Wills Wing, Inc. (legally Sport Kites, Inc) is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Orange, California and previously located in Santa Ana, California. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of hang gliders in the form of ready-to-fly aircraft, plus hang glider harnesses and accessories.[1]
Dave Aldrich flies the Wills Wing Sport 3 over Mount Tamalpais California
The company was formed as Sport Kites, Inc in 1973 and started doing business under the name Wills Wing in 1978.[3][2]
In 1973 Chris Wills took first place and Bob Wills won second place in the first US National Hang Gliding Championships. The next year Bob Wills won first place and Chris Wills took second place at the second US Nationals.[3][2]
Chris and Bob Wills' brother, Eric Wills, was killed in a hang gliding accident in 1974.[4][5]
Chris Wills left the company in 1976 to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician. Bob Wills was killed in a hang gliding accident while making a Jeep commercial on 24 June 1977. The majority ownership of the company was then sold to Rob Kells, Linda and Mike Meier and Steve Pearson. Kells died of prostate cancer in 2008.[2][6]
By 1984 the company had become the largest hang glider manufacturer in North America and then later in the world.[3][2]
In 2012 Wills Wing Team Pilot Dustin Martin set a new world record for Cross Country Open Distance in a Hang Glider of 475 miles flying a Wills Wing T2C 144.[10]
In June, 2021 Wills Wing announced that they will be "winding down operations and preparing to shut down production at our Orange facility as part of a process of closing down the Company" with a "successor entity" to be formed in Valle do Bravo, Mexico.[11]
Aircraft
Wills Wing principal design engineer Steve Pearson test flying a new T2C 144
Wills Wing test pilot Ken Howells flies a Wills Wing U2C 160
^ abcBertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, page 47. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
^ abcdeMike Meier. "A Brief History of Hang Gliding, Paragliding and Wills Wing". Wills Wing. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^ abcd"Wills Wing XC-185 - Canada Aviation and Space Museum". techno-science.ca. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^Wills, Maralys and Chris Wills (1992), Wings Like Eagles, Longstreet Press, Marietta, Georgia, United States. ISBN1-56352-025-7
^"Soaring Above the Tragedy : Santa Ana Author Who Lost 2 Children in Hang-Gliding Accidents Recounts Her Family's Disasters and Triumphs". LA Times. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^. willswing.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^Tecma Sport. "Tecma U2". tecma-sport.com. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^Tecma Sport. "Tecma T2". tecma-sport.com. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^US Southwest Soaring Museum (2010). "Sailplanes, Hang Gliders & Motor Gliders". Retrieved 9 March 2016.
^Sulzberger, A. G. "Two Men. One Sky. The Silent Realization of a Purer Form of Flight". Retrieved 21 June 2018.
^Steven Pearson, Mike and Linda Meier (2021). "A New Wills Wing". Retrieved 12 June 2021.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wills Wing.
Official website
January 23, 2023
wills, wing, legally, sport, kites, american, aircraft, manufacturer, based, orange, california, previously, located, santa, california, company, specializes, design, manufacture, hang, gliders, form, ready, aircraft, plus, hang, glider, harnesses, accessories. Wills Wing Inc legally Sport Kites Inc is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Orange California and previously located in Santa Ana California The company specializes in the design and manufacture of hang gliders in the form of ready to fly aircraft plus hang glider harnesses and accessories 1 Wills Wing Inc TypePrivately held companyIndustryAerospaceFounded1973FounderChris Wills Bob WillsHeadquartersOrange California United StatesKey peopleLinda Meier Mike Meier and Steve PearsonProductsHang gliders hang glider harnessesWebsitewww wbr willswing wbr comThe company was founded in 1973 by brothers Bob and Chris Wills 2 The company sells a line of hang gliders including training and beginner gliders intermediate and competition wings 1 Contents 1 History 2 Aircraft 3 References 4 External linksHistory Edit Dave Aldrich flies the Wills Wing Sport 3 over Mount Tamalpais California The company was formed as Sport Kites Inc in 1973 and started doing business under the name Wills Wing in 1978 3 2 In 1973 Chris Wills took first place and Bob Wills won second place in the first US National Hang Gliding Championships The next year Bob Wills won first place and Chris Wills took second place at the second US Nationals 3 2 Chris and Bob Wills brother Eric Wills was killed in a hang gliding accident in 1974 4 5 Chris Wills left the company in 1976 to attend medical school and pursue a career as a physician Bob Wills was killed in a hang gliding accident while making a Jeep commercial on 24 June 1977 The majority ownership of the company was then sold to Rob Kells Linda and Mike Meier and Steve Pearson Kells died of prostate cancer in 2008 2 6 By 1984 the company had become the largest hang glider manufacturer in North America and then later in the world 3 2 The company also provides Wills Wing U2 and T2 gliders to Tecma Sport of Saint Pierre en Faucigny France for the European market 1 7 8 A Wills Wing XC 185 hang glider is on display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa while another Wills Wing glider is in the US Southwest Soaring Museum in Moriarty New Mexico 3 9 Wills Wing XC 185 on display in the Canada Aviation and Space Museum In 2012 Wills Wing Team Pilot Dustin Martin set a new world record for Cross Country Open Distance in a Hang Glider of 475 miles flying a Wills Wing T2C 144 10 In June 2021 Wills Wing announced that they will be winding down operations and preparing to shut down production at our Orange facility as part of a process of closing down the Company with a successor entity to be formed in Valle do Bravo Mexico 11 Aircraft Edit Wills Wing principal design engineer Steve Pearson test flying a new T2C 144 Wills Wing test pilot Ken Howells flies a Wills Wing U2C 160 Wills Wing AT 123 paraglider Wills Wing Eagle hang glider List of aircraft built by Wills Wing Hang gliders Current ProductionWills Wing Alpha Wills Wing Falcon Wills Wing Sport 3 Wills Wing U2 U2C Wills Wing T2 T2COut of ProductionWills Wing Alpha Original Wills Wing Attack Duck Wills Wing Condor Wills Wing Duck Wills Wing Fusion Wills Wing Harrier Wills Wing HP Wills Wing HP AT Wills Wing Omega Wills Wing Omni Wills Wing RamAir Wills Wing Raven Wills Wing Skyhawk Wills Wing Spectrum Wills Wing Sport Wills Wing Sport American Wills Wing Sport AT Wills Wing Sport 2 Wills Wing SST Wills Wing Super Sport Wills Wing Talon Wills Wing Ultra Sport Wills Wing XC Wills Wing EagleParaglidersWills Wing AT 123 Wills Wing AT 223References Edit a b c Bertrand Noel Rene Coulon et al World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003 04 page 47 Pagefast Ltd Lancaster UK 2003 ISSN 1368 485X a b c d e Mike Meier A Brief History of Hang Gliding Paragliding and Wills Wing Wills Wing Retrieved 9 March 2016 a b c d Wills Wing XC 185 Canada Aviation and Space Museum techno science ca Retrieved 9 March 2016 Wills Maralys and Chris Wills 1992 Wings Like Eagles Longstreet Press Marietta Georgia United States ISBN 1 56352 025 7 Soaring Above the Tragedy Santa Ana Author Who Lost 2 Children in Hang Gliding Accidents Recounts Her Family s Disasters and Triumphs LA Times Retrieved 9 March 2016 Wills Wing Inc Rob Kells In Memoriam willswing com Archived from the original on 26 March 2015 Retrieved 9 March 2016 Tecma Sport Tecma U2 tecma sport com Retrieved 9 March 2016 Tecma Sport Tecma T2 tecma sport com Retrieved 9 March 2016 US Southwest Soaring Museum 2010 Sailplanes Hang Gliders amp Motor Gliders Retrieved 9 March 2016 Sulzberger A G Two Men One Sky The Silent Realization of a Purer Form of Flight Retrieved 21 June 2018 Steven Pearson Mike and Linda Meier 2021 A New Wills Wing Retrieved 12 June 2021 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wills Wing Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wills Wing amp oldid 1090566929, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
