[Fred Wilson]

For those of you who have yet to hear of this, SG has just created a new forum for fun events.
Specifically HangGliding.Org Fun Fly-In Events. Fun Regional Annual Events where Hg.Org friends can meet in person and fly their ass off together.

This one is planned for the NW quadrant. Please organize one for your Regional Turf too. Same dates even. No sweat.
I've time ours to avoid conflicts with other regional events. Hopefully the events will cross feed each other.

- lets leave the heavy duty stuff to the Oz Report's Competition Forum. OK? They own that part of the world...
and the voice here is OzReport ID: Events - yep: one and the same.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ Updated _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

To start, I want to introduce a bang up great European idea and organization:

X World Contest and their really neat idea:
X-CAMP whose services include handling registration and scoring.

The small HangGliding.Org GoPro XC Camp (the "Action Cameras" proposed name, applications in process...) Fly-In fees would be collected at the event.
Where pilots receive coaching to fly XC with their friends, and download their own GPS Tracklogs to
XContest which does all that nasty stuff for you!

..."each pilot choose his route and launch time.
Turnpoints will not need to be declared before flight and pilot can make decision about route during his flight, according to the actual conditions.
After return from the flight the track will be scored.
The scoring system is simple and is based on the idea of many XC contest (OLC, PGweb XContest...)

Director of the Fly-In Event has right to stop the day any time in case of worsening weather under safe level in flying corridor or in case of objective reason.
In this case tracklogs will be optimized and scored until time of stopping."

This will be a non commercial Fly-In event, not a competition,
where pilots would be coached on Cross Country Flying and
where their launches and landings would be filmed with GoPro Video Cameras
to analyze their take off and landings technics to improve personal safety.

[Fred Wilson]

A HangGliding.Org GoPro X-CAMP really fits as a name for a reason.

XContest by its very nature is set up to transition novice pilots through organized fly-ins, from there into the easy way to get into XC, using your friends for coaching support on the ground and in the air...
and from there into Regional / State / National and so forth contests.

Somebody over there has done some really good, high IQ thinking.
I think it is one terrific idea, and I am going to go gangbusters over hear supporting it.

What cha all think?

Owning a GPS is not mandatory. Pilots who don't have one can fill out a Landing Form instead.

For guidelines on GPS's and how they work with XContest, see: http://www.xcontest.org/world/en/rules/

[Fred Wilson]

I'm hoping pilots in or planning to be in the Pacific North West
will do a flying tour of our neck of the world.

Coming from the east, have a pop or two in Idaho, then the Spokane area.

Heading NE you have the option of trying out
a) Chelan, and the relatively unknown but SPECTACULAR area around Winthrop (have a virtual tour of the range on Google Earth)

b) nearby Mansfield Washington if you are into great XC via ATOL Truck Towing: check out http://vimeo.com/32743840

c) and from there our South Okanagan Flying Sites. http://www.flyok.ca/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=11

If you get high and have a good driver, you should be able to go XC from Iron Mt and fly your first (?) 100 miler all the way to where the event headquarters is hoped to be.
d) Ashcroft. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashcroft-Manor-Teahouse-Flight-Park/297405700279516?ref=tn_tnmn

[Fred Wilson]

So I am hoping to get together with the Kamloops Valley Racers crowd
- in South Central British Columbia
to see about hosting this on their turf.

The Kamloops area, known as the Thomson Valley / Cariboo is known as a region with excellent flying sites featuring consistent winds, good thermal potential and a host of other variables that can add up to record flights. It is clear that KVR Country is an epic place for distance flying.

Massive funding has gone into our Okanagan Mara Launch, and more should be pumped into Sicamous in the coming year.
Mara for sure is getting HydroSeeded this year, likely Sicamous too... so neither will be ready for heavy foot traffic for a couple of years.

Thus I am going to be hitting up on my friends next door shortly.

These are great, big, beautiful sites, with a huge variety of optional recreational opportunities and great safety records.
These flying sites are capable of terrific XC distances with a proven history to back up their claims.

With local experts giving comprehensive ’site and flight’ guidance, pilots have the best of both worlds to help you get the most out of the trip!

This fantastic area is perfect for improving your general flying, thermalling and cross country skills whilst enjoying BC's 1st Class Hospitality and having an all-round great time!
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Our club meeting will be looking for dates for the venue. Mid June through mid to late July is best.

Worst time frame would be August. This is semi-desert country and August is hot and very stable, though the last week has been great weather timing for the Cache Creek Team XC Meet

Right now, the big window and most likely timing is right after the two Big USA Events
- the Washington State Chelan Classic July 4- 9th and the Idaho King Mt Meet. July 9th - 14th.

So right now, I am looking atstarting off in KVR Country:
July 15th to 19th then restarting in the Okanagan, for its prime time weather July 23d = 29th 2012
- Taking in a three day break in the middle to take in Lumby BC's [urlhttp://www.wildsalmonfest.com/]Wild Salmon Fly in and Music Festival[/url]

One event giving you the chance to fly two uniquely beautiful regions, chock a block with lakes and recreational opportunities.

Those that want to can follow me SE to tour the Kootenays after the event. Site guides at: http://www.acrophobia.ca/

Sounds Good?
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Thanks to our Provincial Association, the BCHPA and their Site Development and Maintenance Fund...
which for over 20 years has been collecting $15 per year from every member and putting it into a now massive fund:
Huge money has just been sunk into our Mara BC Flying site.
See: http://www.flyok.ca/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=730

This now means that the Okanagan now has four sites covering all four wind directions within a small area which are capable of hosting an event where 100 plus pilots would be able to launch safely, together, within a short period of time.

Funding for road repairs prior to events means that our neighboring valley - the Kamloops Region also has four sites which similarly capable of holding large to monster events.

Thanks and big round of applause to the British Columbia Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
Signed:

[Fred Wilson]

HangGliding.Org Events Awards and Prizes in addition to the usual Event Awards have been suggested at http://www.hanggliding.org/viewtopic.php?t=24109

Some of the best ideas include:

HangGliding.Org annual awards to be handed out:
1. Best video,
2. Best Contributer,
3. Rookie of the Year
4. Armchair Pilot award? (They of course couldn't be present and win.)
5. Bull Goose Loony Award (Staged Actor readings of the most contentious threads on the org, in costume.)
6. Most Flamed Contributor (Wins the most embarrassing outfit award.)

Everyone has to dress up to resemble their avatar too.
Signed:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

If GoPro does not buy in,
- an alternate name / sponsorship may be possible via HangGliding.Org Drift Get Out of There XC Camp