Pyrenees bivvi trip
Steve Nash and UK Nova importer Dean Crosby recently completed an 18-day unsupported hike-and-fly crossing of the Pyrenees.
Starting in late August at Hendaye on the French on the Atlantic coast, they arrived at Roses in Spain on on September 8th. Along the way they slept in refuges, church gardens, a horse showground and a cave. Both were flying Nova’s ultra-light Ion 2 Light.
Despite setting off at the right time of year the pair were unlucky with the weather and hiked a significant amount of the route, being able to fly only 118km of the 438km total in just nine flights. Although the hard walks were balanced by some amazing flights above 3,000m, despite being a super-fit X-Alps veteran Steve is said to have lost six kilos during the trip.
Posted: 30 October 2012
Robin Hamilton wins Santa Cruz Flats
After seven tasks in seven days, ex-pat British pilot Robin Hamilton won the annual Santa Cruz Flats Class 1 hang gliding event, this year doubling as the US Nationals.
Robin led the race-to-goal competition by 392 points on his Moyes Litespeed RS from last year's winner Jeff O'Brien (Wills Wing T2C) and Ben Dunn (Litespeed RS), another US-domiciled Brit. Only three pilots flew in the Class 5 comp, won by US pilot James Yocom (Atos VR10), and three Swifts flew in Class 2, won by former US and world champion Brian Porter (Bright Star Swift).
Posted: 30 October 2012
Gran Paradiso first
On September 6th Squash Falconer and Annecy climber and fly-guide Irwyn Jehu launched from the summit ice slopes of Italy's highest peak, the 4,000m Gran Paradiso after some tough early-morning climbing.
Her film of the flight has attracted over 18,000 hits on YouTube.
Although a French lady made the flight in 2007, it is thought that Squash is the British first woman to have flown from the summit, and possibly the first British pilot. "Squash is tough and worthy of the claim," said Irwyn after the flight.
Posted: 30 October 2012
Missing flier found alive
Speed-glider Dan Hunt, 33, disappeared during a descent of the 11,000ft Jungfraujoch in the Swiss Alps on 15th Sept despite having launched only seconds behind one of his two flying partners.
A helicopter search was organised but was stopped having reached the limit of his insurance cover. Local pilots flew over the route, search-and-rescue teams with dogs combed the area and friends travelled to help.
A Facebook campaign raised nearly £14,000 to fund three further helicopter searches, all unsuccessful. He was found, uninjured, 68 hours after taking off, shouting for help in a forested ravine.
Posted: 30 October 2012
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