Flying at Wilmer, BC

Along the shores of Lake Windermere, near Invermere BC, prehistoric riverbanks rise up to 60 m or more above today's water levels. Just north of town, along the edge of the Columbia River wetlands, a section of steep riverbank sticks out into the middle of the valley. This hillside deflects infrequent strong southerly winds creating soaring conditions for pilots. Wind speed and direction have to be just perfect, however, since there is no real bottom landing area and few options on top as well. But in the mid-1970s, eager local pilots found the ideal times to fly this site. Here's a post from one of them, Jeff Blake, AKA "the king of Invermere".

"Testing the little rocket ship, a 140 Olympus at Wilmer BC --  and the crowd was wild, Great days."
Photo by Pat Morrow.

BC's first Mitchell Wing

Information from Martin Henry:

"The Mitchell Wing B-10, The choice of George Worthington and his Owens Valley World Records.

Vern Tanner was the astounding craftsman that built this example way back in 1978 (Two of the shots are from his first high flight in Cawston, near Keremeos BC). Foot launched, 3 axis control, flying wing built primarily of Wood and fabric… Old School composites!"

Vern apparently was living in Lumby BC for a while, but the glider came to an end after a failed take off crash on the old launch site at Coopers Ridge, near Bolean. Vern later moved to Vancouver, and Randy Rauck could tell you more about him.

Vern at the training hill

Waiting to launch

Vern launching at Cawsten

The Mitchell Wing B-10 designed by a California based homebuilt Aircraft designer named Don Mitchell. It used a wing profile similar to that in the renowned Douglas DC-3 Aircraft.

George Worthington was a retired US Navy fighter pilot that had also flown sailplanes. He took up flying hang gliders in retirement, then took his Mitchell wing on a successful hunt for world distance records in hang gliding, setting four of them in the years between 1977 and 1980. If you're interested, here they are: