Oz Report

Flytec/Quest Air WRE – a blue day

airspace|Charles "Charlie" Baughman|Chris Muller|cloud|cloud street|glide ratio|Juan Ramirez Rpo|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Paris Williams|Quest Air|record|Ron Gleason|Swift|tow|triangle|weather|Zapata

A couple of days ago when Bo went 165 miles to land near Uvalde he found himself soaring a 60 foot gravel pit hillside for twenty minutes to get up enough to make it over to the road to land.  Then yesterday he landed in the high fenced-in drug vehicle impoundment lot near Laredo.  Took out a downtube.  Bo’s looking for Paris to get here ASAP.

Today Renato Ramirez, the president of the local IBC bank, came by with a reporter and photographer from the Laredo Times in tow.  Renato has been very kind to us and especially to the paraglider pilots, setting up a hangar, a new long road, plenty of shade and a shower and water on his property east of Zapata.  The paraglider pilots – Chris Muller and Dave Prentice - have been getting 2,000’ high tows and loving the facilities.  We may all be moving over there soon to make it easier to get around the Laredo airspace.  So far that hasn’t been a problem.

With only a few cu’s we were reluctant to get going early today.  Pete Lehmann gave it a try on the Attack Falcon and Gary went out for a check ride in the Sparrowhawk to make sure that the CG was right.  He wanted to get it to slow down in the thermal and he finally got it to do that.

The strong winds from our favorite direction, south-southeast, combined with the light lift that he finds at 11 AM dissuade Pete from going down wind.  Gary in a plane that can go searching for lift finds 700 to 800 fpm.

The long distance forecast indicated that the dry line and a front line have combined to stop us at about 300 miles out.  The lack of clouds in the morning keeps us from going out to check the lift north of Zapata early in the day.  Later starting flights would have been very possible.

Yesterday, things were really magical as they can only be here in south Texas.  When I looked over the record of my flight I noticed a couple of interesting values.  My average glide ratio during the flight was 62:1 over the ground.  Strong winds and light sink/lift were responsible for that.

I climbed a total of 22,600’ during this flight, 12,100’ during straight flight.  I only circled for 27% of the flight time, which is quite a low percentage for such a weak day.  My actual climb rate while flying straight in lift was higher than my average climb rate in thermals.  Why?

Well, because I’m thermaling to stay up in really weak lift near the ground.  I have to thermal because at that point I have no other choice if I want to stay up. When I get high and under a cloud street I can go straight and glide under the lift which is stronger (but still only averaging 250 fpm Vs. 180 fpm in the thermals). One third of the time I was flying straight I was in rising air.

Ron Gleason, Charlie Baughman, Rick from Montana showed up today so we’ve got quite a group of pilots here.  Paraglider, flex wing, rigid wing, and Swift pilots with Juno from Japan.  More pilots coming in this weekend, the hangar is filling up.

Charlie, the airport manager, and another big local supporter took much of the crew for a ride in one of the Aero Commanders up to Laredo and they are all going out to dinner up there before driving back.  In fact, this whole WRE is a party.

Weather looks iffy for two days for long distance flights, but we may get light winds on Friday for triangle or out and return records.  The front is in north Texas tomorrow and may come through here on Friday.

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Josh has a big flight

Josh Cohn|Zapata

Yesterday, Josh Cohn had a big flight starting from Edinburg, Texas (70 miles south of Zapata). Starting about two hours earlier than Dave Prentice (Chris and he were fooling around too much), Josh was able to go 205 miles.

The cirrus clouds to the north by the hill country shut down Chris and Dave (165 miles), while Josh didn’t quite make it that far.

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PG to ATOS in thirteen flights

PG

http://www.xcmag.com/html/read/article.cfm?id=1023&uuid=014D6FE5-944D-8A94-42964A8DAC2AE145

Is it possible to turn a paraglider pilot into an ATOS pilot in thirteen flights, and on their fourth solo?  Maybe.

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Millau

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner

http://millauclassic.free.fr/intro.htm

Looks like no flying today.  After rescoring, Alex Ploner appears to be 4 points ahead of Manfred.

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Moyes Litespeed S

Moyes Litespeed|Moyes Litespeed S|Oliver "Olli" Barthelmes|photo

The new Moyes Litespeed with a new S-shaped trailing edge:

pilot Olli Barthelmes/photo C. Binder

We should have one here in a couple of days.

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USHGA – new CIVL representative

Bill Bolosky|CIVL|competition|Crystal Wolfe|Davis Straub|Jim Zeiset|USHGA

Yesterday afternoon, Bill Bolosky, the USHGA president, appointed Davis Straub as the new USHGA CIVL representative.  He will replace Jim Zeiset, former USHGA president, as the USHGA represent who will attend the CIVL Plenary next February.

I got the phone call in Laredo while driving back from my flight to Crystal City.  I must say I was completely surprised and quite pleased.  Thanks to all those who spoke favorably to Bill about my possible appointment.

I feel that it takes a lot of courage on Bill’s part to appoint me as the CIVL representative as it is bound to be controversial.  Much safer to appoint someone that is an unknown quantity.  We’ll see if he gets to hear from BOD members who aren’t pleased.  Maybe I’m wrong about that.

I’ve been quite a critic of CIVL policies (although not of CIVL as the legitimate world body for hang gliding) and I will be sure to continue voicing my opinions here about what directions CIVL should be taking.  I will also be bringing proposals to the USHGA BOD and competition committee, as I have in the past, in an attempt, like any other USHGA member, to influence the USHGA position at CIVL.

As the USHGA CIVL representative I will have the obligation to represent the USHGA position at the CIVL plenary and will do so.

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Gary’s records last year

FAI|Gary Osoba|Greg Cole|magazine|powered|record|SparrowHawk|speed record|triangle|weather

Pilot Briefing Section of AOPA's Pilot Magazine, June

Ultralight Glider Breaks Tnree World Records

Imagine flying hundreds of miles and hitting speeds of more than 90 mph in an aircraft that has an empty weight of 155 pounds and no engine.  Sound far-fetched?

Not to Gary Osoba.  He set three world records in a SparrowHawk ultralight glider in conditions that were far from ideal.  While it sounds hard to believe, it's all a matter of physics, modern composite construction, and American engineering.

The SparrowHawk, made by Windward Performance, of Bend, Oregon, was designed by Greg Cole and is produced as an uncertified ultralight glider.  It has sharp, efficient wings that produce high lift (it has a lift-over-drag ratio of 36-to-1 at 50 knots and 24-to-1 at 75 kt) and can penetrate the wind for good cross-country performance.  But with its lightweight pre-impregnated composite construction and swift handling, the SparrowHawk turns tight and can take advantage of narrow thermals and scraps of lift that much heavier gliders can't stay with.  It also can be towed aloft by a powered ultralight.

The Federation Aeronautique Internationale, (FAI) recently ratified three world records for Osoba in Class DU that were set late last summer over Kansas and Texas.  He squashed the previous speed record over a 300-km triangle course by 33 percent, beat the distance over a triangle course by 21 percent, and set a new record for speed over a 500-km triangle course, a distance that was previously unattainable for the particular aircraft class.

Despite weak lift, the long FAI triangle runs sent Osoba over a wide area of varying terrain and weather conditions.  One leg took him above inhospitable terrain in Texas.  Looking down on mesquite trees, cliffs, and coyote and roadrunner habitat, Osoba didn't have many places to land if things went bad.  During his final 25-mile glide on the 500-km triangle course, Osoba reached an average speed of 91 mph.

Windward Performance officials said more records are on the way.

(editor’s note: Indeed Gary is here to set more records in the same Sparrowhawk,)

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Watching clouds from space

picture|space

www.wunderground.com/satellite/vis/1k/US.html

marco alvarez «markoalvarez» writes:

Just place the cursor over the area you want to zoom and click several times until 16x or local.  This is what I use to check for clouds and storms here in Monterrey and northeast Mexico.

8x zoom

At 16x you see Falcon Lake picture from yesterday at noon.  The cumies go from Mexico thru Texas into Oklahoma.  What a perfect day to break the 500 miles.

(editor’s note: What the picture doesn’t show is the cirrus to the west which we got into.  If we had been further east it would have been better for us.)

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USHGA – the waiver/the complaint

accident|Bill Bolosky|Isaac William|lawyer|Oz Report|sport|Tyson Richmond|USHGA

Well maybe I’ll just put this at the bottom of the Oz Report and no one will take notice.  ☺

Rick Cavallaro «rickcavallaro» writes:

Bill Bolosky writes:

“Rick has decided that what part F really means is that the USHGA can use any version of the waiver that a pilot has signed, so that we're all bound by whichever version we signed that's strongest.”

It doesn't matter what Tim meant when he wrote that.  The waiver which we all signed SAYS in plain English that it does not supercede any previous waivers.  Whether it is the intention of the USHGA to maintain previous signed version or not, by signing this we are giving them the right to do so. As to taking my interpretation over Tim's I would ask people to read the plain English in that section and interpret it themselves.  You don't need to be a lawyer to interpret this language - and I've been around long enough to know that you can't ask the lawyer that authored the language to do your interpreting for you.

“The second question is about the meaning of the language at the very end of the waiver, where it doesn't use the term "Sports Injuries." Rick is worried that that paragraph expands the class of things that are waived.  “

Bill is wrong here.  While I agree that the defined term "sports injuries" should be used at the end of the waiver, my real concern is that the defined term "participation in the sport" is replaced by the much broader "in connection with hang gliding/paragliding".

Mark G. Forbes «mgforbes» writes re Isaac Jones’ scenario:

I read your concern on the Oz Report, and I had the same concern myself initially.  Problem is, your hypothetical case just isn't true.  Not at all.  Not even slightly.  It's a total and complete fabrication of a set of facts that are NOT supported by the actual waiver.

There's a clause in there that says, "to the fullest extent allowed by law". The law does not extend to releasing others from criminal actions.  If it's illegal to do something to someone else (not just negligent, but illegal in criminal law) then it's illegal to do it to a hang glider pilot, and the waiver does not affect that.

The waiver addresses negligence; this can be active negligence, where the farmer backs over your glider with his tractor by accident, or passive negligence, where he leaves his tractor parked in the LZ and you run into it on final approach.  It does not cover criminal assault, like if he chases you down with the tractor and runs over you.  It might give him some sort of defense if he decided to run over your glider, then claimed that it was an accident…it would depend on the circumstances and the evidence, just as it would if you didn't have a waiver signed.  But regardless, it doesn't waive illegal acts on the part of others…only negligence.

We can make up all sorts of nightmare scenarios.  Repeating them enough times doesn't make them come true.  Your example isn't real.

Tyson Richmond «tysonr» writes:

My lawyer friends unanimously tell me that nothing you sign can waive the rights of another person.  A waiver signed by a pilot may be persuasive in a third-party case but it is not binding on a jury.  In the glider-hating drunken farmer scenario, the pilot's dependants have been damaged and have recourse regardless of any waiver signed by the pilot.  In addition, any jury would likely recognize that being shot is not a reasonable expected risk of participation.

Also, individuals are "strictly" liable for certain acts regardless of agreements, contracts, waivers, etc.  to the contrary (e.g. fraud). I expect that shooting a pilot would fall into this category.

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Photo/caption contest

photo|Rick "Ricky" Duncan|Ricky Duncan|tow

Ricky Duncan «RickD» sends this:

I thought you might get a kick out of an old photo of my Dad, Kevin Duncan.  This photo was from the early 70's. Dad was putting on a demo and the rope broke whilst under tow behind a boat.  The kite partially looped and the wings folded.  Dad spread his arms and legs to slow the descent and was lucky enough to swim away.

It is interesting to note that kingposts were introduced shortly after!

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