Oz Report

Blue Sky Scooter Towing Clinic

(This topic is in: Mar.1 Dec.15'06 )

The tools for teaching. (Quest Air)

Craig McMillan <skyhico> writes:

The scooter tow clinic was excellent.  Steve is a professional, and nice guy.

I have been a certified instructor for years but never actually taught due to my fear of hurting someone.  The combination of the moderately powered scooter (very controllable tension) and the huge 330 Condor gives me tools I can confidently get people off the ground without fear of hurting them.  I may actually try it in Colorado this summer as a PR/marketing/ amusement type lesson where we have almost a million whitewater rafters driving through looking for other things to do.

Consensus seems that we need to lasso some of our renegade instructors who are not teaching a standardized curriculum and get them on board for both safety and promotion.  If I were interested in making a living in hang gliding this would be it.  For $5000 you could have all the setup, go to a local venue where people pass or gather, give rides, and let the 1 in a 1000 actual student/pilot ratio start to work.  Kind of like the old schools along I-70 in Golden, Colorado used to do in their heyday, barnstorming style, if you build it they will fly.

I salute the USHPA for sponsoring these clinics and only wish more instructors would attend.  Maybe we need a whole new breed of instructors, young ones, looking for girls.  Take the scooter tow to where the girls are, beach parks, soccer fields, swimming holes.

I don't know where the young people hang out, but they do, schools, universities, race tracks?  The big question is can they meet liability insurance requirements for those venues.

By the way, I now hold the "record" for towing Steve the highest and farthest unhooked on the Condor!  That will teach him to test us for safety checking the hook in by actually not hooking in, but he was never high enough to die about 10 feet.

Discuss Blue Sky at the Oz Report forum

Parachute bridles

Not allowed to slide (Dynamic Flight)

Rohan Holtkamp at Dynamic Flight <<dynamic>> writes:

It is fine to connect chute webbing to harness webbing, but the connection point must be restricted in its movement - zero sliding must be ensured - like in the Skorpion 2 RR harness that we build.

Carabineers are not the answer on a sliding connection either, as the carabineer or shackle will burn through any webbing it can slide along in a deployment.  The carabineer or shackle must also be able to withstand a 15G shock load in any direction!  That should be 2000kg min.  The carabineer/shackle diameter also has a large bearing on its webbing slicing capacity.

Much to my horror I have seen some pilots attach chute to harness with those small triangle screw gates used in paragliding.  These are not sufficient in strength or diameter, not by a long shot.

Discuss Bridles at the Oz Report forum

Displaying Competition Results - Leonardo Competition Edition

Use this web site to display the results of your competition with their track logs

http://www.pgcomps.net/index.php

As of 05 Dec 2006, new lower prices per task are in effect.  In order to help organizers with small events we give away for free tasks with less than fifteen pilots along with the rest of reductions.

Also we help organizers had used our system but could not afford the fees by giving them a good deal on activating not paid past tasks.  Please contact us on this subject.

Here are the new fees: (all prices in Euro and per task)

1-15 pilots -> normal task: FREE , with sponsor banners: 10 Eu
16-50 pilots -> normal task: 15 Eu , with sponsor banners: 30 Eu
51-100 pilots-> normal task: 20 Eu , with sponsor banners: 40 Eu
100+ pilots -> normal task: 30 Eu , with sponsor banners: 60 Eu

While on the subject of event organizing, there is much going on this last period.  CompeGPS has announced that they will not release any new versions for CompeGPS competition from 31st December 2006 effectively discontinuing their product.

SeeYou seems to want a piece of the action with their version of SeeYou for competitions.

We are holding our breath for FAI/CIVL> They announced a while ago a free scoring tool but in the latest November 2006 CIVL Bureau Meeting it seems that there is still some work to be done but at least a new RACE will be out soon (March).

We keep an eye on all developments so that LeoCE will continue to work with the scoring tool of your choice.  We will keep you updated on this.

Please contact us if you have further questions or inquiries.

This service requires that the scorekeeper use CompeGPS (to define the task).

Discuss Leonardo at the Oz Report forum

Ballistic chute and mid air with a tow line

An ultralite hits a sailplane towline in flight.

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/photogallery/Videos/2007-2-9-BallisticChuteDeployments.wmv

Thanks to David Williamson.

Discuss Ballistic at the Oz Report forum

Canungra Challenge

(This topic is in: Jan.4'08 Mar.1 )

See who can go the furthest (Canungra, Australia)

raef mackay <<raefon72>> writes:

The Challenge has gotten off to a great start, with some rain on the first two days.  On the weekend the clouds parted giving the boys a couple of good days with a 152km open dist flight north west of launch by Trevor Purcell.

Monday turned it on for Warren Simmenson who managed to score a free dist with turnpoint of 66km and declared goal of 50.63km.

Jonny has been working with Lee training new pilots and hasn't been able to score a day yet, however I have a feeling he is planning his moves and waiting to take a swipe at the lead.

We still have another seven weeks of flying so we expect to see some awesome flights in that time.  With the local pilots flying all the good days it's a great opportunity for visiting pilots to come and have a fly and visit the area.  They may even get a P.B.

Discuss Canungra at the Oz Report forum

2007 paragliding worlds day four canceled

The storms continue (Mt Borah, Manilla)

http://aussieteam2007.blogspot.com/



9:30 AM on day 4

The first two days were canceled, then a short task on the third day, now day four canceled.

Manilla blogs: http://paraglidingforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=10840

Discuss Worlds at the Oz Report forum

Western Australian Championships Canceled

Strong winds, no tasks. (Wyalkatchem) (South Cottesloe, Australia)

laura <<laura>> writes:

After what will be six days of bad weather and Saturday and Sunday looking like the only days left for a chance to fly, the decision was made to cancel the comp altogether.  With only about nine pilots left in Wyalkatchem there was no real point continuing, however for those that have stayed hopefully they will get some free flying in on the weekend.

I would like to thank all the sponsors Light Flight, Moyes, Cross Country, Icaro, HGFA, Rangs Design and all those people who helped out to make what would have been a good comp if not for the weather.

Discuss WA at the Oz Report forum

2007 paragliding worlds day five canceled

The storms continue (Mt Borah, Manilla)

http://aussieteam2007.blogspot.com/

http://gravsports.blogspot.com/

Looks like it clears up tomorrow and gets better after that: http://www.alpineinfotech.com.au/Weather/Weather_05.htm

Discuss Worlds at the Oz Report forum

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