2009-09 - Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada

Transcription

H PAC
ACVL
AIR magazine
MILES IN MAY
PLUS:
■ XC in the Prairies
■ SIV in Utah
■ First flight
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE HANG GLIDING AND PARAGLIDING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA • SEPTEMBER 2009
Beautiful Newly
Renovated
Facilities
New ProPro-Shop
TV & Games
Lounge
Included Services:
Launch & Landing Clinics
Aerotow & XC Training
Unlimited Aerotows
Equipment Rental
Relaxed Wide-Open
Accommodations
Cross Country Flying
Kitchen & Food
ALL for just
$95 per Day !
Your Family’s
ULTIMATE
Vacation
Destination!
•
•
•
•
•
9 Bed Bunkhouse
Private Shower
Picnic Area, LZ
& Runway
TESTIMONIALS:
I could not believe so much was included in the
low cost day pass - even food, lodging & rental!
Barry had an incredible variety of après-flying
concerts & festivals planned daily. We even
went fishing at his cabin when it wasn’t flyable!
Even my wife and kids met lots of new friends!
In all my travels, this is by far the best Flight
Park in Canada - Why bother going to the USA!
Barry took the time to inspect and trim fly my
wing, then corrected all my landing problems!
Pool, Park, Golf Course
Beside Runway!
Adventure At Altitude
Canada’s Premier Flying Vacation Destination
Late Summer Deals!
180 Wills Eagle—like new,
novice double surface- $2900
151 Aeros Stealth 1, 20 hrs,
affordable topless - $1500
www.altitude.ca - (204)333-WING (9464)
16m Finsterwalder Funfex,
Folds into 6 foot bag, 20 hrs,
With hard travel case - $3900
Located in Steinbach 25 minutes SE of Winnipeg, Manitoba
Flytec varios—used $395 & up
Hang Gliders - Ultralights - Flying Boats - Windsufing - Skydiving
AIR Magazine • September 2009 • Volume 23, Issue 03
Cover
FEATURES
A scene from this year's Miles in
May in Alberta.
10
Latin American trek in the works
11
XC in Ottawa
12
Ratings revision — a look at the new rules
16
Miles in May
18
XC in the Prairies
23
First flight
24
Report from the SIV course
■
photo by Douglas Noblet
Contents
by Nik Wellstein
■
■
See story, page 14.
Photo by Karen Keller
by Ross Hunter
■
by Guy Leblanc and Robin Sather
by Marcin Kolbuszewski
■
by Dan Miller
REGULARS
06
07
08
President
Classifieds
In Brief
15
27
29
HPAC Ratings
Incident report form
Membership form
AIR MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2009
3
Jason Leus flying low on PEI’s south shor
FROM THE PRESIDENT
DOMAGOJ JURETIC
A
P R E S I D E N T
Change of plans
A smooth summer derailed by the threatened closure
of Mt. Ste-Anne in Quebec
s we started this summer, the
plan was simple. We were supposed to take a more leisurely pace and
enjoy the thermals like all are red-blooded
members, taking care of the day-to-day
business, of course, and keeping an eye on
the effects of our new rating system and on
the competition scene.
In the East, the competition scene got going two weeks into the season with a successful event at Mt. Ste-Anne near Quebec City.
It was followed by a competition in the Ottawa area, which preceded the Paragliding
Nationals at Yamaska by only a week.
Although the weather was dismal this
summer in the East, the competitions went
through and local pilots gained experience
and points. Organizers also gained experience (and some white hairs!) in keeping
their composure under fire — fire from the
skies, that is. I believe that not one competition was spared from the more or less
close sight of lightening. I wonder about the
SOGA meet in Ontario . . .
The opposite end of the country was the
polar opposite, weather-wise. A fantastic
spring was followed by an equally great July
in B.C., and that guaranteed the success of
the competition in Lumby. As I am writing
this, it seems that there was also great flying
at the Willy in Golden, but in thoroughly
Canadian style it was punctuated by strong
gust fronts passing through.
Now (at mid season), even the neverending spell of great weather is bringing its
load of problems. Fires are burning in the
Okanagan and north of Pemberton, near
Lillooet. Hope that there is some relief in
sight from this drought and that the scheduled events (Lakeside and the Hang Gliding Nationals at Sun Peaks) aren’t disturbed
too much by this “great” weather. We really
should take a second here and say thanks to
the competition and meet organizers, who
each summer meet those “Canadian weather” challenges head on. Despite the best-laid
plans, it comes down to the last-minute fore6 AIR MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2009
cast. And the same goes for the safety committees, which must take this last-minute
forecast and weigh the all the available info
and see how this affects the site, the possible
tasks and the wide-ranging pilot skills.
Since competitions and meets are the lifeblood and connective tissue of our sport and
community, we will do our best to continue
to support organizers and participants. And
we plan to do so by encouraging the XCXC
format, which addresses many of the challenges of organizing a competition by suggesting one-day events that can almost be
improvised and count towards a seasonlong and country-wide total. I bet you will
hear some more about it soon from our
Competition Chair, Mark Dowsett.
So this was supposed to be our summer flight plan. We were about to get our
website overhaul project underway. But it
seems that it is when you have a well-laid
flight plan that you can see a sudden Cu
Nimb pop out behind the mountain in your
path or the wind shifts in face and you find
yourself in an unexpected windward leg.
The “supposed off season” started with an
unexpected proposal. This proposal came in
the form of a request for funding to make a
new takeoff on Mount McKenzie in Pemberton. This new takeoff would be higher, larger
and much more open to different wind directions. It would gain the potential to host
major competitions in this most spectacular of valleys. The proposal seems serious
and the multiplier effect from the financial
investment of the local pilots and governments will insure that we get quite a lot of
bang for the buck. So your HPAC board has
approved a $3,500 grant for this new takeoff.
And, of course, we won’t necessarily be able
to match this effort for every site in Canada,
but that should keep us from punctually trying to preserve, protect and develop when a
strategic opportunity presents itself.
And speaking of protecting and preserving . . .
I sometimes do feel that our sport is un-
der attack from the air (airspace issues) with
all my pet peeves about Nav Canada and
from the ground with neighbouring landowners that sometimes make our life hard
for us. Sometimes, our sport is even under
attack by complacent and/or negligent pilots, who manage all by themselves to put
our sport at risk. Keeping good relationships
seems to be a pre-condition to our survival.
At the community level, it is vital as illustrated by the case of Vulcan, Alta. A more or less
spontaneous wave of frustration targeted the
local pilots, and in small communities, this
quickly reaches the highest of authorities.
Fortunately, as I am writing this, the local
pilots seemed to be ready to react and hopefully reverse this situation to rebuild even
stronger ties than before with this community. Fortunately, nothing strengthens the
ties in our community more than the common goal of defending a flying site. In the
case of Pemberton, the support at HPAC
was truly national!
But I never expected tragedy to strike so
close to home when I became HPAC president. As I returned from the Paragliding
Nationals, I heard of the eminent closure of
the Mt. Ste-Anne site. Mt. Ste-Anne is the
second-most important site in Quebec. It's
home to a club of up to 50 pilots and one of
the very rare year-round schools in Canada.
Up to six instructors work there full-time in
the summer, and I have been a member of
that club off and on for the past seven years.
We just heard that Resorts of the Canadian Rockies decided to shut down our sport
at Mt. Ste-Anne, and therefore blocking it at
all their resorts across the country, which include ski resorts in Alberta and B.C.
When the news spread across the HPAC
list, the national wave of support warmed
my heart. As I am writing this, a small crisis
team has been put together. It is headed by
Margit Nance, our National Site Preservation and Development Chair. Hopefully, she
will be successful in getting a meeting with
Mr. Murray Edwards, the owner of RCR and
FROM THE PRESIDENT
In our dreams we are able to fly . . . and that is a
remembering of how we were meant to be.
— Madeleine L'Engle
H T T P : / / H PA C . C A
Editor: JAMES KELLER
[email protected]
HPAC/ACVL OFFICERS
President: DOMAGOJ JURETIC [domjuretic@
videotron.ca]
Vice-president: AMIR IZADI [bluethermal@
shaw.ca]
Secretary: BRUCE BUSBY [[email protected]]
Treasurer: TIM PARKER
Safety and Accident Review Officer:
QUINN CORNWELL [[email protected]]
HPAC/ACVL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
B.C. and Yukon: AMIR IZADI
Alta. and NWT: BRUCE BUSBY [[email protected]]
Saskatchewan: LOREN WHITE
Man. and Nunavut: GILLES NORMANDEAU
Ont.: STEVE YOUNGER
Que.: DOMAGOJ JURETIC
Atlantic Canada: MICHAEL FULLER
Business Manager: SAM JEYES [[email protected]]
Éditeur du Survol: ANNE-SOPHIE GUENIER
[[email protected]]
Competition Committee Chair: MARK DOWSETT
National Site Preservation and Development
Chair: MARGIT NANCE [[email protected]]
Observer: VINCENE MULLER
[[email protected]]
FAI/CIVL Delegate: STEWART MIDWINTER
[[email protected]]
Instructors Advisory Council Chair: MICHAEL
FULLER
Insurance Committee: GREGG HUMPHREYS
[[email protected]]
Legal Advisor: MARK KOWALSKY
[[email protected]]
XC Records/Observer: VINCENE MULLER
Transport Canada Liaison: ANDRÉ NADEAU
[[email protected]]
Web Team: GERRY GROSSNEGGER, CHARLES
MATHIESON, QUINN CORNWEL, SERGE
LAMARCHE
AIR is published four times yearly by the Hang
Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada/
L’Association Canadienne de Vol Libre, and is mailed
under Publication Agreement Number: 40735588.
Undeliverable copies should be returned to:
5 Millennium Dr.
Stratford, P.E.I.
C1B 2H2
Threatened: Quebec's Mt. Ste-Anne flying site.
Mt. Ste-Anne. By the way, Mr. Edwards is
one the richest men in Canada and he is the
one who made this decision — a decision
that has the potential of being imitated by
other ski resorts. This makes it an issue with
really high stakes for us, as we have many vital partnerships with ski resort owners and
operators. The current strength of the interest of Intrawest in our sport might be a good
omen, but recent lawsuits involving ski accidents have left many of those owners and
operators lukewarm (at best) to anything
that can increase their liability.
We are committed to putting big resources in defending our access to this flying site.
So for now, we are in a return-to-basics
mode. Grand plans are put on hold as we
re-evaluate how those unexpected situations will affect our already tight budget.
Although we planned to do a cross-country
flight this summer (with different projects),
we are going to revert to flight plan “B” and
try to land safely in our “home LZ.”
The weather seems to be full of surprises
this summer, always be ready with a safe
flight plan “B”.
– Domagoj Juretic
HPAC President
[email protected]
AIR CLASSIFIEDS
FALCON 1-140, flown only once, in factorynew condition, blue and orange, $2,400Cdn.
FALCON 2-TANDEM, flown four times,
in top condition as well, red/white/black,
$3,800Cdn.
Inquiries for both, send an e-mail to Brian
at [email protected] (He is on the road and
will be checking e-mails on a biweekly basis.)
HANG GLIDING POD HARNESS, for
slim-med build person, 5’7” to 6’, side mounted chute, back and side storage pockets and
also knee pads, has 2-stage and aerotow
loops.Will take $500 or best offer. Bad news
is that it’s black & pink but good news is that
it’s hard to see that when you’re in the air.
[email protected]
HANG GLIDING POD HARNESS for
shorter person, up to 5’7” blue & magenta.
Has chest mounted chute (Includes High Energy Quantum 330) and pockets. Chute has a
swivel included but it was bought as an afterthought and hasn’t been attached yet. Looking $1,000 obo. [email protected]
WILLS WING EAGLE 145 hang glider
for sale: $2,500 low airtime. Comes with
speed bar & tail fin. Hook in weight range
130-200 pounds (better suited for pilot at
lower end of that scale). Should be novice
or better to fly. Easy to fly & sweet handling.
Blue, grey & white.Located in SW Ontario.
[email protected]
METAL 2-STAGE TOW RELEASE (for
transition winch towing) . $150. Email:
[email protected]
Articles and photographs published in AIR remain the
property of their creators, and do not necessarily express
the viewpoints of AIR, the editor or HPAC/ACVL.
7
IN BRIEF
Gliding news briefs
PG podcast
SOGA gets some new digs
I
S
f you’re looking for a Paragliding-related podcast, check out Judith Mole’s
website at www.judithmole.net and clicking the Podcasts link at the top.
Judith has been working on the podcasts for the past year.
They’re free to download or listen
online, covering topics such as XC flying,
competition flying, SIV, sport psychology, and more.
OGA has a new lease at an existing grass strip on a farm near Arthur, Ont.
Trouble was, there was no storage facility for our tug, and those prefab canvas
structures were just too expensive. So a bunch of the guys (in the photo) got together one
weekend and erected a brand new fabric-covered hangar. Yeah, in just one weekend.
Designed and built by SOGA members using readily available materials. Way to go
guys.
.. Terry Ryan
New treasurer
W
ith Charles Mathieson’s departure,
the HPAC/ACVL board has appointed Tim Parker as the association’s
new treasurer.
Tim is a paragliding pilot from Dartmouth, N.S.
For his contact info, check out the Who’s
Who page at www.hpac.ca.
Thanks to everyone from Canada who came
and followed Rule No. 1*
Come again —
and bring your friends
www.flymexico.com
* Rule No. 1: Don’t get hurt!
IN BRIEF
Competition funding
from HPAC
T
here's still time to hold some lastminute competitions this season.
In the spring, the HPAC BoD approved some funding for sanctioned
competitions. You have to post the event
30 days in advance for sanctioning, so
quickly do so to get in on some of the
funding.
As of Aug 4th, there are still at least
two spots left!
The board recently passed the following motion:
First
10
registered
Canadian competitions, up to $250 each.
$25
amount
per
participating
competitor up to the maximum
amount of $250.
Effective from
May 1, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2009. To be
applied to Business Manager by Event
Organizer.
.. Mark Dowsett
HPAC Comp Chair
Cliff Kakish Award
I
n presenting Guy Leblanc with the Cliff
Kakish Award for outstanding contribution to our sport, the board of directors wanted to honour Guy for his tireless and detailed work in constructing
the new exams for the new rating system
now in use by the our association.
Guy Leblanc
Guy was always there when called upon
and not only contributed his knowledge
and understanding of flight testing, but
did it in both languages.
Guy's background in flight instruction
with the Canadian Air Force enabled him
to bring a level of insight to the table during the long rounds of discussion and decision-making over the past 12 months.
Many thanks to Guy for a job well done.
.. Michael Fuller
IAC chair and Atlantic director (retiring)
Jamie Christensen Award
J
ohn Janssen has been awarded the
Jamie Christensen Memorial Award
for long-term achievement.
The award recognizes individuals,
HPAC members or not, who have made
a long-term contribution towards the
growth of hang gliding and paragliding.
Jamie Christensen wrote, who was a
paragliding instructor in B.C., wrote the
original HAGAR study manual. He died
of an asthma attack.
LATIN AMERICAN TOUR
An epic trek through the Americas
David Llewellyn plans a trip that will take pilots through more than 20 countries
MY INTEREST IN FLYING has been a
long and varied one, first commencing with
a multi-year skydiving phase, during which
time I obtained a Class A licence. In an effort to prolong "flying time," I subsequently
turned to paragliding, and it is through this
activity that I discovered the flourishing
hang gliding community of southern Ontario.
For some 12 years now, hang gliding
has been a full-time passion. The summer
months are spent teaching new students and
flying tandems as a certified tandem instructor in southern Ontario. The winter months
are spent living in Ecuador operating a hang
gliding tour operation.
After having lived in Acapulco, Mexico,
for a number of years, Quito, Ecuador, is
now the place I call home. Through countless travels and adventures, I have come to
know both countries well, and in the process, befriended a great many people who are
also mysteriously drawn to the sport. While
exploring the more promising hang gliding
centres first-hand, I have enjoyed discovering countless charming little hotels and restaurants that remain unknown to foreigners.
Often times, these have been located away
from venues that are more commercial, but
in revenge have turned out to be precisely
the hidden jewels that best characterize the
local culture.
Crisscrossing Mexico time and time again
has allowed me to dispel the many unfounded myths about the precariousness of travel
in Latin America. It is with this unbiased
vision and genuine appreciation of Latin
America that compels me to renew a longheld dream of traveling the entire length of
the Americas. This grand tour would serve
to promote hang gliding, paragliding and
tourism in Latin America and would begin
from Vancouver (via Toronto) and run all
the way to Punta Arena in Chile.
Now that I have been living in Ecuador
and have come across the story of others
who have successfully made similar lengthy
treks, the time has come to find others who
would be interested in joining me along
various legs of the journey to discover firsthand the many wondrous and pristine flying
sites Latin America has to offer.
Several gliders and a tour vehicle will be
10 AIR MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2009
waiting to greet pilots at all times during the
trip, all that one need bring along is contagious enthusiasm and a passion for memorable flying.
PHASE ONE: North and Central America
Leaving Vancouver, travel along the
American Pacific coast. Cross into Mexico
and continue onto Central America until
reaching Panama. In each country, most of
the noteworthy hang gliding and paragliding
sites will be sampled. Where mountain
launching is not possible, a winch will be
used to make the most of scenic beaches and
flatlands. Complimenting the flying experience will be visits of points of interest, so as
to meet local residents, learn about significant historical and architectural landmarks
and gain insight to the distinctiveness of the
region’s culture.
Pilots need only chose a segment of the
trip that interests them and make the necessary travel arrangements to join the tour at
a major airport along the way. Duration of
stay with the traveling party is flexible and
is largely dependent on a person’s choice of
arriving and departing airport, allowing for
the utmost flexibility.
PHASE TWO: South America
Upon arriving in Panama, all equipment
will be shipped to Ecuador in preparation
for the southern leg of the tour. Departing
from Ecuador, the tour will travel south all
the way to Punta Arena in Chile. Having
reached this southernmost point, the tour
will nonetheless continue along the Atlantic
coast in the hopes of ending in Venezuela.
The entire tour is expected to encompass some 21 countries, cover approximately 63,000 km and require between eight
months and one year to complete.
For additional information, visit www.
gohanglide.com or www.goparaglide.com.
FINE PRINT
■ HG: H1 to H4 with or without towing
experience. Gliders will be provided, pilots
must bring helmets, vario and harness.
■ PG: P2 to P4 with or without towing experience. Pilots must provide all their own
equipment.
■ Pilots are responsible for the own travel
insurance,airfare,food and hotels.
■ Most of the time we will eat where ever
and sleep where ever there is a place to stay
or Camp.
■ The whole tour is not for the Timid..this
is a Latin Adventure of exploration and flying. The whole event will be filmed for possible Tv show in the future.
■ A pilot could fly into Mexico for example and leave from Belize or Panama for
that matter.
■ From Venezuela we would either end
the tour or drive through Colombia back
to Ecuador.
■ While on the tour pilots and family (No
Children under 16)
OTTAWA XC
NIK WELLSTEIN
T
hrough the generosity of John Parker,
owner of an airfield south of Ottawa,
permission was given to the Ottawa
Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club to hold
the XC event on the weekend of July 4. We
had completed trial runs the weekend before, and with the two runways, it was perfect for almost any wind direction.
The first to arrive were Mark and Linda
on Friday afternoon, with the rest showing
up over the weekend. Saturday started out
with 50 per cent cloud cover and was looking really good, but by the time we arrived at
the field, the blue had disappeared.
Jim Scoles came in for a visit with his
home-built aircraft. A few eager pilots
showed, but I was the only one to set up a
glider (the eternal optimist) in anticipation
of improving conditions. After a few hours
with no improvement, we packed up and returned to the campsite.
The evening was cool and everyone sat
around the campfire warming themselves,
XC IN OTTAWA
telling stories and protecting each other
from the mosquitoes.
Sunday morning came with clear skies
and a whole gaggle of pilots! Thirteen hang
gliders and two paragliders set up. With two
stationary tows and one aero tow, almost
everyone flew, making this one of the largest events in the Ottawa area in quite some
time.
The thermals turned out to be punchy and
small, broken apart by the high and gusty
winds that made it very difficult to gain altitude. The aero tow operation was cut short
late in the afternoon by mechanical problems. Though no records were broken, everyone had a wonderful time with short, but
great, flights.
One of us (yours truly) was reminded
that complacency can sneak in at any time. I
managed my very first tree landing through
a miscalculation: too slow an approach
in gusty conditions. The only damage
was to my ego and a tear on the lower sur-
face of the sail.
Steve Keppel-Jones completed a fivekilometre, single-thermal flight, quite good
considering the conditions, and Paul Morris
managed a short flight to an off-site landing.
Besides family members, pets and dropin spectators, the following pilots came out
for this memorable event:
Paul Morris, Steve Keppel-Jones, Jim
Ramsden, Martin Laroche, Richard Guttormson, Jim Scoles, Phil Siscoe, Andre
Nadeau, John Shelvey, Shannon Suzuki,
Nik Wellstein, Dan Murray, Greg Burgess,
Mark Frutiger (New York), Linda Salamone
(NewYork), Jerome Nantel, Michel Laurin.
In closing, I must complement all the participants.
As the last person on site, I did a complete
walk around the field, and not one piece of
rubbish was left behind. The site was left
like we had never been there. What a great
bunch of people!
11
RATINGS REVISION
Ratings revision
HPAC/ACVL ratings have been overhauled — here are the changes, contained in PRD 410-1
Purpose of this Policy and Regulatory Directive
1. This purpose of this Policy and Regulatory Directive (PRD) is to define the HPAC/ACVL pilot rating system and specify the requirement that
pilots must meet in order to obtain specific ratings.
Description of the HPAC/ACVL Pilot Rating System
2. The HPAC/ACVL rating system consists of five levels each for hang gliding and paragliding. A pilot can hold one rating for hang gliding and one
rating for paragliding.
3. The Beginner diploma is given at the introductory level of instruction and is aimed at introducing pilots early on to the HPAC/ACVL rating
system and to make them aware of the Association.
4. The Master rating is awarded to selected individuals who have contributed significantly to the sports of hang gliding and paragliding in Canada.
Requirements for Beginner through Advanced ratings
5. The table below specifies the requirements that must be met by a pilot in order to obtain Beginner, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced ratings.
6. The HAGAR examination is administered by Transport Canada.
RATING
PARAGLIDING
Beginner
Beginner course that includes:
Beginner course that includes:
■ Twenty supervised flights. Ten flights must exceed one
■ Twenty supervised flights (Ten flights can be less than
minute.
one minute. Ten flights must exceed one minute. This
■ Written examination
would necessitate an increase in the total flight time to
■ Ten minutes airtime
Twelve minutes)
■ Flight test, which includes:
■ Written examination
1. Proper assembly, preflight and disassembly of
■ Twelve minutes airtime
equipment.
2. Adherence to static harness check procedure.
1. Proper layout, preflight and packing of equipment.
3. Ground handle and launch alone in light winds.
2. Adherence to multi-point harness check procedure.
4. Demonstration of consistent proper launching skills.
3. Ground handle and launch alone in light winds.
5. Ability to establish proper flight plans in accordance to
4. Demonstration of consistent proper launching skills
wind conditions and to fly to it.
from both the forward and reverse inflation positions.
6. Ability to control speed range in level flight.
5. Ability to establish proper flight plans in accordance
7. Ability to do consistent stand up landings within a 50
to wind conditions and to fly to it.
meter diameter area.
6. Ability to control speed range in level flight including
proper use of accelerator.
7. Ability to do consistent stand up landings within a 30
meter diameter area.
HANG GLIDING
RATINGS REVISION
Novice
■ 75 supervised flights - 10 flights must be above 250 m and 10
flights must be soaring flights
■ Novice Rating examination
■ Four hours solo airtime
1. Demonstrate proper setup and pre flight of glider, harness
and reserve parachute.
2. Proper assembly, pre flight and disassembly of equipment.
3. Adherence to harness check procedure.
4. Ground handle and launch alone in light winds (up to 25
km/h).
5. Perform smooth transition from running to flying To
include a smooth treansition to prone position during
launch and from prone position upon landing.
6. Demonstrate smooth linked turns around applicant preselected points that are crosswind. Note - steep and gentle
turns must be performed smoothly with no stalling or
excessive side slipping.
7. Fly the speed range of the glider in level flight.
8. Demonstrate slow stall progression (at altitude) in level
flight.
9. Perform standard aircraft and figure 8 landing approaches.
10. Controlled landing on feet within 50 meter diameter
circle.
11. Give a verbal analysis of current conditions, possible
hazards, areas of caution, flight plan and self-assessment.
12. Be familiar with a reserve parachute and how it is
deployed. Attendance of a chute clinic recommended.
* These manoeuvres may be done on successive flights.
-- A reserve toss and repack seminar is highly recommended. -■ 35 flights. 10 flights must be above 250 m and 10 flights
must be soaring flights
■ Novice Rating examination
■ Ten hours logged solo airtime
1. Proper layout, preflight and packing of equipment.
2. Adherence to multi point harness check procedure.
3. Ground handle and launch alone in moderate laminar
winds (up to 25 km/h, with visual check).
4. Ground handle and launch alone in light thermic winds
(up to 20 km/h, with visual check)
5. Perform smooth consistent inflations from both
the forward and reverse positions and make a smooth
transition from running to flying.
6. Demonstrate two 360° turns in the same direction
within 20 seconds. *
7. Demonstrate reversing 360° turn within 30 seconds. *
8. Demonstrate pitch and roll in level flight.
9. Perform standard aircraft approach with a final leg of at
least 3 seconds.
10. Controlled landing on feet within 30 meter diameter
circle.
11. Demonstrate consistent and controlled ground
handling skills by kiting the wing for a period of 3 minutes.
12. Give a verbal analysis of current conditions, possible
hazards, areas of caution, flight plan and self-assessment.
Intermediate ■ 150 flights with a minimum of the following: 40 flights ■ 150 flights
above 250 metres & 40 flights below 250 metres of at least 10
minutes duration
■ Ten inland flights
■ 10 different sites including at least 1 cliff launch
■ Twenty five hours airtime
■ Be able to kite forward & reverse inflated for 5 minutes
each
■ Intermediate Rating Examination including the a
discussion of the entry/exit of a safe and effective rapid
descent maneuver, of the pilot's choice
■ Basic first aid recommended. No renewal requirement
Advanced
■ Ten inland flights
■ Five different sites
■ Intermediate Rating Examination
■ Twenty five hours airtime
■ Basic first aid recommended. No renewal requirement
■ 200 flights
■ 150 flights
■ 10-km cross-country flight
■ 10-km cross-country flight
■ Advanced Rating examination
■ Advanced Rating examination
■ HAGAR examination
■ HAGAR examination
■ Fifty hours airtime
■ Fifty hours airtime
■ Basic first aid required. No renewal requirement. (Must be ■ Basic first aid required. No renewal requirement. (Must be
different from the course taken for the Intermediate rating.) different from the course taken for the Intermediate rating.)
■ Advanced manoeuvre clinic recommended
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
13
RATINGS REVISION
Application for Novice to Advanced Rating
7. Certified instructors are responsible to forward applications for the Beginner, Novice and Intermediate Ratings novice beginners to the Business
Manager. The application must be accompanied with a marked copy of the Rating Examination signed by the instructor certifying that the applicant
has passed the examination.
8. Certified instructors are responsible for forwarding applications for Advanced ratings to the Business Manager. The application must be accompanied with a marked copy of the Advanced examination certifying that the applicant has passed the examination. The application must be
accompanied with a photocopy of the result of the HAGAR examination showing that the pilot has passed the examination.
9. The fee for a Beginner Novice to Advanced rating application is $10 payable to the HPAC/ACVL. The fee must be enclosed with the application.
10. Rating application forms are available on the HPAC/ACVL web site. Copies of the rating application forms are also available through the
Business Manager.
Requirement for Master Rating
13. The HPAC/ACVL BoD will award all Master Pilot ratings.
14. Pilots seeking a Mater Rating can apply in writing to the President. In the application, the candidate must describe his/her accomplishments
and contributions to the sport of hang gliding and paragliding. Alternatively, a HPAC/ACVL member can submit a nomination on behalf of a pilot.
15. An applicant for a Master’s rating must have an advanced rating and 250 hours of flight time in the activity for which the rating is sought. Upon
reception of an application for a Master's rating, the BoD will rate the applicant's accomplishments against the criteria below. A score of 25 points is
required to qualify a pilot for a Master’s rating.
ACCOMPLISHMENT
POINT VALUE
Service on the Executive, Board of Director and/or Officer level of the national association.
0-6
Service in outreach programs or committee levels of the national association. This includes HPAC/ACVL committee chair 0-4
person, representative to the FAI/CIVL or provincial or national aviation related associations.
Service on the Executive or Board of Directors of a Provincial Association
0-4
Service at the committee or officer level of any provincial association. Includes Board of Director's, secretaries, representa- 0-2
tives to the HPAC, committee chair persons, representatives to provincial aviation related associations
Service at the executive or director level of a club or regional association
0-6
Service at the committee or officer level of any club or regional association. Includes secretaries, representatives to the pro- 0-3
vincial associations, committee chair persons, representatives to local or provincial aviation related associations.
Responsibility for the organization of a hang gliding or paragliding competition or responsibility for direction of the meet 0-4
Responsible assistance in the operation of a hang gliding or paragliding competition. Eg: launch director, launch assistant, 0-2
landing director or landing assistant, chief scorer or scoring assistant, pylon judge
Certification and record of accomplishments as an HPAC Instructor
0-4
Editing a local, provincial or national Newsletter or Webmaster for a Web site pertaining to Hang Gliding and / or 0-5
Paragliding
Canadian Correspondent for a foreign hang gliding or paragliding publication
0-2
Contribution of articles on hang gliding or paragliding for publication or for press release
0-2
Representing Canada in FAI/CIVL sanctioned competitions
0-5
Production and release of a documentary, film, television coverage or commercial advertisement on hang gliding or 0-4
paragliding
Establishing an FAI approved world record in a category pertaining to hang gliding or paragliding
0-4
Other contributions worthy of consideration — Noting the total point total awarded will take into consideration the Open
weighting of the above criteria
RATINGS REVISION // HPAC RATINGS
16. Master Pilot ratings will be awarded at the ADM following the receipt of an application provided the application is received no later than two
months before the ADM.
17. There is no fee for an application for a Master rating.
Foreign Rating Equivalent
18. Members of the HPAC/ACVL who already have a foreign rating may obtain the equivalent HPAC/ACVL rating in some cases. However, no
rating above Novice will be awarded until the applicant provides proof that he has completed the HAGAR examination.
19. The HPAC/ACVL will recognize an IPPI Card and equivalent USHGA rating. The HPAC/ACVL may also recognize other foreign ratings. The
applicant must provide proof of his foreign rating as well as a verifiable reference so the HPAC/ACVL can verify the equivalency.
Responsibilities
20. The BoD is responsible for reviewing applications for, and award Master ratings.
21. The Business manager is responsible for reviewing applications for, and award Novice to Advanced ratings.
22. Certified instructors are responsible for awarding Beginner diplomas.
RATINGS BOARD
HPAC ratings issued between April. 1, 2009, and June 30, 2009
RATING
HG Master HG Master PG Beginner PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Novice PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Intermediate PG Advanced PG Advanced PG Advanced PG Advanced PG Advanced PG Advanced PG Master PROV.
RATING OFFICIAL
MEMBER
DATE
BC Mb Ab Ab BC BC BC BC On Qc Qc Qc Qc BC BC BC BC BC BC BC BC Qc Qc Qc Qc BC Qc Qc Qc Qc Qc NS (BoD) (BoD) Keith MacCullough Keith MacCullough Glenn Derouin Glenn Derouin Glenn Derouin Dion Vuk Eric Brent René Marion Vincent Vaillancourt Vincent Vaillancourt Vincent Vaillancourt Thomas Clark Claudio Mota (BoD) (unknown) (unknown) (unknown) (unknown) (unknown) (BoD) (BoD) (BoD) (unknown) Dion Vuk Jacques Blanchet Jocelyn Lapointe René Marion Vincent Vaillancourt Vincent Vaillancourt (BoD) Charles Mathieson Gerry Grossnegger Daniel Fallbacher Karen Girouard Richard De Haan Christopher Elliott Josh Sears Marc Jones
Stuart I Baleta Francois Noel Denis Forget Rene-Daniel Lejeune
Patrice Tardif Antonina Roumiantseva
John Wawrysh Douglas Noblet Miguel Bertello
Patrick Lee Peter Spear Sean Toohey Willem Wolff von Wulfing Sandy Berger
Jacinthe Langlois Jeremy Peclard
Jocelyn Bourgeois Robert A. Vickars Sandy Berger Vincent Bazinet Jocelyn Bourgeois Jacinthe Langlois Jeremy Peclard Michael Fuller
19-Jun-2009
19-Jun-2009
30-Jun-2009
22-Apr-2009
29-Apr-2009
20-May-2009
20-May-2009
22-Apr-2009
20-May-2009
22-Apr-2009
24-Jun-2009
17-Jun-2009
9-Apr-2009
30-Apr-2009
30-Apr-2009
6-May-2009
13-May-2009
13-May-2009
29-Apr-2009
13-May-2009
29-Apr-2009
13-May-2009
9-Apr-2009
9-Apr-2009
13-May-2009
22-Apr-2009
13-May-2009
30-Apr-2009
13-May-2009
24-Jun-2009
24-Jun-2009
19-Jun-2009
15
MILES IN MAY
Miles and miles in May
story by ROSS HUNTER
photos by KAREN KELLER
W
e had a great time this year at
Miles in May. Nineteen enthusiastic pilots registered, four
tasks were flown, and a lot of fun was had
among fine flying friends. Stories were
told and written.
This year, we had a few changes. First,
we based our operation out of Nanton,
Alta., due to the great selection of pubs,
restaurants, bars and pubs (no, that is not
a typo). Nanton also has an aviation museum, fantastic train shop and Moore’s
house, friends and contacts.
Another change this year was the three
levels: Novice (under 50 miles) Intermediate (under 100 miles) and Advanced (over
100 miles and flying a topless glider). I felt
this really gave everyone something to
shoot for.
Everyone was so helpful, with pilots
volunteering to do retrievals if needed;
Leif Hanson, Doug Keller, Rob Green and
Jason Dyer offering their tow systems;
Moore and his friends being hosts to us
all; Doug Keller doing the scoring; and, of
course the volunteers: Karen Keller, Brett
Yeates, Garry Hanson, Stuart Cobbledick,
Mario Rocchio, Garnet Specht, Theresa
and Cathie Hunter.
* * *
TASK 1 was 62 miles to Brooks. Cal
Neff helped me climb out and we stayed
together for the first 25 miles, but as you
know, it’s hard to stay with someone without radio contact.
Cal zigged, I zagged, and we were on
our own.
This put me low (without Cal’s help). I
finally got back up, and was soon on final
glide, from 25 miles out. This was a bit
of a stretch, and after I hit a headwind, it
looked like I would be coming in short.
I found a nice climb four miles out and
thought I would take it all the way up, since
I didn’t think anyone was in front of me.
After getting an extra 3,000 ft, I saw
Rob Clarkson and his shadow gliding into
goal. Darn . . . I mean, Way to go Rob!
I left my lift and raced for the finish. I
finished after Rob, but learned later that I
had a later start, so got away with one.
Greg Leslie was only one thermal short
of goal. Cal Neff ran into the north wind
and after doing a little ridge soaring was
forced to put an end to his 40-mile flight.
The next several days were spent having
cook-offs at Moore’s. Thanks Bruce, Karen
and Cathie for some wonderful meals.
We also went to the bar, the train and
plane museums and regularly checked the
weather forecast, then back to the bar. Cal,
Tim Middlemiss, Leif Hanson and Jason
Dyer went and caught a few fish at Chain
Lakes.
* * *
A few days later we were rewarded with
TASK 2. It was 107 miles, which I believe
is the longest task called at a Canadian
competition.
Loren White tripled his best distance
flown in a meet with a 20 miler, Rob Green
set a personal best at close to 80 miles and
Fiona Katay made it official that she was
graduating from the Intermediate class
and competing as an Advanced next year,
as she completed the 107 mile task — with
altitude and attitude to continue, but came
down to land at goal. Fiona easily could of
gone 200+ km.
* * *
TASK 3. This task was the most difficult,
strong cross winds and weaker climbs.
Rob Clarkson won the day and, at just
0.35 miles behind, was Jason Dyer. Jason
MILES IN MAY
The winners, from left: Cal Neff (Novice), Fiona Katay (Intermediate) and Ross
Hunter (Advanced).
really had us questioning his Novice status after that flight. He showed us his card,
and it was confirmed — a Novice pilot did
come in second, Congrats Jason.
* * *
TASK 4, 40 miles to Strathmore. We
had a shorter task on the final day, as we
wanted to get back for the delicious final
dinner, awards, etc. Rob Clarkson and
I were first and second off our tow road.
We climbed out together then kind of
took separate roads to Strathmore. I took
the high road, Rob took the low road. We
connected again about eight miles out, in
smooth 800 up. The glide ratio in was getting better with every circle, but the lift
was so nice it was hard to leave.
I kept an eye on Rob, and promised myself I would not leave if Rob didn’t leave. It
was like two gun slingers having a draw in
the old west. Once you go for your gun, the
other is going for his gun. Glide ratios to
goal were getting ridiculously low, like 5:1.
Rob could not take it anymore and raced
for goal. I pulled in the VG and raced after
Rob, beating him in by half a glider length.
We obviously got to Strathmore with lots
of altitude and had plenty of time to pick
out a good landing field. Looking closer at
the best field to land in we saw what looked
like ... no, it couldn’t be ... yup it is ... it’s
a hang glider. Hmmm, I wonder what another hang glider was doing in the perfect
goal field before Rob and I got there. It just
didn’t make sense. We were humbled to see
Thanks from all the pilots to meet director Ross Hunter and wife Cathie for
another excellent Miles in May
Fiona had beaten us there, but lucky for
Rob and I, Fiona had taken the earlier start.
Back at Nanton, we were treated to a delicious pork loin, or roast beef, or chicken
dinner — your choice, and you couldn’t go
wrong. Barb and Larry, from the Auditorium Hotel, hosted us all week and topped
it all off with an amazing final meal. It
was decided that if Barb had entered any
of these meals in Moore’s cook-off, she
would have been the winner.
* * *
We had a very successful meet due to
the co-operation, enthusiasm, and diligence of all involved . . . and the weather.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at
Miles In May 2010.
Morning pilots meeting at the Nanton Campground
17
XC IN THE PRAIRIES
THE PLAYERS:
“XC Addict” Guy Leblanc, on Sol Synergy2.
“High-Timer Flatland Newbie” Robin
Sather, on Ozone Mantra M2
“Eagle-Eye” Leif Hanson, tow operator and
chase driver extraordinaire.
THE PLAN
Paragliding towing east of
Edmonton, from May 8 to 11, 2009,
and fly long XCs as a pair.
Friday: Tofield
GUY: We finally start towing mid-afternoon, after meet-and-greet, weather
chasing, gear adjustment, briefs and
ground practice.
I release from tow at 1,200 ft in a good
cycle and crank away. Thanks, Leif! Topping out at 5,000 ft, I wait for Robin to
join up. Unfortunately, I dropped the tow
rope on the fence, forcing Leif to spend
precious time clearing several loops
draped over barbwire. Ooops— sorry!
Slowly losing height while drifting
away, I finally hit the dirt seven kilometres from launch. Cursing myself for
wasting the best part of the day, I call
quits and pack up my gear.
ROBIN: I stand by nervously, watching
Guy climb out overhead, while I wait to
strap in for my sixth-ever tow. I’m on a
loaner glider — delivery of my new Mantra M3 delayed yet again. Leif eventually
returns, after taking half an hour to untangle the towline from a barbed-wire
fence, and then we’re off.
The tow is decent, but I struggle with
how my vario, GPS, radio and hydration
system are attached, which really don’t
work for towing. My focus is not fully on
the tow, but I end up pinning off in a decent bubble of lift.
I work it patiently while I drift off to
the southwest. But there’s not too much
action around me, and after 25 kilometres or so, I land in smooth 20-kilometreper-hour winds and have a chat with a
farmer who wonders if I have enough
fuel to get back to where I started! After
some explanation and a quick retrieve,
I’m happy to call it a good first day.
GUY: I watch Robin pass overhead and
disappear to the south. Leif rescues me a
few moments later, and then urges me to
try again despite the late day. Bless him!
I tow up in a bad cycle and beat him
back to launch; sucks!
Third try is a charm, catching a good
cycle to cloud base at 10,000 ft, while
drifting southeast. With no expectation
for great distance, I just hang around
and co-ordinate Robin’s pick-up from
my high perch. After moments of pure
delight, I push back into wind and burn
off tons of height to fly back to my truck.
Spotting circling seagulls, I join the merry-go-round and fill up my tank, allowing me to explore a few miles upwind and
crosswind before quitting in the early
evening.
Saturday: Tofield
GUY: I go first again, and then struggle
with a snagged accelerator line while on tow.
I pin off and disconnect the line, but low
height prevents me from escaping despite
active conditions.
I again watch Robin get away on his first
try, then paraglider pilot Stu Cobbledick
tows up before a big cloud starts dumping
rain on us, significantly delaying further action.
We watch Robin connect to an impressive
cloudstreet to the southeast, with huge potential for distance.
ROBIN: Today’s tow goes well, except
for the 90-degree crosswinds I launch in. In
the air, I connect to some great lift, and am
quickly at cloud base.
I’m still a flatland newbie, so I have to admit I’m still really leery of hangin’ out under
those big grey bad boys. I timidly begin flying the dark street ahead of me, encountering some strong lift and equally big sink.
For a time, it looks like my line will result
in some serious klicks, but gradually the
skies begin to overdevelop all around me,
especially in front, effectively turning my
street into a dead-end.
After tasting a little snow and even some
XC IN THE PRAIRIES
hail, I attempt to cross to the closest parallel line, but it’s just not to be. I end up on
the ground at about 26 kilometres, where
I spend the next 90 minutes meditating on
how much I still have to learn about flying in
the prairies . . .
When the nastiness
looks likes it’s closing in,
I radio Guy and urge him
to “keep running!” I’m
amazed by the lines
that he takes,
remarking to Stu that
he’s definitely got bigger
cahoneys than I do.
GUY: After the rain clears, a big blue hole
opens up. Stiff 90-degree crosswinds make
for a tricky launch. Once promising clouds
get closer, I tow up; Leif keeps pressure low
to give me room to crab my way safely, then
I release at 1,200 ft in a good cycle. I top out
at 7,000 ft then push into wind to exit the
blue hole, finding good lift below a nearby
cumulus.
After an easy ride to 10,000 ft, I work
clockwise around the blue hole to connect
with an ominous-looking cloudstreet to
the northeast. Meanwhile, conditions overdevelop to the northwest, with significant
rain shafts and lightning within 10 miles. I
eagerly push away, finding good lift by connecting the dots and fingers littering the sky
along the front.
Cloudstreets are oriented east-west and
drift slowly south, which should help me
get good distance. I am riding the leading
edge of my cloudstreet, crabbing east at top
speed while in a thin sliver of sunshine between massive cloudstreets. I occasionally
head straight south when the storm behind
me gets too close for comfort, sometimes in
response to friendly but concerned advice
from Robin, who is now chasing me with
Stu. Maintaining 11,500 ft is easy using a
reverse speed-to-fly technique, whereby I
speed up and pull big ears in stronger lift,
then go back to trim in zero sink.
I am flying fully reclined and totally hands
off, controlling mild pitching and yawing of
the glider using speed bar and weight-shift.
Despite the high airspeed, significant lateral
suck makes for relatively low groundspeed.
I also frequently detour around rain shafts
and stronger cores, always keeping an emergency exit towards blue skies.
Nearly four hours into my XC flight,
widespread dark clouds are closing up my
thin sliver of blue sky. With 115 kilometres
under my belt and narrowing options beyond the town of Alliance, Alta., I select a
good landing spot and alight safely besides
Robin and Stu. Great job on chasing!
ROBIN: After landing, and eventually
abandoning hope of a quick retrieve and a
possible second tow, I lounge in the grass
and listen to the birds above me, the mice
around me and the interesting hum of the
power lines. Stuey finally picks me up and
we head off to find Guy, who has managed
to climb out and has the potential to make
some miles.
We finally spot him, specked out high
and just in front of the big nasty front that
will push him for the rest of his flight. We
give chase — sometimes he outpaces us at
80-kilometres-per-hour, and other times he
crawls along while we squint up and wait.
While he races to keep ahead of the edge of
the front, we spend most of the chase back
in the thick of it, usually in high winds and
driving rain.
When the nastiness looks likes it’s closing in, I radio Guy and urge him to “keep
running!” I’m amazed by the lines that he
takes, remarking to Stu that he’s definitely
got bigger cahoneys than I do. By the time
he lands, his frozen carcass at about 118 kilometres, and we hurriedly bag his glider, the
gust front has caught up with us yet again,
and we retreat to the warmth and comfort of
Stu’s truck for the long drive home.
Sunday: Kelsey
GUY: Cloudstreets are building up by
10 a.m. as we are driving to the tow site.
I’m concerned we’ll again see much overdeveloping today. I take the first tow, slowly
climbing through much sink initially, and
then pin off as soon as I hit a thermal. The
tight core kicks me around, barely maintaining through each turn, and then I give
up and land. Robin gets up and cores much
smoother lift, leaving me stuck behind two
hang gliders rearing to go.
ROBIN: After watching Guy’s uninspiring short flight, I’m not too eager to get on
tow. As usual, the winds have also switched
90 degrees. Classic.
I try to inflate a couple of times, but it’s a
royal pain trying to kite the glider, especially
while being tugged and running sideways
trying to build up some air/ground speed. I
eventually get off on a good tow, and release
into a strong thermal. After a few minutes
of smooth five-metre-per-second lift, I’m
at 2,800 metres or so — cloudbase — and I
radio back to Guy to hurry up and tow up
under the same cloud I did.
Unfortunately, I see that one of the hangies
has hooked up to the tow vehicle, and Guy
confirms that he will be waiting until both
19
XC IN THE PRAIRIES
plumbers are away. He gives his blessing to
go, go, go, and bids me adieu.
Away, in the distant north-northeast, gorgeous cloudstreets beckon to me, but unfortunately there are two, or maybe even three
nasty T-cells in the way. Oh well, third day
lucky, maybe?
GUY: Relocating for a south launch, I
easily catch solid lift on tow, riding it up to
10,000 ft. Surface winds are south, but I need
to push against north upper winds to reach
a nearby cloud. I top out then glide farther
north to the cloudstreet angled northwestsoutheast.
Excessive virga blocks my way towards
Robin, so I try for an out-and-back into
wind to the northwest.
As per the day before, no turns needed
to stay up, just gliding using reverse speedto-fly while maintaining 500-1,000 ft below
cloudbase. Again, groundspeed is quite low,
and then it takes me too long to realize that
skies are scattering out rapidly all around.
Thirty-five km out and stuck under a single CU now drifting east, my prospects of
making it back to launch quickly disappear.
I head east for a dogleg, adding another 15
kilometres before sinking out.
ROBIN: I ignore Guy’s advice to take the
northwest, upwind tack (what does he know
anyway?...) and fly northeast into the fray. I
waste a lot of time and distance avoiding the
worst of the dark grey baddies, and pimp off
the rest. A few times, I find myself stuck out
in the blue, with virga on three sides, and
my feet on the bar, pushing hard towards a
building cloud several kilometres ahead.
The M2 rewards my inefficient flying with
a few low saves, and after a couple of hours,
I find myself in beautiful air, up under a perfect cloudstreet, with all that blackness in my
rear-view mirror.
I put the pedal to the metal and put some
distance behind me with a big smile on my
face. So this is how it’s supposed to be!
Well, at least for a while . . . my excitement and inexperience eventually conspire
against me. I fail to pick up the change in
wind direction and cloudstreet line, and
suddenly (well, gradually . . .) find myself out
in the blue again, between streets — idiot!
I race for the nearest lift I can see — the
front edge of the last cloud shadow. Yes,
there’s lift there, but it’s anemic, and only
prolongs the inevitable.
I start looking for a good LZ, which, de20 AIR MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2009
lightfully, is almost never a problem out here
in the great wide open. At less than 30 metres, I turn into a brisk wind on final, and get
rocked. Below me, I spy a plastic bag whipping around in tight circles across my landing field — crap, a dustie!
I dive off to the left, and swing back
around and land safely — one last little bit of
excitement to end the flight.
Then, I check the GPS and realize that I’m
about 100 kilometres from the tow site, as
the crow flies, in some random field.
I have absolutely no idea where I am (I
find out later that I’m near a town called
Mannville). I’m about to call the guys to
request a long retrieve when a big-ass SUV
appears out of nowhere and pulls right up to
me. I take my shades off (make eye contact!)
and put on my best smile. Turns out it’s a curious family out to visit Mom on Mother’s
Day, and they’re on their way home.
After the usual wuffo questions, I timidly
ask for a ride west. Thankfully, they’re happy
to oblige, and they take me as far as they’re
going, which is out to Highway 16 —
the
main route back into Edmonton. The sign
there says that I’m still 168 road kilometres
from the city (Wowzers!).
All is well, though. My thumb is in fine
form. After 30 minutes or so, I get picked
up by a fellow going all the way into the city.
Thanks, Leif for the tip about carrying my
helmet separately! The first question after
I’m picked up — “So, did your motorcycle
break down?” . . . ah, life is good.
Monday: Kelsey
GUY: Playing wind-dummy as usual, I
tow up in strong gusty winds from the south
and release in solid lift at 1,000 ft. Topping
out at 5,000 ft, I widen my search and connect with a better thermal to 7,000, then
glide to the nearest cloud. The beautiful CU
above is definitely active, yet there is no lift
directly underneath. I circle its periphery
clockwise, and then locate its feeder thermal
well to the southeast.
I get off the 1,000-ft-per-minute elevator
at 12,000 ft, as dizzy from the ride as with the
height! Lazing turns under cloudbase keep
me level for as long as needed, allowing me
to watch Robin tow up then scratch forever
to get away. Leif then tows a hang glider pilot
(Cal Neff), who has better luck and manages
to catch up with me after a few climbs.
ROBIN: The last flyable day.
Later, Leif notes that he knew we’d all
towed up into big sink . . . ya, no kidding.
After my weak tow, I drift in zeroes and am
thinking about landing to try another tow.
Then I see Cal setting up his hang glider on
the tow rig, spot Guy up high — waiting —
and realize that if Guy and I are actually going to get the chance to fly together, this is
my only chance. If I land, it’s over. So, I resolve to stick it out, and by hook or by crook,
XC IN THE PRAIRIES
to climb up to meet Guy and fly together.
So commences about 90 minutes of agonizing scratching, as I drift downwind (35
kilometres!!) in 0.1 to 1.5 m/s lift, finding
some climbs only to sink back low again.
There’s a wicked layer at about 1,800 metres
that eats some thermals, and scrambles the
rest. I gain height just to lose it again, several
times over. I keep glancing up (waaaaay up)
at Guy, who, unbelievably, is still hovering,
waiting at couldbase for me.
I radio him to bugger off and make some
distance. He decides to hang around, probably giving up a 200-kilometre-plus day
for the chance to fly with yours truly. I feel
privileged, but frustrated and pressured all at
once, and I definitely don’t hide my feelings
in my radio calls to the guys.
Eventually, however, the stars do align,
and I lock into a “real” thermal, which starts
out at three metres per second and gets
stronger as I climb.
Once past the dreaded 1,800-metre layer,
I actually begin to think there’s a chance
I might make cloudbase. As I get higher, I
spot Guy heading back upwind to my position. I want to tell him to wait at the lovely
cloud he’s been camped under, but I know
that if I reach for my dangling radio, I’ll
probably fly out of the lift, and I’m not going
to risk that. And then suddenly, there we are.
We’re at 3,300 metres, together, and ready to
make it happen.
GUY: Cal darts to the northwest and
quickly gets drilled under a wide overcast
area. After nearly two hours waiting for
Robin, I am freezing my butt, and rearing to
exploit the huge XC potential to the north.
Finally, I see him coming up under the next
cloud to the south. I dive for him, meet up
at 10,000 ft after seeing his huge grin from
nearly a kilometre away, and then promptly
veer back to the north. We fly at full speed
towards the impressive cloudstreet ahead,
racking up good distance without a single
turn. Once deep underneath with extensive
shade around, I slow down to minimum
sink in very light lift, concerned about our
ability to make it across this marginal area.
Robin passes me like a fire truck, spreading
out then returning to help search for lift. I
lead west towards a small sunlit ground
patch, where we find ourselves surrounded
by huge towering CUs dumping virga.
Working together, we quickly locate the
best lift and top up while re-assessing our
limited options. I propose pushing north
through the virga, in hopes of connecting
with significant build-ups just on the other
side, then dive for it.
ROBIN: I try not to dwell on the fact that
we’re actually here, at cloudbase, together, on
a potentially huge day, with lots of daylight
left in the tank. But, it’s true — we’re here!
Together we go on glide, and I quickly see
that this may be trickier than I first thought.
I’m flying a medium M2, which means I’m
about five to eight kilograms over the top of
the weight range. That, combined with the
M2’s already great glide and speed, makes
it really difficult for me to stay back with
Guy on his Synergy 2. I’m soon way ahead
of him, and have to backtrack when he finds
a climb. And so it goes. We fly somewhat
separately, finding lift for each other, and
threading our way around the worst of the
virga and threatening T-cells above us.
I can’t believe the stuff we’re flying under
— I’d probably never do it on my own, and
that thought kind of troubles me, but I resolve to trust Guy on this flight — he’s my
flatland tutor.
We’re flying at over 3,400 metres
ASL, but as I look around us, I realize that we’re almost totally surrounded
by virga, reaching thousands of feet below us. Sheesh! It’s at that point that Guy
gets on the radio and informs me that,
“We’re going to push through the virga.”
Somewhat incredulous, I reply, “We’re going to do what?!” I begin to think Guy may
be suffering from altitude sickness . . .
GUY: The anticipated sink through
the virga is not so bad. We’re well below
cloudbase and I can see through the loonie-sized snowflakes, so I push on, occasionally flipping backwards to spot Robin’s
glider through the snow showers. As expected, strong lift awaits after exiting the virga,
forcing me to turn left towards the nearest
cloud edge.
Robin remains close, flying almost directly below me; I watch him by leaning forward
in my harness, then quickly smarten up as
lift suddenly gets much more powerful. Just
as I am to exit from under the cloud, I get
severely yanked up with no forward progression for a long moment. I hit the edge
of cloudbase for a few seconds, and then get
thrown into clear air, through severe vertical wind shear. My wing balls up and drops
far below to my right. I bury the brakes and
hang on while being momentarily pulled
downward by the glider, feet swinging above
my head.
With tons of height, my sole concern is to
avoid falling into Robin’s paraglider, which
fortunately is well clear. I release the stall
once the glider is above, hear loud whacks
and get spiraled twice, then recover to level
flight at 11,000 ft. I am shaken up, but the
glider is fine and Robin is also OK.
ROBIN: So, ignoring all the alarm bells
ringing in my head, I follow Guy straight
into this massive curtain of Virga. I can see
bright sun shining through from the other
side, so I know that we’re not just flying
blindly into worse air, but it’s still incredibly
unnerving. Even before we reach the huge
sheets of virga themselves, we’re already enveloped in falling snow.
I almost lose sight of Guy, ahead and below, and the ground all but disappears. My
vario is putting out a solid low tone that I
don’t hear very often. It pegs at 4+ m/s down,
and stays there. Flying downward through
giant snowflakes is very surreal, and as I look
up, I see dark lines of the stuff accumulating
in the cells of the glider.
We press on, and as we get lower, the
snow turns to rain. I can’t believe I actually
flew into this mess by choice! Then, after
what seems like hours but was probably only
a few minutes, we clear the great white wall
and burst out into gorgeous sunshine, and a
breathtaking panorama laid out below us.
It’s a stunning sight, and probably the signature moment of the entire flight for me.
We clear the virga, and the dark clouds
that birthed it, and we head towards the edge
of the next cloud to find some safe lift. Once
again, I alternate between pulling ears to stay
out of the dark and flying at minimum sink
to stay with Guy. At one point, we get separated, and from the sound of it, we each experience some excitement. I never see Guy’s
collapse and recovery, because at the same
moment I am diving into a spiral to escape
the severe cloudsuck that I’ve blundered
into. With me overweight on the M2, the
glider whips hard and fast into a deep spiral,
and even then, I only manage eight metres
per second down. After a few wild rotations,
I turn out, pull ears, jump on the bar and
make for the edge of the cloud.
As Guy and I join up again, neither of
knows what the other has just been through.
We only speak of it later.
GUY: Stuck again in the blue, we have
21
XC IN THE PRAIRIES
more virga blocking our way ahead. I know
where to find lift by the virga, but I’m reluctant to push my luck again. We graze the lift
band ahead of the virga and I chicken out,
bailing to the small sunlit patch a few kilometres left of track instead. It’s steady sink all
the way, and I feel bad for blowing it.
I reach the warm fields at 2,000 ft above
ground, then frantically search for lift. I
connect with a tight core and crank it
hard all the way back up, with Robin following in.
The cloudstreets have widened and block
out the sun in wide swaths ahead; we push
north anyway to maximize distance, working side-by-side to locate the best lines.
ROBIN: I find it fascinating that we can
dynamically soar the side of the virga. Unfortunately, it won’t take us anywhere, so
we leave it and head north once again, but
we’ve got a long crossing to make it to the
next cloud. Guy and I both get quite low,
and then individually find nice climbs out
under the blue to get us back up high again.
The cloudbank we then glide underneath
is wide, and I wonder if it will be working.
We really have no other option, other than
landing early, of course.
The North Saskatchewan River approaches, and Leif calls up to see if we’ll
be crossing it. I radio back that yes, we’ve
got a 40 km/h tailwind, and are on a long
glide. I can’t believe Leif is still with us!
He’s been chasing us for five hours. What
an incredible comfort it is to look down
and see that tiny truck, with the little
hang glider on top, faithfully tracking us.
Thanks, Leif!
As we cross the river, it’s apparent that
the flight will end soon. We’re gliding
under an enormous, dead cloud, and we
haven’t encountered any real lift for many
minutes. From our radio communications, I can tell that Guy is about done,
but he still manages to gain a few hundred
metres in some very light lift, as we drift
downwind.
Our ground speed is around 80 km/h, so
I start looking for good field to put down
in — something with no upwind obstacles,
since it’s clear we might be landing backwards. I want the air to be as smooth as
possible. I choose a field, and turn into the
wind.
Sure enough, I’m drifting backwards on
trim, but it’s smooth as silk. I touch down
and disable the glider. Guy comes in soon
after, followed by the rain. Leif arrives, we
pack up quickly, and with huge, exhausted
grins on our faces, we head for home. My
totals: 149 km; five hours, 10 minutes — a
new personal distance record for me.
GUY: Circling in a smooth and wide
thermal, I am gaining 50-100 ft per turn
while still racking up extra miles after nearly six hours in the air. I watch Robin land a
few miles north of Smokey Lake, debating
to go for an extra 10 to 15 kilometres, but
decide to join him and celebrate instead. I
head straight for his LZ and promptly find
myself being pushed backwards by strong
surface winds! Good landing nonetheless,
then Robin and I congratulate each other
and profusely thank Leif for his flawless
chasing through this memorable flight. Total distance: more than 145 km!
Final Notes
GUY: No doubt we had great weather
for four days, although each flight offered
significant challenges, be it overdevelopment, unfavourable winds or early cloud
dissipation. I’m sure a 300-km flight is
possible, with slightly better conditions;
maybe next time?!! Having Leif giving
smooth tows, chasing very efficiently and
spotting us from huge distances, made for
very easy logistics. Robin’s flying was also
very impressive, with 100 per cent success
rate on getting away after each tow, and
patiently working lift despite the odds. My
final stats: eight flights, 14 hours, 330 kilometres in four days. I set a new personal
height record at 12,769 ft ASL, and my
third best flight ever with 145 km!
ROBIN: As I write this a few days later,
Edmonton is experiencing sub-zero temperatures, and snow! It’s clear that Guy
and I were very fortunate with the weather.
What a great four days we had! For me,
four days, four tows, four good flights — a
total of 11 hours of airtime, with more than
300 kilometres XC.
Thanks to Guy for sharing his knowledge and experience with me, and huge
thanks to Leif for giving up his entire week
to tow and retrieve us.
Life is good!
FIRST FLIGHT
Third time's a charm
Marcin Kolbuszewski describes his first flight
I
t took me three tries to get airborne
solo. Ten years ago or so I took a dozen
hours of instruction towards PPL and
was close to first solo — but had to move
out to another country and flying went
onto the back burner.
Family, work, children, mortgage,
driveway to shovel — flying is difficult to
squeeze in, both logistically and financially.
Second try was three years ago. I took
an introductory paragliding course. The
weather was bad, I made up to a two-feet
hop on tow.
And then the school closed.
Take three. Kids are older, I work relatively flexible hours. Internet search revealed OttawaParaglidingSchool.com and
CarlosParaglide.com in Ottawa, where
I live. The school is owned and operated
by Carlos Olivera, who has more airtime
experience that I could imagine possible.
Everything, skydiving, military jets, helicopters, hang gliding, and most importantly for me: paragliding.
One e-mail, one phone call and we
met on the training hill, completed all
necessary and important formalities.
And we all know what happened over next
two days.
But Carlos and Norvel patiently helped,
demonstrated, explained — and kept
screaming the same mantra, RUN RUN
RUN RUN RUN.
At some moment, Carlos decided I was
a ready for a big hill. The big hill is a large
flat rock on top of a system of 600 to 900
ft escarpments not far from the city. A
40-minute hike led to a point 321 metres
above sea level, while landing is at 100 metres.
Three is a charm — again. For the first
two tries, I did not trust the glider and I
did not trust myself. I did not trust that
this thing will actually go from being
“pulled” by me off the ground and then
flying above me, to be the wing flying with
me under it.
It all worked fine on the bunny hill
with one, two or maybe 10 ft of space be-
tween my feet and the ground, but this
is a real mountain. But here I felt like if
there was a moment when it was not me
running under the canopy and feeling
myself to be lighter and lighter, but not
quite yet flying with feet air between me
and the ground.
It took one extra step — with Carlos’s
voice behind me (RUN RUN RUN RUN
RUN) to go from running on the ground
to flying in the air.
The glider took off and took me for a
ride that will hopefully last until my body
says no. The flight itself was relatively
uneventful. Yes, we lost radio contact
20 seconds into the flight — but the landing field was large and straight ahead. I
do not want to know where Carlos’s heart
was, though.
And when I try to recall the flight, the
first few steps on the run and the flight
itself are engraved in my memory. But
the last second on the ground — this last
step — completely escaped. I think I know
why. I was running.
23
SIV COURSE
Journals from the SIV
Dan Miller reports from a recent SIV course in Utah. With photos by Trevor Perraton.
Thursday, May 15. We made it!
Clint and Tomo and Daniel (G.) and Dan
(M.) leave Calgary around 5:30 p.m., driving in Clint’s truck. The landscape south of
the city is stunning, and we are treated to a
magnificent sunset.
The massive wind turbines north of Lethbridge are awe-inspiring, as is the trestle
bridge, which was the longest in the world
when it was built almost 100 years ago.
We arrive at the border shortly before 10.
The four of us make an interesting group,
and we manage to raise a few eyebrows.
Tomo is travelling with a Japanese passport,
and he has never visited the United States
before. Clint has entries in his passport for
Egypt and Jordan, and Dan has entries for
Cuba. Daniel is Korean, visiting Canada on
a temporary work visa, and travelling with a
Belgian passport that was issued in France.
To top it all off, we are all looking a little
nervous — we have heard all about SIV manoeuvres and they sound pretty damn scary.
However, it takes only 40 minutes to do
the paperwork, which is a lot less than it
might have been. Surprisingly, the folks at
U.S. customs are great, and we don’t experience any hassles or major delays. Nobody
has to endure a strip search or (much worse)
watch uniformed Neanderthals with handguns unpack his glider and spread it all over
the tarmac at the border.
We alternate drivers through the night,
and we arrive in Salt Lake City at 8 o’clock in
the morning.
The first place we visit is (of course) Point
of the Mountain. If there is any possibility
of a flight at the south side, then we want
to be there for it. Conditions are too strong,
though, and only the hang gliders are setting
up. The hill is impressive — and we are all
feeling a little jealous.
(Only Clint has seen the north slope, so
the rest of us have no idea how jealous we
will become.)
We drive to Sandy, just south of Salt Lake
City, to say hello to the guys at Super Fly.
Chris is out towing, so we decide to continue
south to Yuba Lake and check out the site for
tomorrow’s course.
At Yuba Lake, we find four other pilots on
the beach. They have been doing manoeuvres over the water all morning, and they
don’t look any worse for the wear.
The “witching hour” at Yuba Lake begins
at noon, and the wind changes while we’re
chatting. When Chris returns to shore with
the boat, he suggests they start towing behind the truck, so we head over to the road
and wait for him there.
When the truck arrives, it looks like
something out of a Mad Max movie. It’s a
large vehicle, painted jet black, with tinted
windows and black hubs on huge knobby
tires. The box has been replaced with a flatbed dominated by tow equipment: a huge
spool of tow line, a gas engine, and an enormous tool box. We are standing at the side of
the road in the blasting heat when the truck
pulls up in a cloud of dust, and for a moment
it reminds me of one of the horsemen of the
apocalypse.
Three of us have never met Chris Santacroce before. The truck stops and he climbs
out. He is tanned and dusty and grinning
like a Cheshire cat. “Welcome to the desert!”
he says, with all the grace and charm of a
host welcoming guests to paradise. It takes
no more than three seconds to get a clear impression of Chris, and time only reinforces
the first impression: he is equal parts boyish
enthusiasm, impish mischief, grandfatherly
wisdom and Zen master — like a genie who
has escaped his lamp.
One at a time, he tows the other four pilots to an impressive height, and we stay to
watch their flights for a while. Afterward, we
drive to a small town called Scipio, about 10
miles south of Yuba Lake, where we meet up
with Mathieu and Trevor, and we check in to
the hotel for a few hours of sleep.
Mathieu arrived a day earlier, and conditions were ideal last night for ridge soaring.
He is still euphoric over his first soaring
flight, having spent more than 20 minutes in
the air. Mathieu has also had time for some
sight-seeing in Salt Lake City, and several
times he comments on how clean the city
is, and how friendly the people there. One
couple handed him the keys to their vehicle
when he offered to drive it down to the landing zone for them. Imagine that: an American giving his keys to a complete stranger
with a strong French accent!
SIV COURSE
After dinner, we drive out to the lake and
we practised a few inflations. The wind is
too light for anything except forwards. It is
good to practise though. The weather in and
around Calgary has been dismal the past
several months, so most of us have not even
inflated our gliders this year. We return to
the hotel early, anxious and jittery over tomorrow’s first SIV flights.
Friday, May 16. First flights.
The six of us meet at Yuba Lake early on
Friday morning, where we join up with
Steve and Terry — so all eight of us have arrived safely and without any incidents at the
border. Chris has said that he will meet us at
“sevenish.” We soon learn that, in Utah, this
means “any time before eight o’clock.”
Yuba Lake itself is a good size, and although it sits in the middle of a parched
desert landscape, the temperature in the
morning is cold. There is frost on the vehicles, and the temperature has dropped to
nearly zero degrees Celsius (by late morning, the temperature climbs above 30).
Chris arrives with the boat and he makes
some brief introductory comments. We review proper tow procedures, and Clint —
our fearless coach and official wind dummy
— is the first one to launch. Dan, Trevor,
Mathieu and Steve all get their first experience towing and flying manoeuvres next,
and each of us is pretty timid up there. Chris
is patient with us, but far less talkative than I
think we expected. Difficulties with the boat
force us to switch to the truck, so Daniel
and Tomo have their first experiences towing up behind the vehicle — which looks a
lot more difficult than towing up behind the
boat. The witching hour arrives after Tomo’s
flight, so we are done for the day.
Everyone except Terry has had his first
tow and flight with basic manoeuvres, and
we are all kind of shaky. It has made each of
us a bit giddy, and we’re still kind of freaked
out by the whole experience — like nervous
and giggling school girls after a wild prom
night. Our flights are strangely difficult for
us to remember: all buzzed up and blurred
out.
Each of the flights is recorded on video, so
we return to the hotel to watch ourselves and
make notes for tomorrow. In the evening,
we return to Point of the Mountain, and this
time we visit the north side. We have never
seen so many gliders in the air at one time
— we count 34 just driving up to the launch
site. The flight park itself is unbelievable:
it has a paved parking lot with sidewalks,
benches and washrooms with running water. The launch/landing field is halfway up
the ridge — pilots can fly sled-runs to a
groomed field at the base, bench up to the
top of the ridge or simply boat around above
the field — which is a sprawling manicured
lawn.
Daniel suggests that Vincene ought to till
the field at Cochrane Hill and lay sod so that
we can have something similar back home.
Everyone laughs, and all of us helpfully suggest that he be the one to make that recommendation to Vincene when we return.
The wind is smooth and consistent, but
too strong for us. We are content to sit on
the grass at the edge of the field and watch
the gliders until sunset. We meet several local pilots, who are just as friendly as Mathieu
has said, and we enjoy the evening watching dozens of gliders launch, soar and land.
We are even treated to some fantastic acrobatics.
Done well, paragliding is a beautiful thing
— there is nothing that compares to its
simple elegance. However, when it is done
poorly . . . paragliding is something else entirely. We watch one pilot in particular with
great interest as he struggles on launch for
more than 15 minutes. We laugh a little to
ourselves, because we can all hear Keith in
our heads hollering: “No jumping!” and “If
you look down one more time, I am going to
kick you in the nuts!”
We have dinner at a buffet restaurant in
the city, where Mathieu eats a staggering
amount of food (we lose count after the fifth
plate), and then we drive back to the thriving metropolis of Scipio (two gas stations,
a Dairy Queen and a Subway). Mathieu is
forced to stand in the parking lot for a while,
venting thermals of his own before he can
safely enter the building.
Tomorrow will be Day 2, and although
we are more confident now than we were at
the start of the day, we are still apprehensive
about the day to come.
Saturday, May 17. Second flights.
We meet again at Yuba Lake on Saturday
morning. Clint, Terry, and Tomo manage
to get two flights each today, and the rest of
us get one. Tomo wins the nickname “Spiral Tomo” for his death-defying spiral dive,
which looks scary even from the ground.
He’s still pretty white when he touches down,
so it was obviously a lot scarier in the air!
Chris doesn’t use binoculars because he
has the eyes of a hawk. He lies on the boat
in the middle of the lake and radios instructions to the pilot 2,500 ft up — who looks
like nothing more than a dot in the sky to the
rest of us — “Bend your knees. Cross your
ankles. Get your elbows in. Move your right
index finger twelve degrees to the left.” (I am
joking about that last one, but his eyesight
really is super-human.)
Problems with the boat force us to stop
for the day, but everyone has done so well
that no one really minds. There has been a
significant improvement in every flight, and
it is noticeable to all of us.
Chris saves his first detailed debriefing
for the afternoon, by which time each of us
has done at least two SIV flights. Now that
we have experienced the basic manoeuvres
first-hand (stabilo pulls, big ears, 180s, 360s,
spirals, asymmetrics, frontals, b-stalls, pitch
oscillations, riser twists, and wing-overs), we
can appreciate his comments a lot more than
we might have yesterday.
Instead of being numb with fear (before
our first flights) or numb with shock (after
our first flights), we are nodding our heads
and answering Chris’s questions. We are no
longer virgins to SIV, and it really shows.
Chris has a unique teaching style, and it
works especially well for this.
An SIV course, we are beginning to understand, is something like a refining fire:
burning out the imperfections in our skills.
As Chris says himself, every participant in
an SIV course gets what he or she needs
from it. Those who lack information find it;
those with wrong information get corrected;
those with bad habits change; those without
confidence get it; and those with too much
confidence lose some of it.
We spend the afternoon on the beach enjoying the hot desert sun. We have been using a tripod for the video camera, and the
camera is soon replaced with a telescope,
which proves to be ideal for spotting girls
in bikinis on the opposite beach. There are
quite a few people camping at the lake, and
we chat with several who are curious about
what we’re doing. One guy with a beer in
each hand asks for a ride. Another stops by
in a four-seater dune buggy with his wife
and two teenaged daughters and invites us
to their campsite for drinks later in the day.
(You know you are in Utah when a perfect
stranger invites you and your buddies to get
his girls drunk...)
25
SIV COURSE
In the evening, we return to the hotel to
watch our flights recorded on camera, and
Clint coaches us by identifying things we
have done well and pointing out areas for
improvement.
Each one of us knows exactly the manoeuvres he wants to practise in his next flight.
Tomorrow will be Day 3, and all of us are
looking forward to it.
Sunday, May 18. Epic!
We get started early today, and conditions are spectacular from 7 a.m. until 3
o’clock in the afternoon. Everyone gets
three flights today (and some get four
and five). A few of our launches are a little
hairy, and there are a couple of Albatross
landings, but the improvement in our skills
takes a quantum leap forward. We practise
lots of manoeuvres, some thermal flying
and even a few recreational flights.
Trevor perfects the spiral, Dan gets an
“outstanding!” from Chris on his wingovers, and Terry neatly cores a thermal over
the beach directly above our heads for what
seems like forever.
Daniel earns the nickname “Big Ears”
for an unprecedented 15-minute descent
holding the same manoeuvre. (He lost radio contact after releasing from the tow,
and the air over the lake was a bit turbulent
in the afternoon.) Clint earns our undying
admiration for a perfect triple-S manoeuvre: stall, spin and sat. It’s the scariest thing
we’ve seen yet, and Clint performs it beautifully.
Chris has not let anyone ride in the boat
with him this weekend. He is superstitious
about that: he says there is a curse associated with riding in the boat. Every time
someone does, something goes wrong. After everyone has had his third flight of the
day, Clint decides to challenge fate by tak26 AIR MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2009
ing a ride in the boat.
Nothing goes wrong . . . yet.
Later in the day, Clint is back on shore,
hooking in for another tow.
He takes a rough bounce on launch, puts
his hand out to steady his balance, and his
hand strikes a rock on the beach. He looks
down, sees one of his fingers sticking out
at a funny angle, and brakes hard to abort
the launch. (Paraglider pilots may be a little
nuts, but no one wants to fly with a broken
finger.)
Chris stops the tow within about six feet,
so Clint isn’t hurt getting dragged along
the rocky shore — but he is pulled into the
water, so he’s the first one to get wet this
weekend.
A few minutes later, Chris is on the prow
of the boat, which is now pulled up to the
edge of the water. The rest of us are standing on either side of Clint, and we are all
leaning in close to inspect his little finger,
which looks like it has just grown a crazyass fourth knuckle. Someone suggests that
maybe it is only dislocated, but Clint can’t
move it and he’s sure it’s broken.
Next, there’s a discussion on where we
ought to take him: to the hospital in Salt
Lake City or to the walk-in clinic in Nephi
(which is about 100 miles closer). “You
know,” says Clint conversationally, not
showing that he is feeling any pain at all, “if
I was a horse you’d shoot me.” Chris gives
him a powerful pain-killer and a king-size
can of Red Bull. (What you have to do to
get a free Red Bull these days...)
Everyone takes a step back to see what will
happen when that massive dose of codeine,
caffeine and sugar hits his bloodstream. “I
don’t know, man,” says Chris helpfully, looking at Clint’s finger. “I’d sure like to give that
thing a pull.” The codeine, caffeine and sugar hit all at once about three seconds later,
because Clint shrugs, grabs his pinky and
gives it a good hard tug.
The bones crack four times. Chris
lurches to the side of the boat and nearly
hurls overboard. But Clint is smiling now
and wiggling his finger without any hint
of a grimace. “It worked!” he says happily.
Mathieu decides to nickname him “Pinky,”
and the name sticks for the rest of the day.
All’s well that ends well, as they say, and
this third day of our SIV course is truly
epic. We drove 16 hours from Calgary to be
here, and it has been totally worth it.
I often wonder why we do this.
Paragliding is not as dangerous as most
people think, but it is still a lot more dangerous than many of the alternatives. Why
take up paragliding and not gardening or
croquet? This question fascinates me. Answering it requires an article of its own (or
perhaps a small book), but there are several
things that come to mind immediately.
There are the obvious things, of course:
the exhilaration of flying . . . the peace and
tranquillity that only exists high in the sky
. . . the simple aesthetics of the wing . . . the
beauty of a smooth launch or a well-carved
turn... the feel of the sun and the wind on
your face . . .
But there are very human elements to it,
as well. Paragliding is a life-altering experience, and the people with whom you share
that experience become an important part
of it. We are privileged with great teachers,
instructors and coaches, and we owe a lifelong debt of gratitude to those who introduce us to the sport and continue to guide
and direct our experiences in the air.
This weekend would never have happened without Vincene, Keith, and Clint
from Muller Windsports, or Chris from
Super Fly, and our lives would be something less without it.
So thanks once again from each of us —
we will never forget it!
HPAC Accident / Incident Report – CO
Association
de Vol
Libre HangACVL
Gliding
and Paragliding
Association
o
Rapport
d’Accident / ou
d’Incident –
HPAC
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/ /Nombre
d’heures
totales:
Reserve
Make,
Model
Year
Marque,
modèle
et année de fabrication du parachute :
Hours
last
90
days
/&
Heures
depuis 90
jours:
Hagar
#
/
#
Hagar:
Total Flights
Nombre
total depuis
de vols:90 jours:
Hours
last 90 /days
/ Heures
Total
Flights
/ Nombre
total
de vols: du parachute (O/N):
Reserve
Deployment
(Y/N)
/ Déploiement
Hoursoflast
90 days
/ Heures
90 jours:
Description
Damage
/ Description
desdepuis
dommages:
WEATHER CONDITIONS / CONDITIONS MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
General / Général :
Wind speed & direction / Direction et vitesse du vent:
INJURIES (INCL. HOSPITALIZATION & TIME LOST FROM WORK) / BLESSURES (INCLUANT LA PÉRIODE
D’HOSPITALISATION ET ABSENCE DU TRAVAIL
Page 2
General /Make,
Général
:
Reserve
Model
& Year / Marque, modèle et année de fabrication du parachute :
Helmet
Make,
Model
&
Year
/
Marque,
modèle
et
année
de
fabrication
du
casque
:
EQUIPMENT
/ ÉQUIPEMENTS
Harness Make,
Model & Year
/ Marque, modèle
et année de fabrication du harnais :
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
CONDITIONS
MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
Wind
&Model
direction
/ /Direction
et modèle
vitesse
duannée
vent: de
Gliderspeed
Make,
& (Y/N)
Year
Marque,
et
fabrication de l’aéronef :
Reserve
Deployment
/ Déploiement
du parachute
(O/N):
Page 2
General /Make,
Général
:
Reserve
Model
& Year / Marque, modèle et année de fabrication du parachute :
Helmet Make,/ Model
& Year / Marque, modèle et année de fabrication du casque :
EQUIPMENT
ÉQUIPEMENTS
Harness
Make,
Model
&/Year
/ Marque,
modèle
et année
de
fabrication
du harnais :
Description
of Damage
Description
des
dommages:
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME
LOST
FROM
WORK)
/ BLESSURES
LA PÉRIODE
Glider
Make,
& (Y/N)
Year
Marque,
modèle
et
de
fabrication
de l’aéronef(INCLUANT
:
Wind
speed
&Model
direction
/ Direction
et&
vitesse
duannée
vent:
Reserve
Deployment
// Déploiement
du parachute
(O/N):
D’HOSPITALISATION
ET
ABSENCE
DU
TRAVAIL
Reserve Make, Model & Year / Marque, modèle et année de fabrication du parachute :
Helmet Make,/ Model
& Year / Marque, modèle et année de fabrication du casque :
EQUIPMENT
ÉQUIPEMENTS
Harness Make,
Model &/Year
/ Marque,
modèle
Description
of Damage
Description
des
dommages:
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
/ CONDITIONS
MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
Glider
Make,
Model
&
Year
Marque, &
modèle
et année
de
fabrication
de l’aéronef(INCLUANT
:
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME
LOST
FROM
WORK) / BLESSURES
LA PÉRIODE
Reserve
Deployment
(Y/N)
//OF
Déploiement
du parachute
(O/N):
OBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
(INCLUDE
COORDINATES & PHOTOS) / DESCRIPTION
General
/
Général
:
D’HOSPITALISATION
ET
ABSENCE
DU
TRAVAIL
Reserve Make, Model & Year / Marque, modèle et année de fabrication du parachute :
OBJECTIVE
VOL &
ETYear
DE L’ACCIDENT
/ INCIDENT
(COORDONNÉES
PHOTOS)
Helmet
Make,DU
Model
/ Marque, modèle
et année
de fabrication duET
casque
:
Harness Make,
Model &/Year
/ Marque,
modèle
Description
of Damage
Description
des
dommages:
WEATHER CONDITIONS
/ CONDITIONS
MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
Wind speed
& direction
/ Direction
et vitesse
du vent: (O/N):
Reserve
Deployment
(Y/N)
/ Déploiement
du parachute
OBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
OF
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
(INCLUDE
COORDINATES
& PHOTOS)
/ DESCRIPTION
General
/Make,
Général
:
Reserve
Model
& Year
/ Marque,
modèle et année
de fabrication
du parachute
:
Helmet
Make,
Model
&
Year
/
Marque,
modèle
et année
de fabrication duET
casque
:
OBJECTIVE
DU
VOL
ET
DE
L’ACCIDENT
/
INCIDENT
(COORDONNÉES
PHOTOS)
HUMAN FACTORS / FACTEURS HUMAINS
Description
of Damage
/ Description
des
dommages:
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
/ CONDITIONS
MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME
LOST
FROM
WORK) / BLESSURES (INCLUANT LA PÉRIODE
Wind speed
& direction
/ Direction
et&vitesse
du vent:
Reserve
Deployment
(Y/N)
/ Déploiement
du parachute
(O/N):
Reserve
Model
& Year
/ Marque,
et année de fabrication du parachute :
General
/Make,
Général
: ET
D’HOSPITALISATION
ABSENCE
DUmodèle
TRAVAIL
HUMAN FACTORS FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
HUMAINS ENVIRONMENTAUX
ENVIRONMENTAL
/ FACTEURS
Description
of Damage / Description
desMÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
dommages:
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
CONDITIONS
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME
LOST
FROM
WORK) / BLESSURES (INCLUANT LA PÉRIODE
Reserve
Deployment
(Y/N)
/ Déploiement
du parachute
(O/N):
Wind
speed
& direction
/ /Direction
et&vitesse
du vent:
OBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
OF
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
(INCLUDE COORDINATES & PHOTOS) / DESCRIPTION
D’HOSPITALISATION
General
/ Général : ET ABSENCE DU TRAVAIL
OBJECTIVE DU VOL ET DE L’ACCIDENT / INCIDENT (COORDONNÉES ET PHOTOS)
TECHNICAL
FACTORS
(EQUIPMENT)
/ FACTEURS
TECHNIQUES (ÉQUIPEMENTS)
Description
of
Damage
/ Description
des
dommages:
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAUX
WEATHER
CONDITIONS
/ CONDITIONS
MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME LOST
FROM WORK) / BLESSURES (INCLUANT LA PÉRIODE
Wind
speed
& direction
/ Direction et&vitesse
du vent:
OBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
OF
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
General
/
Général
:
D’HOSPITALISATION ET ABSENCE DU TRAVAIL
TECHNICALCONDITIONS
FACTORS/ (EQUIPMENT)
/ FACTEURS
WEATHER
/ CONDITIONS
MÉTÉOROLOGIQUES
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMANDATIONS
Wind
speed
& direction
/ Direction et&vitesse
du vent:
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME LOST
FROM WORK) / BLESSURES (INCLUANT LA PÉRIODE
General
/ Général
: ET ABSENCE
OBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
OF ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
D’HOSPITALISATION
DU TRAVAIL
OBJECTIVE
DU VOL
ET DE L’ACCIDENT
/ INCIDENT (COORDONNÉES ET PHOTOS)
HUMAN FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
HUMAINS
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
/ FACTEURS ENVIRONMENTAUX
RECOMMENDATIONS
/ RECOMMANDATIONS
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
TIME LOST
FROM WORK)
/ BLESSURES
(INCLUANT
LA PÉRIODE
Wind
speed
& direction
/ OR
Direction
et&vitesse
vent:
ACTIONS
TAKEN
(CLUB
ASSOCIATION)
/du
CORRECTIFS
APPORTÉS
(LE CLUB
OU L’ASSOCIATION)
D’HOSPITALISATION
ET ABSENCE
DU TRAVAIL
OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION
OF ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
OBJECTIVE
DU VOL
ET DE L’ACCIDENT
/ INCIDENT (COORDONNÉES ET PHOTOS)
HUMAN FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
HUMAINS
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAUX
TECHNICAL
FACTORS
(EQUIPMENT)
/ TIME
FACTEURS
TECHNIQUES
INJURIES
(INCL.
HOSPITALIZATION
&
LOST
FROM
WORK)
/(ÉQUIPEMENTS)
BLESSURES
(INCLUANT
LA PÉRIODE
ACTIONSREVIEW
TAKEN
(CLUB
OROF
ASSOCIATION)
/HAVE
CORRECTIFS
APPORTÉS
(LE /CLUB
OU L’ASSOCIATION)
REPORT
– COULD
THIS
ACCIDENT
BEEN
AVOIDED?
HOW?
RÉVISION
DE RAPPORT
– ESTOBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
(INCLUDE
COORDINATES
& PHOTOS)
/ DESCRIPTION
D’HOSPITALISATION
ET ABSENCE
DU TRAVAIL
CE
QUE
CET
ACCIDENT
AURAIT
PU
ÊTRE
ÉVITÉ?
COMMENT?
HUMAN
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
HUMAINS
TECHNICAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAUX
RECOMMENDATIONS
/ (EQUIPMENT)
RECOMMANDATIONS
OBJECTIVE
DESCRIPTION
ACCIDENT/INCIDENT
(INCLUDE
COORDINATES
& PHOTOS)
/ DESCRIPTION
REPORT REVIEW
– COULDOF
THIS
ACCIDENT HAVE BEEN
AVOIDED?
HOW? / RÉVISION
DE RAPPORT
– ESTOBJECTIVE
VOL ET DE
L’ACCIDENT
/ INCIDENT
(COORDONNÉES ET PHOTOS)
CE QUE FACTORS
CETDU
ACCIDENT
AURAIT
PU ÊTRE
ÉVITÉ? COMMENT?
HUMAN
/ FACTEURS
HUMAINS
TECHNICAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAUX
RECOMMENDATIONS
/ (EQUIPMENT)
RECOMMANDATIONS
ACTIONS TAKEN (CLUB OR ASSOCIATION) / CORRECTIFS APPORTÉS (LE CLUB OU L’ASSOCIATION)
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAUX
TECHNICAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
RECOMMENDATIONS
/ (EQUIPMENT)
RECOMMANDATIONS
ACTIONS
TAKEN (CLUB
OR ASSOCIATION) / CORRECTIFS APPORTÉS (LE CLUB OU L’ASSOCIATION)
REPORT REVIEW – COULD THIS ACCIDENT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? HOW? / RÉVISION DE RAPPORT – ESTCE QUE CET ACCIDENT AURAIT PU ÊTRE ÉVITÉ? COMMENT?
ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS
/ FACTEURS
ENVIRONMENTAUX
TECHNICAL FACTORS
(EQUIPMENT)
/ FACTEURS
RECOMMENDATIONS
/ RECOMMANDATIONS
ACTIONS TAKEN (CLUB
OR ASSOCIATION) / CORRECTIFS APPORTÉS (LE CLUB OU L’ASSOCIATION)
TECHNICAL
FACTORS/ (EQUIPMENT)
/ FACTEURS TECHNIQUES (ÉQUIPEMENTS)
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMANDATIONS
ACTIONS
TAKEN (CLUB
ORTHIS
ASSOCIATION)
CORRECTIFS
APPORTÉS
(LE CLUB
OU L’ASSOCIATION)
REPORT REVIEW
– COULD
ACCIDENT /HAVE
BEEN AVOIDED?
HOW?
/ RÉVISION
DE RAPPORT – ESTCE QUE CET ACCIDENT AURAIT PU ÊTRE ÉVITÉ? COMMENT?
RECOMMENDATIONS / RECOMMANDATIONS
Page 3
HPAC SAFETY OFFICER / OFFICIER DE SÉCURITÉ ACVL
Quinn Cornwell
Marlene
Jacob
cell: 204.237.0540
Cell:
705.795.7717
[email protected]
Email / Courriel: [email protected]
Mail / Poste: 157 Birchdale Ave.
Man.
27 CoronationWinnipeg,
Pkwy
Barrie, ON L4M
7J9
R2H
1S3
______________________________________________________________________________________
* Accidents are investigated to provide guidance toward the prevention of a recurrence. The personal
content of this report is CONFIDENTIAL. Report analysis is confined to cause-related circumstances and is
for record keeping and accident prevention purposes only.
*Les accidents sont soumis à une enquête afin de fournir des recommandations qui serviront à prévenir
d’autres incidents. Les données personnelles de ce rapport sont CONFIDENTIELLES. Le rapport d’analyse
sera limité aux causes et circonstances de l’incident et sera conservé dans les archives à des fins de
prévention.
Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada
5 Millennium Drive, Stratford, PEI. C1B 2H2
T e l : 1- 8 7 7- 3 7 0- 2 0 7 8 F a x : 1- 9 0 2- 3 6 7- 3 3 5 8 E m a i l : a d m i n @ h p a c . c a
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
HPAC and Provincial1 Association Membership Fees
Includes $3 Million third-party liability insurance, valid Canada wide, and a magazine (see below depending on your province).
FULL MEMBER:
Choose ONE of A, B, C or D
OPTIONS:
A. Ontario, NWT, out-of-Canada residents (includes
Air Magazine) $0 provincial fee
$125
Subscription to AIR Magazine for non-HPAC members
$30
B. Manitoba, Nunavut (includes Air Magazine)
$0 provincial fee
$125
Subscription to AIR Magazine for HPAC members
$18
C. Atlantic Provinces, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British
Columbia, Yukon (includes Air Magazine)
$15 provincial fee
$140
Subscription to SURVOL Magazine for HPAC members
$18
D. Quebec (includes SurVol Magazine) $43 prov. fee
$150
(Subscription to SURVOL Magazine for non-HPAC members
is available for $25 direc tly from AQVL.qc.ca )
*
Magazine preference (pick one):
AIR (English)
SurVol (French)
neither (downloaded PDF only)
Total of Membership Fees (A, B, C or D):
Total of Optional Fees:
TOTAL SUBMITTED TO HPAC (Membership + Optional fees):
New Member? Yes
No
Check appropriate: HG Pilot
PG Pilot
HPAC/ACVL Membership # (required if you are currently or have previously been a member):
Name:
_____________________________________________________________ Male
Address:
___________________________________________________ City:
Province:
_______________ Postal Code:
Club or School Affiliation:
Phone Home:
(
)
Date of Birth: (day)
Medic Alert:
____________ Country:
__________________
_____________________
________________________________________________________________
-
Work: (
(month)
(year)
)
-
Cell: (
E-mail:
)
__________________________________________________ City:
Province:
___________________ Postal Code:
-
___
_________________
_______________________________ Relationship:
Address:
)
-
_____________________________
_________________________________ 2 Meter Radio Call Sign:
In Case of EMERGENCY contact:
Phone H: (
Female
Work: (
)
_______________ Country:
-
___________
__________________
______________
____
I wish all the information above to remain confidential (not made available on the list available to other members):
It is MANDATORY to carry third-party liability insurance to fly most sites in Canada. HPAC/ACVL Liability Insurance is only available
to members of the HPAC/ACVL. If you are applying for membership please complete the following:
No
)
Did you have an accident or incident in the past year that was not reported? (Yes
I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS FORM IS AN APPLICATION FOR LIABILITY INSURANCE
AND THAT ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN ABOVE IS CORRECT.
Dated:
1
_____
Signature:____________________________________________________
The HPAC/ACVL collects Provincial Membership fees on behalf of Provincial Associations. This mandatory fee is set by Provincial
Associations.
HPAC/ACVL WAIVER
RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK
I,
_______, hereby acknowledge and agree that in consideration o f being permitted to participate in Hang Gliding/Paragliding
programs or activities, I hereby agree to release and discharge Owners and / or Lessors of land who have granted permission for the
use of property for Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities, the Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada a/o
Association Canadienne De Vol Libre, their officers, directors, representatives, employees, members and all other persons or entities
acting in any capacity on their behalf (hereinafter collectively referred to as Releasee) from all liability and I do hereby waive as against
the Releasee all recourses, claims, causes of action of any kind whatsoever, in respect of all personal injuries or property losses
which I may suffer arising out of or connected with, my preparation for, or participation in, the aforesaid Hang Gliding/Paragliding
programs or activities, not withstanding that such injuries or losses may have been caused solely or partly by the negligence of the
Releasee
And I do hereby acknowledge and agree;
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
that the sport of Hang Gliding/Paragliding and Hang Gliding/Paragliding is very dangerous, exposing participants to many risks
and hazards, some of which are inherent in the very nature of the sport itself, others which result from human error and
negligence on the part of persons involved in preparing, organizing and staging Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or
activities;
that, as a result of the aforesaid risks and hazards, I as a participant may suffer serious personal injury, even death, as well as
property loss;
that some of the aforesaid risks and hazards are foreseeable but others are not;
that I nevertheless freely and voluntarily assume all of the aforesaid risks and hazards, and that, accordingly, mypreparation
for, and participation in the aforesaid Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs and activities shall be entirely at my own risk;
that I understand that the Releasee does not assume any responsibility whatsoever for my safety during the course of
my preparation for or participation in the aforesaid Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities;
that I have carefully read this RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK agreement, that I fully understand same,
and that I am freely and voluntarily executing same;
that I understand that by signing this release I hereby voluntarily release, forever discharge and agree to indemnify and hold
harmless the Releasee for any loss or damage connected with any property loss or personal injury that I may sustain while
participating in or preparing for any Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities whether or not such loss or injury is
caused solely or partly by the negligence of the Releasee;
that I have been given the opportunity and have been encouraged to seek independent legal advice prior to signing
this agreement;
that the term Hang Gliding/Paragliding programs or activities as used in this RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF
RISK agreement includes without limiting the generality of that term, the Hang Gliding programs and activities as well as all
other competitions, fly-ins, training sessions, clinics, towing programs and events;
this RELEASE, WAIVER AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK agreement is binding on myself, my heirs, my executors,
administrators, personal representatives and assigns and;
that I have had sufficient opportunity to read this entire document. I have read and understood it, and I agree to be
bound by its terms.
Signature of Participant: (You must sign here)____________________________ Date: _
Participant Name (Type here):
______________
Signature of Witness (Must sign here): _________________________________Date:
Witness Name (Type here):
_____________
_______________
__________________________________
Note: You are only required to sign the HPAC Waiver once but we would prefer that you complete one every year. To verify that we
have a waiver on file for you, visit the HPAC/ACVL site at http://www.hpac.ca.
Leif Hansen
photo by Karen Keller
at
Golden, B.C.
Paramotoring over PEI’s south shores
photo by Douglas Noblet

2009-09 - Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada

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