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: groups.google.com groups.google.com 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 .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.

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Video Rating: 4 / 5

Comments

  1. Ldighera says:

    I’m happy you enjoyed the video. I’d very much like to find a copy of that National Geographic magazine issue for reference. I presume you read the Wills account of this event at the link provided in the ‘more’ information. There’s lots more history on Wikipedia under History of Hang Gliding.

  2. midtoad says:

    Thanks for this trip down memory lane. Reading of this event in National Geographic spurred me to take up hang gliding in 1974… and I’m still flying more than 35 years later!

  3. cbmtrx says:

    quite amazing

  4. maloktrebado says:

    Sor Brazilian and I was very delighted with your video ….. gave up the will to retrieve them and perhaps develop a prototype of like a hang glider you got there, and go on a mountain to have a good time like you did ..
    congratulations ..

  5. arpnlaei says:

    Very nice video, I like the diamond shaped black glider, it flew very well.

  6. Ldighera says:

    You must be very proud to possess the genes of an extremely courageous pioneer, the father of maned flight actually. It is a sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you are able to locate the article to which you refer, regarding the death of Otto Lilienthal, I would very much like to see a scan of it. Thank you.

  7. nightstalker500 says:

    this is funny because my family has a newspaper article of when he died and im like his great great grand nephew :)

  8. DessoThumbs says:

    Great video! I started hang gliding in 76 when the glide ratios were all the way up to 5:1.

  9. Ldighera says:

    That was the late Richard Miller flying his Concuit Condor. Mr. Miller was the editor of Soaring magazine, the official publication of the Soaring Society of America. In 1967 he published Without Visible Means of Support.

  10. immaterialjez says:

    My Dad refers to this era when he started flying as a time when “sex was safe and hang gliding was dangerous”. Awesome stuff!!

  11. Jogannez says:

    i wish i could ve been there…!

  12. gabrielbenitosobrino says:

    ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ muy bueno !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. dayworld26 says:

    very cool i thinkof building one what is it made of pls?

  14. andersdr says:

    I’m speechless.. EPIC!

  15. bloke264 says:

    The topless high-aspect raio wing at 2:02 was amazing prescient – shame no-one picked up on the design advantages at the time.

  16. djeverettwm says:

    oh that must be so cool to create that and fly/glide one of those

  17. vintagemxr says:

    Best footage I’ve seen yet of the Otto Lilienthal meet. I was a late comer to the sport. I started in 1972.

  18. Swimswithtrout says:

    Thanks for the flashback !!

    Glad I started Hang Gliding in ’77

  19. donnygale says:

    awesome fun

  20. tomterahedrob says:

    PRICELESS.I can soooo remember the 70s from this I can taste it.great history.Thanks!

  21. blattlausiii says:

    pretty cool video!

  22. Ldighera says:

    Thanks for the comment.

    I wasn’t aware that the late Jack Lambie’s hang-glider plans were advertised in Popular Mechanics. I purchased mine from his brother, Mark Lambie.

    The story I got was, that Jack was a high school teacher who had his class construct an aircraft, and the idea caught on.

    Among many of Jack’s accomplishments was a flying replica of the Wright Flyer that was used in a documentary in the ’70s. There is no question of Jack Lambie’s inspirational force in aviation.

  23. Ldighera says:

    Thank you for the kind words. This was shot in 16mm.

  24. FORCETHETRUTH says:

    That is Jack Lambie’s “Hang Loose” A biplane glider made of visqueen plastic and bamboo! It was the very first ultralight and the plans were sold out of popular mechanics magazines for $25!! Hundreds were built! Great film!

  25. Jesusfreak45731 says:

    otto is like my great great or great great great uncle,or sumthin like that…my last name is lilienthal! i looked it up in our geneology!

  26. 199cr125199 says:

    cool song

  27. fmjiceman says:

    @XxGrifdadxX Im the opposite! id love to see an all enduro movie, clips from all the huge ones like erzberg and romaniacs and some enduro cross and trails and all that shit.

  28. sherardo922 says:

    i have this movie and its cool :D its all motocross and some enduro

  29. XxGrifdadxX says:

    ppl want a vid about motocross.. we dont want all this enduro stuff.. i guess motocross is more of the badass type of racing and thats what ppl wanna c.. i just think that a plain motocross only one would b the best seller

  30. MrYamahaaa says:

    very nice !!!

  31. lordmaciek says:

    love this movie, seen it 4 times already; beartifull mx, enduro, trial shots; motorbikes rulez!

  32. whatcloud says:

    Dude this movie is sick get it!!! Better than the great outdoors!

  33. 34kipperfan says:

    good movi i reccomend it for any dirt bike lover

  34. mramazing31 says:

    2:01 over jump much!?!?!? ouch

  35. armyfamas says:

    magnifique,
    +100000 !!!

  36. TheBoxChamp says:

    fuck i cant wait to see this! im from south africa hope i can get here!

  37. timberland1108 says:

    i gave up everything for this sport my gf of 2 years it sucked but it is a lifestyle n i cant let it go

  38. ratodoesgato says:

    soooo fuckinggg sickkk.

  39. xsKTMsx says:

    fantastic movie ;o !

  40. ssrider7 says:

    ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITE VIDS ON YTUBE!

  41. Nickthepunk22 says:

    Looks awesome!

  42. motoXcinema says:

    @TeddyErickson Its called the Enduro at Erzberg. We just got the 2009 DVD in stock.

  43. RobiiRider says:

    Piers Faccini – A Storm Is Going To Come i found it

  44. TeddyErickson says:

    does anyone know the name of the race when the character is talking about battling the elements.. its 2:40 in

  45. ssrider7 says:

    ill ride offroad even if i go to hell!!!Rideing OFFROAD in hell!!!!

  46. streetwiseburger says:

    After watching this trailer I feel like doing something I’m totally not capable of doing!

    Awesome!!!

  47. ssrider7 says:

    WAY OF LIFE!!!!!!

  48. PeterCRF150 says:

    thanks

  49. motoXcinema says:

    The trailer for MOTO The Movie starts out with: Piers Faccini – A Storm Is Going To Come

  50. Arsenalisthegreatest says:

    :36, awesome scene

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