Report
It's 10.30 am on April 4th. I say goodbye to suburbia and head south to collect Ron and Johnny. I arrive at Ron's house to find Johnny still packing his glider and equipment. Then to Dusseldorf via the Dover ferry. Why Dusseldorf? Because checking hang gliders on planes in the UK is impossible - the largest piece of sporting equipment they will accept is golf clubs!
At Miami the hassle starts. Car hire? After a long wrangle and several phone calls we are offered the bus they use to ferry people to and from the airport. It smells of wee and has a few dents but it will do the trick.
I suppose at this point I should introduce the team: Bruce Kavanagh (Posh Bloke - Wills WIng T2); Dave Matthews (What's a tent? - Litespeed); Johnny Carr (Three Arrows - Airborne C4); Nigel Bray (Dogleg Fred - T2); Ron Richardson (Mr Whippy - Litespeed); Sue Brooks, our fab retrieve driver; George McD our navigator; and myself Happy Sad Lad - Aeros Combat L).
We arrive at Florida Ridge for a couple of days practice. Mr Whippy's glider is a day late and mine is even later. The others enjoy some fantastic flying. My glider arrives the evening before the comp starts with Campbell Bowen, an Atos VRX pilot and very nice guy who could squash you with his little finger.
The Ridge (no ridge in sight by the way) is the USA's southernmost flight park. Atlantic and Gulf Coast winds converge to create the most favorable soaring conditions in the US, but it's south-west of Lake Okeechobee and cool air coming off the lake can kill the lift early. The lake is so big it creates its own sea breeze effect. The flight park has open-air showers, DIY coffee machines, a pool and fridges filled with cold water.
Day 1.
Those of us that are camping crawl out of our tents to shower under blue skies. Dave, Sue and George arrive from their luxury wooden hut on the golf course. The task is an easy 56.7km to a remote goal via two turnpoints. It's a breezy day and the lift forecast is not so good. Everyone went round in circles, did glides and some arrived in goal. Five Brits in the top ten out of a total of 27 pilots: a good result. There was a disappointing show of US pilots
considering it was the US Nationals, but the guys that were there were amongst the friendliest pilots I have met at a comp! Paul Tjaden (USA, T2) was first in but not the fastest - there are no lead points in this meet! I won the task from What's a tent? with Mr Whippy 4th, Posh Bloke 7th, Three Arrows 8th and Dogleg Fred 25th.
Day 2.
We are briefed by meet director Davis Straub and Steve Larsen, who lives on site with his wife. It looks like a good day for getting back to the Ridge and a 73km task via three turnpoints is called. It's a little weak to start but we all get up and fly in lots of circles and do lots of little glides, and you know what? We get five Brits in the top ten again and all in goal! Can it last? Czech Rodek Bares (Litespeed S4) is the fastest in. I finish second, What's a tent? is 4th, Posh Bloke 7th, Three Arrows 8th, Mr Whippy 9th and Dogleg Fred 18th. Dinner was at the Gator Bait bar. Worn-out Brits disagree on track deviation, crosswind component and three arrows - this being the optimum direction to fly on a Flytec or Brauniger. The less educated of us were correct, of course.
Day 3.
Crawl out of the tent to the sight of Three Arrows bringing coffee in bed to his tent-mate Mr Whippy. These guys have been hang gliding from the day it was invented and have more experience of competition flying than anyone I know. They know more history and have themselves made history more than most in the world, and here they are in a single-skin tent, sleeping on lilos in a field!
The sky is blue but the forecast is not consistent. Davis and Steve call a 102.2km task via three turnpoints, then back to the Ridge. We all get a smooth tow from the great tug pilots, some of whom have flown in from Quest Air up north. We all fly in circles and glide, and we all deck it before the goal! This ain't right!
Top banana was Zac Majors (USA, Laminar MRX700) with 97.4km. What's a tent? does 86.7, Not So Dogleg Today 74.5, Posh Bloke 66.7, Mr Whippy 52.1, Three Arrows 51.8 and Very Sad Lad 24.1km.
It was a retrieve nightmare. Sue did a great job but was a little stressed. After a few hugs she was fine. I mean, how can she not be with a van full of prime British beef in need of a shower?
Day 4.
The weather was looking unpromising, with thunderstorms and wind forecast. We set up regardless, for a task to Lake Placid. The rain started as the lead gaggle approached the first turnpoint, and then sparklers began falling out of the sky. I had awful flashbacks to Millau 2004 and wet glider landings! The guys at the back knew the task was canned when the lead guys went past them going the other way real fast! It was reassuring to know that there were no crazy people on the safety committee trying to get a task in for the sake it.
Day 5.
A little too much wind and a straight 67.4km race to goal. We went round in circles and then went on glides. Some glides were better than others towards Lake Okeechobee and the sea effect would bite them. Three Arrows and Sad Lad (me) were two of the victims. What went wrong?
The view was priceless: thermalling over the lake, over a small fire with eagles flying through your sidewires at ,500ft! For me this was a part of hang gliding that has been missing for a while. We needed one more half climb to be into goal super quick. One glide to the deck later and Three Arrows is not happy. Why didn't we see the signs? Because there weren't any! The perfect cu were there, threeof them, and not one was working!
Our field was massive and right next to the main road. We had people stopping to ask if we needed a ride - amazing! Would this happen in the UK? Sue and George McD were with us as soon as we had finished packing up, and we collected the rest of the team from the goal field. What's a tent? won from Posh Bloke with Mr Whippy 7th, Semi Dogleg Fred 16th, Three Arrows 17th and me 18th.
Day 6.
A storm in the early hours permeated the single-skin tent Three Arrows and Mr Whippy are living in. A bigger 19.2km task, with a good base and lift forecast but still a bit breezy. It was going to be a tough one. Weak climbs with cu, then strong climbs, sea-breeze convergence, cu with weak climbs again, cutting inland away from the lake, sea breeze overtaking you, then blue skies and tiny wisps. The smell of orange blossom and flying with the birds of prey was amazing. Long slow glides, with pilots on the ground spread out along the course. Working half-ups wondering when your number was up. And just when you think the numbers are looking good for goal 15k out, there's only orange grove below with nowhere to land! I was lucky and got a few hundred feet on What's a tent? and Three Arrows which got me into goal second, and last, after Norway's Bjorn Joakimsen (Litespeed S4).
The air was so buoyant at goal I had 20 minutes just floating and enjoying the view. What's a Tent? and Three Arrows were joint 4th at 113.7km, Posh Bloke was 12th and Dogleg Fred 15th. A good day for all, but a long drive.
Day 7.
Wake up and smell the coffee. It's the last day and the Brits are cooking on gas!
The task is 77km via two turnpoints. Three Arrows nearly didn't get started, having left a batten in the orange grove. In true team fashion we ate aluminium and produced an almost perfect copy. Three Arrows was a happy man and ready for battle. We go round in left circles this time. The late starters follow and pimp off the leaders to catch up and make good times. It was a quick race;
Paris Williams made goal in 1:46 with Mr Whippy two minutes behind. Paris has been out of flying for a couple of years and is still finding his legs.
All I can say is watch out when he does! The day is under-called, but it's a good one as most get into goal. Three Arrows is 4th, What's a tent? 5th, Happy-Sad-Happy Lad 6th, Posh Bloke 10th and Dogleg Fred 17th. What's a Tent? (Dave Matthews) won the $500 purse for first place by
nearly 600 points! Great result.
