1971may 23.html    This file is ever growing. Your inputs about that day will be integrated to the story of that day. Everyone at the event has their kown story about the day; there are as many versions of the day as there were people there.  Send in your version. Enter BIG OTTO PARTY Data

   See by Larry Dighera, a great video:    Otto Lilienthal Hang Glider Meet, May 23, 1971   (more details soon [ ] )

Low & Slow newsletter/booklet series promoted the event to its subscribers in coordination with Jack Lambie and Richard Miller. We all contacted as many people as we could in various ways. The event was to be a "spontaneous hillside recreational happening with no person or organization in charge."  The most obvious target for lawsuits for causing the assembly and inviting activity would be _________________.  No one sued us for any damages to property or person or public services (police, helicopters, traffic-control servants, etc.).  No fee was charged. Faust fended off the police with his explanations that federal aviation rules were not being broken.

Self-Soar Association [S-SA]   awarded sporting prizes for categories of hang glider events at the epoch-setting event in Newport Beach, California. In one of the evening's dinners, some certificates were extended to event winners; there were enough event categories to cover most everyone who arrived with a flying machine. Two systems of award/certifications gave intrepid pilots recognition: system Self-Soar Association  and system Lloyd Licher who was crafting a politically-correct foundation for a sector of the "movement." Lloyd Licher was the spearhead of Soaring Society of America's [SSA] interests in the boom that was unfolding about gliding....  [There was obvert communication concern from the SSA sector to the S-SA sector about names and futures; it was no small matter that SSA gifted to Joe Faust  for $1 agreement through Lloyd Licher of SSA an old printing press that was non-functioning to Joe Faust; Joe got the press going; and such machine was then owned by Joe as he published Low & Slow.[L&S]   [Faust had written a letter to the editor of Soaring Magazine that was published; Richard Miller---former editor of Soaring Magazine, read Joe's letter and then wrote to Joe offering to give new vitality to a moribund newsletter of the mid-60s called "Low, Slow, Out of Control." [LSOC]  Joe took the bite and opportunity on condition that the ongoing effort would be a sole proprietorship of Joe's ownership and that the whole of the six issues of the LSOC would be republished in an issue of L&S, which did occur. It was in an issue of L&S where the Otto party of 1971 was promoted and covered.  The issues of L&S and its following name Hang Glider Weekly  may be available on CD by __________(??)_.   ] ]  Send Info  Permission to republish all of Joe's 216 issues of periodicals was given by Joe to Ken de Russy of Hang Gliding Museum, if Ken so wishes to do so [ Such permission is over the first issue of Ground Skimmer, first issue of Hang Glider, first issues of news for Hang Glider Manufacturers Association that Joe founded, all issues of Low & Slow, all issues of Hang Glider Weekly. Total: 216 issues.] ]

The event was written about in National Geographic by author Russell Hawkes (lived a couple blocks away from the headquarters of the Soaring Society of America, personally knew and interviewed Lloyd Licher, Joe Faust, Richard Miller, Jack Lambie, George Uveges, Taras Kiceniuk and others about the big Otto Lilienthal Birthday Party.  

Happy Birthday, Otto Lilienthal!     NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine
Publication:   NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine feature article
Title: Happy Birthday, Otto Lilienthal!
Date of publication: Feb. 1972   
Pages: 286-292     (seven pages with photographs)     

Contributor(s):   Hawkes, Russell  (Author)
Collison, James (Photographer)
Subject(s):  Lilienthal, Otto, Aircraft, Aviation, Experimental aircraft, Hang gliders, Recreational aircraft, Sailplanes, California;Newport Beach, California

Art Bean won "Best Craftsmanship for Biplane Hang Glider."   Art used a hand saw to cut 16' spars from larger boards; and he did such with precision care. 

There were Hang Loose biplanes that followed the plans that Jack Lambie had published before the meet.

There were Rogallo wings with various framings.  Joe Faust provided heavy cord for the Taras Kiceniuk team to kite-launch a few flights in their hang glider.

Richard Miller well-flew his feature-filled   non-Rogallo    flying wing that gave image and inspiration for others to explore flying-wing hang glider designing over various pilot-hold strategies   Miller Conduit Condor: Photo by George Uveges will become available here. [ ]

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Online stories about this date include:

Section from Manbirds, by Maralys Wills "THE HANG GLIDING MAYHEM BEGAN"   The Hang Loose