. Here’s a clue, there are a lot of individuals who have been empowered by the internet and their interests and concerns aren’t being addressed by the decision making processes at the USHGA BOD. These empowered individuals can veto a BOD action.

The USHGA BOD probably wants both of its proposals re towing and powered harnesses to pass on the membership vote. They may be successful, but I’ll bet they thought that they had a lot better chance a month ago than they think they have now.

What happens if the USHGA BOD loses the vote on powered harnesses? Well they pretty much precluded the possibility of growth for the USHGA in this direction. I don’t think that they want this, and this isn’t necessarily a good course. But now they’ve really got themselves in a tough situation. If only they had had a period of membership consultation, they might have had better direction and not be up against it as they are now.

I could write a lot more about how the USHGA has got to come to a new understanding of the environment that they are dealing with. Many just gave up on getting internet-based input from the membership when they saw how ugly it was on the hang gliding digest. Some don’t even realize how much I and the Oz Report do to support the USHGA.)

Discuss making changes at the USHGA at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2

Discuss "USGHA - a period of membership consultation" at the Oz Report forum   link»

16 channel GPS

Fri, Jun 13 2003, 2:03:03 pm EDT

antenna|competition|FAA|Flytec 4030|Flytec 5030|GPS|news|power|software

Tim Obrien <earthtouch@earthlink.net> writes with regard to the new GPS antenna that is going in the Flytec 5030:

I understand that from a marketing standpoint being able to say you can read 16 GPS satellites is a good idea since most people do not understand you only need 4-6 to get a good reading. I sell and integrate Trimble GPS solutions with software applications and I do hope that you are not giving up valuable CPU processing power to try and analyze 16 channels of L1 and L2 for your system.

Most of the time a user is lucky to get a minimum of 8 satellites in the US. If you have the ability to use the New WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation Service) provided by the FAA for one channel you need to get that news out there for the readers. It is my understanding that FAA is planning on putting up a third central correctional satellite within the next three years. All flying aircraft should be able to use the current WAAS system.

I would like to hear more about this if you are using WAAS. If you are not using WAAS is that a result of the GPS chip you elected to use? I don’t work for any competition of yours just a curious GPS salesmen and hang glider pilot.

My Flytec 4030 is still a great box!!! Now I wish I had the cash to look at a new 5030.

Discuss GPSes at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2

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Other parachutes

Thu, Jun 12 2003, 2:03:02 pm EDT

Angelo Crapanzano|Betty Pfeiffer|bridle|cost|DHV|equipment|Ernie Camacho|Europe|exhibit|FAA|landing|military|nylon|parachute|PG|release|Rob Kells|Roy Haggard|safety|sport|Wills Wing

Gary Douris <gary77douris@yahoo.com> of Free Flight Parachutes writes:

Addressing the letter from Angelo Crapanzano (https://OzReport.com/toc.php?Ozv7n132.shtml#7)

His seven points for a good deployment bag are right on. As he guessed, it is only his feeling that a four-flap diaper is better than an envelope type deployment bag that I disagree with.

The best way to deploy a parachute is to have it extracted from the container by some method attached to the apex. It must have the skirt contained until all the lines are extended and there is tension on the whole system. Because this sequence is not possible with a hang glider deployment, some other ideas had to be used.

More than 20 years ago, Free Flight's Ernie Villanueva used his skydiving and rigging experience to develop the deployment bag with a side pouch for line stowing. The canopy was secured in the bag with 2 line stows and the lines were secured with 2 stows of the bridle.

When Angelo's diaper is deployed, the bridle goes first followed by the lines. When the diaper is opened the canopy is left sitting there all nice and neatly folded just like it was in the diaper. It must now unfold then deploy.

The envelope system we use does one thing that the diaper does not. When the envelope is deployed, the bridle goes first followed by the lines. Then the canopy unfolds and is more or less straight lengthwise and then deploys.

This is the best of a world which is not perfect due to the cables, tubing and such that can catch a canopy on its way to a good deployment leading to a nice safe landing.

I commend Angelo on his letter, I should have written it myself.

Rob Kells <Rob@willswing.com> at Wills Wing writes:

I'd like to address a few comments contained in Angelo's most recent letter on parachutes, and offer a few of my own.

A little background: Since 1978, Wills Wing has sold parachutes designed and manufactured by Free Flight, and thus we have a clear bias. We have always trusted in their design expertise and build quality. They have been manufacturing FAA certified skydiving parachutes for more than twenty-five years.

Envelope Deployment Bags vs Diapers

There are two different deployment systems commonly used for hang gliders, and as you'd expect, each has advantages and disadvantages. The Envelope provides a more secure stowage of the paraswivel, and a more staged deployment, but requires regular rubber band maintenance, while most Diaper bags do not.

The DHV drop test that is done from a bridge favors the Diaper bag because it can be packed in such a way as to require a very low pull force on the bridle to release the lines and parachute from the bag. The Envelope bag does not do well in this test because there are four separate stows to undo before the parachute can deploy, compared to one on most Diapers. Because most of Europe follows the DHV testing methods, it is logical that most European pilots are flying with the Diaper D-bag instead of the Envelope type commonly used here in North America.

Both Envelopes and Diapers are designed to get the parachute clear of the wreckage, and if properly packed, both systems accomplish this objective. The market here in the US has chosen the Envelope type system for two main reasons. First, between the two of us, Betty Pfeiffer of High Energy and I have done the majority of formal parachute deployment seminars in North America. We both believe in the Envelope system. We saw many more Diaper equipped parachutes fall out on the floor below the pilot when an attempt was made to throw it in a practice deployment than Envelope equipped parachutes. This was usually the result of the closing stow being too loose.

We have also seen a number of Envelope systems exit the bag prematurely when the rubber bands were old. In recent years changes such as relocating the deployment handle so the force of the pull and throw did not load the rubber bands directly, and using a double over flap at the opening end on the Envelope, are design improvements that have made the condition of the rubber bands much less critical.

Kevlar and Spectra vs Nylon

It's true that Kevlar and Spectra have much lower stretch than Nylon. It is not true that an emergency reserve must have a slower opening time to exhibit an acceptable opening shock. It depends on the construction of the parachute.

If we were to use it as a sport parachute that was designed for repeated openings, the Kevlar/Spectra blend would not be appropriate. But let's remember what the design purpose is. If you are unlucky, you may deploy your reserve once in a lifetime, if you are careless or stupid, maybe a few times in a lifetime of flying.

Roy Haggard designed the LARA (Low Aspect Ratio Annular) for the US Military, and licensed Free Flight to built it for Wills Wing to sell in the HG/PG community. The LARA (Nylon Type 18, 6000 pound bridle, with nylon lines) was repeatedly drop tested from an airplane at speeds up to 90 knots without failure.

FFE's Ernie (cited in Gary's letter as the designer of the original Envelope deployment bag) has jumped the LARA from an airplane at 90 miles per hour a number of times, again without failure. Next came the LARA Gold, which was also drop-tested from an airplane without failure. We choose to name it "Gold" because the Kevlar bridle and Spectra lines added significantly to the cost.

The important point is that using Kevlar and Spectra reduces the weight by more than 1.5 pounds, and the pack volume by about 35% giving you a very light weight, small pack volume with a large parachute, and it's associated slow decent rate. The Kevlar bridle is a woven flat 6000-pound webbing that, because of the weave, has some stretch. I'm not sure if it is because English is Angelo's second language, but his historical note regarding pilots breaking cable hang loops in the 1970s seems to imply that pilots can expect to break Kevlar parachute bridles.

In the real world, the ultimate test is: at what speed has it been tested to without failure? Does the opening shock fail the parachute, or not? I am not aware of any structural failures on FFE emergency reserve.

I agree with Angelo that a one-inch tubular bridle is not acceptable. We know of several cases when parachutes with one-inch tubular bridles were cut away on deployment. Free Flight has used a minimum of one inch Type 18 flat 6000-pound material since the early 1980s, with no cut-aways that I'm aware of. I also agree that a Kevlar bridle is less subject to being cut by heat from friction because it has a much higher melting temperature.

Speaking of Swivels

Angelo does not make it clear why he writes about 'swivels that "they should not be put near the junction between lines and canopy, but this is another story :-)".

The implication here is that there is a problem with paraswivels, so please tell us this story. I believe that the majority of hang glider reserves sold in the US for hang gliding utilize a paraswivel, while most sold in Europe do not.

There have been several instances that we know of where a spinning glider twisted the bridle so many times that eventually the shroud lines also twisted and closed the parachute. Wills Wing felt so strongly that the swivel was a necessary piece of safety equipment, that we bought the US patent to make them in volume, so as to reward it's inventor, reduce the cost, provide them as standard equipment on all HG reserves, and of course to sell more of them.

The 'swivel is mounted just eighteen inches from the lines. All the airplane drop tests and hundreds of real world emergency deployments have not shown any problems with this mounting location. We do not want the 'swivel on the pilot's end of the bridle, because if the bridle gets caught on spinning glider wreckage between the 'swivel and the parachute, it cannot serve its purpose.

Virtually all-skydiving canopies utilize hardware to attach the lines to the risers, so I'm very curious what information Angelo has as to why this mounting location is a problem. We have made over one thousand 'swivels. The only problem I am aware of was with a batch that was made with the setscrew hole not drilled deep enough in the barrel.

For more information on the advisory issued in May 2000, see any of the parachute pages at www.willswing.com

Just as Angelo could use our ideas if he thought they were better than his own, we could use his. If we found that his deployment bag, materials used in the bridle, or lack of a swivel was a better way to go, that's what we would be selling. In all three examples it would be less expensive to manufacture, but the lowest cost is not at the top of the list in decisions we make on emergency reserves.

For more information on the LARA reserve see: http://www.willswing.com/prod2.asp?theClass=parachutes&theModel=lara

Descent rate data FFEs drop test data has a great deal of scatter. The descent rates range from 14 - 19 feet per second. We publish (what we think is) a conservative number of 17.5 feet per second for the LARA.

To put the performance data you find on manufacturer's web sites in perspective: in the early 1980s we stopped publishing glider performance data, because regardless of the real numbers being achieved, some manufacturers published performance data that was well beyond reality, just to sell more gliders. (Imagine that :')

As the saying goes "there's more than one way to skin a cat". Any emergency reserve system that saves a life is a good one. There have been more than 400 "saves" with Free Flight parachutes.

Discuss parachutes and deployment bags at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2

Discuss "Other parachutes" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Young DraachenStein

Sun, Apr 27 2003, 2:00:03 pm EDT

aerotow|cart|cartoon|cloud|Cloud 9|competition|cost|David Maule|donations|Dragonfly|equipment|FAA|flight park|Florida|Flytec USA|food|foot launch|game|glide ratio|government|harness|instruction|landing|Maureen Grant|Moyes America|Moyes USA|parachute|photo|record|release|Rick Agudelo|Rob Kells|safety|site|sport|Sport Aviation|Spot|spot landing|storage|students|tandem|tow|towing|Tracy Tillman|training hill|transport|travel|tug|USHGA|weather|Wills Wing

aka the Dragonfly Cup - a new comp with a tall attitude and monster-size prizes.

by Tracy Tillman and Lisa Colletti

(from Reality Check cartoon series)

While working in the laboratory late one night, we created a new hang gliding competition for 2003, the Dragonfly Cup. The comp will take place at Cloud 9 Field in Michigan, home of the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club. The value of prizes to be awarded is over $6000. Major sponsors include Wills Wing, Moyes USA, Flytec USA, High Energy Sports, AV8/Icaro, and Cloud 9 Sport Aviation.

Hot Comps

Many of the most successful meets taking place across the world use aerotowing as the primary means of launch. At a good site, it allows launching into any wind direction, and enables a large number of pilots to launch in a short period of time (provided that there are enough tugs and tug pilots available). The large cross-country meets that have been hosted by our friends in Florida and Texas over the last five years are a great example of the popularity and success of aerotowing as a launch format. The mass launches are an awesome site to behold, and participation in those comps is an experience that one will never forget. By all means, one should try to get to one or both of the Florida meets, as a participant, tug pilot, volunteer helper, or spectator.

The good flying conditions and high-level of competition at these meets bring together some of the best pilots in the world. These are relatively complex, work-intensive, and expensive comps to run, which results in entry fees being near $400, not including tow fees. With travel, food, lodging, and support crew costs added, the overall cost for a pilot to participate in one or both of the Florida meets is significant. Never-the-less, registration for both of these meets fills up almost immediately after opening.

Despite the popularity of these meets, it has been difficult for some clubs to run a successful meet in other parts of the county. Here in the Great Lakes/Great Plains region of the country, poor weather and low pilot turnout has resulted in the cancellation of meets more often than not. We can experience great soaring conditions across the summer flying season in this part of the country, but the weather patterns are not as consistent as in Florida or Texas. Also, many average Jo/Joe hang glider pilots who live in this part of the country are more interested in participating in a lower-cost, fun-type comp, rather than in a higher-cost, intensely competitive cross-country competition; and, it may be difficult for some pilots to take many vacation days away from work to attend a meet.

The Dragonfly Cup

With these issues in mind, and after some discussions with Rob Kells of Wills Wing, we created the Dragonfly Cup hang gliding competition for the summer of 2003. Aerotow and hill slope will be the primary means of launch. The comp will be hosted by the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club (DFSC) at Cloud 9 Field in Michigan. It is a low-cost comp to benefit the DFSC, with large prizes sponsored by major hang gliding companies.

(A good summer day at Cloud 9. Photo by Rick Agudelo)

To avoid weather cancellation issues, the Dragonfly Cup is running season-long, from May 15 through September 1 (Labor Day), 2003. To avoid weather-related cross-country task problems, there are five different task categories: Race, Distance, Duration, Spot Landing, and Glide Ratio. To avoid retrieve problems, all task landings are at Cloud 9 Field. To reduce expenses, the cost is only $10 or $20 per comp flight, depending upon the task(s) declared by the competitor, plus the cost of the tow for that flight. A pilot can enter and declare a flight as a comp flight as many times as he/she likes across the season. To enable any level of pilot to win, a handicap system will enable lower-performance gliders to release from tow at higher altitudes. Pilots will foot launch from the newly-constructed training hill at Cloud 9 Field for the glide ratio task, which will enable non-towing student pilots, and even paraglider pilots, to compete in the meet. (Note: It is not a large hill; using a light, slow, high-lift wing may offer an advantage for this task.)

Results will be recorded across the season. Those who finish at the top of each category will be eligible to win one or more of the major prizes available. So far, the prize list and sponsors include: (a) Falcon 2 hang glider, sponsored by Wills Wing and Cloud 9 Sport Aviation ($3075 value); (b) Contour Harness sponsored by Moyes America ($950 value); (c) 4030XL variometer sponsored by Flytec USA ($899 value); (d) Quantum 330 reserve parachute sponsored by High Energy Sports ($650 value); and (e) PVC storage/transport tubes sponsored by AV8/Icaro ($500 value).

The cost for declaring a hill flight as a glide ratio comp flight is just $10, which means that for as little as a $10 entry fee, a pilot could win a brand new Falcon 2 glider worth over $3000. The cost for declaring an aerotow flight as a comp flight is $20 (plus tow fee), but the pilot can choose two of the four aerotow task categories for that flight: (a) Race, which is the fastest out and back 16 mile round trip time to the neighboring Sandhill Soaring Club field; (b) Distance, which is the most out and back round trips to the Sandhill Soaring Club field; (c) Duration, which is the longest time aloft; and (d) Spot Landing, which is landing (by foot or wheel) within a prescribed circle. All landings must be on Cloud 9 field; out-landing flights will be disqualified. For the aerotowing tasks, the tow height limit is1500 feet AGL for rigid wings, 2500 feet for topless flex wings, 3500 feet for kingposted double-surface flex wings, and 4500 feet for kingposted single-surface flex wings.

(Lisa, Tracy, and DFSC club members. Artwork by Bob and Maureen Grant)

The DSFC will host comp parties on Memorial Day weekend, July 4 weekend, and the first weekend in August, to encourage pilots from other clubs to schedule a trip en masse to fly here with us. The grand finale party will be held on Labor Day weekend, with final results determined and prizes awarded on Labor Day.

The winners of each task category will have an equal chance at winning the major prizes. A drawing of the task winners' names will be held on Labor Day to determine who gets which prize.

We feel that events like the Dragonfly Cup can help the sport to grow, as do several major manufacturers and distributors. Wills Wing, Moyes, Flytec, High Energy Sports, AV8/Icaro, and Cloud 9 Sport Aviation are offering significant donations in support of the 2003 Dragonfly Cup. These companies are dedicated to supporting our sport with their excellent products and services, please support them in return.

Cloud 9 Field and the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club

If you have not flown with us before, please be aware that we have a specific operations formula that may be somewhat different from what you have experienced at other aerotowing sites. Because we have a nice site with a very active club, some pilots mistakenly think of our DFSC club site as a commercial flight park-it is not.

Cloud 9 Field is our sod farm, private airfield, and home. We purchased the land specifically with the intent of building a house, hanger, and private airfield, and to create a home base for the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club. We are on the executive board of the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club, and are the owners of Cloud 9 Sport Aviation, which is a supplementary mail order hang glider equipment business that serves Michigan and the Great Lakes region. We are also the owners of Cloud 9 Field, Inc. sod farm.

We allow DFSC club members and guest members to camp on our property (temporarily, not permanently) at no charge, and bathrooms and showers are available in our hanger for members and guests to use. The hanger has a second-floor club house/game room/kitchenette and observation deck overlooking the field. Our airfield is flat and open, and allows smooth cart launches and foot or wheel landings in any wind direction on mowed and rolled sod grass. Last year, we also built a 30 foot training hill on the edge of the field with the help of several club members (thanks Rick, Mark, and Jim!).

(Cloud 9 Field hanger and DFSC club house.)

The DFSC has been active since 1997, and has been flying from Cloud 9 Field since 1998. Even though we gained prior approval from the local, state, and federal government for the establishment of our private airfield for aircraft, ultralight, and hang glider operations, the local township government reacted to complaints from a neighbor about our towing operations, and sued us to prevent us from flying. As a result, we purposely kept a low public profile (but did not stop flying) while battling the lawsuit over several years.

Since that time we have learned how common it is, all across the country, for legal action to be initiated against people who own or establish airstrips and conduct flying activities. We also discovered that it is very important to find attorneys who are well versed in the appropriate areas of law, and who really care about your case. At a significant cost to us, we settled the lawsuit last year. In addition to having a great pair of attorneys working for us, one of which is a hang glider pilot and now a DFSC club member, we also had to do a great deal of work to help them develop an understanding of the case and to build a solid legal argument for the court. We learned a lot, but it was very time-consuming, stressful, and expensive.

During this process, we were inspected twice by the FAA. Their visits and reports supported our legal argument by helping to verify that we are not a commercial flight park operation, that we are operating properly within FAA regulations and exemptions, and that we are operating safely and relatively quietly. After getting to know us and the nature of our operations, the FAA asked Tracy to serve as an Aviation Safety Counselor for the FAA Detroit FSDO region, which also had a positive impact for us in court.

We are both ultralight basic flight instructors, and airplane private pilots. Lisa is the main tug pilot, and Tracy is the tandem hang gliding instructor for the club. We have two Dragonfly tugs, one with a Rotax 914 engine, and one with a Rotax 912 engine. We also own a Maule STOL airplane, painted in the same colors as our Dragonfly tugs.

In consideration of our neighbors, we have been successful in significantly reducing the engine/prop noise generation levels on both of our tugs. We use quieter and more reliable 4-stroke engines, custom-designed Prince propellers that provide increased thrust and reduced noise, after-muffler silencers with exhaust stacks that direct the noise upward, and towing/flying techniques that minimize noise levels on the ground.

(Tracy and Lisa with one of their Dragonfly Tugs)

Our operations formula has been refined over time to best meet FAA, IRS, USHGA, USUA, and other federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations. As such, all of our hang gliding instruction and flying operations take place via the Draachen Fliegen Soaring Club, Inc., which is a not-for-profit, mutual benefit organization to promote safe hang gliding and instruction. Club members share in the cost of our operations for their mutual benefit, such as site preservation and maintenance, tow operations, and instruction. All flights conducted by the DFSC are considered instructional flights. Instruction is free, but the club collects membership dues and fees from each member to cover their own specific towing expenses (non-member pilots can fly with us a few times a year as guests of the club without paying membership dues, but club members pay less for tows).

Our field is a private airfield for non-commercial use, not a public flight park for commercial use; therefore, all pilots, students, and visitors must contact us prior to coming out to our field to fly---on each and every visit. We try to be available for flying on most good days, but will be away from the field on occasion, so call before you come. Our season runs from May 1 through October 31. We are available to tow after 10:30 AM six days a week (not on Tuesdays), and on weekends only after Labor Day (when Tracy has to resume his faculty duties for the fall semester at Eastern Michigan University). We conduct tandem instructional flights in the evening, in conditions that are appropriate for students.

Everyone who flies with us must be a DFSC club member or guest member, a member of USHGA, sign our club waiver, and follow all club rules and procedures. We are very safety and instruction oriented, and expect pilots to do what we ask of them. Anyone who does not, will be reminded that they are at our home and on our field as our guest, and will be asked to leave. We would hope that pilots understand that there are many complex factors and issues involved in the establishment and operation of a successful aerotow hang gliding club, which mandates that we do things in certain ways. So far, our approach seems to work--we have an excellent safety record, a great group of pilots, a lot of fun, and a good reputation among students, pilots, and FAA officials who know us.

In spite of the cost and effort (on top of our regular professions) that it has taken for us to create and maintain the field and buildings, equipment, and club operations for the club, we support the club and its members because we love hang gliding and flying. We have had good success in bringing new pilots into the sport and we have helped to improve the flying skills of our club members.

Now that we have settled our township-related problems, we can be more open about our club's flying activities. We are hoping that more pilots will come to learn and fly with us in 2003, and we are very much looking forward to hosting the Dragonfly Cup this year.

Instruction and continuous improvement of flying skills and safety are the prime directives of our club. We take that very seriously. Accidents and injuries are not fun-safe flying is more fun for everybody. We will continue to focus on helping all of our club pilots improve their flying skills throughout the year, and we think that the Dragonfly Cup is a great way to help make that happen.

We are looking forward to having a great flying season ahead. Come fly with us, and enter the Dragonfly Cup - you've got a good chance at winning big!

For more information about the DFSC and the 2003 Dragonfly Cup, visit our website at http://members.aol.com/DFSCinc, email us at <DFSCinc@aol.com>, or call us at 517.223.8683. Fly safe, Lisa and Tracy.

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The USHGA on marketing hang gliding

Sat, Apr 26 2003, 1:00:04 pm EDT

aerotow|Dan Nelson|environment|equipment|FAA|Jayne DePanfilis|magazine|Oz Report|picture|power|PPG|school|sport|Sport Pilot|students|tandem|USHGA|Wills Wing

Jayne DePanfilis <jayne@ushga.org> writes:

Thank you for the wonderful suggestions regarding marketing you made in the recent “Oz Report.” The USHGA staff thinks along the same lines as you, believe it or not. During my 12 years in the industry, before I joined the USHGA, I managed the single largest marketing budgets for hang gliding in the industry. I learned a great deal from these experiences, including the fact that we must conduct effective marketing on the regional level. Schools must be marketing in their own back yards. The marketing plan must be a long term one. We won't really have an effective national marketing medium or venue until we have a way of connecting national campaigns with schools in specific regions. We don't have a way to translate national exposure into more students and tandems at the school level or regional level. We need this mechanism.

I've also learned that there is no effective substitute for public relations. None of us have a large enough marketing budget that would enable us to wage an effective national campaign the way we are organized now. I am not disheartened, though. I don't have a gloom and doom view of these things. I've just become more realistic over time.

The strategy that I proposed to the USHGA board was to facilitate the development of more aerotow flight parks around the country. These aerotow flight parks might conduct towed hang gliding, towed paragliding, and PPG operations. Imagine what it would mean to Wills Wing or to the other manufacturers and schools if we were able to open a new school that taught and certified 100 new h2s and P2s this year. In my opinion, this is the way to grow the sport. We don't have schools strategically located throughout the country. Imagine 100 new pilots spending money in our industry and living the flying lifestyle.

I completely agree that we should be marketing our sports to these “niche” markets. Indeed, we are talking about reaching out to compatible markets and not just to the “world at large.” No doubt that no one has enough resources to reach out to the world at large.

Hang gliding and paragliding could benefit from a major motion picture like skydiving did. Our sports would benefit if a very well known personality went flying and learned. The media would have to be interested in covering the story or experience. It wasn't long ago that I watched a famous female actress talk about her hang gliding experiences in Rio on a popular late night talk show and the host didn't ask her a single question about hang gliding. He simply wasn't interested.

Dan Nelson, the USHGA's Communications Director and Editor, had meetings recently with a well-known magazine publishing company about coverage for free flight in their publications. We are going to be conducting “brand” seminars and focus groups to identify our market position and needs. We conducted the first one at the recent board meeting. We talked about our sports as lifestyle sports and we spoke of market segments. We had a great time. We plan to attend the largest outdoor retailer trade show in the country this year, Outdoor Retailer. We need to create a unified identity for our chapters. We have about 100 chapters and they could be carrying and exemplifying our message. We need a way to extend our identity through these chapters as logical extensions of the national association and our sports.

I think we should stop and consider for one moment what we would do if suddenly 500 people wanted to learn to hang glide or paraglide, where would they go to do it and how long would it take them to complete a training program? It is not “easy” to learn to hang glide or paraglide. And Paul, you are right, most of the people we know personally don't think like us. Hang gliding and paragliding are “dangerous” sports. We have found ways to significantly improve the way we teach, the equipment, the all-around pilot knowledge and skill, improved written tests and practical tests too. There has never been a better time to be in our sports than today.

The USHGA does not have a marketing budget yet I am working on a new budget now and we are hoping for $8,000 for the first year. The USHGA's budget is tight, very tight: a $4,000 initiative is 0.5 percent of our budget. I've been able to keep expenses down by significantly cutting the overhead in the office and by providing continuous diligent business management but any single line item initiative can be difficult to manage.

This year we are going to incur a significant expense for moving folks around the country to address the Sport Pilot Rule, the FAA's desire to adopt the USHGA's tandem standard as their industry standard, the development of the tandem PPG standard. The USHGA needs to seriously consider changing our articles of incorporation to facilitate our association with power, even aerotowing. Just these initiatives alone will stretch our resources within the USHGA's $950,000 operating budget. I would hate to see our cash flow position erode but it may slip just a bit this year due to the management of these important initiatives.

I agree with most of what I have read on the Oz Report about marketing our sports. Most of it is just good common sense. We have no shortage of great ideas, but we do have a shortage of folks to implement them. As I said, we have no budget for marketing at the USHGA and I hope we can change this. Dan and I are both proven marketers to the outdoor industry. I plan to continue to try to focus on marketing even in light of budgetary and manpower constraints even in light of the challenging regulatory environment we are faced with today. We really need to implement some creative strategies and I think Dan has ideas for some of these strategies. Feel free to send your thought and ideas directly to him at <Dan@ushga.org> or to me at <Jayne@ushga.org>.

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Flying the flag for foot launched flight

Thu, Apr 24 2003, 5:00:06 pm EDT

advertising|bungee jumping|communication|cost|electric|equipment|FAA|FAQ|fatality|Florida|game|job|landing|magazine|news|Oz Report|PG|picture|radio|Rod Clark|safety|sailplane|site|space|speed gliding|sport|students|USHGA

Rod Clark <Rod.Clark@ge.com> writes:

Since beginning to hang glide I’ve become acutely aware of the need to bolster participation in the sport. It’s clear by reading The Oz Report, and Hang Gliding and Paragliding Magazine that our sport needs new pilots. I’ve seen discussions on marketing in The Oz Report, and as a marketing person myself (for General Electric. Yes… I bring good things to life) I began thinking about how we can grow our sport.

I had a chuckle when I saw the “We need your friends” ad in the HG and PG magazine. I’ve been trying to drag friends into the sport since I began, and haven’t been successful once. As a marketing campaign goes, it’s a bit silly. USHGA’s target market isn’t people interested in me (my friends). USHGA’s target market is the people who’ve always dreamed of flying, but weren’t exposed to our sport. Thus, I’ve put together a few ideas about how we can capture the hearts and minds of those individuals and really communicate a message to them. Soaring is a reality, and it’s available to you.

My plan boils down to two basic premises in marketing; Identifying a target market, and providing for them an awareness of our sport. Let’s look first at the target market.

Paraglider pilots are the first and most obvious choice. First, paraglider pilots are already interested in soaring and have already taken the first steps to make their dream come true. However, because of the overlap in flying conditions, Hang Gliding offers Paraglider pilots an opportunity to fly when they might otherwise be to strong. Every USHGA instructor should encourage all of their students to become biwingual at some point in their flying career. It’s good for the sport and the pilots.

Although sailplanes are in the same dire membership situation we are in, it is a source of potential hang gliding and paragliding pilots. Although much of the sailplane community is older, there is a core group of young people that hang gliding may appeal to. I personally was never interested in hang gliding per say. I wanted to soar and I wanted to fly sailplanes. What I really wanted to do was fly, and when I realized the drawbacks for sailplanes (they are expensive, easily breakable, must always be flown within distance of a landing strip, much more work in the air, and the tiny excuse for a cockpit that you are claustrophobically stuck in) I began looking elsewhere.

A low cost marketing campaign would be to make an alliance with the SSA and “swap” (by swap I mean run ads without charging each other) advertising space in our respective member magazines. We could run ads saying “think outside the bubble”, “think smaller”, or something silly like that. Push the idea that flying with the wind in your face is the dreamy alternative, that high-performance hang gliders are almost reaching 20:1, and you don’t have to pay for tows.

One of our best sources is the FAA/AOPA private pilot community. How many times have you heard this story. We all have friends who are licensed private pilots who are not flying, or are not even current on their rating. Why? There are several reasons. First, renting Cessnas is terribly cost prohibitive. Who can afford to go flying at $70 per hour? Not me, and truth be told, not many people. My best friend has had his private license since he was sixteen. He’s thirty now with one kid and probably hasn’t flown in a year (not because he doesn’t want to).

Second (and most importantly), most private pilots are disillusioned by the idea of flying. People are drawn to flying from a young age. Every kid runs down the sidewalk with their arms out like a bird trying to lift off the ground. They imagine the wind in their face, swishing and swooping with the birds. Then, when we become “grown-ups” we seek the most obvious choice, a private pilot license. After getting licensed most pilots come to the same conclusion, “This isn’t like my dreams of flying”.

Frankly, flying a Cessna sucks. It’s noisy (really noisy). The cockpits are awful (like flying a Yugo). The windshield is usually scratched up to the point you can barely see out of it. You are severely restricted in where you can fly, and what you can do when you fly there. Headphones and an almost constant communication with an air traffic control tower make the dream of “running down the sidewalk with your arms out” seem more like mechanized warfare.

Before those perspective pilots become to disinterested (or go broke renting planes) let’s capture them and bring them into our sport. Again, our two governing organizations can “swap” advertising space in our member magazines. FAA/AOPA can run ads saying “Go further” or “Have the batteries in your lift died”. USHGA can run ads saying “What’s the buzz all about” eluding to the noise of the cockpit. We need to exploit our strengths (like cost, noise, fun) and share with them “this is closer to your original dream”. Also, break the common reply “I need a motor to feel safe” by describing how you can always fly within gliding distance of a safe landing spot.

Let’s also cater to the idea of owning something high-tech. Show them high performance wings like the ATOS or the Talon and give them something to get their mouth watering. Most people like the idea of owning something. Since hang gliders no longer look like “the bamboo butterfly”, we can advertise “You can’t afford that Cessna, but you can own this super-high-performance-flying machine for less than ten grand” (well, sort of). I read in a recent article of Flying Magazine how cost prohibitive it is to own a twenty year old Cessna 182. They estimated total cost of ownership at over $22,000 per year, or $179.00 per hour to operate. Let’s sell them our toys for much much less!

Heck, I could lay out the ads if you can negotiate the free advertising space. Additionally, my swapping idea is really effective if we get placement on their web sites (and this goes for all of my markets).

RC pilots also make a great audience. First, the hobby is thriving, especially in the electric and sailplane/electric markets. Second, the audience spans all generations. RC pilots start as bright teens and carry on well into their twilight years. Many of the “twenty’s and thirty’s” pilots probably do not realize that our sport would allow them to “actually fly” and in many cases be comparable in cost (have you priced a comp RC sailplane and 8-channel computer radio these days?). For about the same cost as a nice RC sailplane you can own a Falcon. Again, swap space in AMA’s magazine and on their web site.

I struggle with some of the following suggestions, because it may sound as though I’m contradicting myself. We need to grow our pilot base by appearing as an intellectual sport, and Zen sport, but a large audience is the X-Games generation. Allow me to address these individually.

First, the perception in the mind of the general public is that hang gliding is for the lunatic fringe and the thrill seeker. A common response when somebody hears that you are a hang gliding pilot is “Oh, do you also skydive and bungee jump”. Bungee jumping is a game of crapping your pants for eleven-point-five seconds. Hang gliding is a sport of Zen like concentration. Those who endeavor (and survive) are typically intelligent, conservative people who thrive on the extreme concentration, strategy, and constant decision making.

In a way, Rock Climbers are an excellent target market for hang gliding. Have been a former big wall climber myself, I can tell you this first hand. In rock climbing (as in flying) you really hope that nothing “exciting” will happen. A climber may work diligently and focus intensely for hours on end trying to reach the summit. During that process, a Zen like clearing of the mind and all of its worries is achieved through a purging of any excess, allowing for a clear calming focus. Sound like a light lift day to you? We can appeal to this audience. Put an ad in Rock and Ice magazine saying “Seeking a higher Zen, try this”.

The part that I struggle with is this.

We need to appeal to the X-games generation. Rock climbing, hiking, mountaineers, pilots are all a similar breed of conservative individual. These people are the same age as the X-gamers, have common interests with X-gamers, and are in the same overall demographic, but are fundamentally different in their willingness to put their life on the line. I fly because I feel it is safe. I am a pilot, not a lunatic. I’m also from the X-game generation.

The tough part is, we need the exposure of something like the X-games to bring people awareness of our sport. The down side is that we may not want some of the people it may bring (freestyle motocrossers come to mind). The last thing hang gliding needs is a surge in popularity by reckless thrill seekers and have our annual fatality rate skyrocket. We must choose carefully which genera we appeal to. X-gamers will likely be enthused about speed gliding. But that enthusiasm could in the long run kill our sport. Can the WRE make it as an X-game or Olympic test sport? We should ask.

The second part of my marketing plan (the first being target marketing, which we just covered) is about awareness and perception of the general public, and making hang gliding desirable and accessible.

The first issue to tackle is the one of safety. The perception in the mind of Joe Public is that hang gliding is a dangerous sport. Because of the steep learning curve just thirty years ago, this worry is not without merit. However, whenever hang gliding appears in the press outside of our circles, it is important that we stress that the sport has evolved into a safe, fun activity with high-tech equipment and structured teaching. Instructors and pilots must preach this to prospective pilots.

Having said that, USHGA should have a public relations person (even a member volunteering their services) to actively communicate with local news papers whenever an event is taking place in that area. Beyond that, we can even push for story placement in lifestyle sections of the Sunday paper. This is especially important in markets with such huge potential (such as those in California or Florida). Articles should stress safety, soaring as a sport in general, and the opportunity for every man and woman to become a pilot. And emphasize, “We are not the lunatic fringe!”

Once these open minds have been captured an exciting web portal must be available for the prospective pilots to explore. I believe that an exciting and graphic FAQ section on the USHGA web site is highly desirable. Current visitors to the USHGA are greeted with a very business like web site, designed to suit active pilots and instructors. For that purpose, I believe that USHGA has done a very good job. However, a picture section, with descriptions of different facets of our sport would be highly beneficial in capturing the imagination of prospective pilots, and furthering their dreams of soaring.

Since the low cost, compared to any other type of flight, is a highly desirable trait, we really must emphasize it. You’ve all had a look at your fellow pilots. You know that most of us are of modest means. When I initially became interested in Hang Gliding, the first instructor I contacted only offered package deals for lessons. I thought, jeez I can’t plunk down $1400 up front! I ultimately chose an instructor that allowed me to pay per lesson. In my opinion, all USHGA instructors should offer per-lesson plans. We have to make it as easy as possible for anyone to become a pilot, and not give any reason to turn them away.

We’ve developed a bunch of great single surface gliders. Now let’s get some new people excited about using them!

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Lookout Mountain Tugs

Thu, Apr 24 2003, 5:00:05 pm EDT

Dragonfly|FAA|flight park|Matt Taber|sport|Sport Pilot|towing

Matt Taber <fly@hanglide.com> writes:

Thanks for your letter of support and thank you for posting our distress. It looks as though we will not be towing with the Dragonfly until the new exemption comes out. I do not know what the county commissioners are going to do, although I am hopeful.

Please post my heartfelt thanks to the many individuals that took the time to write letters of support for the flight park. We deeply appreciate the effort. I am sure that it will help. I will post a follow up when I know what is going on.

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FAA, Lookout and their Tugs »

Wed, Apr 23 2003, 4:00:02 pm EDT

aerotow|Bill Bryden|EAA|FAA|flight park|instruction|Jayne DePanfilis|Lee Gardner|Lookout Mountain Flight Park|Orlando Stephenson|parachute|sport|Sport Pilot|Sue Bunner|survival|tow|towing|USHGA

Jayne DePanfilis <jayne@ushga.org> writes:

The recent situation at Lookout Mountain Flight Park regarding the suspension of aerotow operations by an FAA field inspector from Atlanta helped to focus the FAA on the need to either issue a new Towing Exemption to the USHGA or to revise the current Towing Exemption held by the USHGA to allow for the use of heavier ultralights for the purpose of aerotow launching hang gliders.

The FAA understands the importance of aerotow instruction/flying for the survival and growth of our sport. The FAA indicated a desire to help the USHGA address the need to revise the Towing Exemption when USHGA representatives first met with them at the Spring BOD meeting in Ontario, California in February of 2002 to discuss Sport Pilot initiatives. The USHGA Sport Pilot Task Force, members of the Executive Committee, and Sue Gardner continued to address the need for an increased weight limit for the towing vehicles at the Fall USHGA BOD meeting held in Orlando last October.

The issue of primary importance during these discussions was the (excess) weight of the ultralights that are in use at flight parks for the safer conduct of aerotow operations. The FAA understands implicitly that the Bailey Moyes Dragon Fly Ultralights currently in use at LMFP is essential to most aerotow flight park operations. They know that the Dragon Fly has recently been certificated in Germany. They know that the USHGA considers it to be a "standard" for the implementation of safer aerotowing operations. The USHGA Sport Pilot Task Force provided the FAA with documentation supporting the use of these ultralights as early as the spring of 2002. This valuable information did not fall on deaf ears. The USHGA has been working very closely with Sue Gardner for more than one year now on these matters.

On Monday of this week I spoke directly with Sue Gardner, the FAA's Program Manager and Technical Expert for Sport Pilot, and I explained the situation at LMFP to her in great detail. Sue indicated to me that she intends to immediately move forward with the USHGA's request to increase the weight limit of the ultralight vehicles used to aerotow launch hang gliders. The request to increase the weight limit of the ultralights that are used to tow hang gliders was formally submitted to the FAA by me in December of last year. The request was drafted by Bill Bryden. The situation at Lookout these past two weeks has shown Sue that the USHGA needs "immediate relief" from the FAA regarding the need to increase the weight limits of these ultralights so they can be used without question to aerotow hang gliders.

It is my hope that the revision to the USHGA's current Towing Exemption can be made within the next two or three weeks. The current weight limit for these aircraft is 254 pounds. Discussions are currently underway to increase the weight limit to 496 pounds plus allowances for (more) weight similar to those that are provided to ultralights operating now under the EAA, USUA, or ASC exemption for two-place training in an ultralight. The two-place towing exemption maintained by the EAA, USUA and ASC includes allowances for a parachute system, floats, etc. Bill Bryden is currently negotiating this new weight limit with the FAA on behalf of the USHGA.

The USHGA knows that Sue Gardner is a friend to recreational aviators and while the USHGA recently recognized her with an exemplary service award, I would like to publicly thank her once again for understanding what the USHGA needs most from the FAA to ensure that we will be able to continue to conduct flight park operations, aerotow operations, in the safer manner to which we have become accustomed.

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Lookout tourists

Tue, Apr 22 2003, 4:00:05 pm EDT

aerotow|Angelo Mantas|FAA|G.W. Meadows|sport|Sport Pilot

Angelo Mantas writes:

I just sent an e-mail off in support of Lookout, but I think GW missed a very important argument in favor of Aerotow and Lookout - Money.

I made a point of saying that I visit and spend my money in Trenton, GA, because of Lookout. I think this is a very important point, especially to the area politicians; they cannot overlook the possible loss of revenue if pilots go elsewhere. Landowners might be a little more tolerant if they see that a loss of Lookout tourist dollars could lead to higher taxes.

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Lookout without tugs

Mon, Apr 21 2003, 4:00:02 pm EDT

art|FAA|flight park|G.W. Meadows|instruction|Lookout Mountain Flight Park|Oz Report|record|safety|sport|Sport Pilot|supporters|towing|USHGA

G. W. Meadows <gw@justfly.com> writes:

As many of the Oz Report readers know, Lookout Mtn. Flight Park's towing operation has been shut down due to the FAA's citing of heavy tugs. One popular opinion is that this was brought about by neighbors complaining to the FAA to try to restrict the noise in the area. This is a terrible situation and one that could affect the future of hang gliding in the U.S. as we know it.

The USHGA is working with Matt to remedy this situation and it's important to let them speak officially as one voice. However, Matt has a community/country meeting on this Thursday that will involve the county commissioners as well as at least one representative from the FAA. As you can imagine, this type of meeting brings out the folks that are against ultralights, but it rarely will have the supporters take the time to show up.

What we need to do is an immediate and massive letter writing campaign in support of Matt and his operation. Obviously, with this happening on Thursday, it’s too late to get something in the mail without using overnight/premium services. I suggest that each person reading this take 10 minutes of their time and write an email in support of Matt's operation. Your letter should include the following:

• The date • Subject: Aerotowing at Lookout Mountain Flight Park.

Please write that you are in support of the continued use of Aerotowing at LMFP. Please say that they have a tremendous safety record and that they utilize state-of-the-art hang gliding instruction. Please say that LMFP is one of the largest hg schools in the world and that their instruction is badly needed in the hang gliding community. Please state that you hope that all parties involved will work expeditiously to get this vital training back online as soon as possible.

• Please personalize this letter as much as possible
• Please do not use inflammatory language or call the FAA 'pinheads' (or anything that of the like).
• The reason for this letter is to show support - it will help balance out the folks who are there in person.
• It is probably best to not mention that all the other flight parks in the U.S. are doing the same thing (although the FAA is fully aware of this) - no need to stick it on this piece of paper.

•Please finish the letter with your first and last name as well as address. Please also include your telephone number and email address if possible.

I thank you in advance for doing this. We cannot afford to lose the capability of gaining hang glider pilots in this country.

Please email your letter to <mtaber@mindspring.com>.

Discuss heavy tugs and the FAA (including Sport Pilot) at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2

Discuss "Lookout without tugs" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Jayne DePanfilis visits Oz Report world headquarters

Thu, Apr 17 2003, 3:00:03 pm EDT

airspace|Belinda Boulter|Dragonfly|FAA|flight park|Florida|Jayne DePanfilis|Lookout Mountain Flight Park|Oz Report|sport|Sport Pilot|towing|trike|USHGA

Belinda and I just had a nice visit with Jayne, USHGA executive director, who is here in Florida to meet with various individuals regarding USHGA matters. She’ll be here for a week and will be in contact with the FAA regarding the ongoing Sport Pilot issues.

We’ve known about the Lookout Mountain Flight Park Dragonfly/heavy trike issue for a few days. Jayne says that she has been heavily involved in it trying to get the FAA to reopen the towing operation there. Of course, the issues involved are directly linked to our FAA towing exemption and the upcoming Sport Pilot rules.

The USHGA office and volunteers are working hard to make sure the upcoming FAA regulations are respectful of our standards and practices here in the hang gliding community. Jayne says that the FAA continues to be very impressed with the level of expertise and documentation that comes from the USHGA.

Of course, the big issue for many of us is the use of the Dragonfly and heavier trikes for towing operations. We want the FAA to approve their use for hang glider towing. The FAA wants to do this and it looks like they will. With the LMFP issue, it would be nicer that this happened sooner rather than later.

Hang glider pilots should be aware that the USHGA is not just some little reinsurance agent for hang glider pilots, but is actively working to make sure that hang gliding can continue as a viable sport even when there are other entities that would like to close down the airspace to us. It you are concerned about having continued access to the open sky’s you should support the USHGA.

Discuss "Jayne DePanfilis visits Oz Report world headquarters" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Accident reporting to the FAA

Wed, Apr 16 2003, 3:00:05 pm EDT

accident|FAA|Florida|NASA|Oz Report|safety|sailplane

<rfreynol@mindspring.com> writes:

You have mentioned the potential of FAA action in regards to the recent hang glider/sailplane incident in Florida several times in the Oz Report. There is actually system in place that would prevent punitive measures by the FAA against both pilots involved. Most GA pilots are aware of this system, but it seems that ultralight pilots rarely know of its existence. I'm referring to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) and NASA ARC Form 227.

Commonly referred to as "the NASA Form", this form is available to pilots, mechanics and air traffic controllers to report any operations or rule infractions that may compromise safety. Under certain circumstances, it can also protect pilots from fines and/or suspensions. You will still get charged, and the actions will be recorded against you, but they will waive fines or suspensions. In order to obtain immunity from fines and penalties or enforcement actions assessed by the FAA, you only have 10 days to prove you have submitted it to NASA properly. Also, if you use it for immunity from punishment, you have to wait 5 years before using it again.

Here is a link to the form, as well as some links to articles on how to best use the form. I recommend that all pilots keep one in their flight kit, and the use it when you need to. And if the FAA does call, just tell them that a NASA form has been submitted!

The actual form: http://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/forms/PDF_Files/general.pdf

A good article for UL pilots on using the form: http://usuaclub1.org/Nasa.htm

More good info on the form and its uses: http://www.mooneyowners.com/moa_restricted/nasaintro1.htm

http://www.jetlaw.com/articles/nasa_form.pdf

Discuss "Accident reporting to the FAA" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Accident Reports

Thu, Apr 10 2003, 12:00:12 pm EDT

accident|Adolf Wilfried "Willi" Muller|Bill Bolosky|death|FAA|fatality|magazine|Oz Report|USHGA|Vincene Muller

Bill Bolosky <bolosky@microsoft.com> USHGA President writes

A while ago you published some people's opinions about your publishing accident reports. My opinion (which isn't necessarily that of the USHGA, but probably is) is that it's a good thing, and that we should avoid covering up information about accidents if at all possible. The FAA already knows that we have accidents; every form of aviation does and probably always will. We're much more likely to generate good will by being upfront about it, and by trying to work to reduce the accident rate than we would be by covering them up.

To my mind, the point of an accident report is to help people learn from others' mistakes (and to contribute to statistical analyses of what goes wrong, which is the same thing on a broader scale). The USHGA publishes accident reports in the magazine and plans on continuing to do so. It's one of the tools that has reduced the fatality rate (in hang gliding) by a factor of 10 from the mid-70s to now. Since we do it, it would be hypocritical to ask you to stop.

Publishing people's names is a different matter. The USHGA chooses not to publish names because it doesn't add to the basic point of helping pilots to learn what can go wrong. On the other hand, it may make people less willing to submit accident reports if they're worried about being thought less of by other people. Since we want to encourage reports, we stay away from the names.

Publishing the name of someone who's been seriously hurt or died before the next-of-kin have been notified seems to me to be in extremely poor taste. You did this with Willi Muller, and (rumor has it) it resulted in one of his sons finding out by reading it in the Oz Report. I can't imagine how painful that must have been for him, and I'd think that it would make you think twice about continuing to do it.

(editor’s note: Willi Muller died right before my eyes and in the arms of his wife, Vincene. He has only one son, Chris. I don’t recall whether he learned about his father’s death through the Oz Report, but I don’t think he did. As I vaguely recall Vincene called him first. But my memory may be incorrect.

Am I continuing to do it? Have you stopped beating your wife, yet?)

Discuss "Accident Reports" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Wallaby Ranch to be on the sectionals

Thu, Apr 10 2003, 12:00:03 pm EDT

FAA|Malcolm Jones|Wallaby Ranch

Malcolm Jones at Wallaby Ranch <fly@wallaby.com> writes:

FYI, I took action months ago to get Wallaby Ranch marked on the sectionals. It should be included on the next charts the NOAA publishes.

Also, for years now, I’ve arranged for local NOTAMS to be officially posted whenever we have large special events.

Discuss the FAA and hang gliding sites on sectionals at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2

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Get on the sectionals

Tue, Apr 8 2003, 2:00:04 pm EDT

airline|Dirk Darling|FAA|Gary Osoba|Jayne DePanfilis|maps|Mark Forbes|Quest Air|safety|site|tow|towing|USHGA|Wallaby Ranch

Jayne DePanfilis <jayne@ushga.org> writes:

Mark Forbes has created a document template for the charting of hang gliding and paragliding sites on the Sectional VFR sectional chart. The templated MS Word document is available by contacting the USHGA (<ushga@ushga.org>). It is not online at the USHGA's website yet, but we plan to add this form, along with many other useful forms, to the USHGA's website in the upcoming months.

I am happy to help expedite this process. The template is self-explanatory and needs to be completed and sent to the USHGA office for my signature. I will expedite this request on behalf of the USHGA, its members and approved chapters, immediately upon receipt of the paperwork.

I have only expedited one request since joining the USHGA in 2001 but the process was a flawless one using this templated process.

(editor’s note: At first I couldn’t get the template to work here and when I asked about this, got some quasi religious gobbledygook. I then read the template document into MS Word XP and saved it as a template by first choosing to save as an HTML (but not saving it) then choosing to save it as a template. Word XP then successfully found the correct folder to store the template document as a template.

To use it as a template, I then clicked File, New in the MS Word XP menu, and it found the template correctly. It looks to me like the template could be stored on a web site and MS Word XP could find it their by its URL. Don’t know if earlier versions of Word can do this or not.)

Gary Osoba <wosoba@cox.net> writes:

Geoff May wrote:

"It seems ridiculous, maybe reckless, that somewhere as busy as Wallaby is not marked on the FAA air maps and has not been widely publicized among the many flying schools in the area."

My response is:

I don't know about ridiculous, but it does seem highly irresponsible that the principles at Wallaby would not have taken care of this matter. After all, it is up to them to initiate cartological identifications within the flying community. Mr. Jones regularly (and incorrectly) claims to have pioneered the aero-towing operation concept, and to be the singular person who does this properly anywhere in the world.

Why he would not have looked after an essential safety issue for the pilots flying at his facility is beyond me. I do realize that at times, people who come from a family of attorneys conduct themselves as if they are living within an insulated bubble which gives freedom from liability- after all, they can fall back upon resources not common to others. However, safety issues remain paramount, with or without tort ramifications

Spoke here at Quest Air with Jay Darling, an airline pilot who flies and lives part time with his family (wife and four boys) at Wallaby Ranch. He felt that the Dragonflies should have strobe lights. He says that it is a lot easier for the smaller plane to see the bigger plane, but not the other way around.

He also says that they should not tow in a straight line for an extended period but make turns to give a bigger profile.

Discuss "Get on the sectionals" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Put flight parks on the sectionals?

Mon, Apr 7 2003, 2:00:05 pm EDT

airspace|altitude|EAA|FAA|flight park|Florida|general aviation|Geoff May|maps|Miles Fagerlie|Orlando Stephenson|photo|radio|Richard Heckman|safety|sailplane|school|tandem|towing|USHGA

Geoff May <GMay@MarathonOil.com> writes:

A couple of years ago I came out to Florida, visiting the Ranch for a couple of weeks before moving on to one of the flying schools at Kissimmee to train for my pilot license. None of the instructors at the flying school were aware of Wallaby and were certainly unaware of how busy the air above it could be. Indeed, Wallaby's location just clear of the Orlando airspace meant that this region was frequently used by the school aircraft for practicing various maneuvers. I don't recall seeing Wallaby marked on any of the FAA charts I flew with at that time.

It seems ridiculous, maybe reckless, that somewhere as busy as Wallaby is not marked on the FAA air maps and has not been widely publicized among the many flying schools in the area.

Richard Heckman <hekdic@worldnet.att.net> writes:

On the marking of Quest and Wallaby on sectionals, there should still be the procedure to do this through the USHGA. I set it up when I was the interface to the FAA. A request should go first to the Regional Director who would forward it to the National Coordinating Committee. The NCC Chairman, if the request is approved, then forwards it to the relevant FAA Office that handles sectionals. I forget which it is since we set it up in the early '80s. We got a number of busy sites marked back then. The FAA then decided to use the sailplane symbol to mark them rather than use a new symbol.

Bill Berle <auster5@earthlink.net> writes:

You can contact the NOAA, which I believe publishes the sectional charts for general aviation. Although not specifically required, you might get a designation put on the charts a little faster by doing the following (doing their work for them):

Submit an identical "package" to NOAA charts division and the FAA local FSDO office containing;

Well done aerial photo of the flight park, marked with North line and the runway headings, and ID'ing the local streets and highways

A "sample" piece of a current sectional chart marked with the designators you want to have on there. The proper designator for a non-tower grass runway is a plain red outline circle (not solid) with the name, field altitude, runway length, and CTAF or common radio frequency.

The most important part is to have them add their little hang glider icon in a couple of places around this "airport" designator… one right next to the airport and another one at the "house thermal" if there is one.

Also, mark on there in small red type "Caution: Intense Hang Gliding and Air-Towing Activity Within 3 Miles of (airport name) sfc to 5000 msl (or whatever) between 0800 and 1800 local time daily (or whatever)"

If you can follow the pattern and style that is used at other major HG or sailplane fields, and do their work for them, you should get the results much sooner than if you just called the local FAA and asked them to do something.

If you are really in the mood to save lives, you can make up a flyer that has all this information, and post it on the bulletin boards at as many nearby GA airports as possible, next to their airport restaurants, on the door to the rest room, etc. You can also combine this with marketing efforts by offering to have someone make a presentation to local EAA chapters, pilot groups, airpark association meetings, at the local FAA safety seminars, etc etc. Offer a 20 minute or an hour presentation about "hang gliding today", give out a discount coupon for a tandem ride or something, have a "fly-in day" where the local GA airplanes can fly in for a breakfast and spend the day watching the HG operations, etc.

Discuss "Put flight parks on the sectionals?" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Mid airs

Mon, Apr 7 2003, 2:00:03 pm EDT

accident|Bart Doets|book|collision|FAA|Gary Osoba|job|Jules Gilpatrick|Ken Ward|NTSB|Oz Report|Richard Heckman|safety|sailplane|school|site|Steve Kroop|tow

Ken Ward <kenward1000@mac.com> writes:

Typically in a mid-air they cite both pilots for "inadequate lookout". Check NTSB records for IAD99FA041B and MIA99LA051B at http://www.ntsb.gov/NTSB/query.asp

In each case you would think that they would fault only the sailplane pilot, but they end up blaming both pilots. It's also possible that unless something gross was done by the sailplane pilot, that 103.13(a) will be cited and the HG pilot faulted.

You can find the FAR’s that are applicable to hang gliders here:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfrhtml_00/Title_14/14cfr103_00.html

§ 103.13 Operation near aircraft; right-of-way rules.

(a) Each person operating an ultralight vehicle shall maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid aircraft and shall yield the right-of-way to all aircraft.

(b) No person may operate an ultralight vehicle in a manner that creates a collision hazard with respect to any aircraft.

Jules Gilpatrick <freeflite@centurytel.net> writes:

Steve Kroop hit it right on the head. I can tell you from first-hand acquaintance with a number of FAA guys,.attempting to hide accidents from them only pisses them off and causes them to redouble their efforts to get to the truth. And if they think they've been diddled, you can book microscopic scrutiny with a regulatory noose at the bitter end.

There are reams of articles regarding the harshness with which the FAA deals with miscreants and they almost always get backed up at the highest authority when they go after someone. Like any hierarchical bureaucracy they have their share of "never-got-any-respect-in-high-school" d…kheads, but overall they are few in number. I have been a licensed pilot for over 50 years and every FAA guy I have ever encountered has been a serious, true-blue, safety oriented, sincerely "I'm-here-to-help" kind of guy. All they want is cooperation in helping them do their job. A little respect doesn't hurt, either.

It has been well established that the rapport that the free flight community has with the FAA is excellent. Much of that rapport is based on mutual trust Misguided attitudes like Mike Williams' do nothing more than destroy part of a very carefully constructed respect for each other's integrity and responsibility. The primary aim of an accident investigation is to learn what can be done to prevent it from happening again. If the accident ends up being blamed on someone's lack of responsibility for their actions, as they say in Russia, “Too bad” (I’m getting filters stopping the Oz Report because of bad language). The "perp" has a number of avenues to discharge any penalties laid, and their severity will depend very much on the amount of cooperation the FAA gets. None of us should ever lose sight of the fact that the primary aim of accident investigation is prevention, not punishment, but if the FAA thinks you are hampering an attempt at the former, you can be 100% sure that the latter will ensue!

Part 830 of the NTSB regulations specifically requires immediate notification of the NTSB of an in-flight collision (Sec. 830.5 {5)) All pilots should be familiar with AIM Section 6, 7-6-1 which provides for the waiver of certain disciplinary actions in exchange for timely reporting of aircraft accidents. Hiding behind the definition of an "aircraft" as opposed to an "ultralight vehicle" will avail you nothing.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of a lot of free flight pilots, we have a good thing going with the FAA. Let's not screw it up with immature and sophomoric attitudes towards the serious responsibilities we take on when navigating through the air, regardless of the craft we choose to do it in.

You did the right thing!

Bart Doets <bart.doets@hetnet.nl> writes:

I remember a report from France, in the eighties, where near the launch of St. Hilaire du Touvet (today a site overpopulated by paragliders) a hang glider got hit by a sailplane passing under him. The rudder of the sailplane hit the control bar of the hang glider and broke it in two, apparently injuring the hands of the pilot in the process. The glider did not fold up immediately which gave the pilot a chance to grab the downtubes and hold on for some time, to get more ground clearance, after which he threw his chute. The sailplane had only slight damage.

If that bar had been fitted with a cable, as was already custom back then in German gliders, the two might well have joined together with much more serious consequences.

Richard Heckman <hekdic@worldnet.att.net> writes:

No ultra lights have right of way over any aircraft. We are required to give way in all instances. It doesn't matter who was in the thermal first. We should hope the there would be some courtesy shown between all soaring types but legally speaking I think that we have the short end of the stick.

Gary Osoba <wosoba@cox.net> writes:

What Mike Williams needs to understand is that if a sailplane, or any other registered aircraft moves into his area or thermal, he either needs to be able get out of their way quickly if they decide to fly into him, or he needs to leave the area before they arrive.

I thought your "tone" was quite neutral.

I'm not trying to be a jerk about this, or unsympathetic, simply point out something that most ultralight pilots seem completely unaware of even though they are supposed to have studied the pertinent FAR to be rated by private orgs. Someone is going to get burned financially, legally, or worst of all corporally if they continue to operate under ignorant supposition.

Same thing applies to the tow plane incident

Discuss mid airs, the FAA, sailplanes colliding with hang gliders at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2/.

Discuss "Mid airs" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Small plane almost kills Dr. Don

Sun, Apr 6 2003, 6:00:05 pm EDT

Don Netlow|Dragonfly|FAA|Kerry Lloyd|Quest Air|tow|Wallaby Ranch

I spoke with Don Netlow here today at Quest Air after he and Brian flew from Wallaby Ranch. He stated that while on tow behind Kerry Lloyd (piloting the Dragonfly) between the Ranch and highway 27 a small plane came within 15 feet of him and Kerry coming in from behind under his left wing and Kerry’s also. The plane was flying from west to east (as I recall) and Don says there were about ten hang gliders in the air over the Ranch.

Don would like to see a designation on the FAA sectionals for the Ranch.

I thought that I would tone this one up a little, just to tweak a few noses.

Discuss "Small plane almost kills Dr. Don" at the Oz Report forum   link»

I suck (was originally you suck)

Sun, Apr 6 2003, 6:00:04 pm EDT

collision|FAA|Jules Gilpatrick|Michael Williams|Mike Barber|radio|sailplane|school

https://OzReport.com/Ozv7n92.shtml

Michael Williams <michaelj@mail.ev1.net> writes:

I heard that someone may have been on our radio frequency while I was on the way down and may have heard of my predicament. There are issues. No one has agreed to pay for anything. I was concerned that something may have gotten published prematurely, and it did.

Mikey called you trying to get you to tone it down or hold off for a little bit, but no!!! You had to be a dickhead. Give me my ten dollar donation back. And if anything you have published influences any recourse on my part, I'll want to speak to you later. Publish that you inconsiderate bastard!

(editor’s note: Ah, the joys of publishing. The story I wrote was the story I got from Mike Barber. I used the tone he used. I interviewed Mike Barber as reported. I think that only “fact” in dispute here is whether Nathan committed to replacing Michael’s hang glider.

I’m sure that Mike Williams has a lot of feelings after just being almost killed. I’m of the school of thought that says, “give ‘em enough rope.”)

Jules Gilpatrick <freeflite@centurytel.net> writes:

What's the FAA going to say (about the collision of the HG and the sailplane)? How about FAR 91.13 (careless and reckless operation) or FAR 91.111? My bet is that somebody is going to be in deep doo-doo over this if the FAA is apprised of the incident.

Discuss "I suck (was originally you suck)" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Just the happy news

Sat, Apr 5 2003, 5:00:08 pm EST

FAA|news|NTSB|safety|sailplane

Day after day I have people coming up to me telling me what to publish and what not to publish. They want this or they don’t want that. I had three people just ambush me in my trailer, thinking that it was alright to come in and be friendly when in fact they were on another mission, to stop the story about the pilot pounding in from being published until the next of kin had been notified.

And while I heard second hand about the hang two pilot who crashed into the orange grove last week during the festivities, I seemed to have missed the one about the pilot breaking their arm in five places. Guess people just want to keep the dark side to themselves. Don’t even know if that one is true.

Yes, I’m pretty sensitive about this. I’m here day after day reporting on hang gliding events and when someone wants their three gliders sold they are happy to send me a story, but then they turn around and want to have only certain news to come out. But, then I don’t tell them what to write or where to write it. They are perfectly free to do whatever they like.

Some folks didn’t want the story about the sailplane and the hang glider published because the FAA could get involved. Perhaps, but then I thought that was supposed to be the idea. Don’t we want the FAA (www.faa.gov) involved as they and the NTSB (http://www.ntsb.gov/aviation/aviation.htm) are the main aviation safety agencies?

Besides, what are they going to say? Thermal in a friendlier manner?

Discuss "Just the happy news" at the Oz Report forum   link»

USHGA - Does the USHGA help Idaho flyers? »

Tue, Apr 1 2003, 9:00:05 pm GMT

airspace|FAA|government|Mike Meier|space|sport|Sport Pilot|USHGA|Wallaby Ranch|Wills Wing

Mike Meier was given an award from the USHGA at the Wallaby Ranch Wills Wing Demo Days specifically for his work with the Sport Pilot initiative. This, of course, has been dragging on for years.

The major part of this achievement was working with other groups and the FAA to maintain our flight privileges. As hang glider pilots we are required to fly in uncontrolled and Class E airspace. This air space is available to us because we along with others continually struggle to keep it open to us.

Perhaps pilots in Idaho think that the air above them is theirs to enjoy. Perhaps it is, but I believe that there is a guy with a very big stick, who if he wanted to could destroy that illusion very quickly. You hate the government now? Wait till they ground you like they did in September 2001.

So how much is the USHGA through the efforts of some of its members/BOD members and through the efforts of its executive director actually helping keep the air above Idaho available to Idaho pilots? Maybe a lot.

I do know that they are making a sustained effort to make sure that we all can continue to fly unfettered by undue regulations. Do the non USHGA members want to help out the USHGA in this effort? Do they care? Do they believe that the USHGA is making an effort to help them?

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USHGA – Dan the marketing man »

Wed, Mar 19 2003, 9:00:10 pm GMT

advertising|airspace|branding|clubs|communication|competition|cost|FAA|gear|government|Hang Gliding|Homer Simpson|insurance|magazine|Mark Forbes|Paragliding|powered|sites|sport|students|TV|USHGA|video

Dan responds to Warren’s article (please read on conjunction with that article):

First, USHGA is not spending a single dime on this process--not even a single penny. The work is being done by staff already on the payroll, and by volunteers. That is, I am the editor of "Hang Gliding & Paragliding" magazine, but I am also the Director of Communications for USHGA, and while wearing that hat, I handle the marketing and communications programs. And before anyone gripes about excessive pay, please note that my pay rate is substantially less than that of the previous editor, even while my responsibilities are substantially higher. So USHGA is getting more work for less pay. (Okay, so I'm not a great business mind, but I do what I'm doing in the communications field).

As for the success of branding programs, I agree we need a quality product to attach to a brand, but I don't think anyone disagree that even the best products need some marketing work or they will fail. (Case in point: the old Beta-Max video tapes far exceeded VHS in quality but the VHS format had better marketing targeted toward both manufacturers and consumers, so Beta disappeared from the consumer market. That is, a lower quality product succeeded because of superior marketing).

But USHGA isn't developing a marketing plan and brand-awareness campaign to compete with anyone -- at least not directly. We are doing it to raise awareness of our lifestyle and 'sell' the sport to potential new enthusiasts. We have good products-the free flight lifestyle in general, and an association that is effectively representing its members-but we don't have good communications with our members, nor with the outside community. Our goals are to improve those communications.

We need to let our members know all the good work being done on their behalf by USHGA - working with FAA to keep airspace open to sport pilots (this is a very real, and on-going threat to our sport); working with our insurance brokers to keep members and sites insured at reasonable rates; working with land managers to get sites open, and keep them open; etc. All too many members think USHGA does nothing for them but provide insurance (I myself believed that just 18 months ago) when the truth is, we might still be hindered by drastic airspace restrictions following 9/11 if not for the aggressive efforts of the USHGA Executive Director and Board of Directors to work with the FAA and other government agencies to restore our airspace rights. Marketing is about communication and to date, our communications (internal and external) have been sadly subpar.

In short then, when we talk about branding and marketing, we are talking about increasing awareness of, and appreciation for, a solid, proven product. And we are doing it at no additional costs to the association. Not one single dime.

A big part of external marketing is advertising, and TV coverage (product placements). We don't have an advertising budget, but we can help ensure that hang gliding and paragliding gets more, and better, coverage on TV and in print media. In the last year, we've seen paragliders used in advertisements for Chevy Avalanche trucks and Saab cars.

Hang gliders appeared as part of the competition in a CBS TV reality series. During last season's "The Simpsons", hang gliding made Homer Simpson's list of "top three things to do before I die," and previously he had flown a paraglider, while bartender Moe had flown a powered paraglider (word has it, there is a hang glider pilot and a paraglider pilot on the writing staff of the show).

There have been numerous other positive references to hang gliding and paragliding in the past year or two, and while these are all minor instances in and of themselves, there is a cumulative effect on viewers-the more people see and hear about free flight, the more likely they are to want to give it a try. Toward that end, I'm working with editors from various magazines (SKI, Backcountry, Couloir, Outside, Mountain Bike, etc.) to get stories about free flight placed. Again, all without costing USHGA one-single-dime.

Warren wrote, “…marketing plan must deal with building and improving the hang gliding infrastructure or "offering." Anything else will be a complete waste of time and money.”

We couldn't agree more, and I apologize for neglecting to cover this component of our marketing and membership plans in my previous report. The ideas are still being formulated and plans developed, but the USHGA Board of Directors and teams of volunteers are working on ways to improve and enhance the instructional infrastructure of our sports.

The Board is streamlining the instructor rating programs by eliminating unnecessary red tape and bureaucratic practices-there will be no reduction in quality or oversight of the instructor rating program, but it will be managed more efficiently so would-be instructors can more easily get the training and skills they need.

We are improving the apprenticeship program, and looking into enhanced services for instructors. A great deal of attention will also be devoted to developing new and improved training facilities around the country. We will assist clubs and chapters in securing training hills and ensuring they are properly insured.

Mark Forbes also floated an idea that would help smaller schools and part-time instructors operate. The idea is to create a network of volunteers who would be willing to donate, or loan, their old, but still flyable, gliders and gear to instructors. USHGA may be nothing more than a facilitator in the process, but the idea is locate usable training gear for instructors to use at little or no cost since one of the biggest hindrances for small instructors is the availability of gear for students to train on. We'll keep you posted on this program as the plans develop.

In short, we recognize the importance of instructors in any plans to develop new enthusiasts in hang gliding and paragliding. We know that is pointless to stir a desire for free flight in people if they can't then find instructors to teach them. We are working on this just as diligently as we are working on other components of the marketing plans. And again, we are not spending one single dime on any of the plans

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USHGA - Executive Director's Report »

Tue, Feb 4 2003, 11:00:01 am GMT

Dan Nelson|FAA|Jayne DePanfilis|Jeff Goin|NAA|SSA|Tim Meehan|USHGA BOD minutes

From the USHGA BOD minutes for October, 2002.

By Jayne Depanfilis

a. As reported in the Executive Director's Pre-Meeting Report (see Appendix D, pages 21 through 24), the Association's membership is now over 11,000 (see tables also in Appendix D, pages 25 through 28). http://davisstraub.home.mindspring.com/ushga_board_minutes_1002.htm

b. Introduced Jeff Goin, founder and President of the US Powered Paraglider Association, who spoke to a need for a connection between our organizations.

c. Introduced Dan Nelson, the new Editorial Consultant for Hang Gliding magazine; responsibilities will include developing an editorial calendar tied to advertising sales.

d. Also introduced Tim Meehan, the new Art Director for Paragliding magazine.

e. During May, visited FAA, NAA, US Parachute Association (USPA) in Washington, DC, as well as some local hang gliding chapters.

f. Met with Ed Scott, Director of Government Relations for the USPA. " USPA has a staff of 23 full-time employees to serve 34,000 members. " By comparison, the USHGA has only 4.5 staff for 11,000 members. " Insurance premium is $400,000 for only $50,000 third-party liability coverage " Most of recent $5 dues will go to higher insurance premium.

g. USPA, the US Ultralite Association (USUA) and the Soaring Society of America (SSA) are all experiencing a decline in revenue. The SSA recently reduced its staff from 13 to 8.

h. The insurance premium this year will be $110,000; last year, site and event insurance fees brought in $31,000.

i. The cash position has increased 650% and total assets have increased 375%, with only a 7 to 10% increase in membership.

j. With this cash position stability, concentrate on growth, membership retention, and non-dues revenue sources.

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USHGA - Working on a tug exemption »

Sat, Oct 19 2002, 1:00:01 am GMT

Bill Bryden|FAA|USHGA

Bill Bryden writes:

The task group worked extensively on the creation of a request for a new exemption to permit the use of "fat" ultralight tow vehicles. We requested this in 1995 but were denied. The situation now is vastly different than then.

The FAA has indicated they are receptive to this exemption request and have indicated a strong desire to not compromise what we are currently doing and, they note, are doing well. This petition requests we be granted an exemption allowing the use of an ultralight that weights up to 596 pounds, up to 10 gallons of fuel and could fly up to 75 knots. However, it would also have to have stall speed not exceeding 30 knots, a tow hitch meeting USHGA standards, at least 250 pounds of thrust and could be fitted with an optional second seat only for training of new tug pilots, check-out flights and similar related operations.

We have not yet submitted this 15 page petition but have complete our draft and have given it to an FAA official for a pre-review to obtain a sense of the request's acceptability and the correctness of our arguments before formally submitting the petition for FAA consideration. We have an expectation that we have a very reasonable likelihood of success this time.

There are personnel changes at the FAA, a much better dialog and education process has occurred this time and the option for aircraft certified under Primary Category rules (a certification category that was rather new last time and one the FAA was trying to make work) is clearly not a viable option thus making the environment for a positive consideration remarkably different now.

It is unclear how long the FAA will take to consider and dispose of our exemption request. We hope not too long given much of the pre-work that we have already accomplished in making the key officials aware of our operations and needs.

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USHGA - Sport pilot »

Sat, Oct 19 2002, 1:00:00 am GMT

Bill Bryden|EAA|FAA|NPRM|USHGA

Bill Bryden writes:

In February 2002, the FAA issued an NPRM for new rules to address the "fat" ultralights being operated predominately under exemptions held by the USUA, EAA and ASC. This was an outgrowth of the ARAC process of which we were involved. The NPRM outlined a new pilot certificate, repairman's certificate and some new categories for aircraft certification.

Stated as a goal of these new rules was the FAA's desire to eliminate exemptions. Specified as an operating limitation for the new class of pilot license was "no towing." Public comment was due by May 5, 2002. Elimination of exemptions, ours presumably included and no towing with the replacement rules created an obvious concern for our towing as well as our tandem operations.

The task group met with FAA officials in Feb and discussed our issues, specifically with respect to two place operations and the use of heavy ultralight tugs for towing. During a subsequent meeting with them in April, they indicated that they were willing to reconsider the towing prohibition for the proposed rules.

We submitted a 23 page comment, one of the more significant the FAA received, and coordinated that with a massive membership comment basically to endorse the need for the FAA to seriously consider our request. After the closing date for comment, we were informed that over ⅓ of all responses came from hang gliding pilots expressing concern that the FAA preserve our two place operations and permit towing. That response was very significant.

We have an expectation, we don't think unreasonable, is that the FAA will modify the proposed rules such that club towing will be permitted under the SP/LSA rules. We also understand they are willing to continue renewing our two place exemption despite some NPRM verbiage that might be interpreted to the contrary.

We did a very effective job of making our case, getting their attention and significantly distinguishing ourselves for every other aviation organization and entity making comments.

It may be a year or more before the SP/LSA rules are effective and it will take a couple years for pilots and aircraft to transition into compliance with those rules. To address this situation or the potential that the proposed rules do not become effective for some time, we engaged in a second initiative to address the issue with heavy tow vehicles now.

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USHGA – What have you done for me lately? »

Wed, Oct 2 2002, 9:00:02 pm GMT

Aaron Swepston|CIVL|Competition Committee|Dennis Pagen|FAA|Hang Gliding Magazine|Jamie Shelden|Jayne DePanfilis|NTSS|Paul Klemond|Ron Gleason|USHGA

Why all the hub bub in the Oz Report lately about the USHGA? Well, of course, it is BOD meeting time again and with the flying season winding down here in the northern hemisphere, the whining season begins.

I personally think that it is great that we have a USHGA and appreciate very much all the effort that the volunteers and staff put out on our behalf. We couldn’t have hang gliding in the US without the USHGA.

That said, I feel perfectly justified in raising issues and concerns that the USHGA, its volunteers and staff should address. I’m not trying to destroy or bad mouth the USHGA, for that turn to the hang gliding digest, just provide helpful criticism because I know that they want to hear from the field.

With that in mind, the thought came to me, just what has the USHGA done for me (the membership) since the spring (February) BOD meeting? What do members hear from the USHGA and how do they feel that it is helping or hurting them. Perhaps if you have some thoughts about this you can write in and tell other Oz Report readers.

At the spring BOD meeting, the big issue was the Sport Pilot initiative from the FAA and how this would impact towing and flight parks in particular (OzReport.com/Ozv6n34.htm). The USHGA volunteers and executive had a big hand in keeping members informed and working out a position paper that was more extensive than any other sport aviation’s paper that was sent into the FAA during the comment period. I feel that the membership owes a big thank you to everyone involved in this many year effort, that continues to this day and beyond.

Next Dennis Pagen, the USHGA representative at CIVL, helped change the class structure for rigid wing hang gliders and Swifts, which is greatly appreciated. Unfortunately CIVL left Swifts and ATOSes in the same world record class and Dennis went on a tirade about the Oz Report (OzReport.com/Ozv6n44.htm).

The USHGA Competition Committee sanctioned the Florida meets and US Open in Big Spring, Texas.

Hang Gliding Magazine, the official organ of the USHGA continues publishing. The May issue came out as a joint hang gliding and paragliding issue and USHGA members voted to combine the magazines.

In May Jayne DePanfilis, our USHGA executive director, went to Washington, D.C. to meet with other sport aviation associations and lobby for our view of the Sport Pilot initiative.

In June Ron Gleason, the head of the US national team, lobbied CIVL to let Jamie Sheldon fly a flex wing in the Worlds.

Aaron Swepston took over as art director for the magazines and the combined magazine. Jayne hung in there as our executive director.

USHGA maintained pilot and site insurance.

There were some minor tweaks and updates to the USHGA web site. I tracked and published the USHGA NTSS hang glider pilot ranking. Paul Klemond did the same for PG pilots. Some controversy arose re PG pilots and their ranking due to multiple European contests. Don’t know if it got settled.

Okay, that does it for me. What has the USHGA done for you lately?

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WRE – the corridor »

Mon, Mar 25 2002, 3:00:05 pm GMT

FAA|safety|airspace|World Record Encampment 2002

Well, Gary seems to have fallen behind on getting me material on the WRE, so I’m going to have to start reporting on what I know from conversations that I’ve had with him over the phone. The really big news is that Gary had successful discussions with the FAA in Laredo and we will be getting a corridor that will allow us to pass the airport in relative safety.

The corridor will consist of a three mile wide area to the east of the Laredo air space. We will contact the tower at Laredo and inform them of our operations for that day and they will vector aircraft away from where we will be flying.

The tower will also work with us to vector away any aircraft coming in down the I35 corridor. We have to pass through this high volume area as we head north up highway 83. Similarly they will keep military traffic out of our way in the MOA’s to the north of Laredo for the time period that we will be in the area.

The corridors are time dependent and will depend on our activity and schedule. NOTAMS will go out to all airports that send aircraft to Laredo. All carriers flying into Laredo will be notified of our activity and will be prepared to follow tower instructions to avoid the areas where we will likely be flying.

We expect to finalize these preliminary agreements with the FAA personnel shortly.

We will be organizing the WRE so as to avoid any chance of getting near controlled airspace.

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WRE – sponsored by Flytec »

Sat, Mar 9 2002, 7:00:03 am GMT

David Glover|FAA|Flytec|Gary Osoba|picture|world record|World Record Encampment 2002

Gary Osoba and David Glover are back from four days of meeting with Zapata officials and the FAA personnel in Laredo. Lots of good things have happened to help out pilots coming to the WRE and Gary will be sending me a written report very soon which I’ll share with Oz Report readers.

You can register for the upcoming 2002 World Record Encampment in Zapata, TX. All pilots who want to come to the WRE must go through this registration process even if you have told me that you want to come or have written to David.

You can register at: http://www.flytec.com or click picture.

We will have a special World Record Encampment newsletter that will provide information of special interest to WRE participants. Anyone can sign up to receive it at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WRE_News or click picture.

Or, just subscribe by e-mailing «WRE_News-subscribe». This is not a discussion group, but is a newsletter mailing list and you will receive the newsletter from the meet organizers only.

There will be a special discussion group newsletter open to all actual WRE participants. Soon after you register you will be told how to join in this discussion group. This group will help you co-ordinate for drivers, etc.

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Real world simulations

Wed, Feb 13 2002, 12:00:00 am GMT

Don Burns|FAA

Don Burns <don@dburns.dhs.org> showed up at the Aeroports Expo with a lot of high powered computer equipment to power the most popular attraction there. All the high level FAA folks and everyone else came over to fly the three high definition video screen hang glider simulation featuring a LINUX penguin flying a hang glider. Get it, a flightless bird?

The whole point of this high level simulation is to make your mind suspend disbelief and really feel that you are flying. Don has advanced the state of hang gliding simulations and is hoping that these can become very useful training tools. It keeps those folks from hurting themselves on the real training hill. This should be of big interest to flight parks as it develops.

Don writes:

The simulator has been a labor of love for many years for me and my hope is that simulation can be regarded in the hang-gliding community as it has been in general aviation, as more than just a game for entertainment, but rather, a tool for training as well.

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Haleakala »

Wed, Mar 29 2000, 2:00:05 pm EST

FAA|Forrest Keller|Haleakala|PG|Rick Zautner

Forrest Keller, «wrongwind», writes:

I called and talked to Rick Zautner who is the FAA Airway Facilities supervisor for the office that maintains antennas on Haleakala. Rick says that he has no idea how this rumor got started but they (FAA) definitely have no objection to hang gliders and paragliders using the site in a responsible manner. He did say that the Park Service and the FAA recently had a spat over control of the road and that may somehow may be involved but as far as he's concerned the FAA is not involved in any determination to bar flyers from the site.

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