SYLMAR — For the human birds of Sylmar on Saturday, it took a few short steps to leap off Kagel Mountain thousands of feet in the air to freedom.

The freedom to soar toward heaven on 100-degree thermal heights by some of the best hang glider pilots in Los Angeles.

“It’s my roofless cathedral,” said pilot Lynn McLaughlin, 55, of El Segundo. “The way I commune with my understanding of God.”

She was among hundreds of pilots and spectators to crane their necks at Sylmar Flight Park for one of the premier hang gliding competitions in the region. The 28th Annual Dahlsten Cup encouraged dozens of bird men and women to stretch their wings across a timed 30-mile loop from the 3,540-foot San Gabriel Mountain peak to the flight park in Pacoima Wash.

Winners who got their names etched on the traveling cup earned their place in history at “the hang gliding capital of the world.”

Flying ace Rob Burgis, with more than a thousand leaps since the early 1970s from the craggy Kagel, has earned a record four — and was hoping to glide to a fifth. “It’s like America’s cup,” said Burgis, 59, of Sylmar, a retired Budweiser taster at the nearby Anheuser-Busch plant. “If it’s in your house, you’re king for a year.”

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The flying event, sponsored by the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association, included the hang gliding competition, joy rides to the park glade, a hang glide simulator, and bratwursts, burgers and an “airborne chili” cook-off accompanied by classic rock.

As temperatures rose throughout the afternoon, hang glider and paraglider pilots young and old recalled the joys of flight and some of the worst myths to fly ‘round their sport:

Myth 1: Hang gliding is a “crazy young peoples’ sport.” In truth, the average pilot is 46, and earns $82,000 a year, according the US Hang Gliding Paragliding Association.

Myth 2: Hang gliding is dangerous. In truth, it’s risky. But in 25 years, there have been thousands of flights, but only two deaths in Los Angeles County, according to veteran pilot trainer Joe Greblo.

Myth 3: There are few places to fly near Los Angeles. In truth, there are 10 popular launch sites within two hours of the city, they say, including 300 fair-weather days in Sylmar. Its association is now seeking senior volunteers to help shuttle pilots up the mountain.

“It feels pretty damn good,” said 18-year-old Caitlin Benti, of Valencia, just landing after earning her wings a month ago. “It’s exhilarating, relaxing. The best feeling in the world.”

“I wish I was flyin,’” said Rome Dodson, 84, a co-founder of the Sylmar Senile Senior Soaring Society, who was forced to pack away his kite last year because of an ailing lung condition. He looked up to the distant peak, where glider triangles circled like tiny cranes of origami. “I miss being in the air.”

Everyone could recall their first solo flight. Greg Angsten was divorced, his kids grown, when he first took to the air at 47.

“I said, ‘I can do this,’” recalled Angsten, 63, of Westchester, now president of the Sylmar Hang Gliding Association, recalling his initial terror. “I was terrified the whole way … I had a death grip on the bar, white knuckles all the way down.

“Then it took over my life — (and) now I’m out here every weekend for the last 15 years.”

Tell Greblo I am preparing a full report of the the mutltiple drug cartel attacks on me with multiple military sattelite imagery and video of my shoulder being left in a disabled state that lasted one year and multiple assassination attempts. (Scooby doo and we would have gotten away with it too if it wasn’y for you kids)

Hang gliders soar over Sylmar

The secret of the telescopic glider prototype.

remove xx and load link your self due to banned content from kindle.
xxhttps://www.amazon.com/DT420-Two-Loop-Rabbit-Antenna-Fine-Tuning/dp/B001BBIBGW
https://www.ebay.com/itm/262627265334?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=262627265334&targetid=2299003535955&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9031159&poi=&campaignid=21214315381&mkgroupid=161363866036&rlsatarget=aud-1412318123216:pla-2299003535955&abcId=9407526&merchantid=112301639&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw74e1BhBnEiwAbqOAjHWur_q603oFyXjw6q19yUudBkpQBE-bmqnOFKPLPguPuZZLEjhoLRoCyQwQAvD_BwE

Jamie Dimon the CEO of JPMorgan Chase has offerred me a $1,000 loan at 6% to develope this prototype but he thinks this forum has been paid off by the real estate industry to promote paragliding (because of storage costs). High housing prices promote paragliding which has gone from a 1 to 1 sales ratio to a 14 to 1 sales ratio because Ushpa and other insiders are more interested in house prices as they are owners, than personal flight. Only renters should be allowed to post in this thread.

Why no one is developing one is they are paid off by the real estate sector.
buy 2 of those for $10 no one has done this because they own real estate and have no interest in developing a 5 foot hang glider.

DC comics has a new “Kite Man

 

I attempted to post another one of my opinion posts but due to loss of the old forum I cannot.

If you google “Rome dodson shga” you will find the last flight of Rome has been deleted where he was in his mid 80s and flying with oxygen tank to his nose. I meant to provide contrast with Joe Biden who is also in his 80s. Rome had delt with asbestos in his profession yet he played life to its last moment. Sadly he too has been erased with cancel culture. Rome was able to complete his last flight without incident.

This is all google will give you “The Passing Of A Friend

Sylmar Hang Gliding Association
http://shga.com › … › SHGA Forum › General Discussion
Feb 14, 2021 — Board index SHGA Forum General Discussion · The Passing Of … Our dear friend and long time Sylmar pilot, Rome Dodson, succumbed to his illness last night.

 

All of my old posts were duplicated with DARPA as per agreement and can and will be reproduced.

If Greblo doesn’t like it than we chang tha name to:

Greblon is a non-stick coating that is free of PFOA, resistant to temperature influences, and fits all requirements for modern cookware. It is safe for health, has long-term durability and reliability, and is highly resistant to abrasion and scratches. Greblon is available in various grades, including C2, C2+, C3, C3+, and C3+ PEEK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bpvvOBV-q0

Likely serial format change to motion picture format (youtube) to improve profits.

ushawks now control all California hanggliding sites, ACA, Shga, Santa Barbara, Funston, San Berandito.

2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is our top priority. Palos Verdes flying site added if Newsome installs pegs to stablize land shift. ACA could employee site.

ushawks backs Murillo changes because of future benefit to California olympic revenue.