Thought you guys might like to check out a recent hang gliding comp I did. It was called the Flytec Race and Rally. The premise is similar to road bike stage race. Each day a task or route is called to the finish or goal, any where from 40 to 120 miles (we operate in kilometers for FAI scoring). Everyone tows up behind a specially built ultralight and hangs out in an imaginary start circle until the start clock or start time. Once the time hits, the race is on. You fly wingtip to wingtip at full speed until the next thermal. Then everyone climbs as fast as they can until the next glide. You race along the course and the fastest person to goal wins. If you land out and don't make goal you get distance points. The most points at the end of the week wins the comp. We started outside of Orlando, FL and ended up in Aiken, SC.
Racing hang gliders is not an easy task, in fact I had never even made goal until this comp. This race had some of the world's best pilots including the world champion.
The full story is on my blog Here. Click the Flytec Race and Rally Label in the label cloud. Here's the cliffs:
Practice Day - 2nd flight of the year. Tuned my glider and brushed the rust off. Blissful sunset flight. Buzzed a tall ass tree on my landing.
Vid:
Day 1 - 148km task in a headwind to the north. Slow going fighting the headwind. Flew 48km in a time of 3:28. Landed in a turtle refuge!
Day 2 - 114km task north, still slight headwind. Made it much farther. Landed 37km short. Flight time 4:28.
Day 3 - 119km task northwest to Americus, GA. Made goal for the first time! Took me 5 hours!
Day 4 - Minor accident cancelled the day. Free flew in the evening. Explored a crop duster graveyard.
Day 5 - 194km task east to outrun a cold front. Epic day. Made goal again and doubled my personal distance record at 120 miles! Airtime 5:14.
Day 6 - 135km task northeast to avoid weather and airspace. Got off the ground late. Flew alone for most of the day. Got about halfway across a huge swamp with no area to land and had to turn back when I couldn't find lift. Landed at the last postage stamp of a field. Friendly land owner, thank god! Flew 107km in 3:15.
Vid of first climb to cloudbase.
In total I flew 340 miles in 25 hours and 43 minutes.
Racing hang gliders is not an easy task, in fact I had never even made goal until this comp. This race had some of the world's best pilots including the world champion.
The full story is on my blog Here. Click the Flytec Race and Rally Label in the label cloud. Here's the cliffs:
Practice Day - 2nd flight of the year. Tuned my glider and brushed the rust off. Blissful sunset flight. Buzzed a tall ass tree on my landing.
Vid:
Day 1 - 148km task in a headwind to the north. Slow going fighting the headwind. Flew 48km in a time of 3:28. Landed in a turtle refuge!
Day 2 - 114km task north, still slight headwind. Made it much farther. Landed 37km short. Flight time 4:28.
Day 3 - 119km task northwest to Americus, GA. Made goal for the first time! Took me 5 hours!
Day 4 - Minor accident cancelled the day. Free flew in the evening. Explored a crop duster graveyard.
Day 5 - 194km task east to outrun a cold front. Epic day. Made goal again and doubled my personal distance record at 120 miles! Airtime 5:14.
Day 6 - 135km task northeast to avoid weather and airspace. Got off the ground late. Flew alone for most of the day. Got about halfway across a huge swamp with no area to land and had to turn back when I couldn't find lift. Landed at the last postage stamp of a field. Friendly land owner, thank god! Flew 107km in 3:15.
Vid of first climb to cloudbase.
In total I flew 340 miles in 25 hours and 43 minutes.
<---Goodnight, sweet prince
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