If anyone has been following, OB, Dustin, Zippy and I (along with pilots and friends from all over the world) are here in Florida competing in the Rob Kells Memorial comp at the Florida Ridge and the Flytec Race and Rally, which will attempt to cover the distance between southern Florida and northern Georgia. We just finished up the Kells comp and started the Rally today.
There was a storm front on the horizon when we woke up this morning and I think most were not convinced that we were actually going to get to fly a task. By noon, we realized that, although it was far from ideal flying conditions, it was safe and we tried to complete a short run north(about 68k's I think) to Lake Okachobee.
It was gray with cumulus clouds popping low under a layer of alto cumulus making it feel kind of dark. The wind was fairly strong up high and the lift was topping out at only around 3,000'. This created a small margin for error for pilots trying to stay in the air.
I got a nice tow but had trouble not getting blown out of the start circle. I, along with others, took a late start blowing down wind (actually it was crossing from the left) low, hoping that we would find usable lift down coarse a bit. After a couple of weak and broken climbs, I found myself low enough to start thinking about the swamp and unlandable terrain drifting fast under me. I flew, groveling in uncohesive lift for another 5 or so killometers before having to land on the only dry patch of ground under me.
It's funny, it's such an illusion how close you think you are to a road from the air in the last moments of a flight. I have had this same experience in the desert where, I think I'm landing right next to a road only to find a 30 minute walk to get to it. Today was one of those days.....but with some adventure.
The grass that I thought was surrounding the "mound" I landed on was actually shin deep swamp. I resigned to the warm, sulfer smelling swamp water saturating my flying shoes while walking out with my harness. The water started getting deeper until I was leaning forward in waist deep swamp just to keep the bottom of my harness bag out of the water. I got about half way across the 100' of deep and was startled by a violent splash 30 yards to my left. I had been so pissed off about landing and having to trudge through a purulent swamp that I didn't realize I was walking though the home of an eight to ten foot aligator.
I have had this feeling before when I saw a mountain lion while bow hunting in the mountains of Montana and it's a stark realization that we as humans are, at times, far from the top of the food chain. Lukily, this monster was likely more scared of me than I of it and instead of submerging to hide from me (which would be normal I think), it ran into a shallow and laid there with most of it's back exposed and it's head pointed away from me (although I could tell he had an eye on me;-)
I tried to calmly walk through the deepest part, eyes plastered to the gator, and cleared the area, laughing at what had just happened. Then, realizing that I had to go back to get my glider, I stopped laughing. How was I going to shoulder my wing and cross this spot with this monster hanging out? Maybe he wouldn't be so tolerant next time. I dropped my harness by the highway and committed. Luckily, when I got back to the same spot (this was a mandatory crossing by the way), the gator was still in the same spot. I figured that as long as I could see it, I would carefully attempt the crossing. If it was gone, I would assume it was under water and try to figure out another plan.
It didn't move on the way across but looked nervous when I picked up my glider which was only about 20 or so yards from where it was now laying. I carefully and slowly walked around to the same place I had crossed before. I must admit, when I was half way across with a 70 lb glider on my shoulder, standing in waist deep water with mud and swamp grass sucking my feet into the bottom, I was scared like a little girl as the gator started to move. Fortunately, it stopped with it's side facing me and I continued until I was clear of the deep water. Relieved, I started to laugh again but it was now different. There are not too many days in my life that I have flown a hang glider in cloudy, windy skies to land with an alligator. I've landed with Emu, Camels and some big, mean looking bulls but never a large reptile like this one. Pretty wild day. Certainly, a flight I will remember;-)
So, tomorrow's another day. Hopefully, the front will pass and we will get another chance to race hard and another chance for me to make up some lost ground after my short flight today. Maybe I can even stay off the menu for the locals;-)

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After almost a year of work, I finally got to fly one of the new WW harnesses. I can't explain how satisfying it was to pin off and zip up for the first time on a nice Florida day after so much work. Fillipo (from the Italian gold medal team) was here and it was such a pleasure to race around on a new sail, in my new harness with him and the others here at Quest.



This project has been so rewarding in so many ways. It has been a true collaboration with some of the people that I have the most respect for in this industry and sport. Objectively and unarguably, Steve Pearson is one of the most experienced and successful designers of hang gliders and hang gliding equipment in the history of our sport. Many don't know but he was the first to do many things relating to harnesses (first cocoon in production, first side mount parachute, etc.) and it's been not just helpful but absolutely necessary for success to have him working with me on this project. Steve and I (along with input from Dustin, Mike and Jeff) came up with what we thought was a good shape as a starting point. Over the months of development, Steve was patient enough to help me understand pattern development, teach me how to use the latest in 3d shapes CAD software and help me to develop some skills necessary to change the patterns to adjust for fit. His experience and expertise were also required to translating what we wanted for components into tangible parts by using the CNC machine and other resources at WW to make our designs reality. Without his involvement, it would have taken me 5-10 years to get to the same place in shape and pattern and it would have been impossible to achieve the same level of component design involved with this harness.



Dustin has been equally important in the product that pilots will receive. For pilots that know him, most are familiar with his scrutiny and "Drag Nazi" tendencies. Believe me when I say, his critical opinion was, and continues to be, necessary to produce what I think people want in a clean comp harness. His motivation to make the best back plate in the world is astounding. He has been working 15 hour days to come up with a lay up and process to achieve the strongest and most durable result possible. He is using ski core technology and believe me when I say, you can stand on top of his back plate and jump up and down on it without it so much as flexing. I am really looking forward to it's test results to be represented by hard numbers after Demo Days. I have a strong suspicion that it will exceed our expectations.



When I arrived at Wills Wing before the drive to Florida, Mike and I had a conversation that made me feel so incredibly lucky to have him support this venture as well. His experience and expertise in establishing industry safety standards for hang gliding have contributed to our sport over the years in a lasting and impacting way. When he mentioned that he wanted to come up with a series of tests and procedures to create a rigorous certification standard for harnesses based on testable structural results, my eyes lit up. I love the idea that we can create a quantifiable test of the structural limitations of the harnesses that we produce. With his level of understanding and execution, it will do nothing but drive the product design to the highest level. I can't wait to start the testing process.



As for my part, I am committed to producing harnesses for pilots needs that fit their expectations based on their flying styles and to the customer service that is helpful both for the customer (pilots) and to me to insure that the folks ordering harnesses get exactly what they want in fit and function. Essentially, the difference in race, comp and XC models will only differ in boot style and choice of options. The construction, attention to detail and overall look of the harness (and certainly customer service) will be vertually the same in most ways.



I have spent a lot of time researching textiles to achieve the balance of all that is required of the material in the place that it is used. For instance, the outer shell material has to be the blend of durability and abrasion resistance along with the correct amount of elasticity to achieve a skin tension that translates the least chance for wrinkles (even with a correct pattern). I feel that things like using a Polyether Polyurethane for the boot area (a thicker version of what is used to build white water rafts and is designed to bounce off rocks) is a huge improvemnt in durability over leather. Coming from a climbing back ground, it is extrememly important to me to balance the duriblity factor with the asthetics and function in a way that those of us passionate about hang gliding will appreciate. I am going to be flying this harness too and want to feel good about what I'm flying in as well as representing.



I wanted to basically say thanks to those involved. I will be taking in air photos to post as soon as the weather improves on Tuesday or Wednesday for pilots to get a better detailed look at the improvements made from the prototype Dustin was flying in the photos on the OZ report. We should be able to start taking orders and will have a sizing and ordering page up on the web site shortly after the Florida Comps are over. During the time between now and then will allow for us to accomplish the load testing and to make whatever necessary changes are required to finalize the harness and ready it for delivery to interested pilots.

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The last week has been exciting for me. I finished the final prototype of the Wills Wing "Covert" before starting to build 4 team harnesses signifying the "pre-release production phase".



This being the first that will be flown, I felt pretty strong satisfaction boxing it up and shipping it off to Florida to get some much appreciated feed back from Dustin. It's too snowy to access any of the flying sites here in Missoula so it was a huge benefit to have someone, who's opinion I respect, ready and willing to test it out for me. I decided to simplify the overall package to make for clean lines while retaining the same chute deployment layout and structure. I was pleased with the understated result and based on the finished proto, am looking forward to building the harness that I'll race on this season.



Dustin has the lay up dialed for the back plate and the boot. Apparently, the back plate is strong enough to kill a donkey with. He said this morning, "I could drive up onto this thing with my car to change the transmission". Sounds pretty freakin strong. It will be nice to not have to worry about mid loop carbon failures on the back plate! Believe me;-)



I will have at least a couple finished to see, hands on, at Demo Days later this month and plan to be ready to take orders and measurements during the event. I'm really excited to start building custom harnesses for pilots around the world and am happy with where we are at in the progression toward achieving that goal. I will make sure to post "in air" photos as soon as Dustin is able to get some.



On a bit of a whim, I took Saturday off to go and "celebrate" a little. Haven't been doing much in the way of exercise lately so when my friends, Jim and Lori Chase, called to see if I wanted to go run the "SnoJoke 1/2 marathon" with them, I said, why not. It's an annual winter event that makes a lap around the scenic Seeley Lake here in western Montana. Not a real long one, but over 500 people showed up and it was cool to have good conversation with new people while running in a beautiful place. There was less snow and ice on the course than most years so it ended up being really pleasant and a great way to enjoy the afternoon.

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Just got done knifing out the new set of patterns. I have hopes this will be basically a production model. Getting them drawn, plotted, cut out and marked up has been really fun but I'm keen to start sewing. I should be able to get a harness in the mail soon for Dustin to test fly for a few days and then on to Pearson and Mitch (for his opinion on the d-bag). After hearing what the boys have to say, I plan on making the last little tweaks before the release of the product at Demo Days.




Nya swinging in the climbing cave while Dad was going mental cutting out patterns

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Just sitting here in the Kingsford Smith departure terminal after another amazing adventure flying in OZ. It's hard to even know where to start after so much has happened. I didn't have reliable net access so I'm the entire trip behind but this comp has been another life highlight, for sure. Another problem (or excuse) causing for a lack of posts was that my camera shorted after getting submerged during a violent and wet storm on day 3 so I have next to no photos from the trip, just good memories.



I arrived on the 31st and met up with friends from around the world to bring in the new year and to celebrate being in a beautiful place for another comp to remember. When ever I think of racing my hang glider in Forbes, strong climbs, fast glides and long tasks are the dominating thoughts. The temps were forecast to be hot (up to 111 F) and that only meant one thing for sure, we were going to get what we came for.



Days were saturated with the tasks at hand. We would wake early to stretch off the previous days aches and pains and try to get loaded up on fluids and fuel before racing into town for the briefing. The paddock was nice a green this year so towing, although active and strong at times, was quite pleasant. The best part of Forbes is the professionalism displayed by the organizers from the Moyes family and pilots. The field is so strong and racing with the top pilots that seem to show up each year makes becoming a better pilot a tangible opportunity.



I was rusty and anxious on the first day of the comp and ended up on the deck. Because flying fast down a course line is so confidence based it was not a good way to start off. After shaking some of the cobb webbs off I started to feel the rhythm and began to feel stronger and more in phase as the days rolled on. Flying is very perspective based. I heard an analogy once that seems applicable. When you drive down the road and look out the window at a stand of trees whizzing by, from one point of view they look like a thick and randomly spaced "mess" of trees. But, if viewed from the right place, you are able to see deep into the forest realizing that the trees are planted in perfect rows, all lining up perfectly. Sometimes, my perspective in a comp just needs a little adjustment to have things line up for a more clear picture.



One of the highlights of the trip was a barn burner, 112 mile out and return with up to a 25k head wind on the return. Zippy and I took the 3rd start because we seemed to be out of phase for the first two, which added an hour to our airtime before even getting started. It felt so good to be that tired after a 6.5 hour flight, standing next to the car right where we had left it earlier that morning. Watching the sun set that evening brought back memories when OB and I had a very similar flight a few years ago. The strong feeling of satisfaction after such a difficult task was a stark reminder that we are so lucky to get to do what we do.



The comp ended and the party was good. I got to see Curt and Lou for my last night in Sydney and was lucky enough to see a photo of their newest family member when they returned from Lou's ultrasound this morning. Good flying, great weather and even better friends. Life is good

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What's in the bag??


Finished the latest prototype and have learned enough to feel confident that within the next 1 or 2 protos, I should be ready for production. Spring still feels realistic and I plan to have a couple at the Wills Wing Demo days, if possible, for people to try on and fly in. The changes necessary are minor and involve sizing which is "learning me" on how to be proficient in the process required to change the pattern to effect size without changing the lines of the harness. There are also a few cosmetic and finish work changes that I will make but all together, I'm happy with the progress.





The harness is very comfortable and getting upright is reliable and easy. The slider box that we have designed seems to function how we intended and is overbuilt in terms of strength. I have ripped the chutes out several times and the deployment system is quick, easy and replacing the chutes is simple and retains a clean fit. Dustin's carbon components are beautiful and sound. We have begun the testing phase for the screamers that connect the chute bridles to the harness structure, the carbon back plate and other applicable components which should allow real data relating to the structural limits of the harness. I like the idea of the piece of mind gained from things being overbuilt without sacrificing functionality and style.





I will keep updating as progress continues toward the production phase. So far, the frontal profile makes me smile.

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Been going hard to get this proto done. I'm trying to build a close, working example of what will eventually be the comp production model before I leave at the end of the month for Forbes, OZ. It's been a fun process solving problems realized on the last try and designing a way for a pile of textiles and components to turn into a tool for the greatest possible performance advantage in a harness. It's a goal and work in progress but so far, the results are encouraging.



After Adams free fall deployment in Australia a few weeks ago, I am exploring the idea of using load limiting "screamers" for a connection between the harness and chute bridle. My hope is to reduce the impact force and make a safer deployment situation without reducing opening time. I've used screamers for years while climbing ice or any time the gear is "light" and believe in their effectiveness from experience. Pearson has had interaction with the folks at Yates over the years and after I built an example of the screamer I would like to use in the harness, he sent it to the Yates facility who were extremely gracious, agreeing to test it for us and to give us the valuable information derived from a test to failure.



Even after I sent it off, I couldn't resist building one to test myself with a 5' static drop. The screamer did exactly what it was supposed to, reducing the impact force on a fall that would have normally broke me in half;-) After some laughs with Gibisch, I jumped and responded to the result with one word.......Cool!



Old photo of "seam welded" chute zippers. The welder has involved a learning curve but it sure makes for clean lines

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I had the pleasure of meeting Terry and his wife Chris Reynolds while we were in Texas at the Big Spring comp. Through some of the initial conversation, I learned that Terry and Chris both shared my facination and admiration for raptors and the practice of falconry. Because I have been devoting most of my time and energy in the development of the new comp harness, I've been living falconry vicariously through their adventures with their Red Tail, Bud.



It's funny. I've been the lucky observer of some of the most sizzeling stoops by Peregrins while training them to hunt pheasants and I always love to watch my birds "roll over" at the beginning of the stoop so that they can get vertical without taking their eyes off their prey.


Bud "on approach"

This is a great series of their Red Tail, Bud, making such a stoop on a "bagged" pheasant. Seeing a hawk make this type of approach gives me hope that one day, we might learn how to make a hang glider do it;-) You never know.








Pheasant for lunch;-)

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Sunday was going to be bluebird and it had been quite a while since I had the time and opportunity to climb in the mountains with Gibisch. We hung out the friday before and after some shit talk, hatched a plan to spend a short day in Blodget Canyon to do a quick route in the sun. It was supposed to stay between 20-30 degrees F on Sunday and the canyon forms a venturi that can bite in the winter so we were into doing something that we could move fast on to stay warm.





We met up for coffee late morning (Missoula alpine start;-) and made it to the trail head around 11. The parking lot and trail are on the shady side of the canyon and there was still a dusting from a snow shower the day before. Seemed like we might have cold hands in our future.



Blodget is one of the unique features close to Missoula that draws me to this place. It's lined on one side with South exposed walls and spires of granite. The routes have an "alpine rock" feel, contain sections that sometimes require adventurous route finding, and are high quality in terms of exposure and experience.





I always find high value in hanging out with Chris in the mountains. Even though I was admittedly a little rusty, it felt like old times and it felt great to be on a route in the winter in Montana. Even though the climbing was mellow, we enjoyed every minute of it.



We topped out and scrambled down snow covered ledges until we were able to rappel the rest of the way to the deck. Walking the 45 minutes or so back to the truck in the dusk was satisfying and familiar. Just what I needed to recharge the batteries.

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I'm sitting in a hotel room in Guayaquil, looking at a full moon out our window rising over the city and thinking back on what an amazing adventure this trip has been. The diverse contrast of our time here seems like several different trips seamlessly connected. We spent time in the city, over the mountains, driving through the green farm land and on the coast listening to the surf pound and the sea breeze blow. We got to see animals that are so different than I see in Montana. Aunt Eaters mixed in with the occasional Iguana crossing the road. The uniqueness of Ecuador and this part of the world is an experience that I will remember for my lifetime.






One of the things that stands out the most about this trip was the amazing people. Most here seem to live their lives with simplicity in mind, by choice or by necessity. O'Brien and I talked in the car on the way back from the coast today about how in all but very few communities here, there are no grocery stores..... no convenience stores. If a family wants to eat they kill a chicken, cook it's eggs and mash corn from the field into tonight's dinner. I saw smiles in the heart of what appeared to be suffering and people living happy with hardly any material possessions. I also saw people living without basic needs to survive in reasonable health, people that had no opportunity to better their situation in the long term or on a day to day basis. As a person who is privileged in comparison, it was hard to see, smell and listen to. What I feel like is the important perspective to take away from this trip is to never take any ounce of opportunity, any laugh or friend, any of what I consider part of a normal day, for granted. We are so lucky to live the lives that we do.

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