Hang gliding, born on the sands of Torrance Beach, California, soared to greatness through two key towns: San Diego, California, and Telluride, Colorado. San Diego’s historic Torrey Pines Glider Port became a proving ground for early pilots because of the constant breezes along the cliffs, while Telluride’s Gold Hill and high-altitude launch sites offered unmatched challenges in turbulent everchanging air amongst 14,000-foot peaks. The sport’s rise owes much to pioneers like David Cronk who I went to school with directly across from the Torrance Beach cliffs, (what fun was that) and Jeff Campbell who I skied with from time to time, and he taught me to, "keep my butt over my boots and drive the bus". Cronk, diving headlong into the Hang Gliding, and in 1974, became champion in Telluride with his redesigned Quicksilver C model, and then National Champion in 1975 in Austria no less, with a flex-wing glider he built. He designed gliders and sold plans, that everyday people could fly, and then co-created the ultralight aircraft, the most accessible aircraft ever built. Campbell, a Telluride ski patroller, and film maker, launched from the town’s new ski area, co-founded the Telluride Air Force, and went on in 1978 to make a film, "Off The Edge", which gained national acclaim. This drew pilots nationwide to a stunning, dynamic terrain, to practice their newfound sport of Re-Creation. The number one thing that these, and all other test pilots brought to the sport, was their ability to constantly adapt their "machines" to fly better and higher, evidenced by the fact that by the late 70's, loops were done in the Telluride box canyon. From my surf perspective as a Torrance Beach bum, and my crawlspace perspective as a town Plumber, and part time roadie, I saw hang gliding’s raw spirit through a lens of adventure and grit, along with my own adventures into the bowels of "The Town Without A Bellyache". These pioneers didn’t just test the skies—they redefined freedom, making hang gliding the ultimate extreme recreational sport and their motto was, "Everything Will Kill You, So Why Not Try Something Fun"? That is the way I saw it until about 1990 when a new extreme sport came to Gold Hill and Torrey, and everywhere for that matter, calling themselves Paragliders with their modified parachutes as wings. I watched them fly and they were good but they weren't Aircraft in that there was no rigid airframe to depend on and when they came to launch site with a back pack on, unlike hang gliders, and surfboards and skies on top of a car or truck, for all to see, they took their modified parachutes out of a bag, spread it on the ground, (uck) untangled and separated the many lines attached to it, popped it into the air over their heads, struggled with it a bit, turned it into the wind, and they were off, but as an old Private Pilot, I was taught about the "take-off", but this seemed more like a "pop-off", and pop off they did by the many many, and filled the airspace with not only single pilot fliers, but with paragliders taking paying customers for 20 minute rides. I saw my Hang Glider friends start to not want to fly in this crowded environment because it just wasn't fun anymore, and it has been severely and successfully (gotta give them credit for that) co-opted by the mega U$HPA organization. I googled, "first loops in a hang glider" and got sponsored links to, how to paraglide "Some Say" that Hang Gliding is a dyeing sport but I think it's very much alive in the few Pilots who still do it today. When paragliding went commercial in the 90's there was so much money to be made that it became the preferred business model for city government because it brought in so many people to enjoy their airspace as a rider. The waiver that is being proposed at Torrey may be the only tool we have to separate the commercial and the Piloting aspects of city park. That should be the primary focus and any differences of opinion and down write fighting, will be used by ACA, and they are watching every move, against us and make us out to be idiots, Who else besides Bob and Ernie is willing to step up and tell all the news organizations about this waiver that needs to be signed for the actual benefit of San Diegians and not just for a hot dog stand and "for money only" operation.
BTW, David Cronk and Jeff Campbell were banned, with the threat of arrest, from turning left at Torrance Beach Cliffs.
Personality conflicts can hold us back, but if we just learn better how to be alone with ourselves we will move forward. That is the only way an aircraft moves forward, LIFT as Joe so rightly puts it, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jItjATXEELc
Sometimes you gotta' push the stick forward while you're lookn' at the ground
Lest we forget we're pilots... some amazing words by four of the best.
WING OF GOD : CREATION By Joe Faust ...Trees, plants, seeds and me/you...are the flights of the immovable Creator, realizing personal flight: On March 31, 1979, while resting in the hold of the upper branches of a dead tree in the palisade park at the Pacific shores of Santa Monica, Calif, the following reflection overcame me; and I dare share it with you, my friends: From seed to seed, feathers between. Trunk to branch to twig to leaf, its feather. Yet its progeny, its seed must be cast afar to the sky, fly, oh self hope, fly away, see if you can fly ! Leaf, joyous in the wind, waving, trying all day to fly. And no end to your total fly dream, for even twig and branch will dust and blow away,if not, you'll become food for winged insects and take wing in the new incarnation. Death does not stop your dream nor your own Easter flight. All of you from trunk to seed to leaf, to root will fly. The roots one day, the food of decay, long standing worker of all thy hopes, will sky out too at the end of patience,...though the uplifting chain of Nature; insects, rot, erosion, new ground, and food for the next plant that holds that will fly. So many of your leaves are as hang glider wings, feathers mimicking. And some of your seeds exactly express your hopes, they are variously trying all formes of wings, from autorotational, propeller, to parachute, viscous drag line, dust and more. If man had but looked to you, plants, trees and seeds, he'd flown long before he did. How much more are we missing by not seeing your message expressed? Thy branches hold hominids, birds, insects, perhaps to soak in the man-fly dream, the secrets of foul and feather, the vibrations of the insect pilot. Or was it your imprint of God, oh plants and trees, an imprint of flight hope and drive, that excited the Creator toward winged, feathered and propellered machinations? Could it be that God, being imminent and already everywhere, wished to fly vicariously in all creatures, quark to quas to questions? Is Nature but the Master Wing of God? The immovable God, Simple act in Being, played in finiteness, which finiteness then had to fly, fly, fly about in search for Home, the Infinite, the One, all over again, trying to fill all the sky and space, connecting all by fiber, gas, dust, shade, light and touch. And had I not been separated from thee, my Beloved Joanne, this moment in this dead dusting tree at Santa Monica palisades park this March 31, 1979, would not have passed as it has with my flying the hope of these dusting branches, a hope of these dusting branches, a hope of personal flight that seems imbedded in all the plants and trees about me. And in me, Thank you, God, Thank you, Joanne, Thank you, flying dead tree; you that holds life in trying to dust-sky-out as your last ode to personal flight. Thank you sky, wind, finiteness, restless until you hold all wings in your heart. And I pause now, after seeing that even your drive to fly away into space off planets and off suns and stars is your own winged outreach to be imminent and everywhere, to be one with your Imprinter, God's wing are we. I fly, I, why?
Reflection by Joe Faust . By Rick Masters, 2018 You embrace her and feel her tremble and sigh, responsive to your touch. You pay attention to the air ocean you are about to enter. You don’t turn your back to it’s waves, lest they sweep you away. You don’t make a bunch of ridiculous and distracting choreographic moves at the critical moment of take off. You stand firm and focus on the sky that beckons you. You stand firm and focus on the movement of the air coming up the hill towards you. A gust? A thermal? The devil? Your hang glider is completely ready to go, trusting you to guide her. You stand there, confident, in quiet excitement, feeling her fly on your shoulders like an ever wondrous and powerfully fleet, obedient Gryphen about to be released from her cage. You see the grass ripple. You watch the birds. You listen to the words of the wind, sometimes you wait for signs of a thermal teasing the bushes. You wait for the right moment, when the wind feels perfect, with your fabulous wing already flying inches over your head, responsive to your every command. You trust her. Then you take a few steps and fly away to heaven. You are joyously and instantly and smoothly transformed into an ethereal being. There is no drama. Drama is for idiots. R.M. 2018 David Cronk. "I never intended to get this high off the ground" Soon to be inducted into the EAA hall of fame, much deserved. In 1971, a new kind of aviation was beginning, or rather re-emerging after it was forgotten when the Wright brothers successfully added engines and propellers to their biplane glider nearly 70 years before. The new technology of hang gliding found a number of its early leaders on and around the beaches of Los Angeles county, southern California. One of those leaders is David Cronk, who in 1975 additionally became the first ever world hang gliding champion. .
Jeff Campbell First to fly off of the Telluride ski area, and co-founder of the Telluride Air Force. and expert sailplane pilot. "Then Senior Mahoney pulled up on his snowmobile, saw my hang glider twisted up in the bull-wheel, and never had I wished for wings more than at that Moment ! He took one look at the lift, one look at me and called me out", -- "Picture a big play at home plate with the umpire calling the runner out. No words, only a look that I will never forget". And that was the end of transporting hang gliders on the chair lifts in Telluride. Did I mention the lift was fully loaded with skiers?, did I mention that it was a powder day? did I mention that it was the only way to the top? I will mention that in the early 70's, David and Jeff were banned from turning left a the Torrance Beach cliffs because some home owner called the cops and accused them of, "invasion of privacy' for looking at his wife in his back yard. Hmmm could the tandem riders at Torrey be called out for the same thing?
. A poem by C. Faye Bennett.
EVEN A BIRD.png (432.97 KiB) Viewed 13698 times
.
Sometimes you gotta' push the stick forward while you're lookn' at the ground
Sound Is The Source Of All Things, and this "sound" by Frank Colver is fascinating, and I wish that I could play it here, since this is Hawks and Larks. Anybody know how to put a 25+ MB audio file here? I made this picture of him breathing into the wooden flutes he makes. ha, which is a most ancient practice.
2 who is this guy .png (210.26 KiB) Viewed 13411 times
Thanks to Frank for sending me this.
wolf moon .png (208.27 KiB) Viewed 13411 times
The Schumann Resonance is the Earth resonance and the brain resonates at about the same low frequency. The crystal is the highest frequency and may be the key to the earth's resonance, so said Nicola Tesla. I have a quartz filled, anomalous, rock formation in my canyon with a spring fed stream running by it. Some Colorado Forest Beings placed these there eons ago as an energy place, and my sons and 5 grand kids have camped out overnight, and visited the top of them for some strange reason, why not? If you want to see more visit, "Colorado Forest Beings" on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/@ColoradoForestBeings Quartz is from within the Earth and remember that compressed quartz and running water emit negative ions which is a type of, "feel good" drug. Pictures below.
energy beam.png (183.22 KiB) Viewed 13411 times
Notice no erosion markings.
Levell Draw adventure.png (289.42 KiB) Viewed 13411 times
see the small tree growing just below his feet? where is the soil?
This video is a must for all young ones to understand, especially 9:51 to 16:16.It is fascinating good stuff. It is not taught in our schools. In Hebrew, "The Father of the Beginnings Created the Elohim, the Heavens and the Earth". Not, "In The Beginning, God Created the Heavens and the Earth". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f5ofZONuyM
Sometimes you gotta' push the stick forward while you're lookn' at the ground
You stand at the edge of a sunlit ridge, the crisp mountain air filling your lungs, as the team at Horizon Hang Gliders prepares for your adventure. Our company, a beacon of professionalism in the world of free flight, is staffed exclusively by highly trained pilots—men and women who’ve earned their wings through rigorous certification, hundreds of logged hours, and an unwavering commitment to safety. Each pilot, licensed under the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA), holds advanced ratings, with expertise honed in everything from thermal soaring to cross-country navigation. We don’t just fly; we master the skies with precision and pride.
Your pilot today, Captain Sarah Ellison, greets you with a confident smile, her Advanced Pilot rating badge gleaming on her flight suit. She’s one of our finest, with over 1,500 hours soaring above these rugged peaks. No waivers to sign here—no need for legal posturing when safety is our DNA. Instead, Sarah invites you to join her for a meticulous walk-around of our pride and joy: a state-of-the-art Flex Wing Hang Glider, crafted and assembled by skilled artisans in California, USA. Unlike those mass-produced, questionable parachutes churned out under duress in far-off factories, our gliders are hand-built with aerospace-grade aluminum, Dacron sails, and stainless-steel cables, each component rigorously inspected to meet FAA and USHGA standards. This isn’t some crumpled fabric yanked from a car trunk; it’s a precision-engineered aircraft, gleaming in the sunlight, ready to dance with the wind.
Sarah guides you around the glider, her voice steady and proud as she points out the taut sail, the streamlined control frame, and the secure harness that will cradle you for the journey. “This is our Wills Wing T3,” she says, “designed for stability and performance, with a glide ratio of 15:1—perfect for a long, smooth flight.” She checks the keel, inspects the battens for perfect curvature, and tugs each cable with practiced hands, ensuring every element is flawless. The preflight checklist is thorough: control bar responsiveness, harness integrity, and even the backup reserve parachute, a standard feature we include not because we expect to use it, but because preparation is our creed. “We fly by the book,” Sarah says, “so you can relax and enjoy the view as you are hanging from your harness right next to me and when the time is right, I'll let you control the glider right along with me".
Strapped into the tandem harness beside Sarah, you feel the strength of her expertise as she positions the glider at the launch point. and a triple check of the harness. The wind is steady, a perfect 10 knots, and Sarah’s calm voice walks you through the takeoff: a short run, a gentle lift, and suddenly, you’re airborne. The world falls away, and you’re soaring over emerald valleys and jagged peaks, the Flex Wing responding to Sarah’s subtle shifts with grace. “Feel that thermal?” she calls, banking the glider to catch an updraft, extending your flight as you spiral higher. For 30 minutes—longer than any overpriced paraglider ride—you glide effortlessly, the silence broken only by the rush of wind and Sarah’s occasional pointers about the landscape below. At just $100, half the cost of those risky paraglider jaunts, you’re getting a masterclass in flight from a true professional.
As you approach the landing zone, Sarah’s skill shines. She aligns the glider with the wind, maintaining a steady 20 mph approach speed, and flares perfectly for a feather-light touchdown on the grassy field. You step out, heart full and legs steady, no trace of the unease you’d feel with a shaky paraglider outfit. “That’s what flying should be,” Sarah says, unclipping her harness with a grin. “Safe, smooth, and unforgettable.” At Horizon Hang Gliders, our pilots and our American-crafted aircraft deliver not just a ride, but a legacy of flight done right—professional, proud, and built to soar.
Picture this, thrill-seeker! You’re standing in line, heart pounding with anticipation, surrounded by fellow adrenaline junkies buzzing with excitement, each one itching to conquer the skies! You’ve made it to the counter of our world-class paragliding operation, where a charismatic adventure coordinator—not some stuffy pilot, but a true ambassador of exhilaration—hands you a waiver, so read it quickly, there's others in line, and sign it, and that’s your golden ticket to the ride of a lifetime! Don’t let the nervous energy of the crowd fool you; they’re just as pumped as you are to strap into our state-of-the-art harness and soar like a bird, for an electrifying 20-minute flight! Our team’s legendary “safety” record is the talk of the town—boldly advertised because we’re damn proud of getting you up and back in one piece! Forget any whispers of risk; this isn’t about the hundreds of so-called “incidents” this year or the thousands of tales from paragliding’s past—those are just noise! You’re here for the rush, the wind-in-your-face glory, and the bragging rights of defying gravity with the best in the biz! Sign that waiver, champ, and let’s launch you into a story you’ll never stop telling! And oh, you'll also have to join our club and get our magazine for a little extra.
Embrace the thrill of a lifetime—calculated risk is where true adventure begins, while a mere dare pales in comparison! Imagine this: A bold challenger grins and says, "I dare you to embark on this exhilarating flight aboard our cutting-edge, custom-modified paraglider, guided by a passionate expert who proudly calls himself your 'pilot' extraordinaire! Watch in awe as he dramatically opens a bag and unveils this high-performance paraglider canopy right before your eyes, and lays it on the ground, no need for a walkaround, and straight from the trunk of his sleek ride, then expertly sorting those intricate lines, cords, and strings amid the invigorating breeze, which isn't that easy, but with a little luck and fine-tuning every detail, for the perfect pop takeoff. Then, feel the rush as you're securely harnessed front and center in the pilots lap—snugly positioned for ultimate immersion and picture taking glory, and, oh don't forget your helmet and reserve chute—and we dynamically adjust ourselves while "Kiting" the canopy over our heads, to harness the wind's power, then popping you skyward on an unforgettable 20-minute aerial escapade you've eagerly waived into and invested just $200 for pure excitement! And oh, the triumphant return to terrafirma, safe and sound as your pilot skillfully operates the breaks for a controlled parachute to the ground, and with the added spice of knowing you're joining the elite ranks who've conquered the skies in the dynamic world of powered and unpowered paragliding—where every ride is a story worth telling!"
Sometimes you gotta' push the stick forward while you're lookn' at the ground
Home
by Craig Muhonen » Tue Aug 19, 2025 4:11 pm 
