Otto Lilienthal Hang Glider Meet, May 23, 1971

Jack Lambie was schoolteacher, as well as an innovative and experienced airman who had accompanied Captain Dick Merrill as copilot on the first commercial transatlantic flight on May 10, 1937 among his many accomplishments. The Lambie brothers, Mark and Jack, organized the Otto Lilienthal Universal Hang Glider Championships held on a hilltop in Corona del Mar, California on May 23, 1971 to celebrate the 123rd birthday of Otto Lilienthal. This event marked the rebirth of hang gliding in the USA, and my first and last involvement with weight-shift aircraft control.

"May 23, 1971. That is the date, perhaps, that hang gliding officially became a sport." --From Manbirds, by Maralys Wills.

Read her account here:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.piloting/msg/2597ec3d4b97cac...
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.aviation.soaring/msg/59b3168722fa85ca...

I (with striped polo shirt) had just been granted an FAA Private Airmans certificate on October 31, 1970, and thought it would be fun to experience flight as those predecessors of Wilbur and Orville had. The blond fellow was my flight instructor, Keith Lindsay. We built the "aircraft" from clear Fir, bamboo, and 3-mill Mylar sheeting donated by Wally Herzog and the 3M Corporation. Our entire cost was about $50.00 and 20 man-hours. Our longest flight duration was 12 seconds. The late Richard Miller can be seen piloting is Conduit Condor mono-wing. The black Rogollo "Batso" was piloted by Taras Kiceniuk, Jr.