1976 Hang 10 World Open Hang Gliding Competition

[pushtrailer]

So nice to see this video. I attended this event and flew Escape Country fairly often in the early 70's. I ran WEST WIND Hang Gliding School at Docweiler Beach, CA until 1975.

The pioneer days of Hang Gliding were the BEST!

[upsportsgeorge]

Yes I am, I ran the Hang Gliding park with my buddy Mike Miller , Those were the best of days. I really got launch from Escape Country. After the park closed down I went to Japan and coach the Japan National team and went onto the first FAI world championship in Kussin Austria in 76". Yusuke Yamazaki speared headed the team. In 82 I started UP Sports and the rest is history. Never give up, UP !!

[upsportsgeorge]

Awesome time at Escape Country at the Hang Ten World Championship. A time and place where the finest pilots around the world came together, It was a honor to be their. Number three pilot is George Follman on the 6b also knowen as crazy George.

[menamiketrx]

@upsportsgeorge Thanks George. I have updated the annotation indicating Glider #3 being piloted by George Follman. So, are you the "Crazy George".

[jeep200000]

I've watched this video loads of times now and it always cheers me up, I have the music track on my ipod too, thanks for a great video, sorry I can't help witht the pilot names as I was just 17 at the time and had no money to follow my dream of flying a hang glider, I'm now 52 and still want to have a go.

Thanks again for sharing with us.

[Lucious25]

Can anyone tell me what Glider 7 was, and where can I see more of this kind of aircraft?

[menamiketrx]

@Lucious25 Glider 7 is a Mitchell Wing. I have annotations appearing on most of the gliders showing not only make and model of glider, but also Pilot Name. I am not sure if plans are still being offered for this rigid wing. It was primarily wood construction of for the day had extraordinary glide ratio. Was a considerable project to build. Still probably are plans around, but for my money if I were to choose a modern rigid wing I would go with the Atos. Better glide, easier assemble.

[menamiketrx]

Also, if you are not seeing the Annotations defining all the glider models and Pilots, I believe the annotations are driven by Java Script. I would suggest downloading Java from Sun.com.

Mike

[jeep200000]

Just like to say thank you for sharing your vid's with us, great music too, makes me want to go n grab a piece of life myself before its all over.

Thanks again

[soar8hours]

I've had a TR3 ( Terry Reynolds) Topless, WW Fusion & an Aeros Combat topless. Made numerous trikes & my fravorite was a nano light with a 20 hp Zenoah engine on another 225 Falcon :) In NC, I have a slope launch on a ridge with 800 AGL 7 miles from home. Best flight is 8 hours 35 minutes. My 2 youtube trike videos by seaching for: Tommy Thompson is Trike Flying

or these 3 n numbers N7163E N704LD N71845

[menamiketrx]

@soar8hours Check my channel and you will find my trike project. I do some taxi runs without wing. In another I have it mounted to my TRX "The Arkansas Glider" at the Russelville Fly-in. It proved to be to small wing surface and made for some hot landings. Trike I bought used from a guy who built it. Have not been entirely satisfied with it. He tried to make it way light. Was under 80 pounds with parachute. I am beefing it up and will mate with my falcon 225.

[soar8hours]

Great Video!

I have flown every one of those gliders in this video :)

Started hang glide'n in the hills of virginia in 1972.

1st mountain flight 8-17-73 at Fancy Gap, VA in my own design.

I'm still hang glide'n too :)

Currently fly a Wills Wing 225 Falcon

Tommy Thompson

USHPGA #2531 Life Member

[menamiketrx]

@soar8hours Thanks! I too am flying here in Arkansas. I fly a Talon, and also have a 225 that I am working to make into a trike project. 

[bobbylangs]

Thanks for sharing your valuable footage. I know how much work it is starting from super8. It's fun watching Mitchell Wings and Easy Risers in a spot-landing contest!

[buenacossa]

Great video, thanks for that.

Hugo Spain

[ogdemigod]

Love the video and the sound track !!

[HOPPERFZR]

wow,  gliders sure have come along way as far as stability goes

[rentatrip1]

Hang Ten world hang glider "Championships"- not competition...

Mickey Dolenz of the Monkeys was one of the audience / spectators ...

First or one of the first public demonstrations of the Mitchell Wing (flying wing) was at this event-

-I think this was the first time Ariel Ballet was one of the contest events ...

[soopson]

Was Volmer Jensen's Swing Wing there? or am I remembering the Mitchell Wing somehow. I don't recall seeing a flying wing in the video, but I do remember that day very clearly, when the [Jensen] wing, on its long, low approach overshot the bull's eye and headed directly for me where it barely stopped short of going right into the crowd of spectators. THAT was aviation history, UP CLOSE and personal!

[soopson]

I was there! This is the first time I've seen any footage of that event in 34 years! Wow.

[rentatrip1]

@soopson I was one of the SCHGA officials-

Jack lambie &wife Karen & I drove out there -I had made some official looking arm bands for all "officials" , Jack told me he used them for several years by getting in free with them on the arm- and pointing to it at the "gate"- Bill Bennett handed off a half a flat of Foster's to me at midnight out of their motor home ... he yelled Do any of you Blokes wannahave some BEE'A ?...So I shared them

passed them around to all who layed near by...

[eliade66]

3:25 looks like a "paddling-like" landing (no. 11)

Nice video!

[OREGONBEKKI]

Watching this old video of the early days of Hanggliding, I remembered that I have my husbands Original entry card/number from the Hang 10 Championships...What a Hoot! Thanks for the memories!

[teemlee51]

Don't know the name of the song, though the performer is Adrien Belew.

Nice, nice vid.

[markandjackif]

Great to see footage of these early model gliders...man they look like they were a handfull to fly...I rated awesome!

[guitarpilot1]

I'm very grateful this is on you tube! This is a cool piece of aviation history. The music fits perfectly.

[mattjostr]

Great, satisfying moments captured here and great music with it!! Love the landing for #6.

Btw, anyone know the name of this song?

[tappan48]

Wow! My wife and I were at that meet! I was 21 and she was 19! Later that year I bought a Seagull 190 Sea Hawk which I still have! I'm flying sailplanes now. I'm now 55. Time flys!

Bill

[jwm239]

...a terrific, organized montage of

precision landing, legendary pilots,

and sky floaters of over a generation

ago! thank you thank you for sharing!

[avpgibson]

Very nice video! I´m from Brasil. Look my video! Thanks

[Sabre503]

Awesome memories, started flying in 1973 with bamboo and plastic. Last flight took place in Montana in August of 1995. I flew solidly for the whole time, racking up many memories, flights and experiences. I never scratched myself hang gliding, but had many near death experiences with the original rogollo design.

[n49945]

I am an instructor at Kitty Hawk Kites and I've been playing around with a perfect condition Seagull that has been sitting in the corner of our shed for possibly 20 years. This video really helps me to appreciate such ingenuity (and courage) people (such as the ones in this video) had back then. It really makes me appreciate the roots of hang gliding and what allows me to fly free. I may not have grown up in that era but when I fly that Seagull, I feel it. Thank you for sharing this footage.

[menamiketrx]

Thanks for the comment. As great as the gliders are today, I am still drawn to the aesthetics of the designs from the 70's. Personally I always thought that Seagull designed some of the most beautiful gliders.

[menamiketrx]

Those were some good days. I believe Dave has returned to flying just this past year!

[iflyphantom]

Hi Mike

I took my first (and only lesson) at Escape Country, then after flying there several times, I found Little Mountain in San Bernardino and usually flew there every weekend with you, Dave Childs, Pete Hughes and a whole bunch of other great guys until I quit flying Hanggliders in 76.

I fly fixed wing gliders in 29 Palms CA now and own and fly a Phantom X1 Ultralight from my own runway in Landers CA.

I remember you and your crazy rock chasing dog.

Loren Shelby

[Graiskye]

Not glider pilot, though I truly respect them, and would ;like to try it one day perhaps. Enjoyed the video lots, thanks.

[OREGONBEKKI]

Thanks so much for posting this! My husband used to test fly gliders for Wills Wing and knew Bob and Chris wills quite well. He also knew Dean Tanji and Chris Price and know he will enjoy it.

[menamiketrx]

I was living in Southern Cal during the same period. New the Wills brothers and Chris Price and Dean Tanji. Not on a personal level, but saw them out about as we flew the various sites in Southern Cal. Pretty impressive pilots they were in the day.

[OREGONBEKKI]

This video triggered alot of fond memories of Hanggling for my husband and one of those was of Chris Price wearing a t-shirt that said "The Price Is Always Right!"

[Magician556]

lol when they land it looks scary

impact must be hard

[menamiketrx]

Back in that the day, the hang gliders of that time actually had fairly nice landing characteristics. With practice a landing with proper flair could be just a couple steps or no steps and a soft touch down. Some of the hard landings you are seeing is due to the fact that the pilots are trying to hit the bullseye for points. For example the first pilot shown set up way to high of an appoach, then tried to force the glider in by stalling to high. Still came out unscathed. That's competition.

[winpirate]

sorry, my mistake , the pacific gulls were alpines i was thinking of the 1974 us open, that video rocks

[winpirate]

the pacific gulls were ha 18's and that isnt chuck nyland , i had a purple glider w/ lime green lighting bolts, friggin awsome so see that vid!!!

[menamiketrx]

Yes... Earth, Wind and Fire..

[mooncoinphoto]

great footage and music. Is it Earth Wind and Fire?

[tlhackbart]

I don't think glider 11 is a Sun Swift. The Swift had a sail cut that radiated out from the nose. It also had a very deep cambered keel but no shaped battens. The only battens were 3 or 4 out at the tip. I believe if anyone was flying them it would have been Brian Jensen or George Perkins. This may have been the meet where one of them tucked.

[windgypsy]

Glider 15 was Paul Hoffman of San Diego.We went to High School together.We both flew in the meet.I was 17 years old and Paul was 18.He and Rich Finley both flew with there feet in the wires , that how I know it was Paul in the film.Rich flew a flight Reality's windlord in the meet.Paul flew for Bennett flying a Delta Wing Phoenix 6 Jr. and I flew for Moyes on a Stinger mini.Steve Moyes Flew a Moyes stinger Maxi. Steve Moyes and I met in the campground and are still friends to this day.

[windgypsy]

Also,David Beardslee flew a pacific gull glider in that meet so that wasn't him on the sun swift.

[Abstractstv]

The Pacific Gull was most likely the Alpine.

[Abstractstv]

From the June 1976 issue of Ground Skimmer (page 5):

14 Wills Wings SST's entered in the 1976 World Open at Escape Country among a field of over 350 competitors. When the field was cut to 10, there were still 4 SST's in contention. When it was over, a Wills Wing SST was the highest placing rogallo. Dave Safford finished 2nd overall in a production SST100C. The other three in the top ten were Dave Vincent, Curt Kiefer, and Bob Wills, all in production SST 100B's. (condensed to fit)

[menamiketrx]

Thanks windgypsy. I have added Pauls name to glider 15. I am pretty confident that the glider is a 6b and not a 6b jr. the jr. came later. But here is a concern.... Glider 15 appears to be the same glider as Glider 20 and we have Trip Mellinger assigned to that glider. Pilot looks the same as well except the landing characteristics differ in the two flights. 15 with feet in wires and flares from base tube, where 20 does not have feet in wires and flares from uprights.

[menamiketrx]

The names of John Brandt and Trip Mellinger have been submitted as pilots on the 6b's. Lot's of Phoenix 6'bs in the video. Now I went ahead and place Dick Boone on Glider #1 that makes the parachute landing attempt from about 30 foot over the bulls eye. I can remember him doing that. If there is any suggestions for which gliders that John Brant and Trip Mellinger might be on, I would appreciate it.

[weflyuniv]

#11 appears to have shaped battens so it may be a Sun Swift. At least it is not a Dragonfly. 12 may be a Cirrus but would have to be a Cirrus 3 at that time. The correct spelling of the name of the Sundance wing is Magnan. His brother Anker was also flying a Sundance in the event.

Ken de Russy

[menamiketrx]

Glider 11 still eludes me.... Some have suggested that it is a Dragonfly based on the turncated tips. But comparing it to #9 which indeed does look to be a dragonfly, this orange glider 11 looks to be pretty high aspect ratio in comparison. Also take note of the highly cambered airfoil battens that are full span. Soooo..... What is it?

Mike

[morey000]

I didn't join the sport until 13 years after this event, but the names and the wings ring within my heart. An incredible piece of hang gliding nostalgia. Thanks for posting.

[gzacto]

WOW. Very impressive. Looking forward to more!

[cdnskydog]

I flew in the Escape Country World meets in 1975 and 1976 and the one glider that sticks out in my mind is Keith Nicols in his ASG 21 photo number 16. I flew a Phoenix 6B in those days.

Bob Grant - London, Canada

[CDickFly]

Chutes came out a year later, and I bought the first one I could.

Mike, I numbered what I could.

2.Brian Porter 4.Dean Tangi 5.17.23.30 Bob Wills

7. Howard Mitchell-Mitchell Wing 8.Roy Haggard UP Dragonfly 9. Dave Saffold 10.Chuck Nyland Pacific Gull 14 Greg Mitchell Seagull 5B 15 john Brandt Phoenix 6B 16. Keith Nichols

ASG 21 18. Jack Shroeder Easy Riser 19. Jeff Magnum Sundance 22. Chris Price? 24 Chris Wills- I think. 25 Brian Porter-again 27 Paul Courtney Sky Sports Merlin 29 Tom Peghiny

[NMERider]

Mike - This was awesome! Thanks, Jonathan

[willmrx]

I do not see any chutes on these guys?

Great video! We need more of this stuff!

Thanks.

Will

[penrynbigbird]

GREAT VIDEO!!! I was at the 1975 World Open at Escape Country; I have it all on super 8 film and would love to convert it to digital. How would I do that?

I was flying a UP Cumulus 5B at the time.

Phil

[NMERider]

Phil - Try getting in touch with Bill Liscomb, the producer of the movie, Big Blue Sky. Just Google Lightwing Productions. Bill used a lot of enhanced Super 8 footage in his superb movie.

Cheers, Jonathan

[penrynbigbird]

Thanks for the tip, Jonathan. Big Blue Sky is indeed a superb movie -

Phil

[CDickFly]

Mike, I flew in this meet, and remember you as well. I'll go through the list and put the pilots to the gliders from what I can remember.

Brian Porter won the Meet, My brother David took second, and I think Bob Wills got third.

Check the Oz report tonight and I'll have a better list of these pilots.

Rich

[OREGONBEKKI]

My husband John said he remembers Brian Porter's winning flight. His flight was right in time with the music he used. John said it looked like a perfectly coregraphed dance, which ended with a perfect landing on the very last note of the music. Must have been pretty impressive because he remembers it quite vividly after all these years.

[menamiketrx]

This from an E-mail from Mike Meier of Wills Wing, Inc.

Looks like the Hang Ten World Open, held at Escape Country, April 10 - 18, 1976.

4, 5, 10, 24, 28, 30 - Wills Wing SST

7- Mitchell Wing

14 - Seagull 7

20, 21, 22, 23 - Delta Wing Phoenix 6B

I saw what were probably two Sun Swifts, and the truncated tip gliders

would have been either UP Dragonflies or Eipper Cumulus V's in all

likelihood. Bob Wills and Brian Proter Brian were there.

[69NOMAN69]

great footage,those double wing gliders are called easy risers and you are not strapped into these gliders,u hang from your arm pits,NO THANKS!!!!

[menamiketrx]

Thanks for the input. I am sure you are correct on the bi-winged hang gliders. I flew one for a while, back in the day and indeed although you did hang from the parallel bars, at least on mine I also had a harness, so rather than just hanging on your armpits I was sitting in a sling harness that was suspended from the upper wing. Launch, swing you legs up to the front of the lower wing and simply move your weight for and aft for speed control.