Too much traveling over the past month! I've been on the road for four weeks and won't be back for two more. That's my excuse and I'm sure there are tiny violins playing for me.

Please help! I need pics and stories! Please send me a note at editor@sfbapa.org.

There were relatively few accidents and incidents this month. I only received one accident report and witnessed one incident this month. Good work and congratulations to everyone!

The accident occurred at the Dump. A novice pilot with 80 hours and 2 years flying experience launched from Walker's turned left and was unsuccessful in getting up, turned north and back south to set up a landing but was below Lemmings and set up to land on one of the terraces where he caught his right foot in the culvert fracturing his fibula.

With the heavy late rains this year the weeds and daisies are exceptionally tall and thick obscuring the culverts both on the top and on the terraces. Please keep this in mind and set up your approaches to land where you can clearly see the ground. Also the sticker bushes below Tom Cat have really big thorns this year which can puncture a glider (or pilot). Make sure you have enough wind to clear the sink in front of launch.

I also witnessed a non-injury incident at Ed Levin which has lessons for us all. A P3 pilot was flying the 600' as there was no one there to give him a ride up the hill. The winds were light and there was very little convective activity. I witnessed him on his first flight 'scratching' very close, trying to work what little lift there was. On his second flight he launched and flew along the spine to the first knob where he found some lift and pulled off a left hand 360 then flew back south towards the launch. At this point he was about even with or slightly below launch. As he passed the rocks below launch he felt some lift and initiated another left hand 360. My first thought was, 'wow that looks too close' and sure enough as he got almost 180 into the turn he realized he wasn't going to clear the hill. At this point he jammed his left brake full on and spun the glider. Amazingly enough this probably saved him from a more serious accident as he was heading straight for the pile of rocks. The spin stopped his forward progress, rotated another 90 degrees and dropped him about 10-15 feet onto the hillside where he landed on his butt. He picked himself up right away, bundled up his glider and walked back up to launch. To his credit, when he re-launched he was very conservative and flew a more standard course with plenty of ground clearance.

In closing I'd like to remind everyone that after a prolonged rainy season, summer is finally here. At least I think so. The convective activity is getting stronger with the higher sun angle, longer days and dryer ground. The associated turbulence is also going to increase. Be sure do a thorough job of checking weather and evaluating the days conditions before deciding to fly. For a scary example of what can happen read Gregg Hackett's posting on the pg list or if you don't subscribe, check it out on the Sonoma Wing's site at: http://p222.ezboard.com/fsonomawingsbbfrm18.showMessage?topicID=26.topic

Have a safe summer everybody!

BAPA Activities

The now famous Starthistle Fly-In at Woodrat Mountain near Medford was held over the Memorial Day weekend. What those of us who made the trek up there didn't know was that this year Memorial weekend would also bring a major thunder, lightning, AND rain storm that would sit over the area for most of the weekend.

Thursday was a great day to be there according to Gregg Hackett. Light winds and a great lapse rate had pilots going every which way: Medford, Grants Pass, other points north. That luck ran out on Friday, though. After some morning sledders and some slightly extended early afternoon flights, the over-developed clouds that had been hanging around the distant ranges moved in and shut things down.

The Rat Force Launches

Tim K. at Goal

Luckily, the weather cleared in time for the Rat Race, which was a veritable Who's Who of top American paragliding pilots - many of whom live in the Bay Area. All of our Bay Area competitors - Jug, Jeff, Tim, Josh, and Tin - finished in the top half of the pack, with Josh coming in tenth overall. Dave and Susan flew in the non-competitive category and finished first and secondrespectively. Way to go, gang!

June activities continued with an excellent and successful thermal clinic, led once again by Tom Moock. The clinic was intended to give coastal and low-airtime pilots lots of valuable information about flying mountain sites and then some practical experience with Tom providing guidance by radio. The two-day clinic was limited to eight pilots and was originally scheduled for Potato Hill but was switched to Dunlap due to weather conditions. By the end of "ground school" on Saturday, conditions were too strong for novice thermal pilots so Tom and Eugene went up for some major rock-n-roll. The clinic pilots waited out the "big air" and started launching around 3:30 when conditions had calmed down enough for everyone to have excellent flights. Then Tom provided an extensive review of the day's flights andprinciples of thermal flying prior to gourmet dining and a toasty campfire, with peach pie and smores provided by Ann and Heather. Sunday morning was a bit cooler than Saturday so once again all eight clinic participants launched and had great thermal flights - in some cases, their best/longest/highest flights ever.

Events for July are not yet scheduled but we will be planning something soon. Watch the BAPA calendar and members email for announcements and details. Conditions at the coast and at most of our favorite sites have been fairly good so far this year. Let's hope the remainder of the 2005 season brings lots more great flying anda great safety record to go with it.

As a new pilot your first wing was probably chosen for or with you by your instructor. Among other criteria, your instructor helps you to choose your first wing based on your flying style, the sites that you will be flying, and how much you will be flying in your first year. Your instructor has an intimate knowledge of your learning curve and how it compares with the countless other students and peers he/she has seen over the years and can suggest a starter wing that will keep you safe and having fun over the first year or two of your flying career.

Every day you go out to fly, your horizons broaden knowingly and unknowingly to you. Each trip to the hill, whether or not you flew, adds new insights and knowledge. As you take on new sites, new conditions, and flying with new friends, your skills are increasing. At some point you may come to the realization that you have mastered the qualities of your first wing and are looking for a new wing to take you to the next step, to take on new, stronger, more varied conditions.

Read on to hear from three pilots, Lorie Smyth, Heather Hooper, and Craig Gamma, who took lessons in 2004 and decided that they were ready to take that next step and purchase their second wing.

New Backpack for Lorie by James Smyth

Lorie and James Flying

James and Lorie both finished their P2 program with Jeff Greenbaum and purchased used wings to start out with. Lorie's first wing was fairly new and in good shape. But the backpack was poorly designed. It was more thick then tall and therefore it made very difficult to hike with. The lines on the wing were faded and had a problem of sticking together as she tried to set up for flight.

We were planning to get her a newer wing in about a year or at the very least to get a better designed backpack for her wing right away. Completely unrelated, Lorie gets cold easy and I had planned on getting her a flight suit in the near future.

Since a new wing comes with a backpack and Jeff offered up a deal that included a flight suit, Lorie had to decide between the Jazz and Golden. Jeff thought that they were both very good wings, but that the Golden was livelier and might have better performance overall. Jeff had a blue wing in stock that Lorie liked the color on so we made the deal. We had also spent enough time with Jeff to know he would only sells products he had used and believed in.

It took Lorie some time to feel comfortable with her new wing. It is much more responsive and seems to fly with more lift then her first wing. After flying a few times at the dumps with her Golden and seeing how much lift it seems to have, she is very happy with her wing. It made her feel good seeing it happens to be the exact same wing Ann Sasaki is currently using.

So in the end we bought a new wing for Lorie because her wing backpack was difficult to carry.

Not Just Pretty Colors by Heather Hooper

Windtech Tonic

FreeX Frame

As a new paragliding student, my experience picking out "the right wing" was based more on what colors I prefer than anything else. Fortunately, my husband Scott spent many hours avidly reading anything and everything he could about various manufacturers and comparing and contrasting the different wings. Between Scott and my instructor Juan Laos, we came up with a paraglider (a WindTech Tonic) that was seemingly suitable. Initially, I was pretty happy with it. It wasn't until I was more experienced that I discovered some less than desirable characteristics about the wing. I began to struggle more and more as my experience grew and started asking other, more skilled pilots what their thoughts were on the subject. The basic consensus to the traits I disliked seemed to be that the actual size of the wing was simply too big, something I never would have noticed as a fledgling as I was in the weight range and it met many other initial requirements.

To choose my next wing, I decided to pay more attention to qualities beyond a pretty color. I solicited opinions from advanced pilots, compared wings on Para2000, spoke endlessly with Scott about the decision, asked various instructors what they would choose for someone like me, flew friends' paragliders and demo-ed. Basically, I put a whole lot more thought into my choice. I am now flying a FreeX Frame. Although I haven't made my final decision on the wing, I can say with confidence that I now know what I am looking for, what intricacies please me and how I want my wing to feel when I kite, launch, fly and land and, of course, what a pretty color it is contrasted against the sky.

The Right Wing by Scott Hooper

Heather's first wind was a Windtech Tonic which was first available in 2003 and a small DHV 1. It is 26.5 sq meters. She is in the weight range, although at the lower end. We hear that gliders 'don't scale' as well down to XS sizes, testing may not be done the same, and they can be twitchy. So we have avoided the XS sizes altogether.

She tried the Windtech Tempus first. It is a 2004 DHV 1 and a smaller, very safe wing. It fit the NEW DHV1 standards and it was 25.5 square meters. Less fabric for Heather to wrestle as it's a square meter less in size. The lighter the pilot the less wing loading they have or will have so I think it's critical to have the smallest wing per your size.

She tried out a couple of other wings as well. The wing she is currently trying out is the FreeX Frame, a 2005 DHV 1-2. She obviously ''loads' her current Frame demo glider much better at 24.4 square meters.

So right here we made a jump from DHV1 to DHV 1-2. Loading is not the only issue she wrestled with. A DHV 1 is inherently more stable which means as air goes by, your glider appears to be more concerned about staying stable than going forward. She was often just along for the ride, tossed about here and there.

At one of the many SIV clinics that we attended with Enleau and Ann O'Connor, they convinced her to try a DHV 1-2 to 'cut through' the air more easily. And it worked. Interestingly that switch required new practice on landing approaches and timing, but the take off handling was such a huge improvement it did not matter. The landing changes were quite quick to learn as well, requiring just a few landings to get the distance and timing figured out. As Heather's skills increase, she needs a glider that she can actively control more and more to keep her safe in the more dynamic conditions she is flying.

I Love my new Wing by Craig Gamma

Soaring at Pacifica

Landing in Pacifica

I started flying in April 2004 and was fortunate enough to try about four different wings. As a new pilot, I really didn't know what to expect as far as handling goes and really couldn't stay up long enough to evaluate any differences anyhow. If I could of stayed up longer, I know I still wouldn't been able to tell you about the subtle differences of each wing, because later I found out a single wing can feel different as the wind textures change.

So, my first wing was picked only by its ease to slow down enough to land softly (without wraps) compared to the three other wings I flew. The choice was Windtech's DHV 1 wing.

Of course, due to the big chunk of change a wing costs, I planned on keeping my first wing for at least 5 years. However, after 4 months of flying, a small tear in my wing tip changed everything. I sent my wing off to Billy "Bad Bones" Anderson in Idaho to repair my wing and was now left with nothing to fly for the next couple of weeks. HELP! I CAN'T TAKE THIS, NOW I KNOW I AM OBSESSED WITH FLYING!

Grounded and panic stricken, my instructor came to the rescue, and let me borrow one of his DHV 1-2 wings, an Advance Epsilon 4. Well, after two weekends of flying this wing, I really couldn't go back to the first wing. This DHV 1-2 wing flys faster, responds so much quicker, and made me feel like I was in control instead of being just along for the ride. Juan and I worked out a swap deal and the new wing was mine.

Three months later of flying this new DHV 1-2 wing was truly exciting. However, I kept getting line tangles just after launch which caused cravats in the wing. At first, I thought this was just me not spending enough time sorting out my lines, but I always took the time to do such. After about seven occurrences of C-D line hang ups, I began to get scared to launch this glider in light wind conditions. If the wind was over 8 mph, I'd build a wall and confirm the lines were clear and off I went with no problems, but this wasn't good a good feeling.

Fortunately, my instructor again worked out a deal with me to return this wing. At this point, I really didn't know what to do other than try a few other DHV 1-2 wings. My instructor offered a few DHV 1-2 wings to demo, however I heard about the great recoveries the FreeX wing was revealing from Wayne Clingingsmith while taking Enleau's SIV clinics.

I called Ann O'Conner to ask her about this FreeX wing and she had plenty of positive things to say. I know Ann is being sponsored by FreeX, but I could tell it wasn't a sales pitch. Ann was truly being sincere. Wayne Clingingsmith had said the same great things about this wing as well.

That was enough for me. I didn't need to fly a bunch of DHV 1-2 wings to make a decision. I wanted this wing because Ann couldn't cause it to horseshoe while forcing a frontal. I liked the strong safety aspect and at my flying ability level, I really couldn't tell the differences between other DHV 1-2 wings. So, I placed my order for the FreeX Frame (DHV 1-2) wing.

I have to tell you I am very pleased. Since buying this wing I have taken two safety maneuver clinics and I can't horseshoe this wing either. Once, I pulled a frontal so hard that the wing just folder under (in half) and stuck. I just pulled the controls and it snapped right out. WOW! I love this glider!

Asymmetric collapses are just as easy to recover from, as well. This wing is faster and turns quicker than my old DHV 1 wing, plus it has assured me it can quickly recover from collapses. My kind of wing!

This FreeX Frame is a confidence builder, but I know it has my limits. Flying conservatively over land is a must. Of course, over the water, I'll still put it through its paces.

This article highlights the necessary information you need in order to effectively use your GPS in any modern competition. It is a re-print of Brett Hardin's original article found at http://redsix.us with his permission.

Before the Competition

Buy some white medical tape so each day you can write your name, pilot number, and the task waypoints on the GPS.

Basic Options Setup

Format:

menu/menu/setup/location

Location Format:
hddd mm.mmm

Map Datum:
WGS 84

North Reference:
True

Turn compass off:

menu/menu/setup/compass/off
(This gets rid of the "Hold Level" message)

Turn off auto Navigate:

Menu/Menu/Routes/enter/Menu/Setup Routes/Enter/

Set Waypoint Transistion to Manual

Setup Track log:

menu/menu/tracks/enter/menu/setup track log/enter

Recording:
Stop when full

Record Method:
Time

Interval:
00:00:03 (means 3 seconds) 6 hours in the air will give you 7200 points, you have a max of 10,000 on the 76s

Approach and Arrival

menu/menu/setup/alarms/Approach and Arrival/Distance/ (in tenths of a mile)

Set the turnpoint cylinder radius here so the GPS will notify you (with a beep and a screen message) when you are entering the turnpoint cylinder.

RACE TIME !

Create the Task (enter a route):

menu/menu/routes/new

Build a route by entering waypoints from the list of waypoints downloaded
the day before the comp

The first waypoint on your route list should be the launch waypoint.

The reason you do this: you can set your GO TO to be the first waypoint easily.

Final launch preparation

THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT: CLEAR YOUR TRACK LOG!:
menu/menu/tracks/enter/select clear/enter

Activate the Route:
Nav/Navigate Route/enter/(select route)/enter

THIS PART IS REALLY IMPORTANT:
The pointer will indicate which waypoint is CURRENTLY being navigated to. Occassionally right after you turn the GPS on, it will navigate to the second or even third waypoint in the list - don't worry, to tell the GPS to navigate to the start cylinder (the first waypoint in the route), select the start cylinder waypoint, press enter, select goto, and press ENTER.

What you see and do when racing:

I like to fly using the compass page which shows the large pointer in the dial, this pointer indicates what direction the next waypoint lies.

Some people were using the Map page, either way, you want to configure the GPS to use the following data fields on the top of whatever screen you fly with:

Time of Day (so you know when the race starts)
Distance to Next
Glide Ratio to Destination

After the start of the race and during a glide, I change the "Time of
Day" to "Glide Ratio".

Putting additional data fields on the page is possible but can clutter and reduces the size of the rest of the screen.

When flying to the next turnpoint:

After the start of the race, and once you leave your start cyclinder, Manually activate the GPS to Navigate to the next turnpoint by pressing Nav/Next waypoint/Enter

Thats all you need to know to fly in a comp - but if you are a nerd, you can configure the GPS to do much more, such as have the map page display the actual turn point cylider boudaries, but those things are just "nerd knobs" if you ask me.

Happy Flyin'

Brett Hardin

BASIC EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Upon Recognition of INCIDENT:

ALL PILOTS tune their radios to Emergency Frequencies (151.625 or 146.520) and CHECK IN.

A. ONE PERSON TAKES COMMAND OF THE INCIDENT (IC)

B. ANSWER 4 QUESTIONS:

1. Is there going to be a delay of more than 5 minutes to make contact with pilot?
2. Is pilot injured requiring medical attention? [Use mechanism of injury (MOI) to evaluate, even if pilot states they are Ok]
3. Are search and/or rescue required? (Tree landing, water or power lines)
4. Are there too few pilots available to handle the situation?

IF YES TO ANY: ACTIVATE THE EMS SYSTEM:

Dial 9-1-1 from any hard telephone line or when using a cellular phone, dial the local seven-digit number to be connected to the 9-1-1 Center in your area. Relay the location of the incident, MOI, and where to meet a pilot for an escort to the scene or GPS coordinates if a helicopter is needed.

C. PERSON IN CHARGE (IC) TAKES INCIDENT/PATIENT CONTROL

1. Scene size up - Determine if the accident scene is safe. Is it near roads that are accessible by EMS or will a helicopter be needed to access and transport the patient.
2. Consider the mechanism of injury (MOI) regarding hidden serious injuries. Significant MOI include:
   • Falls of more than 15 feet or 3 times the patient's height (Immobilize patient).
   • Unresponsive or altered mental status.
   • Penetrations of the head, chest or abdomen.
   • Difficulty breathing.
   • Chest pain with systolic blood pressure less than 100.
   • Severe pain anywhere.
   • Shock
3. Approach the patient from his or her front; introduce yourself and instruct the patient NOT TO MOVE and to LEAVE THEIR HELMET ON.
4. Primary Survey - Perform initial assessment:
   • Form a general impression of the patient and verbalize it.
   • Determine mental status using AVPU:
     • Determine whether the patient is Alert
     • Responsive to Verbal stimuli (name, day, time, and what happened)
     • Responsive to Painful stimuli
     • Unresponsive to any stimuli.
   • Access ABC's:
     • A = Airway
     • B = Breathing
     • C = Circulation
     • S = Spine Immobilization / Shock
5. Treat life-threats as they are discovered.

ADVANCED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

A. PERSON IN CHARGE (IC) INFORMS ALL PILOTS HOW THEY CAN ASSIST:

1. Delegate persons to manually stabilize the head, neck and spine on first contact with patient.
2. Delegate person to document Vital Signs and Secondary Survey findings.
3. Delegate person to acquire GPS coordinates of the scene for responding EMS personnel.
4. Delegate person, with ham radio and GPS, to meet and escort EMS to the scene (ESCORT).
5. Delegate person(s) to clear a path from the nearest access road to the scene.
6. Delegate person to figure out the best access route for EMSto reach the scene (ACCESS).
7. Delegate person to acquire ice and a first aid kit to the scene.
8. Delegate person to acquire equipment to take Vital Signs:
   • Watch
   • Utility / medical scissors
   • Penlight or flashlight
   • Stethoscope
   • Pen and paper
   • Blood pressure cuff
   • Surgical gloves, face mask and eye shield
   • (Glove up, wash up and don't get any body fluids on you)

B. SECONDARY SURVEY = HEAD TO TOE PHYSICAL EXAM:

1. Re-access the mental status of the patient using the AVPU scale.
2. If the patient can communicate, ask for his/her chief complaint.
3. Obtain baseline Vital Signs:
   • Pulse - note rate, rhythm/regularity and strength (60-100 bpm).
     • Locate the radial pulse or use the carotid.
     • Count for 15 sec. and multiple by 4 for beats per minute (bpm).
     • Irregular or rate is very slow, count for one full minute.
   • Respiration - note rate, depth, rhythm, pattern & quality (12-20 bpm)
     • While still holding pulse, check respirations.
     • Watch for chest rise and fall.
     • Note nasal flaring, wheezing, and/or bubbling/wet sounds.
   • Blood Pressure - palpated, then auscultated.
     • Palpated procedure:
       • Remove clothing to expose bare skin on upper arm.
       • Place the cuff on the upper arm, from elbow to shoulder.
       • Inflate cuff until radial pulse disappears.
       • Slowly release the pressure of the cuff until the pulse reappears (systolic blood pressure).
       • Check the gauge, this is the systolic blood pressure.
     • Ausculted procedure:
       • Remove clothing to expose bare skin on upper arm.
       • Place the cuff on the upper arm, from elbow to shoulder.
       • With your fingertips, locate the brachial pulse on the medial upper arm near the crease of the elbow.
       Place the diaphragm of the stethoscope over this pulse point.
       • With the bulb valve closed, inflate the cuff until the pulse is no longer heard or felt.
       • Listen for the sound of the pulse returning as the pressure in the cuff slowly released.
       • Note the number on the cuff's gauge as soon as you hear the first pulse beat. This is the systolic pressure - the top number of the BP fraction.
       • Continue to deflate the cuff, this time listening for the point at which the beats fade. This is the diastolic pressure. The BP fraction's bottom number.
     • Skin: color, temperature, and condition.
       • Color - nail beds, inside the lower eyelid, or inside of cheek.
       • Temperature - Cool, warm or hot (check extremities & core).
       • Condition - Moist or dry (check extremities and core).
     • Pupils: size, equality, and reactivity.
       • Note pupil size before you shine any light into them.
       • Normal - equally round and reactive to light.
       • Abnormal - pinpoint, dilated, unequal or non-reactive.
   • Look and feel for the familiar DCAP-BTLS signs:
     • Deformities
     • Contusions
     • Abrasions
     • Punctures/penetrations
     • Burns
     • Tenderness
     • Lacerations
     • Swelling
     • or in simpler terms: Pain, Deformity, Bleeding
     • Begin at the head
       • Inspect scalp, cranium, and face for DCAP-BTLS, plus bleeding or drainage of clear fluid.
       • Check eyes for DCAP-BTLS, plus unequal pupil size, reactivity, discoloration, foreign bodies and blood in the anterior chamber.
       • Check ears and nose for DCAP-BTLS, plus bleeding or drainage of clear fluid.
       • Inspect mouth for DCAP-BTLS, plus loose or broken teeth, foreign objects, swelling or lacerations of the tongue and unusual odors of breath.
       • Check the neck for DCAP-BTLS, plus jugular vein distention and crepitating of bones in the cervical spine.
     • Assess the chest for DCAP-BTLS, plus crepitation, paradoxical motion, and breath sounds.
     • Assess the abdomen for DCAP-BTLS, plus firmness, softness and distention.
     • Assess the pelvis for DCAP-BTLS by observing and by applying gentle downward pressure on the pelvic bone.
       • Note any pain, tenderness, lack of motion, or crepitation.
       • Do not rock the pelvis girdle as it may cause spinal injury.
     • Assess all four extremities for DCAP-BTLS, plus distal pulses, motor function and sensation (PMS).
     • If possible, roll the patient (log roll as a unit) to his or her side and assess the posterior and buttocks for DCAP-BTLS, then carefully roll the patient onto a long backboard.
     • Re-assess Vital Signs. Serial vital signs (take every 5 minutes) allow for trending of a patient's condition.
   • Gather a Past medical history, commonly known as SAMPLE history:
     • Signs and symptoms
     • Allergies
     • Medications
     • Pertinent past history
     • Last oral intake
     • Events leading up to the accident (blacked out, Insulin shock, wing collapse, etc.)
   • Provide a Verbal Report for responding EMS:
     • Age
     • Sex
     • Mechanism of Injury (i.e., paraglider collapsed and pilot fell 25-50 feet into mountain)
     • Chief Complaint
     • Base Line - Vital Signs
     • Physical Exam Findings
     • Past Medical History
     • Serial Vital Signs - Trends
     • Best place to meet a pilot escort (with ham radio and GPS coordinates of the scene)


AndersonFlat (Greeley Hill)
Big Sur (Santa Lucia)	1-831-384-7575
Dumps (Pacifica)	1-650-355-4151
\Dunlap (Dunlap)
Ed Levin (Milpitas)	1-408-263-1212
Elk Creek (Upper Lake)
Hat Creek (Burney)	1-530-252-6632
Marina (Marina)	1-831-384-7575
Mission Ridge (Fremont)
Mt. Diablo (Walnut Creek)
Mt. Tamalpais (Mill Valley)
Potato Hill (Stonyford)
Popular Beach (Half Moon Bay)
Sand City (Sand City/Seaside)	1-831-394-6811
Stables (San Francisco)
Tollhouse (Tollhouse)

BAPA Meeting Minutes -- 01 June 2005 Written by Pete Norlander June 22, 2005

General Members Meeting

The June meeting was called to order by Vice-President Rolf Bienert. Additional officers present were Co-Activity Director Chip Sheppard, Co-Safety Director Ann Sasaki, Site Director Tom Moock and Pete Norlander; Secretary. A total of 21 members were present. The meeting was held at the Summit Pointe Country Club in Milpitas.

New Members/Visitors

Joe Leonard joined us for the evening. Joe moved to the Bay Area from Seattle about a year ago. He is a new pilot with 4 flights to date. Welcome Joe, we look forward to seeing you at future meetings and BAPA events.

Officers' Report

Ann Sasaki summarized a flying incident described in the May issue of the Ridge Dancer. She reminded us that the Beach below the Westlake Cliffs in Pacifica is still minimal due to winter storms. Care should be used in order avoid a beach landing when flying North of the Dump in minimal beach conditions. Rolf Bienert spoke on the subject of Aluminum carabiner failure. A European equipment sales firm conducted an evaluation together with the German Hanggliding Association DHV. The results of the analysis revealed that the failures should not be attributed to the actual material (aluminum vs. steel) but rather to the design, construction and precision of the biner. In particular the size of the gap between the swinging gate and the retainer (once closed) accounts for its durability. The gap should be as small as possible but is usually hard to see on a closed biner. The DHV report that Rolf referenced was written in German. Rolf was able to provide a translation of the findings.

Chip Sheppard announced that the thermal clinic by Tom Moock will be held June 4 and 5 at Potato Hill. Craig Gamma will be conducting a CPR class in the future. Persons interested in participating should have attended a First Aid class as a prerequisite. First Aid classes are available through the Red Cross.

Tom Moock gave an evaluation of the Wild Ass flying site in the San Benito Mountains. Mr. Moock deemed it, 'Great for Tom.' Shortly after launch the first challenge is to cross the Valley of Doom, so named by hang glider pilots for whom the available LZs in the Valley of Doom are slim to none. The landing options there are a little better for paraglider pilots. On a positive note, the geography of the area creates a convergence zone which results in good lift. Long flights have been made after gaining good altitude from the lift - and making it across the Valley of Doom.

Dunlap is open. There are two LZs, separate from the Dome LZ. The XC Social League had a great race there recently.

Old Business

Minutes From Past Meeting - A motion was made to approve the May Minutes as published in the Ridge Dancer. The motion was carried and approved.

Gene Pfeiffer reported that 6 test flights have been approved for the new Coyote Hills back ridge site. The launch on the back ridge is at an elevation of approximately 1,100 feet.

New Business

Rick Conger recently purchased a blipspot for Mt. Diablo. A motion was made to approve $100.00 for future blipspot purchases for Mt. Diablo. The motion was approved.

An introduction to blipspots is planned for next month. The presenter will be Tom Moock.

Entertainment

The entertainment for the evening was provided by Craig Gamma. Craig gave an excellent presentation on basic emergency procedures for first responders to the scene of an accident. Craig's 15 years of experience as a fire fighter was apparent. The instruction was realistic, informative, and enlightening. Thanks, Craig, for sharing your expertise.

Please contact Rich Leggett (rleggett at sbcglobal dot net) to sign up for Craig's class on August 20. The class will run about 4 hours in length and give detailed information on the material covered in Craig's demo.