US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

This blog looks back into the history of obtaining hang gliding sites and asks "How did we get where we are today?"
What did we do well?
Where did we compromise?
And where did we go wrong?
All are encouraged to comment.

Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont, California


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The Argus
Fremont, California
18 Feb 1974 - Page 1

Hang Gliding is perilous – and popular

The San Bernardino County Sun Thursday June 13 1974 page 31

The activity is unregulated, “it appears we compare favorably with skiing, probably a little better’ by Mike Rubin. Los Angeles (AP) – It is a perilous indication of hang gliding’s new popularity, but the sport has claimed 10 lives in the United States so far this year. . . and the answer is we’ve got to regulate it ourselves,” he said. Allen and Dave Cronk, a Torrance, Calif., hang glider builder, say the best self-regulation would be similar to skin diving where shops refuse to fill diving tanks with air or rent gear unless a customer shows proof of having undergone training. As part of its regulation program, the USHGA has taken over three popular hang gliding areas, including a mountainside above Sylmar, Calif., where three pilots have been killed two this year. Overconfidence is the cause of nearly all hang gliding accidents, said Allen. “They try too much too soon.” California has had four fatalities this year, with two each in Colorado and Washington and one in Hawaii and Montana. Allen said his group had 300 members two years ago and expects the figure to hit 8,000 soon. It is also trying, to help bring “some sort of discipline” to flying. “The government is looking, cities, counties. They’re wondering how to regulate it or ban it. Its real problem The association said it bans “stunt” type flying, limits other maneuvers it feels dangerous, requires helmets and halts flying during unsafe wind conditions. Allen said his group is also trying to up licensing standard for pilots and is starting an accident review board which will make the Sylmar deaths its first case. As for the sport’s danger, Allen conceded: “Once you get into a crash situation the chance for injury is much higher.” But he said although there, are no accurate figures on injuries because most accidents. . . Last year six persons died. The year before on fatality was reported in gliders that a pilot hangs from instead of riding in like a sailplane. Complicated versions have wings and tails with controls. But a major part of the sudden boom is due to a kite-like glider based on a parachute originally designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to help return spacecraft to earth. A professionally built “kite” sells for $500 and up. At its simplest, hang gliding is running off a hillside or mountain the sailing along hanging onto the glider, using body movements to guide the craft. An estimated 25,000 people are trying it. Advocates call it the closest thing to joining birds in flight and compare it to “surfing on air.” “But we need to get through to people that they’ve got to learn it, they just can’t grab a glider and jump off the nearest mountain,” Bill Allen, a USHGA spokesman. “We’ve had an unfortunate increase in the number of accidents. There are an awful lot of overconfident pilots.” The figures come from the United States Hang Gliding Association (USHGA), which is eager to discuss the growing pains of a sport that can be traced back to man’s first attempts to fly. The crafts are simple.

I was flying Soboba (from the top) when it was a secret site with only 4 or 5 of us flying there. It became my regular use site. Then a cross country flight (not me) from Soboba to the Cucamonga HG site put the word out and Soboba became a popular and overcrowded site, which started the process of my leaving the sport. I never did like launching and flying in a mass of gliders. I had already quit Elsinore (Edwards Cyn) because of crowding.

Frank