http://www.thefloridaridge.com/

No Florida competitions were sanctioned at the Fall board meeting of the USHPA. But don't despair as there looks like there will be two USHPA sanctioned meets this Spring in Florida, even likely a Flytec meet. I've been in close contact with James Tindle, Jamie Shelden, and Steve Kroop, so I'll bring you the latest word as the news unfolds.

James Tindle, as per usual, was late in getting his application into the USHPA for consideration at the Fall USHPA BOD and Competition Committee meeting. But I am given to understand that he did have the bid into the USHPA office and that Mike Haley will look at it next week and it will likely be sanctioned, if all is in order.

Right now it looks like the Florida Ridge meet could turn out to be the "big" meet in Florida this spring drawing in the crowds from Europe (which finds it easy and cheap to fly to Florida via LTU, with their hang gliders, right into Fort Myers which is right down the road from the Ridge). It is the only meet which will be centered at one flight park (as the proposed Flytec meet can't take place at Quest Air, more on that later).

The meet will take place April 25th to May 1st (unusual to have a meet Saturday through Friday), so after Bassano. It will last seven flying days. The flying in Florida is great in late April, and especially good in south Florida. I expect epic conditions.

The initial prize money is $3,000. $1,500 is for the first place flex wing pilot, so that should be a healthy draw to bring in the best pilots.

James is going to make a big push for Sport Class pilots also and promising lots of assistance and help on the ground to make sure that these pilots have a great learning as well as competition experience. We have done Sport Class before at the Florida Ridge and it has worked out well. Shorter tasks, for sure.

I am guessing that Sport Class will be limited to pilots flying king posted gliders (more on this later in the Oz Report).

James has a new tug and is getting his older tug rebuilt and refurbished at Quest Air right now by Bobby Bailey. He will has access to four other tugs for the meet. He is looking for up to sixty or perhaps more pilots and having the facilities to accommodate them. His field is big enough and with enough tugs, he can pull it off.

I'll be in charge of scoring (with helpers doing the downloading). I'll most likely use OzGAP 2005, but we'll see how things go between now and then, and see what pilots want as a scoring system.

We'll make sure that the meet director and safety director (and safety committee) handle all the weather conditions in a timely fashion.

I will report more fully on this upcoming Florida extravaganza as soon as I find out more from James. Also, more on the Flytec meet which will be held in conjunction with the Florida Ridge meet (they share tugs), coming up in the next Oz Report.

Write in and tell me if you are interested in coming to this meet and what you want to get from it. I expect lots of flying. Good race conditions. There are plenty of safe and convenient landing areas (and places over which you can make low saves). Davis Straub\'s email address.

Registration should open in about a month.