Alpine Altitude

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Levico Terme: 4th - 10th May 2009

We have arrived: the Italian Alps. The setting for XCamp2009 - my first paragliding competition...but have no fear - I'm not that good. I chose this week long “comp” because the format is designed for pilots who want to learn more about competing, and specifically about long distance flying, a.k.a. “cross-country flying” or just “XC”.

To fly a long distance, it helps to have long valleys that allow a pilot to fly along the mountains and with open, grassy fields below to land safely. The Alps make an ideal setting.

For me, this was much less about competing than learning. There were too many good pilots (and a few great pilots) there for me to expect to win outright given my current skill level. Serious pilots...guys who roll their own cigarettes, guys with dred locks, guys who haven't had a bath since they practiced an emergency water landing as part of their Master sign-off. They don't talk much because, to them, this is a job. They're here to win.

Fortunately, there were many other pilots there as well...people like me who wanted no more than to enjoy the comp for what it offered: local knowledge and advice, organized rides to launch, dedicated assistants to help you launch, drivers to pick you up after landing, and maps of the local terrain for reference, just to name a few of the benefits. Having so much support makes pushing your limits a safer and more rewarding experience.

Rounding out the diverse mix of pilots was a humble, but accomplished pilot named Burkhardt “Burkey” Martens. Burkey has written a few books about flying and is a recognized authority on the subject. One night, he gave a 90 minute presentation about flying, especially about lift, how to find it, and how to use it. The material was surprisingly accessible and tangible, much more so than other books and presentations I've seen, which tend to focus much more on theory. Also, Burkey explained that before he flies in a comp at a new site, he prepares by downloading the gps tracks of pilots (available on-line) who have flown the site before, so he can see the choices they made, where they found lift, hit sink, etc. All of this started to sound remarkably like the recipe for success in “the real world”: research, preparation, good judgment, and flawless execution. So much for my romantic visions of “flying free like a bird.” To win, you need to work.

My performance in the comp was ok. I didn't come in last, which was great. In fact, I had one decent XC of 28 km (point to point...more when you count my circuitous route) over breath-taking terrain. I flew for 3 hours, and I was very tired and very cold when I was done. I didn't realize how tiring it is to fly for so long. It's like doing Pilates for hours on end. Most importantly, I learned a lot about flying, about my (heretofore) underutilized technology, weather, everything. And that was the idea. A smashing success from that aspect, and I'm looking forward to the next event.

P.S. In the end, the droll dred lock guys were indeed out-performers, but First Place went to no less than Burkey himself, which was perhaps the most effective advertisement for his book!

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Comments

[Daddy]

Great Place
What a great place to learn and fly.