US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Harnesses in Hang Gliding History:
Harnesses

I had a few items about harnesses on the web site, but after I was at a meeting recently with some British hang gliding legends including Brian Wood and Johnny Carr, who both told of extreme experiences flying in early harnesses, I realized that the subject of harnesses needed a dedicated page.

1976 I started lessons with a plastic swing seat on yellow polypropylene rope. My first glider was a Manta Windlord, and I decided I wanted something more secure than a swing seat.
A friend working at a junkyard got 3 GM seat belts for me.
Bob Podohla had an hd sewing machine, and he stitched up swing seat style "a** basket" for me that had a spreader bar below the carabiner, a buckle at both thighs and one at my waist.
I flew that my first 2 years until Jan Case in SF sold me my first knee hanger prone harness.
I have a video of that seated harness at the Olympia Brewery training hill, but I don't think the format can be uploaded!!

DaveSchy wrote:I have a video of that seated harness at the Olympia Brewery training hill, but I don't think the format can be uploaded!!

Hi Dave, that sounds like another missing piece of hang gliding history. I encourage you to look into converting it!

A friend of mine had some old film footage that she shot at Torrey Pines Gliderport several decades ago (I believe it was 1977). I found a local company that converted it to DVD for a reasonable price. I posted stills from her video on the original Torrey Hawks web site when we founded the club back in 2007. They're still there:

      http://torreyhawks.org/HISTORY/1977/Ahg0001.HTM

Here are some of the those stills:

I gave a copy of that video footage to Bill Liscomb many years ago when he was working on "Big Blue Sky", but I don't think any of it made the final cut.

By the way, if anyone knows any of those pilots or gliders, please feel free to post what you know. Thanks.

The pilot of the glider with the dragons painted on the sail (an Eipper Cumulus 5B?) I think is world record distance setter George Worthington. He had a glider like that, which he flew at Torrey. I also think that is him in the cap and white short sleeve shirt.

What about a new design, "more rigid, aerodynamic, harness system" which was incorporated into the POD, that would not allow this: start at 0:30. and also lessen, to some degree, too much pilot oscillation?
also I saw that if the pilot had, quick disconnect "safety straps' on the control bar, his hands could stay on.


And, in the POD, or on the keel, incorporate some how, the back up chute, so a quicker (and less hectic) release time could be gained. start at 0:55.


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Pros & Cons?