Oz Report
topic: Armand Acchione (22 articles)
Armand's Swift Records Homologated »
Beating his previous ones
Aeriane Swift|Armand Acchione|FAI|record
«FAI - Record officer» sends:
World and North American records:
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 50 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 60.74 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 2022-07-10
Previous record : 51.3 km/h (2021-08-03 - Armand Acchione, Canada)
Discuss "Armand's Swift Records Homologated" at the Oz Report forum link»
4 topics in this article: Aeriane Swift, Armand Acchione, FAI, record
Armand Acchione Breaks His Own Records »
Swift 50 km Triangle Speed Record Claims
Armand Acchione|FAI|speed record|Swift|triangle
«FAI - Record officer» writes:
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 50 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 60.47 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 2022-07-10
Current record : 51.3 km/h (2021-08-03 - Armand Acchione, Canada)
World and North America record claims.
Discuss "Armand Acchione Breaks His Own Records" at the Oz Report forum link»
5 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, FAI, speed record, Swift, triangle
Robin Hamilton record claim
Swift 100 km triangle speed record
Armand Acchione|FAI|record|Robin Hamilton|speed record|Swift|triangle
(regional airport, Wharton, TX, USA)
«FAI - Record officer» writes:
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 100 km
Course/location : Wharton, Texas (USA)
Performance : 67,00 km/h
Pilot : Robin Hamilton (USA)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 26.06.2022
Current record : 59,00 km/h (07.08.2020 - Armand Acchione, Canada)
Both World and North American record claims.
Discuss "Robin Hamilton record claim" at the Oz Report forum link»
7 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, FAI, record, Robin Hamilton, speed record, Swift, triangle
Green Swamp Sport Klassic 2022 »
Unofficial last day on Sunday?
Armand Acchione|COVID|Green Swamp Sport Klassic 2022|Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb|Wallaby Ranch|Wilotree Park
(Wilotree Park, Groveland, FL, USA)
There were two days of early morning landing clinics and then on Sunday with light winds pilots flew with four or five making it to Wallaby Ranch. Pilots are flying on Monday with east-southeast winds 5-10 mph. Krys Grzyb is here from Chicago. Armand is here with his Swift from Toronto.
The Klassic was a super spreader event, the first time COVID-19 has shown up at Wilotree Park, with at least six cases, none requiring hospitalization. Sort of like the Gridiron dinner: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/67-attendees-test-positive-covid-high-profile-dc-dinner-rcna23763
Discuss "Green Swamp Sport Klassic 2022" at the Oz Report forum link» »
6 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, COVID, Green Swamp Sport Klassic 2022, Krzysztof "Krys/Kris" Grzyb, Wallaby Ranch, Wilotree Park
Armand's Swift Records
Homologated
Aeriane Swift Light|Armand Acchione|Davis Straub|FAI|record|Robin Hamilton|world record
"FAI - Record officer" «record» writes:
FAI has ratified the following Class O (Hang Gliding and Paragliding) World record:
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 25 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 63.82 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 30.05.2021
Previous record : 50.40 km/h (20.05.2001 - Davis Straub, USA)
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 50 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 51.3 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 03.08.2021
Previous record : 45.46 km/h (22.09.2002 - Robin Hamilton, United Kingdom)
FAI has ratified the following Class O (Hang Gliding and Paragliding) North-American record:
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 25 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 63.82 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 30.05.2021
Previous record : no record set yet
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 50 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 51.3 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 03.08.2021
Previous record : no record set yet
Discuss "Armand's Swift Records" at the Oz Report forum link»
7 topics in this article: Aeriane Swift Light, Armand Acchione, Davis Straub, FAI, record, Robin Hamilton, world record
Swift World Record Attempt
100 km triangle
(Hwy 59 & West Mustang Cr, TX, USA)
Armand Acchione|record|Robin Hamilton|Swift|triangle|video
"Robin Hamilton" «Robin2808» writes:
Over 10 years ago I went out and set a half dozen or so world records in the Swift as much to be out there as placeholders and encourage others to have a go at beating them. This year Armand Acchione up near Toronto, Canada, beat my 100km triangle speed record with an average speed of 59km/h. So it was time to rest my flex wing muscle memory, take my Swift out of mothballs, and try to get the record back.
After more than 5 years, I somehow remembered how to rig the carbon-kevlar babe and set out a 100km triangle speed run task from my home site Wharton, down on the Texas gulf coast. Conditions seemed favorable with forecast light winds, 400-600fpm average lift and 5,500-6,000ft TOL. The previous day had seen some fairly moist unstable air with scattered cu-nimbs in the western part of the area that was some remnant wrap round moisture from Hurricane Ida after its passage through Louisiana off to the east. It is so strange to see moist tropical air streaming from the north in our area.
It was only the trike pilot Sir Richard (Thorpe) and myself out at the strip so we executed a wing down launch, followed by a fairly uneventful tow up to around 2,500'. From there I climbed to base at around 4,800', tagged the start just after 3pm and let the flaps off, gliding at 90km/h over Highway 59 to the southwest towards El Campo and the first turnpoint, some 34km away. The day initially looked great – big active clouds, good spacing, fast top-up climbs to a cruise altitude of 3,500'-4,000'.
I tagged the first turnpoint at a world record pace of over 65km/h for the first leg. Turning north towards the second turnpoint, the sky looked pretty blue and I took a detour to the east of course line to connect with the next cloud and good climb up to over 5,000' but still some 25km from the second turnpoint. Realizing I couldn’t keep taking detours and stay on pace, I bravely headed out into the blue directly towards the turnpoint. 25km of absolute quiet, smooth, dead air.
Looking down and around me I could see all the stock ponds filled to the brim and many of the fields flooded, glistening in the sunlight. Another Texas water park. We’ve seen too many here this summer. I should have checked the precipitation totals for previous day’s cu-nimbs before confirming the task. I would have seen healthy 3+ inches in many spots.
I over flew the second turnpoint by another 5 km in the hope of connecting with some skinny clouds that seemed to be triggering over a tree line bordering the appropriately named north/south running Sandy Creek. At 600ft above the ground, the vario came back to life and I started scraping in 100-150fpm blobs to try to get back up again. That seemed to go on forever but I had the company of many hawks and buzzards so it was fun floating along (and remembering how to do that in the Swift).
By now this was no longer a race, rather it was a recovery effort to try to get back to the cozy dry hangar at Wharton and avoid de-rigging the glider out in the water park. After over 20 minutes of fun with the feathery guys I was back up to around 4,600ft and ready for the return leg back towards the airport, some 40km and over the damned blue wet zone again. It was also slightly upwind as there was now a 12-16km/h (pseudo sea breeze?) blowing from the south.
The return leg through the blue area was just as quiet as the earlier traverse with the trigger for the light 100-150fpm low save thermal (at 600ft agl again) being metal farm silos after about a 20km glide. And yes, more buzzards. Slowly climbed out to 4,800ft and with 24km out from the airport and the pesky headwind I was probably right on the glide numbers. Meanwhile, I did have some cloud help that way, that I thought I could use if needed. Turned out the glide held up enough to where I ran at 140km/h for the last 6km and got there with plenty height to land on the grass strip outside the hangar.
No new record (next time, Armand), but a real fun day reconnecting with flying the Swift. It is such a nice balanced airplane to fly. Memorable was both the low saves, where I was as focused on finding a good dry landing field as any belief in thermaling back up from so low. But both times I just knocked the nose round into the weak lift, pulled flap and bunched my weight in the back of the cockpit and just watched the glider slow down and climb so smoothly. It seemed I couldn’t get it to stall. It only wanted to climb.
Thanks to Richard for the flawless tow and being ready to come out and rescue me from the prairie if needed. I will definitely get more Swift flying during the rest of the season and into the fall. Not going to wait 5 years again.
Discuss "Swift World Record Attempt" at the Oz Report forum link» »
6 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, record, Robin Hamilton, Swift, triangle, video
Swift Record Claim
World and North American claim
PG|record|Swift
PG|record|Robin Hamilton|Swift
Armand Acchione|PG|record|Robin Hamilton|Swift
"FAI - Record officer" «record» sends:
FAI has received the following Class O (Hang Gliding and Paragliding) World and North American record claim:
Sub-class : O-2 / HG with a rigid primary structure / movable control surface(s)
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 50 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 49,61 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 10.07.2021
Current record : 45,46 km/h (22.09.2002 - Robin Hamilton, United Kingdom)
Discuss "Swift Record Claim" at the Oz Report forum link»
New Swift World Speed Record
Armand again
Armand Acchione|Davis Straub|record|Swift|triangle|world speed record
«FAI - Record officer» sends:
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 25 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 63 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 30.05.2021
Current record : 50,40 km/h (20.05.2001 - Davis Straub, USA)
As you can see he broke my Class 2 (not Class 5) world record set on an ATOS hang glider, which was set at Wallaby Ranch in 2001. You are required to come back as a height not much lower than the one you left with.
Armand <<xcswift>> writes:
I had my flight on May 30th. My first attempt around the triangle was a little slow. I tried a second time. I managed to get strong lift just after exiting the start circle gaining a thousand meters with a climb rate over 600 ft a minute.
Only one thermal was needed to complete this small course. My arrival altitude at the finish was 197 m above my start altitude. On this day, other hang glider pilots in the area reported great climb rates and Cloud base about 8,000 ft.
https://www.onlinecontest.org/olc-3.0/gliding/flightinfo.html?dsId=8403750
6 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, Davis Straub, record, Swift, triangle, world speed record
Armand Acchione »
Swift World Record
record|Robin Hamilton|Armand Acchione
FAI - Record officer «FAI - Record officer» sends:
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 100 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 59,00 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (Canada)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : 07.08.2020
Previous record : 53,73 km/h (30.08.2002 - Robin Hamilton, United Kingdom)
Discuss "Armand Acchione" at the Oz Report forum link»
3 topics in this article: record, Robin Hamilton, Armand Acchione
Armand Sets A Swift Record
Claim for the 100 km FAI triangle speed record
Armand Acchione|record|Robin Hamilton
FAI - Record officer «FAI - Record officer» sends:
Type of record : Speed over a triangular course of 100 km
Course/location : Brussels, Ontario (Canada)
Performance : 60.00 km/h
Pilot : Armand Acchione (USA)
Aircraft : Swift Light / Aeriane
Date : August 7th, 2020
Current record : 53.73 km/h (August 30th, 2002 - Robin Hamilton, United Kingdom)
Time for Robin to get going in Texas.
Discuss "Armand Sets A Swift Record" at the Oz Report forum link»
3 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, record, Robin Hamilton
Rylstone
My how you have changed
Armand Acchione|Bill Moyes|video
Hang glider pilots who flew with Bill Moyes may remember the Rylstone airfield where Bill kept his tugs. Well, it is no longer a single hangar air field.
Thanks to Armand.
Discuss "Rylstone" at the Oz Report forum link»
3 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, Bill Moyes, video
Armand Acchione is flying
Armand
The shoulder is repairing.
Armand Acchione
armand «xcswift» writes:
The shoulder is doing really well. I just got a NORTHWING 170 FREEDOM. Maybe I'll fly it this weekend. I have been flying the SWIFTLIGHT. I had a 90 km out and return with a average speed of 59 km/h.
Discuss "Armand Acchione is flying" at the Oz Report forum link»
1 topic in this article: Armand Acchione
Update on the 2009 Oz comp schedule
Oz Comp schedule
More dates
(Forbes airfield, NSW, Australia)
Armand Acchione
2008 Canungra Classic - AA - 25th October - 1st Nov (precise day and rego 24th)
2008 Gulgong Classic - AA - 23rd - 29th November (practice and rego Sat 22nd)
2008 2009 Deniliquin ??? Dates not set.
2009 Forbes Flatlands - AAA - 3rd - 11th January (practice rego Friday 2nd)
2009 Corryong ??? Dates not set.
2009 Bogong Cup - AAA - 14th - 22nd January (practice and rego Tuesday 13th)
2009 Manila NSW ??? Dates not set.
2009 Dalby Big Air - AA - 8th - 14th March (practice and rego Saturday 7th) or Alternate dates, 15th - 21st March
2009 Flatter than the Flatlands ??? Dates not set.
Thanks to Armand.
Discuss "Update on the 2009 Oz comp schedule" at the Oz Report forum link»
1 topic in this article: Armand Acchione
2008 Forbes Flatlands video
Forbes video
Armand puts the photos together
Armand Acchione|Forbes Flatlands 2008|photo|video
Armand «xcswift» writes:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=QrrRuTDRUko
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=vtZgigBPcs0
Any pilots that would like a better quality DVD can email me their mailing address. I'll mail them a copy.
4 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, Forbes Flatlands 2008, photo, video
Flying at Forbes?
Forbes
Armand is ready to tow, if not able to fly in his glider himself
Armand Acchione|Bill Moyes
I reported earlier that Armand dislocated his shoulder in Rylstone. Well now he is rehabilitated enough to begin towing us in Forbes. Bill Moyes has two Dragonflies out there at Forbes ready to go after the Forbes Flatlands. Armand is ready to tow.
He is looking for a group of pilots (six or seven, say) who want to get towed up and fly at Forbes. Attila is hot to trot and ready to go out there for the weekend of February 2nd. If you are interested contact me or Attila.
If you are interested in other times, and I sure am, contact me and see if we can make arrangements. My contact: davis@davisstraub.com.
2 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, Bill Moyes
The usual suspects at the beach
Newcastle
On a Wednesday morning a crowd shows up
(Merewether LP, NWS, Australia)
Adam Parer|Armand Acchione|PG
The winds were just enough to sustain soarable flight when Armand Acchione and I made it out to Merewether on Wednesday morning. The wind was out of the south at this southeast facing site.
The winds had picked up by the time that Adam Parer showed up half an hour later and we were all setting up. Clouds filled the southwest quadrant of the sky with cu's streaming past us just a little too far to the west. Soon the launch was alive with the activity of pilots putting their gliders together and getting off the hill.
While there were few whitecaps on the ocean the wind lines were obvious and we were getting a few hundred feet over launch. The pilots flying Airborne C4's were able to to dive along the beach and make it upwind to Glenrock Lagoon and work the hillside there. I was in an Airborne Fun 190 and I felt like a paraglider in this wind. I guess that I shouldn't have been so quick to not take the C4 to the beach.
With over a dozen pilots in the air we had spread out, some now down by Newcastle and Adam upwind at the knob by Dudley. The wind had rotated twenty degrees around to the SSE and the white caps were visible.
After many attempts to go upwind I jumped over the back following Bar beach and just getting to the car park at the end of the beach where the lift started again. This got me back up on the high cliffs at Newcastle. Pilots were spread out everywhere.
I wasn't sure that I could make it back upwind to the Dixon Park landing area but I saw a paraglider playing just above the slope there and figured if he could find lift there, I could. I came in just above him and was able to get high enough to make it to the park LZ.
The LZ filled up and pilots were happy with another day at the beach.
Discuss "The usual suspects at the beach" at the Oz Report forum link»
3 topics in this article: Adam Parer, Armand Acchione, PG
Armand Acchione goes for a big weekend
Armand
Armand goes for a record pace in his Swift around a 200 km FAI triangle
(Brussels airfield, Huron East, On, Canada)
Armand Acchione|record
Armand «xcswift» writes:
It was a great weekend. I did a 200km triangle that was faster then Robin's FAI RECORD.
122 mile cross country on Moyes Litespeed S.
25km triangle not fast enough.
Discuss "Armand Acchione goes for a big weekend" at the Oz Report forum link»
2 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, record
Armand Acchione - 25 km FAI triangle world record »
Armand
Armand's Swift world record documented
Armand Acchione|CIVL|Davis Straub|record
The CIVL/FAI form filled out: https://OzReport.com/data/armand25km.pdf
The flight on the HOLC and on Google Maps/Earth.
From the FAI:
Type of record : Swift speed over a triangular course of 25 km
Course/location : Zapata, TX (USA)
Performance : 59.33 km/h
Pilot : Armand ACCHIONE (USA)
Hang Glider : Aeriane Swift Light
Date: 21.07.2006
Current record : 50.40 km/h (20.05.2001 - Davis STRAUB, USA)
Discuss "Armand Acchione - 25 km FAI triangle world record" at the Oz Report forum link»
4 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, CIVL, Davis Straub, record
Zapata Journal - Saturday
Zapata
Armand flies
(Zapata)
Armand Acchione|Manfred Ruhmer|news|record|Robin Hamilton|weather|William "Billo" Olive
We've got two Swifts here and if Robin Hamilton comes down from Houston we'll have three. He's up there watching all the weather models ready to pounce if it looks like a record day. With Manfred down here ready to take away Robin's records he's got to be ready to defend them.
Thick mid level clouds for much of the morning and they continue to affect our normal path to the north all day. Armand Acchione took off at 10:30 AM in his Swift and was able to stay near the airport at 2,000' AGL until it turned on around 11 AM, then he could fly any where. With 10 mph southeast wind and no retrieve, he came back and landed later at the airport. No one else flew in the morning.
Armand went up for a late afternoon flight to 7,500' under billowy cu's and a 16 mph southeast wind.
7 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, Manfred Ruhmer, news, record, Robin Hamilton, weather, William "Billo" Olive
CIVL - who shall we screw today? »
CIVL
Well these are the rules after all.
Armand Acchione|CIVL|Dragonfly|Quest Air|sailplane
A few weeks ago Armand Acchione, Swift and tug pilot, volunteered to sign up to fly in the Worlds in Class 2 to help make the Class 2 a valid World Championship. They need eight pilots and had only six.
The CIVL Bureau rejected his application apparently because he sent it in twenty five days before the Worlds instead of thirty. Now all the Swift pilots have rallied and will petition the CIVL folks here to allow him to fly with them. We have heard that their petition will be denied.
Here's a copy of a request to CIVL that didn't go out as the sender wished to speak with them directly.
I believe that you may have misunderstood my friend Armand's request to fly in the 2006 Class 2 Worlds at Quest Air. He only applied in order to help CIVL run a valid Class 2 World Championship. He has no desire to gain any glory by flying at the Worlds and is only interested in helping his fellow pilots.
So when you wrote, "I hope you will consider flying in the next Class 2 World Championship and hope to meet you sometime,..." I hope that you can see how ironic this statement is in reality especially since you will indeed be seeing Armand at Quest, most likely, unless you decide otherwise, pulling pilots into the air behind a Dragonfly.
Let me tell you something that perhaps you were not aware of. The Meet organizers and meet director have been doing everything that they can to make sure that the Class2 Worlds is a valid World Championship. Therefore they asked (begged actually) a number of Swift pilots (and experienced sailplane/hang glider pilots willing to fly Swifts) to register for the meet (this took place during the Flytec Championship) and apply for an exemption from you. Armand was willing to do this and the meet organizers were willing to help (vastly reduce the fee).
But Armand had to drive back to Canada (he is a dual US/ Canadian citizen and would be flying for the US as noted earlier in his request) to attend the funeral of a friend. So he couldn't be as timely in his request for an exemption as he would have liked to be.
Now you have treated Armand's request to help you, CIVL, and the Class 2 pilots as though he were somehow breaking the rules when all he was trying to do was help you. This is most upsetting.
If you truly want a valid Class 5 Worlds please make the effort that the meet organizers and Armand are making to help out the Class 5 pilots and provide Armand with an exemption. It is no skin off his nose either way, so it is up to you whether you want a valid World Championship or not.
5 topics in this article: Armand Acchione, CIVL, Dragonfly, Quest Air, sailplane
Harold and Kumar Go Flying
Mon, Aug 2 2004, 5:00:01 pm EDT
The hang gliding sequence at the end.
Christopher Ball|Dragonfly
Armand Acchione|Christopher Ball|Dragonfly
Armand Acchione|Christopher Ball|Dragonfly|Michael Robertson
http://www.haroldandkumar.com/
Christopher Ball «cbifilms» writes:
Harold and Kumar Go to Whitecastle, which is in North American release at the theatres right now, features a Hang Gliding sequence at the end which I shot near Toronto last year. Although the hang gliding sequence sort of stretches the limits of believability, so does the movie. (I didn't write the script, I was only the cameraman.) However, it got "two thumbs up".
We filmed most of the sequence from a Maxair drifter, while towing the HG aloft with a Dragonfly. The hang glider would then release and we would chase it with the Drifter.
Armand Acchione was the tug pilot, Bill Lishman (Operation Migration) was the Drifter pilot, Peter Darian of High Perspective was the flying double, Michael Robertson of High Perspective was the flight coordinator and I was the cameraman.
Discuss the movies at the Oz Report forum
2 topics in this article: Christopher Ball, Dragonfly
Michael Champlin XC Contest results
Michael Champlin XC Contest 1999|John Scott
The results of the 1999 Michael Champlin XC contest follow:
Pilot | Points | Craft |
Mark Poustinchian | 4687.76 | Rw, Fw |
Davis Straub | 4662.04 | RW |
Armand Acchione | 4056.25 | FW |
Ramy Yanetz | 3500.00 | RW |
Pete Lehman | 3450.00 | FW |
Larry Bunner | 3281.11 | FW |
Kevin Fost | 3215.00 | RW |
John James | 2891.25 | FW |
Bo Hagewood | 2780.00 | FW |
Tony Deleo | 2751.35 | PG |
Rich Burton | 2730.00 | FW |
Eric Reed | 2480.51 | PG |
Greg Dinauer | 2210.00 | Rw, Fw |
Fleming Lauridsen | 2134.92 | FW |
Stewart Midwinter | 2051.51 | RW |
Mark Bolt | 1835.00 | FW |
Dan Chappell | 1638.00 | RW |
Scott Smith | 1475.00 | FW |
Deane Williams | 1241.84 | RW |
John Greynald | 1100.00 | FW |
Roman Lotric | 1100.00 | PG |
Ralf Market | 1100.00 | PG |
Dave Wheden | 1100.00 | FW |
Warren Seipman | 1100.00 | FW |
Marc Hill | 1100.00 | PG |
Mike Degtoff | 1100.00 | FW |
Russ Brown | 1097.00 | FW |
John Scott | 1096.50 | FW |
David Taylor | 1084.27 | FW |
Nancy Smith | 1080.00 | FW |
Per-Arne Holmstad | 1000.00 | PG |
Rita Edris | 989.00 | RW |
Thomas Mullin | 880.00 | FW |
D. Ulisnik | 764.71 | PG |
Lori Allen | 399.50 | FW |
Tim McIntyre | 366.50 | FW |
Dan Maguire | 298.00 | FW |
James Asher | 200.00 | FW |
Tom Lanning | 187.50 | FW |
John Ivey | 92.50 | FW |
John Scott, <brettonwoods@email.msn.com>, writes:
The Michael Champlin World XC Challenge is a yearlong cross-country contest designed to allow pilots from every region and soaring craft the opportunity to compete against one another. There is no entry fee or pre-registration requirements. The Challenge is open to sailplanes, hang gliders, foot-launch rigid wings and paragliders.
Because of the disparity in not only the performance levels among aircraft, but in regional XC potential as well, a handicapping system has been applied. To keep things simple the Challenge uses site distance records as the basis for scoring. Hang glider pilots will score themselves against hang glider records; paraglider pilots will score themselves against paragliding records, etc. Multi-wing pilots can submit scores for each aircraft, or submit multi-craft scores for one total. To help pilots determine their flight scores a site record page has been set up under the heading "Sites." As you look over the various records listed on the page, please feel free to add any other records that you know about; we encourage you.
The Challenge has three divisions: "Open," for flights that take place on any day (including weekends) throughout the year; "Weekend," for, like the name implies, flights that take place on weekends only; and "Single Surface," for flights that take place on single surface hang gliders. Each pilot may compete in all three divisions.
The Rules
Scoring: For each flight score divide your flight mileage by that particular site' s distance record then multiply by 1000. For example, if a site record is 100 miles and a pilot flies 75, then that pilot will score 750 points ((75/100) *1000). If a pilot breaks a site record, however, the maximum allowable score for the flight is 1100 pts. (1000 pts. for the flight itself, plus 100 pts in bonus).
Pilots will submit their top 5 scores from at least two different sites. If a pilot only flies one site then that pilot will only be allowed to submit 4 scores. The highest point total possible is 5500; a pilot will have to break the distance record of 5 different sites to achieve it. Please round scores to the hundredth place. Also, except for record-breaking flights, flight distances are to be measured in half-mile increments rounded backwards. As stated on the "Home Page," pilots base their scores on the site records of their individual aircraft.
If a site record is broken during the course of the competition year, all other scores for that site will be dropped to the relationship of the new record. If a site record is broken more than once the previous record holder will be allowed to keep his/her bonus points, but will have their overall score for the site dropped according to the new relationship, including if it is the same pilot. Site records broken by nonparticipating pilots WILL BE RECOGNIZED.
Site Rules: The site record has to have been established before the first of the year. It must be at least 50kms. Triangles and "Out and Returns" are allowed if a site has established records for each. Pilots must fly complete Triangles and Out and Returns. Triangles must meet FAI requirements: the shortest leg must be equal to or greater than 28% of the total.
Foot Launched Rigid Wing Rules:
Existing RW site records must be at least 50 miles, and EXCEED all other records for the site, excluding sailplane records.
The following rules apply to sites that don't have established RW records or if they fall short of the criteria set above:
1) Pilots will use existing FW or PG records, depending on which is the farthest.
2) No bonus points will be given out until after the existing FW or PG record is broken ONCE.
3) If there is no existing RW record and the longest FW or PG record is less than 50 miles (the 50km minimum still applies), RW pilots will base their scores on 50 miles, not the FW or PG record. Pilots can start earning bonus points if and when they break the 50 mile barrier at these particular sites.
Single Surface Hang Gliding Division
For the equivalent of hang 4s and higher, single surface records used for scoring will be based on 60% of the double surface record at the start of the year; this would not change if the double surface record happens to be broken during the course of the year. It would change, however, if a single surface pilot flies further than the 60% mark. That pilot will earn 1100 points, and provide the marker for which single surface scores for that site will be based. For the equivalent of hang 3s and lower, records will be based on 40% of the double surface record; this would not change if the double surface OR hang 4 single surface record is broken during the course of the year.
For sites that have known single surface records, the equivalent of hang 4s and higher will use the record as the basis for scoring, not whatever 60% of the double surface record may be. Hang 3s and lower will base their scores on ⅔s the known record, not 40% of the double surface record; this would not change if the record is broken by a hang 4 pilot during the course of the year.
The single surface division is separate from the main contest. If single surface pilots want to compete against double surface records, however, they are more than welcome do to so, and can participate in the Open and Weekend divisions.
Winning Scores:
Pilots must submit their HONOR SYSTEM scores by February 1st of the following year. The winners will be awarded their prizes shortly thereafter once their scores are checked for accuracy. For those pilots who think they have a chance of winning please keep a record of all of your flights for the year; in the event of a tie, you will be asked to submit your 6th highest point total and so on until a clear winner is decided. Although pilots don' t have to submit their scores until February of the following, we encourage you to submit your flights now.
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2 topics in this article: Michael Champlin XC Contest 1999, John Scott