[Bob Kuczewski]

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[JoeF]

Michael R. Giles

Dave Freeman
05/06/2005
The Highster was built in Oakland Ca. by Mike Giles. It was a a 90% double surface glider with triple deflexers (wing truss wires). These wires where adjusted with out turnbuckles. They where adjusted by turning over the outer tangs which would tighten the winding of one cable and lossen the other. For increased strenth, the cross bar was inner sleeved with out pop rivets. Later versions had a floating cross bar. Highster used Manta hardware and was considered the flex wing side of Manta when Manta swithched over to making the Fledge. Highster was named after a fork lift because it was a "Heavy Lifter". The most common size was 190 square feet. During peak demand for the Highster, some where manufactured in Sacramento, Ca. It was easy to set up, with all the nice Manta hardware, good static balance, but a bit stiff to fly. The floating cross bar helped the handling. Glide was poor for a 90% double surface glider due to the triple set of wires out in front of the leading edge. The glider could be easliy spun and this was an accepted thermalling practice when the pilot was tired.

Mike Giles, former designer of Highster hang gliders, landing his new (to him) T2C 144, his first flight on it, at Andy Jackson Airpark on Jan. 1, 2011. He was very pleased with the glider.

https://www.gofundme.com/2672gyt8 Fly high Michael Giles
Beneficiary of this campaign:
Stephanie Falkenberg

https://www.facebook.com/michael.giles.3998

In 2015 Michael walked his daughter down wedding aisle:

"back on the year and say he was able to walk me down the aisle and spend Christmas with his grandchildren"

Veteran

===============================
In a low-Reynolds number airfoil paper: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a163609.pdf

Contract No. N00014-83-C-0764. The authors would like to thank Messrs.
Mike Giles, Paul Tacheron and Ken Theimer for their important contributions
during the design and construction of the EATS.
In particular, *A Mr. Giles, who built one of the first aerodynamic test systems for hang glider testing,
has been extremely helpful in sharing his invaluable experience with us.

Environmental Aerodynamic Test System (EATS)

DESCRIPTION OF THE EATS
The EATS is an improved version of an aerodynamic test system designed
for hang glider testing (Pregler et al. [7]). It consists of an
instrumented pickup truck with a boom furnishing a moving platform on
which to mount full-scale LRN wings. Figure 1 is a picture of the EATS.
We describe in this section the essential components of the EATS and the
first LRN wing to be tested on it.

LRN :: Low Reynolds Number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reynolds_number
See also: http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a190128.pdf wherein Michael Giles was referenced for:
Pregler, W., Guignard, T., and Giles, M. (1981) "Aerodynamic Test System,"
Hang Gliding, March.
[[ Pregler, William and Guignard, Thierry; "Aerodynamic Test System"; Hang Gliding; 3/81; pp. 34-37 (full-sized HG test system mounted above van; simplified schematics and photos) ]]

See North Wing evolutes of truck testing: http://www.northwing.com/glider-load-testing.htm
https://scontent-sjc2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t31.0-8/12291079_1164750646872906_7882701884269789757_o.jpg

He posted:

b. January 29, 1946
Former CEO & Founder at Highster Aircraft
Went to Corona Del Mar High School '64

Old corporation detail page: http://www.californiacorporates.com/corp/307492.html
HIGHSTER AIRCRAFT, INC. His then process contact address was in Berkeley, California. HIGHSTER AIRCRAFT, INC. is a company incorporated in California and its company number is C0859033. HIGHSTER AIRCRAFT, INC. was registered on 1/16/1978. The company's status is listed as FTB Suspended.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Mike at the San Diego City Council (November 5th, 2013):



Mike spoke in favor of reactivating the Torrey Pines City Park Advisory Board to provide oversight at Torrey Pines.

In addition to Mike's speech here, Mike also attended several other meetings with elected officials to bring safety and oversight to the Torrey Pines Gliderport.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Mike was a regular at our Torrey Hawks Second Sundays. He was there on July 12th, 2015.

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Mike also testified in my favor during the restraining order trial that ran from late 2014 through spring of 2015.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Mike was USHGA #11520, and Torrey Hawk #230. Mike attended a lot of our Second Sundays over the years, and these are some pictures from our Second Sunday in February of 2014. Mike was flying my Falcon 195 in these pictures (from video):

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Of course, Mike was always ready to help a fellow pilot on launch:

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[Bob Kuczewski]

Here are some photos from one of the many Torrey Hawks Second Sundays that Mike attended. This one was March 11th, 2012.

Let me start with a couple of pictures of Mike and some of the other Hawks attending that day:

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While we were "hang waiting" for the wind to pick up, Mike decided to teach a young visitor to do a back flip:

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Mike did a super job teaching and building the young fellow's confidence:

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Mike also coached the young man on some other aspects of gymnastics:

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And as every good coach knows ... sometimes a demonstration helps. Here's "Iron Man Mike":

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Some of the best pilots I've known were also gymnasts. And speaking of flying, Mike had a great flight in our "Second Sunday Falcon" ...

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Mike finished that day with a super landing behind the RC mound:

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Super Day Mike!!   

[Bob Kuczewski]

Thanks to Jim, I just found a few more pictures of Mike posted on Northwing's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/north.wing.inc/ ):

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Thanks Jim.

[Bob Kuczewski]

I recently got a notice about a memorial service for Mike Giles:

Michael's VA funeral and burial of ashes is scheduled for June 29th at 2:00 pm at the Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oregon. Friends and family are invited to attend.

Please share this with his hang glider friends.