Hang Gliding Record Distance Flight Story

Very good read about Dustin Martin beating Jonny Durand during a 475 mile hang gliding world distance record, with Gary Osoba providing the day's forecast.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/sp...pagewanted=all

-John, Q3

On Saturday, January 12, 2013 4:51:46 PM UTC-5, John Carlyle wrote:
Very good read about Dustin Martin beating Jonny Durand during a 475 mile hang gliding world distance record, with Gary Osoba providing the day's forecast.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/sp...pagewanted=all



-John, Q3

Great story and a great writer. Why aren't we attracting sponsors like these guys? Good for them.

I tried to get red bull to sponsor me in 2007 for the region 7 contest but they told me that they didn't do local sponsors his of pilots. Guess I should've tried to fly in a nationals!

Sponsors? Because we don't try...

On Saturday, January 12, 2013 8:02:54 PM UTC-8, Sean F (F2) wrote:
Sponsors? Because we don't try...

Sean,

Many of us have done lots of trying. BHP shipped 8 US gliders to New Zealand and back for no charge for the 1995 WGC. I now use BHP steel products in my building projects. Network General ( now McAfee) wrote a check for $2500 for my expenses the same year. Peter Deane received a very large donation for his participation in Slovakia in 2010.

Richard Walters
US Team Committee

On Monday, January 14, 2013 12:31:29 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Saturday, January 12, 2013 8:02:54 PM UTC-8, Sean F (F2) wrote: Sponsors? Because we don't try... Sean, Many of us have done lots of trying. BHP shipped 8 US gliders to New Zealand and back for no charge for the 1995 WGC. I now use BHP steel products in my building projects. Network General ( now McAfee) wrote a check for $2500 for my expenses the same year. Peter Deane received a very large donation for his participation in Slovakia in 2010. Richard Walters US Team Committee

And a few others:
The 2001 Club class team was completely sponsored and had a surplus of a few thousand dollars.
The over spending at the Last French WGC was paid off by a sponsor.
One sponsor donated about $75K to help fund the WGC in Uvalde.
That same sponsor contributed a significant amount to the USTC specifically to support the Club Class team and the Junior team.
This generous individual has quietly donated over a quarter of a million dollars to US competition over the last dozen years or so.
This started by asking for a bit of help.
UH

These contributions are fantastic and it appears they are doing it for the love of the sport. When you view WGC events it stands out that the US is unique in not carrying sponsor logos on the fuselages. Is this a market we are not pursuing?

Lane

On Jan 12, 2:51*pm, John Carlyle wrote:
Very good read about Dustin Martin beating Jonny Durand during a 475 mile hang gliding world distance record, with Gary Osoba providing the day's forecast.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/sp...y-the-silent-r...

-John, Q3

It was a rainy day in Durango, CO, where I was, and I happened to be
reading the RAS when a note was posted that Dustin and Johnny were on
the epic flight and could be watched on SPOT. I immediately clicked
on and was spellbound for the rest of the aftgernoon. Thankfully, no
lightning, so I could leave the computer on. It was a very exciting
afternoon for me, watching their progress, and Dustin's final glide
that was absolutely parallel to the wind (I was flipping back and
forth from the SPOT page to the wind page http://hint.fm/wind/ to
see how they were progressing). 25 years earlier, to the day, Hans
and I had a similar day, landing in Cortez, CO for 218 miles on our
Wills Wings from Mt. Elden in Flagstaff, AZ. Watching another Arizona
Hang Gliding Association (now also includes paragliding) pilot set the
world record was the highlight of my summer. It couldn't have
happened to a nicer guy / more incredible pilot. Atta boy, Dustin!
And, a VERY nice article for a non-gliding publication. Well done.
And, it brought back a lot of fond memories for me.
Bob
19

Is Dustin's flight recorder trace for his world record flight available on the web? I checked on OLC-PHG under Best Flight, but Dustin's 475 mile flight is not there. Strange, because his 335 k flight on May 12, 2012 is listed.

-John, Q3

As an ex hang-glider pilot, I also thought that the story was well researched and nicely written, without the usual inaccuracies.

One interesting note - the article says that pilots had to land before half-an-hour after sunset for the record to be valid. Is this true and, if so, why do they get half-an-hour longer than glider pilots?

Mike