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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 6, 1999)
Aggtf.t.tff. Page 3 • Monciay, September 6, 1999 m 1 n ent it is t 0ll office, but -embers of yo be whole exJ =ey said the process is f ning was irocess wasti m/ < " she said." ide in A&M,. ^vay that 1 cr the Universin Catching Air ■ Wk m I Students learn to fly at Austin Air Sports’ grand opening :dav 10V\' i Id I'-'- ■ e, DELI SUSAN OVERCASH The Battalion hen Niki Patel, a senior petro leum engineering major, opened her eyes early on Sat- morning, she had no way of tg the new perspective she jould gain that day. | “1 was really excited, and 1 didn’t jqw what to expect,” Patel said. “I asn t really nervous, but I did have a ‘ jtrd time sleeping. 1 didn’t go out Fri- Sy night. I think that’s how you know ■>U’re excited about something, when P>u give up your Friday night for it.” ^ Instead of starting her weekend a party, Patel opted to stay home fid get ready for an early Saturday Horning of hang gliding. About 8 a.m., itel ipade a quick trip through the nal! Texas town of Hearne to the run- * jay of Hearne Municipal Airport. ^ OJver Labor Day weekend, Austin r Sports, a Houston-based operation feting instruction in foot launch, enph tow and aero tow hang gliding, xened a new full service facility in H ne - Steve Burns, Austin Air Sports’ def pilot and instructor, said that be- tuse of a lack of steep inclines in the earne and Bryan—College Station ea f the Hearne location of Austin Air orts concentrates on wench tow and ■ro tow launches, instead of foot line lies. In a foot launch, the hang glider sts on the pilot’s shoulders as the pi- t moves down an incline. When the ider catches wind and begins to lift ; f the pilot’s shoulders, the pilot ro tes the glider bar forward and undies the glider. HVe’ve been looking for hills ‘ound here,” Burns said. ‘‘We even considered the big hill out at Texas Mo tor Speedway, but that didn’t work out.” Austin Air Sports offers flights in tandem (with an instructor) or solo. Tandem flights may go as high as 3,000 feet, where solo flights can be towed up to 6,000 feet. Patel’s hang gliding experience was in Austin Air Sport’s motorized hang glid er, an Antares Ttike, with Burns. The TYike is a weight-shifted, ultra light motorized hang glider. Instead of a tow or foot launch, the pilot and student are strapped into the TYike’s small bug gy, and the TYike takes off and flies in dependently, powered by a 65 horse power motor. “It looked like something out of an In spector Gadget movie,” Patel said. “I was a little nervous as we took off because it gets really steep, but it didn’t last for more than a second or two.” The TYike is also capable of aero tow launch, the newest form of hang gliding, which involves towing the hang glider and pilot into the air behind an ultra light aircraft. In an aero tow launch, the pilot and glider lay “proned-out,” or horizontal, on a triangular-shaped dolly attached by a tow line to the tug plane. The glider pi lot holds the glider’s cross bar and a safety line as the aircraft moves down the runway. When the glider catches air and begins to lift, the glider pilot lets go of the safety line and lifts off behind the plane. When the glider catches a ther mal, or rising pocket of warm air, the pi lot releases the tow line and rides the thermal. Wench tow, the third method of hang gliding, involves towing behind a truck, with the glider and pilot attached to the see Gliding on Page 5. w m ■ VJmM v - ' iiffll S.uuf. Turner/Tul is.vmuor- on hoto Editor 3k. Graphics Ec son. Graphics L el, Opinion Editr I, City Editor fcs. Campus Edit; . Web Editor , Radio Producer beth Kohl, David LeeY ; Ricci. Jeff Webb & Mep adley Atchison, Kerri £>■ Idams. Cody Wages S ■ uenes, Ruben Deluna,? Deluna. Byers, Amy Daughert! : .Deidra Hall, Bobbie f; ie Morris & Kyle Whit® son of Student MOW#; a„e: 845-3313; Fat 8» ir campus, local, and natiooik wiald. and office horns i copy oflbe Battalion. M® 1 $17.50 for the sun®* JOIN Student Government Association’s University Committees University Committees is a collection of 30 committees made ‘of Texas A4M students and administrators and staff. Our purpose is to represent the student body's voice, through the medium of student government, on issues that affect student life. These committees are appeals panels, selections boards, and advisory boards for which student representation is key. For more information and an application come by the SGA office in Koldus or check out our website at http: //ucomm. tamu. edu APPLICATIONS DUE MONDAY. SEPT. 13. 1999 5p.m. SGA OFFICE Est.1974 - Keeping you in touch for 25 years! tsrwireless.com TSR Wireless jir 1.800.795. 25th Anniversary Celebration! Purchase a Qualcomm 1920 Digital Sprint PCS Phone™ and Receive a... FREE •$30 Mail-In Rebate •$25 Instant Rebate •$25 Long Distance Calling Card* IPQUALCOAVAA* Free and Clear SM Free Long Distance - now as little as a Dime Anytime! 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