Mike Kelsey <kelsey.mike>
writes:

El Nino played a big role in the 2009 Ouachita Mountains Hang
Gliding Series. Record rain for Arkansas and Oklahoma robbed us of our prime
Cross Country days in the Ouachita Mountains. While the H4 and H5 pilots waited
out the weather, the H2 and H3 pilots were making the best of the lemons that El
Nino threw our way.

The Series is set up so that all Hang Ratings can compete as it is not an Cross
Country only contest and the points are handicapped according to Hang Rating and
Glider Type. Yes, it does favor the Cross Country pilots by awarding points for
Open Distance, Out and Return and Triangles, but also allows points for
Duration, Max Altitude, as well as simply visiting as many sites in the Ouachita
Mountains as possible as well as special points for our H1 and H2 pilots.

This year two pilots visited 7 of the 9 launch sites that are part of the
series, and this effort alone catapulted them into early leads. The Cross
Country pilots waited for the Cross Country season that basically never came.
There were a few Cross Country flights, and some points were awarded, but none
of the Cross Country pilots were able to catch up with the points of the leading
H2 and H3 pilots.

Leading the Series this year was an H3 pilot, Allen Rahi of Spiro, Oklahoma,
flying a WW U2, with a point total of 1455 points. He racked up 4 sites as first
flights of the year, got a 3 hour maximum duration score, and flew 7 of the 9
sites.

Second Place goes to H3 pilot, Jason Gray of Greenwood, Arkansas, flying a WW
Talon, with a point total of 1217 points. He flew 3 sites as first flights of
the year, got a 1 hour maximum duration, and snatched the only Triangle of the
year by completing the Hatton Triangle. He also got around a lot and flew 7 of
the 9 sites.

Third Place goes to H2 pilot, Paul Dickenson of Conway, Arkansas, flying a
single surface wing, with a point total of 1090 points. Starting as an H1, he
was awarded 500 points for his 35 training flights, 500 points for his first
flight over 20 minutes as an H2 and points for flying three different sites.

24 Hang Glider pilots participated in the series this year with Wills Wing and
Flytec as Sponsors.

For more information about the Ouachita Mountains Hang Gliding Series, go to
www.ouachitahanggliding.com.