Wills Wing and Moyes hang glider repair and maintenance in Pacifica, CA
To order a glider or parts, see details on my other site, California Hang Gliding.
Seeking an indoor or covered area near Pacifica as a new work area!
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Rates
Bottom side wires replacement – $60 Falcon, $80 others
Bottom VG rope replacement – $60
Sail-off inspection + test flight (see below) – $350 Falcon, $400 others
Minor inspection (see below) – $120
Other work – By quote.
Sail-Off Inspection + Test Flight
“Just wanted to say thank you one more time. I didn’t have much time to speak with you yesterday as I was itching to get into the air. I wanted to say the glider flew beautifully and I had a great time. Nice work.” – Dave Jacob
This involves pulling the sail completely off the frame to get a good look at everything. A sail-off inspection is highly recommended after major structural damage, or after enough whacks, or simply after enough regular flying. Wills Wing recommends it yearly. Moyes recommends it every 100 hours or yearly.
- Bolts – bends, corrosion
- Safety Rings – damage
- Ball Lock Pins – sticking
- Washers – wear
- Frame Tubing – dents, bends
- Battens – symmetry
- Batten Flip Tips – strength
- Batten Strings – fraying, shrinkage
- Tip Wands – cracks
- Sprogs – free movement
- Lock Nuts – replace as needed
- Flying Wires – kinks, broken strands, torn coating
- Wire Tangs – bends
- VG Ropes – fraying
- VG Pulleys/Bearings – rust, damage
- Other Strings – fraying
- Aluminum Fittings – bends, crushing
- Sail – cuts, wear holes
After the inspection, if the glider is airworthy I do a test flight at Funston.
An inspection is also a good time to change out important wear items. Manufacturer recommendations:
Wills Wing – Every year replace bottom side wires, hang loop, VG rope.
Moyes – Every 6 months or 50 hours replace bottom side wires. Every year or 100 hours replace top side wires.
WW suggests lubricating a few things, but for any glider where applicable I recommend lubricating the keel, tip wands and receptacles, sprog forks, battens, VG bearing, and all zippers including glider bag zipper.
Minor Inspection
A popular alternative is a minor inspection. I set up the glider, inspecting components that are the most accessible at various stages of the setup process, then make sure everything appears correct and symmetrical and fully set up, and bag it back up. It takes over an hour.
This does not involve removing the sail from the frame.
Sail Repair
I coordinate with a local professional who does a great job replacing entire panels. If it’s a small puncture in an area that is not in danger of tearing further, I apply sail tape appropriate for the material.
Contact
or call David Kiesling 510-754-6842