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Wills Wing

Oz Report

topic: Wills Wing Talon (46 articles)

2014 East Coast Championship

Day 7 and final results

Sat, Jun 7 2014, 9:27:48 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat GT 15|Aeros Combat L|Aeros Discus|Airwave Vision Pulse|Bob Filipchuk|Brian Boudreau|Bruce Barmakian|Charles Allen|Cory Barnwell|Dana Harris|Dan Lukaszewicz|Dave Proctor|Davis Straub|East Coast Championships 2014|Felix Cantesanu|Greg Dinauer|Greg Sessa|Highland Aerosports Flight Park|Hugh Mcelrath|Icaro Laminar Z8|J.D. Guillemette|Jim Messina|Joe Schmucker|John Claytor|John Dullahan|John Waters|Knut Ryerson|Michelle Haag|Moyes Litespeed|Moyes Litespeed S|Moyes Litesport 4|Richard Elder|Richard Milla|Soraya Rios|Tom McGowan|Tom Mcgowan|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Sport 2|Wills Wing T2C|Wills Wing Talon|Wills Wing U2

http://soaringspot.com/ecc2014/

Task 7:

1. Greg Dinauer Aeros Combat 12.7 02:26:13 1000
2. Davis Straub Wills Wing T2C 144 02:26:22 994.02
3. Charles Allen Icaro Laminar Z8 12.8 02:40:06 837.19
4. Tom Mcgowan Moyes Litespeed 03:34:53 546.85

Final Totals:

1. Bruce Barmakian Wills Wing T2C 136 4913.06
2. Greg Dinauer Aeros Combat 12.7 4560.29
3. Davis Straub Wills Wing T2C 144 3821.55
4. Jd Guillemette Moyes Litespeed S4 3037.99
5. John Waters Aeros Combat L 15 3026.09
6. Jim Messina Moyes Litespeed S 4.5 2953.45
7. Charles Allen Icaro Laminar Z8 12.8 2941.23
8. Bob Filipchuk Aeros Combat GT 15 2397.18
9. Dave Proctor Wills Wing T2C 154 1449.28
10. Tom Mcgowan Moyes Litespeed 967.38
11. John Claytor Wills Wing Talon 160 276.18

Task 7 Sport:

1. Hugh Mcelrath Wills Wing Sport 2 01:39:20 1060
2. Brian Boudreau Wills Wing Sport 2 155 01:43:18 980.21
3. Dana Harris Wills Wing Sport 2 155 02:17:47 660.81
4. Cory Barnwell Airwave Vision Pulse 02:21:01 640.73
5. Soraya Rios Wills Wing Sport 2 135 02:29:32 592.70
6. Richard Elder Wills Wing Sport 2 03:00:45 468.69

Final Sport:

1. Felix Cantesanu Aeros Discus 3798.89
2. Hugh Mcelrath Wills Wing Sport 2 3519.46
3. Cory Barnwell Airwave Vision Pulse 3258.15
4. Brian Boudreau Wills Wing Sport 2 155 3044.54
5. Dana Harris Wills Wing Sport 2 155 2810.15
6. Richard Milla Wills Wing Sport 2 2804.88
7. Knut Ryerson Wills Wing Sport 2 2440.09
8. Soraya Rios Wills Wing Sport 2 135 2417.55
9. Richard Elder Wills Wing Sport 2 2203.56
10. Greg Sessa Wills Wing U2 1982.97
11. Michelle Haag Wills Wing Sport 2 135 1156.05
12. John Dullahan Moyes Litesport 4 649.96
13. Dan Lukaszewicz Wills Wing Sport 2 482.98
14. Joe Schmucker Wills Wing Sport 2 175 462.76

Cross currents, part 5

Fri, Dec 3 2004, 1:00:01 pm EST

It's better in America for foreign pilots.

A.I.R. ATOS VX|economy|Wills Wing Talon

I chose AIR ATOS VX and Wills Wing Talon as representative gliders because the prices of these gliders are given on line at the manufacturers' web sites.

Cross currents, part 3

Sun, Nov 28 2004, 9:00:01 pm EST

The euro versus the dollar

A.I.R. ATOS VX|CIVL|economy|record|Wills Wing Talon

Many Americans have a bad opinion of the European economies. Apparently the world has a worse opinion of the American economy:

The euro reached a record of being worth $1.30 the week before the week of Thanksgiving. After that the exchange rate kept hitting new historical highs (or lows, depending on how you look at it).

This will make it relatively cheap for European pilots to come to the US and fly in the pre-Worlds in Florida in the spring of 2005, and maybe even cheaper (that's the long term prospect) to fly in the flex wing Worlds in Texas in 2007 (if that's how the vote at the CIVL Plenary goes in February).

Bank of England

Reserve currency

Cool commodities

From the Age

Cross currents, part 4

Wed, Nov 24 2004, 1:00:00 pm EST

The short term history

A.I.R. ATOS VX|economy|Wills Wing Talon

Things go up and down, but prices have gone up for US pilots who want to buy overseas lately. Perhaps they should be buying closer to home. More on European and Australian pilots buying in the US later.

Cross currents, part 2

Wed, Nov 24 2004, 11:00:02 am EST

A longer term look at the Australian dollar versus the US dollar.

A.I.R. ATOS VX|economy|Wills Wing Talon

http://slate.msn.com/id/2110076/

Dollar weakens

When I first started going to Australia in 1996/1997 the Australian dollar was worth seventy five cents. In the summer of 2000/2001 it was fifty cents. Merely 55 cents the next year. Now (November 20th) it is 78 cents, back to what it was before the tech bubble began expanding, before the election of George W. Bush, and the beginning of the soft dollar policy in January 2001.

Whatever the currents in the world that are causing this situation it has a definite meaning. Americans are less rich (which makes other folks feel better) and less able to afford going overseas. and less able to afford gliders made outside the US.

I remember that the Australians and the Canadians were not too happy when their dollar was only worth half of what ours was. They felt that we had an unfair and undeserved advantage. They are feeling better now.

Cross currents

Mon, Nov 22 2004, 10:00:01 am EST

It's a small world.

A.I.R. ATOS VX|economy|Wills Wing Talon|Worlds

Price of an ATOS VX on October, 1st 2004: $15,520 (plus tax and shipping)
On November 19th: $16,150 (plus tax and shipping)

Cost of towing in Hay at the Worlds prepaid on October 1st, 2004: $750
On November 19th: $806

Currency conversion

Currency rate history

More to come.

Weak Gilders - take VAT

Tue, Mar 23 2004, 11:00:00 am GMT

It's hard all over.

Bart Doets|Donnita Holland|Wills Wing Talon

Bart Doets <bart.doets@zonnet.nl> writes:

Maybe the Americans should not feel so bad about their dollar's health. I ordered a Wills Wing Talon early February (due any day now… hoy hoy) and expected to have a benefit of the weak dollar. In fact the Dutch importer waited until it seemed the dollar stopped sinking and then ordered, promising to hand the benefit on to his clients.

Now, you should know that all European countries have a tax called VAT, Value Added Tax . If I would buy an Icaro glider, Italian VAT would be deducted before shipping, then Dutch VAT would be added, which (apart from minor national differences) would end up at roughly the same level.

Only after my order was made, did I find out that the USA does not have any VAT, so there is nothing deducted, but Dutch VAT is added upon sale in Holland! Which boils down to paying a price in euros that is quite near the original price in dollars.

All right, I chose a Talon regardless price differences, and it is still cheaper then a Zero7 or a Litespeed. I just think you Americans should know it's not like we Europeans can buy at our hearts content in dollars worth.

(editor's note: I don't get it. So Bart thought he was getting a real special deal, and he only got a pretty darn good deal as the US dollar fell into a black hole. You can find Wills Wing prices at: http://wwww.willswing.com/prod2.asp?theClass=hg&theModel=talon. No prices, but the Zero 7 can be found at http://www.Icaro2000.com/Products/Hang%20gliders/Zero7/Zero7.htm and the Litespeed at http://www.moyes.com.au/productdetail.asp?id=104&pg=2&cat=

I produced two articles last August on flex wing glider pricing. You'll find them at https://OzReport.com/toc.php?Ozv7n221.shtml#1 and https://OzReport.com/toc.php?7.223#1 )

Discuss the weak dollar and imported gliders at the Oz Report forum

Wills Wing Talon - the Brazilian glider »

Thu, Dec 11 2003, 6:00:02 pm EST

Leonardo Dabbur|Rob Kells|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

Aeros Combat|Leonardo Dabbur|Rob Kells|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

Aeros Combat|Leonardo Dabbur|Rob Kells|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

Rob Kells « Rob» forwards this:

Last weekend finished Sao Paolo State Champ, and once again Talon done well...

Results of the Final at Santos

1st Nene Rotor - Talon 140 - 1429 pts
2nd Leonardo Dabbur - Talon 150 - 1428 pts
3rd Tuffy Elias - Aeros Combat 2 - 1336 pts

We had two very exciting tasks were Nene and Leonardo was separated by seconds. The first day Nene did better and Leo was 2nd, but on the last day they changed positions, always crossing the goal line almost together at the beautiful beach of Itarare.

"The speed of them crossing the goal line was amazing" With this results Leo Dabbur became Sao Paolo State Champion 2003.

more info www.fpvl.com.br

Discuss the Talon at the Oz Report forum

2003 US Nationals – Paris wins flex wing championship »

Sun, Aug 3 2003, 10:00:00 pm GMT Place Place Place

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Brian Porter|Bruce Barmakian|cloud|competition|gaggle|Jerz Rossignol|Kraig Coomber|Moyes Litespeed|Paris Williams|Phillip "Phill" Bloom|record|Robin Hamilton|Swift|US National Champion|US Nationals|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.flytec.com/usnats03/scores.html

Paris Williams, the number US ranked flex wing hang glider pilot, won the US National Championships and is the US Flex wing National Champion. Bruce Barmakian is the US National Rigid Wing Champions and Brian Porter is the US National Swift Champion.

Paris has been US National Champion three years in a row, which I believe is a record. He won the US Nationals when they were last held in Texas two years ago at Hearne.

So how did Paris do it? He flew faster than anyone else. Sound like a tautology? It isn’t.

I’ve flown with Paris a lot. Given the extra performance of the AIR ATOS, I can stay with Paris whenever the rigids and flex wings fly together. We flew together on the first two days and I got to see him on other days at the Nationals. So I have a real good idea about how he flies.

Paris is a racer (although he quickly slowed down in Wisconsin in the weak lift at the Midwest Regionals). He wants to go fast and is willing to go in front. He goes for the big lift and is reluctant to stop for the weak stuff. He leaves the thermal when they get weak. He doesn’t wait around for anyone else. He’s not thinking about the gaggle. He’s thinking about how to go as fast as possible.

I’m always happy to fly with Paris because I want someone out there with me when I’m leading and Paris never hesitates. Time and time again I’ve gone out with him and it always works. (I held back in Wisconsin, and Paris had to come back to the gaggle when it proved to be very weak out in front.)

Paris will most often take the last start time as that is the time when the best pilots go, but sometimes he will go for the extra points afforded the pilots who go early and go fast.

Paris often starts off a meet in the hole and has to dig himself out because he flies too fast on the first day and doesn’t make goal. In this meet he flew fast on the first day, was leading from the start.

false

Paris at Big Spring at the US Nationals

Paris flying the Aeros Combat 2 at Big Spring

Big Spring provided us with strong lift, high cloud bases, and lots of thermal markers, i.e. cu’s. These are perfect conditions for a racer. You can ignore the gaggle because you are flying the clouds. You can ignore weak lift because you are high and there is something better coming along. You can leave when it slows down, because there is something faster ahead.

So you had better be ready to run as hard as you can. Forget about hitting the deck. Fly hard and fly to win.

You also might notice that Bo, who was flying with Paris when he could, had a much better meet than he’s had lately. He was smoking up the course also. Kraig Coomber and Robin Hamilton provided strong “foreign” competition.

More on the US Nationals in a later issue.

Flex wings day seven:

0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
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Name

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Glider

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Time

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Total

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1

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COOMBER Kraig

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Moyes Litespeed

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2:11:28

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930

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2

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WILLIAMS Paris

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Aeros Combat 2

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2:16:35

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920

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3

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HAMILTON Robin

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Moyes Litespeed 4

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2:12:00

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909

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4

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VOLK Glen

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Moyes Litespeed

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2:17:20

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906

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5

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HAGEWOOD Bo

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Aeros Combat 2

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2:18:13

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891

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6

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WARREN Curt

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Moyes Litespeed 4

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2:12:56

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888

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7

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LEE Jim

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Wills Wing Talon

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2:13:31

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876

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8

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ROSSIGNOL Jerz

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Aeros Combat

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2:16:50

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833

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9

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BLOOM Phill

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Wills Wing Talon

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2:23:09

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779

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10

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ZIMMERMAN Chris

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Wills Wing Talon 150

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2:23:58

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771

Cumulative

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Place

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Name

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Glider

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Total

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1

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WILLIAMS Paris

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Aeros Combat 2

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5929

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2

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WARREN Curt

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Moyes Litespeed 4

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5715

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3

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COOMBER Kraig

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Moyes Litespeed

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5662

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4

0in 5.4pt; height:13.2pt">

VOLK Glen

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Moyes Litespeed

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5566

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5

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HAGEWOOD Bo

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Aeros Combat 2

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5531

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6

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HAMILTON Robin

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Moyes Litespeed 4

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5324

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7

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LEE Jim

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Wills Wing Talon

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5245

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8

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SAUER Rich

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Icaro MRX

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5073

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9

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ZIMMERMAN Chris

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Wills Wing Talon 150

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4916

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10

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ROSSIGNOL Jerz

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Aeros Combat

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4895

Rigids on day seven:

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Total

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1

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STRAUB Davis

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AIR Atos C

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2:11:42

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1000

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2

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BOWEN Campbell

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Flight Design Access

0in 5.4pt; height:13.2pt">

2:23:41

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840

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3

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BURTON Richard

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Icaro Stratos

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2:30:59

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775

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4

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YOCOM James

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AIR Atos C

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2:31:06

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765

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5

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GLEASON Ron

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AIR Atos

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2:38:16

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710

Cumulative:

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Place

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1

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BARMAKIAN Bruce

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AIR Atos C

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5804

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2

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ENDTER Vincent

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Icaro Stratos

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5504

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3

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SEABERG David

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Icaro Stratos

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4991

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4

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BOWEN Campbell

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Flight Design Access

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4761

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5

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STRAUB Davis

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AIR Atos C

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4673

Swifts:

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1

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PORTER Brian

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Aeriane Swift

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4627

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2

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MULHOLLAND Mark

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Aeriane Swift Lite

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4548

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3

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NAKAMURA Junko

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Aeriane Swift Lite

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4428

Discuss "2003 US Nationals – Paris wins flex wing championship" at the Oz Report forum   link»

2003 US Nationals – courage on a blue day »

Fri, Aug 1 2003, 8:00:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Belinda Boulter|Bobby Bailey|Buddy Cutts|Carol Sperry|cloud|CompeGPS|competition|dust devil|FAI|gaggle|Kraig Coomber|Mike Tryon|Moyes Litespeed|Paris Williams|Phillip "Phill" Bloom|Swift|tow|triangle|US Nationals|Vincent "Vince" Endter|Wallaby Ranch|weather|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.flytec.com/usnats03/scores.html

First, a few corrections from the last report on the Nationals. The mystery glider was Vince Endter. That mystery was cleared up today when we got together with Tim Meany and used CompeGPS to run the task back on the screen. Quite amazing to live the race over again and see who did what. Campbell and Bruce took a completely different track than the rest of us. And Bruce was way behind us for the longest time but apparently didn’t have to stop and thermal on the way back.

I believe that Buddy Cutts has made goal before, although what I wrote was what my informant told me. Jeremie Hill, you may know him as the chef at Wallaby Ranch, made goal for the first time. He is flying a borrowed Wills Wing Talon (borrow from Wills Wing), and I believe that this is his first competition (don’t hold me to that).

The task committee mistakenly interpreted Gary’s weather forecast as calling for a chance of over development. Sorry for our mistake there. We should have called a longer task, but then Carol Sperry might not have made it in.

There were a few mistypings and I also said that Rich Burton was low on my left. He actually was low on my right. Sorry about any other problems that I didn’t catch today.

Speaking of today. We had a magnificence if rowdy blue day.

The FSL forecast calls for a brisk south-southeast wind (10-13 knots) turning to southwest up high. It also shows an inversion that rises to over 12,000’ after 4 PM. I call for perhaps blue or thin clouds.

There are no clouds when the rigids are set to launch at 1 PM for their race start at 2 PM. It’s easy and fun to do a race with the rigids because there are only fifteen (fourteen with Mike Tryon out of it because of shoulder problems) and there is no crowding in the thermals even at the start gate.

Still given my forecast for the good likelihood of only thin clouds we (Kraig Coomber and I on the task committee) figure that’s just the way the day is and let’s go for it.

I get Bobby Bailey to tow me up and given that I’m the seven or eighth guy in line I let him tow me up as far as he will under the gaggle that is slowly rising in the center of the airstrip. He waves me off before he passes anyone.

The lift is actually pretty good at 200 fpm. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last and the next half hour before the race start we all slowly climb up to 5,000’ AGL. The flex wing guys on the ground are a lot happier to be starting later when perhaps it will be better. There are one or two thin cu’s in the distance. The inversion layer is obvious between 6 and 8,000’ MSL.

The task is a 70 mile FAI triangle (when you subtract the 5 mile start circle), and that may make it available for world records (see article below). The first leg is off to the northeast, then back to the northwest, with a 25 mile final leg to the southeast. If the wind does in fact clock around to the southwest up high maybe it won’t be quite so tough getting in.

We rigids find good lift for the first time right after the start circle which is a surprise (without clouds these thermal are darn invisible) and that gets us to 9,000’ MSL. Another blip a few miles later and the whole crew is sticking together and racing.

Vince and another glider are low off to the north but they get the next thermal first and it is a strong one. The rest of us continue on to find a worse thermal and one that is actually very unpleasant. This will be the story for the next few thermals getting to and around the first turnpoint. Very unpleasant with the gliders doing most of the flying on their own. I’m hoping that everyone realizes that it’s not a good idea to be too close to anyone else.

The rigids thin out with four rigids taking an upwind southern track and Jim Yokum, myself and another rigid or two following the course line. We’ll drift away from it to the north while thermaling as the wind out of the south in measuring well over 15 mph. At three o’clock the four of us hit our first really good thermal that actually gets as high as 700 fpm and I’ll climb out to almost ten thousand feet. I’m not able to keep track of the rigids to the south and there is one rigid that I don’t recognize just 100’ over me.

The last flex wing start time is 3 PM, and Paris will later say that this is when the lift really turns on for them. He’ll take the 3 PM start clock.

I go on a fifteen mile glide without seeing anyone else and from five miles out from the second turnpoint I can see a small dust devil and dust rising in another field from a couple of tractors. I go over to where the dust is rising from the tractors but don’t find anything. I then go to the field where I had seen the dust devil another one or two miles closer to the turnpoint. I’m down to 1,200’ AGL. The dust devil is no longer there, but I’m thinking that the lift will be. It is.

I’ll climb to 10,200’ MSL at times at 800 fpm just before the turnpoint and catch a glimpse of Vince and Bruce climbing just in front of me past the turnpoint. I’ll go on glide and come in under Vince twelve miles later in the only thermal that I’ll take on the last leg of the task. I’ll see 1000 fpm on the averager in this thermal.

The extreme turbulence that we experienced in thermals on the first leg disappeared at 3 PM, and the thermals have been much stronger, much smoother and we are getting much higher. I assume that the inversion breaking was related to this change in the characteristics of the thermals.

I will climb under Vince and Bruce to 10,500’ fifteen miles from goal. Paris will tell me later that when he comes along an hour after us he’ll find 1,200 fpm on the averager at the thermal at the turnpoint and 1,600 fpm on the thermal half way to goal. The clouds are just beginning to form when I get to the second turnpoint and there are a few wispies on the course going back to goal.

From fifteen miles out it’s a 10:1 glide to goal. Vince is two miles ahead and Bruce is about a mile ahead of me. I’m telling Belinda at goal to watch for two gliders and I’ll be right behind.

The lift is good going to goal until about 7 miles out where there is a stretch of 900 fpm down. I’m flying at about 55 mph air speed the whole fifteen miles only slowing up when the bumps from the lift get too hard.

Vince has a problem with his final glide calculator and stops to thermal as Bruce and then I pass unnoticed below him. Bruce will be first into goal and I’ll be a few minutes behind him. Vince will finally see that he can indeed make goal and come in a few minutes later. Then the wait is on for Ron to come in twenty minutes alter and Jim Yokum another twenty minutes later. Twelve out of fourteen rigids make goal.

While we are waiting for the rigids to come in the flexies start coming in with Paris Williams first. He found the strong lift and was able to run very fast. Curt warren came in with Paris but started 15 minutes earlier.

As the flexies came in two cloud streets set up along the course line coming into goal. We had seen the beginnings of these when we were coming in but now they were quite distinct. Still it didn’t help some flex wings who landed short. Bo just made it in by 4/10th of a mile. Rich Burton on a Stratos was just barely in the goal cylinder.

Flex wings:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 2 2:18:20 916
2 VOLK Glen Moyes Litespeed 2:21:47 833
3 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed 4 2:33:41 783
4 SAUER Rich Icaro MRX 2:34:22 769
5 HAGEWOOD Bo Aeros Combat 2 2:37:41 705
6 COOMBER Kraig Moyes Litespeed 2:43:25 698
7 HAMILTON Robin Moyes Litespeed 4 2:48:40 632
8 BLOOM Phill Wills Wing Talon 2:57:15 615
9 ZIMMERMAN Chris Wills Wing Talon 150 3:00:25 592
10 LEE Jim Wills Wing Talon 3:12:55 554

Cumulative:

Place Name Glider Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 2 4998
2 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed 4 4795
3 COOMBER Kraig Moyes Litespeed 4685
4 VOLK Glen Moyes Litespeed 4634
5 HAGEWOOD Bo Aeros Combat 2 4594
6 HAMILTON Robin Moyes Litespeed 4 4359
7 LEE Jim Wills Wing Talon 4300
8 SAUER Rich Icaro MRX 4269
9 ZIMMERMAN Chris Wills Wing Talon 150 4082
10 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 3972

Rigids:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 BARMAKIAN Bruce AIR Atos C 2:35:27 1000
2 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 2:38:00 937
3 ENDTER Vincent Icaro Stratos 2:40:09 901
4 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos 3:00:51 736
5 YOCOM James AIR Atos C 3:19:14 628

Cumulative:

Place Name Glider Total
1 BARMAKIAN Bruce AIR Atos C 5152
2 ENDTER Vincent Icaro Stratos 4809
3 SEABERG David Icaro Stratos 4345
4 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos 3946
5 BOWEN Campbell Flight Design Access 3921

Swifts cumulative (30 points separate them):

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 PORTER Brian Aeriane Swift USA 3632
2 NAKAMURA Junko Aeriane Swift Lite JPN 3613
3 MULHOLLAND Mark Aeriane Swift Lite USA 3602

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Millau, the gliders/the pilots

Wed, Jul 2 2003, 1:00:02 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|comic|Comic Sans|competition|Europe|flood|Gerolf Heinrichs|Icaro Laminar MR|Lukas Bader|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Sepp "Seppi" Himberger|sport|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

Let’s compare last year’s Europeans with this year’s pre-Europeans:

2002:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 RUHMER, Manfred Icaro Laminar MR700 AUT 6198
2 GEHRMANN, Guido Aeros Combat DEU 5818
3 BOISSELIER, Antoine Moyes Litespeed FRA 5685
4 HEINRICHS, Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 5511
5 WALBEC, Richard Icaro Laminar MRX 14 FRA 5215
6 RIGG, Gordon Moyes Litespeed GBR 5115
7 Gerard, J.F. Moyes Litespeed FRA 4973
8 GUILLEN, Bruno Moyes Litespeed FRA 4905
9 BONDARCHUK, Oleg Aeros Combat 2 UKR 4903
10 OLSSON, Andreas Moyes Litespeed SWE 4878

2003:

Pl.

Name

Glider

Nation

Total

1

RUHMER, Manfred, 2

Icaro Laminar 4.2

AUT

5891

2

PLONER, Alex, 91

Icaro Laminar 14 MR

ITA

5799

3

BONDARCHUK, Oleg

Aeros Combat 13

UKR

5680

4

ALONZI, Mario, 4

Aeros Combat 2

FRA

5598

5

NÉNÉ ROTOR

Wills Wing Talon 143

BRA

5258

6

BADER, Lukas, 114

Aeros Combat 2

DEU

5105

7

SCHMITZ, Betinho, 12

Moyes LiteSpeed S

BRA

5099

8

HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 3

Moyes LiteSpeed S4

AUT

5047

9

SALVENMOSER, Seppi

Moyes LiteSpeed 4

AUT

4896

10

WEISSENBERGER, Tom

Moyes LiteSpeed 4

AUT

4849

Obviously very good pilots on very good gliders like the Icaro200 Laminar do very well. The Aeros Combat 2 seems to have enticed more top pilots to be among its ranks, and with Lukas Bader doing very well the representation of this glider in the top ten has increased.

It seems that Nene and the Wills Wing Talon are quite competitive. With so few pilots in Europe or Brazil flying the Talon it would be hard to flood the top ten at the pre Europeans with Talon pilots. Perhaps others should consider Nene’s performance here. Only one US pilot was flying at this meet and he was flying a Talon.

The Moyes Litespeeds did not do as well as last year. I notice that Gerolf raced himself into the ground just before the goal on the last day dropping down three places. You go to win not come in fifth. The Moyes Litespeed remains a very popular glider, but it and its pilots are competing against other manufacturers and their top pilots, so it is very hard to completely dominate.

Congratulations to all the pilots and to the manufacturers for their consistent support of the sport. Congrats to Manfred for his consistent domination of this high level competition.

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Millau – they weren’t done yet

Mon, Jun 30 2003, 6:00:05 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Gerolf Heinrichs|Rob Kells|Sepp "Seppi" Himberger|site|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

I got confused by the Millau web site (its mostly in French), and thought the last results were the final results. Not true as Rob Kells points out. Final results (I think):

Pl. Name Glider Nation Total
1 RUHMER, Manfred, 2 Icaro Laminar 4.2 AUT 5891
2 PLONER, Alex, 91 Icaro Laminar 14 MR ITA 5799
3 BONDARCHUK, Oleg Aeros Combat 13 UKR 5680
4 ALONZI, Mario, 4 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 5598
5 NÉNÉ ROTOR Wills Wing Talon 143 BRA 5258
6 BADER, Lukas, 114 Aeros Combat 2 DEU 5105
7 SCHMITZ, Betinho, 12 Moyes LiteSpeed S BRA 5099
8 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 3 Moyes LiteSpeed S4 AUT 5047
9 SALVENMOSER, Seppi Moyes LiteSpeed 4 AUT 4896
10 WEISSENBERGER, Tom Moyes LS4 AUT 4849

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Millau

Sat, Jun 28 2003, 6:00:01 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner|Betinho Schmitz|competition|Gerolf Heinrichs|Lukas Bader|Moyes Litespeed|Sepp "Seppi" Himberger|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon|Worlds

http://millauclassic.free.fr/intro.htm

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 RUHMER, Manfred, 2 Icaro Laminar 4.2 AUT 4955
2 PLONER, Alex, 91 Icaro Laminar 14 MR ITA 4903
3 BONDARCHUK, Oleg, 1 Aeros Combat 13 UKR 4790
4 ALONZI, Mario, 4 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 4599
5 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 3 Moyes LiteSpeed S4 AUT 4549
6 NÉNÉ ROTOR Wills Wing Talon 143 BRA 4420
7 BADER, Lukas, 114 Aeros Combat 2 DEU 4275
8 WEISSENBERGER, Tom Moyes Litespeed 4 AUT 4213
9 SCHMITZ, Betinho, 12 Moyes LiteSpeed S BRA 4172
10 SALVENMOSER, Seppi Moyes LiteSpeed 4 AUT 4100

This is the final result.

Good to see Alex Ploner do so well. Now the flex wing boys know what we are up against in the rigid wing class. Also, Lukas Bader did very well relative to his previous performance. This looks like a tough crew here at the top for the Worlds in August.

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Millau

Thu, Jun 26 2003, 6:00:01 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner|altitude|Betinho Schmitz|Bruno Guillen|Christian Ciech|cloud|competition|game|Gerolf Heinrichs|radio|Rick Christen|Sepp "Seppi" Himberger|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://millauclassic.free.fr/intro.htm

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 RUHMER, Manfred, 2 Icaro Laminar 4.2 AUT 3955
2 PLONER, Alex, 91 Icaro Laminar 14 MR ITA 3942
3 BONDARCHUK, Oleg, 1 Aeros Combat 13 UKR 3826
4 ALONZI, Mario, 4 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 3685
5 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 3 Moyes LiteSpeed S4 AUT 3628
6 NÉNÉ ROTOR Wills Wing Talon 143 BRA 3473
7 SCHMITZ, Betinho, 12 Moyes LiteSpeed S BRA 3397
8 BADER, Lukas, 114 Aeros Combat 2 DEU 3336
9 WEISSENBERGER, Tom Moyes LS4 AUT 3265
10 SALVENMOSER, Seppi Moyes LiteSpeed 4 AUT 3249

Saskia <staff@Icaro2000.com> sends this article from Christen Ciech:

Here we are, another time in this beautiful place. This time I'm competing with the flex wing (instead of rigid), because I need points and training for the next World Championship.

Unfortunately, it seems that I'm not in a good condition and in the first two tasks I miss the goal by many kilometres. Alex Ploner seems to be in the opposite condition: he's able to beat everybody and he's in first place, with a good advantage.

In the third day I leave the take off early to try to earn some points and position. It's the best day I ever seen here in Millau, but when I reach 3000 meters I'm still in a 3 m/s lift and Antonio Corradini calls me by radio to say that task is cancelled because the wind conditions at launch are bad. Bruno Guillen, on this day, climbs to 4200 meters over the first turnpoint.

On the 4th day, task is 121 km. Conditions are still good to the north but really difficult around the take off and start area. I leave with the top pilot's goggle at 15.15, but I chose a different direction and start flying by myself. I find very good thermals and easily climb to 3700 m and the task seems really easy. But on the way to the turnpoint I make some bad decisions about the lines to follow and lose 15 minutes.

The lead goggle catches me again and then over takes me. They are able to close the task because they make cloud base at 3000 m at 27 km from the goal. I reach only 2700 m and I miss the goal again. Alex Ploner was flying much faster than everybody, but he made a big mistake at that start and I lose 30 minutes of starting time. And he's still in front of everybody: it's incredible!!

Finally I'm able to reach the goal in the 5th day. We have a 70 km task from Serran take off, about 60 km south-east of Millau. With a maximum altitude of 1400 m the flight is technical even if it is all along some ridges. It seems to me that today I can understand a little more the conditions and close the day in 10th position.

Alex lost 8 minutes from Manfred who it seems doesn't want to play Alex's game any more. But after this day Alex is still leading the competition with only a one point advantage in front of Manfred and Oleg. Just the trip back to Millau in this beautiful landscape and magic light of sunset, it's a good reason to be here.

6th day is another non-fly day, because of a strong south-east wind.

7th day: It seems to me that I'm not able to fly as well as other times. 70 km of task with weak conditions at the beginning, with some high clouds that stop the sun light. I try to do the 14.00 start gate but before 15.00 I didn't reach the altitude; I thought it’s necessary to stay in the air. So I remain more or less alone and even if the thermals are pretty good, I can't fly very fast, because of the low base altitude.

I lost a lot of time and I close the task in 21st position. The fastest is Gerolf Heinrichs who completes the task in 1 hour and 36 minutes. With 1 hour and 51 minutes Manfred is second separated only few seconds from Oleg and Alex who loses first place overall. So Manfred first with about a 10 point advantage on Alex. Oleg is about 100 points behind.

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Alpen Open

Tue, Jun 24 2003, 6:03:04 pm GMT

Anton Raumauf|competition|Florian Gostner|Icaro Laminar MR|Manfred Ruhmer|Manfred Trimmel|Markus Villinger|weather|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon|XC

Markus Villinger at Airwave <markus@airwave-gliders.com> writes:

This years (the 15th) ALPEN OPEN which took place June 6th - 9th in Gnadenwald near Innsbruck/Tyrol/Austria. The Alpen Open is one of the most popular XC hang gliding events. For two years it has been combined with a paraglider event.

The whole Austrian hang gliding (and paragliding) team competed as well as a lot of other European hot shot pilots.

The weather was great with spectacular flights on the "main ridge" of the Alps

Results:

Flex wings:

1st.) Manfred Ruhmer (Icaro Laminar MR 4.2) AUT

2nd.) Waldhart Stefan (Wills Wing Talon 150) AUT

3rd.) Metzler Florian (Icaro Laminar MRX) AUT

Rigid:

1st.) Trimmel Manfred (A.I.R. Atos) AUT

2nd.) Raumauf Toni (A.I.R. Atos) AUT

3rd.) Dunst Wolfram (A.I.R. Atos) AUT

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Millau

Tue, Jun 24 2003, 2:03:02 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner|Betinho Schmitz|Gerolf Heinrichs|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://millauclassic.free.fr/intro.htm

The report is that after five days Alex Ploner leads Manfred by 1 point.

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 PLONER, Alex, 91 Icaro Laminar 14 MR ITA 3082
2 RHUMER, Manfred Icaro Laminar 4.2 AUT 3081
3 BONDARCHUK, Oleg Aeros Combat 13 UKR 2965
4 ALONZI, Mario, 4 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 2914
5 SANDOLI, Alvaro, 11 Wills Wing Talon 143 BRA 2760
6 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, Moyes LiteSpeed S4 AUT 2682
7 SCHMITZ, Betinho Moyes LiteSpeed S BRA 2628
8 BADER, Lukas, 114 Aeros Combat 2 DEU 2621
9 WEISSENBERGER, Tom Moyes LS4 AUT 2565

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Midwest Regionals – the final day

Sun, Jun 15 2003, 6:03:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Airborne Climax|barefoot|Bubba Goodman|Carl Wallbank|cloud|competition|cost|David "Dave" Glover|David Glover|flight park|Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb|Moyes Litespeed|Oz Report|Paris Williams|photo|Raven Sky Sports|release|Rik Bouwmeester|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown|safety|sport|students|tug|weather|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.flytec.com/mwregionals

Check out the animated track logs (click “Top Tracks” - you have to wait for a few minutes for them to begin animating).

Check out the photo gallery (http://flytec.com/mwregionals/gallery.html)

Have I said often enough just how much fun it is flying and competing here in the Midwest? Twin Oaks/Raven Sky Sports is a great flight park and the air conditions here in southern Wisconsin are phenomenal. We’ve had a great competition with seven days of flying out of nine days.

Competition developed out in the west with the big air conditions back in the days when hang gliders were more hang than glide. With the outstanding performance we can get from our super ships these days, we can have very valid competitions in areas where only short flights were possible in the past.

Competitions are competitions between glider pilots. Everyone is in the same conditions and you’ve got to see if you can do better than the next guy in whatever conditions you’re in. It doesn’t matter that conditions are “weak” and scratchy. If you can stay up in those conditions while everyone else goes slower or lands out than you’re the top dog. So what if it takes two hours to go twenty miles?

Any half witted hang glider pilot can get up and go far in strong conditions. Just what are competitions in such conditions telling us? Who can handle the rough stuff?

It takes real skills to be able to fly together with your friends in minimal lift conditions with no sunlight under black clouds.

Of course, not every day has been extraordinarily weak. We’ve had plenty of lift on most days and the last two days a significant number of the pilots have made goal. And as I found out on the practice day, conditions here can be booming, if you like that sort of thing (I don’t).

“Low and slow.” Didn’t that use to be a major identifier for hang gliding in general? Here in Wisconsin we are practicing it every day and frankly it is the most fun you can have in hang gliding. The country side is very beautiful here, the people are friendly, the fields are in clover (I’m flying barefoot). What more could you want?

Did I mention how great it was here at Raven Sky Sports? How well we’ve been treated by all the staff and the owner Brad?

http://www.hanggliding.com/

We didn’t get to see that much of Brad as he takes responsibility for the marketing, sales, and reservations end of the business (and he definitely has the feel of a business oriented type a guy) from his home office. It seems that Brad started off possessed like all other folks who are starting a new business with no money and almost succumbed to “founders” syndrome where the founder can’t ever let go of the business and let it grow.

Finally Brad realized he was either going to go nuts or he was going to hire good people and have them take responsibility for the flight park (and of course he had to get out of their way so they could). One way to do that is spend your time at home making sure that there are students coming to the flight park for lessons from your crew.

Thanks to Brad for making sure that we could come here and have a great competition and to David Glover for assuring him that it would all work out even if we didn’t have 50 pilots. Thanks also to Brad for his support for the Oz Report and for helping out with my tows in exchange for my weather forecasting. Forecasting has turned into a nice little income (actually cost reduction) supplement.

David Glover, America’s best meet director, has turned in another low key behind the scenes performance keeping everything working and letting the pilots make all the tough decisions – tasks, safety, and protests.

Speaking of tasks. The weather forecast was for stronger lift (400-500 fpm) and 15 knot winds out of the northeast. There would be cu’s, but little if any vertical development in them. Cloud base was predicted to be 6,000’, but the height of the lift was predicted to be 4,000’. Funny, that doesn’t really work out.

When we get out on the run way it looks a lot more northerly than easterly, so I go back and come up with a 44 mile task due south to a farm grass strip just south of I 90 in Illinois. After the launch window opens but before anyone goes we decide to use that task instead of the same task as yesterday. Our goal is to get two thirds of the pilots to goal.

There are cu’s but they are small. There is a big block of cirrus right over us which is cutting off the lift. The tug pilots take us to the east where the clouds are lining up pretty nicely.

Russell Brown is in second place and is the only pilot who has a chance to catch me on this last day. Paris is far ahead in first in the flex wings, but three pilots are close for second. Paris could be caught if he falls down.

We get towed over to the clouds but there is very little lift. We have to work everything we can find and the strong wind is pushing us to the southwest off the course line. I’m slowly climbing to cloud base with Chris Grzyb, but we are alone. I’m covering Russ but he’s gone back toward the air strip and is down to 300’. Ron Gleason has to land.

Chris and I are at cloud base at the start circle circumference, but there is no one to go with. I decide to fight back up wind to cover Russell as he is getting up with an ATOS pilot (Jim or Dave), but my Velcro on my nose nappy comes loose and the glider starts vibrating. I don’t know what the problem is by Chris can see it from above.

I get back to the air strip and after trying to get back up with all the flex wings and rigids now high above me decide to land and get towed back up. I find the problem with the nose cone right away and it is quite a relief to fix it.

I’m towed up just as the last start window starts and I release 6 minutes after it starts up high. After one else has taken the 1:45 PM start time and I’m starting at 2:08 for the 2 PM start time.

The wind turns out to have a lot of easterly component in it and there is a big blue hole to the south of the start window. I push southeasterly for six miles to get under some forming clouds and get my first lift out on the course line. I’m down to 1,200’ so I take the 60 fpm that is offered and stick with it for 12 minutes before I can slide with an extra 500 feet over to a better cloud and climb out to 4,000’ AGL. That thermal will average 300 fpm.

The next two which get me to 5,000’ AGL will average 600 fpm. Whoa, this is the best lift I’ve seen during the contest. My average climb rate over the task today will be 250 fpm, much better than any previous day.

The strong lift gets me fifteen miles down the course line and I finally see four flex wing pilots off to my right a mile. I won’t get any more strong lift, but I’ll get enough to get over 3,500’ AGL a couple of times. I haven’t seen Russell or any of the ATOSes and no flex wings other than the four to my right.

There are plenty of clouds in front of me and now the question for me is can I get in quick enough to beat Russell in speed or at least get close to him so that I can win the meet. Since I can’t see him I’ve got to keep trading off rates of climb (which are weaker now) with how fast I can get down the course.

Four miles out I’m down to 1,600’ AGL as I had assumed that I would have hit something a bit better after going on what I though was a final glide at 11 miles out at 3,500’ AGL. My IQ-Compeo was saying I had 650 feet above my best glide line. I was slowing the glide way down to 35 mph to make sure I was flying near best L/D speed (and , of course, I was watching the vario to make sire I was doing that).

I decided that I needed 500’ at 100 fpm in order to make it safely into goal, as the IQ-Compeo was telling me that I was only 100 feet over my best glide line. The height of above goal had been jumping all over the place just like it use to on the IQ-Comp (same algorithm).

I zipped on into goal with 400 feet at the quarter mile cylinder. Since I had been pulling in for the last two miles, it was clear that I would have made it without taking that last bit of lift and spending 5 minutes climbing 500 feet.

As I come over goal I see that Russell has just landed a couple of minutes before me. All the other rigids are there also. They all started 23 minutes before me.

Paris, Bo and Andreas are also there. They were the first three into goal coming into together after flying together within a few seconds of each other. Why didn’t Bo start doing this when the meet started?

Terry, Dennis, Chris, Bubba and Carl all come in a few minutes later. It is the first time Carl has made goal.

The goal is just a grass strip at a farm. Apparently no one had been flying out of it recently as the grass is a foot high. They have been mowing the lawn though, so we break down there. No one is home.

Flex wings today:

Place Name Glider Finish Total
1 OLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 4 15:14:44 971
2 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 15:14:46 948
3 HAGEWOOD Robert Aeros Combat 2 15:15:05 922
4 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 4 15:48:23 627
5 PAGEN Dennis Moyes Litespeed 15:52:04 599
6 GRZYB Krzysztof Icaro MRX700 15:52:43 592
7 GOODMAN Bubba Moyes Litespeed 4 16:05:37 520
8 SAYER Wayne Moyes Litespeed 3 382
9 CIZAUSKAS Rich Wills Wing FusionSP 188
10 MORRIS Dan Wills Wing Talon 134
11 BOUMEESTER Rik Aeros Stealth 129
11 BURICK Carl Airborne Climax 129
11 DUGGAN Dan Icaro MR700WRE 129
14 GILLETTE Rhanor Wills Wing Ultra Sport 0

Flex wings total:

Place Name Glider Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 4462
2 OLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 4 3912
3 PAGEN Dennis Moyes Litespeed 4 3572
4 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 4 3498
5 GOODMAN Bubba Moyes Litespeed 4 2961
6 GRZYB Krzysztof Icaro MRX700 2785
7 HAGEWOOD Robert Aeros Combat 2 2579
8 SAYER Wayne Moyes Litespeed 3 2039
9 MORRIS Dan Wills Wing Talon 1550
10 BURICK Carl Airborne Climax 1505
11 BOUMEESTER Rik Aeros Stealth 1278
12 CIZAUSKAS Rich Wills Wing FusionSP 1226
13 DUGGAN Dan Icaro MR700WRE 751
14 GILLETTE Rhanor Wills Wing Ultra Sport 550

Rigids today:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 BRANDT Dave AIR Atos 1:41:37 938
2 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C 1:44:48 831
3 BROWN Russ Flight Designs GhostBuster 1:46:26 802
4 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 1:43:56 799
5 LAMB James AIR Atos C 1:56:50 780

Rigids total:

Place Name Glider Total
1 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 4875
2 BROWN Russ Flight Designs GhostBuster 4518
3 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C 3646
4 BRANDT Dave AIR Atos 3200
5 LAMB James AIR Atos C 2990
6 BOWEN Campbell Flight Designs Axxess + 2026

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Midwest Regionals – cu nimbs and guys at goal

Sat, Jun 14 2003, 6:03:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Airborne Climax|airspace|altitude|Bubba Goodman|Carl Wallbank|cloud|competition|Dave Brandt|James "Jim" Lamb|Jim Lamb|Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb|Moyes Litespeed|Paris Williams|photo|Rik Bouwmeester|Ron Gleason|sport|tail|tow|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.flytec.com/mwregionals

Check out the animated track logs (click “Top Tracks” - you have to wait for a few minutes for them to begin animating).

Check out the photo gallery (http://flytec.com/mwregionals/gallery.html)

The FSL forecast shows that there is the possibility of over development, but while I inform the task committee of this possibility I forget to mention it to the pilots. There is large patches of cirrus both north and south in the late morning, and the cu’s are forming slowly and they look soft and weak.

The wind dummies are up and staying up, so it’s a good sign. We’ve got the option of launching at 12:30 PM with a 2 PM start window (way more time than we need to get everyone in the air with four Dragonflies waiting to pull us up).

I notice that Jim Lamb is suiting up early and he’s thinking that its time to go soon after the launch window opens. The task is a 46 mile dog leg to the east south east, away from Class D airspace at Janesville and over to an airport at Monroe where hang gliding pilots use to truck tow.

The five rigid wing pilots all notice that Jim and Dave are getting ready so we all get ready and we are all in line together by ourselves as the flex wing pilots look on. No body wants to be left behind.

We’re up in a few minutes and it is a quick climb to cloud base at 4,400’. The flex wing guys get in line right behind us and everyone other than Paris who has been sitting around in a lawn chair is off before 1 PM. No waiting around today.

The cu’s get thicker and thicker and it looks like we won’t be waiting until the 2 PM start time. Dave Brandt heads out to the south and the rest of us rigid wing pilots up high follow him and Russell out toward the start circle. But Dave doesn’t get up and everyone but Russell turns back to get back up again with the flex wings.

Dave gets lower and lower out on his own, as he’s not willing to come back and join us low, and I’m wondering what the point is. This meet has taught us to work with our friends above all else, and I can’t figure out why Russell and Dave have gone out on their own, way early.

The rest of us are back working lift and getting back up to cloud base. We drift down wind under the clouds and get right up to cloud base and near the start circle circumference. I watch as Ron Gleason and Jim Lamb head out on course as I hold back. Three flex wings cross the line also. I wait and let them check out the lift out in front while I get to start my start time later than them.

Finally I head out and head right for the rigid wings who are five miles out. I get there with their altitude and I’m feeling great. We’ve got six guys together and it looks like we’ll have plenty of helpers.

Eleven miles out we encounter a large cu nimb just to our south. We are working on the northern edge of the cu nimb. The ground is completely shaded. The cu-nimb stretches to the west for another fifteen miles. Thank goodness we are just on the northern side of the cu-nimb and the winds are out of the northeast.

Brad sends over this graphic that shows the raining part of the cu-nimb.

We climb up slowly at first with everyone looking around. Jim and Ron are just above me climbing a little bit better. I have no idea where Russell is.

I’m looking back and seeing Rik Boumeester flashing his wings in a high bank. Ron and Jim who were just above me have gone further along the course line and don’t see Rik a few hundred feet behind us. I go over to him and soon Krzysztof Grzyb and I are two thousand feet over the five guys who’ve gone ahead.

The cu-nimb is right next to us as we head west quickly trying to run past it. Everything is as dark as can be, both the sky and the ground. We continue to find bits of lift on the edge of the cu-nimb and we can see the rain coming down five or ten miles to the south.

As we are circling up I see a lightening strike to the south about five miles away. I’m wondering if the cell is going to come our way. I can see that if we go another ten miles to the west we should be able to get around the storm. I’m hoping that there aren’t any gust fronts or more lightening.

I’m nervous about the storm so I’m leaving lift earlier than usual. I’m leaving everyone behind and I got out fast on my own hoping to get away from the storm. Whoa, I’ve caught up with Russell. I come in under a few hundred feet below him. It is great to be able to cover Russell.

We’re almost to the Albany turnpoint and I climb back to cloud base as Russell heads out. I can see a few of the guys I was with behind me getting up from below. I’ve got to hang with Russell now.

Things are happening fast as it is only an eleven mile leg to goal. I’m at 4,000’ AGL 14 miles out, three miles before the turnpoint. I’m hoping that this is enough with a good tail wind to make it to goal.

Nine miles out I see Russell come in a few hundred feet over my head. We work a bit of lift gaining two hundred feet. I can see the guys behind me at the turnpoint climbing high. Given how low they were when I left them, they must have found much stronger lift than I did.

Four miles out from goal I’m at 1,250’ AGL. That’s a 17:1 glide to goal, so I decide to take the weak lift I’m in and climb 500 feet. Russell continues on to goal to get there first. A few of the pilots behind me catch up and keep going just over my head.

I will have the extra 500’ when I get to goal with 500’ to spare.

Paris started late at 1:45 PM and wins the day getting to goal as the first flex wings. Ron gets across the goal line a few minutes before me. Bubba, Chris and later Dennis comes in.

All the times get moved to 2 PM as everyone started before the 2 PM start clock. The finish times just represent there total time to goal.

Flex wings today:

Place Name Glider Finish Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 15:20:06 932
2 PAGEN Dennis Moyes Litespeed 15:34:24 776
3 GOODMAN Bubba Moyes Litespeed 4 15:35:28 756
4 GRZYB Krzysztof Icaro MRX700 15:36:56 742
5 MORRIS Dan Wills Wing Talon 464
6 BURICK Carl Airborne Climax 452
7 OLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 4 420
8 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 4 357
9 SAYER Wayne Moyes Litespeed 3 351
10 HAGEWOOD Robert Aeros Combat 2 327
11 CIZAUSKAS Rich Wills Wing FusionSP 258
12 DUGGAN Dan Icaro MR700WRE 68
13 BOUMEESTER Rik Aeros Stealth 59
14 GILLETTE Rhanor Wills Wing Ultra Sport 0

Flex wing totals:

Place Name Glider Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 3556
2 PAGEN Dennis Moyes Litespeed 2997
3 OLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 4 2987
4 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 4 2899
5 GOODMAN Bubba Moyes Litespeed 4 2461
6 GRZYB Krzysztof Icaro MRX700 2209
7 SAYER Wayne Moyes Litespeed 3 1679
8 HAGEWOOD Robert Aeros Combat 2 1669
9 MORRIS Dan Wills Wing Talon 1416
10 BURICK Carl Airborne Climax 1378
11 CIZAUSKAS Rich Wills Wing FusionSP 1035
12 BOUMEESTER Rik Aeros Stealth 971
13 DUGGAN Dan Icaro MR700WRE 631
14 GILLETTE Rhanor Wills Wing Ultra Sport 409

Rigids today:

Place Name Glider Finish Total
1 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C 15:35:27 986
2 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 15:36:03 930
3 BROWN Russ Flight Designs GhostBuster 15:45:16 793
4 LAMB James AIR Atos C 15:53:01 718
5 BRANDT Dave AIR Atos 274

Rigids total:

Place Name Glider Total
1 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 4076
2 BROWN Russ Flight Designs GhostBuster 3716
3 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C 2815
4 BRANDT Dave AIR Atos 2262
5 LAMB James AIR Atos C 2210
6 BOWEN Campbell Flight Designs Axxess + 2026

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Midwest Regionals – sunshine, cu’s, goal finishers

Fri, Jun 13 2003, 6:03:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Airborne Climax|altitude|Bubba Goodman|Campbell Bowen|Carl Wallbank|cloud|competition|Dave Brandt|gaggle|James "Jim" Lamb|Jim Lamb|Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb|Moyes Litespeed|Paris Williams|photo|polar|Rik Bouwmeester|Ron Gleason|Russell "Russ" Brown|safety|sport|tail|Terry Presley|triangle|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.flytec.com/mwregionals

Check out the animated track logs (click “Top Tracks” - you have to wait for a few minutes for them to begin animating).

Check out the photo gallery (http://flytec.com/mwregionals/gallery.html)

While it has been great fun flying in overcast conditions here in Whitewater, Wisconsin (half way between Milwaukee and Madison in southern Wisconsin) today we were actually blessed with sunshine. While it has been a while since we’ve seen that luminescent orb during the flying part of the day, we quickly adjusted ourselves to the prospect of calling a task and having pilots actually make it back to goal.

There was a low pressure centered off to our southwest with an east/west front in Illinois. We could see the upper level clouds from the front overhead as the task committee met. The one o’clock BLIPMAP showed weak lift, and very low cloud bases but the 3 PM FSL chart showed good lift and high bases (4,000’ MSL). At least they both agreed that the winds would be light.

Given that we are conflicting forecasts for lift and heights we called two triangle tasks to the south (hoping for the flatter, hotter bare field to the south), one fifty miles and one thirty. A short time later Jim Lamb who had suggested we go south, thought better of his suggestion given that the southern sky had the high clouds and the weaker looking cu’s underneath. I came up with a 50 mile triangle task to the north and east.

As one o’clock rolled around the high clouds had disappeared as the front headed off to the south and east. There were cu’s ever where and it looked like it might be possible to go 50 miles, and not settle for a 32 mile out and return, which was now our secondary option.

I got towed up after Bo and immediately climbed out to 4,000’ MSL and cloud base. We were repeatedly able to touch the bottoms of the clouds today without any fear of being sucked up given the light lift.

The cu’s got big, and the ground got dark. In spite of all the sunshine it would have been good to use the yellow lens, but I had my orange ones.

Everyone was getting up under the dark cu’s and shaded ground and we all gathered up to take the first clock at 2 PM. Might as well if everyone else will go with you.

There is a northeast wind going to the first turnpoint, and we don’t get out very far as we find the first lift, after leaving the three mile radius start circle at cloud base. At 3:11 (four minutes before the next start window), we have drifted back right next to the start circle. Still no one goes back to take a new start time. Paris and a few others have been holding back and will take the 2:15 PM start time.

Half the field is with us as we head out after climbing almost back to cloud base. The ground is shaded ahead and there are dark cu’s everywhere. It is hard to find any sunlight. But, then, this is what it has been like the past few days, so it is not a great worry. We are already getting 1,400’ higher than we were over the last two days, so a little (or a lot) of shading doesn’t hold that much terror for us.

While a couple have dropped out, we climb back to cloud base at 4,300’ MSL and look out to more shading, but now under clouds that are flat and gray, not puffy and back. It looks like a dead zone in front of us, and we are slowly progressing into the wind toward the first turnpoint nineteen miles to the northeast.

A few flex wings are out in front and Bubba finds very light lift at 800’ AGL under the a gray sky with the tiniest bit of light on the ground. Soon there are eight of us in the gaggle. Luckily I’m on top, because the middle six are all on the same level with Terry Presley on the bottom. Six pilots have to learn to get along on their marry-go-round and I merrily float above them as though I had hollow bones or an extra hit of helium.

It takes 17 minutes to climb 1,000’. The clouds disappear and there is sun every where and we get over a hot spot to the north and we get up to 4,500’. Now the dark clouds are much further apart. There is sun on the ground and things are looking better.

I’m with Ron Gleason and Russell Brown on rigids and Terry Presley on a flex. As we approach the first turnpoint I can see four flex wings to the south high, obviously a mix of later starters and some of the flex wings from our previous gaggle. Ron heads out first toward the turnpoint as Russell and I hold back. Ron gets ahead by finding a good thermal on his own just before the turnpoint.

The flex wings from the south, Russell and I come in under Ron, get high fast and I make the turnpoint as Russell has already taken it.

Now it is a chase as Russell, Dave Brandt in an ATOS, and I push to catch up with Paris Terry, Dennis and Ron. We are just behind and below them in the next thermal and Paris, Ron and Russell get away from the four of us five miles before the second turnpoint. We can see them getting high two miles before the turnpoint as we work a thermal also getting high two miles back.

Terry, Dennis and I get to the cloud that Paris, Ron and Russell left five minutes previously and we climb to almost 5,000’ two miles before the second turnpoint. I head out as we hit cloud base on a mission to catch up with Russell so that he doesn’t gain too many points on me.

I find Dave Brandt south of the turnpoint as he didn’t go to the good cloud with us. We’ve got a sixteen mile leg back to Twin Oaks, due south with an east wind (just as forecast). I spot Paris way high above and out in front of me climbing under very small clouds. He’s right on the course line so I go for him and start climbing in lift that averages 200 fpm. Good for the day that averages 130 fpm.

I’m down to 2,400’ AGL when I enter the thermal and 13 miles out. I climb to 3,500’ AGL before it gets weak. It’s 19.6 to 1 to get to goal. My IQ-Compeo says I’m 350’ above the best glide line. It must think I’ve got a tail wind. My polar is about 17 to 1 at best L/D speed of about 32 mph.

I go on glide as I can see good clouds ahead of me if I need any lift. I’m watching the final glide calculator. I’m aware that the goal is a quarter mile cylinder so I have a little extra margin of safety.

At eleven miles out I come in under the clouds Dennis and Terry are way back below me and Dave has gone way off to the east to get under some clouds. I get 500 fpm as I glide straight. The vario says I have the goal so I just push out and don’t turn. I climb 400’ and am at 3,500’ AGL 10.5 miles out. It’s a 15.8 glide to goal. The IQ-Compeo is saying I’m 1250 feet over the best glide line and that I’ve got goal by 1,250’.

I keep flying straight given the IQ-Compeo reading and my feeling that I’m going to make it. Also I really want to catch up with Ron and Russell and I know they aren’t at goal yet, but I haven’t seen them.

As I keep gliding suddenly I see Ron and Russell 700 feet above me a mile to my right more on the course line. They are just a little in front of me and now I’m sure that I have to keep gliding so that they don’t get into goal too far in front of me.

I glide for 10.5 miles in sixteen minutes averaging 39 mph over the ground. I tried to fly at the indicated best L/D speed over the ground. My average rate of sink over the last 10.5 miles was 220 fpm.

I came into Twin Oaks at 100 feet over the quarter mile cylinder and would have made the goal with zero altitude to spare. I didn’t speed up at the last minute I’ll tell you that.

I wonder what happened to the 1,250 feet of extra room over the best glide line. Was I just going too fast? Perhaps I should just have made sure that my air speed was 32 mph.

Ron and Russell are first and second into goal. I’m two minutes behind Ron. Paris uncharacteristically came in high behind me, but won the day as he started at 2:15 PM.

Terry and Dennis were able to get to goal also along with Dave Brandt. Campbell Bowen left to go to a wedding so he wasn’t here to fly the last three days of the meet. We will fly through Sunday.

Paris moved from third to first and Andreas moved from first to third. Terry Presley stayed in second.

Flex wings today:

Place Name Glider Finish Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 17:03:10 906
2 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 4 17:22:04 749
3 PAGEN Dennis Moyes Litespeed 17:22:36 737
4 OLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 4 474
5 GRZYB Krzysztof Icaro MRX700 333
6 GOODMAN Bubba Moyes Litespeed 4 328
7 SAYER Wayne Moyes Litespeed 3 238
8 CIZAUSKAS Rich Wills Wing FusionSP 182
9 HAGEWOOD Robert Aeros Combat 2 163
9 GILLETTE Rhanor Wills Wing Ultra Sport 163
9 MORRIS Dan Wills Wing Talon 163
9 DUGGAN Dan Icaro MR700WRE 163
13 BURICK Carl Airborne Climax 0
13 BOUMEESTER Rik Aeros Stealth 0

Flex wing total:

Place Name Glider Total
1 WILLIAMS Paris Aeros Combat 2766
2 PRESLEY Terry Moyes Litespeed 4 2656
3 OLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 4 2637
4 PAGEN Dennis Moyes Litespeed 2338
5 GOODMAN Bubba Moyes Litespeed 4 1747
6 GRZYB Krzysztof Icaro MRX700 1497
7 HAGEWOOD Robert Aeros Combat 2 1352
8 SAYER Wayne Moyes Litespeed 3 1336
9 MORRIS Dan Wills Wing Talon 954
10 CIZAUSKAS Rich Wills Wing FusionSP 783
11 BURICK Carl Airborne Climax 765
12 BOUMEESTER Rik Aeros Stealth 750
13 DUGGAN Dan Icaro MR700WRE 569
14 GILLETTE Rhanor Wills Wing Ultra Sport 163

Rigids today:

Place Name Glider Time mph Total
1 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos C 2:59:52 17.03 1000
2 BROWN Russ Flight Designs GhostBuster 3:00:32 16.97 946
3 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 3:01:48 16.85 908
4 BRANDT Dave AIR Atos 3:22:08 15.16 739
5 LAMB James AIR Atos C 209
6 BOWEN Campbell Flight Designs Axxess + ABS 0

Rigids total:

Place Name Glider Total
1 STRAUB Davis AIR Atos C 3146
2 BROWN Russ Flight Designs GhostBuster 2923
3 BOWEN Campbell Flight Designs Axxess + 2026
4 BRANDT Dave AIR Atos 1988
5 GLEASON Ron AIR Atos 1829
6 LAMB James AIR Atos C 1492

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Canadian Nationals »

Mon, May 12 2003, 5:00:02 pm EDT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|competition|Mark Dowsett|Mauricio Hoyos|Moyes Litespeed|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.dowsett.ca/cdnnats

Mark Dowsett reports on the Canadian Nationals:

Place Name Glider Time Total
1 HAZLETT, Brett, 10 Moyes Litespeed 1:07:53 928
2 DOWSETT, Mark, 6 Moyes Litespeed 1:07:54 914
3 REMPEL, Jeff, 22 Airbourne Climax 2 1:52:30 738
4 BORRADAILE, Tyler, 2 Aeros Combat 2 686
5 BRITTINGHAM, Mauricio, 3 Wills Wing Talon 657

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Badly tuned Wills Wing Talon 150?

Mon, May 5 2003, 2:00:02 pm EDT

Rob Kells|sprogs|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

https://OzReport.com/toc.php?Ozv7n85.shtml

Rob Kells <Rob@WILLSWING.com> writes:

I talked with several pilots that flew the same Talon 150 you reviewed. Turns out it was trimmed too slow, had a mild turn and the sprogs were higher than they needed to be. I suspect that Mitch's aero demo flights may have slowed the trim a bit.

In any case, after moving the CG forward, twisting a wand down a notch, and lowering the sprogs two turns, everyone that has flown it since has raved about it. I'll look forward to getting you another flight in a properly tuned Talon 150 next time we cross paths.

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2003 WRE – 500

Sat, May 3 2003, 3:00:08 pm EDT

Betinho Schmitz|FAI|Moyes Litespeed|record|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon|Zapata

http://www.davisstraub.com/WRE

Where the world records fall. FAI Office <info@fai.org> writes:

Flex wing hang glider
Straight distance to a declared goal
Zapata, TX (USA) - Big Lake, TX (USA)
517.23 km
Lawrence "Pete" LEHMANN (USA) and Michael BARBER (USA), joint flight
Hang Glider : Wills Wing Talon 150 and Moyes Litespeed LS4
Date : 20.06.2002
Previous record : 503 km (28.07.01 - Carlos Alberto Morganti {Betinho ) SCHMITZ, Brazil) set in Zapata, TX.

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The 2003 Wallaby Open

Sat, Apr 26 2003, 5:00:01 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner|Betinho Schmitz|David "Dave" Glover|Eric Raymond|Icaro Laminar MR|Jerz Rossignol|Kari Castle|Kraig Coomber|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|picture|Wallaby Open 2003|weather|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon|Zapata

http://www.wallaby.com/wallabyopen/2003/

Heavy rains during the night.

Overcast in the morning. The forecast is for improving weather during the day, but not enough improvement as the winds are predicted to be even higher than yesterday. Winds measured by the buoys are already over 20 knots.

The overcast goes away around 1 PM, and we have blue skies with cu’s at 1,500’ to 2,000’ with winds out of the west.

Things change. The provisional results I received earlier had something wrong with them, so here are the latest results:

Flex wings:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 BONDARCHUK Oleg Aeros Combat 2 UKR 3984
2 HAZLETT Brett Moyes Litespeed 4 CAN 3728
3 SCHMIDT Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 3723
4 BOISSELIER Antoine Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 3721
5 WALBEC Richard Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 3670
6 COOMBER Kraig Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 3599
7 DURAND Jon Jr. Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 3586
8 RUHMER Manfred Icaro Laminar MR AUT 3567
9 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 3518
10 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed 4 USA 3511
11 LEE Jim Wills Wing Talon 150 USA 3501
12 CAUX Raymond Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 3472
13 BESSA Carlos Wills Wing Talon USA 3434
14 OHLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 5 SWE 3297
15 WOLF Andre Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 3290
16 ROTOR Nene Wills Wing Talon BRA 3232
17 CASTLE Kari Icaro Laminar MR700 USA 3025
18 MULLER Chris Wills Wing Talon 150 CAN 3022
19 RICHARDSON Ron Avian Cheetah GBR 2914
20 ROSSIGNOL Jerz Icaro Laminar USA 2840

A picture of Oleg from Dave Glover.

Rigid wings:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 PLONER Alex Air Atos C ITA 4512
2 CHAUMET David La Mouette Tsunami FRA 4140
3 CIECH Christian Icaro Stratos ITA 3988
4 BARMAKIAN Bruce Air Atos USA 3707
5 POSCH Johann Air Atos C AUT 3414

Alex Ploner taken by Dave at Zapata.

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The 2003 Wallaby Open

Fri, Apr 25 2003, 8:00:01 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Australia|Betinho Schmitz|competition|Florida|Flytec Championships 2003|game|harness|Icaro Laminar MR|Jim Lee|Jon Durand snr|Kari Castle|maps|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Paris Williams|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon|Worlds

http://www.wallaby.com/wallabyopen/2003/

The FSL MAPS modeled data for Kissimmee:

Shows winds predicted to be up to 29 mph at 3,000’. The top of the lift is forecast to be 3,200’, with the lift predicted to be 400 fpm (subtract your sink rate). By five o’clock the top of the lift is forecast to be 2,600’ with the lift at 200 fpm.

There is a warm front to the northwest in Panama City in the Florida panhandle where there are presently (around noon) thunderstorms. With the strong winds we would have to call a task to the northwest toward the area of likely thunderstorms this afternoon.

Malcolm calls the day at the 10:30 AM pilot meeting, based on wind strength in the field itself. The forecasted wind conditions for tomorrow are for similar strengths with more of a west component.

Results so far:

Rigids who made goal on day five:

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 PLONER Alex Air Atos C ITA 2:06:49 988
2 CIECH Christian Icaro Stratos ITA 2:06:51 973
3 CHAUMET David La Mouette Tsunami FRA 2:09:17 915
4 BARMAKIAN Bruce Air Atos USA 2:13:00 863
5 POSCH Johann Air Atos C AUT 2:13:49 848
6 POUSTINCHIAN Mark Air Atos C USA 2:14:16 837
7 STRAUB Davis Air Atos C USA 2:14:48 827
8 GLEASON Ron Air Atos USA 2:15:03 821
9 YOCOM Jim Air Atos C USA 2:15:26 814
10 ENDTER Vince Icaro Stratos USA 2:17:41 792
11 BOWEN Campbell Flight Design Axxes USA 2:25:03 733
12 PAQUETTE Eric Air Atos CAN 2:29:04 704
13 LAMB Jim Air Atos C USA 3:06:31 497
14 VAYDA Tom Air Atos USA 3:13:23 464

We averaged 27 mph, which is pretty slow, given the fact that we averaged 36 mph on the last and longest leg.

Rigids after five days (and likely the final results):

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 PLONER Alex Air Atos C ITA 4515
2 CHAUMET David La Mouette Tsunami FRA 4144
3 CIECH Christian Icaro Stratos ITA 3988
4 POSCH Johann Air Atos C AUT 3424
5 BARMAKIAN Bruce Air Atos USA 3391

As at the 2002 Worlds, Alex, Christian, and David are in a separate class from the rest of us duffers. Christian just missed goal one day or he would be in a tight contest with his friend Alex for first place.

Flex wings:

On day five:

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 RUHMER Manfred Icaro Laminar MR AUT 2:14:44 947
2 BOISSELIER Antoine Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 2:12:09 939
3 HAZLETT Brett Moyes Litespeed 4 CAN 2:16:48 920
4 WOLF Andre Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 2:17:16 911
5 SCHMIDT Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 2:13:17 907
6 ROTOR Nene Wills Wing Talon BRA 2:13:18 903
7 BONDARCHUK Oleg Aeros Combat 2 UKR 2:13:19 900
8 WALBEC Richard Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 2:13:36 893
9 BESSA Carlos Wills Wing Talon USA 2:15:35 862
10 LEE Jim Wills Wing Talon 150 USA 2:15:51 857

The pilots that started at 2:15 PM were the quickest into goal, not being held back by the lollygagging rigid wing pilots, but Manfred was first to goal, so that counted for something.

Yesterday, before the task, Manfred was in twelfth. Today after winning the fifth (and likely last) task:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 BONDARCHUK Oleg Aeros Combat 2 UKR 4159
2 BOISSELIER Antoine Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 3898
3 RUHMER Manfred Icaro Laminar MR AUT 3765
4 DURAND Jon Jr. Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 3754
5 WARREN Curt Moyes Litespeed 4 USA 3684
6 BESSA Carlos Wills Wing Talon USA 3620
7 SCHMIDT Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 3554
8 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 3548
9 WALBEC Richard Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 3488
10 OHLSSON Andreas Moyes Litespeed 5 SWE 3468

Oleg benefited immensely when Manfred didn’t make goal two days in a row and he then kept the competition far away from him. Oleg ended up only 100 points behind Manfred at the Flytec Championships and when Manfred didn’t make goal at the Wallaby Open the first time, Oleg jumped ahead of him by enough points to make it very difficult for Manfred to catch him. Perhaps that was his consideration when he raced to goal and landed 1 mile short of Wauchula on day four.

Antoine, after not even registering on the applause-o-meter in Australia (but doing well enough to come in at 11th at the Flytec Championship), did very well at Wallaby. He was able to gain a few extra points on the fifth day by racing ahead and getting a minute on everyone else at goal. Funny how things change so rapidly.

After Paris and Mikey took themselves out of the competition, Curt flew well and was the first American. He was 10th at the Flytec Championship just behind Paris and ahead of Mike, so he definitely improved. Too bad he landed after gliding with me on the third day or he could easily have been in second place at the Wallaby Open. All he had to do was keep gliding over the Bok Tower. I would have appreciated his help at that point.

Carlos has yet to decide whether to fly for the Brazilians or on the American National team (if he makes it). He beat his fellow Brazilian Betinho after finishing at 16th at the Flytec Championship behind Betinho at 11th there.

Jon Durand Jr. finished very well again doing a little better overall in this competition than the last one where he was sixth. Jon is a strong pilot who is willing to take risks, and came out the top Australian in the Wallaby Open.

There were two Aeros Combats in the top ten at the Wallaby Open with Paris out and three at the Flytec Championship. This is certainly a jump in their top numbers.

Only Manfred is representing the Icaro 2000 Laminar in the top ten. Kari Castle on the Laminar did very well at the Flytec Championship to come in 14th (and perhaps hold her place on the US National team). At the Wallaby Open she dropped down a little to 16th, behind Jim Lee at 14th. She is still looking for a harness that works for her and doesn’t cause such pain in her chest (maybe I can get her to try my harness).

Moyes continues to win the numbers game with six Litespeeds in the top ten. Lots of pilots fly the Litespeed and many of them do well (right after Manfred and Oleg). Wills Wing had Carlos on the Talon, so that rounds out the top ten pilots.

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The 2003 Wallaby Open

Tue, Apr 22 2003, 4:00:01 pm EDT

Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner|Belinda Boulter|cart|Christian Ciech|cloud|Florida|GPS|Jim Lee|maps|Oleg Bondarchuck|site|tail|Wallaby Open 2003|Wallaby Ranch|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.wallaby.com/wallabyopen/2003/

It’s another beautiful day at the Wallaby Ranch in central Florida. The forecast is for winds 10 mph on the ground out of the west rising to 17 mph up near cloud base. The BLIPMAP shows better lift and higher cloud bases to the south east of us along the east coast. We do have a couple of goals over in that direction (River Ranch and Hibiscus), but I can’t get the task committee to go along with me.

The FSL MAP model is showing the possibility of towering cu’s, although thunderstorms are not in the forecast. There is a cold front to the north and it is forecast to come through sometime later in the evening. So far (at 7 PM) the surface maps still show it far to the north. Perhaps it is stalled.

We wrangled around in the task committee (with so many people involved many things can happen). Finally two tasks toward the south, southeast were proposed but later we have to add Bok Tower as there is still a sky diving contest at Lake Wales, and the course line would put us too near them.

The GPS will go out just north of Bok Tower so it’s hard to say just how they will handle this when they score the meet. Do we get the waypoint if it looks like we came close? I think so.

Just before we launch we do agree on a short task to Avon Park airport with a control point at the Bok Tower:

With a stuff breeze in the take off area it is a bumpy ride over the trees. Belinda said that there were a lot of reflights today from pilots that didn’t stick the first time. I find something at 1,100’ over the northwest corner of the Ranch and work up 220 fpm to 3,700’ cloud base.

All of us who get to cloud base work our way upwind to try to get on the west side of the ranch but to the south of Interstate 4, near the edge of the start circle. The gaggles are very small given all the wind at cloud base, and I’m hanging with three flex wings.

On the ground there’s lots of action. Jim Lee has chosen a cart that puts his nose at too high of a nose angle. There are plenty of carts with high tail holders here at Wallaby, and they are to be used by pilots whose gliders have long down tubes. They are painted a different color so you know to use them if you have a Wills Wing Talon, for example.

Jim didn’t use one of these carts.

Apparently Jim was in line with the wrong cart and when he asked for a different cart, he was told he needed to go to the end of the launch line and get a new cart. He chose to continue. Belinda and others witnessed what happened next.

Just like last year it was an immediate lock out with one wing high and a 180° turn. He took out one down tube. He quickly fixed that and was soon launched again (I assume with the correct cart).

Another pilot did something similar again with too high a nose angle. Pilots have got to recognize which cart works for them. Long down tubes equal painted cart.

Meanwhile it is getting toward 2 PM, which it seems will turn out to be the real start (Race) time. We didn’t start launching until 12:30, so 2 PM is really the first time that other than the first early launchers would want to get going.

I’ve pushed west on my own and I hook up with Oleg and Johnny Durand, Jr. and Kurt Warren. There is not another rigid wing in site. There are many gliders miles downwind to the east. We are the pilots furthest to the west.

We race south until Kurt and I find 500 fpm just east of Winter Haven to 4,200’ and cloud base. We then go on a long glide that takes us through the blue toward Bok Tower. At this point we should have gone downwind to the clouds, as that’s where the lift is, but having worked so hard to get upwind we are reluctant to do so.

We get low coming into Bok Tower and Curt turns back and lands. Looks like I’ve led him astray. I head over the tower as I see some pilots turning high, but I don’t catch anything until I’m down to 700’ AGL over the back of the tower amongst the orange groves.

Yesterday it was pleasant at 340’ AGL. Today with the wind it is quite rough near the ground and I’m holding on tighter than normal. Its a few thermals before I get back to 3,500’ and drifting 6 miles east of highway 27. I’ll miss the next thermal and land twelve miles from goal.

Other pilots will be able to keep themselves high and to the west of highway 27 after they get the Tower waypoint and drift slowly to the southeast in the winds that get up to 20 mph at cloud base.

The preliminary results are very preliminary. Oleg Bondarchuck wins the flex wing task today as Manfred goes down way early, even before Bok Tower. Christian Ciech goes down before the goal also, so the two leaders don’t make goal. Alex Ploner wins the day for rigid wings.

The preliminary results aren’t out yet (printed preliminary results for Class 1 with the incorrect distance was out at 8:30 PM), so hopefully there will be something up by the time you read this. You might also try: http://www.elltel.net/peterandlinda/Wallaby_Open_2003/2003_Wallaby_Main.htm

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The 2003 Wallaby Open

Mon, Apr 21 2003, 8:00:01 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|aerotow|Alessandro "Alex" Ploner|Alex Ploner|altitude|antenna|Belinda Boulter|Betinho Schmitz|Brett Hazlett|Bruce Barmakian|cart|Christian Ciech|cloud|competition|control frame|David Chaumet|dolly|Eric Raymond|fire|flight park|Florida|Flytec Championships 2003|gaggle|game|GPS|Icaro Laminar MR|insurance|Jerz Rossignol|Kari Castle|Mike Barber|Moyes Litespeed|Oz Report|Paris Williams|Quest Air|Steven "Steve" Pearson|survival|transport|Wallaby Open 2003|Wallaby Ranch|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.wallaby.com/wallabyopen/2003/

In the competition between the flight parks, 93 entrants at the Wallaby Open and 110 for the Flytec Championship. I guess that bragging rights (for quantity at least) goes to the Quest Air Flight Park (largest aerotow meet ever).

Here at Wallaby the rigid wing class was decimated with the number of pilots falling from 28 to 17. You’d think that once that got here with their difficult to transport rigid wings, they would continue flying in the Wallaby Open.

The launch line on the first day.

So the top two American flex wing pilots have taken themselves out of this premier US competition. Yesterday Mike Barber cut open his knee (the pictures were gross and I publish the least gross one – see below) down to (but not into) the ligament. Today Paris Williams bounced off the cart and smacked into the ground taking out his control frame. You’d think he would be familiar with dolly launching at aerotow parks in Florida. ☺

The story according to Belinda who watched it happen (and who spoke with other observers) is that the cart hit a bump while he was going plenty fast (just at the point where you would take off), the glider came off the cart (Paris wasn’t holding onto the rope), his hands slipped off the control bar, and the Aeros control frame dug into the ground in front of the cart. The glider pancaked into the ground. People rushed over and took the glider off Paris who was then up and walking around. He didn’t fly the task.

Mike Barber didn’t fly the task today either. He is on crutches and happy enough with the fact that he will make the US team without doing well in these meets and get to go to Brazil. Same for Paris.

Speaking of the task here it is:

There are two separate tasks today for flex wings and rigids. The rigids are to start from a start circle seven miles to the south on highway 27, then go through the Bok Tower control point (to keep us away from the sky diving contest at Lake Wales airport), next to Avon Park airport (25 miles miles further south) and then back (through Bok Tower waypoint) and on to Wallaby Ranch. With a five mile start circle radius this puts are start point twelve miles to the south of the Ranch. A total of 81 miles.

The flex wings will be starting behind us (to the north) in order to separate the classes. The assumption being that it is harder for the flex wings to catch the rigid wings rather than the other way around. Their start circle is centered one mile north of the Ranch but with a five mile radius they will in fact be starting four miles south of the Ranch, eight miles behind the rigid wings. A total of 89 miles (from the edge of the start circle).

To keep the two classes further separated, the rigid wings will be starting at 1:15 only and the flex wings fifteen minutes later at 1:30 PM. That’s right it’s a race start, as predicted/urged in the last Oz Report.

With launch opening at noon there is plenty of time to get everyone off in time for the single start time. Many of us will get to the edge of the start circle twenty minutes early, but eventually everyone will be there. The lift is diffuse enough so that we don’t get in each others way too much.

I hear from Oleg that the flex wing start gaggle is not too bad either. There are plenty of cu’s with 4,000’ bases to choose from so perhaps they spread themselves out in a sensible fashion.

It’s great to have a race start. No worrying about whether someone is behind you catching you. You get to see all your competition and the guy in front is winning the day.

We are at cloud base at 1:15 as the start window opens and everyone together takes off spreading out to find the next lift. I’m on the left side with Alex Ploner wandering about. He’s got a good glide, but it seems only slightly better than mine. David Chaumet doesn’t display any better glide either. Interesting how things change each day.

Staying to the left I get a little better line and then hit the first thermal 3.5 miles out. Christian Ciech and the other pilots behind me come and join me, while David, Alex and a few others continue on not knowing that we are climbing behind them. We get a thousand feet on them right away as they don’t find any lift.

I’m leaving with Christian trying to keep him from getting away from the group (or at least from me). I’m just a few hundred yards behind him as we glide and a hundred feet below him climb through Bok Tower and to Lake Wales.

It’s a long glide into Lake Wales and Christian finds something that I can’t seem to find right under him. I’m down to 1,800’ when I get under him but under a cloud with lots of sunshine around and I go looking around for the lift. I don’t find any for eight minutes.

I will spend the next seven minutes below 750’ AGL, getting down to 340’ AGL. That’s fifteen minutes of rescue time, getting myself out of a hole that I have dug and back in the game. I just didn’t want to go back home tonight having screwed up so early in the task.

Fortunately the light lift that I find is next to the only cleared field within gliding distance, so I can both feel the comfort of turning low to the ground knowing that if I don’t get up I can land safely. This lets me let the bar out a bit more and milk the broken weak lift down low.

As I climb out of there I keep my head down and concentrate on survival keeping thoughts about my stupidity at bay. Just enjoy that fact that the lift is weak and therefore not too turbulent. As I climb up it turns on strong and within fifteen minutes I’m back at base. Almost a half hour of slowing myself down. Now it’s time to race.

I make a point of going for the clouds as I don’t have any pilots to help out. I get back on the course line upwind to the east over the lakes and find lift, while most pilots follow highway 27 to the left with few clouds. I can hear from Johann that the lead gaggle (minus Christian who is way out ahead) is only five miles in front of me. I catch most of them by the time we get to Avon Park taking a completely different course to the east.

Now I head downwind to the west to the clouds as the ground gets shaded from the high overcast. They are working great and I’m getting high under them while all the other pilots have disappeared.

The overcast gets darker as we approach Lake Wales and the Bok Tower turnpoint. I stop over a fire finding 100 fpm. Its light lift like this for the next nine miles as we creep toward the tower and I spot the other rigids circling near it.

Fortunately one of them finds strong lift in the sun to the north a mile as the high overcast begins to break up. I hook up with Mark P., and Johann, with Alex Ploner and Bruce Barmakian over us.

There are still plenty of shaded areas with light lift in front of us but we are back high enough to give a few areas a look see to see where the best of the light lift is.

Eight miles out and at 3,400’ high the Brauninger IQ/Comp tells me I can just make it to goal. Belinda, at goal, says Alex and Bruce just came in low and Christian came in a while ago. Well I’ll get a chance to see if the new version Brauninger behaves any differently as I go on glide. Will it be more stable?

An article in https://OzReport.com/pub/Ozv7n106.shtml describes the changes to the Brauninger IQ/Comp.

The sky is dark and so is the ground so I don’t expect to find any more lift, but I also didn’t expect to find any bad sink. There iss no wind (a report from Belinda confirmed this) and I figure there will be net no sink or lift going to goal.

Mark P. and Johann are way off to the right working a bit more lift as I continue on glide. They want the extra insurance.

The go to goal target showed up on the Brauninger, but I couldn’t tell if it was more stable than the previous version. It seemed that way but it was hard to tell for sure. Steve Pearson sent in the description that said a distance above your MacCready altitude would be displayed, but it wasn’t. This was perhaps because the go to goal symbol never flashed while I was climbing. Who knows?

I just saw that the vario said I could make it. I saw that my sink rate was 200 to 400 fpm. I saw how far out I was and how fast I was flying and could calculate how many minutes it would take to get to goal and whether I would still be in the air for that time period. It looked good to me.

I just kept the glider at less than 40 mph for the first six miles just to keep the needle at the best glide over the ground speed as I knew I was close to not making it. When I got within two miles at 1,200,’ I could go sixty mph with ease.

Fortunately our group was able to make it in before Manfred smoked the course starting eight miles and fifteen minutes behind us.

So Alex Ploner won the first day and Christian Ciech won the second day. At the moment David Chaumet’s Tsunami looks mortal, about the same as Christian and Alex.

It seems to me that pilot skills are really being tested here (and maybe a bit of the drag of harnesses and other bits). The gliders are very close to each other (with or without tails) and David’s may or may not be that much better. Alex and Christian are just much better pilots than the rest of us (at least that is my tentative conclusion based on my scraps of observations). Maybe I’ll get more relevant observations later.

One interesting twist was the fact that we had to go by the Bok Tower which is a place where we know that under some circumstances your GPS loses coverage. This is probably due to some nearby antenna that overpowers the GPS signal. Piltos were told that if their GPS coverage goes out but that their track showed them headed for the tower, they would get the turnpoint.

I’m thinking that if you get low near Chalet Suzanne (near Bok) your GPS signal goes out, but not if you are high. Mine does go out on the way back when I’m low, but I get a Mark Enter in the .25 mile circle just before I lose it completely. What luck.

It’s easy to see the Bok Tower so there is no problem flying close to it to get the waypoint. Hopefully all pilots will do this.

The story I heard from the flex wings is that on the way back it got very iffy near Lake Wales with light lift. Just the same as we experienced. The lead gaggle was low over the Orange Juice factory, and Manfred was climbing better than the rest of the group in the lift broken stuff.

He gets high enough to go search for better lift. Brett Hazlett who doesn’t get high enough goes with him and doesn’t make goal. The rest of the flex wing pilots know their place and work the light stuff until they do get high enough to move along.

Very preliminary results for day two:

Flex wings:

1 RUHMER, Manfred Icaro Laminar MR AUT 13:30:00 17:03:05 3:33:05
2 WOLF, Andre Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 13:30:00 17:04:46 3:34:46
3 SCHMIDT, Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 13:30:00 17:06:49 3:36:49
4 BONDARCHUK, Oleg Aeros Combat 2 UKR 13:30:00 17:10:20 3:40:20
5 WALBEC, Richard Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 13:30:00 17:10:57 3:40:57
6 BOISSELIER, Antoine Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 13:30:00 17:11:28 3:41:28
7 WARREN, Curt Moyes Litespeed 4 USA 13:30:00 17:12:02 3:42:02
8 MULLER, Chris Wills Wing Talon 150 CAN 13:30:00 17:12:23 3:42:23
9 CAUX, Raymond1 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 13:30:00 17:16:32 3:46:32
10 DURAND, Jon Jr., 49 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 13:30:00 17:38:42 4:08:42
11 GUILLEN, Bruno, 57 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 13:30:00 17:40:55 4:10:55
12 ALONZI, Mario, 23 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 13:30:00 17:42:28 4:12:28
13 DE LA HORIE, Geoffory Aeros Combat 2 FRA 13:30:00 17:43:02 4:13:02
14 CASTLE, Kari, 15 Icaro Laminar MR700 USA 13:30:00 17:44:15 4:14:15
15 ROSSIGNOL, Jerz, 14 Icaro Laminar USA 13:30:00 17:44:35 4:14:35

Totals so far:

1 RUHMER, Manfred, 85 Icaro Laminar MR AUT 2000
2 BOISSELIER, Antoine, 31 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 1842
3 WARREN, Curt, 13 Moyes Litespeed 4 USA 1764
4 WOLF, Andre, 97 Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 1764
5 DURAND, Jon Jr., 49 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 1762
6 WALBEC, Richard, 94 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 1715
7 SCHMIDT, Betinho, 30 Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 1684
8 BONDARCHUK, Oleg, 33 Aeros Combat 2 UKR 1675
9 ALONZI, Mario, 23 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 1588
10 CAUX, Raymond, 51 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 1574
11 CASTLE, Kari, 15 Icaro Laminar MR700 USA 1471
12 LEE, Jim, 20 Wills Wing Talon 150 USA 1418
13 OHLSSON, Andreas, 108 Moyes Litespeed 5 SWE 1397
14 BESSA, Carlos, 16 Wills Wing Talon USA 1370
15 HAZLETT, Brett, 59 Moyes Litespeed 4 CAN 1368

Rigid wings:

1 CIECH, Christian Icaro Stratos ITA 13:15:00 16:23:24 3:08:24
2 PLONER, Alex Air Atos C ITA 13:15:00 16:47:27 3:32:27
3 CHAUMET, David La Mouette Tsunami FRA 13:15:00 16:50:45 3:35:45
4 YOCOM, Jim Air Atos C USA 13:15:00 16:50:47 3:35:47
5 BIESEL, Heiner Air Atos C USA 13:15:00 16:55:12 3:40:12
6 POSCH, Johann Air Atos C AUT 13:15:00 17:00:39 3:45:39
7 STRAUB, Davis Air Atos C USA 13:15:00 17:00:43 3:45:43
8 POUSTINCHIAN, Mark Air Atos C USA 13:15:00 17:03:03 3:48:03
9 BRANDT, David Air Atos USA 13:15:00 17:04:57 3:49:57
10 PAQUETTE, Eric Air Atos CAN 13:15:00 17:12:52 3:57:52
11 GLEASON, Ron Air Atos USA 13:15:00 17:19:27 4:04:27

Totals after two days:

1 CIECH, Christian, 114 Icaro Stratos ITA 1781
2 PLONER, Alex, 121 Air Atos C ITA 1687
3 CHAUMET, David, 113 La Mouette Tsunami FRA 1511
4 POSCH, Johann, 122 Air Atos C AUT 1343
5 BIESEL, Heiner, 3 Air Atos C USA 1326

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Accident Report

Sat, Apr 19 2003, 5:00:03 pm EDT

accident|Tim Hoopes|Wills Wing Talon

Today Tim Hoopes broke his Wills Wing Talon while flying and successfully deployed his chute. He is fine. There ws a cloud involved, but I’m not sure how. It did OD today.

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Aeros Discus »

Wed, Apr 2 2003, 8:00:03 pm GMT

Aeros Discus|Ron Gleason|Steven "Steve" Pearson|tow|Wills Wing Talon|Wills Wing U2

https://OzReport.com/Ozv7n76.shtml#4

https://OzReport.com/Ozv7n78.shtml#2

I made sure that I flew the Aeros Discus again today so that I could compare it with the Wills Wing U2’s that I had flown over at Wallaby. I still haven’t had a chance to get on the Icaro 2000 MastR 14 again.

The air was very rough so I didn’t have a good opportunity to compare again its flying characteristics. I wasn’t the only one being tossed around.

The pitch pressures were light on tow with the VG half on. Not as light as the U2, but lighter than the Talon 140 which was pretty light. The tow was rough as was the flying. This is so weird given that there wasn’t any wind. The Discus didn’t get turned sideways like the old Laminar did yesterday on tow.

I had two flights, after getting off too early on the first one. Both landings were a piece of cake in light switchy winds. It’s easy to pull in and gain speed. I came in with one hand on the down tube and one on the base bar pulling in.

The VG was easy, but not as easy as the Wills Wing U2. I had flown the U2-145 with the Spectra VG cord and Steve Pearson thought that might lend to making it easier to pull. Ron Gleason had flown the WW U2-160, with the cloth cord and also found the Discus VG not as easy to pull as the U2. Still, much easier than the Wills Wing Talon, for me at least (Ron didn’t fly the Talon).

Otherwise, it was not a good day for testing. I flew for about an hour and got high from low in ratty light lift that kept kicking me when it wasn’t light.

For the first time in my flying life I got out thermaled by a paraglider in a thermal. No reflection on the glider, of course. Dave Prentice just did great on his paraglider. I came in just underneath him and he climbed away from me.

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Wills Wing Talon 140 »

Sun, Mar 30 2003, 10:00:05 pm GMT

competition|Dirk Darling|Exxtacy|Joe Balbona|landing|Lawrence "Pete" Lehmann|Rob Kells|tow|tug|Wills Wing Talon|Wills Wing U2

http://www.willswing.com/prod2.asp?theClass=hg&theModel=talon

Joe Balbona <Joe@arara.us> writes:

I flew the same glider earlier in the day. The tug pilot waved me off in a thermal and I went up at ¼ VG to 4,000 feet my limit yesterday in a short sleeved shirt. I toured around for a while and flew into a thermal with the Exxtacy down low. He climbed past me, but then I cored and went past him and joined a couple Litespeeds high.

I was impressed with the tow as very little bar pressure or corrections were required compared to my Litespeed 4.

(editor’s note: I also felt that the Talon 140 has light bar pressures and it was easy for me to pull in and stay right with the tug. I’m glad to hear that he felt this was also true earlier in the day when there was stronger lift.

I was comparing the Talon 140 bar pressure to the U2 145 bar pressure, and it is much less on the U2. I haven’t towed a Litespeed in a while, so I don’t remember what the bar pressures were like on it, so we’ll have to take your word on that.)

The VG wasn't any harder to pull than the pull cord on a ceiling fan. No muscles required to tension up. A pilot couldn't ask for an easier VG.

(editor’s note: Well, actually they could. Just try the U2 VG with the spectra line. Much easier. Just a flick of the wrist. If you didn’t feel that the VG was a problem, then it isn’t a problem.)

I thought you were tossed around like a rag doll on final landing approach because you were flying too slow.

(editor’s note: Actually I was referring not to my final approach but to the air I was experiencing at 500‘ as I did S turns over the trees. I wasn’t concerned about any bumps on landing.

I don’t doubt that I was coming into landing too slow on the Talon 140 – you should have seen the 150. I had heard Rob Kells talk about landing techniques the night before, and he was criticizing pilots for coming in pulling down on the down tubes. Since I often pull down on the down tubes to get the glider going fast on final approach, I thought I would try a couple of final approaches with just a really light touch on the downtubes and put all the weight on the hang strap.

What I neglected to do was pull in enough (while rotated up), keeping the speed up to as fast as it would have been while pulling down on the down tubes. None the less, the Talon 140 landing was uneventful.)

I disagree with you the summation of your review. I am a non-comp pilot (They don't make GPSes that old guys can see.) and would not hesitate to fly the Talon every day. It handled like a dream being responsive to all inputs.

(editor’s note: The Talon 140 was much more responsive to me that the 150 and I found it easy to fly. I just found the Wills Wing U2 145 a more fun and easy to fly. Given that it is a high performance glider, I continue to wonder what is the point of choosing a Talon 140 over a U2 145, or any topless over a high end new design king posted hang glider.)

While you may classify the Talon as a competition glider, the one we flew was quite tame so that a pilot using it in a comp would have it rigged tighter. The Litespeed is a comp glider but mine is responsive. When I borrowed one that was flown in the comps last year, I could not turn it with full VG.

(editor’s note: I do believe that Wills Wing thinks of the Talon as a competition glider, although of course, you are right there are many settings that can be tweaked for more competition performance. WW writes:

The Talon is our top of the line, competition class glider.

I spoke with Pete Lehmann, and he just got his new Mylar Talon 150. He said that the handling was so light and it feels so much different that what he expected (he had a Talon 150 before also). He was trying to figure out what was causing the difference. What it the Mylar? I thought that was supposed to make the gliders stiffer.

I also spoke with Jay Darling who was loving flying the Talon 150. He normally flies a Moyes XS. He hooks in about 15 pounds heavier than me, and hadn’t flown the U2 145 and a bunch of single surface gliders, before he flew the Talon 150.)

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Governador Valadares

Sun, Mar 30 2003, 10:00:02 pm GMT

Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Carlos Bessa|Filippo Oppici|Gerolf Heinrichs|José Luiz Moura Velloso|Jos Guggenmos|Luiz Niemeyer|Nene Rotor|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.evanews.com.br/2003/valadares/resultado.htm

I asked José Luiz Moura Velloso <jose.luiz@jlv.com.br> to send me the results of the flex wings only. He sent both flex wings and rigid wings. Jose has been one of the most cooperative score keepers ever and I really appreciate his help. He is even using the HTML templates that I sent him. Hurray! He writes:

There were lots of pilots complaining yesterday about including the rigid wings together with the flex wings. They think it is not fair to score the two classes together. It would be almost the same as having a competition with hang gliders and paragliders together. There are some pilots that think that they should also have different tasks.

I talked a lot with Gerolf two days ago, and he had some good points about this, most on some unfair advantages that rigid wings have in this competition in Governador Valadares. Most of time, they use their better gliders to fly higher than the flex wings, and kept waiting on the flex wing pilots to make all the flight decisions and take the risks, knowing that they could reach then easily after they got to the next thermal.

(editor’s note: This competition is run as a race, with all pilots starting at the same time. Rigid wing pilots who hold back on flex wing gaggles are behaving in an unsportsmanlike manner. They should use their better gliders to pull the lead gaggle and not wait on others to do the hard work for them. Of course, sometimes they just aren’t in the lead, but often they are and they need to act like leaders.)

I agreed with him when we spoke, but thinking about it later, and looking at it from the organizer's point of view, I think that scoring the two classes separately is enough. The rigid wings will have an advantage, but all rigid will have the same advantage, so that’s no problem. The organizer listened to the pilots, and as a result of the complaining, I think that the next competitions in Brazil will have no mixing in scoring.

Flex wings:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 5434
2 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 4971
3 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 4910
4 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 4841
5 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 4718
6 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 4578
7 OPPICI Filippo - Pippo Moyes Litespeed 4547
8 WOLF André Moyes . BRA 4539
9 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 4501
10 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 4477

Rigids:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 LEISER René Atos . CHE 5314
2 RIS Jurg - Jimmy Atos C CHE 4887
3 MEIER Richard Atos C CHE 4246
4 WERNER Walchli Flight Design Axxe SS 2495
5 LINDEGGER Hanspeles Lindi Atos CHE 1690
6 BAUTLER Andreas Atos CHE 1630

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Governador Valadares

Sat, Mar 29 2003, 9:00:02 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Carlos Bessa|cloud|Filippo Oppici|Gerolf Heinrichs|Governador Valadares 2003|Guga|Jos Guggenmos|Luiz Niemeyer|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Wills Wing|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.evanews.com.br/2003/valadares/resultado.htm

José Luiz Moura Velloso <jose.luiz@jlv.com.br> sends the results for the last day at Governador Valadares. Jose has been very nice to send in the results in HTML format which is much more compatible.

Sixth day:

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 LEISER René Atos 1:18:21 863
2 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 1:19:08 835
3 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 1:22:08 787
4 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 1:22:31 779
5 FÁBIO CARDOSO NUNES Fabinho Moyes Litespeed BRA 1:24:30 754
6 FERRO Marcelo Moyes Litespeed 5 BRA 1:24:45 748
7 WOLF André Moyes Litespeed. BRA 1:25:11 741
8 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 1:25:45 732
9 MARIO ANDRE FELSKE Monex Moyes Litespeed BRA 1:26:04 727
10 MASSIMO Turiaco (Max) Moyes Litespeed BRA 1:26:22 721

The ATOS was penalized, but it is hard to figure out exactly how. Total for the meet:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 5364
2 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 4868
3 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 4845
4 LEISER René Atos 4795
5 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 4747
6 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 4633
7 OPPICI Filippo - Pippo Moyes Litespeed 4488
8 WOLF André Moyes Litespeed BRA 4476
9 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 4469
10 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 4439

Well, a huge win for Nene and the Wills Wing Talon. The story I heard was that Gerolf, Andre and Betinho agreed to fly together to see if they could get Betinho a win over Nene on this last day. Betinho fell down and ended up 40th on the last day falling far out of second place. He can afford to drop a day on the Brazilian ranking system.

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Governador Valadares

Thu, Mar 27 2003, 9:00:03 pm GMT

Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Brazilian Nationals 2003|Filippo Oppici|Gerolf Heinrichs|Governador Valadares 2003|Jos Guggenmos|Luiz Niemeyer|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Rob Kells|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.evanews.com.br/2003/valadares/resultado.htm

José Luiz Moura Velloso <jose.luiz@jlv.com.br> writes and sends the results for the fifth day at Governador Valadares.

Only one pilot in goal today. A CB developed near the goal, and a head wind makes everybody land near the goal.

The fifth day:

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 LEISER René Atos 2:18:33 1000
2 RIS Jurg - Jimmy Atos C CHE 867
3 HERRMANN Gagu Moyes Litespeed CHE 848
4 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 847
4 OPPICI Filippo - Pippo Moyes Litespeed 847
6 PEDRO MATTOS Pedrão Moyes Litespeed BRA 846
6 ACAUA PASETTO NOBREGA Kawai Wills Wing Talon BRA 846
8 MASSIMO Turiaco (Max) Moyes Litespeed BRA 834
9 FERRO Marcelo Moyes Litespeed 5 BRA 833
10 MENIN Marcelo Moyes Litespeed BRA 831
10 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 831
12 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 829
12 MEIER Richard Atos C CHE 829
12 WOLF André Moyes Litespeed BRA 829
15 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 819
16 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 810

ATOSes get 10% of the fastest pilot’s time to goal added to their time to goal. In this case Rene was the only pilot to make goal, so what do you do then? Pretty funny.

After five days:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 4579
2 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 4262
3 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 4216
4 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 4134
5 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 4046
6 LEISER René Atos 3931
7 RIS Jurg - Jimmy Atos C CHE 3832
8 OPPICI Filippo - Pippo Moyes Litespeed 3806
9 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 3789
10 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 3747
11 WOLF André Moyes Litespeed BRA 3736

The Wills Wing Talon continues to rule the Brazilian Nationals. Rob Kells here at the Wills Wing Days is far excited to see Nene doing so well.

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Governador Valadares

Wed, Mar 26 2003, 9:00:02 pm GMT

Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Carlos Bessa|cloud|competition|Fernando Milani|Gerolf Heinrichs|Governador Valadares 2003|Jos Guggenmos|Luiz Niemeyer|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.evanews.com.br/2003/valadares/resultado.htm

José Luiz Moura Velloso <jose.luiz@jlv.com.br> writes and sends the results for the fourth day at Governador Valadares.

Nice task today! 81.7 km and 41 pilots in goal (from 62 in competition). There are two pilots who reached goal, but haven’t brought in their GPS’s yet.

Day four:

These are races with all pilots getting the same start time (in this case 3:15 PM):

Place Name Glider Nation Time Total
1 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 1:45:43 979
2 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 1:46:56 941
3 LEISER René Atos 1:47:30 928
4 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 1:47:47 919
5 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 1:47:58 913
6 LUIZ FERNANDO AZEVEDO DIAS Fernando DF Moyes Litespeed BRA 1:48:45 899
7 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 1:55:19 825
8 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 1:57:33 802
9 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 2:01:07 771
10 WOLF André Moyes . BRA 2:01:47 763

I didn’t notice any penalty yet for the ATOS.

Total after four days:

Place Name Glider Nation Total
1 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 3746
2 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 3442
3 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 3406
4 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 3385
5 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 3298
6 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 3199
7 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 3067
8 RIS Jurg – Jimmy Atos C CHE 3065
9 FÁBIO CARDOSO NUNES Fabinho Moyes Litespeed BRA 3053
10 LEISER René Atos 3052

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Governador Valadaras

Tue, Mar 25 2003, 9:00:02 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Carlos Bessa|CIVL|cloud|competition|Fernando Milani|Filippo Oppici|Gerolf Heinrichs|Governador Valadaras 2003|Guga|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.evanews.com.br/2003/valadares/resultado.htm

Are rigid wings 10% better? Yah, probably. On the second day of the meet 13 minutes was added to the times for the ATOS pilots. I had heard earlier that a 10% penalty (13 minutes is about 10% of Betinho’s flight time of 135 minutes) would be added to the rigid wing pilots.

For CIVL purposes rigid wing and flex wing pilots need to be scored separately. Usually the rigids and flex wings are only scored together for the purposes of comparison, but not for any official purposes. In Brazil, which is not too happy with CIVL, scores them together and then adds the penalty. I assume that at the end of the meet, they will in fact be scored separately before the results are sent to CIVL.

So the unaltered results of the second day would show the ATOSes coming in first, second and third, with the third ATOS in one second in front of Betinho. I assume that they were gaggling together and then racing into goal.

LEISER, René: 15:28:50
RIS, Jurg - Jimmy 15:29:41
MEIER, Richard: 15:30:47
CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ, Betinho 15:30:48
OPPICI, Filippo – Pippo: 15:30:50

Day 3:

1 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 2:02:18 1000
2 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 2:03:37 963
3 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 2:04:02 952
4 FERRO Marcelo Moyes Litespeed 5 BRA 2:04:13 945
5 LUIZ FERNANDO AZEVEDO DIAS Fernando DF Moyes Litespeed BRA 2:07:05 907
6 FÁBIO CARDOSO NUNES Fabinho Moyes Litespeed BRA 2:14:19 840
7 DORIVAL AGUILHON JR Doriva Moyes Litespeed BRA 2:22:15 782
7 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 2:22:15 782
9 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 2:22:25 774
10 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 2:22:48 769
11 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 2:22:52 766
12 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 2:23:18 760
13 AMIR Shalon Icaro Laminar ISR 2:23:30 757
14 RIS Jurg – Jimmy Atos C CHE 2:26:43 735
15 ACAUA PASETTO NOBREGA Kawai Wills Wing Talon BRA 2:29:10 719

Fifteen minutes added to Jurg Ris’s time

Total after three days:

1 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 2832
2 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ Betinho Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 2670
3 OPPICI Filippo – Pippo Moyes Litespeed 2591
4 LUIZ NIEMEYER Luizinho Icaro Laminar BRA 2580
5 HEINRICHS Gerolf Moyes Litespeed AUT 2466
6 ALONZI Mario Aeros Combat 2 FRA 2427
7 FERRO Marcelo Moyes Litespeed 5 BRA 2421
8 FÁBIO CARDOSO NUNES Fabinho Moyes Litespeed BRA 2322
9 RIS Jurg – Jimmy Atos C CHE 2311
10 SALDANHA Gustavo (Guga) Moyes Litespeed BRA 2257
11 DORIVAL AGUILHON JR Doriva Moyes Litespeed BRA 2248
12 CARLOS BESSA Cloud Bessa Wills Wing Talon BRA 2241
13 BUSCA Alessandro (Alex) La Mouette Topless ITA 2207
14 ACAUA PASETTO NOBREGA Kawai Wills Wing Talon BRA 2157
15 WOLF André Moyes . BRA 2140

Gerolf has finished first twice now, but fell down on day two. Nene moved into the lead over Betinho when Betinho got a little slow today. Looks like Wills Wing is on top of the competition.

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Governador Valadaras

Sun, Mar 23 2003, 8:00:02 pm GMT

Aeros Combat 2|Betinho Schmitz|Filippo Oppici|Gerolf Heinrichs|Governador Valadaras 2003|Jos Guggenmos|Luiz Niemeyer|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.evanews.com.br/eva/resultados.htm

José Luiz Moura Velloso <jose.luiz@jlv.com.br> writes and sends the results for the first day at Governador Valadares.

Nobody made goal today. There was a head wind from the last turnpoint to the goal. The task has 87.1 km.

Place Name Glider Nation km Total
1 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 128 Moyes Litespeed AUT 78,8 900
2 ACAUA PALETTU NOBREGA, Kawai, 17 Wills Wing Talon BRA 78,6 898
2 ALVARO FIGUEIREDO SANDOLI, Nene Rotor Wills Wing Talon BRA 78,5 898
4 CARLOS ALBERTO SCHMITZ, Betinho, 1 Moyes Litespeed 4 BRA 78,4 896
4 FÁBIO CARDOSO NUNES, Fabinho, 16 Moyes Litespeed BRA 78,4 896
6 OPPICI, Filippo - Pippo, 129 Moyes Litespeed 78,0 890
7 ALONZI, Mario, 114 Aeros Combat 2 FRA 77,9 888
8 LUIZ NIEMEYER, Luizinho, 96 Icaro Laminar BRA 77,8 887
9 HERRMANN, Jorge, 111 Moyes Litespeed CHE 77,7 884
10 LEISER, René, 115 Atos . 77,6 882
10 WOLF, André, 5 Moyes . BRA 77,6 882

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New Venezuelan Record

Thu, Mar 6 2003, 10:00:02 pm GMT

Enrique Arriaga|Sandy Dittmar|Wills Wing Talon|Airwave Klassic

Enrique Arriaga h. <enriquea@cantv.net> writes:

During the past week end, our several times national champion, Sandy Dittmar, flyng a Wills Wing Talon 150, broke the long distant record from 227 km. to 307km from La Victoria, Aragua state to Guanare, Portuguesa state. The conditions were excellent so we came back to fly on Tuesday and he flew 278km.

The 227km flight was the Venezuelan record since 1995 and was made by Sandy on an Airwave Klassic.

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2003 Australian Nationals – the finals »

Sun, Jan 26 2003, 3:00:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat 2|Air Atos|Airborne C2|Chris Muller|Combat|Gerolf Heinrichs|Jerz Rossignol|Kraig Coomber|Moyes Litespeed|Paris Williams|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.dynamicflight.com.au/Nationals/results_2003.htm

The results from day five:

1 STRAUB, Davis, 36 Air Atos C 145 USA 15:15:00 17:34:45 2:19:45 1000
2 WARREN, Curt, 1 Moyes Litespeed 4 USA 15:15:00 17:42:06 2:27:06 904
3 COOMBER, Kraig, 77 Moyes Litespeed AUS 15:15:00 17:42:27 2:27:27 897
4 DURAND, Jon Jnr., 43 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 15:15:00 17:43:47 2:28:47 882
5 BERTOK, Attila, 55 Moyes Litespeed 5 HUN 15:15:00 17:44:21 2:29:21 874
6 HOLTKAMP, Rohan, 27 Airborne C2 14 AUS 15:15:00 17:44:50 2:29:50 867
7 BOISSELIER, Antoine, 24 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 15:30:00 17:53:11 2:23:11 863
7 GUILLEN, Bruno, 14 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 15:15:00 17:44:55 2:29:55 863
9 MOYES, Steve, 59 Moyes Litespeed 5 AUS 15:15:00 17:45:14 2:30:14 858
10 HAGEWOOD, Bo, 30 Aeros Combat II 150 USA 15:15:00 17:46:01 2:31:01 849

The overall results (the flex wing only results didn’t appear on the web site):

1 STRAUB, Davis, 36 Air Atos C 145 USA 4126
2 COOMBER, Kraig, 77 Moyes Litespeed AUS 4121
3 DURAND, Jon Jnr., 43 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 3974
4 GUILLEN, Bruno, 14 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 3904
5 WILLIAMS, Paris, 81 Icaro Laminar St14 USA 3867
6 POSCH, Johann, 42 Atos C AUT 3832
7 MULLER, Chris, 41 Wills Wing Talon 154 CAN 3801
8 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 26 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUT 3794
9 BERTOK, Attila, 55 Moyes Litespeed 5 HUN 3753
10 ROSSIGNOL, Jerz, 64 Icaro Laminar USA 3750

I understand that the flex wing only results are a bit different, but again I didn’t see them up on the Dynamic Flight web site.

The flex wing results finally came up:

1 COOMBER, Kraig, 77 Moyes Litespeed AUS 4329
2 DURAND, Jon Jnr., 43 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 4113
3 GUILLEN, Bruno, 14 Moyes Litespeed 4 FRA 4071
4 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 26 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUT 4004
5 BERTOK, Attila, 55 Moyes Litespeed 5 HUN 3950
6 MULLER, Chris, 41 Wills Wing Talon 154 CAN 3948
7 WILLIAMS, Paris, 81 Icaro Laminar St14 USA 3943
8 ROSSIGNOL, Jerz, 64 Icaro Laminar USA 3906
9 BONDARCHUK, Oleg, 32 Aeros Combat 2 13 UKR 3632
10 RIGG, Gordon, 48 Moyes Litespeed 4 GBR 3619

Kraig is the winner of the Australian Nationals and the new Australian National Champion as well. After Oleg and Paris fell down, the Moyes Boys took their opportunities to dominate the meet, taking the top five places.

Chris Muller, after spending most of his recent competition time flying paragliders, warmed up to flying hang gliders and was the top Talon pilot. Paris came back with top finishes after going too fast and too boldly on the first day. Oleg recovered from his fall, but other pilots were too consistent for him to climb back to the top.

I’ll have more to say about what happened in Australia over the next few weeks.

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Bogong Cup – day five »

Sat, Jan 11 2003, 6:00:00 am GMT

Aeros Combat 2|ATOS|Combat|Gerolf Heinrichs|Gordon Rigg|Kari Castle|Kraig Coomber|Lukas Bader|Moyes Litespeed|Paris Williams|Ron Gleason|Ton Draaijer|Wesley "Wes" Hill|Wills Wing Talon

http://www.cool-ether.net.au/australianopen

or likely up on the following site earlier (thanks to the scorer, Wesley Hill)

www.davisstraub.com/bogong

The forecast is for southeast winds at 10 to15 mph out at Wangaratta, over the back of the Pines launch. We’re hoping that the south, southwest facing launch can handle that, as we have no other place to go.

We do go back to Buckland Ridge, the Pines, and there is a bit of wind coming right up the launch. It’s looking good, except for the fact that the air looks like it is Los Angeles. With the light winds and the prolific smoke producing fires, the air is full of smoke everywhere we look. Not that we can see that far. Visibility is reduces to about 5 miles.

They want to get us out and away from the area and with the short task yesterday, the task committee decides on a long one, 100 miles to the west to Rochester just south of Echuca. With a light southeasterly wind we will have a quartering tail wind, which is appreciated.

After the first few pilots in the open launch window get up good it turns scratchy at launch and I unload half my ballast. Half an hour later in ordered launch Lukas Bader is just before me in the launch line and when I notice a pilot turning sharply on our left I yell out to him to go to the left. We both head over there with Gordon Rigg and another pilot and right next to the hill side four of us work it hard to climb out in the rough air.

Lukas and I get high and head down the ridge toward the start circle 10 km to the west. By this time there are about thirty pilots just a few hundred feet over launch near the launch trying hard to stay up. The thermal stops and they all head down the ridge just skimming over the top and not far above the bomb out paddock. They need to find something quick.

The open launch pilots are high and we work lift a few km west down the ridge as the pilots who were low find it and save themselves. We can’t see the area for the start circle, so we don’t know if there are pilots there yet but a few of us head over to see if we can find lift out over the flats and get in the start circle. It’s almost time for the 2:30 start time, but we will not get there in time.

We want to get going as early as possible given the long task. There is lift in the start circle and we gaggle up climbing to over 6,000’ two km from the start circle. Gordon Rigg and I head for the circumference as the other lag behind. We spot another gaggle closer to the edge that we were unable to spot although they were only 2 km away from us.

The lift is strong enough in spite of all the smoke, but it hasn’t been mellowed out at all. We had thought it would after what happened on the last day of the Worlds in Chelan when we were almost in the smoke, but no, the air sucks, and the glider is bucking.

Our course takes us back out to Maccas on the freeway and Tony on his ATOS and I catch up with the open window pilots who got higher at the start circle given their earlier launch and we work 500 fpm back up to over 6,000’. At this point we are the lead gaggle and there are about five flex wing pilots and Tony over my head. The lift has slowed down but no one is going. The open window pilots are on top of the gaggle but as they are not the top pilots they are reluctant to lead.

I don’t want the pilots who will take the next start time to catch us, and it looks like we are with a bunch of slow pilots, so in frustration I take off on the course. Tony will follow behind me. Johann and Ron Gleason are behind and will take the 3 o’clock start time. Johann was with Ton in the start circle but lost track of him in the haze, and didn’t follow when we started.

I’m leaving the lead gaggle out of frustration with it and I know that this is almost always a bad move, especially when I don’t see anyone coming with me. The air sucks and I continue flying through some rowdy lift, not bothering to make a turn and see if anyone is coming. I find the conditions most unpleasant.

Out in the distance I see the outlines of a lake. I had forgotten to look at the map and didn’t realize that our course line would take us directly over a large lake. I can barely make it out and can’t see the extent of its far western and northern shores.

I know have to decide either south off the course line around the lake, or to the north, a bit over the lake. I can now see the south shore and with the prevalent southeast wind, I decide to stay up wind of the lake for better chances of lift.

Tony follows me for a while then notices that Oleg heads more on the course line to the right across the lake with Bruno so he turns and joins him. They will glide almost to the western end of the lake before they find lift.

I will also glide almost to the southwestern end of the lake before I find weak lift at 2,000’ AGL. After a long search I finally get the good stuff and get back to almost 6,000’.

Now I’m out on my own and I will only see one other glider briefly during the rest of the task. Tony, Oleg and Bruno will gaggle up and fly together for the rest of the task. Johann and Ron Gleason will go across the northern side of the lake, find poor lift and land there. Another small gaggle of flex wings including Paris will fly separately from Oleg, Tony and Bruno.

The lift is still rough, but the winds are light and there are plenty of small roads down below in the open range lands. I get down to 1,000’ AGL a few times, but by being careful and working light lift in the hard spots, I’m able to find much better lift. I’m wondering just how fast I’m going with respect to the other pilots as they are way off to my north and I’ve taken a much longer route.

Finally by 5 o’clock the rough air turns smooth and the thermals consistent as I climb out in 700 fpm to 6,500’. Now I’m really enjoying the flight. I hear that Tony is 50 km our having flown over Shepparton. I’m 55 km out from goal and about 10 km south of Shepparton.

With smooth strong lift I go on long runs making sure that I find myself over brown fields as the level of irrigation increases significantly in this area. I’m racing to catch up with Tony and the lead gaggle.

At forty minutes out I’m down to 1,500’ AGL, but over a brown field and in strong lift. The flying turns even better and I’m really enjoying the air. I can’t see or track the lead gaggle, so I’m flying as fast as I can.

Twenty five km out at 5,500’ AGL, I go on final glide figuring I will get near 20 to 1 glide given the 8 mph quartering tail wind. I stop for a little 500 foot gain as insurance 10 km out, but it turns out I won’t need it.

The goal is a virtual goal, at an intersection just east of Rochester. As I come in at 900 I don’t see any goal crew or any gliders. I begin to wonder if I’ve got the right coordinates.

There isn’t a great landing field near the goal so I slide over to the south and land in a big friendly field. Ten minutes later I see Tony, Oleg, Paris, and about three other gliders all come in close together. Tony will be second for the day just ahead of Oleg.

Paris, Attila, Bo (3 out of 4 of the Combat’s at the meet will make goal), Bruno, Gordon, Kraig, Rohan, Jonny, Kari, Lukas and a few others will be at goal. Gerolf will not make goal and he was in first place.

Tony won the day yesterday and now is in first overall. I won the day today and should move into the top ten, after not making goal on the first day. Felix at AIR will be happy. We get back at midnight, so the scores will be late.

I launch at the Pines.

Preliminary (twenty pilots missing) day four:

1 STRAUB, Davis, 36 Air Atos C 145 USA 14:45:00 18:12:01 3:27:01 977
2 WILLIAMS, Paris, 81 Icaro Laminar St14 USA 15:00:00 18:23:41 3:23:41 971
3 RAUMAUF, Toni, 29 Air Atos AUT 14:45:00 18:22:23 3:37:23 932
4 BERTOK, Attila, 55 Moyes Litespeed 5 HUN 14:45:00 18:23:53 3:38:53 916
5 DURAND, Jon Jnr., 43 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 14:45:00 19:01:33 4:16:33 816
6 COOMBER, Kraig, 77 Moyes Litespeed AUS 14:45:00 19:01:41 4:16:41 813
7 RIGG, Gordon, 48 Moyes Litespeed 4 GBR 14:45:00 19:01:50 4:16:50 811
8 BADER, Lucas, 22 Aeros Combat 2 DEU 14:30:00 19:12:12 4:42:12 772
9 CASTLE, Kari, 69 Icaro MR700 USA 14:45:00 19:24:35 4:39:35 760
10 MULLER, Chris, 41 Wills Wing Talon 154 CAN 14:30:00 19:18:51 4:48:51 758

Preliminary total after dour days:

1 RAUMAUF, Toni, 29 Air Atos AUT 3651
2 WILLIAMS, Paris, 81 Icaro Laminar St14 USA 3491
3 COOMBER, Kraig, 77 Moyes Litespeed AUS 3459
4 BERTOK, Attila, 55 Moyes Litespeed 5 HUN 3424
5 HEINRICHS, Gerolf, 71 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUT 3394
6 DURAND, Jon Jnr., 43 Moyes Litespeed 4 AUS 3260
7 STRAUB, Davis, 36 Air Atos C 145 USA 3141
8 RIGG, Gordon, 48 Moyes Litespeed 4 GBR 3027
9 BADER, Lucas, 22 Aeros Combat 2 DEU 2932
10 CASTLE, Kari, 69 Icaro MR700 USA 2917

Discuss "Bogong Cup – day five" at the Oz Report forum   link»

Flytec Championship – 70 mile fish bowl »

Sat, Apr 27 2002, 9:00:00 pm GMT

A.I.R. ATOS|Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Aeros Ltd|Alex Ploner|Chris Arai|Christian Ciech|cloud|competition|Curt Warren|David "Dave" Glover|Flytec Championships 2002|Flytec Championships 2005|gaggle|GAP|Gary Osoba|Ghostbuster|job|Mike Barber|Moyes Delta Gliders|Moyes Litespeed|Quest Air|Ron Gleason|Steve Kroop|tail|tracker|tug|video|weather|Wills Wing Talon

David Glover was very smart and every day as the meet went on he would drag up folks to thank them for their help at the Flytec Championship. During the week he thanked the tug pilots, the volunteers, the ground crew, the Quest Air crew, the people who put the dinners together, Frank and Steve Kroop, the registration crew, etc. Because it happened every day everyone got more applause and more attention than if he had put it off until the last night, when everyone gets crammed together.

David and Steve did something also very clever, they had GW create a video taking footage and shots during the week. On Saturday night, the last night of the Flytec Championship, the video was ready to go and we got to see the whole video with the sound track. It was amazing that it had been done so quickly, all the while GW just looked like he was hanging out taking pictures and having fun.

But, not only did we get to see the video, all the pilots and tug pilots got a copy of the video last night. It really showed off what we do at a Floridaaerotow competition and we’ll be able to take it around and show it to our friends (if we have any outside of hang gliding).

Dave was a kick all week making announcements, telling jokes, getting pilots to come to the pilot meetings because they were so much fun. Belinda commented that we hadn’t seen Dave in his element in quite a while. While there were many many people who played keys roles in making the Flytec Championship such a great meet, I’ve got to feel that it was Dave Glover that really put it over the top and made it so much fun.

One of the key elements to its success (I feel), is that he was able to delegate responsibility to others, and in this case I’m referring to the task committee. I had written to him early on stating how giving the task committee the complete responsibility for calling the task was one of the keys to Tove’s great meets in Australia. David, like Tove, had the personality that allowed him to delegate responsibility and not get tied up into knots about it.

Chris Arai, Revo, and I had complete authority to choose the task each day, we took lots of pilot input and we did our best for the pilots to make the meet fair and fun. I can tell you that there was no barbeque task on the last day (although we did come back to Quest Air) as there has been in the past.

Having a task committee made up exclusively of pilots who without prodding from the meet director or organizer (well, we kept Dave away almost all of the time), is a key to having a meet (there are other ways to do it, but there are very very few individuals who can pull it off, and I can think of only one, Mad Dog, in Australia) that satisfies the pilots. This will continue to be a difficult issue and I hope that there will be a way to work this out at the upcoming worlds in Chelan.

Oh, yes, we did have a task on day seven. First, we heard from Gary Osoba:

Looks like a 7 day meet, thanks to the task planners, meet administrators, and reasonably good weather. Congratulations!

For a change, the entire soaring window today should provide for relatively consistent wind directions and strengths. Should make the planning a little bit easier. Here's how it stacks up:

11am Weak lift. Probably a bit early for clouds to be forming yet. When then do (likely closer tonoon), they should be around 2500'. Surface winds sse around 6. Winds aloft a little bit more southerly at 10-12.

2pm Good lift, strong in spots. Cb 5000' to 5300'. Surface winds sse 5-8, aloft sse 12-14.

5pm Moderate lift, good in spots. Cb could go to around 6000". Surface winds sse 8-10, aloft sse about 12.

"Only a fool would try to predict the weather"!

So we’ve got strong winds aloft out of the south, but good lift also. With the good lift we can come back against the strong winds, and that is exactly what we plan to do. We have really been counting on Gary’s forecasts, and he has done a great job for us. We really pick the tasks based on his weather predictions.

We call a 70 mile task (no barbeque task this one) that will first take us downwind 17 miles to the west, northwest to Bushnell, back against the head wind to Quest, south into the head wind to the intersection of highways 33 and 474, then north, downwind past Quest to Gator field, then 7 miles upwind for the final glide to goal.

The task keeps us near Quest, while at the same time making it difficult to complete. We come back over Quest to get everyone on the ground excited and it keeps us out of the swamp.

There are plenty of clouds when we start taking off, and it looks like maybe there are too many, maybe it will over develop after all. The wind seems awfully strong also, but it’s too late now to come up with an other task.

We hang around until the middle start time at 1:15although everyone is in the air in half an hour. We just stay at cloud base for an extra 15 minutes. GAP gives one very little reason to go out in front and leave the gaggle behind. Johann and I have already made up our minds that we will take the middle start time, and maybe everyone else felt that way also, or, when two pilots left, they all decided to go with us.

We can see all the darkness out to our northwest and it looks like we are jumping into a black hole. There are high cirrus clouds that dull the areas on the ground where the cu’s don’t block out the sun.

We spot the guys who took the 1 PMstart time and that makes it easier to make our way to the turnpoint through all this very gloomy looking area. Still we’re down below 1,400’ before we connect with the big lift that gets us to the turnpoint and back out again.

Well, that was a downwind task, but we averaged only 27 mph getting there, so the south wind didn’t help that much. Coming back will prove to be much more difficult (and most if not all of the pilots who don’t make it will drop out here), as the average speed will go down to 15 mph.

I’ll charge across some blue areas to get under what seems to be a cloud street, find nothing then push up wind to get under some pilots turning at 8 miles out from Quest, only to find myself at 450’ and working lift that averages 140 fpm, starting out at a much lower value. It turns out that every one will have difficulty making it back to Quest and will get low on this leg.

Christian Ciech and Alex Ploner are doing much better in this meet than the rest of us, and they have zoomed out ahead. They were half a mile ahead at the turnpoint, and I lost them coming back as I went more easterly, but they will also get quite low. They are flying together.

I’m flying with Johann, but I’ve lost him also. Given how weak the conditions are we are all struggling and it looks like a long day if we can stay up. I’ve got quite a few other gliders here with me, so we hang on and the lift improves, as we drift north away from Quest, but with stronger lift it is no problem. Twenty minutes after coming in low, I’m up to 4,000’ and on my way to Quest with Curt, Paris, Ron Gleason, and some other ATOSes.

We are styling now, hitting good lift and staying high as we come into Quest. We can see a gaggle forming to our south that includes the Swifts, so they must have struggled also. I can see Alex and Christian in the gaggle also.

Johann will lose it here and head off to the west to get under better looking clouds, while I’ll continue to the south to join up with the gaggle. Johann, who is in second place, will almost land at Quest.

I catch up with the lead gaggle, which is putzing along. I guess they don’t see any need to probe out into the blue to the south. All the clouds that we had by Bushnell have not come down here in the late afternoon, and there are mere wisps to our south.

With a bunch of rigid wings, Curt Warren, and above us all the two Italian rigid wing pilots, we start punching our way south only to find good lift, light sink in between, and long patches of buoyant air. We stay high and work light lift to get to 5,000’.

We are still running into the wind, so it takes a while, but we have no problems getting down to the south to get the turnpoint with Alex and Christian leading the way. The Swifts start to get ahead of us now, with Manfred taking the third turnpoint and coming back to greet us when we are 2 miles out from it.

As soon as we get the turnpoint, we can drift back north along 33 in strong tail winds and buoyant air. With the lift averaging less than 200 fpm in the cores, we are just taking a little bit here and there. After the long up wind grind it is a joy to drift toward the Gator turnpoint.

Now there are only rigid wings in the lead as we come into the Gator turnpoint and turn to get back to Quest. It’s been a long glide into Gator before our upwind final glide. My IQ/Comp has been acting up and not reporting any final glide info, so I’m just hanging with the four other rigid pilots. Heiner goes on glide and we all just speed up as it becomes clear that no matter that fact that we are going into a strong head wind, we will make it back to Quest without a problem.

Mike Barber who bombed out on the previous day (after passing up lots of lift trying to go faster) goes all out and will win in Class 1 as the flex wings will come in about 20 minutes behind Alex Ploner who takes first in the rigid wings. Then again he'll start fifteen minutes behind us, so you can see how much Alex and Christian were holding back, just tracking the rigids below them.

Class 5 on the last day:

1 Ploner, Alex, 65 Air Atos C Ita 13:15:00 16:20:00 03:05:00 953
2 Ciech, Christian, 47 Icaro Stratos Ita 13:15:00 16:20:11 03:05:11 935
3 Biesel, Heiner, 101 Air Atos Usa 13:15:00 16:28:30 03:13:30 848
4 Gleason, Ron, 300 Air Atos Usa 13:15:00 16:28:35 03:13:35 839
5 Endter, Vincent, 43 Air Atos Usa 13:15:00 16:28:36 03:13:36 832
6 Straub, Davis, 50 Air Atos C Usa 13:15:00 16:28:55 03:13:55 825
7 Zeiset, Jim, 66 Air Atos Usa 13:15:00 16:38:43 03:23:43 762
8 Barmakian, Bruce, 17 Air Atos Usa 13:00:00 16:34:50 03:34:50 741
9 Brandt, Dave, 60 Air Atos Usa 13:15:00 16:48:51 03:33:51 713
10 Posch, Johann, 112 Air Atos Aut 13:15:00 16:54:20 03:39:20 689
11 Campanella, Mario, 186 Flight Designs Ghostbuster Bra 13:15:00 16:54:52 03:39:52 685
12 Almond, Neville, 116 Flight Designs Ghostbuster Gbr 13:00:00 17:45:14 04:45:14 469

Class 5 finals:

1 Ciech, Christian, 47 Icaro Stratos Ita 5804
2 Posch, Johann, 112 Air Atos Aut 5354
3 Ploner, Alex, 65 Air Atos C Ita 5272
4 Straub, Davis, 50 Air Atos C Usa 4994
5 Gleason, Ron, 300 Air Atos Usa 4983

Class 1 last day:

1 Barber, Mike, 2 Moyes Litespeed Usa 13:30:00 16:41:15 03:11:15 915
2 Wirdnam, Gary , 39 Aeros Combat 2 Gbr 13:30:00 16:41:37 03:11:37 902
3 Bessa, Carlos, 155 Moyes Litespeed Bra 13:30:00 16:42:09 03:12:09 891
4 Warren, Curt, 73 Moyes Litespeed Usa 13:15:00 16:40:29 03:25:29 843
5 Zweckmayr, Josef, 18 Icaro Laminar Aut 13:00:00 16:33:16 03:33:16 841
6 Bondarchuk, Oleg, 107 Aeros Combat 2 13 Ukr 13:30:00 16:55:38 03:25:38 800
6 Agulhon, Dorival, 94 Icaro Mrx Bra 13:15:00 16:45:15 03:30:15 800
8 Harri, Martin, 31 Moyes Litespeed Che 13:30:00 16:55:41 03:25:41 797
9 Williams, Paris , 1 Icaro MR700WRE Usa 13:30:00 16:56:04 03:26:04 793
10 Bertok, Attila, 64 Moyes Litespeed Hun 13:30:00 16:56:08 03:26:08 790

Finals Class 1:

1 Bondarchuk, Oleg, 107 Aeros Combat 2 13 Ukr 5841
2 Williams, Paris , 1 Icaro MR700WRE Usa 5644
3 Volk, Glen, 5 Moyes Litespeed Usa 5584
4 Hamilton, Robin, 30 Icaro MR700WRE Gbr 5515
5 Warren, Curt, 73 Moyes Litespeed Usa 5440
6 Hazlett, Brett, 90 Moyes Litespeed Can 5437
7 Wirdnam, Gary , 39 Aeros Combat 2 Gbr 5434
8 Wolf, Andre, 117 Moyes Litespeed Bra 5389
9 Olsson, Andreas, 27 Moyes Litespeed Swe 5369
10 Rotor, Nene, 77 Wills Wing Talon Bra 5348

Preliminary results are up on the www.flytec.com web site.

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Flytec Championship – I think we are having fun yet »

Wed, Apr 24 2002, 9:00:00 pm GMT

A.I.R. ATOS|Aeros Combat|Aeros Combat 2|Aeros Ltd|Andrew "Andy" Hollidge|Chris Arai|Christian Ciech|cloud|comic|competition|Curt Warren|David "Dave" Glover|Dragonfly|Flytec Championships 2002|Flytec Championships 2005|gaggle|Moyes Delta Gliders|Moyes Litespeed|Nene Rotor|Quest Air|Robert Reisinger|tow|tug|weaklink|weather|Wills Wing Talon

Many pilots were excited about the short task yesterday and getting to goal for the first time. This really upped the mood of the competitors and brought everyone one into the fold. The new guys wanted to be included also.

I wrote a while back about Tove’s meet in Deniliquin and how she organized it so that it encouraged new pilots to join in competition. No one has taken her example and run with it yet, but maybe we’ll see more of that. We on the task committee have to set tasks for the major racers, so it would be nice to have a meet where we could see tasks for the great middle of the field.

Did I say that we were having fun yet? Seems like the competitors are really liking the tasks and enjoying the facilities here at Quest Air. Good weather helps, of course, and Floridais doing its best to makes us all happy.

There is a lot going on at Quest in addition to the meet. A new turbine Dragonfly flew tonight, so that’s bringing a lot of excitement to all the motor heads. With so many Dragonflies and trikes here, not only do we get in the air in a real big hurry, but all the tug pilots get to talk to one another and encourage each other.

With an east-northeast wind prediction and difficulty forecasting the lift, we call a straight run, 68 miles, out to the WillistonAirportto the north, northwest. We want folks to see a little bit of Florida, if they happen to look down at all. A little cross country flying wouldn’t hurt either.

There is a strong east wind on the ground, and in the air (I’ll measure 60° at 14 mph throughout the flight), so launches prove to be a bit tricky. I’ll break two weak links, which will start me off in a fine mood, nervous as possible.

With the high pressure and shearing winds, the lift above Quest is quite a handful. I’m getting tossed around something fierce and frankly I’m totally terrified. I’m thinking of landing, but the competition spirit keeps me in the air.

We’re waiting for the 2:15 PMstart time, and even with my late start because of the multiple weaklink breaks due to the action at tree top level, I’ve plenty of time to get to cloud base. Russell takes me up on the third tow and it is as smooth as can be. He deposits me under a small cloud that is working at 200 fpm, and I much appreciate it.

All the rigids were out near the start circle circumference, but they come back to join me as we wait until the last start time. I assume that they are thinking like me that we want the full heating of the day to fly our reasonably short task in.

I’m at cloud base at a little over 5,000’ and given that we are all back a mile and a half from the start circle circumference I decide to leave in time to make it there as the start time starts. Seems like some other pilots want to keep working to stay out of the clouds close to Quest.

There are lots of high clouds, and thin cu’s with cloud base at 5,000’ out in front of us. There is very little development today in the clouds, but they are numerous. They are mostly just wisps.

I go on an eight mile glide to 2,300’ and find some lift with a few other pilots under very marginal clouds. It’s 400 fpm back to 4,700’ so I’m happy to be high. I guess I only need to say this once more here. I’ll be terrified for about 75% of the flight. I experience it has very turbulent, and I can’t help thinking that the glider to going to go over at any minute. Other pilots will mention how turbulent it was.

There are flex wings who’ve taken the 2 PM start gate out in front of us, along with a couple of rigid wing pilots who also took the earlier start time. I’m falling behind as I keep leaving uncomfortable lift, and hoping to find lighter, but more comfortable climbs.

At around Wildwood I start chasing the lead gaggle – a gaggle of mixed rigids and flex wings. They are moving very fast, racing from thermal to thermal, but I’ve got the advantage that I’m following and can see where they find lift.

There is a tough stretch right around Wildwood as we head toward I-75, then things start to improve and folks get more and more into the racing mode. I’m still way behind many of the other rigids, and the top flex wings are spread all around. We’ve probably got 20 to 30 pilots in the front of this race, within two miles of each other.

Southwest of Ocalawe get under a cloud street that lasts for maybe 3 or 4 miles, and I’m somehow able to catch up with the top few pilots. We al decide to go on glide from over 5,000’ and this will turn into a ten mile glide down to 1,700 until a flex wing pilot way to my right is the first to find the lift. For the first time during the flight I’m happy to be in a thermal because it is completely smooth and takes us back to over 5,000’.

At 15 miles out my IQ/Comp is telling me to go on final. I’ve got it at 15/1. I head out, but find a small gaggle to my left that is climbing well, and make the mistake to go join them. I really didn’t need the lift and this would have been my opportunity to pass Christian and just go into goal.

The last twelve miles in are full race mode. I can see Andy Hollidge in his Top Secret way in front of me and higher, but I’m pulling in much more than he and catching him. There is little chance to go down before goal, so the only reason to slow down is to absorb the bumps from all the lift we are flying through. Andy can’t pull in any more, so he’s at a big disadvantage.

Christian Ciech is just in front of me, and there is no catching him. I’m surrounded by (but soon they are below and a little bit in front of me) Nene Rotor and Chris Arai (who took the 2 PM start time) and Robert Reisinger and Joseph Zweckmayr who took that last start clock. The first four flexies get in just a few seconds before I cross the goal, second for the day. Curt Warren started much early and came in between Manfred and Brian.

Class 2:

1 Ciech, Christian, 47 Icaro Stratos Ita 14:15:00 16:16:23 02:01:23 906
2 Straub, Davis, 50 Air Atos C Usa 14:15:00 16:17:16 02:02:16 875
3 Barmakian, Bruce, 17 Air Atos Usa 14:15:00 16:19:12 02:04:12 841
4 Posch, Johann, 112 Air Atos Aut 14:15:00 16:19:56 02:04:56 826
5 Biesel, Heiner, 101 Air Atos Usa 14:00:00 16:12:01 02:12:01 822

Class 1:

1 Reisinger, Robert, 72 Wills Wing Talon Aut 14:15:00 16:17:06 02:02:06 909
2 Zweckmayr, Josef, 18 Icaro Laminar Aut 14:15:00 16:17:07 02:02:07 903
3 Rossignol, Jerz, 6 Aeros Combat 2 Usa 14:15:00 16:19:05 02:04:05 856
4 Williams, Paris , 1 Icaro MR700WRE Usa 14:15:00 16:19:33 02:04:33 841
5 Bondarchuk, Oleg, 107 Aeros Combat 2 13 Ukr 14:15:00 16:20:12 02:05:12 830
6 Warren, Curt, 73 Moyes Litespeed Usa 13:45:00 16:04:17 02:19:17 821
7 Hamilton, Robin, 30 Icaro Laminar Gbr 14:15:00 16:23:07 02:08:07 800
8 Rotor, Nene, 77 Wills Wing Talon Col 14:00:00 16:16:57 02:16:57 799
9 Arai, Chris, 57 Wills Wing Talon Usa 14:00:00 16:16:58 02:16:58 795
10 Wolf, Andre, 117 Moyes Litespeed Bra 14:00:00 16:17:16 02:17:16 782

Manfred made the task in an hour and a half. Brian in an hour and fifty minutes. Manfred leads overall.

Christian Ciech has to fall down for anyone to catch him in Class 5.

Cumulative in Class 1:

1 Bondarchuk, Oleg, 107 Aeros Combat 2 13 Ukr 3498
2 Williams, Paris , 1 Icaro MR700WRE Usa 3443
3 Hamilton, Robin, 30 Icaro Laminar Gbr 3333
4 Hazlett, Brett, 90 Moyes Litespeed Can 3250
5 Wolf, Andre, 117 Moyes Litespeed Bra 3244
6 Warren, Curt, 73 Moyes Litespeed Usa 3238
7 Reisinger, Robert, 72 Wills Wing Talon Aut 3223
8 Wirdnam, Gary , 39 Aeros Combat 2 Gbr 3195
9 Olsson, Andreas, 27 Moyes Litespeed Swe 3179
10 Zweckmayr, Josef, 18 Icaro Laminar Aut 3062

Preliminary results are up on the www.flytec.com web site. Dave Glover had them up by about 10:30 PM. This is the fastest I can recall the results going up on the web in a major competition.

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Nico and Wire comments – 1x19?

Wed, Jan 30 2002, 6:00:04 am GMT

Aaron Swepston|accident|Bogong Cup|James Freeman|Laragne|Moyes|nicopress|photo|Wills Wing Talon

Numerous pilots wrote in to comment on the look of the nico. For example, Aaron Swepston wrote:

Looking at the photo of the nico with the broken cable strands, it appears that the nico is swaged (compressed) all the way to the very end. From what I recall, the recommendation has been that the nico press fitting is not to be swaged all the way to the end, leaving a sort of flanged opening for the cables to exit from. That prevents the cable from having to make a very sharp bend against a very sharp edge that would result from compressing the nico fitting all the way to the end.

James Freeman«jfreeman» meet director at the Bogong Cup wites:

Stainless steel side wires fatigue and wear out. This is why some trikes use galvanised normal stee,l which does not have the fatigue problems of stainless. Until the advent of thin 1x19 2mm wires this was rarely a problem but now we have seen two identical problems in a small sample of gliders using this wire.

Thinner wires have less reserve strength and will therefore wear out before thicker ones.

You can not adequately inspect the problem area without cutting back the heatshrink.

Side wires should be periodically replaced. They are relatively cheap at about $80AUS for a pair and take no more than 5 minutes to fit. I have just fitted some new ones.

(editor's note: The Wills Wing Talon manual states that side wires should be replaced one a year no matter what the circumstances, and that they should be replaced immediately if kinked, show any wear, damage or corrosion.)

«hangpoints» writes:

Just because the glider is a topless design with a strong cross tube spar doesn't mean there is any redundancy in the side wire. With a broken side wire you have no way of weight shifting to that side. All you will gain is time to think about throwing your chute as you enter an uncontrolled spiral!

The 1 x19 wire has been used on all, Moyes gliders with Mylar sails since the Xtralite or possibly before (I'm sure Moyes can come up with an approximate total number of gliders). There have not been a "significant" number of side wire failures. However there have been some. Notably on an SX (c1997) last year at the British meet in Laragne. After flying over 80 km in strong thermals at up to 8000ft the side wire broke as the pilot let the bar out crossing the goal line at less 300 ft or less causing a fatal accident. This wire broke at the cross tube end where I'm sure pilots are less likely to inspect them and certainly launch marshals cannot see the swage. We (UK Derbyshire) also had a several wires break at takeoff just as the pilot loads the wing. Our takeoffs are not like Buffallo!

It is often possible to get the side wires kinked at the plate where they attach to the frame. Similar things are possible at the cross tube joint. We must be careful when rigging the glider to avoid this. If we get the thimble twisted and load it like that so it twangs out when we fly, I reckon that wire needs a good looking at or replacing. The area between the end swage and the hard eye, where your photo shows the broken strands, is the most vulnerable and any bending there is likely to overstress the wire quickly. Remember to look at both ends of the wire!

If the manufacturer's handbook is followed and these wires are changed regularly then there is no problem. We should all change our side wires regularly. I have supplied new side wires when I have sold on my last few gliders and maybe we should all do this.

The stainless 1 x 19 is more subject to work hardening and only slightly stronger initially than Galvanised. Galvanised carbon steel wires are more flexible and has an added advantage of looking terrible after a year or two so the pilot wants to replace them. Stainless wires are nearly always used for too long and not replaced often enough. Most active pilots should replace the side wires every year.

Carrying a spare side wire with our spare downtube when we go on a long flying trip might be a really good idea too! It'd probably cost less than the downtube. Some people fly with straightened downtubes, but never knowingly with frayed wires, so maybe our priorities are wrong here!

After the accident at Laragne there was a brisk trade in side wires in the UK and some gliders were found to have stainless side wires with many years and over 500 hours flying. Those pilots are quite lucky.

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1000+ Hang Gliding Pictures - $20

Tue, Oct 23 2001, 5:00:09 pm EDT

David Glover|Flytec Championships 2001|picture|record|tandem|US Speed Gliding Nationals 2001|World Championships 1999|World Record Encampment|World Record Encampment 2001|World Speed Gliding Championships 2000

David Glover «dhglover» writes:

A thousand pictures are worth… - Enjoy the people, places and things of:

The World Championships in Italy 1999
First World Speed Gliding Championship in Greece 2000
Flytec Championships at Quest and Wallaby comps 2001
Zapata/Flytec-World Record Encampment 2001
US Speed Gliding Nationals 2001 (includes a QuickTime Movie)

All on CD-ROM. See what it's all about, re-live the experience, use as a screen saver. $20 for US residents (outside the US only $25) prices include shipping.

Bonus Pictures: How to get a "Free" tandem in Florida.

Send credit card info, US$ check or money order to: David Glover, 416 E. Dale St., CO Springs, CO, USA 80903-2925, 719. 630.3698, fax# 413.460.5708, «david»

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Flytec Championships 2001 - Results »

Sun, Apr 22 2001, 9:00:01 pm GMT

Flytec Championships 2001

Flytec Championships 2001|Josef "Zwecki" Zweckmayr

Overall in Class II:

1 Porter, Brian Bright Star Swift Usa
2 Elkins, Steve Air Atos Gbr
3 Straub, Davis Air Atos Usa
4 Posch, Johann Air Atos Aut
5 Bowen, Campbell Flight Design Ghostbuster Usa

Class I:

1 Ruhmer, Manfred Icaro Laminar Mr 2001 Aut 3326
2 Heinrichs, Gerolf Moyes Litespeed Aut 3229
3 Schmitz, Betinho Moyes Litespeed Bra 3136
4 Williams, Paris Wills Wing Talon Usa 2913
5 Zweckmayr, Josef Icaro Laminar Mr 2001 Aut 2718
6 Suchanek, Thomas Moyes Litespeed Cze 2682
7 Hazlett, Brett Moyes Litespeed Can 2633
8 Lee, Jim Wills Wing Talon Usa 2563
9 Wirdnam, Gary Aeros Combat Gbr 2451
10 Castle, Kari Moyes Litespeed Usa 2428

Complete (but not updated, yet) results at flytec.com.

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Flytec Championships – Round Four »

Fri, Apr 20 2001, 9:00:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Bobby Bailey|Bo Hagewood|Brett Hazlett|Brian Porter|Chris Arai|Dave Sharp|David Sharp|Davis Straub|Flytec Championships 2001|Gerolf Heinrichs|Glen Volk|Icaro Laminar MR|Jim Lee|Johann Posch|John "Ole" Olson|Josef "Zwecki" Zweckmayr|Kari Castle|Manfred Ruhmer|Mark Mulholland|Martin Harri|Oleg Bondarchuk|Paris Williams|Steve Elkin|Steve Elkins|Tip Rogers

Tomas sneaks around the lead gaggle to win the day!

We have a conundrum during the task committee. There are two different forecasts for the winds. One says winds at 20 mph out of the east and the other says 10 mph. The task committee can't decide what to do. We look outside and the winds look light out of the southeast.

We send Bobby Bailey up in a tug and he reports 8-10 mph out of the southeast with the cloud base at 4,500'. There are cu's every where (except on the forecasts).

We decide on a 92 mile task due north, so we'll have a cross wind most of the way.

The launch window opens at 1 PM with the first start time at 1:30 so things start happening really quick. The last start time is 2:15, so they only have an hour and fifteen minutes to get everyone in the air and high enough (cloud base) to get the last start gate (which most people want anyway).

Bo gets launched first and takes the first start time. The ground crew and the tug pilots get going right away and the field goes bananas as everyone realizes that they need to go right now. Quiet one minute, the next the place is blasting with engine noise.

Just before 2:15 there are almost a hundred pilots at cloud base or in cloud base 4 miles north of Quest. It is hard making sure that you are high but not too high at the start time and at the start circle circumference. We are near 6,000'.

At 2:15 it is a race straight north as we head toward Leesburg and the lakes to the northeast. We turn to go up wind a bit, but it looks like there won't be any clouds or action down wind of the lakes to our north.

I'm a bit behind today so I get to see the action. Manfred and Betinho are on the left side of the spread of pilots. Tomas and Martin Harri are pushing more up wind to the right and east. I'm following them.

I watch Betinho and Tip Rogers in an ESC. Tip started earlier and is taking a thermal and drifting to the west. I focus my attention on Betinho as he begins to search an area and as he hits something I go toward him. Tomas and Martin will find something in a minute and I see them going up also. But, we are in lift and there are cu's every where around us.

I'm thinking that we had better head a bit to the west because the wind off the lakes is cutting the lift to our east. I'm also thinking that we probably want to be on the west side of the Ocala National Forest so that we should fly to the north west.. It's no fun going down in the forest.

I drive west to the next cloud as soon as we get up and the rest of the pilots seem to think that this is a good idea. We are rewarding with strong lift to cloud base. Now we've got a bit of a blue hole to the north, but lots of open areas that look like thermal producers below.

I lose track of Martin and Tomas, although I do spot some pilots further to our east heading up the west, and downwind side of the lakes. They look low.

We pass over some rigid wing pilots who've gone down earlier west of Leesburg, and it is slow getting up to Bellview. Still we don't get below 2,000' and the gaggle is hanging tight.

Once we get north of the lakes, we get into better lift and start getting back above 5,000'.

I'm not able to stay in front like I did on the previous day, so I have to do a bit of following from below. Still it is possible to stay up with the lead gaggle, and even get in front a few times to lead. I seem to like to be in the lead even if sometimes it is a bit costly in strategic points.

We get strong lift all along the Ocala National Forest and are ripping up the sky. The lift has been strong and often quite a bit too strong and turbulent. I think that courage is the word for the day. I have to keep calling up my courage to get back into rough thermals, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one. I just don't want to hit anyone.

At thirty miles out I'm out in front with Betinho and Manfred but a few hundred feet below them. I can't see them so I miss it when they start working something. We are in a big blue hole and I have to keep running to the clouds to the northeast. I find 800 fpm in a smooth thermal at 1,600' over a clear-cut area. The clouds now fill in to the north all the way toward goal (or it looks that way from here).

The lead guys get away from me as I make the low save even as I climb out to 7,400' in strong lift. Dave Sharp and Johann Posch take the lead and get high twenty miles out. Manfred, Reisinger, Zwecky, Gerolf, and Betinho are now a bit behind them to the east.

Dave and Johann head toward goal at Keystone airport thinking that they will find something within the next twenty miles. Brian Porter goes with them. Thirteen miles out they are down to 1,500' with Brian 500' over their heads. He picked the wrong folks to pimp off of.

Manfred and crew are doing much better just a couple of minutes in front of me. I can now follow them from back and below.

We find good lift all along the way unlike Dave and Johann who get stuck. Brian is able to get away from them and get to goal.

Sixty pilots make goal. Glen Volk and Chris Arai head for goal when the Tangent tells them to go, but the air doesn't cooperate and produce no net negative lift. They land 3 miles from goal.

Bo makes it into goal first with the first start time. His speeds are a bit slow, so he doesn't get a lot of bonus points, but he does get enough to put him in third place.

Tomas and Martin make it fast to goal beating the rest of us by almost 20 minutes. They flew on their own and must have found some better lift lines out over the National Forest.

Steve Elkins on an ATOS left 15 minutes earlier, had a good run and got the early bonus points to place first for the day in Class II. Brian and Mark have ballasted up their gliders so that they wouldn't be able to foot launch or land them, and they used the high weights to their advantage on this strong day.

Here are the results:

Day 4:

Class I:

1

Suchanek, Thomas

Moyes Litespeed

Cze

02:30:56

897

2

Harri, Martin

Moyes Litespeed

Che

02:33:06

866

3

Hagewood, Bo

Wills Wing Talon

Usa

02:57:54

792

4

Ruhmer, Manfred

Icaro Laminar Mr 2001

Aut

02:49:36

763

5

Heinrichs, Gerolf

Moyes Litespeed

Aut

02:49:40

760

6

Schmitz, Betinho

Moyes Litespeed

Bra

02:49:42

758

7

Zweckmayr, Josef

Icaro Laminar Mr 2001

Aut

02:50:34

752

8

Reisinger, Robert

Icaro Laminar Mr 2001

Aut

02:50:49

749

9

Hazlett, Brett

Moyes Litespeed

Can

02:52:10

742

10

Bondarchuk, Oleg

Aeros Combat

Ukr

02:54:28

730

Class II:

1

Elkins, Steve

Air Atos

Gbr

02:49:54

937

2

Porter, Brian

Bright Star Swift

Usa

02:49:08

928

3

Mulholland, Mark

Bright Star Millennium

Usa

02:49:28

914

4

Yocom, Jim

Air Atos

Usa

02:49:54

906

5

Straub, Davis

Air Atos

Usa

02:51:24

892

 Overall:
Class I:

1

Ruhmer, Manfred

Icaro Laminar Mr 2001

Aut

2691

2

Heinrichs, Gerolf

Moyes Litespeed

Aut

2554

3

Schmitz, Betinho

Moyes Litespeed

Bra

2506

4

Zweckmayr, Josef

Icaro Laminar Mr 2001

Aut

2470

5

Suchanek, Thomas

Moyes Litespeed

Cze

2453

6

Hazlett, Brett

Moyes Litespeed

Can

2441

7

Lee, Jim

Wills Wing Talon

Usa

2396

8

Williams, Paris

Wills Wing Talon

Usa

2369

9

Wolf, Andre

Icaro Laminar

Bra

2319

10

Castle, Kari

Moyes Litespeed

Usa

2275

Class II:

1

Porter, Brian

Bright Star Swift

Usa

2844

2

Straub, Davis

Air Atos

Usa

2682

3

Sharp, David

Air Atos

Usa

2568

4

Elkins, Steve

Air Atos

Gbr

2529

5

Posch, Johann

Air Atos

Aut

2473

Complete results at www.flytec.com.

Wills Wing Talon »

Mon, Apr 16 2001, 5:00:02 pm EDT

Chris Arai|Jim Lee|Paris Williams|Wills Wing

That's the name of the new Wills Wing curved tip glider. You can order it now from Wills Wing. I got to fly a bunch with Chris Arai, Paris Williams and Jim Lee yesterday. They did quite well flying into the wind and competing against Laminars, Litespeeds, and Toplesses.

I would look at the results of the competitions over the next two weeks to see if you can reassure yourself that the Talon is as good as any other top end topless flex wing glider. It sure looks like it has a chance to do well here, especially after Paris did so well in Brazil (3rd).

Flytec Championships – Day 1 »

Sat, Apr 14 2001, 8:00:00 pm GMT

Aeros Combat|Brian Porter|Chris Arai|Dave Sharp|David Sharp|Davis Straub|Flytec Championships 2001|Gary Wirdnam|Gerolf Heinrichs|Glen Volk|Jim Lee|Josef "Zwecki" Zweckmayr|Manfred Ruhmer|Mark Mulholland|Mike Barber|USHGA

The forecast called for winds 10-15 mph out of the west. The sounding showed moderate thermal strength with consistent winds (in strength and direction) all the way to above cloud base at 12-15 mph out of the west. The task committee went bananas (I'm on the committee so I can critique it), and called a 62 mile task.

First, there is a leg to the north, northwest 21 miles at 325°. Unfortunately that's 12 miles into the wind. Next comes a leg to the northwest, which includes 10 miles downwind. Finally and then a return leg with a few miles downwind.

The idea was to do basically an out and return at 90° to the west wind (can't go east here unless you want to go into Orlando airspace). The leg to the west was thrown in without sufficient thought regarding the strength of the winds and the moderate nature of the thermals.

Flying, we basically take two steps forward and then two steps back. Here's a look at a track log near the first turnpoint, showing the drift.

Later, I asked Mike Barber what he was showing for winds. He said that earlier in the flight he was measuring 14 mph out of the west. Later, around 3 PM, his Tangent showed 20 mph. My Brauniger was showing 12 mph at 240.

Not only did we have a hard time getting any where, because of the strong head winds going to the first turnpoint, but we also couldn't get very high, 3,800' was the highest, and we didn't climb very quickly, with maximum climb rates averaging between 300 to 400 fpm.

Here's a chart of altitude gains going to the first turnpoint.

With all this wind you would have thought that the air would have been very turbulent, but this was not the case. Perhaps do to the light lift, there didn't seem to be any sharp edges to the thermals. It wasn't always easy coring up, but it was possible even from low even in the strong winds.

Many flex wing pilots were only able to make the minimum distance or less with 40 out of 70 pilots given the minimum distance. Six of the twenty-nine rigid wing pilots got the minimum distance.

I was flying with Dave Sharp and I first heard from him on the radio 13 miles out from the first turnpoint. I was 18 miles out. Half an hour later both he and I were 13 miles out from the first turnpoint. Gives you an idea of the degree of difficulty the task presented.

As we got closer to the first turnpoint, the proportion of rigid wings increased. Many flex wing pilots had gone down before the first thermal on the course. Brian Porter in the Swift, Mark Mullholland in the canopied Millennium and Greg Dinnauer in the faired Millennium were all together 12 miles out.

Manfred, Dave Sharp and Gerolf made the first turnpoint. Gerolf lands a mile and a half beyond it, Dave lands 5 miles below it, and Manfred is able to make the second turnpoint and get some of the way back.

Given that flex wing most pilots didn't make in the minimum distance, the day was very devalued. Rigid wing pilots got a few more points, but not many, as no one made it half the distance of the task.

The charts below show distance and points in the last two columns.

Class II:

1 Sharp, David Air Atos Usa 27.9 211
2 Porter, Brian Bright Star Swift Usa 23.2 189
3 Straub, Davis Air Atos Usa 22.3 185
4 Yocom, Jim Air Atos Usa 20.0 171
5 Mulholland, Mark Bright Star Millennium Usa 17.7 158
5 Meier, Richard Air Atos Ita 17.7 158
5 Dinaur, Greg Bright Star Millennium Usa 17.7 158

Class I:

1 Ruhmer, Manfred Icaro Laminar Mr 2001 Aut 43.8 131
2 Heinrichs, Gerolf Moyes Litespeed Aut 24.8 102
3 Zweckmayr, Josef Icaro Laminar Mr 2001 Ita 19.4 93
4 Wirdnam, Gary Aeros Combat Gbr 18.6 91
4 Cook, Steve La Mouette Topless Gbr 18.6 91
6 Walbec, Richard Wills Wing Talon Fra 17.9 89
6 Lee, Jim Wills Wing Talon Usa 17.7 89
6 Hollidge, Andy La Mouette Topless Gbr 17.7 89
9 Arai, Chris Wills Wing Talon Usa 17.6 88
10 Raemy, Kilian Moyes Litespeed Che 17.4 87
10 Barber, Mike Moyes Litespeed Usa 17.4 87
10 Volk, Glen Moyes Litespeed Usa 17.3 87

Complete results at www.flytec.com.

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