| Dial Soap TV commercial featured the flying of an experimental
bowsprit hang
glider: Koman-Faust cross-spar-less ....! The hang glider was designed by
the collaboration of Mike and Joe and was manufactured by Mike Koman and
Joe Faust; the sail was ordered from Dick Eipper's loft. From beginning to end
----concept novelty to flight in the commercial: 3 days. Joe used the
funds from the residuals of the commercial to buy a larger printing press to
replace the first smaller one he had bought from Soaring Society of America
for $1 from Lloyd Licher.
Joe harness-hung with an all-manila rope self-made harness made on the day of filming at the site. The harness and hang line was of one rope. An opposite yaw control was experienced in the day's flights at the film-taking site. Some 19 producer's vehicles were at the Simi Valley, California, flight site for the shooting. Maiden flight of the hang glider was at the film-shooting site. Flights occurred in the morning and then again later in the day. The producer asked if Faust wanted a crane to hang the glider in the air. But the flights turned out to be sufficient for what the producer wanted. The final commercial was about 30 seconds in length. Faust was also filmed showering using Dial Soap; that day of shower filming took 13 hours by a large set of workers. Severe skin rash from over-exposure to soap was one of the costs. Net earnings for the hang glider movement: $7000 in residual payments. This kind of activity contributed to the foundation of the 1970s hang gliding boon. |