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Oz Report

topic: Mark Stump (46 articles)

Our most recent 2022 Supporters/Subscribers

Wed, Mar 23 2022, 3:57:30 pm MDT

We so very much appreciate them

Fernando Milani|George Artz|Jason Smith|Mark Stump|Scott Whittet|supporters

https://OzReport.com/supporters.php

  • Fernando Milani
  • George Artz
  • Jason Smith
  • Mark Stump
  • Scott Whittet

Discuss "Our most recent 2022 Supporters/Subscribers" at the Oz Report forum   link»   »

Oz Report supporters for 2018

April 2, 2018, 8:38:09 EDT

Oz Report supporters for 2018

Tell me if I missed you.

Alan Deikman|Allan Phillips|April Mackin|Ben Dunn|Bruce Kavanagh|Bubba Goodman|Chris Boyce|Cragin Shelton|Daniel Gravage|Dara Hogan|Dave Embertson|David Glover|David Williamson|Doug Keller|Dudley Mead|Eric Beckman|Gakuta Toba|Gary Solomon|Geoffrey Rutledge|Glen Volk|Gregg "Kim" Ludwig|Harald Steen|James Bradley|James Lamb|Jason Williams|John Armstrong|John Hesch|John Kennedy|John Simon|Jonathan Dietch|Justinas Pleikys|Ken Howells|Ken Kinzie|Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb|Mark Stump|Martin Henry|Martin Jaeger|Maurice Wilson|Mike Barber|Miles Fagerlie|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Niki Longshore|Oz Report|Patrick Schwitter|Paul Voight|Peter Bolton|Quest Air|Raef Mackay|Richard Williams|Riker Davis|Roger Irby|Scott Barrett|Scott Seebass|Scott Smith|Scott Weiner|Stewart Midwinter|supporters|Tom McGowan|Vince Furrer|Vincene Muller|Vrezh Tumanyan|Wayne Ripley|William "Billo" Olive|Wilotree Park|Winfried Oswald

Thanks to all who have helped us out. We could not afford to pay http://pair.com to host the Oz Report without your support. 

Adriel Kind Gregg Ludwig Miles Fagerlie
Alan Crouse Gregory Angsten Mitchell Shipley
Alan Deikman Gregory Pierson Nicholas Palmer
Alexandra Childs Hadewych van Kempen Nicole Longshore
Alf Oppoyen Harald Steen Patrick Halfhill
Allan Phillips Heinz Tagmann Patrick Kruise
Allen Ahl Hubert Jason Williams Patrick Pannese
Angelos Mantas J. Russell Locke Patrick Schwitter
Angry Penguin Inc. James (Dennis) Yeomans Paul Kelley
anonymous James Aden Paul Voight
Anthony Armstrong James Bradley Perry Jones
April Mackin James Gibson Peter Adams
Belcourt Industries James Lamb Peter Bolton
Ben Dunn Jan Snydr-Michal Peter Cairns
Bernard Garvey Jason Smith Peter Kelley
Bill Finn Jeffrey Curtis Peter Swanson
Bill Snyder Jim Kolynich Philip Morgan
Billo Jim Prahl Quest Air
Bruce Kavanagh Jim Ramsden Rachel Allen
Bubba Goodman John "Kip" Stone Raef Mackay
Carlos Alonso de Florida John Armstrong Richard Caylor
Carlos Schmitz John Blank Richard Eunice
Carol Sturtevant John Devorak Richard Larson
Catherine Hunter John Dullahan Richard Milla
Chris Boyce John Haig Thompson Richard Williams
Christian Schelb John Hesch Riker Davis
Christian Williams John Kennedy Robert Bay
Chuck and Gayle Warren John Middleton Robert Bradley
Claude Carlier John Simon Robert Caldwell
Cliff Rice Jon Lindburg Robert Dallas
Clive Beddall Jon Thompson Robert Goodman
Cragin Shelton Jonathan Dietch Roger Irby
Craig Carlson Jorge Cano Ronald P. Gleason
Craig DeMott Jostein Vorkinn Scott Barrett
Daniel Gravage Justin Elliott Scott Seebass
Daniel Lukaszewicz Justinas Pleikys Scott Smith
Danny Utinske Keith Barghahn Scott Weiner
Dara Hogan Ken Cobb Scott Westfall
Darrell Hambley Ken Durstine Scott Whittet
Dave Embertson Ken Howells secret admirer at Seminole
David Davenport Ken Kinzie Sky Sports Flying School Pty. Ltd.
David Fynn Kenneth Durrance Stefan Kern
David Glover Keven Morlang Stephan Mentler
David Goto Kinsley Sykes Stephen Parson
David Lopez Knut Ryerson Steven Blackler
David Stookey Koos de Keijzer Steven Boost
David Williamson Krzysztof Grzyb Stewart Midwinter
Dean Engler LakeShore Hang Gliding SvS Design
Doug Keller Larry Huffman Sydney Hang Gliding Centre
Douglas Brown Larry Omara The Passing Zone, Inc.
Dudley Mead Larry Robinson Thomas C. Ide
Edward Andrews Lee Silver Thomas Curbishley
Edward Saunier Luff Line Ltd. Thomas Eckstein
Elizabeth Rothman Luther Thompson Timothy Delaney
Emiel Jansen M. C. Campanella Toba Gakuta
Eric Beckman Marc Deschenes Tom McGowan
Fernando Milani Marcelo Silva Vince Furrer
Flytec USA Marco Gerber Vincene Muller
Frank Havermeyer Mario Manzo Vincent Collins
Fred Kramer Mark Stump Vrezh Tumanyan
Frode Halse Martin Henry Vuelo Libre
Gary McIntrie Martin Jaeger Walter Nielsen
Gary Solomon Matt Taber Wayne DeVilbiss
Geoffrey Robertson Matt Thoreson Wayne Ripley
Geoffrey Rutledge Maurice Wilson William A. Baker
Giorgos Karachalios Max Tunbridge Wills Wing
Glen Salmon Michael Bomstad Wilotree Park
Glen Volk Michael Duffy Winfried Oswald
Glenn Curran Michael Fitzgerald Wings to Fly ltd.
Glenn Nutt Mick Howard
Greg Fergus Mike Barber

The Oz Report March Fund Raiser »

March 7, 2018, 9:23:05 EST

The Oz Report March Fund Raiser

The silent fund raiser

David Glover|Davis Straub|Mark Stump|Oz Report|Scott Seebass|Winfried Oswald

David Glover|Davis Straub|John Simon|Mark Stump|Oz Report|Scott Seebass|Winfried Oswald

David Glover|Davis Straub|John Simon|Mark Stump|Maurice Wilson|Oz Report|Scott Seebass|Winfried Oswald

This is the month where I ask Oz Report readers for their support.  Your contribution pays for hosting our web site and for Gerry's technical support to keep it running.

Thanks for all the support that you have sent in. I wanted to especially thank those who have been extra generous, including Kip Stone, Winfried Oswald, Stefan Kern, David Glover, John Simon, Kinsley Sykes, Scott Seebass, and Maurice Wilson.

Mark Stump, send me your email address.

You know, all we are asking for is a subscription payment of $20/year.

Seems simple enough. Like most content on the internet, you get to read the Oz Report for free. The trouble for us, not you, is that there are not enough hang glider pilots in this world to make advertising pay for our web hosting costs.

Please, help us out. Support something that you find useful so that it can continue to be there for you.

Options:

1) If you have money in your PayPal account and you are in the US click here: paypal.me/davisstraub and send money as a friend

2) With a credit card click this button:


3) Click here: https://www.paypal.com

With this option please click the "Send&Request" tab to send the money and eliminate credit card fees by clicking  "Send to friends and family in the US," if your PayPal account is connected to your bank account, you are in the US, you have money in your PayPal account, and not just to a credit card:

The email address would be davis and I'm at davisstraub.com

If you’d rather just send a check for $20 or more (US Dollars only, please), please feel free to do so.

Payable to:

Davis Straub (Not to the Oz Report)
6548 Groveland Airport Road
Groveland, FL 34736

If you send a physical check, be sure to send me your email address so that I can register you as a subscriber.

These are our supporters (if you are not on the list and have donated to the Oz Report, email me and I'll make sure that you are recognized): http://ozreport.com/supporters.php. Some of you who I've missed in the past did write to me and made sure I knew just how important the Oz Report was to them. If I've missed you, please do tell me.

4) Come over to the Oz Report support web page and sign up to support us: http://ozreport.com/support.php. Or click here:

Discuss "The Oz Report March Fund Raiser" at the Oz Report forum   link»

The Oz Report March Fund Raiser »

March 6, 2018, 8:23:45 EST

The Oz Report March Fund Raiser

The silent fund raiser

Alan Deikman|Daniel Gravage|Davis Straub|Mark Stump|Oz Report

Alan Deikman|Daniel Gravage|Davis Straub|Mark Stump|Oz Report|Vince Furrer

Alan Deikman|Daniel Gravage|Davis Straub|Mark Stump|Oz Report|Vince Furrer

This is the month where I ask Oz Report readers for their support.  Your contribution pays for hosting our web site and for Gerry's technical support to keep it running.

Thanks for all the support that you have sent in. I wanted to especially thank those who have been extra generous, including John Dullahan, Alan Deikman, Vince Furrer, Daniel Gravage, Stefan Kern, and William A Baker.

Mark Stump, send me your email address.

You know, all we are asking for is a subscription payment of $20/year.

Seems simple enough. Like most content on the internet, you get to read the Oz Report for free. The trouble for us, not you, is that there are not enough hang glider pilots in this world to make advertising pay for our web hosting costs.

Please, help us out. Support something that you find useful so that it can continue to be there for you.

Options:

1) If you have money in your PayPal account and you are in the US click here: paypal.me/davisstraub and send money as a friend

2) With a credit card click this button:


3) Click here: https://www.paypal.com

With this option please click the "Send&Request" tab to send the money and eliminate credit card fees by clicking  "Send to friends and family in the US," if your PayPal account is connected to your bank account, you are in the US, you have money in your PayPal account, and not just to a credit card:

The email address would be davis and I'm at davisstraub.com

If you’d rather just send a check for $20 or more (US Dollars only, please), please feel free to do so.

Payable to:

Davis Straub (Not to the Oz Report)
6548 Groveland Airport Road
Groveland, FL 34736

If you send a physical check, be sure to send me your email address so that I can register you as a subscriber.

These are our supporters (if you are not on the list and have donated to the Oz Report, email me and I'll make sure that you are recognized): http://ozreport.com/supporters.php. Some of you who I've missed in the past did write to me and made sure I knew just how important the Oz Report was to them. If I've missed you, please do tell me.

4) Come over to the Oz Report support web page and sign up to support us: http://ozreport.com/support.php. Or click here:

Discuss "The Oz Report March Fund Raiser" at the Oz Report forum   link»

AIR USA

Tue, Aug 8 2017, 6:24:44 am MST

AIR USA has a new toy

Aeronautic Innovation Rühle & Co GmbH|Facebook|Mark Stump|photo

https://www.facebook.com/AIRUSALTD/photos/a.267155246752631.1073741825.233284133473076/1029374043864077/?type=3

Initial feedback from a VQ pilot (Mark Stump) who just got his new VQ Race: "Glider exceeds expectations. Do not notice the tail heaviness. Launch in light wind has been fun. Thermals nicer than the VQ, as good of a roll rate and more stable, less tendency to drop a wing or try to roll out of a turn. Think the glide and sink rate are better and no doubt it's glide at speed is a giant improvement. 45 mph feels like best glide. Flaps off no bar pressure at 45-50. Wants to go faster."

http://de.a-i-r.de/atos-haengegleiter/atos-vqrace/

Other ATOSes have air brakes. See here: http://de.a-i-r.de/neuigkeiten/

Discuss "AIR USA" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Friday at Quest Air

April 4, 2014, 10:51:52 pm EDT

Friday at Quest Air

Bruce Kavanaugh was here to share it with us

Dean Funk|Mark Stump|Quest Air

Dean Funk took this photo:

We didn't take off until late in the afternoon and Mark Stump flew for ever as it was his last day here. Nice to have the cu's back after a week inversions and blue skies (with nice light winds). The winds were a bit stronger at 9 MPH out of the west.

I flew to the southwest corner of the cultivated lands and then out into the Green Swamp to get under a nice cu. Bruce and Stumpy were there by chance also.

Discuss "Friday at Quest Air" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Team Challenge schedule

September 25, 2012, 8:37:00 MDT

Team Challenge schedule

A few open slots are still left!

cart|Jim Rooney|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Ollie Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers|video|weather

Ollie Gregory <<olliettt1955>> writes:

Get ready to get the most out of Team Challenge. Mostly just bring a good attitude and we'll have some fun!

Everyone coming to the TC that might be interested in trying out some ElectroTow with Mitch Shipley should bring their tow releases etc. Mitch is putting on a landing clinic with the ElectroTow system. He says 3 point releases work well to start with. Intermediate gliders are apparently fun to learn to foot launch, but topless should start out on a cart. He's bringing all this equipment from Quest for the Team Challenge week. Jim Rooney will be around all week to help out with the launch and landing clinics. Of course our biggest supporters Mike Barber and Denis Pagen are coming to help with all the XC clinics and seminars.

We've put a bunch of money and sweat into our Whitwell launch site. Feel free to contribute a little loose change to help pay for this huge improvement. We still have a little more dirt work and erosion management to complete, then seed/sod the new giant launch mound.

Team Challenge starts Sunday Sept 30th, so get ready! If you are on a team already, be thinking of a cool team name. If you aren't on a team yet, Mark Stump specializes in working the teams out, so be there Saturday night for this fun process! Dick Stern is coming out Tuesday night to talk to everyone about how TTT got started.

Wednesday night John Stokes and Dale Elaine Kernahan are putting on a bird of prey show in the local elementary school gym. The show is open to the community, so bring all your friends and all the kids you can handle. Their shows are great! Of course we'll have seminars and video clinics and evening debriefings till our tongues hang out! If the weather cooperates, we'll do a lot of XC too!

There will be breakfast and dinner on site for reasonable prices. We need to know how much to buy, so go to TennesseeTreeToppers.org and sign up. If you want to help out a little, there is a sign up list to bring stuff like toilet paper, paper plates and cups, napkins and paper towels etc...

There's gonna be a crazy fun on site karaoke party Friday October 5th that highlights hang gliding parody songs. Anybody out there that can sing Dire Straits "Money for Nothing" needs to p.m. me as soon as possible! Everyone else get to creating some fun hang gliding parody lyrics! We'll have several real singers show up too, so you can pull your fingers out of your ears now and then! Tina Smith-Theeke is gonna bring some talent!

The big show will wrap up with a huge awards banquet and Octoberfest party Saturday Oct. 6th. Super cool trophies for the top teams have been created by Eric Donaldson! I sure hope my team gets lucky and wins some! We still have a few open spaces from late cancellations. Sign up or show up! You won't regret it!

2012 Team Challenge filling up

Fri, Aug 24 2012, 9:16:17 am MDT

A few slots left

Dennis Pagen|Facebook|Jamie Shelden|Jim Rooney|Joe Bostik|Mark Bolt|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Mitchell "Mitch" Shipley|Ollie Gregory|PG|Tennessee Tree Toppers|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2012|Tom Lanning|video

Ollie Gregory «Ollie Gregory» writes:

Team Challenge 2012 is filling rapidly. If you plan to participate in this awesome event, please register and send in your fees to hold your place. We'll cap Team Challenge at 10 teams of 5 pilots each. Right now we have 40 pilots on our list. I'm not sure how many have paid to hold their spots, but those not paid up by August 30th will lose their spots. We have some super people coming to help out this year, so get on board while you can! Jamie Shelden is coming to help lead a team! Mike Barber, Dennis Pagen, Mitch Shipley, Jim Rooney, Mark Stump, Mark Bolt, Tom Lanning, and more experienced hang gliding leaders will be here to help you learn more in a week than you could in a year of free flying. Joe Bostik is gonna be there, so it'll be crazy fun for sure! Don't miss out! Register now!

Don't forget! Hang 2 TTT pilots may participate in the launch and landing clinics for the week and enjoy all the seminars, camaraderie, camping, and fun stuff for $50 to be paid on site. This Team Challenge is going to be special with our paragliding friends participating in many of our seminars and discussions. The party is gonna be a blast!

Register at www.tennesseetreetoppers.org and go to the Team Challenge link. You can pay with the paypal button!

http://vimeo.com/31648164

Go to our Facebook page and see more pictures and videos. https://www.facebook.com/Tennesseetreetoppers

The 2010 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series Results

March 1, 2011, 8:45:22 EST

The 2010 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series Results

A little late

Facebook|Mark Stump|Mike Kelsey|weather|Wills Wing T2C

Mike Kelsey <<kelsey.mike>> writes:

The 2010 Series is dedicated to John Jenkins who passed away at the end of the flying season from natural causes. He will be missed. See John's Memorial Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_121134671287188.

2010 provided a really great season of flying in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Pardon the late posting, but as of this date we had not been able to schedule a weekend for the Awards due to foul weather. With Spring now upon us, we finally have scheduled the Awards Ceremony for March 5th at Mount Nebo State Park in Arkansas.

Twenty six pilots participated in the year long series, collecting points for duration, altitude gains, and a number of distance tasks. As usual the season starts out with awarding points to those pilots who make the first flights of the year off of particular mountains. Once the season really kicks in it is all about going for distance. We have points for open distance, pre-defined goals, out and return and triangle tasks. Overall most pilots simply fly as usual, not stressing about the competition, and if they are consistent, they will gather some points. Other pilots take it pretty serious, plotting and planning days ahead to find the perfect day to go for a particular task. In the end, local pilots and visiting pilots find the competition to be challenging, while not having the pressure of traditional competitions. H2 to H5 participate in the series, with scoring being handicapped by Hang Rating, and Type of Glider. This gives even the lower rated pilots a shot at scoring high in the series.

2010 was the 6th annual running of the event. We enjoyed and appreciated the continued support by Wills Wing, and Flytec.

And the top 10 Pilots for 2010.

1st Place goes to Mark Stump with a total of 1818 points. Mark is from Greenland, Arkansas and is an H5 flying an Atos VQ.

2nd Place goes to Jim Steele with a total of 1598 points. Jim is from Maumelle, Arkansas and is an H4 flying an Atos VX.

3rd Place goes to John Jenkins (In Memory) with a total of 1356 points. John lived in Dardanelle, Arkansas and was an H3 flying a Wills Wing T2C.

4th Place goes to Mike Kelsey with a total of 1179 points. Mike is from Mena, Arkansas, and is an H4 pilot flying a Wills Wing Talon

5th Place goes to Dave Dunning with a total of 1108 points. Dave is from Dardanelle, Arkansas and is an H4 pilot flying "The Senator".

6th Place goes to Britton Shaw with a total of 940 points. Britton is from Fort Smith Arkansas and is an H2 pilot flying a Northwing Freedom. Britton is a seasoned PG pilot and this was his first season flying a hang glider.

7th Place goes to Jason Gray with a total of 937 points. Jason is from Greenwood, Arkansas, and is an H3 pilot flying a Wills Wing Talon.

8th Place goes to Chris Price with a total of 838 points. Chris is from Searcy, Arkansas, and is an H4 pilot flying a Wills Wing Talon T2.

9th Place goes to Mel hair with a total of 737 points. Mel is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is an H4 pilot flying a Wills Wing U2.

10th place goes to Phil Morgan with a total of 720 points. Phil is from Dardanelle, Arkansas, and is an H4 Pilot flying a Talon.

To see all the scoring, go to http://www.ouachitahanggliding.com/HG_Series/hg_series.html and click on the 2010 HG Series. And, it is never to late to participate in the already ongoing 2011 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series.

2010 Team Challenge Video

Tue, Dec 21 2010, 9:50:22 am PST

Come and fly there in 2011

Mark Stump|Ollie Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2010|video

Miller Stroud «Miller Stroud» writes:

This was filmed during the 2010 Team Challenge Event. Pilots include Ollie Gregory, Mark Stump, and Miller Stroud. We invite all pilots to come to next year's Team Challenge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2f-ypGoT0

Team Challenge 2010

August 2, 2010, 9:34:18 pm GMT+0200

Team Challenge 2010

Filling up fast

Dennis Pagen|Foundation for Free Flight|Lookout Mountain Flight Park|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Ollie Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers|weather

Ollie Gregory writes:

It’s time to sign up, gear up, brush up, team up, and get uppity. Team Challenge 2010 begins Saturday, September 19th and the early registrations indicate this year’s winning team may already be out there, putting last year’s lessons into practice.

If you are a Hang 3 or 4 foot launch pilot and you’re eager to learn and help others while soaking up the wisdom of the Old Ones of hang gliding you may be their worst nightmare. Come to Team Challenge and you may well be on a pickup team with a master of the sport. Your flights will score more than theirs, and the winning team is most often the one that learns the most, listens best and helps each other along during the week.

Just to show that everyone gains at Team Challenge, you could also wind up on my team. That will be guaranteed fun! (And you could make me a winner.)

For the first time, thanks to a grant from the Foundation for Free Flight, there are five scholarships to be awarded for TTT members to who want to attend Team Challenge. To apply for one those slots, send me (Ollie Gregory) an email about yourself and detail what you would like to do with the knowledge imparted through TC, to promote hang gliding. You can find me at our club website. If you have paid for a slot and are selected for the scholarship, your TC fee will be refunded.

We’ll have continuous learning regardless of weather, with seminars from Dennis Pagen, Mark Stump, Mike Barber and others. The beautiful Henson Gap campground (now with WiFi) has ample camping space, hot showers and indoor plumbing. The clubhouse is being renovated and readied to make us even more comfortable. If you haven’t been to Henson Gap or a Team Challenge, ask someone you know who has.

Read more at: http://sequatchiecompetition.com/team_challenge.html

Sing up online at: http://sequatchiecompetition.com/tc_reg.html

Nearby Lookout Mountain Flight Park is hosting their September Fest, September 17-19. Come early and get your Fest on.

Superman!

Plan to stay for the week following Team Challenge, and show your mettle in an “I’ll take the high road,” flat out Open Distance XC contest as we host the first Superman of the Sequatchie September 26 thru October 2.

Tennessee Treetoppers is a worldwide hang gliding community of pilots and friends who gather to fly in the beautiful Sequatchie Valley of Southeast Tennessee.

The Flytec Race and Rally - who has signed up so far?

Wed, Dec 16 2009, 9:48:31 am PST

The Flytec Race and Rally

International pilots

Ben Dunn|Davis Straub|Filippo Oppici|Flytec Race and Rally 2009|Jeff Shapiro|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon Durand jnr|Mark Stump|Mike Glennon|Oliver Gregory|Raul Guerra|Rob Kells|Tom Lanning|Zac Majors

http://flytecraceandrally.wordpress.com/pilot-list/

Ricker Goldsborough
Jeff Shapiro
Dave Sheilds
Raul Guerra
Mike Glennon
Derreck Turner
Alex Cuddy
Tom Lanning
Jonny Durand
Carl Wallbank
Josef Bostik
Zac Majors
Ben Dunn
Filippo Oppici
Mark Stump
Bill Reynolds
Oliver Gregory
Michael Williams
Davis Straub

The 2nd Annual Rob Kells Memorial Competition registration page. Unfortunately, no pilot list page.

Discuss "The Flytec Race and Rally - who has signed up so far?" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Flying in Arkansas

December 8, 2009, 8:33:47 PST

Flying in Arkansas

Mark Stump, Jim and Donna Steele

Mark Stump|video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ2i4-RZffw

Thanks to many who sent this link in.

Discuss "Flying in Arkansas" at the Oz Report forum   link»

2009 Team Challenge

October 6, 2009, 8:13:30 PDT

2009 Team Challenge

The last three days

Davis Straub|Dennis Pagen|Foundation for Free Flight|Jim Lamb|Lookout Mountain Flight Park|Malcolm Jones|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|photo|Steve Kroop|Tennessee Tree Toppers|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2009|Tom Lanning|video|weather

Brandon DeKock <<bkdekock>> sends:

http://hickarus.blogspot.com

Here’s the report from Thursday at the Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge. I want to cover something very important before I get into the day’s flying activities. An important announcement was made by the Foundation for Free Flight, represented by Randy Leggett. The FFF will be giving out five scholarships for pilots to next year’s TTT Team Challenge. The TreeToppers will be choosing the recipients for the scholarships.

The TTT believes that competitions of this type are a great benefit to the sport and think there should be more of them around the country. Thus, scholarship selection will be based mostly on the applicant’s plan and ability to encourage fun educational events similar to the Team Challenge in their local area. Documents describing how the TTT Team Challenge meet is run are available on the tree toppers web site (www.treetoppers.org).

Onto the flying: There was SE flow very early gong SW (parallel to valley) by noon so we headed to the Whitwell launch. The winds were light at launch and Dennis Pagen put on a short “how to launch here today” clinic for those who felt an ounce of prevention and knowledge is worth 45 pounds of bent aluminum.

The launch window opened at 12:45 and a few folks went but there was a mass exodus starting around 1:30 because it looked like there was potential for it to cross up or blow down and become unlaunchable. The lift at the ridge was weak and coming up in small, short-lived bubbles. At times there was a bit of a disorganized bar fight on the ridge, and it was only mitigated by the fact that most folks couldn’t stay up very long. Most pilots who couldn’t find anything to travel with chose to land in the Church LZ, the primary for the site. I didn’t count just how many topless gliders landed at the church, but it looked like more landed there than got up and landed further along the course.

Of course, a few pilots got up and away. No C pilots made the C goal (Galloway airport, about 11 miles downwind). One B pilot, Bryon Estes, made the B goal (Whitwell to Galloway for 11 miles, then another 4 miles downwind and across the valley to Henson's Gap LZ). Only one A pilot, Tom Lanning of Team Aerosnauts, made the A goal (Whitwell to Galloway to Henson’s, then back upwind to Galloway). Just to make the rest of us feel better, Tom admitted it was challenging most of the way. To make us feel worse he let us know it was hard to get down at Galloway at the end of the course.

The evening activities included giving out some of the awesome stuff generously donated by our sponsors (in no particular order), Steve Kroop of FLYTEC, Kriag Coomber of Moyes USA, Maui Jim Sunglasses, Davis Straub of the Oz Report, Jim Lamb of AIR ATOS, Red Bull, Rusty of Gunnison Gliders, SPOT GPS, ICARO, Matt Taber of Lookout Mountain Flight Park, Malcolm Jones of Wallaby Ranch, and Greenlife Grocery.

I’ve also included some photos from the day’s flying. There’s two depicting the barfight on the ridge to get up, one of Matt Dittman getting ready to hang check, one of Erin Rapacki holding her glider’s nose, and one of Leigh Sheridan showing off her hang glider necklace while stuffing battens. Thanks, Brandon DeKock

Friday we had rain and lots and lots of seminars! The weather forecasting seminar made many fall asleep and a few cry. We also had cross country landing fields and how to pick 'em, launch technique and then video launch clinic. We snuck in a few landing videos as well to stimulate discussion of landing techniques. Earlier in the week pilots enjoyed the hands on exercises of gps/flight computer geo cache racing (which was won going away by the comp pilots with Flytec 6030s and a thermal etiquette exercise that was pretty kooky, but effective for pilots who don't have a lot of gaggle time.

Saturday we had a bit too much wind to call tasks for the C's so we gave 'em more seminars. We wrapped it up with a round table question and answer seminar that I thought was very valuable. We simply asked the pilots what they wanted to hear about, then created a list on the dry erase board! The panel of experts knocked 'em off one by one! This gave us time to fill in the gaps left in some of the lectures and get a feel for what we'll need next year.

Whew! It was a lot of fun and intense learning. I'm sure it was the most comprehensive week of hang gliding education on the planet in 2009! We celebrated everyone's great success with a fine meal and party with a DJ, karaoke and a Tara Murphy to entertain us. The awards ceremony was a lot of fun and every pilot attending received gifts and prizes donated by our sponsors.

Unfortunately the weather was below par for TC this year, leaving us with only three days with called tasks, but we held so many excellent seminars, video launch clinics and soaring exercises that the time flew past! Pilots flew on 5 of the 7 days. I continue to learn new information at every Team Challenge. I've been a student of hang gliding for a long time and nothing comes close to this educational experience. Our C and B pilots were awed by this incredible opportunity to learn from the best teachers in hang gliding! I heard some pilots talking about the feeling of Team Challenge, "Its like a fun sports camp for grownup kids." Many thanks to Dennis Pagen, Mike Barber, Tom Lanning, Mark Stump and all the others for helping us understand our sport better!

We had another great year! We are working right now to make it even better next year!

Erin Rapacki

Leigh Sheridan

Matt Dittman

bar fight

2009 Team Challenge

Day One

2009 Team Challenge

September 27, 2009, 9:25:49 pm MST

A.I.R. ATOS VR|Bill Watters|Dave Hopkins|Dennis Pagen|Jim Lamb|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2009|Tom Lanning|video

oliver gregory <<olliettt1955>> writes:

The morning was beautiful with the valley filled with clouds. The view from the ramp is always so beautiful here.

The forecast was for ridge soaring conditions and good lift to cloud base at 5000' msl. We were concerned that it might be rough. By the time the launch window opened, we had nice west northwest winds and a sky streeted with cumulus clouds.

Since this was our first day, the task committee chose a simple task to Dr Dales for C pilots, Dr Dales and back to Henson's for B's and Dr Dales, Henson's and back to Dr Dales for the A's. It was not a gimme task for any of us since the task went cross wind to the cloud streets and there was enough sink between the streets to make the ridge lift fade out. We had lots of pilots into their goals, so everyone seemed pleased.

We have 40 pilots and 8 teams from all over. More on this later. We are waiting for some of the TTTers at Santa Cruz Flats Race in AZ to join us and take advantage of Mike Barber's coaching for the rest of the week.

It was a fun day with none of the rough stuff until time to land when the wind was switchy and made for some interesting landings. After we loaded up and returned to Henson's Gap, hungry pilots enjoyed fabulous hearty soup made by Wanda DeBerger and Dick Heckman. We did our debriefing and heard a great talk from Mark Stump on how we choose to fly.

Provisional scores are: In first place Team Area 51 lead by Jim Lamb on the Atos VRQ. In second place is Kinghts in White Dacron with Dave Hopkins on an ancient Atos. In third place is Team Acrosnats, lead by Tom Lanning on his Litespeed RS. In forth is Team Ooooos lead by yours truly on my VR. In fifth Team Xplorers Xc Xceptional lead by Dennis Pagen on his Lightspeed, but one of his pilots hasn't pinned in yet, so they may jump to first place when that happens. Team Tow Heads are lead by Miller Stroud on a VQ. Team 4Fs is lead by Bill Watters, and finally, Team Tree Topplers is lead by Jeff Laughrey and Steve Larson.

Our team of Cliff Rice, Leigh Sheridan, Jerry Keller, Barry Klein and myself had radio problems so only Jerry was talking to me. Mike Barber was helping out as a free flier today and did a good job with the only Ooooo, besides me, to have a working radio. We are all ham operators! Why would our radios let us down? As my buddy Mark Stump says, "Ya got radios, ya got radio problems." Anyway all the C's with radio problems made goal. I couldn't get out of there and landed with them. It was a fun day. Our team was very happy as 2 of our pilots had their first XC today!

We start video for the launch clinic tomorrow and will have that clinic going soon. High winds are predicted, but we had much lighter winds than predicted today. We have a blogspot for our scores http://hickarus.blogspot.com

Team Challenge slots available

September 6, 2009, 1:31:56 pm MDT

Team Challenge slots available

Fly with Dennis Pagen

Dennis Pagen|Jim Lamb|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Ollie Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers|USHPA|video

Ollie Gregory <<olliettt1955>> writes:

Dennis Pagen is team leader without a team. We have 4 slots from recent cancellations, so register now and have a week with Dennis Pagen as your A+ team leader and coach! His team has won in the past, so come and learn from the number one hang gliding author on the planet. This years clinic agenda is packed with talks from Mike Barber, Dennis Pagen, Jim Lamb, Mark Stump, Kevin Carter and others. We are going to focus on very practical skills and basic XC knowledge again this year. We will have our super successful video launch and landing clinics with every launch and landing we can capture is reviewed by the experts. Dennis wants to focus on the Launch Clinic since that is an new interest for him. The video launch clinic improved my mountain launch technique 100% last year, and material from the clinic resulted in a wonderful article for the USHPA magazine.

We will have clinics every night except party nights. On night we will go to a local restaurant for hang gliding parody song night with the best parody song winning nice prizes. Don't worry, I have some local singing talent to bail us out so we won't have to listen to Dennis Pagen and Dick Heckman sing all night. At this point we have about $2000 in prizes donated to the TTT cause, so don't miss out! A million thanks to all our sponsors!

Registration is easy, just go to our website and follow the links. At this late date, the registrations will only be held for those serious about coming for this great week of hang gliding and XC skills development. We need A B and C level pilots, so bring it on! Check out TTT's website for more information and read about Team Challenge on the Oz Report. www.tennesseetreetoppers.org

Discuss "Team Challenge slots available" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2008 »

October 24, 2008, 7:28:29 PDT

Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2008

The whole story with pictures and videos

Dave Giles|Dave Hopkins|Dennis Pagen|Fred Kaemerer|James Stinnett|Jim Lamb|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Lucas Ridley|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|photo|Steve Kroop|Steve Prater|video|weather

Lucas Ridley and oliver gregory «olliettt1955» writes:

I thought we'd never beat the fantastic soaring weather and the great line up of speakers we had for Team Challenge 2007, but we did. BY A LOT!

We stayed at Henson's every day. Only Wednesday was called due to high winds, but high wind aficionados flew for fun. Every day was soarable and good for XC for those with solid thermal soaring skills. Camping was so pleasant! It never felt too hot. Fall is wonderful in Tennessee Tree Toppers land!

We had fine meals on site made by Tennessee Tree Toppers volunteers. Aldonna had breakfast ready for us right on site every morning. The dinners for affordable donations were a big hit. I'm hungry for some of Jeff's cooking now! Jeff Wilson fed us like kings and queens. Dinner menus included ribeye steaks, pork butt, chicken and gourmet burgers and fantastic sides.

I can't say enough about the Tennessee Tree Toppers volunteers. The place looked great. The hand outs were excellent. The launch crew was top notch. We had excellent help all week! Tennessee Tree Toppers supporters were very creative this year. We had homemade Tennessee Tree Toppers soap, cologne, stickers, magnets, gift boxes, Tennessee Tree Toppers license plates and cards for sale to help with fund raising for our Whitwell LZ Field of Dreams project.

I want to thank those industry supporters who contributed items to award to our pilots. Steve Kroop of Flytec USA, Wills Wing, Kraig Coomber of Moyes USA, LMFP all helped out with great hang gliding bling. And, of course, we want to thank you, Davis, for getting the word out on the Oz Report!

We went high tech this year with video and Power Point presentations! Every evening and all day on the windy day we enjoyed great seminars. Our great A pilots were helping out in every way possible. Mark Stump led the Arkansas Air Hogs and did his hilariously funny talk on assessing the air and one's personal skills in the context of the micro meteorology of the day. Mike Barber became our most professional wind technician, did several excellent talks ranging from XC decision making, to landing video clinics and safe flying. Boy, Mike pulled us this year! Thanks Mike!

Hang gliding author, Dennis Pagen led a team, led a wonderfully effective video launch technique seminar where every launch was analyzed. Dennis promotes the prolonged grape vine launch technique and it works great. My launch technique certainly improved due to this unique seminar. Dennis also did a great "Scratching" seminar for soaring in light lift.

Jim Lamb led the Ohio Flyers to second place, did a fantastic "Soaring 101" that explained polars, thermal soaring efficiently and using the MacCready function correctly. For a lot of the C's, this talk was a little over their heads, but all the A's and B's were nodding and smiling enthusiastically as Jim made points we put to use the next day.

Terry Presley substituted for an absent A pilot, pulled a C to goal, made goal himself so the team scored big that day! (They won overall!) Terry also did a seminar on "XC Landing Field Assessment." We learned to read the terrain, look for hazards and set up good approaches over unfamiliar fields. His seminar also included short field landing techniques. I didn't hear of anyone needing to use the short field techniques, because the Sequatchie has so many big fields, but the guys were ready. Kevin Carter led a team and gave a great "Gettin' Ready to Race" seminar addressing the unique skills needed to move up to XC racing.

We followed the format set a couple years back. We called conservative tasks for C's, B's and challenging tasks for A's. The scoring system is designed to heavily handicap A pilots on super ships, but our A's were so good, they were scoring more than the C's who made their goals. C's who were making shorter goals got big multipliers of their milages. In the spirit of Team Challenge, we made a big adjustment mid week. The adjustment resulted in all pilots at every level getting a score of 100 when they made their goal. We made this scoring format retroactive to the first day. The handicaps were simply accomplished by the progressively tougher tasks for the 3 classes. A's still got bonuses for "really, really" helping their C's make goal. This put the scoring emphasis back on the C's and turned the scores around and away from teams loaded with A's. At any other comp, fist fights would have broken out, but everyone at Team Challenge welcomed the adjustment which rewarded the C's for their flights.

Courses always overlapped so the A's could help their team mates make their shorter goals before the A's took off for their more challenging task. We usually did race track or out and back, and repeat tasks so the A's could stay with their team and help the less experienced pilots. A good example is the last task. We called a C pilot goal to Galloway Airport 5 miles into the valley on a light wind day. B pilot task was to fly to Galloway and back to Henson's LZ for a about 9.5 miles. The A pilot task was fly to Galloway, back to Henson's, back to Galloway and back to Henson's to land for a task of almost 20 miles.

This format keeps the A pilots flying with or overlapping their team and allows the A pilots to get a section of their task done while their C's and B's made the shorter goals or missed it the first time. We allowed as many reflights as possible as long as the landing was in one of the designated LZ's. Actually all relights got bonus reflight points.

This is what happened to me on the last day. I love my Pale Glider Team, but they had a tough last day. I launched right with most of my C pilot buddies but they all missed the light thermals and landed. I got up and ran the first lap with my free flying buddy James Stinnett. When I got back to Henson's after lap one, I waited around in yo yo mode till my team set up again to re-fly.

I spiraled down to take off height when they got close to the front of the launch line. This allowed me to fly with them a second time. I helped as much as possible, as did one of my VR flying friends David Giles. I know it was kinda cheating to have Dave on his VR space ship spiraling down with me to get below launch and help out, but that day, my guys needed all the help they could get!

We did everything but throw 'em a rope! Unfortunately, the guys still didn't get their climb tickets punched, so I ran the second lap of the task with my friend Dave. Lots of fun, but it would have been even sweeter if we'd pulled some of the boys out to their goal.

This meet was all about the C's and B's. I want to thank all the A pilots who spent the week working with their less experienced team mates. I'm happy to say that all 4 of my C pilots made their XC goals at least once this week. I believe all of my guys had their longest XC flights this week! It was clear all 52 competitors had a blast and many pilots had personal bests this meet.

Here's how the teams ended up after a 6 days of Team Challenge flying:

In Tenth place were Team Mountaineers with A pilots Will Jenkins on a topless, A Jim Rowan on a double surface. A pilot Patrick Brooks on a double surface. A pilot Patrick Brooks on a double surface, A pilot Pat Halfill on a double surface, A pilot John McAllister on a topless.

In Ninth place were the Arkansas Air Hogs. They had 6 and flew 5 a day. They were loaded with A+ pilot and my best old flying buddy Mark Stump on a VQ, A pilot Barron McKinley on an ATOS C, B pilot Walter Jordan on a double surface, B pilot Butch Pritchett on a topless, C pilot Steve Prater on a double surface, and my old buddy Miller Stroud making his comeback to hang gliding on an ancient wing, the Manta Fledge IIB! The last time I flew with Miller, I was on one too! On that last day, Dave Giles and I were spiraling down to get with my C's when Miller launched. I asked Dave if he'd ever seen one of those funny looking wings before. Dave said, "Maybe in a museum!"

In Eighth place were The Leftovers with A+ pilot Bruce Engen on a VX, B pilot Kinsley Sykes on a topless, C pilot Jonathan Small on a double surface, C pilot Rodger Tubbs on a double surface, and C pilot Kevin Sheridan on a double surface.

In Seventh place were Team Colorado with A pilot Jeff Laughery on a topless, B pilot Fred Kaemerer on a double surface, B pilot Shawn Banks on a double surface, B pilot John Wilber on a double surface and C pilot Rick Maddy on a double surface.

In Sixth place were my boys! The Pale Gliders had 6 and flew 5 a day. Our team was full of talent with C pilots Colin Hodson on a double surface, Jake Mitchell on a double surface, Jeff Bozart on a double surface and Ricker "The Ringer" Goldsborough on a double surface. My old buddy A pilot Larry Snyder flew in from Seattle WA, rented a Sport 2 from Lookout and had a blast. I was on The Pale Glider VR and am ranked A+. We had a so much FUN!!!

In Fifth place were Team B'Low Me Again with A+ team leader Dennis Pagen on a topless, A pilot Stephen Krichen on a topless, B pilot Jesse Fulkersin on a Topless, C pilot Donald Campasino on a double surface, and C pilot Edward Jowett on a double surface.

In Fourth place were The Comp Concepts with A++ pilot Kevin Carter leading, B pilot Jeff Nibler on a double surface, B pilot Bryon Estes on a topless, B pilot Peter Kane on a topless, and C pilot William Estes on a double surface.

In Third place were The E Team with A+ pilot Dave Hopkins on an ATOS B with a tail and modified spoilers, A pilot Stan Roberts on a Phantom, B pilot Lindsey Chew on a double surface, C pilot James Donovan on a double surface, and C pilot Gavin Riley on a double surface.

In Second place, was Team Ohio led by "The Man" Jim Lamb A++ on an ATOS VQ that my old buddy Miller took home with him after the dust settled. The rest of the Ohio boys are C pilot Terry Mull n a double surface, C pilot Mark Thogmartin on a double surface, C pilot Christopher Thale on a double surface, and B pilot Crain Hassen on a double surface

Winning it all, a team with some local boys leading was Team Thermal Underware. The Underwares were made up of A pilot Eric Donaldson on a WW T2, A pilot Lucas Ridley on a Litespeed S, C pilot William Baker on a double surface, B pilot Keith Smith on a U2, and Bob Belshan on a double surface.

I can't wait to do it again next year. Team Challenge is evolving in a very interesting and healthy way. Just don't miss it next year! The winning Thermal Underwear team was led by super duper A's Eric Donaldson and Lucas Ridley. They were the coolest team leaders beyond a doubt! Here's the story of the Thermal Underware A leader and prototype Team Challenge pilot Lucas Ridley. Thanks Lucas for all the help with the write up! In Lucas' words:

My Team Challenge history begins one year ago, the day before the meet started was the first day I thermal soared! I went into that meet a new H3 with only ridge soaring under my belt. Now, a year later, I am a leading a team with Eric Donaldson. Because of that one week of flying a year ago I was propelled into another dimension of hang gliding that would have taken much longer to find on my own, if at all. After Team Challenge 2007, I flew all winter and spring and got up the nerve up to go to the East Coast Championships. I was hooked! Only two months later I went to the Big Spring Championship. All this within less than a year of Team Challenge.

I credit Tennessee Tree Toppers's incredible meet with motivating me to fly a lot and teaching me cross country skills. Otherwise, I think I would have puttered around my home site for another year or two before I built up the courage to venture out.

Encouragement is where Team Challenge really excels. Team Challenge like meets can do a lot for our sport by creating opportunities for those pilots in H2 purgatory who have not had a formal introduction to cross country flying or competition to try it out in a welcoming environment. Heck, Kevin Carter's first competition was a Team Challenge and he went on to be a World team member and comes back to help give seminars and lead his own teams. Ollie's H2 driver even learned a lot just from listening to the seminars and the radio each day and plans to come back next year on a team.

I have new respect for what A-pilots do and what Mike Barber does all the time when helping out lower air time pilots. It adds a new dynamic to not only try to make your goal, but fly as a team and help others along. Many times that required spiraling down to be at the same level with those you were trying to help and sacrificing altitude that you've struggled to achieve.

One of the best video seminars featured Dennis Pagen critiquing everyone's  launch! Not to say you can't pop your nose with the grapevine grip, but the worst launches I witnessed were using the bottle grip. I think everyone took something away from the talk, and here are a few example pictures of what we saw:

The first and second photo sets show how easy it is to pop your nose with the bottle grip where the only contact with the glider is through the hands, not the shoulders. The next two photos show what most people did at the meet: start with grapevine and transition to the bottle grip during the launch sequence. Dennis called this transition 'unnecessary' and felt it still allows for an opportunity to pop the nose. Bottle vs. Grapevine:

The last two sets of photos show holding the grapevine grip throughout the launch sequence by allowing the hands to slide down the downtubes as the glider begins to lift above the pilot. The shoulders lock the glider to the pilots body as it continues to lift, enabling three axis control during the entire launch sequence.

That is just one example from the many great seminars that were given by the pro's that came out to volunteer their knowledge, many thanks to them! I hope to go to more competitions in the future and it all started at Team Challenge where I continued to learn so much this year. I would encourage all H2's to try to get their H3 by next Team Challenge so you can get signed up early. It filled up early this year, and I anticipate it filling up even sooner this coming year. See you there! Lucas Ridley

Below are some of the comments made on our club email list after the event and links to videos from the event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AXAYoENhlQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9LsxxNiEu4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLgg_5OLpLw

There is a loss for words on how to express my deepest appreciation for all who contributed to this years team challenge. I am blessed to know that there is NO where else in the world that you can go to learn at this level from the best pilots ever. (This is history in the making)

The level of knowledge at this event was unprecedented. We had the top pilots there to teach us what they know. It is one thing to be a great pilot and another to have the ability and willingness to teach others. The best pilots in the world were there and ALL of them knew how to share their knowledge with passion and a genuine loving spirit.

I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING SO GENEROUS WITH YOUR SHARING AND TEACHING. The knowledge base was HUGE! Even our drivers were amazed in what they learned.

Ollie, I have to give you thanks for keeping a tight hold on the leash. Even when you are stressed out you have a rather calming nature about you. You are truly blessed with many positive personality traits that I hope to obtain in the years to come.

Congratulations Bill for clenching the "C" pilot Rookie of the Year award. You truly earned it.

I will see you all next year.

2008 Team Challenge, Day 1

September 29, 2008, 9:18:29 MDT

2008 Team Challenge, Day1

Light conditions

Dennis Pagen|Mark Stump|Oliver Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2008

oliver gregory «olliettt1955» writes:

www.tennesseetreetoppers.org

First day of Team Challenge and we had weak lift below beautiful skies till about 3PM. Then people started getting up to cloud base about 3000' over take off. Several pilots made their goals, but I'm not sure who made where yet.

Mark Stump gave a great talk last night and Dennis Pagen gave another tonight. Everyone is getting along and having fun. We have 10 teams with 5 or 6 pilots on a team. I was the pilot on a team of 6 that didn't get scored today, but I got to fly and help one of our C pilots make his first XC flight!

2008 Team Challenge

September 25, 2008, 10:09:02 MDT

2008 Team Challenge

Ready to go

Dennis Pagen|Jim Lamb|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2008|video

oliver gregory «olliettt1955» writes:

www.tennesseetreetoppers.org

We are about to get the 2008 Team Challenge cranked up. It has been dry for several weeks so we are anticipating some good flying. We are packed with 10 teams. We have scheduled nightly talks by Mike Barber, Kevin Carter, Dennis Pagen, Jim Lamb, Terry Presley, Mark Stump, Stan Roberts and Lindsey Chew. We also have video landing and launch clinics to tune up these skills for all the pilots in the team challenge. Lots of fun side events are planned as well.

Big Spring Internationals, Day two, Sunday, continued »

August 4, 2008, 8:32:38 CDT

Big Spring

We set the record

Belinda Boulter|Big Spring Internationals 2008|Chris Zimmerman|David Glover|dust devil|Dustin Martin|Flytec 6030|Glen Volk|Jeff O'Brien|Jeff Shapiro|Jim Lamb|Kraig Coomber|Mark Stump|record

The results are found here: http://soaringspot.com/BSI2008 (flex wing) and http://soaringspot.com/BSIR2008 (rigid).

David Glover, meet director, blogging: http://2007worlds.blogspot.com/

Jeff O'Brien blogging here: http://hang6.blogspot.com

Jeff Shapiro had mentioned to me early on that he wanted a 200 mile flight at the Internationals, and later he was appointed by the meet director, David Glover, and approved by the pilots, to the task committee. With strong winds out of the south and the possibility of high cu's (11 to 12 thousand feet), Kraig Coomber was all for such a task and I was, also.

I had set up some far away waypoint for the 2007 Worlds, and we are using the same waypoints so we already had points out to 265 miles. We picked one at the town of Panhandle 215 miles out and hoped for the best. The forecast showed south west winds there so we thought we might have to battle the west component on the last leg of the flight.

There were no clouds at launch time at 12:45. The wind was 12 to 16 mph on the ground south right down the runway and we got a break not having to haul our gliders down to the north in the strong winds. We launched right next to the hangar.

The first rigid off broke a weaklink, so that was discouraging given the pretty hefty winds at launch. Then Jim Yokom turtled his glider when he told Mark Stump not to hold onto the keel. This resulted in road rash on the thin ATOS sail. Fortunately Jim Lamb, the ATOS distributor, had some sail tape for him to cover the nasty gashes. So the start of launch was not what we had hoped and pilots are always less happy when there aren't any cu's.

James Stinnet in an Aeros Phantom took off and then again I was the first flex wing to launch. But it was already 1 PM, and our launch had been opened for 15 minutes and pilots were holding back. As we only had a hour before the start window opened at 1:45, this reluctance would cause some pilots to get late starts.

We had widened the start cylinder to 12 km so that pilots could drift with the wind. This concern about staying in the start cylinder until the start time was another factor in keeping pilots on the ground. Fortunately we allow pilots to start early with only a mild "penalty."

I got the two stroke tug with the slow ascent rate and the first thousand feet were exciting as I couldn't get my glider down to get behind the tug and we continually got tossed around. But after that the air was smooth in spite of the 20 mph head wind and as soon as we went from 400 fpm to 800 fpm, I pinned off in a thermal that I would stay in for the next forty five minutes.

I reported the lift and the conditions to Belinda on the ground and that got everyone going, if a bit late. Three rigid pilots hadn't even turned their gliders around to get to launch. I think that they didn't even attempt to fly. Numerous pilots chose not to launch.

I hung in the thermal and watched the dark line of the inversion to the west which told me why we weren't seeing any cu's. The forecasted temperature with altitude line had not shown such a strong inversion. It started to be visible at 6,200' and I slowly climbed to 7,600'. We wouldn't see any cu's anywhere within 100miles of us on this day.

I was drifting near the edge of the start circle and doubled back just to stay inside. Thankfully there was zero sink around and I could keep inside as I watched a few other pilots circling to my south. I had to start 30 seconds early (which gave me a minute "penalty") when I lost the lift. This put me in the lead looking for lift.

I found some at 2,500' AGL near highway 87, 4 miles out, and radioed back my position. Dustin and the Jeff's came my way. Dustin was near my altitude as I climbed up and we stayed in the thermal until we got to 8,500'. The thermal had slowed down quite a bit near the end but Dustin was very reluctant to leave wanting other pilots to catch up with us so that we could go out into the blue together. We had a long ways to go and many places to go down. Glen Volk and Chris Zimmerman had come in underneath us and were climbing. The Jeff's we behind us and lower. No one else came to join us.

We headed north toward our goal just east of Amarillo, at the town of Panhandle. All of us spread out to help each other find lift. We knew we had to work together to get to goal and we would help each other throughout the flight. Chris Zimmerman got low and we lost track of him.

Our track kept us way east of La Mesa. When gliding we were getting about 65 mph over the ground. When thermaling we were drifting 20 to 25 mph down wind. The thermals were averaging 300 to 400 fpm. Not super strong, but we were getting plenty high, over 8,000'.

At about 60 miles out we climbed to 10,300' over a dust devil and Jeff O'Brien joined up with us. Jeff Shapiro and Kraig Coomber were just behind us out of sight and Shapiro was trying to catch us also. He was pushing too hard to catch us and later would land about 90 miles out. Belinda, handling the short distance retrieve, would pick him up and take him back to Big Spring.

Glen, Jeff, Dustin, and I continued to work the flight together using each other to find the lift. We always spread out and we always went together to the north after climbing in the last thermal. Sometimes one and sometimes another would be in the lead, but we would all get back together for the next climb.

East of Lubbock I went out and found strong lift and then higher than the rest headed further east than they wanted to go. I had to work on my own for a few minutes and then found a really strong thermal that got to 1000 fpm, while they were a little too far away from me to join me. I got high and headed north and saw Dustin very low searching and scooting quickly across the ground below. Glen and Jeff were further to his east over green fields, low but not as low as Dustin.

Dustin searched every where and found lift at 500' AGL. Hard turns in a very strong wind kept him in it. I was high over Glen and Jeff and after toping out headed north. We had been flying over farm lands but up ahead were some canyon areas which we could just make out. It looked like we could get around the first one by going a bit to the west. I was on my own for a while but we were all in radio contact.

I worked around the first canyon found some lift off a brown field and as I climbed up I saw Glen to the east. I hooked up with him and we carefully climbed up in the weak lift. Jeff and Dustin were just ahead. We were all discussing the large upcoming canyon to our north.

Glen and I climbed up and I left at 8,300' while Glen continued climbing (Glen was not in radio contact with us). I knew that Jeff and Dustin were just a few miles in front, but I didn't know that they were so low. I saw Jeff's shadow on the ground to the west and then saw him low way below me. Dustin was further west almost at the rim of the canyon low and climbing slowly. The canyon looked unlandable (although Zippy would later land there). We had to get high on the south side before going over.

I followed Jeff from about 2,000' over him to the northwest near where Dustin was circling on the rim, although we didn't see him. We did see an ATOS landing just on the south rim having been over the canyon and having flown back against a strong head wind to a safe landing area.

I was working some reasonable lift when Jeff caught a good one just south of me down low. I joined him in his thermal and we screamed up to 9,400' drifting over the canyon. Glen came and joined us at our altitude. I was the first to leave as I was on top and we were plenty high to make it over. Dustin had drifted over the south rim into the canyon working 100 fpm from 1,500' AGL at the rim. He worked weak lift all through the canyon. He was in radio contact with us asking how we were doing and he could also see our progress.

When Dustin got to the north rim he worked weak lift there to get up over the hot red rocks. By the time I got to the north rim Dustin joined us. I was now 100 feet below Glen, Dustin and Jeff having taken the lead out. We were now 28 miles out from goal and working weak lift and hoping to get all of us into goal. We really huddled together to make sure that we stayed in the air long enough for the winds to carry us there.

The three just above me found a core that I didn't find but I was still working lift and doing okay. My 6030 was saying that I had goal with 2,000' about 14 miles out. It was 16:1 to goal. Having not found the nice thermal that these guys just above me were in I went on glide toward goal. I knew that there was a lot of sink out there as we had experienced through out the flight when not in a thermal, so it was a gamble. The others also started for goal just above me.

There was a lot of sink at first and my height above goal prediction went from 2,050' to 780'. At five miles out and 1,300' AGL I felt a little bit of lift and for the next one and a half miles just drifted in zero sink as the 27 mph south southwest wind was taking me right toward goal. That drifting was enough to allow me to get to goal with 300', in fourth place.

Dustin won the day with Jeff five seconds behind and Glen just behind him. Kraig Coomber came in a bit later. James Stinnet got there first in his Aeros Phantom. But not too long before us.

It was great to fly together to all help each other reach the goal. Dustin almost landed, but made a great save. Jeff was playing it a bit safer as was Glen.

Team Challenge Update

June 24, 2008, 10:37:18 pm +0200

Team Challenge

It's full.

Dennis Pagen|Jim Lamb|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|record|Tennessee Tree Toppers|video|weather

Dennis Pagen|Jim Lamb|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|record|Tennessee Tree Toppers|video|weather

oliver gregory «olliettt1955» writes:

After all the great feedback from Team Challenge 2007, we've enjoyed exceptional interest in our fall teaching meet this year. The Tree Toppers hope to outdo themselves with an even better experience this fall. Team Challenge will start Saturday September 27th with a pilot meeting at 7PM. The meet will start Sunday, September 28th and end Saturday, October 4th. We'll have a fun party mid week and a big awards dinner party at the end of the meet. We have an incredible line up of talent helping us with talks and workshops again this year.

Mark Stump will give his fabulous "Fly4Fun/Is It Safe" talk to start us off Saturday night. Mark's is my favorite hang gliding talk and will set the tone for the meet.

Dennis Pagen will present a "Video Launch Seminar", a "Gaggle Flying and Scratching" talk, and help with all our other seminars.

Jim Lamb will give us an "Essentials of Thermal Soaring" talk to help us stay airborne.

Terry Presley will give us a "Restricted Landing Field Technique Seminar" with video enhanced learning for when we venture from the nest.

Mike Barber will present his great "XC Decisions" talks, contribute to other talks and help out.

Kevin Carter will do his "Good Landing Techniques" and "XC Strategies" talks with video enhanced learning and everything else he does.

New Englander Lindsey Chew will do a "SeeYou Seminar" with Stan Roberts helping. We plan to download a team's GPS tracks and run them simultaneously on SeeYou over Google Maps to relive the "Thrill of Victory and Agony of Defeat" thing with the team that wins a good day. This will provide fodder for our panel of experts to comment on the flights.

We'll have a "Weather Talk for the Attention Deficit Disordered." No! I will never make anyone suffer through one of my weather talks again! This talk will be fast and furious weather for the point and clicker with help from Nate Newkirk, Jeff Nibler and me. We'll have hand outs! Nate and the gang have come up with some amazing stuff. It's guaranteed to blow your socks off!

OK! Lets count 'em! That's five Former US National Team Members, A World Record Holder, A World Champion, some New Englanders that talk funny, a couple of not too shabby old Arkansans and some incredibly talented up and coming pilots in this group.

NOW FOR THE BAD NEWS!

We haven't even tried to promote it and we are already full! We set up online registration a couple of months ago on our TTT website www.tennesseetreetoppers.org and were pleasantly surprised by the incredible interest. TC2008 filled with registered pilots a couple of weeks ago. Now we have an online waiting list at our website. Now we have an online waiting list at our website.

With all this interest, we will allow willing teams to have 6 or 7 pilots on the team for the same cost as a team of 5. This would be a cost of $550 to be shared among the pilots. Only 5 pilots from a team will be allowed to compete each day due to setup and launch area restrictions. At least one "A pilot" team leader must fly every day to lead their teams! Teams bigger than 5 will decide which pilots will fly or drive each day. All pilots must be members of the TTT to participate. Teams already registered should contact me if they are interested in adding extra members.

Slots will open up, so keep checking in. We have accepted registrations without payment to hold slots. On July 15th, pilots who have not sent in their checks for registration will be dropped off our list so more slots may open then. We'll make an announcement on the Oz Report and the TTT website when slots open up.

Team Challenge 2007 was a fantastic success for all who participated and TC2008 will be even better. The early fall weather is great for flying, camping and hanging out in the Sequatchie Valley of Eastern Tennessee. This is a beautiful place with lots of friendly people who are all jazzed about hang gliding. We welcome pilots to join the Tree Toppers and participate in the great experience as volunteers, wind technicians, drivers and merry makers for the first Team Challenge with our Revamped Radial Ramp! Visit our site at www.tennesseetreetoppers.org

Keep checking in for the slots to open. I'm looking forward to all the fun and learning. Can't wait!

Actually it was promoted, in the Oz Report.

Discuss Team Challenge at the Oz Report forum   link»

2007 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding and Paragliding Series

Low hanging fruit

Quachita

January 11, 2008, 6:50:25 pm GMT+1100

A.I.R. ATOS VR|Mark Stump|Mike Kelsey|Ouachita Mts Series 2007|PG|Roy Mahoney

Mike Kelsey «kelsey.mike» writes:

This was the third annual running of the Ouachita Mountain Hang Gliding and Paragliding Series. (http://www.ouachitahanggliding.com/Series/series.html). The 2007 series provided even more tasks available to the participants with the addition of the Triangle Tasks. Most of the launch sites had up to two Triangle Tasks available for which points were awarded.

23 pilots were able to garner some points in the Ouachita Mountains Series.

Mark Stump of Dardenelle, Arkansas (Atos V, H4), came in first place for the second year in a row with a total of 2358 points. He concentrated on the Triangle Tasks and other XC Tasks that were available at the launches near his home (conveniently located in the Mt. Nebo LZ).

Coming in Second Place with 2350 points was Roy Mahoney of Monroe, Oklahoma (Atos VR, H3) missing taking first place by only 9 points. Roy garnered a number of Maximum Altitude Gains at several sites as well as several Personal Max Durations at a number of sites and an Open Distance, Roy also accumulated the most Work Day Points, by spending a large number of hours improving the road access to the Heavener Launch.

Third Place with 2044 points was Warren Flatt of Fort Smith, Arkansas (Wills Wing, Talon 150, H5). Warren got out early in the season to grab some low hanging fruit, the First Flight points of a couple different launches, several max duration points, as well as a best altitude above launch at one site. Warren rounded out the year with some great XC flights gaining points in Open Distance, Out and Return, Pre-defined Goal, and two triangle tasks completed.

Fourth Place went to Jason Gray of Greenwood, Arkansas (Wills Wing Sport, H3) with 1799 points. Jason enjoys flying lots of sites and he did well in accumulating a large number of Personal Max Duration Points at a number of sites. Jason also got the Max Altitude Points at Short Mountain and points for 8 hours of Work Day Points. Jason also won 1st place Hang 3 Pilot.

Fifth Place went to John Jenkins of Dardanelle, Arkansas (Wills Wing Sport, H3) with 1339 points. John grabbed some First Flight points off Short Mountain early in the season, and collected a number of Personal Max Durations as well as two Open Distance flights.

Sixth Place went to Mike Kelsey of Mena, Arkansas (Wills Wing Talon 160, H4). Mike collected a number of Personal Max Durations and completed two Triangle Tasks.

For complete view of the 2007 results, go to http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p8qZX4r52Ie-_WDc6yWXcKg.

For 2007 we had established a Handicapping System for many of the tasks with handicapping according to either Hang Rating or to type of wing flown. 2007 also saw a significant growth in the number of Paragliders coming to the Ouachita Mountains to fly. Britton Shaw of Fort Smith, Arkansas came in 9th place overall, and also won the "Most Improved Paraglider Pilot" award and the First Place for Paraglider Pilot. We also have a number of new H1 and H2 pilots and Tim Carls of Mena, Arkansas won First Place for the Hang Two pilots. The Triangle Tasks proved to be very popular. You can see the Established Triangle Tasks at http://www.ouachitahanggliding.com/Series/Triangles/triangles.html.

We wrapped up the season with an Awards Banquet, on January 5th 2008 and we had 37 pilots show up. A big thanks to all the pilots that participated and to our sponsors, Wills Wing, Moyes USA, Flytec, Mojos Gear who have supported us through the past three years in this grass roots activity.

The Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series is open to any pilot that has appropriate rating for particular launches in the Ouachita Mountains. There is no fee to participate in the Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding and Paragliding Series.

For more information about flying in the Ouachita Mountains, go to www.ouachitahanggliding.com.

AIR ATOS VQ

He wants one.

VQ

October 15, 2007, 10:44:04 EDT

A.I.R. ATOS VR|Jim Lamb|Mark Stump|Tennessee Tree Toppers|weather

Mark Stump «mark489» writes:

Jim Lamb came down to the TTT Team Challenge and spent all week supporting the Atos pilots and anyone else that needed help. He brought the Atos VR and the new VQ. I have been looking forward to seeing what the latest wing out of Felix's brain would be.

Jim flew the VQ and stayed specked out all week. He let me fly it the last day of the meet which was the best weather with 500fpm up and sweet clouds at 6000+ AGL.

The VQ weighs 85 lbs, same as my V. Nice! On Jim's 7th time of setting it up he had it together in 10min and that's while answering a lot of questions.

The sail slides down the D-spars about 3' allowing the first 6 ribs to stay attached and you never need to open the sail in this area. It's super clean at this sail/flap junction.

You open up the trailing edge at the second to last rib opening and slide the tip tubes in. They have two ribs attached to them just like the VR. Plug in the tip wand that stays attached to the trailing edge. (super clean no opening for tip wand levers. Not needed.)

Go to the root and pull the sail toward the root with a long cord and pulley system. Simple, clean, quick.

Once it's together you place the root rings on the pins and cam one side in. Then zip it closed.

As you pull the sail to the root all the ribs swing into place along with the tip wand loading up. Too Cool!

The back half of the keel is now a carbon tube with the tail stand molded into it also. It's black and white and reminds me of a slick killer whale.

The static balance is neutral with the bags in the nose. Launch is easy.

The double spoilers like the VR are very far out. The roll rate is quicker and lighter than my V.

It's super stable in a wider range of bank angles. In a steep bank it stays put, not requiring any spoiler input to stay banked up or to keep it from steeping up.

It flies / thermals at least 5 mph slower than my V. I climbed turn for turn with Jim in his VR when we were together at the start. I did not see Jim again until we were at goal so I can't comment on the glide vs the VR. We went diving down to help our teammates. Huge FUN!

It glides good at 45mph with the flaps off. The flaps are the same width as the D-spar which makes them about half as wide as the ones on my V or the VR. They seemed to work just as good as the wide ones.

It lands really nice with a lower stall speed than my V and a wider flair window. It reminded me of landing the 2000 Atos, sweet, just walk it in.

I sort of wish I had not flown it because now, I want one really bad. It's the most "FUN" glider I have ever flown. Send Donations to: Mark Stump.

We've heard rumors of an AIR ATOS VQ accident in Germany within the last week, which the factory is checking out. If you know more about this please contact me at davis@davisstraub.com.

2007 Team Challenge, day 7

October 8, 2007, 10:02:04 PDT

Team Challenge

The weather gets good again

Bill Estes|calendar|Craig Stanley|Dave Hopkins|Dr. John "Jack" Glendening|Jim Lamb|Keith Atkins|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Lucas Ridley|Marc Fink|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Ollie Gregory|PG|Rob Kells|scooter tow|Steve Kroop|Steve Prater|Tennessee Tree Toppers|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2007|video|weather

Various folks write:

Ollie, here. I’m sitting in my reclining chair on launch at Whitwell. We couldn’t have written a script for a better day. It’s 3 PM and friendly cummies are everywhere. The launch window is open till 5 PM. Winds are 8 to 12 straight in with nice thermal cycles blowing through. I’m hearing “bird right out front” from our launch crew.

The crew is launching the 5 or 6 pilots who missed it the first time. Everyone else is gone XC! There is a 10 point bonus for re-flying so our re-launchers can still make it to goal at Kimbal 13.6 miles away and actually score 10 more points than the guys who picked a bigger cycle earlier. The only penalty is setting up twice! I think any of the relights have a great shot of making it to goal.

Clark Harlow launched tandem with Peter Kane’s girlfriend Kathy about 2 hours ago and is still yo-yoing up to base at 3000’ above. It is an incredible day. The task committee thought the B’s and C’s should go to Kimbal Park and the A’s are going to come back to land at goal at the little airstrip in Dunlap for a total distance of 41.6 miles.

This morning we let the new weather geeks report the weather to the task committee with some help from the locals. I feared they had grossly overcalled the A+ and A task since winds were forecasted to be 16 knots and NE at cloud base starting at 2 to 3 PM. They were going to have to come right back into it. Now it looks like the day was under called. I’m glad it worked out that way since tonight we have the big party with hand made pizzas put together to order on site! Wow what a great last day!

[IMAGE]

Now, it's 4PM and A’s are coming back over our heads and moving on toward goal at Dunlap International! Turns out that the cloud base head wind the local pilots forecasted was only about 9 mph and more east than northeast. I saw my best old buddy Mark Stump come over on the VQ Jim Lamb encouraged him to fly today! Made me grin!

[IMAGE]

Now, it’s about 7PM and folks are rolling in to Henson’s with big grins on their faces and big appetites for the pizza that Lupi’s is cooking up for us right here tonight. We had an idea about how to report this thing. We are gonna ask pilots who flew or helped out to right a brief report on what they got out of this great week. Best learning experience I’ve ever been involved with for sure! I’m leaving the computer set up for people to have access and we’ll send it to you with some good pictures and stuff! Hopefully we’ll have a lot of good Oz Reporters!

I’m Ben de Garis. I launched my Moyes Litespeed from the Whitwell launch at approximately 12:45pm and quickly caught a thermal to the left of launch, which took me to 2700’ over the launch. Then I flew south 13.6 miles to the first turn point (Kimball, TN). I arrived at the Kimball turnpoint with 2600’ above. Then I worked UPWIND 25.1 miles to the designated goal of Galloway’s Airport to complete the task for the “A” (ranked) pilots. My airtime for this flight is 3.5 hours and 37.2 miles. My total air time for the event is 7.5 hours and a total of 96 miles!

This is my first competition and my first time to complete a task and make goal! I have enjoyed the TTT Team Challenge more than any other Hang Gliding Vacation I’ve taken in 32 years of flying. The seminars from the world class pilots have been very educational.

K. Dawkins here.This is my first year to fly the TTT Team Challenge and it was very informative as far as safety, weather to fly, thermal clinics and general instruction in the art of XC, everything it was supposed to be!!! Learned more this week than in the last five years, even though I read all the articles I can get my hands on. They are great, too, but this puts them into practice and perspective. Thanks to Ollie, Steve, Kathy, James Anderson and EVERYONE who helped out.

My name is Eric Donaldson. I just got back to camp after an amazing flight. 37 miles, most of it into the wind. As I flew back over launch on my way to goal I noticed people standing around so I yelled YEE-HAWWW I LOVE HANG GLIDING. I heard a few people yell back. I think that sums up the feeling I have. Team Challenge is a great event and every year I learn more and more. We were fortunate to have some of the world’s best pilots here to fly and share their knowledge. Life is good.

Dan T here. Ollie taught us how to read Dr. Jacks and Skew Ts. Kevin Carter taught us how to land. The sky taught us a little humility and the Tennessee Tree Toppers taught us the meaning of Southern Hospitality. A great time was had by all. Thanks everyone.

W. Jordan here. This has been a wonderful week. We flew Whitwell the whole time. Thanks to all the sponsors for the generous items that were handed out daily for individual accomplishments. If you are thinking about attending something like this, do it. You will learn more in a week than you can imagine is possible. I’m grateful for my trusty Flytec 3010 and Wills Wing U-2 for delivering me to goal at Kimball Park Tuesday. Barron helping from above on his ATOS helped out also. Thanks to all the Tree Toppers for putting something like this on.

J. Nibler here. I came, I flew XC, I learned so much. If these were held monthly, I’d find a way to get the time off at any cost. I can’t recommend this event enough to anyone interested in learning to increase their soaring abilities or learning to XC. Thanks to everyone who helped us new guys and a HUGE thanks to Ollie who really made this event shine. Can’t wait till next year!

S. Prater here. This is my third time at Team Challenge but the first year to take part. I’m a low time H3 and the last day of TC I was able to put all of the teaching from the fantastic people here into play. I got high and went far. Flew to goal…WOW, my first XC. When I arrived I couldn’t believe that I was the first there. I was greeted by a crowd of people with food and drink. And now I'm a rock star because one of the kids asked for my autograph!! Incredible week. Incredible people. Good and friendly people in the valley. Yall come now ya hear.

Mark Stump, Arkansas Air Hogs here. What a great week of learning and flying. I have been flying since 1975 and to spend a week trying to help new pilots go XC has been as hard, frustrating and rewarding as flying any task at any meet I have ever flown. I learned a lot from the nightly seminars with Kevin Carter and Mike Barber that will help me fly better and safer. Jim Lamb was living on the edge by letting me fly the best day of the meet on his new ATOS VQ. Light, fast, best sink rate and lands like a dream. Thanks Jim, now I got to go back to work.

The Tree Toppers have the formula for the best learning experience for all new pilots to learn how to fly XC safely. Ollie Gregory is the best supporter of hang gliding I know. Thanks for all your hard work.

Cathi Hayes aka IdreamOfFlying here.This was my first trip to the Team Challenge and it exceeded my expectations. I am a Hang 2 pilot that attended as a supporter and driver…hoping to get a little foot launch experience and learn as much as I could from others. The last day of the meet was unforgettable…I had the opportunity to foot launch at Whitwell tandem with Clark Harlow.

We launched at about 1:30 pm EST and flew for over and hour and a half! We did not have a vario and my camera’s SD card filled up with video and stopped, so we don’t have an exact time on the flight.

The conditions were awesome!!!! Every time we thought we would have to pick a landing site, another thermal would come greet us with sweet lift. How could we resist so much lift? We finally spiraled down to land since I was the designated driver…oops! for the Pig Sticker’s today.

Thank you to Clark for the great thermaling lesson!!!! Everyone that participated in the Team Challenge did an awesome job! Everyone was friendly and eager to help other pilots learn. A huge thanks goes to Ollie for all of his hard work! Team Challenge will be on my calendar next year.

Richard Milla, North Texas Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (Fort Worth TX, via London, England) here. TTT TC 2007 rocks! First time. What a fantastic event. So much experience to learn from here and the most wonderful willingness to share it all, it’s amazing. I even learnt how to get my tip wands in and out easily – thanks to Air Hogs Keith and Steve for that. Mega thanks to Kevin Carter for tuning my glider. 6.5 miles worth of tuning today – my first XC in a hang glider! You the man, Kevin; big thanks also to Wills Wing and Flytec for helping Kevin so he can help the rest of us. And huge, huge thank you to all the volunteers, especially Doc Ollie. If you wanna improve your flying, come to TTT TC 2008.

Barron McKinley. Arkansas Air Hogs. here. TTT Team Challenge 2007. What a great vacation! This has been my greatest Hang Gliding vacation of all time. 5 out of 7 flying days. Awesome weather. All down time was spent learning about XC, thermaling, weather, and safety. Great food and great camaraderie. Thanks to the Tennessee Tree Toppers for putting on such an excellent event, and a special thanks to Ollie Gregory.

What a great day to end a fantastic week of fun and learning at this year’s team challenge! Mark Stump is my friend and a friend to everyone who knows him. He escorted me on my first XC attempt and cut the apron strings to known LZ’s when I wasn’t looking. If he’d had a tow rope he’d have pulled me across the gap to goal. Kevin Carter tuned my U2 and transformed it from a Sherman tank to a Ferrari with power steering. Special thanks go to my friend Ollie Gregory for making this meet such a success. Keith Atkins, Memphis, Arkansas Air Hogs

Great air Great valley Great times Clark Harlow transplanted Floridian

What an awesome event! As a C pilot, and a new H3 I have learned so much in such a short time from some of the best! And I have increased my flight time by ¼ in just a week, and got my first XC flight, got to cloudbase for the first time, and soared the highest I ever have! A lot of personal bests!!! Met knew friends and became closer to those I already knew, I am looking forward to next year. Some highlights on the Pigsticker’s team was Eric Donaldson being the only kingposted glider making goal today, and the only other flex making it was a topless. Way to go Eric! Tuesday our team (Pigstickers) worked flawlessly together, staying in sight and radio contact, helping each other out, it was like no other kind of flying I’ve done – fun flying as a team. I hope every one pencils in next years Team Challenge, what a great event, loved flying with everyone. Big THANKS to Ollie! Pigsticker: Lucas Ridley Lucas is going to put a great video of his team together on Youtube soon.

TTT knows how to lead one great comp. I don’t know anyone that did not have fun. My team had pilots from all over – Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, and Puerto Rico. There is no better way to get airtime, and learn from some of the best pilots in the world. What would be really great is to see similar events all over the country. This keeps interest and participation in the sport high, and is great for spectators. With the multiplication factor based on skill level and wing type, and a bonus for A pilots escorting beginners to goal, everyone has the chance to be a contributing member to their team. If you missed it this year, sign up early next year! It’s an event that should not be missed. Craig Stanley, Romantic Sheep BAAAA!e

ONE MORE ACCOUNT from just another monkey in the everyday: After six years of lump jumpin throughout Ohio, this northern fella came to this valley about 1980 to repair an old triangle wing (standard regallo) and was told “you can’t fly that thing here”. Little did I know what was in store for me. I was welcomed by most everyone in the area, given everything I needed to become an actual flying man! 10 or 12 years later I got the “LAZY” attitude for the string tow, thus leaving the mtn. Been doing it for the past 20+ years. Static, A-TOL, Trike, Tug, Scooter, and even light trike. You name it. I heard that there was going to be a XC talent based format at the Tree Topper site and could not, NOT! Make this scene. I have never in 33+ years of trying to pilot a hang glider had so much help to do just that. Though the team I was placed on did the point making, I was drug along with them to first place despite my poor performances. If you EVER wanted to do an XC flight….Think TTT!!!.......”TEAM CHALLENGE” They will get you there! Forget the BLUNDERING, start the MILES!! Primavera

In my 30+ years of flying and flying competitions, I have never witnessed a meet with more pilot involvement and cooperation. The interaction between team members as well as teams was nothing short of amazing. All of this in conjunction with fully attended informative seminars created a FUN learning experience. What a Concept! Way to go TTT. Mike Nash

It’s Ollie again at Team Challenge day after report. I’m little hang over after the great party! The most impressive thing I saw everyday, all week long was a willingness to help out, fix it, teach it and show you how to do it by all the pilots and volunteers. Right now the day after it ended, two of our super volunteers are helping me with all kinds of computer tricks. This would never have happened with out Alain and Candice Azurmendi! Thanks so much!

Here’s butt one more example of Stump helping some one out! He’s putting wire man hold downs on Jim Lamb’s VQ on the first day of the meet. Lamb paid him back a week later with a VQ flight on the best flying day of the meet. Now Stump’s gonna have to get a job! ARKANSAS AIR HOGS!!! What a great group of guys!

If you want to see some youtube of this great event here’s a great link

Team Challenge 2007 Whitwell, TN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leVLCY7fGik

Super C Lucas Ridley is planning to put a video of the Pig Stickers team flying XC on Youtube soon. I gotta stop writing and head home soon. Thanks Jackie for loving me and being so wonderful!

Oh Yeah! How did it all turn out? Who got what? Thanks WW and Rob Kells, Moyes USA and Kraig Coomber, LMFP and Matt Taber, North Wing, AIR USA and Jim Lamb, Ben DeGaris, and of course Flytec and the most generous man in hang gliding Steve Kroop for all the great stuff we got to pass out to the happy pilots. Jim Lamb donated a great GPS that went to our newcomer, and most talented C pilot Lucas Ridley of Lookout!

Our winners: In seventh place were the Leaky Radiators led by Jeff Laughery and Ben DeGaris as the A pilot mentors. On their team were Kelly Scroggins-C, Richard Milla-C and Tim Rhinesmith C.

The Arkansas Air Hogs took sixth place with A+ mentor Mark Stump and A pilot Barron McKinley at the helm. Walter Jordan-B was voted Most Helpful B Pilot. Steve Prater-C got his first XC. Keith Atkins-C was voted Most Helpful C Pilot. Their driver, Colin Hodsdon was given his Hang Driver 3 rating by Wayne Walker this week.

In fifth place were KC and the Sunshine Bandits lead by super-duper A++++ leader and mentor Kevin Carter. He led Keith Smith-B, Kevin Dawkins-C, and John Small-C.

Fourth place was taken by the Romantic Sheep, led by A pilot Marc Fink on the Attack Falcon. He was assisted by A pilot Bruce Engen who helped mentor the team of Dan Tomlinson-C, Craig Stanley-C and Edwin Ayala-C (from Puerto Rico!)

In third place were the Pig Stickers and Topless Dancer, led by Most Helpful A Pilot Eric Donaldson, who out flew every flexwing pilot except Kevin Carter. Eric is flying an old pink Airwave Concept with a right hand turn! He and Peter Kane-A lead their Pig Sticker buddies Alex Holstead-B, Lucas Ridley-C. They were chased by Hang 5 Driver Wayne Walker, the world’s most coveted hang gliding retrieval specialist.

Second place was taken by the E Team. A pilots Dave Hopkins and Stan Roberts battled it out all week for top dog and did an outstanding job of leading their C pilots Lindsey Chew, Bill Estes and Bryon Estes, the comp’s only father and son team.

And in first place by only a few points were the T-51’s lead by Jim Lamb of AIR USA and importer of the ATOS line. Jim was the team’s A+ pilot. Jim and Steve Larson-A, they lead and mentored their team of Tom Primavera-B and Jeff Nibler-C to victory by just 3 points! Shoulda done one more reflight Lindsey!

This was great fun. We’ll do it again next year! Ollie

2007 Team Challenge, day 6

October 5, 2007, 5:18:17 pm PDT

Team Challenge

The weather is weak

Dave Hopkins|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Oliver Gregory|Steve Lee|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2007|weather

A team writes:

The local weather forecast called for 50 to 60% chance of rain and the skew-T suggested lots of potential for overdevelopment. The task committee called a task to have FUN! We did. Mark Stump gave the best seminar of the meet on safely flying for fun and how to assess the day and your abilities. Next year we will have Stump give his seminar on the first day.

We had a comprehensive weather seminar. The pilots who endured the entire seminar qualified for their Weather Geek III rating, given by that most exalted observer, Dr. Oliver Gregory. Dick Heckman, Region 10 Director, dropped into the seminar and enjoyed the presentation. Ollie did a fine job of teaching the theory of forecasting, and then showing us all how to read the volume of information available to us and apply Stump’s #1 rule: Will it be FUN?

The weather improved enough that we had tuning flights and spot landing flights in the afternoon. Kevin Carter assisted several pilots in tuning their gliders. He has an amazing attitude and has been willing and available to help all week. E-Teammates and cross country buddies, Dave Hopkins and Stan Roberts could not sit still at a hang gliding site on a potential soaring day, and not launch. They set up, Dave launched, went right and eventually got flushed, landing at the Henson LZ. Stan quizzed locals, watched Dave, launched and ran for the sun. He had a low save at 400 ft as he was getting ready to unzip. He cored it up to cloudbase at 4300’, soared for 30 minutes and landed in downtown Dunlap, breaking down in front of the beer store, in the front yard of yet another wonderful and friendly local Dunlapian.

Dave speed packed his glider, made sure Stan was firmly ensconced again in the weather seminar, and quietly walked to launch, after taking some good natured ribbing. Next thing we knew, Steve Lee reported Dave was skyed out and flying all over the valley. Tomorrow morning our new Weather Geek IIIs are going to forecast the day for the task committee. This is going to be easy because tomorrow is going to be BOOWAH!

This is the unofficial entry for the day, written by a committee who had to work to get Ollie’s hands off of the keyboard and post this without his knowledge or approval. If he were here, he would not consent to us posting a notice saying he has been more than helpful in assisting us with safety issues, the weather, the tasks, sharing his knowledge, and his dedication to the sport. Ollie rocks and his enthusiasm is contagious!

2007 Team Challenge

October 4, 2007, 2:26:48 pm PDT

Team Challenge

Teams, teams, teams.

Craig Stanley|Dave Hopkins|Jim Lamb|Keith Atkins|Kevin Carter|Lucas Ridley|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Steve Lee|Steve Prater|Tennessee Tree Toppers|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2007|video|weather

oliver gregory «olliettt1955» writes:

I have an new respect for what it takes to get this stuff out after a long day. I'm tired but very pleased and happy to be involved with such an incredible bunch of volunteers and pilots. I have a few things attached and hope you can link them in. Jeff Nibbler has a C pilots report on yesterday with some pictures. Lucas Ridley has a YouTube video of his first ever XC where he made it to goal with his buddies helping him along and caught a quarry dust cloud explosion!

Sure are having fun here! It is impressive how smoothly things are going. We have a bunch of nice people all having a fun time and helping each other out. The seminars here have been truly exceptional with Mike Barber and Kevin Carter teaching our eager Cs, Bs and A pilots as much as they can absorb every evening.

We have a neat format with every team supplying task and safety committee members. Glider performance, pilot experience and number of team members are all weighted to keep the emphasis on A pilots helping the Bs and Cs get to goal. Local pilots just give the task guys the weather forecast, and suggest fun options to run. After a little discussion they choose what they want to do for a task and everyone gets going. It's been fun with good weather the first 3 days. See the Jeff Nibbler's report attached about day 3's task.

Today, day 4, we had an incredible Blipper forecast, but we saw lots of clouds to our south that looked like it could move to us and sure enough it did. We had a cloud deck with a few tiny holes move over us. Launch conditions were sweet, but it sure didn't look like a soaring day. Terry Presley (T2), Mike Barber (Litespeed S), Alain "Frenchie" Azurmendi (Talon) and Steve Lee on the VR were our super wind technicians. They proved it was soarable with a little ridge lift and soft thermals blowing through. Several teams got someone off with the E-Team launching their entire team, Kevin Carter launched with some of his guys and other teams sent a few competitors. The Cs and Bs that launched were smooth and generally making good decisions, but pilots that didn't hop on every opportunity to climb above the ridge in the light thermals were soon in the Whitwell LZ. Bryon Estes (E-Team) on an antique Ram Air made it out a few miles to score some XC points!

It was light conditions, but the lift was soft and friendly. We had sweet launch winds all day. Sure looked like fun till the cloud deck started dropping a patch of drizzle here and there. Mike, Terry and Steve went out to land at the Church LZ not wanting to land out and get wet, but wiley old Jim Lamb on that new beautiful VQ, wiley old Dave Hopkins on my first old ATOS, Stan Roberts on the Phantom, and Kevin Carter on the T2 hung on and moved away from the Whitwell launch area. There were very few holes in the cloud deck, but it was obvious that the deck was generally thin with only had a few scattered areas dropping the light drizzle. Unfortunately a couple of spots with the moist stuff lined up on launch and forced a lot of pilots to wait.

We have such a helpful group of pilots. While the little drizzle line moved through, Steve Larson noticed a problem with one launch assist loop on his Exxtacy. Mark Stump and a few others jumped on it and had a new system set up quickly. Steve finally launched ahead of the next line of drizzle and made it out 6 miles to land just past the Gaps to the north of Whitwell. There were more little wet patches scattered around here and there.

It seemed like it was all over, but it was better than it looked! We were all watching for a sign but it was almost completely overcast. However we heard from some of the big dogs on course that it was light and smooth, but doable. Eric Donaldson an A pilot on the Pig Sticker Team flying an old Concept got his guys motivated, and sure enough a few swallows started climbing right in front of launch. Eric, Alex Holsted (B) on an S2, Peter Kane (A) on his T2 and Lucas Ridley (C) on an UltraSport launched into some super smooth, super light air. Peter chose a little different line and ended up at the church LZ. Lucas missed a bump and had to leave his brothers and land at the church LZ. We all gazed in amazement as Eric and Alex flew smooth circle after smooth circle and moved very slowly down the ridge and out of sight. Sure looked like fun! Kinda looked like magic! Alex was really getting everything possible out of the S2, "I had the VG all the way on and heard the vario beep now and then, but it was the smoothest lift I've ever flown in!" Eric got only 4.6 miles out, but no one on launch (except maybe me!) Thought anything but a sledder was possible. Alex was milking everything and made it out 8.2 miles for a great score!

Meanwhile, the A pilot leaders who had survived long enough to watch their Bs and Cs land were moving on toward the first turnpoint to the north 11.5 miles away. Dave Hopkins landed at 7.5 miles. Stan Roberts on the Phantom landed at 9.6 miles. Kevin Carter was running with Jim Lamb with the VQ. Jim was a little higher and sitting pretty. Kevin said, "He took me along till the gaps, then left me in nursery school!" Kevin had a great flight and landed at 10.8 miles.

Jim was able to get out and ahead of the cloud deck. A few miles past the gaps he found some less shady and eventually partly sunny sky and nice lift in the 200 to 400 fpm range. He made it to Sandifer's field for a great flight of 33.6 miles. The day was over called by the task committee with goal for A's to come back from Sandifer's to Dunlap. Jim decided to land at Sandifer's rather than go back under the cloud deck. This was the B pilot goal called this morning when Dr Jack was making everyone think the day was gonna be incredible.

It was an incredibly fun day at the TTT Team Challenge!

Tonight we've enjoyed another great talk from Mike Barber. Kevin and Mike along with our local experts have been so generously sharing their knowledge! Incredible stuff every day so far!

After 4 fun days, here's how it stands. The Air Hogs from AR are in first place in the how much fun and how much can I help my buddies competition! Soooiee!!!

With the weighting for their 4 member team helping them, the T-51 team led by Jim Lamb and his super C pilot Jeff Nibbler are in first place! They've had only 3 pilots on day one and 4 pilots since then. We've tried to prorate for teams with fewer pilots which in some ways favor the smaller teams with a hot shot A+ pilot and a solid C pilot.

The second place E-Team has been flying well with As getting good scores on the first couple of days and Super C Byron Estes scoring every day. Their As were holding their own today.

Third place is the "Pig Sticker" team from Lookout. They are all king posted except Peter Kane on his T2. I don't think they have anything against the Air Hogs! . With only 4 pilots and super C Lucas Ridley kicking butt the prorating seems to be helping them too!

Forth place team is the Romantic Sheep lead by Mark Fink and his super C Craig Stanley.

In fifth place are the Leaky Radiators led by local Jeff Laughery on his Talon and Ben DeGaris on his Litespeed.

In sixth place are my favorite team the Arkansas Air Hogs. Mark Stump and Barron McKinley are helping Walter Jordan (B Pilot), Keith Atkins (C) and Steve Prater (C) get XC experience. Walter had his longest flight yesterday, flying 13.6 miles to GOAL!!! The day before the entire Air Hog team and their driver Colin Hodsdon helped a local land owner put out a big grass fire resulting in everlasting good will for the Tree Toppers!

In seventh place is the KC and The Sunshine Bandits team. Kevin Carter is the hardest working A+ pilot here for sure. I hear report after report of how he's trying his best to help his guys, but they have had some bad luck even though Kevin had done his best. After his team mates have flared, he's run on for solid scores.

Here's a report on day 3 from Jeff Nibler. Jeff is one of the C's in the meet. He's on Jim Lamb's team and doing very well. Very bright young man.

Day 5 is a rain day with light sprinkles mostly and a nice shower now and then. We've had so many clinics and talks, it is like going to soaring college!

[IMAGE]

Tuesday, Day 3 by Jeff Nibler

The wind was forecasted to be less than Monday which was a good thing; about 6-8 knots from the East and the lift about 450fpm. The Skew-Ts showed a substantial inversion at about 4k and that seemed to be accurate from what I experienced during my flight. The task called was 13.6 miles for both the B and C pilots. This was due to the lack of available "officially designated" Lzs in the down-wind direction so the first available was chosen. "Officially designated" simply means the club has received specific, recent permission for a large number of pilots to land there. Aside from the official Lzs, many fields dot the valley making landing out generally very easy. The A-pilots had to fly over the B and C goal then fly back to land at the LZ below launch in Whitwell.

Pilots launched a little earlier today, the first in the air at about 12:15. Two out of the first five got up to the right (down wind) and the other three sunk out to the Castle LZ. From what I saw, nothing was working right out in front of the launch; pilots had to glide a long way to the right before they seemed to hit the first spot that was working. The rigids seemed to have the easiest time, arriving in the lift with decent altitude. Some other pilots tried to reach it but failed as the spot was cycling and not always on. There was no ridge lift today due to the crossed wind direction so if you didn't get up in a thermal, you couldn't rely on the ridge lift to buy you time.

I backed away from launch twice thinking I wouldn't be able to make it to the lift with enough altitude to work. Finally a thermal cycle came right through launch. I got back in line behind Richard Milla from Fort Worth Texas. I watched him launch, shoot up into the lift, then head to the right. The thermal was too close to the ridge to circle, but hopefully it would be enough to stretch out my glide to the working portion of the ridge. I launched seconds later and headed for the gaggle. Along the way I hit a few small bumps and some zero sink, but thankfully no huge areas of sink. By the time I made it to the active thermal, I was just below ridge level.

Three or four of us worked that thermal to about 1k over launch. At this point the inversion was obvious…. A thick brown haze on the horizon. I never broke through it and it seemed only a few other pilots were able to. Steve Larson was my escort, flying an Exxtacy. Because he is on the safety committee, he was required to launch last on our team. Steve caught up to me in this first thermal and we climbed together to the inversion.

Most of the pilots seemed to hang around the lift at the bottom of the inversion, possibly hoping to break through it. Since the lift had given up on me at the inversion and since I didn't have clear radio communication with Steve, I decided to go on glide at only ~1200 over. As I looked back, I saw at least eight gliders gaggled at lift I left behind.

This was my first real XC so I spent most of my glide time eyeing the fields trying to determine the best and safest LZ, and the rest of my time looking out for other gliders thermaling ahead of me. A few minutes later, I saw a topless and a rigid pass me from above. I recognized the rigid as my team-mate Steve Larson. He must have seen me go on glide and wanted to continue escorting me toward goal. Up ahead, just past the next gap, I saw two gliders carving hard and going up incredibly fast. Steve and the topless ahead of me made it and joined him, but I got there too low and too late. It looked like it was all over for me so I turned out to the valley, unzipped and started my approach over a nice looking field. I luckily hooked a nice tight thermal 500' over this field and rode it back to ridge level, then lost it and found another closer in to the ridge. That took me to 2k over the ridge. By this time Steve assumed I landed out so he had pushed on. I was on my own, though I did notice a yellow and white topless circling above me. I later found out this was Jeff Laughery.

I continued on, climbing and going on glide several more times without getting below ridge level. During my fourth climb, I could see what appeared to be the goal. I was using a GPS and radio generously loaned to me by my team-mate Tom Primavera from Ohio. I wasn't used to the GPS so about all I could tell from it was that I was nearing goal. The description given of the goal matched what I saw so when I hit the inversion again, I pointed out toward the valley and went on final. As I neared the field, I saw one glider on the ground and another on approach so I knew I'd made it.

After an almost eventful landing (eight feet off the ground, a thermal moving through the LZ kicked my right wing up quite a ways), I joined Eric Donaldson and Lindsey Chew in the LZ. Shortly after I landed, Lucas Ridley landed as well. Two C-pilots achieved their first XC today, Lucas Ridley and myself; making goal made it all the sweeter. My total air-time was one hour and twenty two minutes. Two other C pilots made goal today including Bryon Estes and Lindsey Chew, both from Ellenville NY. All the commotion in the LZ was too much for the locals; a couple of friendly law enforcement officers showed up along with a local news crew who interviewed a few of the pilots.

Kevin Carter impressed quite a few people by repeatedly sacrificing a ton of altitude to dive down and help the B and C pilots on his team who were struggling down low.

At 8pm, we gathered back at Henson's to discuss the day's events. Topics included how accurate the forecast was, what tactics worked and what did not, as well as a play-by-play of Kevin Carter's flight log projected up on a screen and some comments from other pilots. Dr Jack's forecast ended up being just about spot-on. After the talk, pilots gathered to share stories and the B and C pilots hounded the A pilots for tips and tricks. I have probably learned more in one day here than I have in six months of recreational flying. The information and feedback you receive about the day and your flight from the A and B pilots is invaluable to making you a better pilot.

2007 Team Challenge

October 3, 2007, 2:21:24 pm PDT

Team Challenge

Great weather

Dave Hopkins|James Lamb|Keith Atkins|Kevin Carter|Lucas Ridley|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Ollie Gregory|Steve Prater|Tennessee Tree Toppers Team Challenge 2007|weather

James Lamb «jlamb» writes:

We have had the typically beautiful, early fall weather in the Sequatchie Valley. The Team Challenge is all about helping newer pilots learn some cross-country skills by participating on a team with more experienced pilots. An A+ or experienced competition pilot is paired with another A pilot, a ‘B’ pilot, and two ‘C’ pilots with no cross country experience. All pilots are handicapped by those designations as well as having a glider handicap. Team leaders who are able to ‘shepherd’ their lower ranking pilots to their respective goals then have an additional multiplier applied to their scores. There are seven teams here, everyone having a great time. Evenings have been filled with seminars on cross country skills – Mike Barber, Safety and Landing Skills – Kevin Carter, and Weather Analysis – Ollie Gregory. And daily briefing and debriefing of the teams by their respective Team Leaders.

Conditions thus far have been generally light with blue skies, lift to 4,000’, and winds 4-12 straight in to Whitwell. On Day 1 we decided to go to Dunlap, drop off the ‘C’ pilots at that goal, ‘B’ pilots back to Whitwell, and the A pilot back again to Dunlap. The second day included a run across the valley to Hensons for the ‘A & B’ pilots with the A pilots going back to Dunlap for goal and then to Whitwell for extra mileage. Today, Day 3 was a run to the south for a ‘B & C’ goal of Kimball Park across I-24 past Jasper with a return leg to Whitwell for the A Pilots. There have been few times you could count on ridge lift alone to maintain your flight and the thermals cycles have been unreliable – all adding up to some fairly technical flying. It’s been a real treat to see so many of the ‘B & C’ pilots do so well.

At the conclusion of Day 2 the E Team is in first place – 352 pts highlighted by Stan Roberts’ maxing the 2nd day task on his Phantom. Dave Hopkins is the team leader. My Area 51 Team is in 2nd place – 325 pts. With great performances by ‘C’ pilot Jeff Nibler. We’re reeling in the E Team - watch tomorrows report!

In 3rd Place is the Romantic Sheep!! Mark Fink is working hard with his whole team for their 323 pts. 4th Place is KC and the Sunshine Bandits with 277 pts. – Kevin Carter is pulling that team along by his shear will. 5th Place – with 228 pts. Team members: Eric Donaldson Concept A, Alex "Fingers" Holsted S2 B, Lucas Ridley C Ultra Sport, and Peter Kane A T2.

6th Place is held by our Arkansas friends The AIR Hogs with 227 pts. – Mark Stump A+ Pilot on an ATOS C, Barron McKinley A ATOS, Walter Jordan U2 B, Steve Prater S2 C, Keith Atkins U2 C. And in the perfect position to keep track of the competition – the Leaky Radiators with 209 pts. - Tim Hinesmill C U2, Jeff Laughery A Talon, Doug Mossberg A Talon, and Ben Degaris A Litespeed.

Team Challenge Update

September 15, 2007, 3:51:13 pm MDT

Team Challenge

It's full

Jim Lamb|Kevin Carter|Lookout Mountain Flight Park|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Tennessee Tree Toppers|video|weather

oliver gregory «olliettt1955» writes:

Here's a final update on the Team Challenge. Right now it looks like we're going to have a very big turnout and are declaring the Team Challenge full. If you haven't registered yet, come anyway! We need volunteers! The Tree Toppers welcome visiting pilots to free fly before and after the launch window and join in the great learning experience as volunteers and landing clinic members. This year's Team Challenge should be one of the best ever for pilots hoping to learn about XC flying.

Our clinics and talks are going to be exceptional! Kevin Carter will give excellent landing clinic talks with video enhanced learning as many evenings as soaring conditions will allow. Mike Barber plans to help out with talks on XC and thermal soaring. Mark Stump will give a great talk on how to have the most fun safely. I'll help out with a practical "how to" weather seminar on forecasting soaring conditions. Anyone can participate in the landing clinic for the low cost of $25. We hope to have 2 or 3 video landing reviews during the course of the week and as many clinic flights as possible to provide video fodder for the clinics.

World team pilot and AIR importer Jim Lamb is coming this year! He's bringing the 2008 line of AIR gliders for all to drool over! Jim is showing off the the AIR lineup including the new, quick setup, light weight VQ, a high performance rigid wing designed for the advanced recreational XC pilot. Jim will have the VQ, VR and VX at Lookout Mountain Flight Park Friday 9/28 and Saturday 9/29. Go take a look at the best. Jim is going to join us for the Team Challenge and participate as one of our team leaders.

Camp out and enjoy the party! The Sequatchie has beautiful weather this time of the year with leaves just starting to change. However, the leaves may turn early since it has been so dry for so long. We'll probably have some cool nights, so everyone should bring warm clothes for the evenings and shorts for the hot days. With the high cloud bases we've had lately, pilots should plan to dress warm for cloud base flying. The end of the meet party is also our Oktoberfest Party with food, fun beverages, a live band and the awards ceremony for Team Challenge!

You can review recently updated information on the TTT site at www.treetoppers.org The Tree Toppers look forward to seeing our old friends and meeting all the new members of our great organization. There will be lots of fun flying in the Sequatchie Valley and maybe beyond! See y'all soon!

Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series

August 13, 2007, 11:53:20 CDT

Ouachita

Now with triangles

Mark Stump|Mike Kelsey|PG|Roy Mahoney

Mike Kelsey «kelsey.mike» writes:

The Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series adds "Triangle Tasks".

With the rain over, and moving into what appears to be a dry summer, the pilots flying the Ouachita Mountains have returned to the task of collecting points for the 2007 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series. This the third consecutive season sees a series that has taken into account the price of gasoline by adding "Specified Triangle Tasks" for most of the launch sites. There are currently 10 different Triangles that can be flown, with the smallest being less than 8 miles and the largest so far being over 40 miles. More Triangles will be added as the season progresses.

At this time we have Triangles that can be accessed from launches from Mt. Nebo, Mt. Magazine, Heavener, Panorama Vista, and Buffalo Mountain. Like most of the other tasks in the Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series, the points earned with a triangle task are handicapped according to wing type. This year pilots can collect points based on Personal Maximum Duration, Maximum Altitude, Open Distance, Pre-defined Goal, Out and Return, and Triangle Tasks.

Current Standings

Mark Stump- (H5 Rigid) of Dardenelle, Arkansas leads the series with 2342 Points.
Roy Mahoney- (H4 Rigid) of Howe, Oklahoma is in second place with 2090 Points
Warren Flatt- (H5 Topless) of Fort Smith, Arkansas is in third place with 1354 Points
Mel Hair- (H4 Topless) of Tulsa, Oklahoma is in fourth place with 723 Points
Steven Prater- (H3 Double Surface) of Lawson, Arkansas is in 5th place with 700 Points

To date, there are 20 pilots that have been successful in garnering points for the 2007 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series. We also are pleased to see the Paragliding Community growing in the Ouachita Mountains and participating in the series.

See the Current Standings and the New Triangle Tasks for the 2007 Ouachita Hang Gliding Series, go to www.ouachitahanggliding.com/Series/series.html.

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2006 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series

December 26, 2006, 4:37:11 pm PST

Ouachita

The Year Long series.

Mark Stump|Mike Kelsey|Ouachita Mts Series 2006|record|Roy Mahoney

Mike Kelsey «kelsey.mike» writes:

Jason Gray of Greenwood , Arkansas, flying a WW Sport came in first place. Jason proved his endurance by gathering many duration points at a number of sites. This guy loves all of the sites and his home in Greenwood provides him easy access to all the sites. He had the best Alt and Duration at Petit Jean. Coming up short of having any distance points, he made up for that with an aggressive campaign to get his four hours or more work days at a total of 7 sites, with his four hour effort on the Buffalo LZ on the last day of the series securing his leader position over last years winner and this years second place finisher, Roy Mahoney. As far as his work day efforts, I think he would have done that even without points. He is a working machine.

Roy Mahoney, of Howe , Oklahoma placed 2nd and competed on his WW U2 early season. His move to the Atos slowed him a bit while he found his comfort zone on the wing. He garnered points with a duration and altitude, and also excelled with a number of XC efforts including 2 out and returns and one pre-defined goal which was an upwind flight from Panorama Vista Launch to the Heavener LZ.

Mike Kelsey of Mena , Arkansas placed 3rd flying a WW Talon. Mike garnered early season "First Flight" points. Later Mike and Roy did some great battle, grabbing points from one another on a number of occasions. He also collected Altitude and duration points with a late season surge with his Open distance points at Heavener as well as some work day points.

Allen Rahi of Oklahoma placed 4th on a WW Falcon got a good mix of points with First Flight, Duration, Altitude, and Work Day Points. He has moved up to a WW U2, so we can probably expect to see some XC efforts next year.

Mark Stump of Greenland , Arkansas came in 5th place, flying an Atos. Mark stunned everyone with his 178 mile Arkansas Record flight into Missouri. Mark also had First Flight, Duration, Altitude, Pre-defined goal, and some Work Day Points.

To see all the points rankings for the 2006 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series, go to: http://www.ouachitahanggliding.com/Series/2006Tasks/2006tasks.html

Big Spring - playing with little cu-nimbs »

August 13, 2006, 10:01:28 CDT

Big Spring last day

We call a shorter task on a day that is hard to call.

Andrew "Drew" Harris|Attila Bertok|Belinda Boulter|Big Spring 2006|Blue Sky|Bo Hagewood|Campbell Bowen|Dave Giles|David Glover|dust devil|Jim Yocom|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Jon Durand jnr|Mark Stump|Mike Glennon

The flight and task on the HOLC and on Google Maps/Earth

Results

On Saturday, the last day of the pre-Worlds, US Single Surface National, US Sport Class Nationals, and Rigid Wing Big Spring Open started with a spot landing contest. Talk about fun and a great show for the local folks. Seppi won the pre-Worlds spot landing contest landing on the cone while I came in twenty feet behind him and had to go to the side to avoid hit him. Mike Glennon was second and Jonny Durand third. Chris Cheney, the only local Big Spring pilot, won the Sport Class, David Duke, the Single Surface class, and Campbell Bowen, in his first foot landing on his AIR ATOS VXR, the rigid wing class. I got five spot landing flights on the WW Falcon 3 - 170, but wasn't in the competition as you had to fly in class, but had two landings within three feet of the spot, beating David Glover in the competition between the co-meet directors.

It sure was great to fly the WW Falcon just for fun and whip it around and come in fast in as much ground effect as you can on a single surface glider. The trick of spot landing well is to get your glider in ground effect at high speed well in advance and then use the stability of ground effect and the speed as control and power to put yourself at the spot.

Most pilots only took one spot landing flight, but I kept going back for more racing with the ultra light Falcon back to the waiting tugs that would pull me to 500' for another attempt. The sky was dark with heavy clouds and we had a little bit of rain earlier, and it was cool enough to make it very comfortable with a five mph south wind.

While there were thick mid level clouds over us, but it was clear to the west so there was hope. The task committee met right during the pilot meeting held a bit later around 11 AM and called a 68 mile task to the north northeast not knowing whether we would have any lift, but hoping to allow us to dribble down wind. We put the launch time back to 1:30.

As the launch time approached the mid level clouds moved east away from us and cu's began to fill in from the south. It was clear to the northeast with just a few dapples of forming cu's. We wondered what would be our fate as the day was so unsettled.

After a weaklink break at 500' for me we all climbed up under the cu's that were forming over the airport and soon were at cloud base at 9,000'. Very quickly the sky was filling with cu's and to the northwest a few of the cu's had already begun to tower. But we were stuck, already so quickly at cloud base and ready to go, but almost required to wait forty five minutes until 2:30 to start the race. Oh, but for a chance to remake that now stupid decision to call a one hour launch window for a mere six pilots who got off in five minutes, even with the weaklink break. Still it looked clear to the north northeast and there was a chance.

Finally, we released ourselves and having scattered before the start window time, I headed north to the northeast edge of the cloud street and to the east of the little bits of rain showers and virga. There was plenty of sunshine and blue sky to the east.

Dave Giles was over to the west under the darkest clouds and near the virga high and racing back to the start circle as he had to go outside to get up. He would stay high the rest of the flight. On the other hand  after a twelve mile glide I was at 1,700' AGL searching for lift at the edge of the clouds. Fortunately, it was where I was searching.

I could see virga and dust devils a few miles to my west, but I was quite a bit west of the course line already and wanted to stay near the edge of the clouds in case I needed to run from the conditions. After getting up, the lift improved and I joined Ollie as we headed toward Gail half way to goal. We noticed Mark Stump way off to our west under the clouds deciding to land.

In spite of the presence of cu-nimbs nearby the air felt great, so unlike Monday when we continued to fly near a cu-nimb that was many orders of magnitude larger than what we experienced on this day. The lift was solid and not over whelming.

Ollie didn't find any lift at Gail as I headed in a different direction and climbed out quickly. Now there were three or four small rain showers to the west and virga to the northwest. I kept to the east side of the clouds, but well west of the course line.

Belinda was driving out in front of me and reporting that Jim Yocom was low a few miles in front under the dark clouds. I tried to run to the northwest to get on the west side of the clouds but after three miles noticed that there was an even thicker cylinder of rain between that direction and the goal. I turned back to the northeast to run for eight miles to get around a small cylinder of virga.

The lift was good under the dark clouds and I stayed well below them. It was easy to get around the virga and then I headed right toward the goal from fourteen miles out on the west side of another small patch of virga getting a little wet in the process.

I had Belinda at goal telling me that the main rain was five miles to the west, which I could also see, and that the conditions at goal were benign. It was all in the shade for the last fifteen miles and I wanted to be sure I was a long ways away from cloud base as at first I had plenty of lift. We had been over rough land for almost the whole flight, but the airport was just over the lip. You wanted to get to the airport to have an easy landing.

It was benign at the airport with just enough wind to make for an easy landing. Dave Giles was already there and Bo Hagewood, who started at 2:00 PM ignoring the flex wing start time at 3:00 PM, was right behind me. Soon flex wings were pouring in behind me.

Attila Bertok, who was leading the meet, won the day. The conditions stayed benign at the airport, but darkened considerably behind us along the course. This cut off pilots who were later or slower. Many pilots landed or flew back to Big Spring because of the conditions that they encountered.

There was serious discussion after the fact about the safety of the conditions. Drew Harris, the safety director, and David Glover were continually in contact with pilots and drivers during the task and, unlike in Florida during the Worlds, they didn't stop the task as they were getting word that pilots were safely negotiating the conditions. For me it was always easy to run off to the east and land if things got out of whack.

Later Attila, who did not like the conditions and complained at goal about how we should not have flown in the conditions, was easily persuaded to protest the day and the protest committee ruled the day invalid for the pre-World class. The task counted for the other competitions.

For me the day felt much better than Monday and while it was very exciting because of the presence the rain showers and the cu-nimbs, the air was a pleasure to fly in. The fact that there was, or at least it seemed to me there was, an escape, while on Monday the cu-nimb was just too big and there were others squeezing us from the west.

Belinda took this shot earlier in the meet. Click for higher resolution version.

Big Spring - 156.5 miles (252 km) »

August 11, 2006, 10:19:54 pm CDT

Big Spring

How it went in the blue on the long flight on Thursday

Big Spring 2006|Campbell Bowen|Dave Giles|Glen Volk|Jim Yocom|Mark Stump|Ollie Gregory|weather

The flight and task on the HOLC and on Google Maps/Earth

Results.

We didn't fly on Friday due to an occluded front right over our heads. The forecast was for great lift to great heights, but that didn't happen at all. So much for the forecasts. Once again the weather models failed to deal with mid level clouds.

Speaking of forecasts, the Thursday forecast called for a blue day, which was spot on, but also for southwest winds, which was not the case. In fact the winds were south southwest which proved crucial. The task committee originally looked at a downwind task 205 miles (330 km) to the northeast, but with the wind socks at the Big Spring airport showing winds at 190 degrees, I quickly added a secondary task to the north northeast as the pilot meeting with a new goal point at a grass air strip on the east side of the town of Silverton. Unfortunately, I made an error with its altitude, lowering it from 3,250' to 2700'.

Out on the flight line I chose to go with the secondary task given the continued south southwest winds. The start circle is fifteen miles given the strong winds.

There were no clouds over the airport when we launch and it was clear (or is it hazy?) that there was an inversion at about 5,000'. I took off after Jim Yocom and we both climbed slowly to 5,000' as we drifted out of the airport at 14 mph. We could see other pilots getting up better to the west of the airport and Jim raced toward them. He got low but found lift just past the launch line. I followed found the lift just below Jim at 500' AGL and we climbed out to 6,500' and drifted two and a half miles to the north.

I jumped out in front and headed north to find weak lift and all the rigid wings plus a flew flex wings spent the next fifteen minutes inside the start circle just hanging on as Mark Stump landed below. We were not able to cross the fifteen mile start circle until fifteen minutes after the start time at 1:30 after we found 250 fpm to 7,500'.

To the west about a hundred miles we could see the dry line marked by cumulus clouds and some over development stretched out for hundreds of miles to the south west and north northwest. But where we were flying there were no clouds at all, but we could see that the inversion had broken.

I was with Jim Yocom, Campbell Bowen, and Ollie Gregory, three pilots who are ahead of me in the standings, and I needed to to get away from them, as quickly as possible. Jim and I jumped out in front our little gaggle as often as possible, him to pull, me to get away. Still we hung together as Campbell and Ollie kept catching up as we slowly left Dave Giles behind.

Despite the lack of clouds we were quickly able to find lift averaging between 350 and 450 fpm and I was not able to escape my pursuers in spite of long glides out in front designed to make myself disappear.  Finally at eighty miles out I got another chance. Campbell and Ollie had hung back to work lighter lift and Jim was searching around near me. At 7,000' (4000' AGL) I ran out in front off the agricultural plains and over some rougher territory.

Three miles away I could see the rocky south facing faces of an east west creek and headed for them. I followed along the creek to the west over these hot rocks and quickly found 600 fpm on average, the best lift so far, to 9,700'. Finally, I had escaped my pursuers. Now the task was to stay ahead of them.

Back up over farm land to the north, I noticed lots of green circles so I was searching for the driest areas. I found lift between the circles and things continued to go well. I could see little wispies twenty miles ahead of me and was making every effort to get to them. Also the dry line was getting bigger and closer and looked like it was near the goal to the north.

Twenty five miles out I was down to 1,600' AGL and climbing. After getting up I race to the east to get under the first wispy that I could get to and was rewarded with 500 fpm to 10,000'. There were more wispies ahead and I raced toward them. Then I made my mistake. Heading for a set of wispies, I flew through 500 fpm. I should have stopped as I didn't find any lift at the wispies.

The wispies were dying out because there was a large cu-nimb about twenty miles north of goal and the out flow from its top was beginning to shade the land near goal. This would slow down the pilots just behind us.

Thirteen miles out I saw Campbell just above me. Ah, they've caught me. I headed for further wispies toward goal and had to work 250 fpm for five minutes to make it into goal. Jim Yocom got in four minutes ahead of me and Campbell three minutes. Ollie landed a mile short.

We three broke down without seeing anyone else. As we headed back toward Big Spring we could see five flex wing pilots very low about a mile short. I later learned that I had miscalculated the altitude at goal by five hundred feet. This made the difference for a few pilots who left light lift near the end a little too low.

Seppi was the first flex wing into goal followed by Nels, Gerolf, then Glen Volk. Glen was seeing the discrepancy as he came toward goal, but did not figure out the problem until later. He just got inside the goal cylinder, turned his glider around and rounded out at five feet to land. Bruno and a few others landed just short counting on that extra altitude. My apologies for my mistake.

Click for a higher resolution version of this photo of the airport by Joerg Bajewski.

Big Spring - a 98.6 degree (mile) triangle »

August 9, 2006, 11:33:40 pm CDT

Big Spring

Back against a 11 mph head wind.

André Wolfe|Big Spring 2006|Bubba Goodman|David Glover|dust devil|Jim Yocom|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Mark Stump|Roberto Nichele|Robert Reisinger|weather

The flight and task on the HOLC and on Google Maps/Earth

Results.

With the standard August North Texas weather having returned yesterday and forecasted to stay with us during the competition, we get back to calling tasks that take advantage of the reliable and consistent lift. The task committee can't decide between a large (160+ mile) dog leg and a 98.6 mile triangle. We propose a vote of the pilots, and they decide for the triangle.

I forecasted thin cu's, moderate south winds (10-12 mph), no overdevelopment, 600-700 fpm lift, and comparatively warm at cloud base - 54 degrees.

Responding to pilot requests we put a twenty five mile entry start circle around the first start point off to the northwest. This allows for a little strategy and I take advantage of this.

I'm off first, which used to be part of my strategy, which I seemed to have relaxed a bit on the first three days. I got off high at 2,500' AGL under a cloud, and low an d behold finally there was good lift under a cloud near the airport.

Now the tug pilot was very kid and took me to the west of the airport in the general direction of our start and first turnpoint. Since I was high and getting higher I had the chance of heading due west and escaping my compatriots, perhaps unseen. With the strong south wind, the ticket would be to get twenty five miles due south of the start point before the start window opened. Since I started early, I had a chance to do just that.

I snuck off to the west. I knew that others would figure out this strategy, but I thought that if I got our of their view I wouldn't be an attractive nuisance and I could disappear. The only problem was this would put me out on my own, but I needed to win big to catch up, so taking chances was what I needed to do.

This strategy worked, and I jumped from cloud to cloud staying reasonably high and not seeing any of my flying buddies. Just before the start time at 1:30 I got a glimpse of Jim Yocom and another rigid wing pilot, but they were down wind of me, so I had the advantage.

The winds were strong out of the due south and the cu's were scattered and thin but the lift was good and that meant it was quite possible to run down wind to little wisps quite a long ways away. Fortunately many of them were working.

After I got the first turnpoint I saw Mark Stump coming toward me and I got the feeling that my strategy had not worked at all. Where were all the rest of the rigid wings? Were they already further out on the course line?

The second leg was almost straight east, so it was cross wind. But again the lift was good and this made it possible to punch ahead into the wind while gliding. The cu's were thicker and closer than on the first leg so the probability of getting up improved even with the cross wind.

Half way out Mark and I were joined by a flex wing pilot and I was thinking, oh my god, are we really that slow that the pilots who started half an hour behind us have caught us? Geez. We were screaming up in the best lift of the task, averaging 800 fpm, and then the flex wing pilot pulled in his VG cord and headed in the opposite direction. Whoa, he hadn't gotten to the first turnpoint yet and was way too far to the north given the south wind.

The strong lift allowed for me to leave Mark behind and get to the second turnpoint with little difficulty. As I approached the turnpoint I noticed that there were lots of clouds on the way back to the airport. It looked good. Once I made the turnpoint I realized that these clouds formed a cloud street, a very long cloud street that stretched south and north of me. I'd seen this cloud street before in previous meets at Big Spring.

The cloud street didn't exactly go back to the airport but to the east side of Big Spring. Still it was a great little lift highway and I used it for all it was worth. I stayed under it until I was almost due northeast of the airport and would have mostly a cross wind component going into goal.

Climbing at 400 fpm I left when my 5030 said it is 9.8:1 to goal. Gliding at 42 mph I headed across the town of Big Spring from the refinery and got a very good view of it as I came into goal with 250 feet to spare after an eight and a half mile glide. That was close enough for me. I was the first pilot into goal, much to my surprise.

Eighteen minutes later Mark Stump and Jim Yocom came in. Campbell and Oliver came into together about half an hour after I came in just as the flex wing pilots started to come in.

Andre Wolf was the first flex wing pilot followed by Attila, Brett, Kraig, Jonny, Bruno, Chris Smith, Mario and Leo (see the results above). A few pilots landed a little bit short, including Nene, Bubba (whose on the task committee), Robert Reisinger, Phil Bloom, and Gerolf.

David Glover had the top thirty pilots (at least) start the task at 2:15, and all but one pilot, Jim Prahl, who made goal, started at that time.

The single surface task was a sixty mile task out to the north, northwest with a turnpoint at La Mesa. The winner, and the only pilot to make goal was Anne-Odile Thomas on an Icaro Relax. She told me before going out to fly the task that there was no way that she was going to make it and that she'd probably just land a short ways out from the airport. Wow!

The Sport Class was sent 90 miles north to the goal at Town, an airport just south of Lubbock. The top sport class pilots haven't returned this evening, so we assume that they made it.

Roberto Nichele had a discussion with a dust devil that he lost. He told David Glover that he tried three times to enter into a dust devil at 1000' AGL and got spit out all three times. He tried one more time and the dust devil tiring of this foolishness tossed him about bad enough that Nick through his chute in order to soften his landing. If you see dust here in Texas you can be assured that the lift is a bit too strong. This is not Chelan with its very powdery soil.

Tomorrow looks like even stronger south winds so we might be going long down. There were multiple long thick cloud streets over Big Spring late this afternoon and well into the evening. We would all love to get under one of those clouds and just glide for as long as the cloud lasts. That takes a good weather forecast in the morning.

New Arkansas Cross Country Record

July 1, 2006, 10:56:47 pm EDT

Arkansas

Mark  Stumps goes 178 miles

Mark Stump|record

Anonymous sends:

July 01 2006 From the Region formerly know as Region 6, Mark Stump allegedly flies 178 miles from Mount Magazine Arkansas off into Missouri somewhere on his Altos.

Discuss Arkansas at the Oz Report forum

The Flytec Championships 2006, day 5, task 4

Ring around the Green Swamp

Flytec, day 5

Thu, Apr 20 2006, 9:16:53 pm EDT

A.I.R. ATOS VR|Brett Hazlett|Campbell Bowen|Davis Straub|Flytec Championships 2006|Gary Osoba|Jacques Bott|James Lamb|Jim Lamb|Johann Posch|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kevin Carter|Larry Bunner|Mark Stump|Oleg Bondarchuk|Oliver Gregory|Phill Bloom|photo|Quest Air|Robin Hamilton|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown|Timothy Ettridge|weather

Scores

The flight and the task on the HOLC and on Google Earth.

On Wednesday thirty two gliders follow Jonnie here.

We under call the day again, as we thought we would. The forecast calls for cloud base between 6,500' and 7,000' in the afternoon, with sea breeze convergence setting up in the middle of the state. The lift was supposed to average 500-600 fpm.

We decide to go around the Green Swamp as Gary Osoba and the Tampa Bay National Weather Service guys are both calling for sea breeze convergence and Gary says he thinks that it will be west of Quest. The flexies have a 79 mile task and the rigid a 92 mile one. We want to make the tasks long enough to get full validity for the day, which means three hours for the rigids and two and a half for the flex wings.

We send the the rigids right over the Green Swamp to Dean Still and Rockridge intersection, but we are kind to the flexies and have their first turnpoint at Dean Still and highway 33 so that they don't have to cut across the swamp. Our collective next turnpoint is Clinton over the Green Swamp to the west, then thirty miles to the north to the Coleman and then back southeast to Quest. The flexies only have to go north to Kokee and then straight east to Quest.

With no clouds near us at noon we postpone the rigid launches until 1 PM, as pilots are reluctant to get launched when there aren't any visible signs of lift, especially on a day that calls for clouds. The rigids get launched within ten minutes and the flexies start launching fifteen minutes after we start. We've only got a fifteen minutes gap between the classes today, so it's good that we have different first turnpoints.

At 1 PM there are a few wispies around and cloud base is 4,500'. The lift is weak and only three rigids take the first start time at 1:30, a half hour after we open the launch. The rest of us take the second start time at 2 PM, fifteen minutes before the flex wings open their first start window. The start intervals are a half hour for them also.

I catch a little bit of lift just before the 2 PM start time and am able to head southwest with 4,000'. The lift is still weak but I'm heading for the Green Swamp and the cu's in that direction. I see that Jacques Bott is heading south instead, around the swamp, as I follow Johann on the course line. Then Johann heads south as I head into the swamp to get under some wispies.

I find more weak lift but a few pilots who are willing to head out over the swamp join me as we climb up. I get high enough to run deeper into the swamp to a black cloud and with no one in tow climb at 500 fpm to 5,200'. I'm feeling good.

There are plenty of clouds ahead on the way to the turnpoint, but I don't find much lift under them. Two miles from Dean Still and Rockeridge I meet up with Jacques, but don't find much of the lift he appears to be turning in. Then the bottom drops out from under me as I head into the swamp after the turnpoint. Larry Bunner is there with me and he is falling like a rock also. I go to the driest spot out in the swamp to find the lift and we start climbing from 1,400'. This allows all the guys behind to catch up with us.

They are awfully nice about it staying right above us as we work our way back to cloud base. I bet that this won't happen in the Worlds. Getting back to 5,000' I push hard to the west to get us under the nice black clouds out there before the second turnpoint at Clinton. If the lift isn't good I just keep going.

Four miles before Clinton I get under a nice dark cloud that is the beginning of a cloud street to Clinton. I work the 300 FPM until Campbell finds the 700 fpm right next to me. We climb to 6,000'. Tjaden got there above us and was out of there in a hurry. We see him running in front of us.

The convergence has set up and we are in it. We make the turnpoint going upwind against a 5 mph northwest wind under the street all the way, once we turn, the street continues for twenty miles directly on the course line to the north. It is about half a mile wide and on the west side, toward the Gulf of Mexico (thirty miles away), there are only a few cu's. The street is dark, thick and solid. We porpoise fly under it and then stop for the strong bits. We pass Jacques below us as we race together down the street.

Jim Lamb who started early is out in front but Johann and Tjaden soon catch and pass him. I'm right behind them with Kevin Dutt and now Jim following me. At the end of the street eleven miles from Coleman I catch up with Johann and Paul and we head out into the blue after finding weak lift in the last cloud.

Paul dives toward Coleman. There are clouds to the east of Coleman, but it is not clear that we can make it to the clouds after getting the turnpoint as the sink is strong. Johann is slowly following Paul and I'm keeping an eye on both of them. Three and a half miles out and down to 3,000' with my 5030 saying we'll arrive at Coleman at 1,700' I decide that they are diving into a hole that they might not get out of. I spot a tiny forming cu to my left over Lake Panasofskee to the northwest and get under it to climb back to 4,400'. I'm sure that I'm going to see two gliders on the ground by Coleman.

I head to Coleman and still get pounded but make the turnpoint with 2,800'. I'm still in search mode running downwind to find a thermal. Fortunately Jim Lamb gives me some directions and while it isn't right where he is climbing at 500 fpm I'm able to find the thermal at 1,400' in a ten mph west (downwind) wind. Russell comes and joins me and we slowly climb out. I earlier saw Johann and Paul climbing east of us but couldn't find that thermal. They got a strong thermal right after the turnpoint at 2,000'.

There is a set of cu's heading southeast paralleling the Florida turnpike going in the general direction of Quest Air. We climb to 5,800, fifteen miles out and I go on final glide, heading off the course line a little to the east to deal with the light north northeast wind (also forecasted) and get over the drier areas. There is plenty of lift on the final glide to goal.

Jacques Bott gets fitted for lead. Photo by Timothy Ettridge

Thirteen of fourteen ridge wings make goal:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 Posch, Johann Air Atos Vr 03:08:30 934
2 Tjaden, Paul Air Atos Vx 03:08:40 915
3 Bott, Jacques Air Atos Vr 03:15:33 830
4 Dutt, Kevn Aeros Phantom 03:17:24 807
5 Straub, Davis Air Atos Vr 03:31:38 709
6 Brown, Russell Air Atos Vr 03:32:25 696
7 Gregory, Oliver Air Atos Vx 03:42:21 646
8 Lamb, James Air Atos Vr 03:57:50 625
9 Bowen, Campbell Air Atos Vx 03:49:41 611
10 Yocom, James Air Atos Vr 03:51:46 601
11 Giles, David Air Atos V 04:01:48 596
12 Bunner, Larry Air Atos Vr 03:57:28 577
13 Gleason, Ron Air Resume C/v 03:59:53 567

Totals:

Place Name Glider Total
1 Posch Johann Air Atos Vr 3051
2 Straub Davis Air Atos Vr 2654
3 Bott Jacques Air Atos Vr 2615
4 Brown Russell Air Atos Vr 2588
5 Lamb James Air Atos Vr 2408
6 Tjaden Paul Air Atos Vx 2194
7 Giles David Air Atos V 2180
8 Bunner Larry Air Atos Vr 2139
9 Yocom James Air Atos Vr 2134
10 Gregory Oliver Air Atos Vx 1887
11 Dutt Kevn Aeros Phantom 1700
12 Bowen Campbell Air Atos Vx 1566
13 Gleason Ron Air Resume C/v 1413
14 Stump Mark Air Atos V 1118

Flex wings (40+ in goal):

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 Bondarchuk, Oleg Aeros Combat Ukr 02:47:47 1000
2 Warren, Curt Moyes Litespeed S4 Usa 02:47:52 991
3 Guillen, Bruno Moyes Litespeed S4.5 Fra 02:47:53 987
4 Hamilton, Robin Moyes Litespeed S4 Gbr 02:48:00 979
5 Hazlett, Brett Moyes Litespeed S4.5 Can 02:48:02 975
6 Durand, Jonny Moyes Litespeed S4 Aus 02:49:12 950
7 Bloom, Phill Moyes Litespeed S4 Usa 02:49:41 940
8 Bajewski, Jorg Moyes Litespeed S5 Deu 02:50:35 925
9 Smith, Christopher Moyes Litespeed S4.5 Usa 02:51:11 916
10 De La Horie, Geffroy Aeros Combat L Fra 02:51:37 908
10 Carter, Kevin Wills Wing Talon Ii 154 Usa 02:51:37 908

Totals:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 Bondarchuk Oleg Aeros Combat Ukr 3030
2 Hazlett Brett Moyes Litespeed S4.5 Can 2979
3 Durand Jonny Moyes Litespeed S4 Aus 2872
4 Hamilton Robin Moyes Litespeed S4 Gbr 2748
5 Carter Kevin Wills Wing Talon Ii 154 Usa 2618
6 Warren Curt Moyes Litespeed S4 Usa 2593
7 Mathurin Didier Moyes Litespeed S4 Fra 2571
8 De La Horie Geffroy Aeros Combat L Fra 2559
9 Bloom Phill Moyes Litespeed S4 Usa 2512
10 Guillen Bruno Moyes Litespeed S4.5 Fra 2496

Discuss "The Flytec Championships 2006, day 5, task 4" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

Flytec Results

Nine rigids in goal within three minutes and seven seconds

Results

April 20, 2006, 5:57:17 EDT

A.I.R. ATOS VR|Brett Hazlett|Campbell Bowen|Davis Straub|Glen Volk|Jacques Bott|James Lamb|Johann Posch|Jon "Jonny" Durand jnr|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Oleg Bondarchuk|Oliver Gregory|Phill Bloom|Quest Air|Robin Hamilton|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown

Task 3:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 BOTT, Jacques AIR Atos VR 02:35:46 974
2 POSCH, Johann AIR Atos VR 02:36:58 932
3 YOCOM, James AIR Atos VR 02:37:12 917
4 GREGORY, Oliver AIR Atos VX 02:37:15 907
5 BROWN, Russell AIR Atos VR 02:37:59 889
6 TJADEN, Paul AIR Atos VX 02:38:27 877
7 GILES, David AIR Atos V 02:38:58 866
8 LAMB, James AIR Atos VR 02:38:59 862
9 STRAUB, Davis AIR Atos VR 02:39:03 859

Totals:

Place Name Glider Total
1 POSCH Johann AIR Atos VR 2117
2 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos VR 1945
3 BROWN Russell AIR Atos VR 1892
4 BOTT Jacques AIR Atos VR 1785
5 LAMB James AIR Atos VR 1783
6 GILES David AIR Atos V 1584
7 BUNNER Larry AIR Atos VR 1562
8 YOCOM James AIR Atos VR 1533
9 TJADEN Paul AIR Atos VX 1279
10 GREGORY Oliver AIR Atos VX 1241
11 BOWEN Campbell AIR Atos VX 955
12 DUTT Kevn Aeros Phantom 893
13 GLEASON Ron AIR Resume C/V 846
14 STUMP Mark AIR Atos V 790

The first nine flex wings within three minutes and eleven seconds of each other:

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 BONDARCHUK, Oleg Aeros Combat UKR 02:10:36 976
2 HAZLETT, Brett Moyes Litespeed S4.5 CAN 02:10:39 969
3 HAMILTON, Robin Moyes Litespeed S4 GBR 02:10:43 963
4 DURAND, Jonny Moyes Litespeed S4 AUS 02:11:55 935
5 BLOOM, Phill Moyes Litespeed S4 USA 02:12:51 919
6 WARREN, Curt Moyes Litespeed S4 USA 02:12:53 915
7 MATHURIN, Didier Moyes Litespeed S4 FRA 02:13:37 903
8 BAJEWSKI, Jorg Moyes Litespeed S5 DEU 02:13:38 901
9 PALMARINI, Jean-Franqois Aeros Combat L FRA 02:13:47 896
10 CAUX, Raymond Moyes Litespeed S 3.5 FRA 02:14:36 885

Totals:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 BONDARCHUK Oleg Aeros Combat UKR 2030
2 HAZLETT Brett Moyes Litespeed S4.5 CAN 2004
3 DURAND Jonny Moyes Litespeed S4 AUS 1922
4 HAMILTON Robin Moyes Litespeed S4 GBR 1769
5 MATHURIN Didier Moyes Litespeed S4 FRA 1745
6 CARTER Kevin Wills Wing Talon II 154 USA 1710
7 DE LA HORIE Geffroy Aeros Combat L FRA 1650
8 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed S4 USA 1601
9 BLOOM Phill Moyes Litespeed S4 USA 1572
10 VOLK Glen Moyes Litespeed S4 USA 1570

The Flytec Championships 2006, day 4, task 3

Wed, Apr 19 2006, 6:36:08 pm EDT

Flytec, day 4

We under call the day, as the day was much better than it looked like in the morning.

Flytec Championships 2006|Mark Stump|sailplane

Scores

The flight and the task on the HOLC and on Google Earth.

The sky is totally covered with cumulus clouds in the morning and Jonnie thinks that we can't even call a task. The forecast says different. It says that the stalled front over us will go off to the northeast and a high will build over us with light winds. The lift is forecasted to be strong to 4,500'.

We call a 60 mile sort of triangle task for the flex wings and a 70 mile sort of a triangle task for the rigid wings, both to the south. We send the flexies around counter clockwise and the rigids clockwise to the intersection of I4 and highway 27, south down 27 10 miles to an intersection surrounded by lakes, then west northwest to Fantasy of Flight and then home north to Quest up highway 33.

The flexies have to go straight south to Fantasy of Flight then east to the intersection of I4 and highway 27, then north to the intersection of 474 and 27, then northwest back to Quest. With little or no wind there should be no worries about getting downwind. We want to keep everyone away from certainb landing fields that have caused problems lately.

We launch at 12:30 with our first start window at 1 PM and only a 5 kilometer radius start circle. By 12:40 most of us rigid wing pilots are at cloud base wondering how to spend the next twenty minutes. We do work our way over to the edge of the start circle, staying at cloud base, and everyone takes the first clock. Almost everyone is together at cloud base.

We all pretty much stay together leaving the thermals when we get too close to the cloud until we get to highway 474. I work some weak lift to the east a bit while Ollie in front pulls a few folks over to my west. More peel off to him when they find the lift I'm in weak and I decide to push further east toward highway 27 where I think that the lift will be stronger and more consistent. Highway 27 is on the Florida Ridge, the high spots in Florida.

Jacques, Johann and Russell go with me as we quickly work our way down the highway hitting lift under most of the clouds and looking for the big one. We get to 4,000' just before our first turnpoint so things are looking pretty good. When we get to the turnpoint there are the guys we left behind at 474, and now the nine of us are together again and will be for the rest of the flight.

We head ten miles further south to the next turnpoint finding strong lift to 4,400' wondering if all this good lift is going to be spoiled by all the lakes. Getting high just before the turnpoint we have to jump across a good sized lake to the northwest but there are clouds every where and we find lift just on the other side of the lake.

A few pilots find better lift just behind us over the lake and this will catch them up and let them get a little ahead of Johann, Ollie, Paul, and I. We have to keep moving hoping for better lift but trying to stay with the few guys out in front. Just as we get a few miles east of Fantasy of Flight we climb out at 500 fpm to 4,700'. That will bring us back together almost.

As we make the turnpoint suddenly it feels like we are the dart board in a dart's tournament as these little pointy things start coming at us fast. We've run into the flex wings as they make their first turnpoint at Fantasy. It looks like they will do us little good finding thermals on the way home up 33.

We work our way north finding weak broken lift, nothing that gets me out of the little hole that I'm in a bit behind the other gliders. It's not until we get just south of the Seminole sailplane port that we find something that I'm really happy to be turning in (600 fpm). Ten miles out it looks like we've got a final glide from 4,200' to goal at Quest with a 5 mph west wind on our left side.

I'll take one more two minute 500 fpm climb on the way in, but all nine of us make it into goal within a couple of minutes of each other. Every rigid wing but one will make it to goal, and Mark Stump will land close to goal.

The flex wings will pound it out on their task and many will make goal also, although not in one big gaggle like the rigid wings. You can see the results at the link above (later on Wednesday evening).

We did the task in about 2 hours and 15 minutes, quite a bit less than three hours, our nominal time. The fastest flex wings appear to have done their task in less than two and a half hours, their nominal time.

Flying with the locals.

Discuss "The Flytec Championships 2006, day 4, task 3" at the Oz Report forum   link»  

2005 Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series

February 1, 2006, 6:00:16 AEDT

Ouachita

A year long competition

Mark Stump|Mike Kelsey|Ouachita Mts Series 2005|PG|Roy Mahoney

Mike Kelsey «kelseym», President Buffalo Mountain Flyers, writes:

It was amazing. We had flights on January 1st gaining “First Flight” awards, and we even had pilots out on December 31st hoping for that last chance at some duration points at the Heavener flying site in Oklahoma. All the pilots really enjoyed the format, and I have heard comments from other clubs around the country that have followed the progress of this “Grass Roots” competition that they too are hoping to implement a similar competition for their local area.

Here is how the competition went!

The First Annual Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series was a great success with 14 pilots successful in gaining points throughout the year. The top 4 positions were hotly contested.

Top honors went to Roy Mahoney, a 32 year veteran flying out of Poteau, Oklahoma. Flying his new Wills Wing U2, he garnered a total of 3500 points. He had a 120.5 mile flight for Distance points, had two Pre-defined Goal Tasks completed, and Duration Task points and Altitude Gain points from two different mountains. Add on top of that some bonus points for Best Overall Altitude Gain, Duration, and Distance, and there was no stopping this man on a mission.

2nd place was by a 30 year veteran of the Ouachita Mountains. Mark Stump, flying an Atos out of Greenbriar, Arkansas, checked in with 2700 points. Mark had 4 Pre-defined Goal task points awarded, two Open Distance Task points awarded from two different mountains, with an 84.1 mile flight and a 73.6 flight. Mark also had two sets of Altitude Task points and Duration Task points.

3rd place was awarded to beginner pilot Tim Carls, flying out of Mena, Arkansas for having the most flights under 1 minute. He was flying a Wills Wing Raven. Combined with his Work Day Points, he will be honored on the Podium along with the big dog trophies that go to 1st through 4th place.

4th place goes to a 31 year veteran of the Ouachita Mountains. Mel Hair, flying out of Tulsa, Oklahoma on his Wills Wing Super Sport, achieved two of the Pre-defined Goal tasks and two “First Flight (from a site)” Awards.

With the overwhelming success of this first season of the Ouachita Mountains Hang Glider Series, we will of course be establishing this as an annual event. For 2006, three additional venues will be added to the competition as well as some new tasks such as an Out & Return task for the Big 5 Mountains. Emphasis will be placed on rewarding our Hang 2’s and 3’s as well, and we are hoping to have our growing number of Paraglider pilots participating as well.

To see the final 2005 Task Results, go to: http://www.ouachitahanggliding.com/Series/Tasks/tasks.html

To see the 2006 Tasks, go to: http://www.ouachitahanggliding.com/Series/2006Tasks/2006tasks.html

NTSS »

Mon, Aug 15 2005, 11:00:00 am EDT

The US pilot ranking after the Big Spring Open

Bo Hagewood|Bruce Barmakian|Bubba Goodman|Campbell Bowen|Chris Zimmerman|Davis Straub|Dennis Pagen|Dustin Martin|George Stebbins|Glen Volk|Greg Kendall|James Lamb|Judy Hildebrand|Kari Castle|Kevin Carter|Lauren Tjaden|Lisa Verzella|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Paris Williams|Phill Bloom|Quest Air|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown

The women:

13 VASSORT Claire 1013
19 Castle Kari 823
25 SALAMONE Linda 694
50 PERMENTER Raean 269
61 VERZELLA Lisa 164
66 TJADEN Lauren 141
78 HILDEBRAND Judy 85

The first six women pilots (there are seven in the table above) form the US Women's National Team and get to fly in the Worlds in May at Quest Air. The draft rules allow a women's team of six with six additional individual pilots.

The rigid wing pilots:

1 Straub Davis 1552
2 ENDTER Vincent 1307
3 GLEASON Ron 1246
4 LAMB James 1149
5 Brown Russell 1138
6 Yocom Jim 1091
7 Bowen Campbell 1087
8 BARMAKIAN Bruce 855
9 GREGORY Oliver 713
10 TJADEN Paul 624
11 STUMP Mark 597
12 BUNNER Larry 536

The first six pilots form the US rigid wing team for the Worlds at Quest Air in May. The second six can fly in the Worlds as individuals (according to the draft rules).

The flex wing pilots:

1 Barber Mike 1925
2 Martin Dustin 1922
3 CARTER Kevin 1863
4 Volk Glen 1831
5 BLOOM Phill 1766
6 Warren Curt 1741
7 Williams Paris 1721
8 ZIMMERMAN Chris 1524
9 LANNING Tom 1394
10 Goodman Bubba 1321
11 PRESLEY Terry 1098
12 BURICK Carl 1089
13 VASSORT Claire 1013
14 KENDALL Greg 958
15 Stebbins George 949
16 Williams Michael 924
17 Pagen Dennis 861
18 ZABO Shawn 855
19 Castle Kari 823
20 Hagewood Bo 822

The flex wing pilots will not have a Worlds until 2007 (in Big Spring) and so their ranking this year doesn't matter so much. They get to use their best two flights from this year when determining their ranking at the end of 2006.

http://davisstraub.com/Glide/2006class1ntss.htm

http://davisstraub.com/Glide/2006class5ntss.htm

NTSS »

Tue, Aug 2 2005, 4:00:03 pm EDT

The US pilot ranking before the Big Spring Open

Bo Hagewood|Bruce Barmakian|Bubba Goodman|Campbell Bowen|Chris Zimmerman|Davis Straub|Dennis Pagen|Dustin Martin|George Stebbins|Glen Volk|James Lamb|Kari Castle|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Paris Williams|Phill Bloom|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown

Rigid:

1 Straub Davis 1370
2 Yocom Jim 1091
3 ENDTER Vincent 1071
4 Brown Russell 1058
5 GLEASON Ron 1051
6 Bowen Campbell 975
7 LAMB James 887
8 BARMAKIAN Bruce 855
9 GREGORY Oliver 713
10 STUMP Mark 597

Flex:

1 CARTER Kevin 1863
2 Martin Dustin 1838
3 Warren Curt 1741
4 Williams Paris 1394
5 BLOOM Phill 1390
6 Barber Mike 1384
7 Volk Glen 1308
8 LANNING Tom 1273
9 Goodman Bubba 1150
10 ZIMMERMAN Chris 1125
11 PRESLEY Terry 1098
12 Pagen Dennis 861
13 Williams Michael 842
14 Castle Kari 823
15 Straub Davis 811
16 VASSORT Claire 808
17 HAYWOOD John 787
18 Stebbins George 786
19 SLOCUM Jack 770
20 Hagewood Bo 690

Site Records

Mon, May 16 2005, 2:00:02 pm EDT

The new site records so far this year.

John Scott|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|record

http://www.geocities.com/extopaflyer/US_SiteRecords.html

John Scott «brettonwoods» writes:

ALASKA:
Eagle River - PG Rick Ray 38.8 Miles

CALIFORNIA:
Laguna Mountain - PG Jason Kinch 42.5 Miles

Marshall/Crestline - FW John Scott 70.4 Miles

Santa Barbara - PG Tom Truax 58 Miles (Out and Return)

NEW YORK:
Finger Lakes Flight Park - FW Linda Salamone/Kevin Carter 101 Miles

OKLAHOMA:
Heavener - RW Mark Stump 73 Miles

WASHINGTON:
Tiger Mountain - PG Tom McCune 48.1 Miles (second time this year for Tom)

Since this is already May here is a list of records have been broken so far this year. In the future I would just send a list at the end of each month. I'll also try and get as much information as I can.

Discuss records at the Oz Report forum

NTSS Ranking »

Wed, May 4 2005, 5:00:03 pm EDT

After the US Nationals and the South Florida International

Bo Hagewood|Bruce Barmakian|Bubba Goodman|Campbell Bowen|Chris Zimmerman|Davis Straub|Dustin Martin|George Stebbins|Glen Volk|James Lamb|Kari Castle|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Paris Williams|Phill Bloom|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown|US Nationals

Rigids (this year determines who gets to represent the US at the Worlds at Quest next year) :

1 Straub Davis 1344
2 Yocom Jim 1091
3 ENDTER Vincent 1071
4 GLEASON Ron 1051
5 Bowen Campbell 975
6 Brown Russell 973
7 LAMB James 887
8 BARMAKIAN Bruce 855
9 GREGORY Oliver 713
10 STUMP Mark 597

Flexies (doesn't matter that much when determining who goes to the 2007 Worlds in Texas):

1 CARTER Kevin 1863
2 Martin Dustin 1838
3 Warren Curt 1741
4 Barber Mike 1384
4 BLOOM Phill 1384
6 Volk Glen 1308
7 LANNING Tom 1271
8 ZIMMERMAN Chris 1125
9 PRESLEY Terry 1098
10 Williams Paris 1069
11 Goodman Bubba 915
12 Castle Kari 823
13 Straub Davis 811
14 VASSORT Claire 808
15 HAYWOOD John 787
16 Stebbins George 786
17 SLOCUM Jack 770
18 Williams Michael 739
19 Hagewood Bo 690
20 BURICK Carl 689

Full rankings found https://ozreport.com/compPilotRankings.php.

Supporters »

A.I.R. ATOS VR|Mark Stump|US Nationals

Thu, Apr 7 2005, 5:00:08 pm EDT

Thanks to so many of you.

Got a few more checks in with the snail mail today. Thanks to all of you who have contributed. Mark Stump wanted to make sure he got his contribution in in time to Save Ozzie. Tony wanted to be sure I reported on the AIR ATOS VR and compared it with the VX. He's flying my former VX (the glider than won every meet that it entered, including the US Nationals).

NTSS going into 2005

Sat, Nov 13 2004, 11:00:00 am EST

The preliminary ranking in anticipation of the upcoming competition season.

Bo Hagewood|Bruce Barmakian|Bubba Goodman|Campbell Bowen|Chris Zimmerman|Davis Straub|Dustin Martin|George Stebbins|Glen Volk|Jack Simmons|James Lamb|Kevin Carter|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Oliver Gregory|Paris Williams|Richard Burton|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown|Tom Pierce

https://ozreport.com/compPilotRankings.php

You can find the current rankings at the URL above. The rankings below just include the pilot's best two flights in 2004. Pilots can use these to determine approximately how well they will need to do to get on the US National teams for 2006.

Rigid Wing:
 

1 Straub Davis 777
2 GLEASON Ron 712
3 Yocom Jim 679
4 ENDTER Vincent 652
5 LAMB James 589
6 Bowen Campbell 534
7 Brown Russell 521
8 GREGORY Oliver 462
9 STUMP Mark 437
10 POUSTICHIAN Mark 431
11 BARMAKIAN Bruce 410
12 Evans Joe 275
13 BURTON Richard 273
14 Pierce Tom 222
15 MALLETT Denny 216

Flex wing:
 

1 Warren Curt 1057
2 Martin Dustin 909
3 Barber Mike 896
4 BLOOM Phil 849
5 Volk Glen 816
6 CARTER Kevin 813
7 PRESLEY Terry 780
8 Straub Davis 733
9 Hagewood Bo 690
10 ZIMMERMAN Chris 671
11 LANNING Tom 572
12 Goodman Bubba 568
13 Bunner Larry 567
14 SLOCUM Jack 543
15 Stebbins George 525
16 VASSORT Claire 513
17 Simmons Jack 509
18 HAYWOOD John 477
19 Williams Paris 474
19 Williams Michael 474

US Nationals »

Fri, Aug 6 2004, 6:00:00 pm EDT

The best lift so far as we skirt the OD and the blue and run with the clouds.

Belinda Boulter|Brett Hazlett|Bruce Barmakian|Campbell Bowen|Curt Warren|Davis Straub|Dr. John "Jack" Glendening|Dustin Martin|James Lamb|Kevin Carter|Kraig Coomber|Mark Stump|Mike Barber|Paris Williams|Robin Hamilton|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown|US Nationals

Interactive real time pages with a map of the area.

Another option to try. Also  http://aprs.net choose the central map then you can zoom in the action at W9if.

Pilots near goal.   Pilots will be using kf4nsp-1 through kf4nsp-7, click on the icon to see name of pilot.

Alternative way to watch:

Click on any of the pilots

KF4NSP Kevin Carter
KF4NSP-1 Paris Williams
KF4NSP-2 Curt Warren
KF4NSP-3 Brett Hazlett
KF4NSP-4 Kraig Coomber

Meet page.

Results.

Curt has a few words and pictures daily, during the Nats at: www.WarrenWindsports.com.

Today's task and flight.

Dr. Jack calls for over development and perhaps a cu nimb over Big Spring. The FSL RUC also indicated that the clouds will go vertical in Big Spring and Midland (33 miles to the west southwest). The local forecast calls for a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms and 30% chance of precipitation. Dr. Jack and FSL RUC are much more recently updated (on an hourly basis).

There are no cumulus clouds in the sky at 10:30 AM when the task committee met to try to figure out a task that would take us in a direction away from the OD. The BLIPMAPS don't help much because they only show the situation at 1 PM, and the OD won't be happening until 3 or 4 PM. We have to rely on what happened the previous day to get an idea of where the clouds will blow up today.

In the end we chose a new task at the last minute after looking at the sky and making a guess looking at where the first cu's were forming. We decided on a straight out task 73 miles to the south to Big Lake. There was a slight southwesterly wind on the ground, and the models were calling for east winds 5 to 10 mph.

Given the high chance of cu-nimbs and therefore the possibility of stopping the task, we called Race tasks for both classes getting everyone on the course in each class at the same time. That way everyone has the same chance to go the distance the task is stopped.

I was the first pilot to be towed up and I just held on as Joe keeps climbing in sink at 300 fpm. I must have been at 3,500' AGL before I released in the least sink that we run into. I hung in a nearby spot for fifteen minutes essentially staying at the same altitude before I found the first good lift. Sometimes you just have to wait for the day to turn on.

I had Campbell Bowen and Mark Poustichian nearby and Bruce charged ahead to the radius of the five mile start circle to get under a cloud. Finally we also pushed forward when we see that Bruce was at cloud base and slowly climbed to 8,000' under the cloud.

A few minutes before the start window opened at 2:15 Campbell found strong lift and Campbell, Bruce, Mark and I climbed up to cloudbase right at the start circle for a great start.

Mark was twenty feet over my head and a little to the east. Campbell and Bruce headed to the right to the west. The rest of the rigid pilots were behind and below.

I followed Mark from below straight down the course line. He was way out flying me, climbing faster and getting first one mile and then more ahead. I was able to keep him in sight for the first hour and twenty five miles before he left the thermal I was in five miles south of Garden City. I didn't see him for the rest of the flight. The only other pilots I saw were far below me (except for the Swifts).

Earlier Mark had gone on an eight mile glide getting lower and lower flying on the course right through the blue seemingly ignoring the clouds to the east and west. I was following, but as Mark got lower and lower I shaded to the left to get under some forming wisps and stopped for some lift waiting to see if Mark would find the lift under the cloud that he was heading for. I appeared to me that he was taking too great a chance with such a long glide in the blue. In the end he did find very good lift and I came in under him.

Now on my own I found better lift and got much higher. I saw the Swifts (Brian and Junko - on her crutches) thirty miles out from goal high above me (they started with us). We found a nice thermal together and climbed to 9,600'. At the top of the thermal I could see one of the Swifts flying through the blue, but I decided to head a bit to the east to get under better clouds and stay high.

Twenty miles to the east was a cu-nimb shading much of the ground. Ahead there were a nice selection of clouds while to the west it was a bit bluer. It looked like we had picked the exactly right task to get between the OD and the blue with a good lift street.

Getting under the clouds was the correct strategy. I found strong lift, was able to stay high and go on glide from fourteen miles out from 9,200' to goal at an elevation at 2,700'. I asked Belinda who was at goal, assuming that Mark would be there soon. He wasn't there yet.

I came in about twelve minutes behind the Swifts after leaving a thermal five minutes behind them twenty nine miles out. When I got to goal, I was the first rigid in. Eight minutes later Mark arrived. It turned out Mark had gone on one of his long glides and almost landed getting down to 600' AGL. He was probably five miles ahead of me before he had to climb out of this hole.

Bruce came in next after taking a course way off the course line to the west.

A half hour later, Curt Warren was the first flex wing in quickly followed by Brett and Kraig. Twenty five flex wing pilots made it in.

The OD continued and covered over the course line as we drove back. There was a gust front at the airport at 6:30 PM at about 45 mph. They had to hold down the tugs.

Day Six Rigids:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 STRAUB Davis AIR ATOS VX 02:10:26 975
2 POUSTICHIAN Mark AIR ATOS VX 02:18:11 855
3 BARMAKIAN Bruce AIR Atos C 02:29:05 759
4 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C (old) 02:33:20 721
5 GREGORY Ollie AIR ATOS V 02:34:43 705
6 BROWN Russell AIR ATOS V 02:35:14 696
7 ENDTER Vincent Icaro Stratos 02:48:53 616
8 STUMP Mark AIR Atos C 03:04:57 534
9 LAMB James AIR ATOS VX 03:18:55 471

Cumulative Rigids:

Place Name Glider Total
1 STRAUB Davis AIR ATOS VX 5375
2 POUSTICHIAN Mark AIR ATOS VX 4876
3 BARMAKIAN Bruce AIR Atos C 4664
4 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C (old) 4066
5 YOCOM James AIR ATOS V 4028
6 ENDTER Vincent Icaro Stratos 3711
7 LAMB James AIR ATOS VX 3622
8 BROWN Russell AIR ATOS V 3475
9 BURTON Rich Icaro Stratos 3108
10 BOWEN Campbell AIR ATOS VX 2815

Day Six Flex Wings:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed S 02:19:27 1000
2 HAZLETT Brett Moyes Litespeed S 02:19:58 978
3 COOMBER Kraig Moyes Litespeed S 02:20:00 972
4 BLOOM Phil Moyes Litespeed S 02:21:08 949
5 HAMILTON Robin Moyes Litespeed S 02:21:15 942
6 MARTIN Dustin Moyes Litespeed S 02:26:48 883
7 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat L 02:30:19 852
8 CARTER Kevin Aeros Combat L 02:32:27 834
9 ROSSIGNOL Jerz Aeros Combat L 02:34:19 818
10 BARBER Mike Moyes Litespeed S 02:36:09 804

Cumulative Flex wings:

Place Name Glider Total
1 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed S 5366
2 HAMILTON Robin Moyes Litespeed S 5282
3 MARTIN Dustin Moyes Litespeed S 4921
4 COOMBER Kraig Moyes Litespeed S 4882
5 HAZLETT Brett Moyes Litespeed S 4850
6 BLOOM Phil Moyes Litespeed S 4720
7 ROSSIGNOL Jerz Aeros Combat L 4707
8 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat L 4695
9 BARBER Mike Moyes Litespeed S 4616
10 CARTER Kevin Aeros Combat L 4450

Will fly for subscriptions »

Wed, Mar 5 2003, 10:00:00 pm GMT

Agustion Nieto|Bob Trumbly|Brad Hall|Brook Rice|Bruce King|Chuck Overton|Dan Jester|Dave Brandt|David "Dave" Swanson|Duncan McBride|Finbar Sheehy|George Blackfor|Jack Knopinski|Jeff Nielson|John Berger|John Dullahan|John Fennel|John Hesch|John Needles|Jules Kilpatrick|Larry Smith|Larry Witherspoon|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Mark Stump|Martyn Yeomans|Mary Jackson|Paul Voight|Perry Jones|Phil Bloom|Rhanor Gillette|Rick Christen|Riker Davis|Scott Sigal|Urs Bleichenbacher|Vince Collins|Vincene Muller|Wallace Stephens

Oz Report readers who have helped out on Wednesday: Urs Bleichenbacher ($15, Germany, “Despite you did not tell my whole V-Tail story {maybe you do not want to hurt Felix too much), I appreciate your work and your fire for our sport.”), John Hesch ($30, delivered via Flytec), Scott Sigal ($25 Euros, today 1 euro = $1.10 dollar, wasn’t it 18 months ago that 1 euro = $0.85 USD?, France – my first French subscription, “Since I've discovered your e-zine I manage to "escape" a bit for a "fly" every day. As for the criticism of your "strong opinions"… well… one can always read a "normal rag"!), Martyn Yeomans ($20), Duncan McBride ($20, “Please send me the coffee mug, and keep printing lots of pictures of those hangglidding bikini babes too. Thanks a bunch.”)

And from the snail mail that got here today, many with very kind notes, which I’m not going to retype here: Dan Jester, Dave Brandt ($20), John Needles ($20), Jack Knopinski, Larry Smith ($40), Finbar Sheehy, Jules Kilpatrick, John Fennel ($20 – US bill shipped from England), Bob Trumbly, Riker Davis (Ski Apache), George Blackfor, Team Spirit Hang Gliding, Penquin, John Berger, Bruce King, JJ, Phil Bloom, Rick Christen, Wallace Stephens ($20), Perry Jones, Dave Swanson, Mark Stump, Brook Rice ($17.50), Mary Jackson, Vincene Muller, Chuck Overton, Pete Lehmann, Brad Hall ($20), Agustion Nieto, Rhanor Gillette, Vince Collins ($20), Paul Voight, Jeff Nielson, John Dullahan ($20), and Larry Witherspoon.

You can see how to send in $10 for a yearly subscription to the Oz Report below.

Discuss "Will fly for subscriptions" at the Oz Report forum   link»