Oct 17 – 20 (Thu – Sun) Intro to Comp 101

Nov 14 – 17 (Thu – Sun) Intro to Comp 102

To be followed by a full Sport Class competition in the spring of 2014!

Have you worn out your home flying site, and are you longing to branch out and develop your skills? Come spread your wings and fly with us at Quest Air Hang Gliding, in beautiful Central Florida!

Quest features a long, wide, flat, smooth grass aerotow field with safe launches in all 4 directions, and some of the best instructors and tow pilots in the world. Amenities include a clubhouse with private bathroom/showers, screened-in pool, lake, and a variety of accommodations on-site or nearby.

These competitions are for you if you are:

· Hang 3 rated

· (Hang 2 rated: call Quest for review/permission) Whether or not you have ever:

· Thermaled away from the ridge.

· Flown cross-country to goal.

· Competed in a fun meet or Sport Class competition. Format:

· Arrival, check-in, orientation: Wednesday night.

· Comp Days: four full comp days (weather permitting): Thursday through Sunday.

Intro to Competition 101 (Oct 17 – 20)

Designed to help pilots develop your skills in the following areas:

· How to thermal in the flatlands and fly in a gaggle with other pilots.

· How to judge distance, altitude, and glide ratio by sight.

· How to use a GPS (Flytec or Garmin recommended/supported) to set and tag waypoint cylinders on a multi-leg course.

· How to manage a course-line to goal upwind, downwind, or cross-wind.

· Course lines, waypoints and goals will be set to maximize your learning experience, and help you fly safely and build confidence.

· Scores will be based on distance to goal, untimed.

On-Site Clinics

Each comp will feature a Master Class Series* plus question-and-answer and coaching opportunities.

* scheduling will be prioritized based on demand and time available after completing tasks.

Intro to Competition 101 featured speakers and suggested topics:

Mitch Shipley (member of the US Open Class Team at the 2013 World Championships):

· How to get up, stay up, and make goal.

· How to land a hang glider safely (and reasonably graciously) in all kinds of conditions.

Mark Frutiger (manager of Quest, tow pilot, hang glider pilot, paraglider pilot):

Etiquette, skills, and strategies for towing at competitions.

Cliff Rice (local pilot, Sport Class Day 6 winner at 2013 US Nationals):

· How and why to fly Sport Class comps.

Plus One-on-One Coaching on setting up and using your Flytec or Garmin GPS to fly the comp tasks.

Cost and Registration

Unlike most aero-tow competitions, all of the resources are already on-site, so we are avoiding the costly overhead of bringing equipment and people hundreds of miles. Your only costs are:

Registration Fee: $100

· Tow Fees: $25 / Tow

· Retrievals: $0!! Free retrievals will be provided for all pilots who land at goal or along the course line.

· Your choice of on-site or local accommodations, meals, and other personal expenses.

Equipment Requirements

Glider and required flying equipment (harness, parachute, helmet).

· An aviation GPS (Flytec or Garmin recommended). If you don’t have one yet, see if you can borrow one from a buddy, or contact Quest in advance to inquire about a loaner or rental.

· If you have a 3-point or pro-tow setup, bring it. Otherwise, contact Quest in advance to arrange a loaner.

Accommodations

Plenty of space for tent camping and RV camping (with water and electric hookups).

· Bunkhouse, and rooms (contact Quest for availability and reservations).

· Nearby hotels are also available.

On-Site Ratings Opportunities

Working on a USHPA rating? Come early, stay late, or use some early mornings or late afternoons to work on your ratings and/or special skills. For example, take three 500’ aerotows and do a spot-landing sign-off. Don’t have your aerotow rating yet? No problem!

Start with an instructor on one of Quest's tandem Falcon gliders, and progress to solo-towing your own glider. Call ahead to Quest and arrange to come a few days early and get your AT rating just in time for the comp.

Not Just for Practice

Intro to Comp 101 and 102 are not just “practice” or “training” events – they are real comps, with awards and bragging rights for the top 3 places. Depending on the diversity of pilot experience and glider capabilities, we may set up competition in multiple levels/classes, so no matter what your abilities and experience, we will have people for you to fly with, who will support you and help you stretch yourself to reach new heights!

After finishing Intro to Comp 101 and 102, you will be ready to fly in any major Sport Class Competition, such as Quest’s 2014 Spring Sport-Class competition, or other major competitions in the country or the world.

Intro to Competition 102 (Nov 14 – 17) takes up where 101 finishes, and covers:

How to fly with other pilots to maximize your ability to stay up and on course.

· Strategies for getting ahead and staying in the lead.

· More challenging course lines and goals than Intro 101.

· Scoring will use the U.S. Sport Class-style “race to goal” (OzGap) scoring system, to get you ready for any Sport Class comp.

Contact: address: 6548 Groveland Airport Road, Groveland, Florida 34736, phone (352) 429-0213, facebook: “Quest Air Hang Gliding”, email: <info>, manager: Mark Frutiger