US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

I was fascinated to discover that in 1909, Glenn Curtiss wouldn't allow anybody to fly his airplanes without becoming proficient at hang gliding first!
HANG GLIDING WAS REQUIRED. It was a prerequisite to power.
Glenn Curtiss taught Loren...



The Decatur Herald (Decatur, Illinois)    17 Feb 1980, Sun    Page 51

I've known that Curtis and others few gliders before adding power, but I'd never heard the above story. That's pretty cool.

As things are, I live 7 miles south of Curtis's original base of operations in Hammondsport, NY. There's a small park at the beach where he first flew his (first ever) sea planes.

I think that I have actually walked the hill from which Curtis and others first flew gliders. But I'm not sure where the cliff is that this fellow is referring to. It shouldn't be hard to spot it from the valley. Perhaps I can get some pictures.

The lake mentioned would, of course, be Keuka Lake.

That cliff's gotta be there. Could just be a hill after 100 years, though.



The Buick Factory Racing Team in Flint, Michigan in 1909
In the driver's seat is a man identified elsewhere as Louis Chevrolet but appears to me to be Loren Hodge.
Louis Chevrolet appears to me to be in the left (mechanic's) seat.


Louis Chevrolet

And finally, I was amazed to find that Indianapolis racer Lewis Strang was a Hawk!