Winter flying in 1977

Back in the day, We were young and very keen. Winter was a good time to practice Take-offs and landings on small training Hills in the Ottawa area. These were often in the range of 10-20 m high. To keep warm, we kept moving, and I remember that one day I made a record 32 flights off a hill in Gatineau. Well, the last few I cheated and put my glider on the back of a Skidoo to climb up.

Anyway, one time there was a reporter out from the Ottawa Citizen and we got some coverage in the newspaper. Here it is.

Stewart on Sky Sports Kestrel

Bernie Arsenault (seated), Stewart (prone)

Ottawa-area flying in 1975

Hang gliding really started in the Ottawa Valley when pilot name Bob Johannsen started a school with gliders from Muller Kites. I knew about the sport after reading an article in Esq. magazine in the summer of 1974. At Carleton University, where I was entering second year, I spotted posters advertising lessons for the enormous sum of $35. Somehow I scrounged together the cash and took my first lesson on October 23 call stack year.

By the following summer, I had made several high flights at King Mountain in Gatineau Park but still returned to my training slope at Edelweiss ski hill in Québec when the wind direction was right. Here are some pictures I took at that time of my instructor Chris Mills, who coincidentally was a fellow student at my high school.

Chris Mills flying at Edelweiss ski hill

Chris Mills flying down Intermediate ski run

Chris Mills after launch with his Muller 1817 at King Mtn.

Chris flying out to the LZ below King Mtn.

Early days at King Mountain near Ottawa

Pete Clements was an early pilot in the Ottawa area. He put together a series of photos of some of his flights off King Mountain, Gatineau Park, and posted them on YouTube. Pete still lives in the Ottawa area, but gave up flying some time after this video was recorded.