6/17/1979
In June 1979 a bunch of us became the first people in the world to fly indoors. We flew on three occasions. The first was to see if anyone would die. The next time we did it for press coverage and the third time to perform for the Annual Paper Airplane Contest. Pilot and Instructor, Michael Pringle showed up for the third occasion and wrote an article for “Hang Gliding Magazine” which was published in the August 1979 edition. Michael and the United States Hang Gliding Association have the copyright on the article. The magazine is no longer available but the article is by buying the electronic copies of every magazine ever published by USGHA and its subsidiaries. Mike was my buddy and if he were alive today, he would heartily endorse my reformatting, providing my own photos and publishing it on my blog.
“Do you really think I could learn to fly? Even with a trick knee? What about insurance? I don't want to take chances. I can if I want to put the effort into it? It will be as safe as I am? How long does it really take?”
Those were some questions I heard over the telephone a couple of years ago from a potential student named Gene Matthews.
Today I'm standing on a launch ramp as the “wire man" for the world's first indoor hang glider pilot-named Gene Matthews. It's the site of the 1979 World Indoor Paper Airplane Championships. An indoor hang gliding exhibition is the extra drawing attraction. The road to the top is paved, facilities are good, set up area is poor, it is 75 ft. AGL from launch to landing zone and winds are non-existent
Charlie Brown, DJ. of local fame from Seattle radio station KJR is on hand to give a blow by blow account of each flights and just as well since his is the only air-hot, wave, or otherwise available at the launch site.
I give Gene a static check. Charlie Brown and Chuck Drake hold the sides of the control bar to keep it from slipping down the ramp. Charlie's microphone goes up to Gene's face as Charlie barks, "How does it feel to be the world's first indoor hang glider?”
“Uhh, I'll tell you when I get down."
"And how long will you be in the air?”
"Oh, about eleven seconds, I hope."
"And what's going through your mind right now?
“Uhh, that I'd better keep my mind on what I'm doing. Let's see” (Gene counts on his fingers:
One, I'm hooked in;
Two, I've got my helmet;
Three, knee brace is in place:
Four, angle of attack;
Five, wing level;
Six, mind clear and concentrating;
Seven, run like hell..."
Gene completes his usual preflight check and Charlie belts out through the mike to the Kingdome audience of 5,000 and the Seattle radio audience: “And now he's ready for the count down...ten, nine, eight...the audience joins in...three, two, one and here he goes!
Gene obliges, pounds down the ramp and is off in five steps, diving for airspeed and the stadium floor a short flight below. The crowd squeals with delight. A short few seconds later Gene is skimming the astroturf and setting up for a smooth landing at the far end of the field.
"I see you have a new hat." That's about the only comment I get from Steve Hollister when I appear near the ramp as the pilots set up their gliders for the demonstration of the first public indoor hang gliding exhibition.
I've been to big meets, high mountains, Yosemite and the quiet rolling hills of western Oregon. I've flown with most of these pilots in hail storms and howling gale winds. But I've never felt more tension and exacting concentration than the period of time prior to the 75-foot launch that was about to occur.
Nine pilots with an impressive amount of air time, ready to fly together another time, but now feeling somehow out of their elements. There were no wind socks, no wind meters or wind dummies, no wind! No air except to breath, but no air masses or cycling thermals. No gusts or crosswinds…..just stillness. The only airspeed was what you could create in four to seven steps off the ramp, then dive for speed and control, ease off, get adjusted in your harness and start setting up your landing. No room for turns or landing approaches. Just fly it out and squeak in for a landing at the other end of the Kingdome floor.
A good glide ratio made it more difficult because if you flew too far, you got too close to the other end of the stadium floor, with not enough altitude to turn and set up a landing in any direction other than the one you had established at the time of the launch. Very tricky. No room for error or correction. No place which to abort. Just one way to do it. Straight ahead and correctly. The ultimate test of piloting. No chance for isolated concentration or choosing a launch window.
The fans were waiting. Charlie Brown was interviewing every pilot and asking each to take part in a count-down to launch for the benefit of the crowd. Some pilots obliged and others said "bug off”. We were all nervous.
Walk your gliders down the tops of the backs of the Stadium seats from above the ramp. balancing the glider and placing each step like a tightrope walker. Set the control bar on the ramp. Static check with someone on each side of the control bar to hold it in place on the ramp. The wireman is trying to hold the nose of the glider without falling off the ramp, while at the same time priming the Local D.J. with the names and background of each of the approaching pilots.
Gene Matthews: Organizer of this hang gliding exhibition at the Kingdome. Worked on it for a year and a half before it became a reality. Now, also the World’s first indoor hang glider pilot.
Chris Drake: Will be a high school senior next year. Started flying tandem with his father, Chuck, at the age of 13. Making this flight with the added encumbrance of a KING-TV news camera strapped to his control bar. The footage will later be used as a point of view shot of a paper airplane flying from the 300 foot level of the dome to the floor, with no mention or credit of the hang gliding exhibition on the evening news, (That’s show biz).
Chris Drake
Chuck Drake: Father of Chris Drake (a great feat and financial sacrifice in itself as he will tell you). Also, holder of the World's Indoor Hang Gliding Duration Record of 15.9 seconds and probably one of the best unknown, unprofessional pilots with the most airtime in the world. (Chuck refused, on principle, to be part of the countdown.)
Mark Fredrickson: One-time President of the Pacific Northwest Hang Glider Assn. Computer programmer who suffers from the normal psychic disruptions inherent in that profession, but a good pilot and strong PNHGA supporter.
Jon Dawkins: A ski mechanic and possibly the most mellow hang glider pilot in the Pacific Northwest.
Jon Dawkins
Steve Hollister: Descendant of Doc Hollister of old west fame; known for shooting from the hip with a scoped sniper rifle, also sells gliders and sometimes has a good sense of humor.
Ken Fine: The Northwest's oldest new and used hang glider salesman and school teacher who sold me my first kite (I didn't say glider because no one made gliders in those days).
Jeff Johnson: Once a Region One Director who is a commercial pilot in his spare time. Too nice a guy to be in hang gliding politics, Jeff sticks to flying his bootlegged homebuilt Fledge and DC10's.
Dave Freeman: One of the most mature kids on the Northwest Hang Glider Block and a mainstay in the PNHGA.
Charlie Brown finishes his interview with Dave.
“What's the main thing you have to keep in mind on this flight?” Dave doesn't really answer, although as he yells over his left shoulder to Scott Price (who got his Quick Silver to Kossen but couldn't get it in Kingdome) the radio and live audience gliding exhibition at the Kingdome.
hear Dave's voice filter through the microphone, “That left wingtip's got to clear!”
"..Four, three, two, one” the crowd the world's first indoor hang glider pilot.
chimes in with Charlie Brown, and Dave's hand-painted Super Eight just nicks its left droop tip on the far hand rail as Dave jets off the ramp. Experience, determination and a strong launch straighten out the resulting momentary yaw and the crowd cheers the ninth and final perfect flight and landing of the exhibition.
Jeff Johnson had managed to get in a well deserved plug for the PNGHA during his preflight radio interview and now Charlie Brown's ringmaster voice echos over the PA system, “Let's hear it for the pilots of the Pacific Northwest Hang Gliding Association.” Again the crowd roars with tumultuous approval.
“Remember, you can join in their meetings on the last Tuesday of every month at seven o’clock at the Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in downtown Renton. Now for the second period of flying in the 1979 World Indoor Paper Airplane Championships.”
So, in less than five minutes the World's First Indoor Hang Gliding Exhibition has become history, eclipsed by the continuation of the World's Second Annual Indoor Paper Airplane Championships.
Chuck Drake
The evening news will carry the Paper Airplane Championships without a word about the hang gliding exhibition. But many people will, no doubt, wonder how they managed to get that point of view shot of a paper airplane sailing down to the floor of the Kingdome. Few people will realize the thousands of flights and hours of airtime (not to mention the planning and coordination with the Kingdome owners) that went into that 12 seconds of movie footage.
A small flight for the pilots but a giant flight for the sport. A very outdoor sport taken indoors. Calculated risks had been taken and conquered by planning and practice. Liability risks had been taken by a big private enterprise (the owners of the facility). And it all came off without a hitch! New world records set (unofficial). Great PR for the sport. All proceeds went to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Seattle and King County. It was good advertising for the dozen or so local and national commercial sponsors. And politicians take note; it was a great plug for “Father of the World Indoor Paper Airplane Championships,” King County Councilman Bob Greive.
The function was produced by Campbell Sports, Inc., a local sports promotion company, and Simpson Paper Company provided the 100% recycled paper for construction of the airplanes. Printed on the paper were the rules, entry information box, a step by step set of instructions for folding, trimming and flight testing the planes, history, promoters, contributors and paid advertisers of the event, and dotted lines for the folding of the more un-innovatively designed craft.
Probably of more interest to Hang Gliding readers are some comments about this hang gliding first.
Were there any insurance problems? No, there wasn't any insurance. In fact, as Gene Matthews explained to me, Kingdome owners were duly impressed just to find out that an insurance company had written a policy to cover our sport in general. So for this specific exhibition, trust and a liability release waiver sufficed. (Insurance agents eat your hearts out!)
How did the pilots compare these flying conditions to outdoor “dead wind” takeoffs? It was a bit different in that there was a feeling of a complete “lack” of air — a completely “neutral air” condition. Also noted was a lack of depth perception relative to the floor of the Dome, due to artificial lighting and the uncommon indoor environment.
In general, it was felt that this would be the perfect place for a valid L/D contest if only the stadium itself were larger, providing for a higher take-off and further straight-line flight to the floor. The Houston Astrodome would be a better candidate for these reasons. Hopefully, the Kingdome management has set an encouraging precedent and confidence booster for the management of larger indoor facilities. There is still a chance for someone to be the official hosts of the world's first “official” Indoor Hang Gliding Championships and L/D Contest!
There is still a chance for someone to be the “official” holder of sanctioned indoor hang gliding world records, or to promote the world's First Official Indoor Hang Gliding Championships.
But we'll all know that the world's real first indoor hang gliding has already happened. It started in the Seattle Kingdome and became “official” on June 17, 1979, at the World Indoor Paper Airplane Championships, thanks to the trust and confidence of the Kingdome management, the skill and confidence of a group of Northwest pilots, the hard work of the PNHGA, and especially one person who was not afraid to ask questions, knew that persistence pays off, and even with a trick knee, has really learned to fly.
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