Brazilian XCOpen podium, October 2009

Brazilian Richard Pethigal (Swing Stratus WRC) has won the first round of the 2010 XCOpen series paragliding competition which took place in Araxa, Brazil, from 10 – 17 October. Sebastien Bochet (FR, UP Edge) was second and Washingtom Peruchi (BR, Macpara Magus 6) third.

Natalia Bonilla (US) was top woman; Gustavo de Oliviera (BR) won the serial class, Wendell Gomes Pereira (BR) the Sport and Xavier Girin (FR) the fun class.

The second round will be in Manilla, Australia (30 Jan – 10 Feb) and the third Piedrahita, Spain (28 Aug – 4 Sep)

For Marcus’ blogs on the event, visit the blogspot pages.

www.xcopen.org

Aclima men's and women's merino wool tops

Cross Country photographer Fredrik Gustafsson told us about this Merino wool base layer from Norwegian company, Aclima, which he describes as “really superb for paragliding”, so we thought we should spread the word:

Made of 100% Merino wool which has been ’super-washed’ to further straighten the fibres, the manufacturer says it can be worn against the skin and feels smooth, soft and comfortable and doesn’t itch, a point which Fred agrees with. Being wool, it keeps you warm even when wet, but is quick-drying and allegedly does not smell even after days of use.

Thumb loops ensure the sleeves don’t ride up so your wrists stay warm, and the hood is very versatile, and can be worn as a roll-neck, a hood or a balaclava. Fred describes the stomach pouch handwarmer pocket as “yummy”.

With male and female specific versions and a choice of colours and sizes from XS to XXL it retails at around 70 Euros.

www.aclima.no

A gap in swathes of forest marks Cuchi launch, Argentina

Flight Culture is once again running a trip to the central Sierras of Argentina, from 28 February – 13 March 2010.

Flight Culture’s John Welch says, “This trip has always seen pilots achieving new personal best distances. It will suit pilots of all levels as it will be supported by an instructor”.

If you’d like a chance to see this incredibly beautiful country, contact info@flightculture.co.uk or via their website.

Urs Haari. Photo: Roland Mäder

Paraglider manufacturer, Nova, have just announced that 44 year old Swiss pilot Urs Haari is their Pilot of the Year 2009.

Flying a Nova mentor (EN B), Urs managed to win the worldwide ranking of XContest.org 2009 (which is the XC online contest with the highest number of participants) in both the standard and sport categories, leaving all pilots with EN C and EN D wings behind. (more…)

Team Spirit Hang gliding and Paragliding have been offering flying tours and glider rentals in Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico, since 1997. They can now also offer guest house accommodation in their ‘Barefoot Travelers Rooms’.

Situated right next to a huge nature reserve, on a 3 mile stretch of beach where kayaking trips, surfing and kitesurfing can be arranged for non-flyable days.

The team say, “We hope to welcome you here to fly and enjoy Caribbean paradise sometime soon”.

flypuertorico@gmail.com or 787-850-0508

South Africa’s Flying Unlimited have created a wireless PTT for hang glider, paraglider and paramotor pilots.

Originally developed for their own needs for formation flying, it will be appreciated by those who like the idea of communication without dropping the brake lines, and of not having the pallaver of feeding wires down sleeves and into flying suits. The PTT can be fixed with a strap to your brake handle or tied to your wrist.

You can order the system to fit yourself, or they will fit it for you. The do it yourself system costs R499.00 (approximately €44) including Vat, or R690 (€62) installed.

www.ppg.co.za
tony@ppg.co.za

The Parahawking team based in Pokhara, Nepal, are pleased to welcome two new members:

Claudio Mota

The first is Venezuelan/Canadian pilot Claudio Mota. Claudio will be taking over from Brad Sander as one of the Parahawking tandem pilots. Scott Mason says, ” Claudio has been a regular visitor to Pokhara and has been an avid supporter of our little project since the very beginning. A familiar face to many, Claudio can be seen in the classic Paragliding movie ‘Never Ending Thermal’”

They are also delighted to welcome Emily Hammel. Emily is from the UK, she is a specialist avian trainer with stacks of experience training and handling many different species of raptor. With her broad knowledge and experience, and her amiable personality, she is proving to be a huge asset to the Parahawking and Himalayan Raptor Rescue team.

They still have a job vacancy for a bird trainer/handler to join the team in January 2010. If you have experience in this field and are looking to do something a little different for a few months from January through to April 2010 then please contact us.

Please send a detailed cv/resume to scott@parahawking.com

Full details of the position including salary will be given on application.

Himalayan Raptor Rescue is a small, privately run organisation dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of Nepal’s birds of prey.

The project now has it’s own dedicated website. Parahawking’s Scott Mason tells us, “It’s still a bit of a work in progress but the pages are filing with lots of information about the birds we have rescued, the projects that we are involved with plus details on how you can support us”.

The Himalayan Raptor Rescue project is one beneficiary of the ‘With this Ring‘ project: Christina Ammon, a good friend and supporter of Parahawking and Himalayan Raptor Rescue, is auctioning her late grandmother’s 3.21 carrot, diamond-encrusted, wedding ring to raise money for a number of charities and causes around the world. The ring’s value is estimated to be around $22,000. So dig deep and start bidding!

Larry Bunner

Larry Bunner, Owen Morse and Terry Presley have flown their Wills Wing T2C hang gliders into the record books this summer.

Larry Bunner flew his T2C 197 miles in Pennsylvania  on 7 July, setting a site, state, and regional record. He flew without retrieve and relied on the support of his wife Sue for a “midnight lift”.

Larry says, “A number of people have asked me why I switched back to a flexi after flying a rigid wing for several years. The best comparison I can come up with is that flying the T2C is like driving a sports car in contrast to a 4 door Mercedes. I landed at 6:48, 6 hours and 18 minutes and 197 miles from the Pulpit. Wooohooo!”

Owen Morse

Owen Morse has been training with unconventional out and returns in the San Bernardino Mountains and recently set a Crestline site flexwing record of 118 miles on his T2C 154.

To the Crestline Soaring Society Owen said, “I don’t want to get too sentimental, but I must mention this here, because all of you will understand this more than anyone. In one of my last conversations with Rob Kells, I was telling him just how much I loved my T2C, and that I promised him I was going to go 100 miles from Crestline on it. He smiled and said, ‘Owen, I don’t doubt it!’ As I flew over Baker, at the 100 mile mark, I said out loud ‘That’s for you Rob’.”

Then on 4 Sep Terry Presley became the first person to fly from Lookout Mountain Flight Park to Henson’s Gap Tennessee and BACK. Terry’s been flying topless gliders for many years and thinks that the T2C is the cleanest glider that Wills has ever made. “They’ve listened to their newest group of hot factory pilots and have produced as aerodynamically clean of a glider as they possible could,” Terry said. “By far their best effort. The performance is really showing up from their attention to detail.”

Terry Presley

A happy Rick receives his trophy. Photo: Airborne.com.au

Rick Duncan, director of Airborne, has won Australia’s Canungra Classic on the new Rev 13.5; Jonny Durand took second place and Rohan Holtkamp third, also on Airborne’s Rev 13.5.

Rick was world champion in 1988 but “doesn’t fly as much as he used to these days” and had very little practice prior to the comp, so was particularly pleased to have beaten favourite Jonny Durand into second place.

Airborne have been working on refining the Rev’s design since the Worlds, where it made its first appearance. Significant changes were made to the sail, frame and airfoil of the glider and it will now go to Germany for final certification.

Congratulations also go to Jon Durand Snr who won 2 tasks flying his Litespeed S 5 and to Jonny Durand for winning 3 tasks flying his Litespeed RS 3.5. The Durands between them won 5 of the 6 days! If Jonny had won again this year, it would have been his 9th consecutive win!