Oliver Gregory writes:

What business does a hang three have competing in a Cross Country Competition?

So you're a hang three hang glider pilot. You are starting to figure out the art of thermal soaring. You have been getting high and staying high, but you have yet to go on any real cross country flights. It will take some confidence building to make the leap from local site pilot to cross country pilot. Maybe it is time to enter a competition.

What if your first cross country event was designed for up and coming hang three pilots. What if the cross country event was designed to provide a wealth of valuable instruction from top cross country pilots, provide you with your own personal mentor, and provide an environment that presents an extremely nice location that makes going cross country a very reasonable and safe prospect for the hang three pilot?

The Tennessee Treetoppers holds such an event. The Tennessee Treetoppers Team Challenge is slated for September 30 through October 6, 2007. The Tennessee Treetoppers Team Challenge places hang threes on a team with a mentor/team leader who has vast experience in cross country and is willing to serve as mother hen for his/her flock of fledgling hang three's. Combine this with the extraordinarily cross country friendly Sequatchie Valley and you have the ideal environment for a hang three ready to stretch his/her wings and expand their cross country flying skills. The focus of the Team Challenge is to learn cross country flying skills while keeping fun and safety a priority.

Minimum skill level for the Team Challenge is hang three with reasonably solid thermal soaring skills and solid foot launch skills. Hang four pilots are encouraged to come and brush up on cross country and landing skills. Hang two level pilots are encouraged to come and learn along with the teams. Henson's Gap is a well known hang two site with a giant landing field within easy reach of the famous Radial Ramp. We'll have hang two fun tasks and the landing skills clinic will be open for hang twos, as well, when we are launching at Henson's Gap.

We'll call overlapping tasks so everyone gets to fly together for at least part of the tasks, yet the tasks will be challenging enough to keep even the cross country comp pilots interested. Hang threes, hang fours and even the cross country racers are gonna have fun with our tasks. Advanced pilots coach their team mates by example and by radio as they fly along the tasks. Scores are weighted based on skill level and glider performance. Pilots are encouraged to participate in the weather forecast committee, task committee and safety committee. This is the place where many pilots put it all together for their first real cross country flights. Don't miss it!

This year we'll focus on landing skills and cross country flying. We'll video landings at the site Lzs and the goals, and, if conditions allow, we'll have extra early morning landing clinics when the task day will be at Henson's. In the evenings we'll have educational talks on weather forecasting, cross country flying and landing skills with video enhanced learning.

We expect to have a few nationally known experts around to help with the discussions and to serve as team leaders. Kevin Carter, US National Team member, is gonna help us out with the landing clinic and as a team leader. Kevin is one of the best teachers in Hang Gliding and has organized very successful clinics at Quest Air in FL. The landing clinics are free for Team Challenge competitors and $25 for Tennessee Treetoppers members.

Mike Barber, US National Team member and world record cross country distance holder, has volunteered to give his great cross country flying skills talks and will be around to help out and offer advice. If you haven't heard Mike's cross country talks, be sure to come and bring a notepad. They are jam packed with useful information.

The Team Challenge is only $150 for registration and membership.  You will then be a full member and may use any of our sites and all of our facilities for the year. If you are already a full member, the cost is only $90. We'll have great campfire discussions, cookouts and trips to Chattanooga if the weather permits. Inexpensive breakfast for pilots and volunteers will be available in the clubhouse every morning. We have a fun party planned for the last night with great food, a band, goodie give aways, and trophies for the winning teams. We'll also sponsor a couple of worthy pilots who are cash poor and in need of a great flying vacation.

Join us for Team Challenge! Form a team and see if you can beat the Arkansas Soaring Hogs, or come on your own and we'll help place you on a team. Registration is held at 6PM Saturday September 29th. The meet starts September 30thand runs through October 6th when we'll have our Octoberfest party and awards ceremony.

Check out our website for more information on the Team Challenge and some great pics and video's of some flying in our area. You can join in on Tennessee Treetoppers discussions at our ">tttflymail", "yahoorgroups.com site. Our site also has a link for online registration: // -->

Discuss Challenge at the Oz Report forum
   
 
 
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