You said, “Mike Koman (USHGA 71) who now lives in Hawaii,” so I’m thinking that Mike wasn’t there until recently.
Still fresh in my mind, since it was the very first time I saw hang gliding was during R&R from Viet Nam in 1970 on the north east end of Oahu’s Makapuu Point.
I had disobeyed orders and rented a Honda motorcycle to tour the Island.
I was amazed to see guys in gliders hanging motionless above me soaring the trade winds. I knew right then that I was going to do this if I ever got home safely from the Army. For sure not from such a high cliff ---but I was GOING TO DO THIS! This was truly an unforgettable moment my first exposure to hang gliding. I hadn’t even heard of it before this moment. A man carrying kite!! I would have never thought! A woman in a rusted 50’s model car roared up and stopped. She got out with a bull horn in her right hand, put it to her lips tilted here head back, aiming the bull horn toward the gliders, and yelled, “Okay Mike, you’ve been up there long enough! Come home and get some work done!” This Mike guy was flying seated in a swing seat, not wearing a helmet, bare feet, in cutoff Jeans, a floppy Hawaiian print button shirt, (Long hair). Mike dipped his wings left and right to get down and when it looked like he was going to over shoot the landing area his flying buddies on the ground all started yelling, “Shark Bait! Shark Bait! Shark bait! I thought SHARKS? ---This could be a dangerous sport. I was totally clueless at this point. (Of course it could be dangerous! Even without SHARKS!)
If anyone gets a message to Mike Koman (USHGA 71) ask him if he was near Sea Life Park LZ in 1970 and if he is the one and the same Mike that was called out of the sky with a bull horn. I was the skinny kid standing near your car when the bull horn sounded.
Wow!! It's an honor to have Mike (and Joe and Neil) as members of the US Hawks!!
Thanks to each of you.
_________________ Join a National Hang Gliding Organization:US Hawks at ushawks.org View my rating at:US Hang Gliding Rating System Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you will find that opportunity in your own time.
Can't say I know too much about Mr. Koman, but I certainly remembered the name when I saw it. A few pictures of Mike appeared in Dan Poynter's book "Hang Gliding" - a real classic. I probably bought the book in '75 or '76 at a sporting goods store (they actually had a standard rogallo suspended from the ceiling). Needless to say, to remember that after so many decades hints at how significantly obsessed I was at the time.
If anyone gets a message to Mike Koman (USHGA 71) ask him if he was near Sea Life Park LZ in 1970 and if he is the one and the same Mike that was called out of the sky with a bull horn. I was the skinny kid standing near your car when the bull horn sounded.
Not Mike Koman, as he was in Philadelphia designing and building hang gliders; then he came to Los Angeles. Mike Koman and I partnered on the Faust-Koman Dial-Soap three-boomer bowsprit hang glider using 1908 technology of Breslau A-frame control and near-Whitehead wing; I had Eipper's sailmaker sew up nylon-ripstop sail. From drawing start to finish our design and build (in backyard of my Venice home): three days. Then flew in commercial without prior testing. I gave my copy of the commercial to Ken for safe keeping; he uploaded to YouTube while imprinting his collection ad in the image.
But "Mike" of your baptism was probably Mike Dorn: Michael Van Dorn Mike Van Dorn
Joined: Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:40 pm Posts: 8373 Location: San Diego, CA
That's two great stories ... Bill's first sight of hang gliding and Joe's behind the scenes memory of the famous Dial soap commercial!
Even if nothing else ever comes of the US Hawks, I'm glad I was able to see you gentlemen swapping stories from those early years. Thanks!!
_________________ Join a National Hang Gliding Organization:US Hawks at ushawks.org View my rating at:US Hang Gliding Rating System Every human at every point in history has an opportunity to choose courage over cowardice. Look around and you will find that opportunity in your own time.
