Grandfather Mountain 1975 part 2


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Grandfather Mountain 1975 part 2

Swallowtail type made by Sun Sail of Denver, Colorado, at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Swallowtail type made by Sun Sail of Denver, Colorado, at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

This page follows Grandfather Mountain 1975 part 1.

These photos are by Hugh Morton. See Hugh Morton’s photos (related topics menu) and Hugh Morton in Copyright of early hang gliding photos.


Quicksilver 'semi rigid' at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Quicksilver ‘semi rigid’ at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

See also Dave Cronk, Bob Lovejoy, and the Quicksilver in Cronk works.

A hang glider heads toward the lakeside in September 1975
A hang glider heads toward the lakeside in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

Hang glider with painted sail at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Painted sail at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

This glider appears to be a Sky Sports Kestrel. See also the Hang glider sail art related topics menu.


Seagull III camera ship at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Seagull III camera ship at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library
Seagull III camera ship flies by Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Seagull III camera ship flies by Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

See the Seagull Aircraft of Santa Monica, California related topics menu.

Sky Sports Kestrel and Moyes Stinger at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Sky Sports Kestrel and Moyes Stinger at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

See also the Moyes Delta Gliders related topics menu.


Sky Sports Kestrel at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Sky Sports Kestrel at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

For more about the Sky Sports Kestrel, see Kestrel in Flying squad.

Sky Sports Kestrel at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Another Kestrel at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

Landing

Final approach to the lawn landing zone at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Final approach to the lawn landing zone at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

Sky Sports Kestrel hang glider about to land at the lake side, Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Sky Sports Kestrel about to land at the lake side, Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

The danger of landing in water was not properly appreciated at this time.

Lawn darts

Hang gliders on the lawn at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Hang gliders on the lawn at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library
Hang gliders on the lawn at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Zoomed in view of hang gliders on the lawn at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

Accidents

Ramp crew catches a hang glider that crashed on launch at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Ramp crew catches a hang glider that crashed on launch at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library
Close-up of harness attachment to airframe of a hang glider that crashed on launch at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Close-up of harness attachment to airframe of a hang glider that crashed on launch at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

The second image, which is a zoomed in crop of the first photo, shows clearly the tackle by which the harness was connected to the wing. Although it is possibly not as dodgy as it looks, it falls far short of modern standards. That goes for the glider and harness too.

The glider is a Sky Sports Bobcat.


Haulage crew of  a downed wing at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Haulage crew of a downed wing at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library
Hauling up a downed wing  at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Hauling up a downed wing at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

These two photos were in a set labelled Pierre Turnble.


Hang glider caught in a tree at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975
Hang glider caught in a tree at Grandfather Mountain in September 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

The glider here appears to be a Sun IV. Trees around the landing area also constitute a hazard. See also Dangers of hang gliding.

Camera on the wing

John Sears on-board camera shot at Grandfather Mountain in October 1975
John Sears on-board camera shot at Grandfather Mountain in October 1975, in the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright © 1975 North Carolina Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library

Hugh Morton sometimes set up a stills camera and, occasionally, a movie camera on a hang glider. This was before digital cameras were available and long before the GoPro action camera. A camera out of the pilot’s reach, as here, needed both a remote shutter release cable (see it wound around a front rigging wire) and ‘motor drive’ automatic film advance.