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topic: WRE (20 articles)

The Weather Channel WRE story reviewed »

Fri, Jul 29 2016, 2:56:46 pm GMT

Made for TV drama

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|WRE

A pilot writes about what went down at the Weather Channel

I was pretty disappointed in the hang gliding special. It was only about Jonny, no other pilots or what really happened at the WRE. Then the typical sensationalism at the end when Jonny supposedly ran into turbulence that made him land and prevented the new World Record, something about being tossed like a leaf in a tornado and him playing the part, the scariest moment of his life.

Then some pictures of newspaper articles about the fatality at Andy Jackson Flight Park, where the reporter had taken a tandem flight earlier in the program and the implication that hang gliding is very dangerous and Jonny was in real peril during his last record attempt. Of course, it didn't happen. He was slow and ran out of conditions and intentionally came down.

Another thing that bothered me was their continually referring to Jonny as the best hang gliding pilot in the world and his play acting and posing over and over. Oh well, we knew going in that he was the focus with the Red Bull partnership, but I was still surprised. No footage showing anyone else, no mention that Ben Herring flew twice as many miles as Jonny after arriving later and leaving earlier, no mention of Ben's new record.

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WRE »

June 14, 2006, 10:20:10 EDT

WRE

The World Record Encampment begins next week

Manfred Ruhmer|Pete Lehmann|Quest Air|record

Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Manfred Ruhmer|Pete Lehmann|Quest Air|record

Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Manfred Ruhmer|Quest Air|record

Quest Air sends out the tug or tugs soon and we head off in that direction. Pete Lehmann, Manfred Ruhmer, and I.

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WRE »

April 4, 2006, 10:35:36 EDT

WRE

Getting ready for a very big season

sites:Zapata Airstrip

David Glover|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Manfred Ruhmer|Pete Lehmann|record|World Record Encampment 2006

Will this season be like 2000 and 2001?

With such a strong La Nina, continued drought in Texas, and a very dry time in Florida and Arizona we are looking for a very strong World Record Encampment season in Zapata, Texas. The current plan is to start towing pilots up on June 14th and through July 27th (http://ozreport.com/texas20062007.php).

Manfred Ruhmer is committed to come in June. Pete Lehmann and I'll be there for sure. We are looking for a few good pilots to come this year. If you are interested contact David Glover at « david». The cost has yet to be determined. There is as yet no sponsorship for this event, so it could be $1000 per pilot. We have to keep the number of pilots down relative to the number of tugs so that everyone gets a chance to go far.

WRE »

Mon, Aug 1 2005, 2:00:02 pm EDT

Where else would we go?

Gary Osoba|record|weather

That's what Gary Osoba answered when I was lamenting about the two hurricanes, one tropical storm and the front that came through Texas this year during our two week only WRE. He couldn't think of another spot on earth with a weather feature big enough to allow him to fly the Alisport Silent 2 over 801 miles in a straight line.

As I write these words, I think about all I have written and done to try to illustrate the magic that you can find in June and July (August, too) in south Texas, for those ever so few of you who really want and are ready to go for the Ultra Marathon of cross country hang gliding. Does it make an impression at all? Does anyone outside a very small set of folks get it? Well, maybe they just don't care.

Oh, so you think that there really is a better place on earth for the Ultra Marathon? Some place here where you regularly fly? Really? Just how many world records have been set at your favorite spot?

Have I said before (more than a dozen times) that it's the wind? The wind makes all the difference, especially in my morale and attitude. When I'm flying over the ground at 60 mph when gliding, when I can easily get to clouds that are so far away, when I see that I can make it easily to the next available landing area, when there are so few at first, I just want to continue to ride the wind. Where else?

And what about that early morning launch, the one that provokes so much anxiety before launch, then becomes a game of staying up in anything while drifting over the lands behind locked gates. But there's the ten mile glide above the clouds and already you are almost at the first public road as you finally get low enough to come in under a solid cu. There's the fact that you can launch before 9 AM at all. There's the tow to the east that makes it easy to get around the airspace 40 miles away, an hour later. There's the fact that as the morning progresses (even in the first hour) the cloud base rises and the thermals gain strength. Where else?

What about that early morning wide spread lift? What about a day full of light sink when you are not in lift? What about being able to stay up over the most shaded ground? Where else?

Then there is the ride up the highway as the cloud base rises and the clouds begin to street up. There are even cu's underneath cirrus. Every one of these cu's is producing. The land is rising up slowly and the cloud base rises as the morning progresses and if you are very good and started early you can have 100 miles by noon. Where else?

The country side opens up and the anxiety related to making sure you've got a good landing area within glide is relaxed, as you find yourself 170 miles out, and getting into the hot rocks of the hill country where the land rises up abruptly as does the cloud base. You can follow up a valley that cuts through the hill country and provides plenty of safe landing areas. Where else?

The wind has been blowing and it has been blowing straight for hundreds of miles and now it is going to keep blowing straight to the north for many more hundreds of miles as you get up on the Edwards plateau and the cloud base rises to 6,000' AGL to 9,000' AGL. On many days the streets are lined up and you just stay in the streets. Where else?

In this farm and ranch country you have plenty of roads and it's easy to land anywhere as the sun goes down between 9 and 9:30 (10 to 12 hours after you started). You've got an extra half hour if you've brought your strobe light. Be sure to stay out of the minimal airspace at Lubbock. Where else?

So, just where else on earth do all these things come together?

Two years (2000 and 2001) of stellar conditions, where 200 miles was a failed flight, one that you cut short so that you can get back and try again on the next day. The next year, the nine year drought ends, and we get two good days and four world records. In 2003, a hurricane and no good days. In 2004, it's still wet, and we get a good week with wet ground conditions and two world records.

In 2005, as above. Three world records before the second hurricane. One 200+ and one 365 mile flight on the last good day. Three good days (none as good as the first two years).

Have I made my case? You be the judge.

Okay, how about way northern Australia (Hughenden, Queensland, Australia) in April? Does the wind blow out of the east at 15 to 20 knots every day? And will that make up the limited day length in the autumn? Look it up on Google Earth. Follow the road west.

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WRE »

Thu, Jul 28 2005, 7:00:01 am GMT

The blogs deliver real time action

The blogs.

David "Dave" Glover|WRE 2005

http://wre500.blogspot.com/
http://flickr.com/photos/davidhglover/sets/613993/
http://flickr.com/photos/davidhglover/
http://www.jonnydurand.blogspot.com/
http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/|

I left my laptop in the hangar on Tuesday, so I wasn't able to put out a report on Tuesday night from Abilene. As soon as I landed, I called David Glover an attempted to do a real time radio interview with him about my flight, but his spare phone (he had waded into the pool a few week earlier with his main cell phone in his pocket) wasn't working well with the audioblogger.

None the less Dave was getting out the word about my long flight in real time on his blog.

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WRE »

Mon, Jul 25 2005, 1:00:00 pm GMT

Jonny goes 207

Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Mike Harper|record|William "Gary" Osoba jr.

Gary Osoba encouraged Jonny to go for it first even though it was almost 11 o'clock, then towed up after him for a little flight around the airport. The cu's started forming at 10 AM, way late, but they were looking very good. Unfortunately the wind was strong out of the east south east pushing us toward Laredo.

Pete and John Harper took off, and then I rolled out with Pete's Wills Wing Falcon 195 for an attempt at Bo's record. As I got pulled up at 11:20 to 5,400' AGL, to the east, to make up for the strong east wind, cirrus clouds came in over the top of Zapata. While on tow I heard the John Harper was already down behind locked gates after a tow to over 5,000'. Jonny was doing well twenty miles to the north and Gary had landed back at the Zapata airport.

Heading northeast to get down between the clouds I had a 10 mph ground speed. I need ed to head cross wind to stay east enough to stay out of the Laredo airspace given the low cloud base at 3,600'. After climbing in one good thermal I didn't find another one going cross wind and landed next to the San Ygnacio Road 18 miles out. Pete landed at highway 59 near Laredo.

Jonny continued on escaping the dark overcast that came over us near Zapata. At 185 miles out he ran into thunderstorms and tried to dodge around them. He landed in a tight sport at the hill country northwest of Uvalde.

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WRE »

Sun, Jul 24 2005, 12:00:02 pm GMT

The blogs.

Bo Hagewood|Bobby Bailey|Emily Mistick|Russell "Russ" Brown|WRE 2005

http://wre500.blogspot.com/
http://flickr.com/photos/davidhglover/sets/613993/
http://flickr.com/photos/davidhglover/
http://www.jonnydurand.blogspot.com/
http://naughtylawyertravels.blogspot.com/

Nelson captures an Indigo snake, the real reason he came to Texas. We wait out the weather and the rain post Hurricane Emily as tropical storm Gert moves west through north Mexico just south of us.

Laredo Morning does a typical MSM mess up on our WRE here. The Zapata County News got it right, just using my press release in total.

Bobby Bailey and Bo Hagewood are still here at Zapata waiting to tow us up when ever the weather cooperates. Russell Brown sent out the Flytec Dragonfly, and Bobby's plane in his trailer with his truck. Thanks to Quest Air, Flytec, Russell, as sponsors of the event.

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WRE »

Fri, Jul 15 2005, 10:00:00 am EDT

A little flying today as we try to get ready before the hurricane arrives.

David Glover|Pete Lehmann|photo|record|Robin Hamilton

David Glover|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Pete Lehmann|photo|record|Robin Hamilton

David Glover|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|photo|record|Robin Hamilton

http://wre500.blogspot.com/

First it was Dennis that turned the winds around (to counter clockwise) and brought in the moisture that filled up East Texas (and brought a bit here to Zapata). Now we are all getting ready for Emily (the fifth named storm, and the third in two weeks). Emily will shut down the WRE starting Tuesday until the weekend as it makes landfall a hundred or so miles to the south of the Rio Grande (we hope).

No one has made any record attempts so far. Already we've had one accident, where Robin Hamilton did some damage to his Swift hitting a runway light on launch (didn't put his Swift in the middle of the runway). He's been out at the airport working on it.

Other than Pete Lehmann's short flight in his Falcon the other day, there were no attempts to go cross country all week until today. Today, the longest flight was 60 miles, with the pilot taking off at 1 PM. Very late for Zapata, but we need the sun and the wind to dry out the course line.

Catch David Glover's WRE blog above to get hourly updates on Monday. Zapata pictures here.

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WRE »

Thu, Jul 14 2005, 8:00:02 pm EDT

Beautiful light wind conditions

Gary Osoba|Pete Lehmann

Gary Osoba|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Pete Lehmann

Gary Osoba|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann

Bobby Bailey|Gary Osoba|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Pete Lehmann

But it blows up in central Texas, as the remnants of Dennis continue to effect the wind patterns.

http://wre500.blogspot.com/

Bobby Bailey pulls Pete Lehmann up on his Talon at Zapata. Photo by Gary Osoba.

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WRE »

Wed, Jul 13 2005, 9:00:04 pm EDT

500 miles

Harry Martin

Harry Martin Cartoons Thousand Oaks, CA http://HarryMartinCartoons.com sends:

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WRE »

Tue, Jul 12 2005, 12:00:00 pm EDT

Look like triangles for a couple of days.

Bo Hagewood|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon Durand jnr|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Pete Lehmann|record|Robin Hamilton

Bo Hagewood and Booby Bailey are here with two Dragonflies. Jonny Durand came in last night. Pete Lehmann is here. Robin Hamilton by the weekend. That's four of us going for world records.

The clock wise winds are cut off by the low pressure remnants of the hurricane. But come Friday or Saturday, things get better.

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WRE »

Tue, May 17 2005, 1:00:02 pm EDT

The lack of precipitation in Texas

weather|World Record Encampment 2005

https://ozreport.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3586#3586

WRE »

Fri, Jan 21 2005, 1:00:02 am EST

Funding.

Gary Osoba|PG|record|World Record Encampment 2005

Gary Osoba «wosoba» writes:

WRE 2003 and National Geographic photographer George Steinmetz's work is once again featured in the current NG. Flying his powered paraglider over the Arabian peninsula, fascinating aerial shots of the desert and Bedouin life in 4 Arab countries were shot. They are beautifully laid out and presented in the issue.

WRE 2005 organizers are presently developing strategies to make this year's event the most enjoyable and productive yet. We are in the final stages of finalizing a quantum jump in local and regional support, which should provide a subsidized venue for the very best pilots in the world to set new record marks.

(editor's note: Quantum jump? Is that a very very very small but discrete jump?)

WRE »

Wed, Jun 30 2004, 3:00:06 am EDT

It's been raining in Texas.

record|World Record Encampment 2004

It is LUSH here in Zapata, but the high pre4ssure starts building tomorrow. More soon.

World Record Encampment

WRE »

Tue, Jul 16 2002, 5:00:04 pm EDT

Mike Barber

Mike Barber|World Record Encampment

Mike Barber|World Record Encampment

David McAnally writes:

I thought you and others might find this of interest. This story is on the front page of the Fort Worth Star Telegram Tuesday morning.

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/3671187.htm

There was also another picture in the paper of Mike Barber that I didn't see on the web version.

WRE »

Fri, Jun 28 2002, 1:00:00 pm EDT

Dustin Martin|PG|record|weather

Dustin Martin|PG|record|scooter|weather

Dustin Martin|PG|record|scooter|weather|World Record Encampment

Dustin Martin|PG|record|scooter|weather|World Record Encampment

Stratus cloud prevailed again today early after dominating our weather yesterday. Still there were cu’s forming under the clouds and according to Dustin Martin who was driving in from FortStockton, there were cu’s starting soon after dawn under bright blue skies, all the way to Laredo.

Gary and I went up for flights in the Woodstockand SparrowHawk respectively. We found good lift to 3,500’ under small cu’s forming under the stratus clouds.

It looks like there will continue to be plenty of moisture for the next few days. We are already getting quite a bit more than we are use to here, as the cu nimbs to the northeast continue to blow up today and bring gust fronts.

Radar at 5 PM

Two Italian paraglider pilots accompanied by two drivers and a camera man showed up last evening, Originally we had only 2 paraglider pilots signed up for the second session. Now we have about a dozen. World record fever I guess.

We expect three French paraglider pilots to come here tonight. We were towing up Dave Prentice on the scooter tow this morning.

TimothyEttridge@aol.com «TimothyEttridge» writes (and takes this and the following picture):

Dave Prentice finally ironed out the problems and puzzles with the scooter rig. We (Michael Osaba and I) towed him to 1800 and 1700 feet and then towed Hans up to 1870 this morning. Dave said he'd never gotten higher than 1500 off a tow here in Zapata before.

WRE »

Sat, Jun 22 2002, 6:00:00 pm EDT

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Bubba Goodman|Gary Osoba|Jamie Shelden|PG|record|Robin Hamilton

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Bubba Goodman|Gary Osoba|Jamie Shelden|PG|record|Robin Hamilton|World Record Encampment

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Bubba Goodman|Gary Osoba|Jamie Shelden|Jamie Sheldon|PG|record|Robin Hamilton|World Record Encampment

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Bubba Goodman|Gary Osoba|Jamie Shelden|PG|record|Robin Hamilton

Today the forecast was for light winds so pilots weren’t expecting the opportunity to go for long distances. Still, with plenty of moisture in the air over this desert landscape, Gary Osoba (SparrowHawk) was encouraging paraglider pilots to go for as long as they could.

Jamie Sheldon (Exxtacy) took a late start and headed north toward Laredowhile Gary and Alex Ploner tried for a 300 kilometer triangle. I went after the 150 kilometer speed record (currently held by Robin Hamilton in a Swift). Garywanted the 300 km speed record and Alex wanted the Class 5 (and 2) largest triangle record.

All the paragliders pilots got up and out of the tow paddock and dolphin flew to the north hoping to stay in the air long enough to over take Will’s record. All of them but Frank Brown decided to deck it when it became clear that they wouldn’t be able to set a new world record. Frank flew out about 100 miles with no one chasing him.

Those of us going for triangle records got shut down by the over development around 3 PMand had to make our way back to the airport to avoid having to land out. Tomorrow looks like a good day for another effort with light winds. You’d think we were in Hearne.

Bubba Good man came by to visit us yesterday. He’s been doing a little towing down in Edinburgha few hours to the south with Austin AirSports. He needs a retrieval driver. He said that he couldn’t be in south Texasand not come and visit the WRE in Zapata.

WRE – Thursday - New World Records »

Wed, Jun 19 2002, 6:00:01 pm GMT

André Wolfe|David Prentice|George Ferris|James "Jim" Lamb|Jamie Shelden|Jim Lamb|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Manfred Ruhmer|Mike Barber|PG|record|Will Gadd|William "Gary" Osoba jr.|WRE

The winds were predicted to be lighter and more out of the east, but when we got to the airport, they were stronger than Wednesday and out of the southeast. The cu’s were forming all night and there were plenty of clouds when we got to the airport a little before nine.

The cloud streets were already forming at nine as we quickly went through the pilot meeting. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get the pilots to get going as early as I wanted. I had decided to not fly based on the prediction for more easterly winds further along the course line (this would prove to be not quite as bad as forecast).

Finally, Andre Wolf (Icaro Laminar MR 700 WRE), who hadn’t flown on Wednesday having just arrived, carried his glider out around 10:30 AM. We could see six cloud streets over the airport for the preceding hour and a half. He was the first pilot off.

Quickly Peter Lehmann (WW Talon), Mike Barber (Moyes Litespeed), Jim Lamb (AIR ATOS), and George Ferris (AIR ATOS) got into the air in strong winds. Pilots who used the cart rolled for about five feet before they popped out.

Jamie Sheldon (Flight Design Exxtacy) took off at 11 AMbut found the conditions to be too rough and landed shortly thereafter. Gary Osoba went up at 11:30 AMin the SparrowHawk and mentioned later that it was very rough near the airport early with very unworkable tight cores at 2,000 fpm. It appears that it was too strong and therefore indicates that we were launching way too late.

At 3 PMwe heard from pilots and drivers far to the north. Mike was 177 miles out at 2:30 PM(a very good distance for this time), Bo was driving for the paraglider pilots after a later retrieve getting his glider out from off the road in the hill country. Louise was 70 miles out on her paraglider at 2 PMand on a record pace (the general class world record).

Dave Prentice was going strong. Will Gadd get out of the paddock. Jim Lamb was 150 miles out and George after getting low was just behind him. Pete Lehmann was between Jim and George. No word from Andre at 3 PMas he was on a different frequency.

Jim Lamb was reporting that the thermals were of the one hand variety so it must have calmed down as pilots went further north. Here is what the satellite showed at 3:30 PM:

Notice that the cloud streets from Zapata continue on up into north central Texas. They should be there in the panhandle when Mike, Andre and the others get there later today.

Louise, Dave Prentice and Santiagoa Mexican paraglider got away from the airport. Dave was 130 miles out at 4 PM. Louise had landed.

7 PM:

Dave Prentice is at over 208 miles out high and circling up. He has broken the existing paragliding world record. He has an hour and a half of daylight left. Bo is chasing him and stopping for gas in Del Rio. Bo has encouraged Dave to keep going as far as possible into the boonies. It would appear that there is indeed a bunch of east in the wind.

At 4:30 PMthe word was that Mike Barber was 230 miles out heading toward BigLake(321 miles) as his declared goal. This may be a little too much into the wind but it sure looks like he has the chance to go at least that far.

Simone has lost radio contact with Andre, and it will probably be another hour and a half before Andre lands if he is still in the air (very likely). Pete and George were still in the air although Jim Lamb was reported to have landed at 175 miles out. We are not able to raise Chris the driver for Mike and George, nor Andrew, Pete’s driver on their cell phones.

The 6:30 PMsatellite shows over development coming in from New Mexico(and the dry line) up in the panhandle between Lubbockand Amarillo. The sea breeze coming in from the gulf and wiping out the cumulus clouds from behind. Lots of east component with cu’s in the middle of the state where the pilots are flying up as far as 450 miles out from Zapata.

9:00 PM

Santiagolanded at 335 kilometers (208 miles) matching the existing world record distance for paragliders. David Prentice somehow thought that he had to land at 8:01 PMas sunset (just look out in the sky Dave) and flew 240 miles for the new world record (386 km). He landed next to a house and Bo is on his way with Louise to pick up David and hopefully get Santiagoon the way back.

Dave Prentice

Pete Lehmann and Mike Barber both made the same distance to goal world record at 321 miles out at BigLake(the place where the movie “The Rookie” took place). Pete landed there, Mike flew over him and kept going. At a few minutes before 8 PM, Mike was at 394 miles out from Zapata, past Midlandand high. He has a good chance to beat Manfred’s record. He has a 3-mile strobe and could fly until about 9:30 PM.Pete and his driver are chasing him right now.

Simone has not gained contact with Andre Wolf yet. She can’t get her new cell phone to work and called in from a pay phone 600 km out from Zapata. We have told her to get a motel room and call back with the phone number there.

George Ferris landed 223 miles out. Chris, his driver, is looking for him in Loma Alta west of Rock Springs. Jim Lamb is driving back and is just south of Uvalde.

10 PM:

Mike just called in and he broke the world record with a flight of 437 miles. Unfortunately it is not 1% longer than Manfred’s so it doesn’t set a new world record. Oh, wait, wait a minute, this is Garmin GPS distance, not great circle distance. His distance should be enough to make the world record! Oh, wait, nope, it is 437.8 miles from the Zapata way point using the FAI method. We have to await notification of Mike’s release point to know if he has actually broke the world record by enough to make it official.

Mike launching on his record flight

Andre has landed and contacted Dave. We don’t know just where he is.

So it looks like the pilots have set 4 world records today from Zapata. This on a day when pilots should have launched an hour and a half earlier.

The winds did have a lot of east in them today and so pilots were on a route much further to the west than we’ve gone previously.

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Turbine Tows

Fri, May 10 2002, 10:00:02 am GMT

G.W. "GeeDub" Meadows|Russell "Russ" Brown|Steve Kroop|tug|WRE

Steve Kroop, Flytec USA, http://www.flytec.com writes:

Russell Brown made some adjustments this morning to the prop response on the new turbine tug. The ground roll and take off was the same as the 912S tug. The climb rate was the same as the 912S to cloud base and as good or better than the 914 the rest of the way.

On tow there was no engine sound what so ever and I felt no towline vibration at all. I towed up on a new intermediate glider from GW at Just Fly called the Shadow. I chose it because it is the nicest towing glider I have ever flown. We would have gone all the way to just under 18K' except the JetA fuel was running low. Quest and the WRE will soon have a special 17999' tow available for pilots. Viva Zapata!

(editor’s note: At the WRE we will be limited to tows of 1000 meters AGL because of a new CIVL rule – which we asked CIVL to pass.)

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WRE updates

Fri, May 10 2002, 10:00:00 am GMT

David "Dave" Glover|Russell "Russ" Brown|Will Gadd|WRE

David Glover <dhglover@mindspring.com> writes:

We have secured a second tug and back up engine thanks to Quest Air and Russell Brown, we are re-opening WRE registration, there are now 9 spots available in the first session and 5 spots in the second for hang glider pilots. We have room for 10 more paraglider pilots in both sessions. Interested parties should apply ASAP online at: http://www.flytec.com

(editor's note: It looks like Will Gadd will make it to this year’s WRE after being unable to come after last year’s paragliding flight across the US. With many paraglider pilots coming to the WRE there is a very good chance that Godfrey will be losing his World Record from Manila.)

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