First Transatlantic Hang Glider Crossing Attempt

[Spark]

A bit of hang gliding history trivia ...

I was digging through some ballooning memorabilia and came across an old balloon pin with a hang glider, suspended beneath the gondola. This brought back memories of the 1978 transatlantic crossing of the "Double Eagle II", piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, owner of Electraflyer, an early manufacturer of hang gliders.

The glider suspended beneath the balloon was an Electraflyer Olympus, the hot glider of the day, nicknamed the "Oly". Larry had planned to climb down to the wing, hook in and release once the reached their intended landing in France. Somewhere just west of the British Isles, the crew was forced to drop the glider (along with many other items) during a 15,000 foot sudden descent, to prevent a dip in the cold Atlantic.

Strangely, the fact that a hang glider accompanied them during most of the journey is not well documented. I wasn't able to locate any photos of the glider beneath the balloon. There was a really good article with photos in the National Geographic, December 1978. The only online reference I could find was at the Smithsonian.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/ai ... _eagle.htm

Other accounts of the journey:

http://www.eballoon.org/flights/atlantic-conquered.html

http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eaglebios/8 ... ders83.htm

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay ... /LTA12.htm

http://www.aliensonearth.com/catalog/de ... html#image

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 17-4339862

[mcelrah]

So hang-gliding over Everest has been done, High Rock to Pulpit
likewise (not much fanfare - did the prize-offerors pay up? - what
about a write-up in the newsletter?) - are there no worlds left to
conquer? - Hugh

On 5 Mar 2005, at 08:09, Spark wrote:

> aero

[hang_pilot]

I was a school-boy in Albuquerque when the all-Albuquerque crew of the Double Eagle II was making their Atlantic balloon crossing.? I remember the hang glider being given prominent coverage in the media at the time.? We were all disappointed when they had to ditch it.?
?
The balloon gondola was open, i.e. not pressurized, and they reached heights of 25,000 feet.? All they had to protect them from the elements was a rain tarp!?
?
Ben Abruzzo was one of the original partners in the famous Sandia Peak Tramway. ?He and his wife died in 1985 when the baggage door came open on a small plane he was piloting and they collided with trees.? The family remains in control of the tram and still allows pilots to load their hang gliders for a ride up the mountain.? The connection between the Tram and the hang gliding community in Abq. is strong and long-established…back to the Double Eagle days.
?
~Daniel
?
P.S.? A major personal goal of mine is to fly Sandia.?
?
?
-----Original Message-----
From: Spark [mailto:BagPipeFlyer@hotmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:10 AM
To: ot_forum@chgpa.org
Subject: First Transatlantic Hang Glider Crossing Attempt
?
A bit of hang gliding history trivia ...

I was digging through some ballooning memorabilia and came across an old balloon pin with a hang glider, suspended beneath the gondola. This brought back memories of the 1978 transatlantic crossing of the "Double Eagle II", piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, owner of Electraflyer, an early manufacturer of hang gliders.

The glider suspended beneath the balloon was an Electraflyer Olympus, the hot glider of the day, nicknamed the "Oly". Larry had planned to climb down to the wing, hook in and release once the reached their intended landing in France. Somewhere just west of the British Isles, the crew was forced to drop the glider (along with many other items) during a 15,000 foot sudden descent, to prevent a dip in the cold Atlantic.

Strangely, the fact that a hang glider accompanied them during most of the journey is not well documented. I wasn't able to locate any photos of the glider beneath the balloon. There was a really good article with photos in the National Geographic, December 1978. The only online reference I could find was at the Smithsonian.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/double_eagle.htm

Other accounts of the journey:

http://www.eballoon.org/flights/atlantic-conquered.html

http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eaglebios/83bios/anders83.htm

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Lighter_than_air/20th_cent_records-2/LTA12.htm

http://www.aliensonearth.com/catalog/detail/0108/0108R052215.html#image

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0316553603/todayinsci-20/103-1227517-4339862




'Spark

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[mcelrah]

Road trip! - Hugh

On 8 Mar 2005, at 17:08, Broxterman.Daniel wrote:

> I was a school-boy in Albuquerque when the all-Albuquerque crew of the
> Double Eagle II was making their Atlantic balloon crossing.? I
> remember the hang glider being given prominent coverage in the media
> at the time.? We were all disappointed when they had to ditch it.?
> ?
> The balloon gondola was open, i.e. not pressurized, and they reached
> heights of 25,000 feet.? All they had to protect them from the
> elements was a rain tarp!?
> ?
> Ben Abruzzo was one of the original partners in the famous Sandia
> Peak Tramway. ?He and his wife died in 1985 when the baggage door came
> open on a small plane he was piloting and they collided with trees.?
> The family remains in control of the tram and still allows pilots to
> load their hang gliders for a ride up the mountain.? The connection
> between the Tram and the hang gliding community in Abq. is strong and
> long-established?back to the Double Eagle days.
> ?
> ~Daniel
> ?
> P.S.? A major personal goal of mine is to fly Sandia.?
> ?
> ?
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Spark [mailto:BagPipeFlyer@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 8:10 AM
> To: ot_forum@chgpa.org
> Subject: First Transatlantic Hang Glider Crossing Attempt
> ?
> A bit of hang gliding history trivia ...
>
> I was digging through some ballooning memorabilia and came across an
> old balloon pin with a hang glider, suspended beneath the gondola.
> This brought back memories of the 1978 transatlantic crossing of the
> "Double Eagle II", piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry
> Newman, owner of Electraflyer, an early manufacturer of hang gliders.
>
> The glider suspended beneath the balloon was an Electraflyer Olympus,
> the hot glider of the day, nicknamed the "Oly". Larry had planned to
> climb down to the wing, hook in and release once the reached their
> intended landing in France. Somewhere just west of the British Isles,
> the crew was forced to drop the glider (along with many other items)
> during a 15,000 foot sudden descent, to prevent a dip in the cold
> Atlantic.
>
> Strangely, the fact that a hang glider accompanied them during most
> of the journey is not well documented. I wasn't able to locate any
> photos of the glider beneath the balloon. There was a really good
> article with photos in the National Geographic, December 1978. The
> only online reference I could find was at the Smithsonian.
>
> http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/ai ... _eagle.htm
>
> Other accounts of the journey:
>
> http://www.eballoon.org/flights/atlantic-conquered.html
>
> http://www.au.af.mil/au/goe/eaglebios/8 ... ders83.htm
>
> http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay ... _than_air/
> 20th_cent_records-2/LTA12.htm
>
> http://www.aliensonearth.com/catalog/de ... html#image
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... sci-20/103
> -1227517-4339862
>
>
>
>
> 'Spark
>
>
>
>
>
>
> :
>
> ************************************************The information
> transmitted is intended solelyfor the individual or entity to which it
> is addressed and may contain confidential and/orprivileged material.
> Any review, retransmission,dissemination or other use of or taking
> actionin reliance upon this information by persons orentities other
> than the intended recipient isprohibited. If you have received this
> email inerror please contact the sender and delete thematerial from
> any computer.
> [ST:A234]************************************************
>
>
>
>
>
>