Oz Report

Australian Open - finals

Aeros Combat|Australian Open|Belinda Boulter|Brett Hazlett|Davis Straub|Gordon Rigg|Oleg Bondarchuk|Paris Williams|Ron Gleason|World Record Encampment

http://www.cool-ether.net.au/australianopen

Oleg wanted me to be sure to report the open (including class 1 and 2) results.  I guess after I won the Australian Nationals overall last year, Oleg wanted to be sure to show everyone that a flex wing won overall at the Open this year.  Of course, in this case it was an Aeros Combat 2 flex wing.

Oleg flew very well in the competition and when Belinda congratulated him and said in a kidding fashion “It must be the glider,” (this is what Oleg always says), he said, “Oh, no, it was the pilot.”

Unlike previous Australian competitions, the Moyes gliders did not completely dominate the competition with Oleg on his Combat 2 in first and Paris with this Laminar MR700 WRE in second.

It looks like to me that we will have plenty of opportunities to see the comparison between glider models and classes as we continue through the next two competitions.

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Correction re article on Hikobe

Two days ago I miswrote Phil Shroder, when I meant to write Phil Pritchard.

Also to answer other questions, apparently she did not ever release.  She was car towing and using a dollie.  There may have been some cross wind from the right (she locked out to the left). When launching (half an hour before Hikobe) I experienced a bit of right hand side cross wind, and waited about 30 seconds until the wind died down and straightened up before launching.  We had five wind streamers down the tow lane to indicate any disturbances, like thermals coming toward us.

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Tony’s ATOS in Deniliquin

Oliver Barthelmes

Oliver Barthelmes «oliverbarthelmes» went up and took some great shots of Tony Raumauf in his new ATOS-C at Deniliquin.

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Dan, the marketing man

Dan Nelson|PG|USHGA

Dan Nelson (USHGA) «dan» writes:

I do want to let folks know how to contact me, and since I requested physical shipments of photographic materials, I should have including my shipping address and phone number in the body of my letter.

My apologies for requesting that Oz Report readers send me photographic materials, but then not telling you where to send it. I hope there are scores of slides, prints and negatives being packaged up for use in the new Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine, awaiting my shipping information.  Well, here it is:

Dan Nelson, editor Hang Gliding & Paragliding magazine
515 Sixth Street NW
Puyallup, WA 98371

(253) 840-1372 «dan»

Please send all photographic materials, and story queries, to me at this address.  Thanks for your help, and your support of the USHGA and its publications.

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Moyes LiteSport review (another)

Moyes LiteSport review|Simon Kay|Steve Kincaid

Simon Kay «simon.kay» writes:

Steve Kincaid wrote up his experience of the LiteSport in https://ozreport.com/index.php?Ozv7n3.shtml#1, nice story and nice to read another's impressions.  But I feel the comparison with the Falcon is a bit out of line.  While I've not flown the Falcon, I've got a LiteSport, and I'll agree enthusiastically with his general comments: But on roll control, the glider with VG is decidedly light and sensitive, and moving up from an intermediate (or beginner) glider may produce problems linked with muscle-memory and over-correction.

Note, this isn't a statement that the glider doesn't fly straight - it does - but I certainly was very wary of my roll inputs for the first flights (I've four now, only the last one today have I begun to feel more tuned into the roll). On one flight in particular I see-sawed around for a good 10 mins before settling down.  Of course it could be slightly different tuning of the glider, weight, etc.  (I'm 90kg clip-in, in the middle of the weight range). Depends what you flew before, too: I flew a large Laminar Easy.

My main observation is that the LiteSport, compared to what feedback my muscles expect, doesn't re-centre me after weight shift - I have to deliberately move back.  Anyone moving from a stiff glider should remember this, and also remember to lay off the pitch too - the glider accelerates fast.

This light roll control is one of the main reasons I've bought the glider, of course.  Comparisons in both directions abound: today a fellow club member swore there could be no difference between the LiteSport (which he hadn't flown) and an MR700. Which means the MR700 handles like a Falcon?  I guess not.  One is DHV 3, the other surely DHV1, and probably for good reasons.

On other points by Steve: pitch pressure, spot on. Landings: easiest glider I've ever flown, absolutely sweet, agreed.  A noticeable (15%?) efficiency improvement over my Laminar Easy.  Nicely made and good use of technology.  VG full on: very stiff indeed - you're flying a plank.  If roll is too sensitive, try VG 1/3 on., but I take off and land so far with it off.

Any dislikes?  Yes, the bag is too big (did I get a Litespeed 5 bag?) the cam levers wrap under the tipwands (with is probably just an aesthetical problem), the black coating on my FAST bar is coming off too fast, and I preferred Icaro's Velcro glider ties.  Plus the Moyes name on the glider bag is upside down when it's on my car so I can't wind up my Laminar flying friends.

I wrote up my first demo flight last September here: http://radio.weblogs.com/0108898/stories/2002/09/17/litesportTooEasyADecisionReally.html.

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Let’s go for Florida paragliding

Florida|GrayBird AirSports|JC Brown|PG|Quest Air|Ray Leonard

Ray Leonard «skybirdwings» writes:

Graybird Airsports owned by Gregg McNamee located at Dunnellon Airport, Florida is operating a paragliding school with Ray Leonard as instructor.  Naturally, in addition to flight instruction to a P2 level towing is included for all levels of pilots.

JC Brown has already stated his X-C flights in a previous article and has described the place as a well kept secret in Florida.

With the world wide acclaim of Florida flying it is only a matter of time for paraglider pilots to take advantage of the fine year round flying.  Especially with the first X-C paragliding comp scheduled here for May at Quest Air.

Come for a visit http://www.graybirdairsports.com.

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More relaxed flying

James-Donald "Don" "Plummet" Carslaw|Patrick Laverty|PG|photo|sailplane

Patrick Laverty «patrick.laverty» writes:

For 25 years the development of Hang gliding equipment has been driven by competition pilots primarily.  Where has that left us in user friendliness?  Since 1975 I’ve seen masses of enthusiastic pilots leave because they were spending more time controlling their sphincters than having a ball.  How many sailplane pilots fly prone?  Prone flight is physiologically stressful and uses muscles not generally the strongest.  Weight shift is at some distance from one’s C of G. Supine flight is much more relaxing, and one can fly for much longer in big stuff.  Ask a Bug owner.

I started flying seated, went prone for 17 years, then neckache brought me back to supine.  In all that time not even the most expensive hi-tech prone harness gets close to the comfort of a basic early supine unit.

With modern gliders I found Supine TO and landing was too hard to control under a regular length frame.  I also tried inside the control frame (same as Bob Thompson). I eventually settled on the set-up in the photos, shorter control frame but in the same position as prone.

I consulted Rumour designer re stress and he thought it would be fine.  To be totally sure, when I fitted the frame, I added sleeves to centre of crossbooms and stronger side wires.  Dual hang straps have a spreader bar.  The paragliding type harness allows rotation forward and back.  This one-off harness was made by Bruce Goldsmith.  It was spot on first time.  A “B” bar was clamped to the straight base bar with thin (anti rotation) struts to the uprights.

Pilot rotated back through straps in supine.  Lap mounted reserve.  Max speed on Rumour1. was 45MPH.  Fine by me. Weight shift is in line with C of G – much easier.

TO/Landing position exactly the same as for prone pilot, no difference.  Nil wind gallops - no problem.  I’m 6’1”, yet shorter control frame presented no problem approaching gusty launch.  Just bend a bit more.  Before landing you swing into same position as prone so full flare available in line with C of G. (Hard flare in supine gives mostly body rotation not glider rotation).

I am a cautious pilot and would be first to quit when things got rough but found my bottle threshold transformed by supine.  In the big stuff plummeting to the ground head first is very unsettling, feet first - no problem – all in the mind you see.  It's nice to sit up, too, when the going gets rough.

On landing I noted prone pilots tired and sweating when I was fine.  Drag is probably a little higher but for 95% of pilots the relaxed comfort and ease of flying more than outweighs that.

Probably the major drawback is it just doesn’t look or feel as cool as prone, and also the comp scene dictates all.  The newer more docile gliders are a great step forward but perhaps we’d retain even more pilots if supine were a widespread option too.  Crashing feet first is a long way better than head first.  A centre bar can be fitted to a large frame, to fly this way, and thus keep crash protection.  I tried it before the small frame - worked OK.

See Colin Lark's Supron - http://www.skyfloating.com/supron.htm.

I think Finsterwalder, Germany also offer a supine version as an option.

The advent of paragliding should have sorted the “cool” aspect.  The original gliders had short frames.  Prone flight inside large control frames was introduced primarily for speed.  With the newer gliders speed is no longer an issue for weekend pilots – comfort is. Let the comp guys do their own thing, they're an essential development ground for new ideas.  Manufacturers, though, should not let the comp scene dictate their products for the average pilot.

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CH701 towing

CH701|tow

I reported earlier (OzReport.com/6.210) that the CH701 was approved for hang glider towing in Germany.  Gavin «gavin_gj» writes:

Wonder if you can put me in touch with the people (in Germany?) who are trying to use a CH 701 to tow hang gliders?

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