Page 46 - QARANC Vol 14 No 9 2014

44 QARANC THE GAZETTE
World Hang Gliding Championships – Annecy 2014
So; you mention Hang Gliding and people look at you sometimes strangely; I’m used to that. Having flown hang gliders and paragliders since age 16, a mere 25 years ago, Hang Gliding is a sport that is part of who I am. I have flown competitively on the World stage in the flexwing category representing Great Britain in 2009/2010, returning to competitive flying post maternity leave in 2012.
Earlier this year I was honoured to have been selected to represent the Army as Team Manager for Team GB at the forthcoming World Championships for the ’Class 5’ Rigid Hang Gliders. These wings differ from my own in that they have a rigid wing i.e. not dacron and mylar and are a cross between a sailplane and a traditional flexwing hang glider. They are heavier to carry but once in the air have increased performance e.g. better glide angle and faster speed.
Competitive Hang Gliding is based upon flying tasks of approximately 100-200km around a course via a series of turn points. It’s a bit like a nav-ex but in the sky with the turn points being at virtual height, pilots can expect to fly anywhere between 2-7 hours a day. Pilots fly with a GPS, Altimeter, Variometer and Barograph often including a small tablet like device to plot airspace and work out best speed to fly, etc. The tasks are scored on distance and speed and the aim is always to get to goal and to get there the fastest.
The 2014 British Team consisted of 5 civilian pilots, Neil, Tim, Luke, Andy and Paul. Ageing from 27-54 years old their collective flying skills and experience were varied. My role entailed ensuring they were in the right place at the right time with the right kit prepared to fly the right task; that was pre flight anyway. Once in the air my job was to track their
progress via tracker app or live GPS tracking and advise on areas of lift and progress of the other teams. In the air we communicated via 2 m radio and due to the high mountains of the Haute Savoie, comms were at times difficult. It was at those moments I had to rely on personal experience to gauge effectively where they might be and what was going on. Once the pilots land (ideally in goal) my job was to ensure they hand in their GPS for downloading of the track load; so to score, and to pick them up and get them back to base if they haven’t made goal. At which point one is normally dealing with a fractious toddler like pilot. The competitions involve rapid decision making skills in a high pressure environment and pilots do need to be allowed to focus. The use of tactical diplomacy is probably the most important skill of the Team Manage and having worked as an Operating Theatre Sister for more than 15 years, diplomacy is something I’m used to. The evenings involved swimming in Lake Annecy, an occasional glass of the local rose, tartiflette and generally kicking back after the fast paced tempo of the day.
The team flew very well but were sadly outnumbered in pilots by Germany, Austria, France and Japan. As the top 3 pilot scores counted each day for the team event when our team diminished due to injury we were on a sticky wicket... Tim on Day 1 due to a fractured pelvis on landing (the French paramedics did not know how to use a Sam Splint correctly! They do now...) and on Day 4 Neil was involved in a mid air collision and had to throw his reserve parachute; he sustained major bruising but his glider was more seriously injured and he was unable to continue flying.
The competition became dogged by bad luck and