2003 Summary News

12/07/03
Talons Finish 1 and 2 in Brazil’s Sao Paolo State Championships
Talon pilots chalked up another great finish in Brazil!

Results from the Sao Paolo State Championships, Brazil

There were two exiciting tasks where Nene and Leonardo were separated by mere seconds.
The first day Nene did better and Leo was 2nd but on the last day they changed positions, always crossing the goal line almost together at the beautiful beach of Itarare. Their speed when crossing the goal line was very impressive, we hear.
With these results Leo Dabbur became Sao Paolo State Champion for 2003.
More info at www.fpvl.com.br
Congratulations to Leonardo, Nene, and our other Brazilian pilots!

11/24/03
Wills Wing Fall Specials on Hang Gliders
On any new hang glider order, placed on or after Monday November 24th, 2003, and on or before January 15th, 2004, you can select your choice of:

1. Free custom choice of colors a $150 retail value, or
2. Free packing for shipment with V-Board protection (normally $112.50 if the glider is shipped broken down or $92.50 if shipped full length).

We still have about a five week backlog of customer hang glider orders at this time, and we close for two weeks at Christmas. As a result, new orders placed now are expected to be ready for shipment on or about January 15th. Please check on current delivery quotes at the time of order.
To qualify for the Fall discount, we must receive the deposit for the glider ($1000 on Falcons and Eagles, $2000 on U2s and Talons) no later than January 15th, and the customer must be ready to take delivery of the glider when it is completed.

11/12/03
Wills Wing U2 145 HGMA Certified
The Wills Wing U2 145 was issued HGMA Certificate of Compliance # 20031112-01 on November 11th 2003.

1/05/03
Rafael Arcos is Ecuadorian National Champ with Talon 160
Flying his 160 Talon , Rafael Arcos has become the 2003 Ecuadorian National Champion in hang gliding.
Rafael took 2nd place in the Canoa Open 2003, and this strong finish combined with his results in the previous three meets which make up the four legs of the Ecuador National Championships has earned him the overall championship. He flew all of the meets with his Talon 160. It was a very good and fun meet with excellent weather conditions, attracting pilots from the USA, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador.
Two meets were held in Quito (takeoff 12,500 feet MSL, landing field 8,530 feet MSL), and the other two were at sea level.
Rafael writes:
What I can say of the Talon 160 flying in Quito (in such altitude) is that the glider launches easy and lands easy in low wind. Thermaling with it also in turbulence is very stable and pleasant.
In the last day of the Canoa meet (sea level) we had low conditions, and the performance of my 160 comparing with the Laminar,Talon 150, Fusion and others was superior and helped me to win the Nationals.
Congratulations to Rafael Arcos!

10/28/03
Champs in Brazil
Talon pilots continue to shine in Brazil!

Results from the State Championships in Andradas, Brazil

Brazilian Nationals:

Nene now ranks second in the 2003 rankings for Brazil.
Congratulations to Leonardo, Paulo, Nene, and our other Brazilian Talon pilots!

10/06/03
Talons Set New Records in Brazil
Leonardo Dabbur writes:
This weekend four Talon pilots set new XC records in Brazil (at Sao Paulo State).

In the 2003 Sao Paulo race championship the 1st and 2nd positions are the Rotor/Talon Pilots Leonardo and Paulo also. You can check the web site www.fpvl.com.br for more information.
By the way, congratulations for the job you are doing with Nene, the glider is getting better and better each change you make. I was very happy with my Talon 150 at the worlds in Brasília, it was gliding very well.
Best Regards,
Leonardo

Congratulations to Leonardo and our other Brazilian Talon pilots!

09/30/03
Using Brauniger IQ Compeo to Register Flights with DHV OLC
The DHV OLC now requires flight data submitted for registration to include a valid G-record. Brauniger IQ Compeo (Galileo) instruments with software version 2.13b create such G-records, but they may or may not meet DHV requirements, resulting in the flight data being rejected as ‘non-valid’. Brauniger is testing a new software version (2.14) to solve these problems.
Any IQ Compeo owners who have flights which they want to submit to the DHV OLC should email Brauniger info@brauniger.com for more information and instructions.
The new software update will also include a new optional screen for displaying vario and speed information, selectable via the ‘Set’ mode

09/26/03
U2 + Rusty Pilot + Marginal Conditions = Great Flight
We recently received the following story from a dealer overseas:
(The names have been changed to protect the “innocent”…)
I have a good story about the first flight of the U2 which we delivered last week. The pilot had not flown for 18 months and, of course, had never flown a U2 at all but we launched him at a well known thermal site in light conditions. The chairman of the (local) HG club was there too and set up his (well known current model highly regarded topless glider made by a competing manufacturer) for a flight in the marginal thermal conditions, joking that the U2 and the ‘rusty’ pilot would be lucky to get 10 minutes airtime. Well…they both launched and the U2 scratched around then climbed steadily to top out at 1000 ft above launch while the ace in the (other glider) kept eyeballing us at launch. The U2 pilot came down to see what was happening and then promptly thermaled up again to 1000 above. He landed after 1 hour and forty minutes with a superb no step landing, right next to the already de-rigged (other glider) that had managed only twenty minutes airtime in the hands of our ace, and innocently asked him if there was something wrong with his glider!
The next day the chat list was humming with things like ‘U2 can do it’ and ‘U2 should get one’ and ‘U2 can thermal… with a Wills Wing!’.

09/17/03
WW Having Problems Sending Email to AOL/Time Warner and RoadRunner Accounts
Side effects of recent controversial steps taken by the AOL and RoadRunner internet service providers in an attempt to curb unsolicited emails (SPAM) have resulted in many organizations, including Wills Wing, suddenly finding that they cannot send email to the accounts of AOL and RoadRunner customers, though the organizations continue to receive email from the customers. We typically do not get the actual message about delivery failure until several days after we send email to these accounts.
If you are an AOL/Time Warner or RoadRunner customer and have wondered why we haven’t responded to an email or emails you have recently sent to us, please phone us at (714)-998-6359 with your question or request.
There is a discussion about this issue at Slashdot and many other places on the internet.

08/29/03
Inventory Z5 harnesses Available – Custom Z5 in 4-6 Weeks
We currently have a wide selection of new inventory Z5 harnesses in Medium Plus through Large Plus sizes, plus a few custom sizes that were customer returns. All Z5 inventory harnesses are priced at retail price of $695 or lower. Check the harness inventory list on the web site.
Current completion times on new custom order Z5 harnesses is running 4-6 weeks. This is an estimation, and subject to change depending on the current quantity of orders. Make sure you ask what the current quote date is prior to placing your order.
We realize that delivery times on Z5’s have been unacceptably long in recent months, and we apologize for that. We’ve taken steps to increase production, and we now have harnesses in stock, and anticipate that we will continue to have stock harnesses available for quick delivery.
Though the Z5 has been in production for several years now, we’ve made constant updates to the design, and the Z5 still represents the state of the art in a non back frame pod style harness, with quality of construction and attention to detail that is second to none.
The Z5 is one the most durable, full featured, and quality crafted harnesses you can buy, and with our new stock of inventory you can have a new harness before the flying season ends!
Keep in mind that we still offer a package deal discount on the Z5 harness – when you order a Z5 harness with a new hang glider order, you get a $100 discount on the harness. (Please note that the harness and glider must be ordered simultaneously to qualify for the discount). This package deal extra discount applies to both inventory and custom order harnesses – i.e. it can be applied in addition to the lower pricing available on inventory harnesses.

08/26/03
5-Week Demo Tour Starts Labor Day Weekend
Rob Kells has set out with a load of hang gliders for a Demo Tour starting in Michigan, then New Hampshire, various sites between there and Georgia, and a final weekend near Flagstaff, Arizona. There will be some Paraglider demos available at the Morningside stop, possibly others. See our Calendar page for the schedule.
Here’s your chance to try that U2, Talon, or any other WW glider you’ve been considering!

07/14/03
John Pitt Places 1st in the Chelan Classic Flying a 2003 Talon 150
In addition to winning by an impressive margin, John flew his 2003 Talon 150 for the longest class one flight of the comp at 151.8 miles. John took 2nd last year, on his 2002 Talon. He says he likes his new Talon (and Rotor Vulto harness) even better!
Dan Gravage writes: My Talon just dragged me along for the biggest scoring (flex

wing) triangle at last weeks Chelan XC Classic – 86 miles. All I had to do was hang on 🙂 

Chelan Classic – Class 1 – Flex Wings:

Also noteworthy is that during the competition Werner Schnitzler flew his Falcon 225 for his first 100 mile flight!.
Congratulations to John for winning the Chelan Classic!
Congrats to Kelly and Dan as well!

07/08/03
Brauniger IQ Compeo – More GPS Channels
All Brauniger IQ Compeo flight instruments now feature 16 channel GPS receivers (up from 12 channels) for improved accuracy.
This welcome improvement requires a modest increase in the pricing of the units.
The PG version will now have a suggested retail price of $1,440.00 and the HG version (which includes a pitot tube airspeed sensor) will cost $1,480.00.

07/06/03
100 Mile Falcon Flight
Werner Schnitzler just flew his first 100 mile flight, in Washington State, at the Chelan Cross Country Classic on a Falcon 225.
Great Flying, Werner!

06/25/03
Phil Bloom, Talon 150, Win Wild West Regionals
Wild Wild West Regionals June 20-22, 2003
Phill Bloom, flying a Wills Wing Talon 2002 has won the 2003 Wild Wild West Regionals near Carson City, Nev.
Class 1:

Excellent Flying Phil!

06/23/03
Talon 150 Places 2nd at Alpen Open 2003
Results of Alpen Open 2003 (including complete Austrian team):

“Most pilots thought that the Talon climbs the best of all gliders – even Ruhmer…” – Markus Villinger
Great Flying Stefan!

06/17/03
U2 Assembly Diagrams Added to Website
pdf/manuals/om_U2_Assembly_Diagrams_Rev_20030617.pdf The U2 Assembly Diagrams, a companion document to the U2 Owners Manual, are now posted on the Wills Wing website in the support|manuals section.
The diagrams are in .pdf format, and can be downloaded and read using Adobe Acrobat™ Reader. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat™ Reader, it is available as a free download from www.adobe.com

06/06/03
The U2 is a BIG HIT!
The 160 and 145 U2s have been getting rave reviews. Here is what Jim Reynolds has to say about his U2:

Hi Steve,
I’ve got about 15 hours on my new 145 U2. Rob said it is the best small glider WW ever made and I’m a believer.  Light bar pressure, neutral roll,  fast, clean lines and only 63 lbs. It tracks straight at speed and lands almost too easy. Even the wheels are cool.  When you made the Falcon Tandem life was good. Now I’m in HG heaven with the clouds.
Thanks.
Jim Reynolds USHGA #7949

06/06/03
Paragliding Notes from Mitch
With the addition of the Works PG harness, we now have a complete package with all the great gear you need to paraglide.
A full line of the highest quality reserve parachutes manufactured by Free Flight Enterprises.
Two styles of helmets, the Charly Insider full face and the Air Control lightweight polycarbonate with snap on chin guard, available in stock in most sizes and colors.
The Brauniger IQ Comfort, AV Pilot, and IQ Sonic – great varios for novice and expert.
The Swing Arcus 3 is getting great reviews in Europe, and is definitely a better Arcus. The handling is better, it glides better, and flies somewhere between the Arcus 2002 and the Mistral 2.
The improved speed range and handling make it competitive with DHV 2 gliders. I’ve climbed through a few DHV 2’s, and held the speedbar full on for over 5 minutes without even touching the brakes on a windy day at Crestline. The launch characteristic is improved, the Arcus 3 parks overhead, and has less tendency to overshoot the pilot than the Arcus 1.
We still stock the Arcus 2002, and have Sting risers available for paramotoring. We think the Arcus 2002 is a great paramotor wing, and it remains an excellent canopy for training and for first purchase for pilots looking for maximum stability. All Swing gliders are made with Liros line, and the Perseverance PN6 fabric. The PN6 is amazing cloth, already, there are 200+ hour Arcus 2002 I have tested that have porosity readings indicating the fabric is still like new with over 200 second average. Comparing this to traditional urethane coatings that are in the 100 second range after 100 hours makes the PN6 impressive.
The Airwave Wave is the most amazing DHV 1 I have ever flown. It sinks with high performance gliders and fits entry-level student requirements. The handling is similar to the Sport, and is light and quick, easy to thermal efficiently and completely relaxing in big air. The glide and speed range make this a DHV 1 that will compete with many of the performance DHV 1-2’s.
I now have performance demos available for the pilots out there like me who insist on maximum performance, and have the advanced skills to handle a more active wing. The Swing Cirrus 3 is no question the best DHV 2-3 I have ever flown. I beat a Boomerang 2 with the US National champion piloting, in a 2 lap race around Marshalls on the Cirrus 3 24 . This glider gets (11) DHV 1-2’s, (7) 2’s, and only (1) 2-3 (max weight accelerated asymmetrical collapse). Compare that to any other DHV 2-3 gliders.
The Magic 3 from Airwave is a great glider also. I haven’t had a chance to fly against anyone yet in the M3, maybe it’s because no one is ever able to get near me. The Magic 3 also gets great ratings only (2) 2-3’s (max weight accelerated frontal, and max weight asymmetric collapse).
The Magic 3 is in stock in the medium size, and the Cirrus 3 is available in the 24 and 26 sizes.
The Airwave Scenic continues to get excellent reviews from the pro tandem pilots, it’s handling compares to sporty solo gliders and glide and speed range equal to solo performance wings.
I offer all of the resources available to me here at Wills Wing to service your paragliding needs. We provide free replacement lines, 1-3 quantity direct to you the same day. I have 10 years of repair experience, and offer a comprehensive inspection. I can help you with the same dedication that has kept Wills Wing on top of the foot launch aircraft business for over 30 years.
Sincerely,
Mitch McAleer

06/06/03
Release of the Attack Falcon

The PX05 mylar sail “Attack Falcon” caused quite a stir at Wallaby. The Attack Falcon is available in the 195 and 170 sizes (see Falcon 2|Options)), which includes the Litestream control frame including the streamlined aluminum base tube, PX05 mylar in the top surface behind the leading edge panel, and your choice of sail colors in the top surface leading edge and in the bottom surface panel. The Attack Falcon looks really cool; they fly great, and the Litestream frame puts the glide over 10 to 1!

06/06/03
U2 Price Increase
The U2 – at $4475 suggested retail and equipped standard with the Litestream performance control bar – represents an outstanding value when compared to other available gliders in its class. (And that’s before you consider the fact that with the U2’s premium quality of materials and fabrication, the exceptionally light weight, and the superb handling, there really isn’t any other glider in its class!)
We introduced the U2 at an extremely attractive price relative to the glider’s value in order to give it the widest possible initial exposure. We intend to keep the U2’s price as low as we can in order to continue to maximize the glider’s. At this time, we are raising the price of the U2 by just $100 – a little more than 2% – effective on all orders for which we have not received a $2000 deposit by June 17th.

06/06/03
Falcon XC Contest
We’d like to thank Ben Davidson of Tek Flight for all of his hard work organizing, promoting and running the Falcon XC Contest over the years. We think it’s a great way to promote fun, easy to fly gliders, while at the same time increasing pilot skills in the cross-country discipline. We encourage you to grab a Falcon and go XC yourself!
05/30/03
Announcing Wills Wing’s ‘The Works’ PG Harness
Wills Wing is pleased to announce The Works PG harness, designed by Mitch McAleer.
The Works is designed for ultra-comfort, ease of use, and durability. Click the link or the image to read all about this exciting new paragliding harness.

05/14/03
Nene Rotor & Talons Win Again in Brazil
Nene Rotor wins both days of the State Championships in Brazil. Talons place 1st, 2nd and 3rd!
Campeonato Paulista Asa Delta 2003

Hearty congratulations to Nene, Maskara, and Cambuquira!

05/12/03
Scott Angel Flies Talon 140 to Become 2003 U.S. National Speed Gliding Champion

Speed Gliding pilot Scott Angel flew his Talon 140 superbly through 5 rounds of competition to win the 2003 U.S. National Speed Gliding competition at Lake Chelan, Washington.
This is the second year in a row Scott has won the championship, both times with a Talon 140! Scott has moved up to the Rotor Vulto harness also.
Great Flying Scott!

05/06/03
Pete Lehmann’s Talon Distance-to-Declared-Goal Record is Official
From the FAI website:

Sub-class O-1 (HG with a rigid primary structure / controlled by weight shift)
Category : General

Straight distance to a declared goal : 517.23 km (321.4 miles)

Date of flight: 20/06/2002 (June 20, 2002)
Pilot: Lawrence “Pete” LEHMANN (USA)
Course/place: Zapata, TX (USA) – Big Lake, TX (USA)

Hang glider: Wills Wing Talon 150

ratified on 22/04/2003 | Database ID 7388

Here is Pete’s short account of his long flight:
Hi Wills Wing,
You will be happy to hear that once again one of your company’s gliders, a Talon 150 in this instance, has been used to attain a hang gliding world record. On June 20 I flew 321 miles northwestward from Zapata, Texas to the declared goal airport at Big Lake, Texas. The flight took a bit under nine hours flying flying in 400-800fpm lift to heights that ranged from 3,500msl early to 9,200msl at the end of the flight.
The flight began shortly after ten am when I was aero-towed up to one of the bizarre low altitude cloud streets that form around here early in the morning. After a bit of crosswind flying to get around Laredo’s airspace the flight became initially straightforward. Cloud base went up to 6,000agl and the clouds lined up well. However I soon realized that the streets were lining up about 10 degrees south of my desired course line to Big Lake. That meant that I had to jump cloud streets towards the north, and the first two times I did so I wound up low and in trouble over truly inhospitable mesquite wastelands. And on both occasions my scratching, drifting saves again put me well off the course line. It was only once I got to about the 250 mile point around five o’clock that a fortuitously north-south oriented street of lovely high (9,000msl/6,500agl) clouds allowed me to drive ten miles crosswind to the north and back onto course. After that it was easy and I arrived at Big Lake high at ten past seven in the evening. Mike Barber, with whom I had left from Zapata, had beaten me to the goal by half an hour and chose to continue on. I knew that, unlike Mike, I was too late to beat Ruhmer’s absolute record and happily landed at Big Lake. Ten minutes later my spectacular driver Andrew Holupka pulled in to feed me beer.
It was one helluva good day, and thank you all for building the glider that made it possible.

Congratulations Pete!

04/29/03
WW Heavy-Duty Vulto Boot Cone
Due to customer request, we now have an alternative aftermarket replacement to the standard Rotor harness boot cone. The new Wills Wing version is made out of clear, heavy duty polyethylene. While not as attractively color matched as the Rotor cone, this one will stand up to abuse much better, outlast the Rotor cone by a wide margin, and will be kept in stock for ready order. The new WW part is offered as an extra cost option, in addition to the standard Rotor boot cone included on every Rotor harness.

Please note that this uses a different part number than the Rotor part. This part will fit both Rotor Kick-Ass and Rotor Vulto harnesses.

The original Rotor part is still available by special order, as we cannot guarantee to have them in stock and in a color that exactly matches your harness.

04/11/03
Talon Review from Hang Gliding Magazine
Read the Talon 2002 Product Review from Hang Gliding magazine, January 2003 issue. Review by Dennis Pagen.

04/07/03
Wills Wing 30th Anniversary Celebration at Wallaby Ranch
March 25th through March 30th we held our 30th Anniversary Celebration, hosted by Malcolm Jones and the incredibly gracious and professional staff at Wallaby Ranch. Hundreds of pilots and friends attended the event. We got good weather on three out of the six days, and had great flying conditions on Friday and Saturday. The ranch crew, running four tugs and operating with their usual efficiency and skill, launched about 200 gliders per day on each of those three days, and with 23 Wills Wing demo gliders, including two each of the new U2 160 and U2 145 models, there were lots of opportunities for pilots to try out new gliders.

Late Friday afternoon, aerobatic champion Mitch McAleer towed up three times in the commemorative 20,001st Wills Wing Talon 150, for an entertaining demonstration of loops, spins, and Mitch’s unique “twisties” – a sort of flex wing version of a barrel roll. On Friday night, Wills Wing founder Chris Wills gave a video presentation which included some amazing footage of the Wills’ brothers first flights in bamboo and plastic Rogallo wings. The next morning, Chris took his first altitude flight in a hang glider in 26 years, going up in the new Wills Wing Falcon Tandem with Rob Kells. Saturday night, after a long day of great flying, we held our 30th Anniversary party, which included a gourmet dinner by ranch chef Jeremy, and a surprise fireworks show of spectacular proportions provided by Malcolm. Dinner and fireworks were followed by dancing to the music of “Trouble At Bob’s,” a fine local band.

By all accounts, a good time was had by everyone there. For us, it was great to see a lot of old friends, to meet a lot of new ones, and to simply share in the joy of flight that we all have in common. We’re already looking forward to next year!

03/29/03
Nene Rotor, Talon, Win Governador Valadares Meet in Brazil
Brazil’s Nene Rotor, flying a Wills Wing Talon 2002 has won the 2003 Valadares Open at Governador Valadares, Brazil.
Nene won with over 5400 points, almost 500 more than his nearest competitor, against a field with a good number of top international pilots.
Nene won both the ‘Open Valadares’ and the ‘National Valadares’ classes of the competition.
Talon pilot Acaua Pasetto Nobrega won the ‘Advanced Valadares’ class of the meet.
Excellent Flying Nene and Acaua!

03/20/03
Wills Wing U2 160 HGMA Certified
The Wills Wing U2 160 was issued HGMA Certificate of Compliance # 20030320-01 on March 20th 2003.

03/14/03
U2 145 Released
The U2 145 size has passed all flight and vehicle tests and is now released. We are accepting orders for the U2 160 and U2 145 at this time. Projected delivery is six to eight weeks. A 2000 dollar deposit will secure an order slot.

03/07/03
Talon sets Venezuelan National Record
Sandy Dittmar writes:
Just to let you know that I had two greats flights on my  Talon 2002 during this Carnivals Festivals in Venezuela. One flight was 307 km done from 11 am till 6:15 pm breaking my old National record of 227 km that was made 8 years ago on a Klassic…
Well guys thanks so much for such a wonderful glider which has allow us to navigate with grace and at the same time disconnect our minds from this turmoil country we are now living in.
Keep in touch and all the best!!

Sandy

P.S. By the way, In September there will be a new WW member, I will become a Father! 

Great Flying Sandy, and Congratulations!

02/27/03
Mylar Insert Re-Design Addresses Folding-Under Problem
Wills Wing has developed a design modification for the mylar leading edge insert that greatly reduces the chances of the mylar insert being folded under at the rear edge during set-up of the glider. There have been a number of incidents, including one fatal accident, involving the mylar insert becoming folded under during set-up of the glider. When this happens it results in a tendency of the glider to stall at a higher than normal speed, and to turn towards the stalled wing. Please read the revised Technical Bulletin #TB980810a (Adobe Acrobat PDF format, 426k file) about this important safety issue on our website.

02/18/03
Wills Wing Produces 20,000th and 20,001st Gliders! 
Also: More Demos and an ICP in Florida.
See and Fly Them At Wallaby Ranch In March!
During the week of December 9th, Wills Wing produced two milestone gliders – the 20,000th, and 20,001st hang gliders made since the company was founded in 1973. The 20,000th glider was a Falcon 2 195, and the 20,001st was a Talon 150. Designer Steve Pearson made a special commemorative sail pattern for each glider.

Each of these gliders will be available as demo gliders at Wills Wing’s 30th Anniversary Celebration to be held at Wallaby Ranch, March 25th through March 30th, 2003. Everyone is welcome to attend the celebration – there will be lots of demo gliders available to try out for free (you pay for tow) – including the two commemorative gliders, Talons, U2s, Eagles, and Falcon 2s – as well as seminars, prizes, and a party or two (also free). Very reasonable accommodations are available at the Super 8 motel just 2.5 miles from the Ranch, (877) 233 9888, be sure to tell them you are with Wills Wing / Wallaby to get the lowest rate. Come and join us!
See our Calendar section for details on this and other Florida events around this time period, including Demos at Florida Ridge and an Instructor Certification Program with Paul Voight and Michael Robertson.

02/18/03
Swing and Airwave Paragliders for 2003

Swing Paragliders for 2003
All Swing paragliders use Perseverance PN6 silicone coated material in the upper surface.

• Arcus 3 – DHV 1-2
  The Arcus 3 represents the DHV 1-2 class taken to a very high level of refinement. It has quicker handling, more speed and glide, and much more effective big ears capability than the Arcus 2002. The skill level required to fly the glider falls between the Arcus 2002 and the Mistral 2. We think that the Arcus 3 will be a great move up for someone that loves their Arcus and would like to gain some additional performance without sacrificing stability, and mellow flight characteristics.
• Arcus 2002 – DHV 1-2
  We will continue to stock the Arcus 2002 as Swing’s easiest to fly first purchase glider, and the Arcus 2/P as the ideal entry level PPG glider. The Arcus 2002 is still a very desirable combination of performance and comfortable flight characteristics. The easy launching, and predictable handling of the Arcus 2/P are the perfect fit for beginning motor pilots and recreational soaring pilots who want easy to handle performance.
• Mistral 2 – DHV 1-2
  The Mistral 2 is DHV 1-2 on a little hotter scale. It is a step up in performance from the Arcus 3. The Mistral 2 has a fantastic combination of performance and stability.
• Astral 3 – DHV 2
  The Astral 3 offers the measurably higher DHV 2 performance level with commensurately more active flying characteristics.
• Cirrus 3 – DHV 2-3
  The Cirrus 3, at the DHV 2-3 level, is Swing’s serial class performance glider. It is designed for the competition pilot and the advanced pilot looking for speed and glide. It got DHV 1-2 and 2 ratings in most categories. (See DHV report) Recommended for experienced pilots only.

Airwave Paragliders for 2003 All Airwave gliders utilize Gelvenor silicon coated fabric in their top surface.

• Logic – DHV 1
  Need a deal on a very stable DHV 1 glider for your school? We are selling the few remaining Logics at very low prices to make way for the new Wave.
• Wave – DHV 1
  The new Wave received a straight DHV 1 in all three sizes. We are really excited about the way this glider looks, flies and performs. The handling is quick and direct, and the stability is excellent. The choice between the 2002 Arcus and the Wave for your first purchase glider really depends on your preference for Swing or Airwave.
• Sport – DHV 1-2
  The Sport is a hot DHV 1-2 glider. It has excellent speed and performance. Josh Meyers flew the Sport to first place in the DHV 1-2 class at the last Torrey Air Race!
• Magic 3 – DHV 2-3
  The Magic 3 is Airwave’s new DHV 2-3 wing. It has already been proven to have the performance to win international competitions. Recommended for experienced pilots only.
• Scenic Tandem
  The Scenic is the best tandem glider we have flown, period.

02/18/03
Powered Paraglider Wings

Swing Arcus 2/P
The Arcus 2/P is an excellent first purchase wing for PPG! It is equipped with the Swing combination motor/ free flight riser, with paragliding and motoring hook in points, trims, split A’s and accelerator system

Airwave Explorer
Airwave offers the Explorer based on the Sport paraglider for motoring. The Explorer is a performance DHV 1-2 for pilots who want a quick and light handling performance glider for motoring.

Note: More information will be up on our web site on the PPG gliders soon.

02/14/03
Announcing The All New ‘U2’ Hang Glider
The U2 is an all new, very high performance glider with handling characteristics suitable for pilots of intermediate and higher level skills and experience. At this time, Wills Wing is announcing the release of the U2 in the 160 size. A U2 145 is under active development, and its release should follow shortly. We are accepting orders for the U2 160 at this time. Projected delivery is six to eight weeks. A 2000 dollar deposit will secure an order slot.

02/14/03
Litestream Control Bar Now Standard On Talons
Litestream Control Bar Now Standard On Talons – Base Model Price Increased $200
The standard configuration, “base model” Talon will now include the Litestream control bar and, as before, the standard Hydranet cloth on the trailing edge.

With this configuration change, the price of the base model Talon increases by $200 to $5875 retail. (This represents a $75 lower retail price, than the previous price of the Slipstream upgrade.)
The Talon will no longer be available with the “regular” control bar. In addition to significantly compromising the performance of the Talon, the regular bar also compromises the function of the VG system. Due to the fact that there is no room in the downtube for an additional reduction pulley, the force required to activate the VG with the regular control bar is excessive.
The Litestream and Slipstream control bars require a slightly different pulley configuration on the keel. Talons made with the standard Hydranet trailing edge will normally be configured with the Litestream bar. Talons ordered with the Mylar trailing edge sail upgrade, will normally be equipped with the Slipstream control bar. There will be no extra charge, beyond the $200 price increase in the base model price, for either the Litestream or the Slipstream control bar. The Mylar sail upgrade is still an extra cost option at $150 retail. A Talon can be special ordered with a non-standard sail / control bar combination (Hydranet sail with Slipstream bar, for example) but once a glider is in process, a change in the control bar configuration will require that a change-out fee be charged.

02/14/03
Wheel Kit For The Aluminum Streamlined Basetube

A very clean, optional wheel kit is now available that will fit the Wills Wing aluminum streamlined base tube. A machined aluminum fitting secures the four-inch diameter wheel using the existing basetube corner bolt.

01/31/03
Paraglider Towing in Florida
Longtime HG and PG instructor Ray Leonard writes:
GrayBird Airsports in Florida is providing pilots from Hawaii to the UK with some terrific towing. “I didn’t realize just how easy it would be” is a common refrain from every pilot. With the year-round thermal potential, towing paragliders in Florida is here to stay.
The local club continues to grow with new members every week and groups from all parts of the States making plans to set some X-C records. There also plans in the works for upcoming competitions.

GrayBird has Swing and Airwave paraglider demos, provided by Wills Wing