Wills Wing
Flytec

Oz Report

Volume 22, Number 31
Monday, February 12 2018
Quest Air, Sheets airfield, Groveland, Florida, USA
https://OzReport.com
"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

to Table of Contentsto next topic Sport Class - a big success

Fri, Feb 9 2018, 8:13:06 am EST
The largest Sport Class hang gliding event ever

Facebook|Quest Air|Sport Class|Wilotree Park

https://airtribune.com/2018-green-swamp-sport-klassic/pilots

Sixty one pilots have registered for the the 2018 Green Swamp Sport Klassic.  Fifty one have been confirmed.  With eleven mentors signed up (and we'll have thirteen to fifteen), we have by far the biggest sport class event every held.  The 2014 Sport Class Worlds had forty pilots, https://airtribune.com/hg2014/pilots.

You can read the latest news here: https://airtribune.com/2018-green-swamp-sport-klassic/blog.

We are very excited about this competition (as well as the huge Quest Air National Series coming in April). Moyes, Icaro and Wills will all be represented among the mentors.  We'll get to show off the changes happening at the Quest Air Soaring Center (Wilotree Park).

Sport Class competition provides an entry point for newer hang glider pilot who wish to improve their cross country flying skills and who would like to get a taste of hang gliding competition.  Competition has become very complex and this is a great opportunity to get help to learn the many aspects of competition.

You'll find pilot to pilot communication here: https://www.facebook.com/events/268825070307307.

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Fake News

Fri, Feb 9 2018, 8:13:49 am EST
Time travel in Colombia

calendar|CIVL|Sté|Stéphane Malbos

Juan Carrera writes:

I am Juan Carrera a group of pilots and I are going to Roldanillo for an announced Open FAI category 2 competition, 2018 Cup Roldanillo Open, from February 10th-17th. We would like to know what is going on.

Stephane Malbos, CIVL President, writes:

February 10 to 17

The application for Category 2 status was not asked in time, so this competition was not sanction.  I don’t know if the competition will take place or not.

February 21 to 27

The same organisers have applied in time for a new competition (with the same name). This competition is on FAI calendar.

At this time, we have receiving complaints from pilots who want their money back because the 10-17 competition is not sanctioned.  The organiser is apparently refusing to return the entry fee and is threatening to denounce pilots to the immigration authorities if they insist.

We are also hearing strange rumors stating that results will be faked, that the 10 to 17 track logs will be faked and dated February 21 to 27 so that pilots can be ranked with WPRS points.

This is very worrying, and CIVL has addressed the matter to the Colombian sport aviation authorities.

http://xcmag.com/event/2018-cup-roldanillo-open/

https://airtribune.com/2018-cup-roldanillo-open/info/details__selection

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Carl, our alligator

Fri, Feb 9 2018, 11:46:36 am EST
He's small

Facebook|Quest Air|video|Wilotree Park

In the lake at Wilotree Park (Quest Air Soaring center).

https://www.facebook.com/officialMrAwesome/videos/1533595020090908/

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to Table of Contentsto next topic NSW State Titles

Fri, Feb 9 2018, 8:20:06 pm EST
February 18th - 24th February 2018

Niki Longshore

http://wow.asn.au/comps/?q=node/92

Niki Longshore is back in Oz for this competition.

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Fake News rebuttal

Sat, Feb 10 2018, 8:29:21 am EST
He admits that he was late with the payment

PG|Stéphane Malbos|Stéphane Malbos

Bernardo Medina writes:

Dear Mr. Stephane Malbos,

Unfortunately, we have a huge problem because of this pilot's claims to the international paragliding flight community.  You are accusing me of false accusations that in my country Colombia are punishable criminal acts, such as:

• The manipulation of the "track logs" in Roldanillo 2018 events

• Threats to people for not delivering money

• Accusations of refusing to return monies of inscriptions

• Finally, that the results of the competition may be false

I beg you, dear sir, to retract those accusations, since in my country they are a crime, but I also ask you to answer how you can repair the damage you have done to my good name, my people and my country with these accusations.  It is unacceptable for you with his investiture to make these accusations when he never asked me or sent a request to explain any claim or doubt about it.

The problem with the event we have is that it was paid on January 15. Our registration day is February 10 and the first day of competition is February 11, if we add and subtract a bit we made the payment for the event 26 days before the competition.  How can you punish us for delaying four days in the payment and have the nerve to destroy the work we have been doing for more than a decade with these false accusations?

I hope that this problem can be solved in the best way for both parties, I am waiting for your prompt response to take the appropriate measures.

We have worked to encourage the sport for many years, just like you.  We think that the idea of our institutions is to promote and not destroy sporting events and we would like to think that we have the support of the FAI and yours to continue our goal.

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to Table of Contentsto next topic Dribbling downstream

Sat, Feb 10 2018, 11:31:24 pm EST
Using the wind to carry us along on a weak day

CIVL|Greg Dinauer|John Simon|Larry Bunner|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Rob Clarkson

https://airtribune.com/2018-quest-air-cross-country/blog__day_5

With my glider already setup for the last week I was trying to get the rest of the crew around here motivated for a nice flight downwind to Williston, 109 km. I don't want to fly unless I've had some pilots with me to make it a collective affair.  I corralled Larry Bunner, Greg Dinauer, and Rob Clarkson.  John Simon was out flying an airliner, and Mitch Shipley just got back from the CIVL Plenary.

I was suited up and ready to launch at 1 PM. The forecast was for zero lift to our north by Ocala at 4 PM. I wanted to get going, but somehow the myth started that cloud base was only 2,500'. Hogwash.

I just couldn't get these guys to the starting gate.  It took until 2 PM before there was movement.  I got to the line first a little rushed as I had taken everything off after no one would join me.

It was a little rough getting out of the field with the 12 mph south southeast wind, but it smoothed out once we got over the tree height.  Certainly well within the parameters from many previous tows.  The lift was gentle after I pinned off at 2,200' and I just drifted along back toward the field.

Larry came up next and found better lift to the north so I joined him.  We climbed to 4,500' waiting for Greg and Rob, but they were just taking too long to get going so we headed off.

With the strong wind it took no time at all to get up to the Turnpike.  Larry and I took turns leading out.  I had caught my harness zipper on the string that pulls it so I couldn't close up the lower half of the harness.  But it wasn't that cold so after a while I forgot about it.

With the wind mostly south and not southeast, our goal at Williston was not straight downwind.  We had to push west across streets to get more in line with the course line.  Heading up I75 Larry took off over Marion Oaks toward the northwest.  I was high and saw a dark street to the north that would take me over the Ocala airfield (and airspace) but put me 10 km east of the course line.  Given that I was high above airspace and it looked like I could stay that way under the street I went for it. It was blue out to the west with few cu's.

The forecast was for no lift at all around 4 PM west of Ocala.  I was right over the Ocala airport a little before 4 PM at cloud base at 4,800'. The top of the airspace is 1,500' MSL.  Larry was working to the north northwest to get to the further west cloud street.

My clouds kept taking me further north as the goal at Williston kept getting more west than north.  Larry was doing better finding weak lift (like me) further west.  Still he was having a hard time getting far enough to the west.

Finally I made a run for it from weak lift at 4,300' heading west toward some rising smoke.  The smoke didn't work out but the area was buoyant and I ended up just a little more than 3 KM short of goal.  Larry found enough lift to get him into goal with good altitude.

Not bad for a day that was not supposed to be very soarable.

Tomorrow it's a 50 mile road bike ride before the afternoon rain.

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to Table of Contentsto next topic 2018 Cup Roldanillo Open

Sun, Feb 11 2018, 9:32:38 pm EST
Approved by CIVL for the original dates (now)

CIVL|Cup Roldanillo Open 2018

Not wanting to harm the pilots, CIVL Plenary approved the competition despite the actions of the meet organizer.  There are other ways to deal with the issue of meet organizers not getting their payments in in time.

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The Oz Report, a near-daily, world wide hang gliding news ezine, with reports on competitions, pilot rankings, political issues, fly-ins, the latest technology, ultralight sailplanes, reader feedback and anything else from within the global HG community worthy of coverage. Hang gliding, paragliding, hang gliders, paragliders, aerotowing, hang glide, paraglide, platform towing, competitions, fly-ins. Hang gliding and paragliding news from around the world, by Davis Straub.

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