Oz Report

Highland

Life on the air strip

(Highland Aerosports, Maryland)

Highland Aerosports Flight Park|Jim Rooney|Quest Air|scooter tow

Speaking of the East Coast Championship, we had a great time in Ridgley. Adam and Sunny (and Kristin) live in the bubble of a down at the heals private airstrip surrounded by soybeans and corn, getting by year round on their proceeds from giving tandem "discovery" flights during the season. The airstrip is supposed to be redeveloped some time in the future if the county can get ahold of it, and Adam and Sunny do manage to snag a student every now and then out of the membership of the singles clubs that come their way for a day of socializing on the grass strip.

The current airstrip owner (you can see what it looks like by clicking on the Google Earth icon above) says that the county has to find Highland Aerosports a new home if they take over the airstrip. Sunny and Adam are not holding their breath.

Jim Rooney was there and is normally there during the season. He was towing us as well as giving some of those "outrageously expensive" tandems (the ones killing hang gliding) during the weekend after the meet, but is free and smart enough to leave in the winter for the southern hemisphere summer in Queenstown, New Zealand. Maybe that explains his always happy demeanor. You can imagine what the winter looks like on this thin peninsula next to the Atlantic Ocean (think gray). I hear it involves a lot of drinking.

While he was at Quest Air Jim got himself a cheap Chinese scooter (Verruci) with the thought that it would turn into a scooter towing operation. Turns out it doesn't have the torque found on the Yamaha or Honda 50cc and can't go 35 mph, the sign that the cycle can handle this job (at least at sea level). So another course of action is required for Jim to get into the scooter tow low and slow instruction business.

Highland Aerosports|Lauren Tjaden|Christy Huddle|video

Huddle, Christy «Christy.Huddle» writes:

Check out the first movie attempt done by DC area HG pilot Rich Alexander at:

http://www.gapflying.com

It features his first mountain flight at Cumberland MD, some shots at Finger Lake Aerosports (where there is a fly-in next week), and some shots at Highland Aerosports in Ridgely MD. That’s our illustrious club president, Lauren Tjaden, rising out of the swamp at the Ridgely field, in one of the last shots.

Discuss "Hang gliding video⁣s" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Mon, Sep 1 2003, 3:00:08 am EDT

calendar|Davis Straub|Highland Aerosports|Paul Adamez|photo

Paul Adamez «padamez» writes:

I've enjoyed reading your ezine ever since I returned to the sport in 2000, aero towing at Highland Aerosports. You provide a very valuable service to the Hang Gliding community so thanks for your efforts they are very much appreciated.

I have submitted a few photos from the summer of 1974 when I first learned to fly a Hang Glider boat towing on the Savannah River in Georgia. The instructor was Dick Foss who did water shows in the area and charged me $50 for a summer of instruction that got me to where I could comfortably tow on a 400' line, cut loose and fly the glider back to a safe landing near the beach. The glider was a standard no frills Rogallo.

A bicycle type release connected the towrope to the base tube and an observer was stationed at the rear of the boat to cut the rope in case of trouble. Papst Blue Ribbon sponsored the glider.

Discuss photos at OzReport.com/forum/phpBB2