Above: This photo doesn't even begin to reveal the beauty of this wood and fabric Super Albatross Below: A Wills Wing Swallowtail. This was the second model that Wills Wing ever produced, the first being their version of the so-called Standard Rogallo. It's possible that the legendary Bob Wills built and/or test flew this very glider. I got goosebumps just standing next to this relic!
I flew with Bob a few times. I even flew "against" him in the 1977 SoCal regionals; my first competition. In those days comp flights consisted of sledding around some pylons and then shooting a target landing. We flew in "heats" of four pilots at a time and Bob was in my first heat. I launched right after him and followed him around the pylons. I thought I was doing pretty good by making the same number of turns around the course that he did, but when it came time to shoot the bull, Bob stuck it dead center and I sailed over the target at 3 feet, landing past it's outer edge. Bob Wills always nailed the dead center of the target. Always.
Above: A "Vol Captif" hang gliding simulator/trainer that was built by my friend Curt Graham and used extensively at his Crossroads Windsports hang gliding school in Hobbs, New Mexico.
3 comments:
JC,
Would the old Comet 165 or Raven 209 I have here be wanted in George's display? Art has an even crispter old Comet if you think that would be valuable to it.
I would love to see his old craft in person.
Hi Larry,
I'm certain that George would appreciate the hell out of having a nice Comet donated for display. The Comet may be the most important hang glider ever invented. A mint condition Comet 1 165 would be the best example, but any old Comet would do.
Swallowtail trivia: Back in the day we called it the "Swills Wing Wallowtail, the glider that answers the question: What do you do when your Wills Wing won't?"
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