The Draggin Flyers Hang Gliding Association

The builders of the first aerotug began flying out of an ultralight airfield in Groveland, Florida in February 1989. By November '89, there were 40 hang glider pilots aerotowing in Central Florida. The pilots were so excited about what they were doing, and in an effort to support the maintenance on the tug, they decided to form a chapter of the USHGA, which was known as the DragginFlyers. The Draggin Flyers continued to grow and moved to Oxford, Florida in February '90. The Draggin Flyers decided to hold the first ever aerotow cross-country competition in Lake Wales Easter weekend 1990. At this point, they also decided they needed another tug. So the club members with the design expertise of Bobby Bailey modified a second Cobra-B to make it into a tug. Come April, the second tug was finished and was flying and 60 pilots from throughout the country came to Lake Wales to compete in the first aerotow cross-country competition.

In 1993, Malcolm Jones bought the property to develop an aerotow flight park in Davenport, Florida, which was later named Wallaby Ranch. Campbell Bowen, Russell Brown, and Bobby Bailey assisted Malcolm during the first year of operation. Due to creative differences, Bowen, Brown, and Bailey left Wallaby in the Fall of 1993 and later started their own flight park now called Quest Air Soaring Center.

The DragginFlyers lost the use of the flying site in Oxford in the Spring of 1994 and operations moved to a small private airstrip in Weirsdale, Florida for the next year. Due to lack of support and dwindling funds, the Draggin Flyers decided to dissolve in the Spring of 1995. The assets were sold and the investors paid. And, that was the end of the Draggin Flyers.