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Hang gliding 1990 to 1993

This page follows Hang gliding late 1980s.

The images on this page, with two exceptions, are artistic derivations of contemporary photos. See Copyright of early hang gliding photos.

Reynolds’ number

Art based on a photo of Terry Reynolds with the TRX in 1991 — Terry Reynolds eXperimatal — the TRX in 1991

Terry Reynolds flew C-130s in Vietnam, earning two Distinguished Flying Crosses there. In 1991, he created the TRX based on carbon fiber airframe manufacturing by Ultralight Products, whose 1977 Graphite Spyder pioneered the technique. The first TRX weighed only about 60 pounds, but later production models, including mine, weighed 80 pounds.

Terry Reynolds, sailmaker Dick Cheney, and development test pilots Tony Barton and Mitch McAleer contributed to the creation of the TRX. Based near Salt Lake City, Utah, the Ultralight Products factory was ideally placed to use that city’s expertise in carbon fiber R&D. Tony Barton won the 1991 US national championship in the TRX. (Source: Dick Cheney, from Oak to Carbon Fiber by John Heiney, Hang Gliding, October 1993.)

For more about UP, see the Ultralight Products of California and Utah related topics menu and for more about the use of carbon fiber in flex-wing hang gliders, see under Litespeed in Hang gliding 2015 to 2019.

Art based on a photo of Pete Lehmann at Templeton, in eastern USA — Pete Lehmann at Templeton, in eastern USA

Art based on a photo of instructor and puionerring hang gliding videographer Paul Hamilton — Instructor and pioneering hang gliding video maker Paul Hamilton

In this image, instructor and pioneering hang glider videographer Paul Hamilton has a rocket-deployed emergency parachute mounted on the front of his harness.

Art based on a photo by Larry Walsh of pioneer pilot and long time editor of Hang Gliding magazine Gil Dodgen in 1991 — Pioneer pilot and long time editor of Hang Gliding magazine Gil Dodgen in 1991. Photo by Larry Walsh.

Hang gliding author Dennis Pagen flying a Moyes XS at the 4th annual glide ratio contest at Morningside Flight Park. Photo by Mark Vaughn.

See also the Moyes and Dennis Pagen related topics menus.

Art based on a photo by Luc Boucher of Mount Yamaska, Quebec — Mount Yamaska, Quebec. Photo by Luc Boucher.

Art based on a photo by Bob Ormiston of hang gliders soaring Mission Ridge — Hang gliders soaring Mission Ridge. Photo by Bob Ormiston.

This image over Mission Ridge looks south to Mission Peak, California.

SETP

Mike Meier of hang glider manufacturer Wills Wing received the Jack Northrop award for the most outstanding technical paper presented at the 45^th Annual West Coast Symposium of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. The paper was derived from Mike’s article for Hang Gliding magazine, Why Can’t We Get A Handle On This Safety Thing, to which there is a link in the Sport Kites/Wills Wing of California related topics menu.

Brad and Donnita Hall (Donnita Holland) in 1992 — Brad and Donnita Hall in 1992

Nothing to do with the SETP, but this photo, the original of which was in the September 1992 edition of Hang Gliding, represents that many of the pioneers were still flying 20 years after they started. See also Donnita in Hang gliding 1975 part 2.

Assortment

Art based on a photo of US champ Tony Barton sliding a landing in an Ultralight Products XTR (alloy-frame version of the TRX) — US champ Tony Barton sliding a landing in an Ultralight Products XTR (alloy-frame version of the TRX)

Art based on a photo by Dave Freund of Mitch McAleer at Elsinore, California — Mitch McAleer at Elsinore, California. Photo by Dave Freund.

Bob Cogman launches from a flat field in Norfolk, England, in 1993. Photo by Glyn Charnock.

A static winch enables hang gliders to operate from a flat field.

In the 1980s, Tony and Rona Webb of hang gliding school Lejair pioneered the use of winch launching for hang glider pilot training in Britain. See also Lejair: Tony and Rona Webb.

Flying across the Norfolk flatlands by circling in a thermal in 1991 — The author flying across the Norfolk flatlands by circling in a thermal in 1991

Texas is another part of the world where towing up is the only option, but aerotow is used more commonly than winching there.

Art based on a photo by Welshman Geoff Loyns over Big Spring, Texas, in about July 1990 — Welshman Geoff Loyns over Big Spring, Texas, in about July 1990

Toni-Junell Herbert and Robert Millman in a hang glider at Cape Kiwanda, Orgegon. Photo by Skip Brown. — Toni-Junell Herbert and Robert Millman at Cape Kiwanda, Orgegon. Photo by Skip Brown.

The glider in the Skip Brown photo is a Moyes (Australia) GTR. For more of Skip Brown’s amazing photography, see under External links later on this page. See also the Moyes related topics menu.

Art based on a photo by Jim Kolynich of the ramp at Tegelberg, Germany — The ramp at Tegelberg, Germany. Photo by Jim Kolynich.

Art based on a photo by Leroy Grannis of a hang glider camera ship and a paraglider at Telluride, Colorado — Hang glider camera ship and a paraglider at Telluride, Colorado. Photo by Leroy Grannis.

Art based on a photo by Tom Sanders of Eves Tall Chief on his 175th flight at Yosemite, California, where he was the senior monitor — Eves Tall Chief on his 175th flight at Yosemite, California, where he was the senior monitor. Photo by Tom Sanders.

Hang gliding in the Yosemite national park is strongly regulated.

Art based on a photo by Brad Stevens of Steve Wendt flying a Wills Wing Skyhawk at Nags Head, North Carolina — Steve Wendt flying a Wills Wing Skyhawk at Nags Head, North Carolina. Photo by Brad Stevens.

Wills Wing manufactured 307 Skyhawks. See Wills Wing glider production history. See also the Sport Kites/Wills Wing of California related topics menu and the Kitty Hawk Kites page.

Art based on a photo by Phil Hystek flying Mt. Tam — Phil Hystek flying Mt. Tam

As far as I can determine, Phil Hystek pioneered the in-flight camera suspended below the harness. Compare the scenery in this image with that in Bob Ormiston’s Mission Ridge image (earlier on this page) looking south to Mission Peak. As I figure it, this is farther up the coast, north of San Francisco, which is visible in the distance.

Advert for the Ultralight Products TRX in Hang Gliding, September 1991

From the UP TRX advert in May 1991 (no larger image available)

See also the Ultralight Products of California and Utah related topics menu.

Art based on a photo by Ray Matthews of a Pacific Windcraft Vision Pulse at Nags Head, North Carolina — Pacific Windcraft Vision Pulse at Nags Head, North Carolina. Photo by Ray Matthews.

The Vision Pulse succeeded the Vision Mark 4 (Airwave Calypso in Britain) as an ideal first glider. It was reputedly light, forgiving of mistakes and easy to handle, while providing good performance. See also Pacific Airwave in Jean-Michel Bernasconi and Pacific Windcraft.

Art based on the Moyes XS advert in Hang Gliding, March 1991 — Moyes XS advert in *Hang Gliding*, March 1991

Ability

It’s better to teach someone who can’t hear than someone who won’t listen.

— Rob McKenzie writing in Hang Gliding, December 1990. He taught Sally Tucker, who is deaf, to fly hang gliders. She became a cross-country pilot.

Malcolm Jones, Michelle Cook, and David Glover. Photo by Dennis Pagen.

Former gymnast and champion skier Michelle Cook was paralyzed from the waist down in a horse riding accident in 1986, but that did not prevent her from taking up hang gliding by using a system used at many flight parks in the USA: A launch trolley and either a ground-based winch or powered ultralight aero-tug. Landing is on wheels attached to the control frame base tube.

In 1995 I flew in Spain with a group that included a pilot who was paralyzed in a 1989 motorcycle crash.

Wheeled launch at Ager, September 1995 — Jon Millikan hits the deck after serving as wire man for this wheeled launch at Ager in September 1995

With purpose-made sprung wheels and a another pilot acting as keel pusher (notice the long safety line) he launched from the rounded slope of the mountain top in similar fashion to the method used for vintage sailplanes. He had a great two weeks of flying.

See also the Ted Rhudy photo in Early powered ultralights part 2.

This topic continues in Hang gliding 1994 and 1995.

External links

Aeolus Hang Gliding School, Groton Mass, 1991: Training action video on YouTube

Flyability, the disability initiative of the British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

Marilyn Hamilton lost the use of her legs in a hang glider crash in 1978. With two hang gliding friends she set about redesigning the wheelchair and, in so doing, founded a multi-million dollar business.

Skip Brown Photography Facebook page

Steve Varden — a short film by Rachel Meyrick on Vimeo of the British hang glider pilot who overcomes a motor neurone disease to fill his life with adventure