Many people all over the world have enjoyed the sport of Hang Gliding for more than 25 years. The basic design has seen many improvements from the slow and simple kites of yesterday to today's modern gliders. Many things have changed since the sport's early days, but the incredible sense of freedom a Hang Glider pilot feels while flying remains unchanged.

Today, the sport is practiced on several different levels. Many pilots enjoy spending their Saturday afternoons floating blissfully around at local soaring sites. More adventurous pilots strive to cover as much distance as possible; their cross-country flights can take them a hundred miles or more! Some pilots take flying vacations, and tour the countryside to sample the flying at many different locations. Still others become tandem instructors; these pilots enjoy sharing the wonderful experience of gliding flight with passengers.

A select few pilots pursue Freestyle Hang gliding; it is the extreme form of Hang gliding where pilots perform challenging maneuvers to express their interpretation of flight. Freestyle Hang Gliding contests hold a unique type of Audience appeal found nowhere else in the world. The gliders dive and climb, again and again, as they gracefully perform loops, rollovers and spins. The action is fast paced and dramatically elegant with the gliders trailing bright tails of colored smoke that traces their paths across the sky. These contests have been held at various sites throughout the world since 1981. Contests like this have always been held from a mountain to achieve the altitude needed to perform the maneuvers. As beautiful as the mountain sites are, often organizers had to deal with ever-changing high altitude flight conditions and the challenges of establishing an administration for the sport. Few spectators ever had a chance to see the exciting and elegant spectacle that is a Freestyle hang gliding contest.

The goals of the Master's are to present the most valid, most visible and the most enjoyable contest possible for everyone involved.

The Masters of Freestyle Hang Gliding Contest was held in September 1996, '97 & '98, at the beautiful Rosarito Hotel and Spa, in Rosarito, Mexico. The flying conditions on the coast are perfect for Freestyle flying and spectators have better access to the venue. The hotel owner, Mr. Hugo Torres, graciously welcomed our group to this superb resort facility.

An entire Light Airshow was presented by a variety of unusual light aircraft including Skydivers, Paramotors, and Ultralights that provided a fantastic show between contest rounds. The 1999 contest was hosted by the City of Lake Elsinore at their lakeside park and was a big success. The 2000 contest was held at San Diego's 35th annual Bayfair event. This fantastic event attracts more than 200,000 spectators and is host to the World Series of Power Boat Racing.

The Master's competition has continued the standardization process of the rules used for judging and scoring Freestyle maneuvers. We have insisted on using the most qualified judges available, some of our judges are expert Freestyle pilots as well.

The practice of towing hang gliders has been done using a variety of different methods, the most effective of which is using a powerful Ultralight Tow plane or Tug. We have employed this method known as Aero towing to gain the altitude needed to perform the maneuvers. A 300 ft. Tow line is attached to the tail of the Tug, then a special towing Bridle and release mechanism is attached to the glider and pilot. The glider is placed on a three-wheeled cart called a Dolly that acts as temporary wheels for the gliders during the tow launching procedure. When the Tug takes off, the Dolly loaded with the glider rolls along the runway behind it. When the glider has reached flying speed, the Dolly is released and the glider rises away from it. The glider is then pulled along behind the Tug. At 2000' they will reach the aerobatic performance area known as the Box, the glider pilot then releases the towline and begins his Freestyle routine.

We have taken the best aspects from Freestyle Hang Gliding's past and coupled those with new methods. Now, Aero Events soars on to present its best effort yet with the 2001 Asters of Freestyle Hang Gliding Contest at the San Diego Bayfair.

30 years ago, two Australian men, Bill Moyes and Bill Bennet, traveled the world demonstrating the then new sport of hang gliding. They launched their primitive kite-like aircraft by being towed aloft by boats and various other vehicles. The performed gentle maneuvers in their rogallo wings and were seen by millions of people. The impact of their appearances left an indelible impression on our collective consciousness and introduced hang gliding to the world.

Today, Aero Events pilots fly sleek, fast, high tech gliders to perform daring aerobatic stunts for exhibition. The same group has also presented the Masters of Freestyle Hang Gliding Contest since 1996.

Who is Aero Events? We are diverse group of talented individuals including Freestyle Hang Glider pilots, Ultralight pilots and support staff. We can perform at any large outdoor venues such as beaches, lakes, fairs or anywhere else that meets the open space requirements.