[Bob Kuczewski]

As far as I know there hasn’t been anyone organizing a 50th anniversary of the 1st Lilienthal meet for this coming May 23rd.

Technically, the U.S. Hawks has been working on this since Aug 31, 2019 12:38 pm (see original post in this topic). At this point, the consensus has been to "organize" it to the same degree as the original meet.

Unfortunately - and unlike the original meet - not everyone will be able to participate this year. That's what USHPA and commercialization have brought to the sport of hang gliding.

[Frank Colver]

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE "OTTO 50th DAY" AT DOCKWEILER BEACH, CA

Although Joe Greblo no longer owns and operates Windsports Flight School, at Dockweiler Beach, they have asked him to run the bluff operations that day (May 23). The school will not have an instructor available for use by the Otto meet attendees, so Joe says that current and past HG pilots can fly but no instruction is available for beginners. The school will be operating for their own students.

I assume that, as in the past, those without current USHPA insurance, wanting to fly, will need to purchase a temporary 30 day membership which is not very expensive. Those temp memberships are available in the Windsports office. Also the county charges anyone flying a $5 day use fee, also payable in the office.

Frank

[Bob Kuczewski]

I assume that, as in the past, those without current USHPA insurance, wanting to fly, will need to purchase a temporary 30 day membership ...

For the record, I have again requested to purchase a 30 day temporary USHPA membership for this event ... and been denied.

I will be there just the same, but it is unlikely that I will be able to fly this year.   

[Bob Kuczewski]

Here's the current wind forecast for May 23, 2021:

Time

8am

9am

10am

11am

12pm

1pm

2pm

3pm

4pm

5pm

6pm

7pm

8pm

9pm

10pm

Direction

E

E

E

SW

SW

SW

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

W

Speed (mph)

5

5

5

8

8

8

13

13

13

16

16

16

14

14

14

The site can be flown with winds from SW to NW, but West is Best.

At this time, it looks like a very fun day for flying!!

[Frank Colver]

I posted this reminder today on hang gliding.org (see at bottom to go to the posting).

Bumping this to the top as a reminder that this Sunday, May 23, 2021, will be the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the worlds first hang glider competitive meet and celebration of Otto Lilienthal's 123rd birthday. The 1st one was held in Pacific View Memorial Park, Newport Beach, Calif., on May 23, 1971.

Otto Lilienthal contributed a large body of knowledge and understanding to the realm of human flight through both scientific measurement and actual flights in his gliders. This Sunday will be Otto's 173rd birthday.

The competition was for actual flight of any distance (inches, feet, 10's of feet) and certificates were awarded. All of the gliders were homebuilt and Richard Miller won the farthest flight award with his "conduit condor". On that flight he flew over another hang glider on the ground. It was probably also the highest flight of any glider that day that was not launch assisted by other hands. This inspired my Skysail design later that year.

Worldwide publicity by Nat Geo Magazine, of that 1971 meet, inspired many to get into the sport and by the end of that year hang glider manufacturers were springing up all over the world. Most of them were building what became known as the "standard Rogollo", now relegated to the "dust bin of history". having been replaced by far better performing designs and safer to fly.
Frank

Read more: http://forum.hanggliding.org/viewtopic. ... z6vTOgFvUv

[Bob Kuczewski]

The current NWS Forecast shows a straight west wind at 12mph gusting to 15mph from 11am through 10pm. If that holds up, it should be a great day.

Here's where you can get the latest update:

https://www.weather.gov/wrh/WxTable?LAT ... YS=7&INT=1

I plan to bring a Condor 225 (Thanks Frank!). A Condor 330 might also be a good choice.

[Bob Kuczewski]

Hi all,

As far as I know there hasn’t been anyone organizing a 50th anniversary of the 1st Lilienthal meet for this coming May 23rd. I have an email in to Windsports, at Dockweiler Beach, asking if they are planning anything for that day, but don’t know yet. Word on the street is: there will be some informal, completely unorganized, gathering of the hang gliding faithful at Dockweiler Beach, CA. Nobody in charge, just like the 1st one.

We should not let this important golden anniversary go by without honor. That first meet, the first “organized” hang gliding world competition, brought the sport flying of these contraptions to the attention of the world and the worldwide sport exploded from a few isolated individuals to a growing popular recreation across the world, within that first year of 1971. Many new manufacturers of hang gliders had “sprung up” across the globe before the end of the year.

So, some of us will be out at Dockweiler Beach on Sunday, May 23rd to informally celebrate the 50th anniversary of that amazing first Otto meet, which some of you attended as well as myself and my kids. You can come out to Dockweiler, with or without a glider, to visit with old HG friends and relate your stories of “the good old days”.

Parking fees in the bluff lot (south lot) apply.

Many will have been vaccinated by that time and it’s open ocean air but if you feel uneasy about a gathering feel free to wear a mask.

May 23, 2021, a Sunday, just like the 1st one 50 years ago.

Frank

Sent: Friday, April 30, 2021 6:06 PM
Subject: Re: 50th anniversary of the first Otto Lilienthal meet

Count me in!
Thanks Frank.
These are somewhat uncertain times.
But i certainly plan to attend.
John Anderson

Sent: Sat, May 22, 2021 9:30 am
Subject: RE: 50th anniversary of the first Otto Lilienthal meet

Just a last minute reminder that tomorrow is the 50th anniversary gathering to honor the 1st Otto Lilienthal meet. Looks like a great west wind day at Dockweiler Beach – one step launches. Come out to physically fly or just to fly in memory conversations.

I’ll have my new WW Alpha 235 there, to either set up or not set up depending on everything.

Frank

Date: 5/22/21 4:11 PM (GMT-06:00)
Subject: Re: 50th anniversary of the first Otto Lilienthal meet

Have fun! I will be thinking of you guys and wishing I was there.

DITTOS !
My fondest memories of "youth"...
How time passes, 50 years !
Mostly I would like to dedicate the day to
Honor Joe Faust ,
the man who's "Vision" helped propel this half century of MAN-FLIGHT to the rest of humanity.
It was my privilage to have shared those moments in time with such a
Blessed group of men& women.
USHPA Founding Member #24
Neil Larson

I second Neil's tribute to Joe Faust on this 50th anniversary of the celebration that Joe Faust gave to the world. Thanks Joe.   

[Bob Kuczewski]

We had a fun day at Dockweiler today!

It's too late to post all the pictures and video, but I did want to post a photo of the most important person there today:

Happy Otto Day Joe!!

[JoeF]

MIP there was Otto Lilienthal; he even brought a government ID card this time! His secretary was Matt Colver. Welcome Otto Lilienthal! Glad you could make your birthday party and our celebration of the 1971 Otto Meet that ushered a new era in hang gliding! You, Otto, flew in our extended hours of the party that reached into the hours after midnight and into the hours of May 24, border to your birthday May 23. Glad you could make the celebration, Otto Lilienthal! See Dockweiler thread for some details on your flights. And thank you, for your many supports on May 23 and in the days and weeks before the gathering!

I think the I.D. card of Otto Lilienthal will soon show in the forum

======================
I collected the signatures of most of the party's visitors. Some took a photo of the signatures.
======================
By the grace of Joe Greblo many had official free flights on May 23rd this year! Thanks, Joe Greblo!
=======================

My flights on May 23, 2021: three in Condor 330, three in Frank Colver's new Alpha 235, and three in Floyd's 10-meter Airwave double-surface Pulse.

================
Special thanks to Bob Kuczewski and Frank Colver for the day. Many lifts were radiating from the two to make my day with others! Thanks.

[Frank Colver]

So glad you could be there Joe Faust!

Here's a video of Joe Greblo soaring my Alpha 235 in the swing seat and adapter bars. This was his first launch in my Alpha and he took off into soaring flight.

https://vimeo.com/554609245

Also a photo (by Bill Watson) of my first flight in my new Alpha 235. For pandemic and personal injury reasons I have had the glider for several months but had not flown it before Sunday. I was glad to celebrate Otto's 178th B-Day with my first flight in my new glider. Almost glad that I waited for this occasion.

Frank

My 1st flight in my new A-235.jpg (522.96 KiB) Viewed 1575 times