Vicki Cain <<email>> writes:

The Forbes Flatlands has been the season's premium competition for 20 years and will attract the World's top competitors. What's different this year?

The top pilots all tow well. The thermals are guaranteed and the whole field is gone from the airport in one hour. This leaves the tug pilots with nothing to do and the spectators with nothing to see as the pilots are usually landing at a goal a couple of hundred kilometers away.

This year we want to encourage more pilots so we have added three more classes in addition to the Open Category.

The competition for single surface gliders will be called the Club class and will be a duration and spot landing competition.

The competition for intermediate gliders will be the Sport class. They will fly a shortened task to the Open Class with less turn points and a similar goal, and will launch after the Open Class. They will be scored by GPS track log so a GPS is mandatory.

The competition for A Class pilots will include pilots that have never been in the top 100 of the WPRS. A Class pilots will fly the Open Class task.

We will have trophies for 1st place in the Club, Sport and A Class categories and 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Open Category.

We will have aerotow endorsement courses and aerotow training available every morning before the air is lively until the main competition pilots are ready. We will halt towing until the Open and A Class pilots are away, then we can continue towing until sunset.

Novice and Intermediate pilots can enter the competition or come along as an assistant and get their towing endorsement by flying early in the morning or late in the evening. The aim is to give the tugs more work to be able to reduce towing fees. To give the spectators more excitement to watch and to introduce novice and intermediate pilots to cross country events.

We have a World Class team heading operations with Bill Moyes in towing, Lee Patterson on launching, Davis Straub (Meet Director of the 2007 World’s in Texas) as ex-officio Meet head. Wes Hill is the score keeper and Rob Van Der Klooster is the Goalie.

Come join us, it’s a great opportunity to enhance your flying skills, meet new people from all around the globe, rub shoulders with the top guns or just kick back and enjoy the company of 100 like-minded people.

Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championships 2009

Dates: Practice Day Friday 2nd January 2009

Competition Dates: Saturday 3rd January – Sunday 11th

9 Days allowing for 1 rest day

You can enter online at www.moyes.com.au/forbes2009 or contact Vicki Cain at <email>.

There is great flying at Forbes and it is a wonderful opportunity to have the tugs out there with tug pilots. Pilots should come on out and enjoy the flying.