Air Sports Net

Crossroads Balloon Rally

Staff Reporter — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 05:00:16 +0000

Hot air balloons, team roping competitions, chicken-fried steak and wine. Those are just some of the attractions planned for the Lamesa, Texas, Crossroads Balloon Rally and Chicken-Fried Steak Festival. Organizers are expecting between 20 and 40 balloonists for the second annual event which will be held April 26-28 in this West Texas community located about 60 miles south of Lubbock. The weekend begins with, of course, a chicken-fried steak dinner on Friday night. Balloon flights are scheduled for sunrise on Saturday and Sunday as pilots soar over the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado on the southern High Plains. Saturday...

World Record Jump Attempt in Arizona

Staff Reporter — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:10:10 +0000

The World Team‘s most astonishing achievement to date is their 400-way jump in Thailand. With 400 skydivers all joining into one free-fall formation, the World Team broke the world record for the largest free-fall formation. Currently, they are in the process of attempting to break yet another world record, only this time, things are a bit more complicated. The World Team is now attempting to break the record for the largest 2-point formation. During the jump, all 222 members have to come together to build a formation, break off, and then build another formation. The timing and accuracy of each...

Beach Blast Cancelled Due to Government Restrictions

Staff Reporter — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 17:18:27 +0000

April brings disappointing powered paragliding news: Beach Blast, an annual powered paragliding (PPG) event at the Edgewater Resort in Panama City, FL, has been cancelled. Beach Blast was the largest PPG event in the U.S. in 2012, hosting 225 pilots from 14 different countries. John Black, owner of Panama City’s Freedom Flight Center, and the event’s organizer, told the Panama City News Herald the cancellation came on the heels of a proposed city ordinance that will impose new restrictions on take-offs, landings, and flights in the future. Furthermore, the proposed ordinance will require pilots to register with the local police...

The Science of Aerobatic Paragliding

Staff Reporter — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 01:33:53 +0000

Calin Popa has taken the sport of aerobatic paragliding into levels of precision that it’s never seen before. For years, Calin Popa practiced the difficult moves required to pull off a Rhythmic SAT. He failed time and time again. He realized that what he needed was an instructor that could tell him the precise timing of each move. Failing to find such a teacher, he set out to build one. Popa used his training in civil engineering, and help from software engineer Ovidiu Ban, to build the Voodoo Trimbulind Robot (VTR). The VTR is a portable computer that gathers data, crunches...

USPA Tests New Event in 2013

Staff Reporter — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:31:42 +0000

The United States Parachute Association held its first quarterly meeting last month, and it was perhaps as exciting as that sounds. For those waiting with rapt anticipation on the status of a wingsuit-instructor rating proposal, the bad news is that it wasn’t adopted, but the board is considering other training requirements for first wingsuit flights. On the other hand, amidst the more dry results of the meeting, we were intrigued by a change in 2013′s National Skydiving Championships. Or more accurately an addition; a 2-way vertical formation skydiving test event was approved, and will make its debut at this year’s...

Red Bull X-Alps 2013

Staff Reporter — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:00:21 +0000

The Red Bull X-Alps race is one of the most thrilling and challenging competitions yet devised by man. Most athletes around the globe regard it as THE top adventure out of all of the world’s extreme sports. The event demands superb athleticism, endurance and strength, technical skill, breathtaking courage, outstanding intellect, gut wrenching determination, and the survival instincts of a wolf. The race is a combination of paragliding and mountaineering. The objective is to be the first to arrive in that playground of the wealthy, Monaco. Oh, and by the way you start in Austria, with a route which takes...

World Hang Gliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 02:15:27 +0000

On January 17th the 2013 World Hang Gliding Championship held in Forbes, Australia, saw Manfred Ruhmer take first place for men’s hang gliding with a total of 9010 points, winning his fourth world crown. Alessandro Ploner and Fillippo Oppici, both from Italy, finished second (8871) and third (8560), respectively. Ruhmer took first place by a margin of only 139 points over the last year’s world champion, Alessandro Ploner. Ruhmer is noted as one of the most prestigious hang gliders in the world, having won the World Championship three times previously and the European Championship four times. In 2005 he retired...

Former Power Ranger Breaks Skydiving World Record

Staff Reporter — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 01:24:16 +0000

For most people, skydiving in and of itself is an incredible feat. For one former star of the children’s program, The Power Rangers, jumping wasn’t enough. He combined his talent with mixed martial arts to break a skydiving world record. Jason David Frank got involved in Mixed Martial Arts after he finished his Power Rangers career. After several victories in the ring and being inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame, he was ready for a new challenge. This week, Frank completed a jump over Rosharon, Texas, and while freefalling, broke seven pine boards with his hands. The...

Skydiver Attempts Guinness World Board Breaking Record

Staff Reporter — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 03:09:07 +0000

Topping the headlines today in skydiving news, David Frank is going to attempt to break as many pine boards while skydiving from 14,000 ft. The current record holder Travis Donley, won the record in 2011 by breaking two during his free fall. David will attempt to break the record at Skydive Spaceland this January while an official Guinness World Record television station will be recording the entire thing in the event he is able to beat the current record, it will be recorded. David said in his interview, he has alot of respect for the sport of MMA and martial...

Hot Events in Chilly January for Hot Air Balloon Lovers

Staff Reporter — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:24:38 +0000

January is cold but the hot air balloon news this month is off with a sizzling start at the Havasu Balloon Festival January 18-21, 2013! This is their third annual event that has become a hot ticket for the new year! It will be highlighted by skydivers, illuminated balloons at night and off course lots of beautiful balloons in the skies during the day! A great family outting to get the new year started! You can find out all the details on this event http://www.havasuballoonfest.com/ . Also hot this month is the Mesquite Hot Air Balloon Festival January 26-27, 2013....

7 New Inductees into the National Sky Diving Hall of Fame

Staff Reporter — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 01:52:06 +0000

The National Sky Diving Museum in Fredricksburg, Virginia welcomed seven new members to it’s hall of fame last November. The National Sky Diving Hall of fame honored the seven new inductees at a ceremony in Eloy, Arizona at a weekend celebration that took place November 9-11. Among the new inductees are Carl Boenish of California (posthumous); Bob Buquor, also hailing from California (posthumous); Claude Gillard, Australia; Craig Girard of Arizona & Dubai; Dan Poynter of California; and husband and wife Hank Simbro (posthumous) and Muriel Simbro of California. Carl Boenish was considered the Father of modern BASE jumping. In 1978,...

Hudson Hot Air Affair

Staff Reporter — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:04:43 +0000

Balloon pilots are gearing up for the Hudson Hot Air Affair, one of the premiere winter hot air ballooning events. The annual event in Hudson, Wisc., is a ballooning event and winter festival that attracts thousands of visitors to the St. Croix Valley in western Wisconsin. More than 40 balloonists are expected to join the festivities for this year’s event which is set for Feb. 1-3. This year marks the 24th anniversary of the event which started in 1990 under the auspices of the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce. It is now managed by Hudson Hot Air Affair, Inc., a...

Monarca Nextel Paragliding Open

Staff Reporter — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 23:13:52 +0000

For the latest in paragliding competitions, we head south of the border. It was good news for American Josh Cohn, as he brought home victory at the Monarca Nextel Paragliding Open last month, January 6th-12th, in Valle de Bravo in Mexico. Josh Cohn, sponsored by Eagle Paragliding and Flytech and using a Niviuk Icepeak glider, took high scores across a series of six tasks, rising to the top in a field of 122 pilots. Cohn won Tasks 4 and 6, and those strong performances, along with consistent high scores overall (he never placed lower than 10th) would be key. At...

USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships Conclude with Eight New Records

Staff Reporter — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 01:42:09 +0000

The 2012 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships came to a finish on December 31st, just in time for New Year’s celebrations. The winners definitely had a lot to celebrate. Of the eighty-seven competitors, eight new records were set. The 2012 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships wrapped up on the last day of the year in Eloy, Arizona. 14 colleges and universities brought a total of 87 competitors to the small town 65 miles southwest of Phoenix. The Air Force Academy had an extremely strong showing in multiple events. Air Force Legacy set a college record with a 36 point dive...

2012 Indoor Skydiving World Championships – Results and World Records

Staff Reporter — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:05:15 +0000

The very first Indoor Skydiving World Championship was a big success with over 400 skydivers participating from more than 10 countries and a prize packaged valued at over $120,000 USD. The competition was held at the largest indoor skydiving facility in the world at the facilities of iFly Singapore. Fresh off a victory and a gold medal performance at the World Skydiving Championship in Dubai, team Arizona Airspeed‘s momentum continued in the indoor arena with a first place finish over fellow countrymen SDC Rhythm XP who took second. The Canadian team, Evolution, finished in third place at Indoor Skydiving World Championship in Singapore. In the Freefly,...

Forbes Flatlands Preview

Staff Reporter — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:00:21 +0000

The 19th Annual World Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship are going to be taking place in Forbes, New South Wales, Australia in January. The competition, held from January 5 to January 18 will host the world’s top hang glider pilots. Forbes, New South Wales, is growing in popularity as one of the top hang gliding destinations world wide. The region, known for its thermal producing skies and flat terrain, is a place to push boundaries and set records. Due to the lack of mountains or hills to start from, pilots will be towed aloft by ultralight aircraft up into the...

Foundation For Free Flight

Staff Reporter — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 02:16:50 +0000

The Foundation for Free Flight is an organization that helps promote and conserve the free flight sporting industry in America. The organization was originally founded in 1987 to help support teams competing in hang gliding and paragliding competitions. In 2001 the organization was reorganized to focus on preserving the legacy of free flight sports, educating the public and promote proper safety procedures for its sports enthusiasts. The foundation still supports hang gliding, women’s hang gliding and paragliding competitions. The entire Foundation for Free Flight staff is composed of volunteers that love the sport. The Board of Trustees, officers and executive...

Florida Bill Intends to Strengthen Parasailing Safety

Staff Reporter — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:20:10 +0000

During the summer months the beaches in Florida are lined with adventure seeking tourist looking for a bird’s eye view from a parasail. Little do they know that their adventure is widely unregulated in Florida with minimal government oversight to ensure their safety. Currently, the FAA only regulates the air space the parasailing activities use. The Coast Guard regulates the boats and by requiring that a license be onboard allowing it to carry passengers for hire. Other than seeing the parasail doesn’t run into an airplane or that the boat floats, the goverment doesn’t have any compelling safety requirements. Seeing that this oversight...

Taiwan Looking to US to Train Pilots

Staff Reporter — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 03:01:47 +0000

Many residents of the United States and Canada are familiar with hot air balloon festivals. There is nothing like watching a sea of colorful balloons filling up in the cool of the early morning, listening to the whoosh of the burner, and watching the balloons take flight to decorate the sky. It is unusual to hear hot air balloon news from the country of Taiwan though, because there are only two legal balloons in the entire country, both of them owned by the county of Taitung. Taiwan is just catching on to this beautiful sport, and they are looking to...

Monument Valley Balloon Event

Staff Reporter — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 02:13:53 +0000

Hot air balloonists will kick off the New Year in style with the Monument Valley Balloon Event. The 3rd annual festival is being promoted by the Navajo Parks and Recreation organization. Festival activities begin on Jan. 11 and conclude on Jan. 13. The event calls for morning launches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 8 and 10:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday schedules wrap up with a balloon glow in the evening. The event concludes with a Sunday morning launch between 8 and 10:30. Monument Valley is a sacred site for the Navajo people and one of the most iconic of...

2012 Indoor Skydiving World Championships

Staff Reporter — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 01:34:04 +0000

Indoor skydiving has become the newest craze for those seeking the thrill of skydiving without the risks. But indoor skydiving is not just for the timid amateur and an upcoming event is making indoor skydiving news. World renowned, iFly Singapore, the world’s largest skydiving windtunnel, will host the 2012 Indoor Skydiving World Championships this December 13-16. FAI-certified judges from the USA, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, Russia and Finland will preside over the event. It is expected that 400 entrants from around the world will participate in the competition which features five disciplines in the professional category. The USA will be...

World Parachuting Championships – 2012

Staff Reporter — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 01:40:36 +0000

The conclusion of the 2012 FAI World Parachuting Championships Mondial in Dubai dominated skydiving news this week. The US Team finished second in the competition behind France, with the US taking six gold medals in the competition. Curt Bartholomew, 26, of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, won gold medals in 3 events including Canopy Piloting Overall , CP Speed, and CP Zone Accuracy. Bartholomew took 3rd place in CP Distance while fellow US Team member, Nicholas Batsch, took Gold in this disclipine. Bartholomew has been a professional skydiver for only four years, becoming a professional skydiver in 2009. Although his original career goal was to...

USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships

Staff Reporter — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:01:39 +0000

The USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships, an event that’s famous for attracting and retaining new members to the sport, is quickly approaching with registration at Skydive Arizona in Eloy, Arizona to take place on Friday, December 28, 2012 and the competitions scheduled to run from Saturday, December 29 through Wednesday, January 2, 2013. Hosted by The National Collegiate Parachuting League since 1961, the driving force of the organization is its passion to promote skydiving fellowship and win new enthusiasts to the sport, as well as to teach the safety and sportsmanship that skydiving exemplifies. The collegiate competitions open up an...

Ladies Skydive in PJ’s

Staff Reporter — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:08:54 +0000

Last month, the world of skydiving news was turned upside down when seven women came together with one common goal: They would jump out of an airplane wearing only their underwear and a parachute. The two women who pioneered this event are Jennifer Hoffman and Marisa Gallegos. Together, they are the co-owners of Esme & Eve Photography in Los Angeles, California. The two businesswomen have started a movement to empower women who have experienced traumatic events in their lives. The “Be Bold. Take The Leap.” movement helps women to face their greatest fears, take risks and fight back against any...

WingmanCam – A Different Perspective

Staff Reporter — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:05:16 +0000

Nothing enhances the thrill of a flight outing quite like recording yourself on video camera. What better way to share your adventures with the rest of the world? Filming one’s own self is difficult for paragliding and skydiving enthusiast unless you have a buddy flying in a perilously close formation, Blue Angels style. For those pilots seeking a more cinematic self-portrait touch to their in-flight films, the WingmanCam may be the ideal accessory. The WingmanCam is designed and manufactured by father and son team of Peter and Tim James of Victoria, Australia. Peter is a retired Boeing 777 captain. Tim is a commercial airline pilot...

New Women’s Paragliding Record

Staff Reporter — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:48:38 +0000

It has been just a little over three years since Kamira Pereira flew 324.7km (about 201 miles) and set a women’s world record for paragliding. On November 20, Seiko Fukuoka slaughtered that record as she flew 345.6km (nearly 215 miles), beating Pereira’s paragliding world record by more than 20km. Flying a Niviuk Icepeak 6, she started off in north east Brazil in Quixada and landed over 10 hours later. October and November attract paragliders in droves to Quixada in Brazil. The consistent winds allow pilots to fly for long periods of time, a perfect set up for Seiko Fukuoka-Naville to...

Canadian Family Reaches For The Heights

Staff Reporter — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:01:49 +0000

For most people, the idea of jumping out of a plane with only a parachute between you and death is somewhere in the range from terrifying to horrifying. But for the Lemay family, Michel and his three sons it’s as natural as breathing. Father Michel Lemay became a skydiving addict in the 1970′s, and as his three sons came along, they joined him on his aerial adventures. The three brothers, Benoit, Martin and Vincent, took to the air with their father almost as soon as they could walk. Now the Canadian Skydiving Champions are competing in the prestigious world championships,...

Freeflying Skydiving is at the Forefront of Artistic Events

Staff Reporter — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 03:44:18 +0000

Artistic Expression has moved to the forefront of skydiving news under the auspices of The World Freestyle Federation, and it’s set to be showcased at the 2012 World Parachuting Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. There, USA skydivers are perched to display their innovative freefall positions, and freeflying is expected to be one of the highlights. Innovator Olav Zipser – known as the Father of Freefly – was the first to try this skydiving strategy, and many others have followed suit, making it a very competitive art form. As a matter of fact, holding the world record category for biggest...

World Parachuting Championships Underway

Staff Reporter — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 02:54:43 +0000

The FIA World Parachuting Championships Mondial got underway in Dubai, with the opening jumps on November 29, 2012. The event makes skydiving news as the largest parachute event ever held. There will be 13 competitions featuring more than 1,600 competitors from 58 countries, including the US. The US Parachute Team has trained hard for this event and hopes to score gold in several competitions. Various events will feature formation skydiving, accuracy landing, canopy piloting and formations as well as some freestyle and free-fall style events. Fan turnout for the event is high, but wind may play a factor in the...

Les Nessman Memorial Turkey Drop

Staff Reporter — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:09:42 +0000

Hot air balloonists will gather in east central Illinois this holiday weekend for one of the really unique events in the sport. The 15th annual Les Nessman Memorial Turkey Drop, sponsored by the Danville (Ill.) Balloon Club will be held on Thanksgiving Day. The event, a spoof born from a tribute to an episode of a popular television sit-com series, will see participants attempting to hit a target with rubber birds. It was 34 years ago when “WKRP in Cincinnati” aired the now legendary holiday episode in which the station’s farm reporter/newsman Les Nessman reports live on a promotional stunt...

Paracommuting – Powered Paragliding to Work

Staff Reporter — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 03:30:53 +0000

All across the globe, whenever the sun comes up, you will find workers dreading the arduous trek that awaits them – the morning commute. But one paragliding enthusiast has made powered paragliding news by finding a unique solution to this universal headache. For Zeng Daxia of Zhuzhou, Hunan province, China, his morning commute has become a smooth, calming flight into peace of mind. Zeng Daxia has found a way to avoid the traffic jams, gridlocks and dangerous drivers that fuel the average commuter’s frustration. For Zeng literally flies to work. Zeng Daxia is an avid paraglider who participated in competitions...

World Parachuting Championship – Dubai Mondial

Staff Reporter — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 13:03:35 +0000

Skydiving offers athletes a unique perspective of the world. Skydivers gain an appreciation for the scenes typically reserved for the birds, but the sport also presents a variety of locales from which to pursue the sport. Skydiving news is certain to be made in Dubai when the United Arab Emirates host the second Mondial from November 28 to December 9, 2012. The Mondial is a huge skydiving event that celebrates the worldwide skydiving community with a competition that will showcase the top skydiving athletes from around the world. The events scheduled for these several days will display some of the...

Sisters in Skydiving Mentorship

Staff Reporter — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 03:57:32 +0000

In an effort to add more depth and diversity to the sport, the U.S Parachute Association has launched the Sisters in Skydiving mentorship program. The program will match up experienced women skydivers or “Big Sisters” who have at least 100 jumps under their belt and the desire to help newcomers to the sport or “Little Sisters” to take under their wing.Once a Big Sister registers with USPA, they will have exclusive access to resources that will help them guide their Little Sisters, including advice from leading female jumpers, a database full of other Big Sisters so that networking can take...

Thermal Finder

Staff Reporter — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 01:34:36 +0000

Anyone who has ever gone paragliding has very likely, sometime later had a very vivid dream. In that dream, they were out flying and everything was effortless. They rode on never ending thermals that seemed to go on and on forever and finding new thermals were as easy as pointing in the right direction at the right time. Could paragliding ever really be so easy? One upstart software company says yes. Thermals Finder, newly developed software for the paragliding industry has software that they purport to do all of that, and then some. They say that their Thermocompass device will...

Ultralight Pilots to Save the Rhino

Staff Reporter — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 01:24:57 +0000

A British ultralightlight pilot has made ultralight aircraft news while urging other microlight enthusiasts worldwide get involved in an effort to help save an endangered species. Pilot Frank Spiniello recently traveled to South Africa and saw many stories about the endangered rhinoceros being illegally poached there. Spiniello was very troubled to learn that there is a large scale operation there that slaughters rhinos for their horns. Newspaper reports there reported that at least four rhinos were recently killed in a private game reserve. South African officials now estimate that two rhinos a day are being killed and so far this...

Hang Gliding Bucket List

Staff Reporter — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:09:05 +0000

In this week’s hang gliding news, we cover four locations known for beauty, extreme gliding conditions, and fantasy flight possibilities. These should be on everyone’s bucket list, though several are for experienced hang glider pilots only. Makapuu Cliffs (Hawaii) On the eastern-most point of Oahu, this is a premier ridge-soaring site with one primary landing zone, and 5 primary launches that work in a broad range of conditions. The classic windy cliff launch is the area from above Makai Pier and the east at 1200’ MSL. Proficiency with high wind reverse launches is vital. The wind is strong but blows so steadily...

USPA National Skydiving Championship In Progress

Staff Reporter — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 02:48:22 +0000

America’s best of the best in the skydiving world have been gathered in intense competition to determine who is the elite. The USPA National Skydiving Championships have been taking place in Eloy, Arizona since last Thursday. A plethora of eager and talented skydivers are taking their chances to compete for the opportunity to join the United States team in the World Parachuting Championships. The trials of the USPA Nationals happening in Arizona consists of skill tests such as accuracy landing, free-fall style, formation diving, among other artistic feats of grandeur. Hundreds and hundreds of professional skydivers have been flaunting their...

1st Annual Las Vegas Balloon Fest

Staff Reporter — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 01:17:16 +0000

Early November is a wonderful time to take flight over the Nevada desert. It’s also a great place to attend a ballooning event. Las Vegas organizers are hoping to make hot air balloon news and are saying bring the whole family to watch. There’s a big weekend waiting ahead for air ballooning enthusiasts in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas Balloon Fest will be happening this Friday through Sunday, November 2nd through 4th. The three day celebration will feature plenty of activity on the ground as well as in the sky and is being billed as “Three Days of Pure...

Top World Records Countdown of 2012

Staff Reporter — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:55:23 +0000

The summer of 2012 was marked by any number of hang gliding, paragliding and skydiving world record records; in fact, some records that have held their ground for decades were shattered. Let’s take a moment to reflect back on these awe-inspiring feats. These are our choices for the top 6 record breaking feats of 2012: Nate and Matt set Paragliding Distance Records The summer started off on a strong note with the new USA paragliding record that was set on June 30th when Matt Beechinor sailed 301km in Sun Valley, Idaho. Little did Beechinor know that Nate Scales was headed...

Going High Tech Against Ultralight Drug Smugglers

Staff Reporter — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:34:46 +0000

Enjoying your sport can be a little more challenging when your favorite way to fly also happens to be popular with criminals. If you follow ultralight aircraft news, you’ve probably noticed that ultralights have long drawn scrutiny from U.S. officials concerned about their use by Mexican drug smugglers. The feds upped the stakes with the Ultralight Aircraft Smuggling Prevention Act of 2012. The Act happens to have been the last piece of legislation sponsored by now-former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords — and it rode to easy congressional passage earlier this year, in part out of sympathy and respect for Giffords after...

Recon Labs Heads-Up-Display for Skydivers

Staff Reporter — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 01:11:26 +0000

Skydiving is not a leap of faith; there are any number of preparations, precautions, and calculations that must be carefully considered before any jumper is willing to set foot in the plane. One piece of equipment that seeks to add even one more layer of calculation to the equation is the heads-up display for skydivers and wingsuit pilots. The beneficial implications of this flight instrumentation are making skydiving news. Wise hang gliding, ballooning, and paragliding pilots use flight computers to give them information about the three dimensional world they fly in. These pilots are fortunate that such technology is available...

Global Comp for Indoor Skydiving

Staff Reporter — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:42:50 +0000

On November 5th their will be a first for skydiving competitions: the first ever Online Global Competition for Indoor Skydiving. This event will attract skydivers from all over the globe who will not need to make any plans for travel to this event. Ten participating wind tunnels will be used for this competition. If you happen to be close to one, then this is a chance to see skydiving individuals and teams in action. There will be many of the top teams in the world participating in this event. This will include many former world champion teams and current champions....

A Lesson from Baumgartner’s Jump

Staff Reporter — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 02:15:44 +0000

Quotes from Felix “On the step I felt that The whole world is watching. I said I wish they would see what I see. It was amazing.” “There was a time I really thought I was in trouble. I had to decide to fight all the way down and I finally got stable.” “I had a system to achieve this. I break things into portions. I don’t look at the end result, just always looking for the next task.” “I want to inspire the next generation. I want to be in mission control with someone younger than me wanting to...

Paragliding Get A Ways for the Month of November

Staff Reporter — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 01:34:01 +0000

The month of November has many paragliding events that are taking place south of the border. These are great opportunity for those looking to fly a while longer while the weather is getting cooler. Chile 2012 This event takes place on various dates in November in Iquique, Chile. If you want a great place to catch thermals that take you overs the Pacific Ocean and sand ridges, then this is the place for you to be. Your guides for your excursion are multiple Iquique XC competition champions Luis and Todd. The pilots for this paragliding trip often accumulate more time...

39th Carolina BalloonFest honors Ristaino

Staff Reporter — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 04:08:37 +0000

Dozens of hot air balloonists will salute one of their brethren this weekend at the Carolina BalloonFest. This year’s 39th annual festival is dedicated to the memory of Edward Ristaino, an area balloonist who died in a crash in March. This festival is held each year in Iredell County (Statesville, N.C.). Organizers say this year’s program will feature 50 hot-air balloonists from around the world. Ristaino was a member of the close group of balloonists that has traveled the country for years for events such as this one and to engage in their passion for hot-air ballooning. Ristaino was killed...

Jump from Space a Huge Success!

Staff Reporter — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 22:27:21 +0000

Click on any photo for a larger view. One of the few new stories that offers the adrenaline rush not always found in the recent political wrangling is Felix Baumgartner’s October 14th Red Bull Stratos “space jump.” Like many air sport pioneers before him, Baumgartner’s risky jump made skydiving news around the world, including live televised feeds of his journey. While media channels are touting the event as the first “space jump,” those with a true expertise realize that a genuine space jump just isn’t yet possible with our current technology. In fact, the actual realm of space does not...

Red Bull Stratos Coverage

Staff Reporter — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:11:26 +0000

The live coverage has concluded. Read about the Jump and the records set! We hope you enjoyed the live coverage of Red Bull Stratos Jump from the edge of Space. Click the play button below to view the LIVE COVERAGE. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrIxH6DToXQ

Bailing Out of A Jet Airline For Science

Staff Reporter — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:42:12 +0000

Imagine being a passenger on a Boeing 727 which is doomed to crash. Your only hope is to jump out moments before impact as the pilot and others prepare to do the same. Fortunately as an experienced jumper, you have come prepared with your gear. While this scenario may resemble something straight out of a James Bond movie, Perris, California skydiving instructor, Scott Smith found himself participating in this very scene moments before the plane crashed into an open field in Mexicali. Not to worry though. This was actually a scientifically planned event. According to a recent report in the Press-Enterprise,...

American Team Wins “America’s Challenge” 2012

Staff Reporter — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 02:08:40 +0000

The American team of pilot Cheri White and co-pilot Mark Sullivan are the unofficial winners of the America’s Challenge gas balloon race. White and Sullivan along with four other teams launched their balloons on Sunday evening, the weather-delayed opening day for the 41st annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The pair landed safely on Wednesday near Buelaville, N.C. The flight covered 1,627 miles (2,618 km) and lasted almost 64 hours, making it the fourth longest flight in the Challenge’s 17-year history. It also marks the second win in this event for Sullivan and White. They also claimed victory in 2008. The...

Helium Shortage for Balloonist

Staff Reporter — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 00:26:29 +0000

Normally, a shortage of hot air would not be a bad thing, but for ballooning enthusiasts worldwide, the current helium shortage is not to be taken lightly. In fact, the gas is expected to be in short supply for months, possibly years. The helium shortage has affected ballooning competitions and showcases globally. This was most evident in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which featured the popular America’s Challenge race. While hydrogen has tried to fill the helium gap, many U.S. racers do not have balloons that can utilize it. As a result, only five teams were able to compete in...

Jump From Space Aborted

Staff Reporter — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 19:08:45 +0000

Felix Baumgartner’s potential skydiving world record mission delayed due to gusty winds. After an initial five hour weather delay, plans were made for launch when a brief, calm winds window occured but there were other problems which caused a delay including a problem with inflation of the ballon and a problem with one of the two radio systems in the capsule. Baumgartner would have been the first free falling human being to break the speed of sound and would have fallen 23 miles. A jump tomorrow is questionable due to weather, the weather is also expected to continue to deteriorate...

Tennessee Treetoppers Team Challenge 2012

Staff Reporter — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 01:06:42 +0000

The Tennessee Tree Topper hang gliding club hosted its annual Team Challenge at the club headquarters above the Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee this week. The TTT event is a 7-day program aimed at providing cross country flying experience and competitive flying training to less-experienced pilots. The Sequatchie Valley is one of the country’s top cross country flying sites. The pilots are organized into teams with experienced “A” pilots mentoring and training the Hang 3 and Hang 4 pilots and the teams compete in a series of daily challenges for which points are awarded. When not flying, pilots attend clinics, seminars and...

Close Encounter Over The Skies of Houston

Staff Reporter — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 01:05:24 +0000

Hopefully no one in our Houston audience had a run-in with a Southwest Airlines jet as it was landing at Hobby Airport at 3:47 p.m. on Thursday, September 20th. That’s when the Boeing 737 jet was caught passing through the drop zone used by Skydive Spaceland, located at the southern edge of Houston’s Class B airspace. According to a preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration, the Southwest jet had been cleared by an air traffic controller through the drop zone airspace on its approach to the airport. The pilot was within view of the skydivers as they jumped from their...

Operation Migration 2012

Staff Reporter — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 02:10:36 +0000

Flying ultralight aircraft can be the thrill of a lifetime. But for two of the sport’s most celebrated ambassadors, that passion was transformed into an annual celebration of the enduring spirit of wild birds — an act of preservation that took flight again just last week. Pilots Bill Lishman and Joseph Duff are the co-founders of Operation Migration, a non-profit wildlife conservation project that set out to use ultralight aircraft to help preserve migratory birds. In the 1970s, Lishman was the first Canadian to foot-launch and land a powered rigid-wing aircraft; Duff earned his pilot’s license in the unpredictable wilds...

Coming in October – 2012 USPA National Skydiving Championships

Staff Reporter — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:56:04 +0000

With fall approaching, it’s almost time for the biggest skydiving event on the planet. The USPA National Skydiving Championships, a two week long event, brings skydivers from all over for the biggest yearly event of its kind in the world. The champonship, held Oct. 24 through Nov. 3 will feature over 500 skydiving competitors from the United States. These skydivers will participate in more than 30 different events! These events will feature solo jumpers and team competition. Some of these events include vertical formation, formation, freeflying, freestyle, freestyle and accuracy and canopy skydiving. Vertical formation skydiving involves teams of four...

Baumgartner Ready to Jump from 120,000 Feet

Staff Reporter — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 02:22:46 +0000

A man plans to break all sorts of unconventional skydiving records in October that defy the laws of science. On Oct. 8, Felix Baumgartner plans to set a skydiving world record by going supersonic. What this means is that Baumgartner will fly through the air both faster than the speed of sound and without the aid of an aircraft. Baumgartner plans to set this record in Roswell, New Mexico. He’s a daredevil orginally from Austria who has been planning to set this skydiving world record for years, making the tentatively set Oct. 8 jump the highest AND fastest that anyone...

Wingsuit World Record 2012

Staff Reporter — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 04:15:43 +0000

Last Saturday, 100 skydivers set a new Guinness skydiving world record for wingsuit formation with their 13,000 foot wingsuit dive. They traveled from 21 different countries to form a diamond formation in the desert above Perris Valley in California. Five planes were needed for the coordinated drop. With three days of training camp the 100 skydivers would make five attempts in four days before forming the record setting diamond on the seventh day at Perris Vally Skydiving in southern California. The world record was was certified by two judges before submitting to the Guinness Book of World Records. The wingsuits...

GoPro Survives 12,500 Foot Fall

Staff Reporter — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 17:43:41 +0000

Skydiver Lucas Damn’s helmet-cam made skydiving news when it was knocked out of its casing as he jumped out of the plane in a recent dive. The camera survived the 12,500 foot fall and laid resting in the field capturing a unique view of the skydivers gracefully coming to earth. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to free fall without a parachute – this video captures what it would be like. For two minutes, the camera spins wildly out of control capturing very unique images of the camera’s descent. While the video is spinning wildly during the...

Coupe Icare 2012

Staff Reporter — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 02:03:38 +0000

If you happen to be in France right now, you’re in for a treat. The Coupe Icare has been the most anticipated air sports event since 1974. Held against the backdrop of the breath-taking Alps, it has proven to be an extraordinary event for not only those into the air sports, but the general public as well. As in previous years, the show is expected to attract over 80,000 spectators throughout a 4-day weekend. Coupe Icare 2012 is scheduled to run Sept. 20 through 23. The event will feature trade tents, a film festival and numerous air sport related fixtures, including...

Hot Air Balloonists say “Thank You” to Hospitable Landowners

Staff Reporter — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 05:35:09 +0000

For years, the gift of flight has been used in shows of appreciation or to experience the many wonders of the world. It’s also not uncommon for hot air balloon enthusiasts to find themselves making landings in large fields, often owned by farmers. While these landings are sometimes intentional and other times accidental, many news outlets jump on these stories for their bizarre nature while ignoring the human element. What interactions take place during these landings? A group of hot air balloonists said they’ve had pleasant experiences with farmers who own the fields they’ve made landings in. And in exchange, these...

Charity goes from nearly zero dollars to $10,000 thanks to Skydiving Event

Staff Reporter — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 01:55:58 +0000

It’s not uncommon to hear tons of skydiving news when people are going for world records or exciting thrills. Recently, a group of skydivers made news by jumping out of planes for a charitable cause. Tabitha Tripp, a Marion, Rhode Island resident made it her business to make a skydiving jump to raise money for the hungry. Tripp said she planned the dive because it’s an attention grab. What better way to raise funds for a good cause? This year’s jump marks her second charitable skydive, with last year’s benefiting a local organization that helps the elderly. Her most recent...

Blowing Air

Staff Reporter — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 01:31:37 +0000

Many regional hot air balloon festival occur each year during the summer. Many show off many types of beautiful hot air balloons to spectators with a variety of entertainment. Festivals occur in states from New York in the east to New Mexico in the West. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta It all started back in 1972. Thirteen balloons gathered at a small hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, at the first annual balloon fiesta. Who could have known that it would grow into the now world famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Now, each year, hundreds of thousands of hot air enthusiasts...

Wings of Kilimanjaro

Staff Reporter — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:01:02 +0000

It is a spiritual journey for some, a personal challenge for all. Created by the violence of volcanic eruption it dominates the landscape of East Africa. It beckons to those adventurous souls who would test their endurance and perseverance. Soaring an imposing 19,340 feet above the surrounding flatlands is the summit of the highest peak in the African continent earning it the nickname “The Roof of Africa”, it is Mount Kilimanjaro. This one of the few places on earth that is massive and diverse enough to host every ecological life zone from tropical jungles to the alpine zone and the...

Putin Flies with the Cranes

Staff Reporter — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 01:11:25 +0000

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired back at his critics after he came under withering attacks in cyberspace for his latest adventure. One would expect nothing less from the Russian leader whose adventurous exploits reached new highs when he took the controls of an ultralight aircraft at a research center to lead a training flight for sheltered cranes. The Flight of Hope experiment is a worthy mission as scientists there are trying to breed and restore the population of Siberian cranes. Only about 3,000 of these birds remain in the wild. Part of the project involves using the ultralights with pilots...

A Good Reason to Watch Where you Drop

Staff Reporter — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:51:27 +0000

Before you take that next jump, don’t forget your government issued identification in case of accidentally breaching security at a Naval base on the way down. According to a recent report by NBC News, that’s what happened to two skydivers who were blown off course and landed at a Navy nuclear submarine base in Georgia. They were aiming for nearby St. Mary’s airport when strong winds knocked them off course. The base located along an inland waterway near the Florida-Georgia border, is home to Ohio-class submarines that carry Trident nuclear ballistic missiles. As a result, security is quite high and...

Kentucky Man Wins World Hot Air Balloon Championship

Staff Reporter — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 02:20:43 +0000

Kentucky is known for a lot of things. Add to the list a history of winning hot air balloon competitions. Nick Donner, of Louisville, a five-time national hot air balloon champ exceeded his accomplishments recently, by taking home a world hot air balloon championship. He won the title in late August at the 20th Federation Aeronautique Internationale World Hot Air Balloon Championship in Battle Creek, Mich. Donner got a chance to hear the United States national athem when it was all said and done, as he became the organization’s best hot air balloon pilot. The competition featured 6 days of...

New Sony Camera for Skydivers Hits Shelves in September

Staff Reporter — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:06:43 +0000

Have you ever been skydiving and wish you could have given your friends a birds eye view of such an exhilarating experience? Or better yet, have you heard of a skydiving world record and wished you could have seen what that diver saw? Well now you can. Electronics giant Sony recently unveiled a new camera about to hit the market that was created with skydivers, mountain climbers, surfers and other such adventurists in mind. To show how serious they are about connecting with these types of fans, Sony announced the camera in late August at IFA 2012, Berlin’s largest electronics...

Tempting Fate – Nicole Skydives

Staff Reporter — Sat, 25 Aug 2012 00:47:53 +0000

Life seemed bleak for Nicole Smith – a Georgia native – after a terrible car accident on June of 2011 left her battered and beaten. With a broken neck, back, four pelvic fractures, a few broken ribs, and a brain injury Nicole Smith was told she may never have a normal conversation and would likely never walk again. This incident not only left her physically damaged but emotionally impaired as well. Nicole Smith took her first sky dive in January of 2011, where she began to fall in love with her sky diving instructor, Jeremy Marston, who was in the...

Paragliding World Record, Meet Nick Greece

Staff Reporter — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 00:34:11 +0000

A few weeks ago, Nate Scales was still receiving handshakes and congratulations from fans for his paragliding world record-breaking flight of 319km over the northern Rockies when that record was broken by another paragliding pro. Nick Greece, who edits for Hang Gliding and Paragliding Magazine should never be mistaken for a guy who hangs out behind a desk, wishing he was a part of the action. On August 7, 2012, Nick put his money where his red pen usually is and took to the skies on his own paragliding adventure. Nick started his flight near his own home (he posted...

New USA Paragliding Record

Staff Reporter — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 14:14:57 +0000

On June 30, 2012, in Sun Valley, Idaho, Matt Beechinor set a new paragliding record for the United States. Little did he know, Nate Scales would be coming on the scene, to the same area of the country, just a few weeks later and beat that record. Matt’s record was 301km. Nate’s was 319km. In fact, not only was Nate’s flight record-setting in US mountain distance and in US foot-launch distance, it also set a new Idaho state record and a new foot-launched paragliding world record. Nate was flying a Niviuk Icepeak 6 during his flight, which took off from...

138 People Break Skydiving World Record

Staff Reporter — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:31:41 +0000

Perseverance is the key, as was discovered by the 138 people who broke the vertical skydiving world record earlier this month in Ottawa, Illinios. The previous record was set in 2009 and the count at that time was 108 skydivers. Reaching their goal was a difficult process as potential skydivers took part in trainings and camps, trying out for the role of being one of the many who would form the amazing 150-foot wide snowflake formation high in the sky. The team made fifteen attempts over a period of three days, substituting people in as they felt adjustments needed to be made....

Felix Who?

Staff Reporter — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:50:59 +0000

Felix Baumgartner was born in Salzburg, Austria on April 20, 1969 and as a young boy he dreamt of flying helicopters. Little did anyone know at that time that he would become one of the most famous skydivers in history. At 16, he attempted skydiving for the first time. At 43, he stands close to attempting what no other human being has ever done – fall to earth, literally. Felix Baumgartner is planning to jump from the edge of space and fall freely to earth while breaking the sound barrier on his way down. As Felix prepares for the record...

Forbes 2012

Staff Reporter — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 21:57:05 +0000

The 19th annual FAI Pre-World Hang Gliding Championship was held in Forbes between January 5th and January 14th, 2012. The weather for this world class event was extraordinary as 16 of 18 days were flyable. Over 100 pilots from 17 countries took part in this Australian competition. With 40 pilots entered into the competition, the Australian pilots dominated much of the event by placing 3 of the top 4 positions and finishing 4 of the top 10 spots overall. Australian pilot, Rohan Holtkamp, won the Pre-Worlds down-under. The top American was Mitch Shipley in 18th position. Mitch flies out of...

Sky Surfing

Staff Reporter — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:01:51 +0000

You may of heard of Planking, Owling, and Tebowing. All of which involve doing sedentary things in unusual places such as lying down on a building edge, crouching on top of an ATM, or kneeling and praying in the middle of busy street intersection, all while having your picture taken for posting on the Internet. Not to be outdone, a group of hang glider pilots have put a new twist on these latest fads by performing them while stacking their gliders one atop another. With moves known as the “Linebacker” and the “Wing and a Prayer”, this group takes Planking,...

2011 USPA NATIONAL SKYDIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Staff Reporter — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:30:34 +0000

The 2011 USPA National Skydiving Championships was held between October 26 and November 5th at Skydive Arizona in Elroy, Arizona. Near perfect weather allowed more than 500 jumpers to take to the sky and complete all of their jumps. Team Arizona Airspeed took first place in the 4-way open to no one’s surprise with the U.S. Army Golden Knights taking second place. The U.S. Army Golden Knights took first place in the 8-way open and the 10-way open. Team Skydive Ricks won the Gold Medal in Accuracy for the sixth straight year at the USPA Nationals. For complete scoring visit...

2011 USPA National Skydiving Championships of Canopy Piloting

Staff Reporter — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 20:06:34 +0000

The 2011 USPA National Skydiving Championships of Canopy Piloting was held at Skydive Spaceland from September 14-17. Skydive Spaceland is located in Rosharon,Texas and boasts a sprawling 500 foot by 250 foot pond for the swooping action. Nicholas Batsch took first place in the Open Class while Joe Ablen took first in the Advanced Class. This is Nicholas’s third national title. Some of Nicholas’s Batsch Competition Highlights: Current 3 time distance world record holder, Mile Hi Colorado 152 meters 2007, Pretoria South Africa 169.610m 2008, Johannesburg South Africa 181.90m 2009 Silver Medalist World Championships 2008 & 2010 Silver Medalist Wolrd Games 2009 World...

2011 Paragliding Nationals – Hearn

Staff Reporter — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 20:43:55 +0000

The second half of the US Paragliding Nationals was held between August 14 and August 21, 2008. After the first half of the national competition at Red Rock, Dean Stratton had a narrow lead of 44 points over Eric Reed before going to Hearn. By the end of the competition at Hearn, Eric Reed had a 500 plus point lead over Dean in the national title standings. This is Eric’s 2nd national championship. He took his first national title back in 2003 at Telluride, Colorado. Complete results of Hearn as well as an excel spreadsheet with combined results from Red Rock can...

US Hang Gliding Championship 2011

Staff Reporter — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 20:50:25 +0000

The 2011 U.S. Hang Gliding Championship took place between August 14 – August 20, 2011 in Big Spring, Texas. This year’s championship had 33 pilots that flew, almost double the eighteen that competed in last year’s competition. Zac Majors, the 2008 US National Hang Gliding Champion flew into first place on the last flyable day of the comp, edging out David Straub by 40 points. Zac has been flying for 17 years and his most notable achievements since taking the 2008 US National Championship was finishing in 2nd in the 2009 National Championship and 4th place in the 2009 World...

Golden Knights Take World Cup

Staff Reporter — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:36:48 +0000

The US Army Parachute Team, The Golden Knights, took first place in the 8-way formation skydiving competition at the 2011 World Cup of Skydiving. The competition was held at Saarlouis-Deuren, Germany between August 1-7, 2011. The venue was staged for a multi-title competition being also the 10th FAI EUROPEAN Formation Skydiving Championships 2011, the 17th FAI WORLD CUP in Formation Skydiving 2011, the 7th FAI EUROPEAN Artistic Events Championships 2011, and the 8th FAI WORLD CUP in Artistic Events 2011. The US team edged out the French team by one point with a final total being 186 to 185. Third place went...

2011 Paragliding Red Rock Nationals

Staff Reporter — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 19:40:35 +0000

The first half of the 2011 U.S. Paragliding National Championship was held between July 24th and July 30th in Richfield, Utah. Dean Stratton took top honors with Eric Reed and Hayden Glatte placing in 2nd and 3rd. “Mean Dean Stratton” is the 2007 and 2008 U.S. Paragliding National Champion. Dean will need to have a good showing during the second half of the nationals at The Lone Star Nationals (August 14-20) in Hearn, Texas. Official Results With the recent ban of competition class paragliders by FAI at Category 1 sanctioned events, the USHPA required all Category 2 pilots take a mandatory safety seminar before being allowed to...

2011 World Hang Gliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:52:17 +0000

The 18th FAI World Hang Gliding Championship took place in Sigillo, Italy from July 16th to July 30, 2011. This year’s Class 1 competition was plagued by bad weather for most of the entire two week competition. Only two tasks were flown and the rest were cancelled. Alex Ploner from Italy used the home field advantage to make this his second consecutive Class 1 championship, he took the 2009 World Championship in Chabre, France. Second place went to Christian Ciech, also of Italy. Primo Gricar of Slovenia took third. This year’s competition was reminiscent of last year’s women’s worlds when...

2011 Paragliding World Championship Cancelled

Staff Reporter — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:19:19 +0000

The 2011 Paragliding World Championship was cancelled after safety concerns. Two competition pilots crashed and died on the first day of the competition in separate incidents. On that same day there were three other reserve deployments. The competition was scheduled to take place between July 3rd and July 16th, 2011 in Piedrahita, Spain. On the second day of the competition the event organizers released this statement: Following the tragic events of yesterday with two fatal accidents involving Argentinian pilot, Francisco Vargas and Chilean pilot Eitel von Muhlenbrock, the championship organisers are continuing to gather information and to keep Team Leaders informed....

Paragliding off Everest

Staff Reporter — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:22:05 +0000

When Babu Sunuwar climbed Mt Everest on May 21st, 2011, he did not do it for the view, although when he reached the summit he probably did enjoy the view that less than 2500 climbers have, but instead his goal was to fly off the top of Mt Everest in a paraglider with a co-pilot, Lakpa Tshering Sherpa who is an experience Everest climber. Instead of flying to base camp, Babu and his tandem rider flew to an airstrip at Syangboche about 20 miles from the Mt Everest. Total flight time was just over 42 minutes. This descent was all part...

Flytec Race & Rally 2011

Staff Reporter — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:40:00 +0000

This year’s event was held between May 8-14. The concept of the race and rally is simple. For seven days, pick a different town to fly too each day and use that same town as the point of departure the next day. Weather conditions, wind directions, and thunderstorms will often dictate which direction will be flown. Originally the final goal was to land at Lookout Mountain Flight Park in northwest Georgia but midway through the competition, winds from the west forced the pilots to fly easterly into South Carolina. This was the first year the rally got out of Georgia....

Rob Kells Memorial 2011

Staff Reporter — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:21:07 +0000

The 3rd annual Rob Kells Memorial was held at the Florida Ridge Hang Gliding Park in Clewiston, Florida. The event took place between April 30-May 6, 2010. For a second straight year, Jonny Durrand of Australia took the honors of this year’s crown. From the second day of this competition it was a 3-way horse race between Jonny Durand Dustin Martin, and Zac Majors with Jonny not leading the comp until the last day. This event was held in honor of Rob Kells. He sadly passed away in 2008 after a two year battle with prostate cancer. Visit Rob’s Page....

Flight of the Phoenix

Staff Reporter — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 01:05:09 +0000

Originally billed as “World Team Flight of the Phoenix 156 Way”, the actual event boasted 192 skydivers in formation. Between April 14th and April 17th, 2011, Skydive Deland hosted this event from a list of top skydivers from around the world. World Skydiving Champion, BJ Worth, was the mastermind of the phoenix bird formation. The video below shows a 192 way formation done previously but not the phoenix bird formation.

Back in the Air Again

Staff Reporter — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:18:54 +0000

An Australian hang glider pilot who has been banned from flying for the past 5 years has recently taken to the skies after completing his license suspension period order by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Australia. John Smith of Queenstown first ran into trouble in 2003 when the CAA revoked his “recreational pilot status” for dive bombing a paraglider pilot in the landing zone (see video below). Smith was caught flying during his suspension in New Zealand in 2006 when a local police sting operation photographed him flying commercial tandem flights. The police were tipped off by a competitor...

Forbes Flatlands 2011

Staff Reporter — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:00:02 +0000

The two-part Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championship took place between January 2-12, 2011. This year the competition was divided into two competitions, the Craig Worth Open and the Steve Hocking Challenge. Jonny Durand of Australia took 1st place in both segments of this year’s competition defeating out fellow Australian Curt Warren in 2nd of Gerolf Heinrichs of Austria in 3rd in the Craig Worh Open. Jonny also took 1st in the Steve Hocking Challenge. Jonny was also the 2010 Forbes Champion. All Results are here for the Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championship.

US Army Parachute Team Causes Stir in Texas

Staff Reporter — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 20:54:51 +0000

The US Army Golden Knights Parachute Team caused a public panic that reached the local news channel. A local news crew happened to be filming in the area while the Knights were performing a night pyro jump. The news clip compared the event with the New York UFO spotting two days earlier which most likely was balloons that escaped a party. It is still being widely debated as to if the New York UFO’s were balloons or not and if the Texas night lights were the Knights or not. You decide… The Knights have answered questions about their jump on the web site.

Paragliding National Championship Sun Valley

Staff Reporter — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:18:39 +0000

Jack Brown out of Anchorage Alaska has taken the 2010 US Paragliding National Championship. With bad weather including wind, hail, rotor, and locust, only two tasks were flown at Sun Valley, Idaho. Sun Valley was the second part of the national series to decide a champion. The 1st half took place back in July at Chelan. Melanie Pfister out flew four others to take the women’s national championship at Sun Valley. Complete results of the Sun Valley can be found at http://flyxc.org/SunValley2010.html Nationals Championship results which includes both Sun Valley and Chelan are at http://flyxc.org/files/US_Nats_v4.html Video of the 1st half of the...

Big Spring US Nationals, Hang Gliding

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:24:06 +0000

The 2010 US Hang Gliding Nationals was held at Big Spring, Texas between Sunday August 15 to Saturday August 21, 2010. In all, 18 pilots took part in this year’s competition. Notably absent was Dustin Martin, Jeff Shapiro, and Jeff O’Brien, all being members of the US Hang Gliding team. Larry Brunner held the overall lead for 6 days in a row when Zac Majors took the last task and the championship title. Zac managed to have a top 3 finish every day except for day one. Campbell Brown out flew fellow competitor James Yocam for the Rigid Wing title....

World Canopy Piloting Parachuting Championship – 2010

Staff Reporter — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:14:08 +0000

The 3rd FAI World Canopy Piloting Parachuting Championship took place August 7-15, 2020 in Kolomna, Russia. The competition consists of three disciplines, distance, speed, and accuracy with an overall winner declared based upon the scores in each discipline. Jason Moledzky of Canada was first overall followed by Nicholas Batsch of the USA and Shannon Pilcher of the USA. The USA pilots took 4 of the top 10 spots in the cumulative overall results. In the individual disciplines the USA participants did not win a Gold medal but managed 2 Silver Medals and 2 Bronze Medals. Results: Overall Accuracy Speed Distance Point of View Video...

2010 World Skydiving Championship – Formation and Canopy

Staff Reporter — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 21:29:59 +0000

Skydiving specialists from around the globe gathered at the 2010 World Skydiving Championship in Menzelinsk, Russia from August 1st through the 5th to engage in competition for the events of Formation Skydiving and Canopy Formations. The continuation of the World Skydiving Championship is expected to take place next week between August 10-15 in Kolumn, Russia. The USA team competitors did very well with 3 Gold Medals, 2 Bronze Medals, and 2 Silver medals. The USA teams dominated the field in Canopy Formation Parachuting with with Gold Medals in the 2-wayand 4-way sequential. Overall, the USA teams did well finishing in 2nd 4-way Open,...

2010 Hang Gliding Pre-World Championship

Staff Reporter — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:57:23 +0000

The 2010 Pre-World Hang Gliding Hang Gliding Championship took place in Sigillo, Italy between July 30 to August 8. Mangred Ruhmer of Austria took the Gold with Jonny Durrand of Australia taking second place. Two USA competitors, Jeff O’Brien and Zac Majors both won a task in this event. The USA sent two teams this year to the Pre-Worlds with USA1 finishing in a 10 place overall and USA2 finishing in 28th place overall. Zac Majors was the top finishers from the USA with an 18th place finish followed by Benn Dunn at 24th, Jeff O’Brien at 41st, Jeff Shapiro...

Chelan XC Open, 2010

Staff Reporter — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:43:18 +0000

The first half of the US Nationals Paragliding Championship, The Chelan XC Open, was held from July 10th to July 15 at the Chelan Butte in Washington state. Chelan Butte is well known for its majestic mountain launch with lots of flatlands below. It also known for serious turbulance that can cause the occasional pilot to pull their reserve chutes. During the competition one pilot hit turburlance on landing causing his glider to fold at 100 AGL. He was transported to the local hospital in serious conditions but was upgraded shortly to satisfactory condition Results: Final Overall Open Class Results Final Overall Serial...

Skydivers Set Tandem Record

Staff Reporter — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 01:47:39 +0000

A brother and sister set a 24 hour tandem jumping record in Harbor Springs, Michigan; all in the name of charity. Luther Kurtz and Angela Bishop started at 6:35 pm on June 29th and by the afternoon of the next day, they had broken the old record of 103 tandem jumps in a 24 hour period that was set back in April of 2009. It took 20 hours, 18 minutes, and 12 seconds to jump 104 times and to set the new Guinness World Record for most tandem skydives in a 24-hour period. A Guinness official was on-hand to ratify the...

Texas Single Surface Shootout

Staff Reporter — Mon, 24 May 2010 21:51:45 +0000

The Texas Single Surface Shootout was held between May 24-29, 2010 at the Carter Memorial Airfield, north of Luling, Texas. The competition is sanctioned by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and consists of only single surface gliders in a race to goal format. Of the total 16 pilots registeredfor this event, fourteen flew in the competition. Good weather helped competitors fly on 5 of the six days. In the end, veteran pilot Davis Straub of the OZ report was able to out pace the others for a 1st place finish. Ben Dunn and Joe Evans finished in second and...

World Hang Gliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:36:59 +0000

The World Hang Gliding Championship was held in Tegelberg, Germany from May 8th to May 22nd, 2010. Probably a more appropriate title for this story is the “Championship That Wasn’t”. Bad weather including rain and snow caused a cancellation of flying for the Women’s World Hang Gliding Championship everyday of the event. The women did not get to fly one task causing there to not be a champion crowned this year. The only female pilot from the USA to participate, Linda Salamone from Rochester, New York has the unique distinction of being tied for 1st place with 20 other pilots....

2010 East Coast Paragliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:10:00 +0000

The East Coast Paragliding Championship was held from May 2-8, 2010 at the Florida Ridge Hang Gliding Park. The competition is a flatland cross county, race-to-goal competition. Prize money consists of $500 distributed among the first three overall winners with trophies given to the rest. This event is an USHPA Sanctioned Event and is the first USHPA sanctioned paragliding event in 2010. Final Results after day 7: Visit http://earthcog.com/skyblog/ for more blogging on the event.

Flytec Race & Rally 2010

Staff Reporter — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:25:39 +0000

The 2010 Flytec Race and Rally was held between April 25 and May 1, 2010. The event consists of 7 days of cross county flying with each day having a different point of departure and a different place to land. Unlike last year, this year’s event has no set route. The next days task will be decided by event coordinators depending upon the local weather. Last year’s rally was scheduled to fly from the Florida Ridge to Lookout Mountain Flight Park but was cancelled due to bad weather on day five of the rally. The first task started at the Florida...

Belite Aircraft Named 2010 Grand Champion Ultralight

Staff Reporter — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:27:55 +0000

The 2010 SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo in Lakeland Florida attracts over 150,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts from all over the USA and more than 80 other countries. This year, the expo has named the Belite Superlite Aircraft as the 2010 Grand Champion Ultralight. Boasting a aqua-blue and black dragon paint scheme, the Belite was noted by the judges for having a featherweight panels. This Superlite has a short take off a 100 feet and acclaimed for having superior climb rates. With a weight of only 278 pounds, this aircraft qualifies as FAR Part 103 legal with a...

HD Video Helmet Camera Review

Staff Reporter — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:22:37 +0000

Be it hang gliding, paragliding, skydiving or ultralighting we all wish we had a video camera to shoot those memorable flying moments. With the spring flying season well underway, we are offering some assistance in chosing the right camera for you. There are two main players in the action sports high definition video camera market: VholdeR and GoPro. Both of these cameras offers high quality HD recording but there are some similarities and some major differences. The GoPro line of video cameras includes four high definition versions and four standard versions. The helmet version called HD Helmet Pro was used...

Rob Kells Memorial 2010

Staff Reporter — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 19:50:57 +0000

The 2nd annual Rob Kells Memorial was held at the Florida Ridge Hang Gliding Park in Clewiston, Florida. The event took place between April 17-23, 2010. Australian Jonny Durand, the 2009 World Hang Gliding Champion Silver Medalist, finished in first followed by USA team members Jeff O’Brien and Dustin Martin. Third and fourth were placed by Jeff Shapiro and Zac Majors. Complete results can be found at http://soaringspot.com/2010rk/. This event was held in honor of Rob Kells. He sadly passed away in 2008 after a two year battle with prostate cancer. His contributions to hang gliding were endless. Visit Rob’s Page....

Sage Hill Paragliding

Staff Reporter — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:34:33 +0000

Paragliding on Sage Hill

A Leg To Fly

Staff Reporter — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:28:37 +0000

A Leg To Fly…Inspirational story of man determined to fly again.

Avatar Goes Hang Gliding

Staff Reporter — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:05:42 +0000

Avatar goes hang gliding

P-47 Thunderbolt

Staff Reporter — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:42:30 +0000

P-47 Thunderbolt over the skies of Europe during WW2.

Dubai Parachuting Championship 2010

Staff Reporter — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:06:17 +0000

With a prize purse totaling $230,000 , there was no shortage of elite skydivers from around the world vying for a shot at the cash. Over 400 world class skydivers from 45 countries descended upon Dubai from January 6 – 18, 2010 to take part in the first parachuting championship in the UAE. American pilots took top spots in several of the events including 1st and 2nd in Individual Distance Canopy and 1st in the team 4-way. Five of the top ten positions went to the USA competitors in the overall Canopy Combined. Forty year old Jonathan Tagle from Murrieta,...

Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding

Staff Reporter — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:13:32 +0000

The 2010 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championship was held between the 3rd and 12th of January in Forbes Australia. The weather was so good that a task was at least started every day except for the final day. After nine days of great flying the last day was called off due to pilot fatigue as voted by the pilots. Flying in his home airspace, Jonny Durand outpaced the rest of the pilots to claim 1st place in the 2010 Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championship. Jonny is currently ranked as #1 pilot in the CVL World Hang Gliding rankings. American pilot...

Skydiving Comedian

Staff Reporter — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:04:01 +0000

Stand up comedian does comedy during descent

Skydiving at 30,000 feet

Staff Reporter — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:55:40 +0000

Skydiving at 30,000 feet

Need for Speed

Staff Reporter — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:48:05 +0000

Powered Parachuting fun flying

Starting Powered Parachuting

Staff Reporter — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:40:23 +0000

Starting Powered Parachuting

Infinite Tumbles – World Record

Staff Reporter — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:17:03 +0000

There is a new paragliding acrobatic world record. Two time World Cup Champion, Horacio Llorens from Spain, has set a new World Record for Infinite Tumbles, one of the most difficult paragliding acrobatic maneuvers. Horacio jumped from a helicopter in the Himalayans at 17,000 feet MSL and performed 281 revolutions in his Sol Paraglider. This broke the old world record by 71 revolutions set by Chrigel Maurer who completed 210 revolutions in Germany in June earlier this year. Novice and beginner pilots should be aware that the difficulty in this acro is the exertion on the body caused by centrifugal...

Air Cowboys Under Fire

Staff Reporter — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:00:31 +0000

A wildlife advocacy group, WildEarth Guardians, is petitioning President Obama to help stop the gunning down of coyotes from ultralight aircraft in the state of Idaho. The practice of hunting from ultralights was approved by the Federal Goverment back in 2006 after ranchers lobbied the Feds for another way to kill the coyotes that feed off their livestock. The Airborne Hunting Act was passed which required potential hunter/pilots to obtain a state-issued ‘airborne predator license’ in order to kill predator animals from the air. In its petition to the President, the group is citing 119 aerial gunning incidents in which pilots...

Jetman Bails into Ocean

Staff Reporter — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:08:11 +0000

A Swiss adventurer, Yves Rossy, went down into the Atlantic Ocean after hitting turbulent air which caused equipment failure. While attempting to cross the Strait of Gilbralter from Africa to Europe, the self proclaimed ‘Jetman’ had to pull his reserve chute after getting caught in turbulent clouds. His attempted crossing was being billed as the first intercontinental crossing by man using jet-powered wings — from Tangier in Morocco to Tarifa on the southwestern tip of Spain. Rossy, a 50-year-old former fighter pilot, had successfully navigated across the English Channel in September of 2008 on his homemade wing spanning 8 feet and powered...

Pilots Reach Out

Staff Reporter — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:41:44 +0000

While competing in a hang gliding competition in Ecuador in 2008, Jeff O’Brien was touched by the poverty stricken region. He vowed that before coming back again for the 2009 competition that he would try to do something to help those less fortunate. Jeff and fellow hang gliding competition pilot, Ricker Goldsborough, organized a nearly year long fund raising effort relying upon the generosity of fellow hang glider and paraglider pilots. With check in hand, the group found a worthy organization upon their return in October of 2009. Father Frank, a missionary from England who operates a mission in the poverty stricken urban areas was...

Dressing for Cold Weather Flights

Staff Reporter — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:31:50 +0000

The time has once again come for all of us to pack it up or bundle up. With the cold weather upon us, it is important to know how to dress properly and know what to do if you land out in the back country.Most experienced pilots will tell you that when flying in the winter the main objective is to stay as warm as possible. The second most important objective is to prepare for an unexpected landing in in an undesirable location. Surviving the walk out is as just as important as dressing for warmth. Without preparation, you could...

Operation Migragation

Staff Reporter — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:46:37 +0000

Its that time of year again when a siege of cranes and a gang of ultralight pilots take to the air for their 1,300 mile trip. The graduating class this year consists of 21 whooping cranes that will fly behind the ultralight aircraft from Wisconsin to Florida. For this first time ever, there will be a CraneCam mounted on the ultralight to provide live video feeds from take off to touchdown. Operation Migration consists of a group of pilots, ground support, and voluntary contributors dedicated to increasing the population of cranes and geese. Since 1988 Bill Lishman has been spearheading...

2009 USPA National Skydiving Championships

Staff Reporter — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:20:22 +0000

The 2009 USPA National Skydiving Championships are taking place from October 12 through the 25th at Skydive Spaceland in Rosharon, Texas, just south of Houston. This year’s event will include formation skydiving, freeflying, style & accuracy, canopy piloting and canopy formation. The first weeks consists of formation skydiving with the second week includes more spectator friendly events such as pond swooping. During competition hours, the event will be broadcast live on the internet via the official website. To watch the live coverage please visit the live coverage website. The official results will be posted daily here. Sadly, this year’s competition has...

Powered Paramotor Flies Across Canada

Staff Reporter — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:01:17 +0000

Benjamin Jordan has just completed a 10,000 kilometer powered paramotor crossing of Canada in an effort to raise money for underprivileged children in Canada. Jordan started on the west coast of Canada in Tofino, British Columbia and over 6,200 miles to John’s, Newfoundland. During his trip, Jordan crossed 9 provinces and parts of two oceans. Jordan began his lengthy journey on May 15, 2009 and made his final landing on September 5th, 2009 for a total of 114 days. His inspiration for the trip was the underprivileged children in Canada who can not afford summer camp. Jordan stopped at 50 children...

Powered Parachutes to the Rescue

Staff Reporter — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:05:11 +0000

Powered parachutes are more and more being recognized as a powerful tool to fight crime by local police departments. The slow flying speed of a powered parachute in comparison to a small airplane makes these aircraft a better platform to view the lay of the land and spot illegal activity. Short take off lengths of 100 feet on grass strips offers rural police department an easy way to get an eye in the sky. Powered parachutes can fly as slow as 25 mph and the characteristics of the wing make these aircraft virtually impossible to stall or roll. These features...

2009 United States Paragliding Nationals – Utah

Staff Reporter — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 22:57:56 +0000

Part two of the United States Paragliding Nationals was held in Salt Lake City Utah at the Point of the Mountain Flight Park. Event organizers scheduled seven competition days between August 16-22. This is the second half of the US Paragliding Nationals with the first half of the US Paragliding Nationals being held in Dunlap California between April 27th and May 3rd earlier this year. Great weather allowed for flying a task everyday which lead to a high scoring event. According to our calculations (by the way which may or may not be correct) Brad Gunnuscio is the new national champion...

PPG Wet Launch

Staff Reporter — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:16:16 +0000

Powered Paraglider lands in the drink during launch.

Paramotor Aerobatics

Staff Reporter — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:06:38 +0000

Paramotor Girl and some other guy flying aerobatics

Skydiving Plane to Plane

Staff Reporter — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Skydiver jumps from one plane and lands in another plane in midair

Hang Gliding Pilot Lands in Power Lines

Staff Reporter — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:41:43 +0000

Hang glider pilot burns in power lines in Italy.

2009 US Hang Gliding Nationals – Big Spring

Staff Reporter — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:24:06 +0000

The second half of the 2009 United States Hang Gliding Nationals was held in Big Spring Airport, Texas, about 300 miles west of Dallas. The event took place during August 9-15, 2009. The first half of the Hang Gliding Nationals was held at King Mountain, Idaho during July 20-25 earlier this year. Results from the Big Spring tasks will be combined with the King Mountain task to determine the National Hang Gliding Champion. Surprisingly, most of the favored competition pilots to win the Hang Gliding Nationals did not compete in the first round of competition at King Mountain. Glenn Volk...

King Mountain Co-Nationals 2009

Staff Reporter — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:46:04 +0000

Skydog Blog – editorial and opinion With a secret veil surrounding the first half of the United States Nationals at King Mountain, the competition was held between July 20th and July 26th. Unless you were there, it was a mystery who won this competition until more than a week after the competition had ended. Results of the competition were withheld for some unknown reason and individual tasks results are still not available on the official website. I find it difficult to believe that the premiere hang gliding event, the Nationals, held the rest of the flying world in a dark...

2009 World Hang Gliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:39:42 +0000

The 2009 World Hang Gliding Championship was held between June 21st and July 4th at Laragne, France until July 2nd. The USA team consists of Jeff O’Brien, Dustin Martin, Davis Straub, Jeff Shapiro, and Zac Majors. Meet the 2009 World Hang Gliding Team. Final results This story has been corrected The gold medal goes to Alessandro Ploner. Jon Durand of Australia took second place and the silver medal. Thomas Weissenberger of Australia took third place. A surprisingly impressive USA team had two top 10 finishes with Zac Majors coming in 4th place and Dustin Martin taking 7th place. In the...

2009 World Air Games

Staff Reporter — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:18:27 +0000

The United States sent 17 competitors to the World Air Games between June 6th and June 14th 2009. This event is the premier event of for air sports enthusiasts boasting 10 disciplines, 27 competitions, and 3 venues in Italy. The disciplines included in the event were Aerobatics, Aeromodelling, Ballooning, Experimental Aircraft, Gliding, Hang Gliding, Helicopters, Microlights, Parachuting, and Paragliding. Most of the events were held at the airport Torino while the hang gliding and paragliding competitions were held in Avigliana, about 15 miles from Torino. The hot air ballooning competition was held in Mondovi. The United States placed 3 on the medal podium:...

2009 West Coast Paragliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 19:35:02 +0000

The West Coast Paragliding Championship took place between May 31 – June 6th, 2009 at Woodrat Mountain in Ruch, Oregon. With 3 of the 7 tasks cancelled for bad weather, there was almost as much para-waiting as there was flying. Matt Beechinor took first in the Open class. One of Matt’s most recent accomplishments include being part of the US team that finished in an impressive 5th place in the World Paragliding Championship. Matt was followed closely by veteran competition pilot Josh Cohn. Final Results – Open - Serial Women’s Results - 1 Melanie Pfister 772 2 Nicole Mclearn 677 3 Meredyth Malocsay 584...

Parajet Releases Rotary Engines

Staff Reporter — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:05:36 +0000

Parajet has a new line of rotary engines for their paramotors including the “most powerful production paramotor on the market. With just over 40hp and a lot less noise than a 2 stroke engine this has to be ultimate power unit.” Currently they are taking orders now and shipping in August. For more information visit: http://www.parajet.com/index.php?id=60

Flytec Race and Rally

Staff Reporter — Sat, 09 May 2009 23:35:33 +0000

What if you were to take a small group of some of the best hang glider pilots in the world, give them a different airstrip to launch from each day, tell them that there is better steak and beer in the next LZ, combine all of this into a competition and what do you get? The Flytec Race and Rally of course! The inaugural event of the Flytec Race and Rally took place from May 3-9, 2009. The original seven day, seven task route was to fly from Quest Air in Groveland, Florida to Lookout Mountain Flight Park in northwest Georgia....

2009 United States Paragliding Nationals

Staff Reporter — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:21:51 +0000

The 2009 United States Paragliding Nationals begins on Monday in Dunlap, California. Dunlap is a small community located about 40 miles east of Fresno and 20 miles west of the Sequoia National Park The U.S. Paragaliding Nationals begins on Monday April 27th and will last until Sunday, May 3rd. This year’s format is different than recent competitions in that the event champion will be decided from two different competitions at two different locations. The event in Dunlap is the first of two events with the second event being held in Salt Lake City, Utah in August. Both events consist of...

Police S.O.A.R. to Catch a Thief

Staff Reporter — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 10:32:43 +0000

Palm Bay Police in central Florida are using a new technology to catch a thief. The Search Operation Aerial Response team (S.O.A.R) will use powered paragliders in their day to day operations to conduct aerial surveillance. Besides looking for criminal activity, the police officers will use these aircraft to search for lost children and seniors. They will also patrol the skies in search of stolen vehicles. Four police officers are receiving training from the local school. The department will utilize two Dudek powered paragliders loaned out by Ray MacMahon Powered Paragliding Equipment located in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The powered paragliders are...

Ultralight Lands on Truck

Staff Reporter — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 02:46:49 +0000

Ultralight Lands on Truck

New Look for Air Sports Net

Staff Reporter — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 02:12:02 +0000

Skydog Blog – editorial and opinion After months of preparations, Air Sports Net is sporting a new look thanks to the guys at Aero Sensations, our website design company. Make sure you visit the Air Sports Net home page for the full effect. Besides looking a lot sharper than the previous dull gray we have added many new features including the News, YEAH! Other things of interests includes videos and a RSS feed for all to keep up to date on whats going in the world Air Sports Net. Oh, and don’t forget the Skydog Blog from yours truely. If...

Canyon Pilot Plight

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:55:29 +0000

While Lionel De Antoni was landing his powered paraglider he noticed that his motor home was missing and police officers were waiting for his arrival. Dazed and confused, the pilot was arrested, his motor home impounded, his powered paraglider with camera confiscated, and was taken before a judge to answer charges of trespassing. Lionel’s flight path that day took him over the Grand Canyon which in part is bounded by an Hualapai Indian Reservation. According to Indian tribal law, all aircraft must obtain a permit to fly over their portion of the canyon which consists of the famed Skywalk. According to the FAA...

Paragliding Moron

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:17:03 +0000

These paragliding morons will make you laugh until your sides hurt.

Paragliding Synchro Spiral

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:04:42 +0000

A Paragliding syncho spiral gone bad when wings collapse and wraps.

Powered Paraglider Wraps Around Liberty

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:33:52 +0000

Powered paraglider pilot flies too close to the Statue of Liberty and wraps around torch.

Powered Parachute Terrain Flying

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:15:07 +0000

Some low and not so slow powered parachuting

European Paramotoring Tour

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:49:59 +0000

A paramotoring trip from Brussels to Istanbul in total autonomy trough 10 countries. 3000km, 22 days, 2 pilots: Maxime van Dyk, Thomas de Dorlodot.

Paragliding Acrobatics

Staff Reporter — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Paragliding acrobatics including an Asymitrical 360, Sat, Inversion, and Spiral.

Ultralight Breaks Heart

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:30:11 +0000

Ultralight smashes through balloons in shape of a heart.

Flying Boat Sinks

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:20:53 +0000

This was a bad idea

Amphibious Flying Trike

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:10:26 +0000

This trike rolls, floats, and flies.

Jet Powered Hang Glider

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:38:06 +0000

Jet Powered Hang Glider buzzes the landing zone, or is it the flight deck.

Who Invented The Hang Glider

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:09:52 +0000

These early hang gliding pioneers place credit where its due.

Hang Gliding Beginnings 1968-1975

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:55:33 +0000

Hang Gliding Beginnings 1968-1975

Hang Gliding Bear

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:46:58 +0000

This bear just can’t seem to get it right. Reminds me of the old days.

Ozone Mojo 3

Staff Reporter — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:08:34 +0000

Ozone has announced that the Mojo 3 paraglider has passed all flight test with EN B and is available for order. The Mojo 3 is ascerted to be the ideal introductory wing for those pilots wishing to explore cross country while experiencing a smooth ride and passive safety. According to Ozone, “Our mission for the Mojo 3 was to increase the performance as much as possible without sacrificing any of the comfort and safety that the Mojo series has become known for… The Ozone Test and Design Team achieved major performance gains through drag reduction and a more efficient trailing edge,...

Ozone Goes Ultralite

Staff Reporter — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:04:12 +0000

Already holding the title as lightest weight paraglider available, The Ozone Ultralite 09 is now even lighter, seven ounces lighter than previous models. With improvements in rib material and leading edge rigidification techniques this glider is the lightest ever manufactured. The Ultralite 09 has been certified by the EN and/or the LTF. The Ultralite 09 is available in 4 sizes: 25m, 23m, 19m, and 16m. http://www.flyozone.com/

Test Pilots Wanted

Staff Reporter — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:00:01 +0000

Skydog Blog – editorial and opinion When I first saw this I thought, “you gotta be kidding me”. That set aside it appears they are not. If you are familiar with AWACS and ICBM let me familirize you with another acronym: CULAPS which stands for Counter Ultra Light Aircraft/Paratrooper System. The U.S. government is seeking information on the design of a non-lethal system that utilizes a net to bring down an ultralight from a height of 500 feet. The system should be capable of being mounted on a vehicle or carried by a person. The intent of the system is...

2011 World Championships HG/PG

Staff Reporter — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:44:35 +0000

The host cities of World Championships of Hand Gliding, Paragliding, and Paragliding accuracy has been announced from the CIVL Plenary board. The 2011 World Hang Gliding Championship host cities will be Sigillo and Montecucco in Italy, edging out Forbes, Australia. It took four rounds of debating and voting before Italy edged Forbes by a vote of 16 to 13. The 2011 World Hang Gliding Championships take place from July 16-30 at Mount Cucco, Mount Subasio, and Mount Gemmo, all be hill launch sites. The Paragliding World Championship will be held from July 3-15 in Piedrahita, Spain, a site well known amongst competition...

Gas Prices giving you the Scratch?

Staff Reporter — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:56:49 +0000

Skydog Blog – editorial and opinion With the economy going the way it is and the gas prices on the rise again, it is getting more and more difficult to keep flying. For those of use who happen to live close to the airport, mountain launch, or dropzone please excuse my whining but for those of us who have to drive over 50 or more miles to get to launch then let the choir say amen! Everytime I fill up lately I notice that prices at the pump are slowly creep up. “Where’s the hurricane?” I ask myself. Is it...

Wills Wing Stimulus Package

Staff Reporter — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:33:25 +0000

From now until March 6th, Wills Wing is offering a free upgrade to your choice of sail color on all hang gliders offered. In addition, they are offering a sail material upgrade at no additional charge. This package is part of the Wills Wing Stimulus Package and can viewed at their web site. http://www.willswing.com

2009 World Paragliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 11:11:31 +0000

The 2009 World Paragliding Championship was held in Valle de Bravo in Mexico with 148 pilots. There compeition consisted of 10 tasks flown between January 25th and February 6th, 2009. Top individual honors was awarded to Andy Aebi of Switzerland followed by his fellow countryman Stefan Wyss with Aljaz Valic from Slovenia taking third. Top team finishes went to Czech Republic, Italy, and Slovenia. American pilots were kept out of the top 10 individual rankings but placed a very respectable 5th of 44 in the team rankings. The top USA pilot, Matthew Beechinor, had an impressive 10th task with the...

Skydive Mt McKinley

Staff Reporter — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:43:04 +0000

Ever feel the need for a high altitude jump from 22,000 feet? If so then this story might be what you’ve been looking for, that is, if you have deep pockets. Between June 20-25, 2009, a group of elite skydivers will jump from 22,000 feet at the base of Mt McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, with the objective of landing their parachute on moving glacier almost three miles below McKinley’s summit of 20,320 feet. If you think you can grab your chute and go jump on the plane, think again. All jumps must be performed in tandem with...

Whooping it Down South

Staff Reporter — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:53:56 +0000

As an ultralight sits on a makeshift runway reeving its engine in the early morning frost, support crew readies the migrating whooping cranes for takeoff also.

Rookie Pilot Phenom

Staff Reporter — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:12:34 +0000

Every decade or so, a young pilot comes along and shows the veteran competition pilots what they’ve been doing wrong. This decade is no different as another rookie pilot has upstaged the tried and tested pilots in the most recent round of Australian hang gliding competitions. Before a young pilot took 3rd in the 2008 Canungra Classic in Australia, almost nobody in the international hang gliding community had heard of Blay Olmos from Spain. After the Classic he finished 3rd in the Gulgong Classic, and most recently he took 1st place in the Forbes Hang Gliding Competition. Blay was only 19 at...

Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championship

Staff Reporter — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:57:06 +0000

The Forbes Flatlands Hang Gliding Championship was held in Forbes, Australia between January 3-11

Monumental Triking

Staff Reporter — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 04:45:11 +0000

Monument Valley makes for a great backdrop for these ultralighting enthusiasts

Powered Parachute With an Attitude

Staff Reporter — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:30:46 +0000

Since the 1960's mankind has been working on a car that flies. A British company maybe the first to accomplish this feat with the Parajet Skycar.

Going Green With Aviation

Staff Reporter — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:48:39 +0000

With the technological advances taking place today, its only a matter of time before our 747′s are running on green fuels. In fact, the European Union has already required that jet aviation engines be greener by the year 2012. The International Air Transportation Association (IATA) has set the goal of 100% green aircraft with no carbon emission by the year 2050. With so much concern over the quality of our air and environment, its no wonder that the concern has trickled down to the smaller aircraft pilots and those who design/build these aircraft. In 2007 the ElectraFlyer introduced a battery powered...

Backwoods Landing

Staff Reporter — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:58:48 +0000

Skydog Blog – editorial and opinion If you have been flying for any length of time you have probably had to make an unexpected landing. Most of the time these emergency landings are caused by poor judgement, equipment malfunction, or weather conditions. While its almost impossible for the cross-country flyer to avoid these types of landings, there are things you can do to make your journey back to the landing zone a more enjoyable one. Look Before You Land The best way to be prepared for the long hike is to have a survival kit along with an escape plan....

Kitewing

Staff Reporter — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:50:11 +0000

Looks like hang gliding without the height

Fight For Flight

Staff Reporter — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:58:37 +0000

The progressive expansion of society is taking its toll on the hang gliding community. At least two flight centers in the nation are at risk of losing their privileges to operate.

Pilot Picks Wrong Tree

Staff Reporter — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:07:30 +0000

Pilot get in trouble and tosses reserve. Surprise ending…

Backward Flying

Staff Reporter — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 03:56:52 +0000

Paraglider pilot flys his wing while attached to backwards

AFF Level 1 Training

Staff Reporter — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:45:08 +0000

AFF Level 1 Training at Skydive Dayland in Florida

Parahawking

Staff Reporter — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 23:12:07 +0000

When Scott Mason took up falconry at the age of 12 in East London he often dreamed of being able to fly like the birds of prey he trained. It wasn’t until his around-the-world tour that lead him to Nepal did he discover the means to fulfilling his dream of flight. Scott hooked up with fellow Englishman Adam Hill who ran the local paragliding school in Nepal after noticing their chutes in the sky. Scott and Adam often discussed what it would be like to fly with the birds of prey and soon decided to make it a reality by...

Parachute Wraps

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:55:36 +0000

Parachute wraps set to Stevie Nicks songs. Great Video!

Skydiving Stunts by Joe Jennings

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:54:57 +0000

Skydiving stunts video set to Red Hot Chili Peppers "Roller Coaster of Love", say what? Great video with plenty of action including air to plane transfer.

Skydiving Bloopers #2

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:54:22 +0000

Skydiving Bloopers #2

Pond Swooping Crash

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:53:49 +0000

Pond Swooping Crash

Very Funny Bear

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:53:13 +0000

Very funny bear

Iron Man

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:52:25 +0000

Turbines strapped to legs

Practice Makes Perfect

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:50:54 +0000

Skydiving Bloopers #1

81-way World-Record

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:50:02 +0000

81-way world-record skydiving parachute formation

Wing Suite Skydiver

Staff Reporter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:48:06 +0000

Wing Suite Skydiver

Good Samaritan Pilot Attacked

Staff Reporter — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:39:00 +0000

When a paraglider pilot decided to be a Good Samaritan and talk to a group of troubled youths, he had no idea that his good deed would end up in a trip to the hospital.

United States Skydiving Nationals

Staff Reporter — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:00:54 +0000

The 2008 U.S. National Skydiving Championships was held between October 19-25, 2008 in Elroy Arizona.

Everest Skydive 2008

Staff Reporter — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:20:27 +0000

Skydivers from around the world converged on Shyangboche at the foot of Mount Everest for the first annual "Everest Skydive".

GPS 101 – The Basics

Staff Reporter — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:35:08 +0000

Your at 800 feet, thermals are playing out, you see the landing zone about a mile away and wonder if you can make it. No time to second guess, so you check your glide path with your GPS system. The GPS checks your location in reference to the landing zone, calculates the distance between, calculates the vertical difference, and then based upon your glide path, says go for it. No back pasture landing today. Today’s GPS (Global Positioning Systems) are becoming smarter than ever, allowing even the greenest of cross country novice pilots to make judgements that were once only...

Wind 101 – The Basics

Staff Reporter — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 04:34:25 +0000

What makes the wind blow? There are two primary causes for the wind.

Ultralight Busted With Mary Jane

Staff Reporter — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 23:13:18 +0000

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s air operations spotted and interdicted an ultra-light aircraft carrying $180,000 of illegal drugs crossing the U.S.-Mexican border.