US Hawks Hang Gliding Association

Little Rough Draft Ideas Born from the Joy of Dockweiler HG
=============================================================
1. Since carrybacks are often at high frequency, what might be done to make the carrybacks easier?
2. Sweat-slippery downtubes? Gripping gloves? Carry straps? Is there a way to place some of the forces onto hips and not the neck and back?
3. How to have three persons carryback a wing?
4. Refreshing tie-down ropes? Coordinate with Windsports; offer labor on concession days?
5. Helmet that cradles keel AND transfer forces to shoulders?
6. Coefficient of friction of various ski formats? Rollers? Teflon? Foil stainless steel? Moving tread? Tests?
7. Mobile tie downs? Web-based canvas sand bag?
8. When to park temporarily the wing in the LZ? Drunk rowdy disturber cannot grab wing and fly a wing that is in LZ below?
9. How much wear is occurring on cables and terminals at basebar as the sand and sea mist work their wonders?
10. Tissue cost for high-count carrybacks?
11. Cleaning the site?
12. Pleasant coordination with other beach users?

Great endeavor this 12 point, "Rough Draft."
Keeping in mind that pilots like myself and Johnathan Dietch and one other pilot who's name I forgot, fly with a bungee head system
to keep the weight of our heads supported while flying prone. ---
Concerning:
5. Helmet that cradles keel AND transfer forces to shoulders?
I would clarify this point to address pilots with any kind of neck condition that their
cradling helmet would have 100% of the lifted weight bypass the head and neck
for the carrybacks. (#5. in its brevity may have contained this thought from the get-go.)
Concerning:
2. Sweat-slippery downtubes? Gripping gloves? Carry straps? Is there a way to place some of the forces onto hips and not the neck and back?
Transferring the glider's weight all the way to the hips has special appeal to me as my back is weak at the L-3 vertebra.
Expanding on the idea of a canoe portage yoke and adapting to hip yoke (or belt) has my interest.

All great thoughts!!

I wonder if anyone has tried a cord from each base tube/down tube junction that goes up over the shoulders (or waist belt) to carry the load?

There are lots of things to try!!

Bob Kuczewski wrote:All great thoughts!!

I wonder if anyone has tried a cord from each base tube/down tube junction that goes up over the shoulders (or waist belt) to carry the load?

There are lots of things to try!!

Now there's an idea I hadn't thought of but what did pop into my mind is if we get gusted while we are fastened to any kind of carryback apparatus
we might also want to carry a hook shaped anchor to retard the downwind drag. (Material for Harry Martin )

On my Alpha I solved the slippery downtube problem by applying the narrow non-skid white tape commonly used at the edge of stair steps. I applied the tape straight down the front of the downtubes so that it wouldn't be rubbing against the shoulders when holding the glider prior to launch. It also helps grip during launch as well as during carry back.

The white tape doesn't show very well in the photo but it starts where the blue reflection strip on the tubes ends (about where the helmet is hanging) and goes all the way down to the base tube bracket.

Frank