US Nationals

[Chip Bartley]

Well,

Late night traveling last night and early morning wake up call. The Rat Race went well and a lot of the SB pilots did real well to include the man Dean Stratton who took the comp hands down. Yesterday on the final task I made the final glide toward goal and fell short by a smidge. conditions were sketchy and I had 3 low saves from about 300'. A couple of the local pilots deffinately have stories to be told and I am sure there will be people posting more on the Rat when they get some time. We are very busy and dont really get much down time and when we do we are sleeping or getting ready to get ready. seems like it never ends. Anyhow, no complaints here. This is the most fun I have in a very long time. See you all soon.

cb

[Chip Bartley]

2 pilots launching

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... keview.jpg



The downside

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... bummer.jpg


Lakeview

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... keview.jpg


Good launch shot

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... gpilot.jpg


Looking up at launch Black Cap

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... launch.jpg


8300'

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... at8300.jpg


Launch scene

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... launch.jpg

[irene]

Hi Chip
Good luck at the Nats. Have some great flights.
irene

[Chip Bartley]

Thanks Irene, we are. Today was out of control. We went to HQ at 9am and the task committee had allready met and the meeting was short and to the point.... Be carefull, there aren't many roads around here.

We headed up to launch and they set the task at 83k. To make a very long story short I can only tell you that no one made goal and the entire lead gaggle was spread all over tiger country. Retrieve went until after 9pm when the last pilots surfaced. They were Josh, Jamie and Marty. Dean landed out in a canyon and had to hike as well. Rob ended up on the top of a Mountain range and was retrieved early. As far as me, I made 2 turn points and was headed to Ennis when I looked around and the 2 pilots I was with were sinking. i kept on glide from 9k and hoped to find lift on my way across the valley. Unfortunately I soon began my rapid decent to the valley floor which left me with a 50 minute hike out to civilization. To say the least a very exciting day and way way different from the Rat Race.

Expecting epic conditions tomorrow. Local guru says tomorrow we will find out what this place is famous for . We'll see.

cb

[oj]

After three tasks Dean is in 2nd place. At this point only 44 points separate first from third so it's a three horse race led by Brazilian Frank Brown, Dean, and Kyndel Banister. Marty is in the next group that rounds out the top ten positions with just a few points separating the gaggle.

Task three was a 145.3 kilometer (90 mile) flight and the longest ever U.S. PG task. Ten pilots made goal. Dean was stinkin' high at the finish and says an Oregon distance record would have been possible but the organizers had stated there is no retrieve beyond goal and a time limit was set for gps scoring.

[Dean S]

This is one of the first opportunities I’ve had to sit down and give a little synopsis of the last ten days. No rest for the weary, right! The last week and a half has been packed full of activities and I’m having a great time with the SB crew. Chip has been a hoot; his enthusiasm is so contagious. He’s been getting all of us fired up every day and despite some of the lumps he’s been taking during the tasks he’s staying very positive. There’s plenty of entertainment going on around the campsites and usually some trouble brewing along with it. It’s been a crazy ride…

Most of the Rat Race has been written about already so I won’t say too much on that except that I’m still in disbelief that I won so many of the tasks. It feels a little surreal to me even now. Last year I set some short and long-term goals for flying and it pretty much followed a two-year time line. Crazy enough, I’m realizing most of those goals this year and it’s putting a huge smile on my face. There is one more thing I’d like to mention about the Rat Race. The Rat just wasn’t the same without the annual rivalry between Pipkin and Faoro. There was always some quality trash talking on launch between them and it was sorely missed this year.

Three tasks already flown at the Nats here in Lakeview. Things have been rolling along well so far. We’ve got lots of wind today (Thursday) so we’re all scrambling to find things to do in this one cow town. Sleep is definitely on the agenda, and of course…FOOD! The weather looks bad for tomorrow as well but there’s a chance we’ll fly on Saturday. Two days to fill with non-flying activities will be difficult but we’ve got to stick around just in case we’re able to fly Saturday. At least a third of the pilots that weren’t doing so well pulled up stakes and left this morning after the bad weather forecast was announced. Lakeview is known as a HG site more so than a PG site. Wind is the standard around here so we’re exercising our patience hoping for at least one more task before the event ends. As you’ve probably heard we set a new record in Paragliding Nationals history yesterday with a new task distance record of 145 km. The straight-line distance point to point was 86 miles and change with 10 pilots in goal including Marty and I, what a day! If we didn’t have any other task but that one this week it still would’ve made the event worthwhile. Most of us came into goal stinkin’ high and had we continued on instead of landing it would’ve been easy work breaking the Oregon State distance record of 111 miles, the day was just getting better and better.

If you‘ve been checking the standings you’ve seen that Frank Brown from Brazil is sitting in first place above me by 30 points. We’ve been neck and neck his week and if we get another task we’ll be in a heated battle for the top spot at the podium…it’s going to get dirty. I’ve gotten to know Frank a little over the last few days and as much as you want to hate him for his unreal flying skills he’s actually a great guy who just loves to fly. He’s been flying for close to 25 years and his resume is extensive. He’s been the Brazilian national champion several times and he placed second at the 2005 World PG Championships. He’s on Sol’s payroll and they send him around the world to various comps to humble his competitors in order to promote Sol paragliders. He’s got mad skills and I’ve been fortunate to fly with him quite a bit on all three tasks. Being in close proximity to him has allowed me to see the choices he makes and the lines he takes, it’s been quite an education and I’m soaking it all up.

Well, I have to go. Rob Sporrer and his dad are grilling up some steaks and it’s time to feed. I’ll post some pics and give another summary when I get back.

[Chip Bartley]

So, what a rush

Task 2, 3 and 4 (National Distance Record)

Since we have been in Lakeview things have been different to say the least. Boy have I learned a ton. Once again I feel really fortunate to be hanging with the happening crowd. They are the best and I feel I have gotten a college education in flying. I wanted to thank them all in an open forum. We are all very fortunate to have the paracommunity we do.

In the Rat Race I faired pretty well and finish 27th in the serial class and overall including comp gliders 77th which I was very happy with. Anyhow, the first day here at the Nationals we got skunked do to inclement weather. The winds where blowing hard. On day two we had a task that was set at a moderate distance. I launched and right away realized that this launch wasn't like any other I have ever flown. Its really a moderate slope and you have to run quite a way down to foot launch the glider. To make it better at the point where you (always) get air, is a line of big rocks. I ended up getting to about 10k and started to fly down range after taking my time to get high and in position. I was bouncing down range hitting several thermals that kept me high for about an hour. At that point came a big valley crossing and unfortunately I had no one to gaggle or glide with. Then it became real difficult to stay high and I was loosing altitude quickly. I ended up landing in a field up in the hills. The hike out was about 50 minutes.


Day three was terrible and Day four I had to launch twice and the second launch I literally was the last one to leave the hill and had 3 seconds left when I got airborne. Pretty exciting. I ended up in 5th in the serial class and 39th overall. Without a doubt my best day yet as far as scoring. A National record was set as well when 10 pilots including Marty and Dean completed the 145k/ 88m task and it was recorded as the longest task ever in an American paragliding competition. Yesterday and today we didn't fly and the weather has sucked. Tomorrow is the last day and we are expecting epic conditions. I am looking forward to having a great day and accomplishing my goal of completing a task. We will see.

HERE ARE SOME PIX


http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... flying.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... nglide.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... udbase.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... deer-1.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... pilots.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... pilots.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... tyono2.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... errain.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... y/Rim1.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... y/Rim2.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z309 ... y/Rim3.jpg

[irene]

Thanks a lot for the pictures Chip. Looks like a great comp, despite the wind. I hope you had a great last task today...
irene

[Dean S]

I got some shots this year but not as many as last, kinda' had my hands full.

Rat Race:
http://www.pbase.com/fllspdahd/rat_race_2007&page=all

Nationals:
http://www.pbase.com/fllspdahd/us_natio ... 7&page=all