The South African Competition Scene

24 - 25 October Gatskop 2009 - Location Porterville, Pampoenfontein, Western Cape

14 - 21 November Gradient XC Africa 2009 - Location De Aar, Northern Cape

13 - 19 December Winelands Paragliding Open - Location Porterville, Pampoenfontein, Western Cape

Site information about Pampoenfontein including site record flights

No new glider means I will still be flying the Aerodyne Shaolin in these competitions.  After a recent 70km and 119km flight it is obvious that the Old One still has some life left in him :-)

October is my last Blog.  Well half of October - we lost the rest in the virus clean up.

Blogging absorbed me into my mind too much.  For me it was addictive as was Face Book (I think I am a reporter at heart and love to get the story out first :-) so to wean myself off, I have gone Cold Turkey on both, but still updating occasionally other sections of this website.

I miss the friendship exchanges with my Face Book mates. They were/are incredibly supportive and I loved the one-liners that made me smile or laugh out loud.  I know we will pick up where we left off when we meet in the flesh and I will enjoy those moments immensely.

Just a note regarding competition reporting:

I will not be reporting on the competitions in De Aar or Porterville, just flying and having fun with the air and my mates.
You can find the results, news and photo's for the Gradient De Aar XC Africa 2009 on the official website XContest

Living and Flying the moment - one step, one thermal at a time....

Some things do change.

In the past I would have taken this virus attack as personal, become quite frantic and perhaps rather emotional.  Of course it is not personal.  Just someone doing what they feel they must be doing.  Or more likely just a machine with a directive.

I have always identified strongly with FLYGIRL.  I was FLYGIRL.  Internationally people knew me first by this title because of the FLYGIRL website. FLYGIRL is a persona I created.  It is simply a website with unusually personal stories of my experiences as a paraglider pilot and of a woman who loves to travel off the beaten track.  It is a public record of my perspective and evolution.  For the past three years I needed that public record because it encouraged me to be honest with myself, to acknowledge the turmoil inside, make peace with it, and let it go.  FLYGIRL measured that change when it was hard for me to see progress ....

Being prepared to terminate FLYGIRL should we be unable to extract the malware from the programming was enlightening.  For three years I have invested so much of my time and effort into updating this website and here I was prepared to let it all go....with very little emotion.  This is progress ....

And so gingerly I start to update FLYGIRL with notes of my adventures.  It may take a week or so to feel comfortable again whilst testing the various components for hidden virus activity, but it must be done before I remove the VIRUS warning.  We have also asked Google to do a final check for us, so keep you posted.

Why was I sleeping on Mt Borah?  Because I am based at the Royal Hotel where this weekends festivities involved a school reunion, Tom's band and partying into the very early hours of the morning.  Everyone had fun, but I needed a good nights sleep.  I miss the quiet of the Outback and camping on the mountain under a full moon, accompanied by munching, coughing kangaroos was a perfect alternative. 

Last night I camped on Mount Borah's south take off.  Hang glider pilot Wazza from Byron Bay offered me the use of his Ozzie SWAG.  Never slept in a SWAG before.  A SWAG is a rectangle of very, very heavy canvas much like a large sleeping bag with upper and lower layers and a zip.  It has a mosquito net built in and a removable two inch thick foam mattress.  I could not hitch hike with a SWAG because it is very heavy and a bit too bulky, but Australians with cars use these a lot.  They are quick and easy to unroll and climb into at the end of a travelling day.  No bothering with tent pegs bending in the stony terrain that is the Outback. They are also very comfortable and in the alternating rain and wind and ever present cold on Mt Borah last night, I can attest to the fact that they are very warm and snug and it was wonderful not to have flapping tent cloth to listen too.  The canvas is so heavy it barely moves in the strong wind.  I even had space, just, for my glider bag :-)

Sunset yesterday, 10 or so Weekend Warriors took to the sky for half an hours flying before the rain chased them back to Godfrey's. As I scurried over to the SWAG and pulled the canvas over my head I could see the last three pilots taking cloud suck evasive manoeuvres, big ears'ing and spiralling to the ground.  Not what I would have wanted for my first flight in many months.  So no, I was not one of those who flew.  I am a fair weather pilot.  I read the signs and elected not to follow the others for a quickie.

Sunday afternoon and the second day of the Weekend Warriors has been cancelled due to adverse safe flying weather.  Yesterday it was because of strong winds followed by rain.  Today it was because of rain clouds.

Some did fly, Bob Smith making it to Manilla with plenty of height to spare....more if he really wanted it. Never saw him thermal once, just straight-lining it in.  The clouds were a bit menacing for me and dumped their cargo shortly after he touched down. 

Man, we paraglider pilots are good for something .... rain!

Had a lovely day today.  My first flight in months so you know I am beaming :-)  It was only 20 minutes, but lovely and smooth and fun and yeah ... that is why I fly.

A number of pilots got up and away heading for the Skyranch at Lake Keepit.  Not sure how far they got but airtime was pretty good for many - 2 hours or so.  I am content, nah, more than that...I am happy :-)

Cranny threw his reserve and landed safely near short east bomb-out.  He says he had an asymmetric, over corrected, spun, over corrected, spun again, 4 twists and well, that was it, time to throw.  Came down quite fast as he was unable to pull his glider in because of the twists, but the reserve catching in  the trees slowed him down and he touched neatly with his feet on the ground with barely a scratch.

Because the Flygirl Gallery is still infected with the Virus I cannot update images.  Instead, for those on Face Book, I have uploaded images of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and The Olga's as well as a large album covering my journey through the Tanami Desert.

The Flygirl Gallery is not all that is unwell.  (Since been fixed) Although I am pretty content with life right now, (despite the loss of Andreas) my immune system is very weak.  My neck and chest dermal allergy reaction has worsened despite being on cortisone, the skin giving me a peek preview of what I will look like when I am a hundred years old.   A sobering sight I assure you, but now I know and well, such is life. I also have a fever blister on my lip and one or two other concerns so I am going to have to take special care of myself.  Time to eat grapefruit, papaya seed and echinacea to boost my system!

It was a great looking day, lots of blue sky, nice friendly baby clouds and as the day progressed, wispy veils of vapour coming together to make more little clouds.  The sky was alive!

A couple of pilots took off before me, but soon I was up there at the top of the pack at 1600m, the hero of the thermal.  I loved the air, it was active but not frightening.  It was all good.

Some pilots dropped out into west bomb out, Andy elected to kick forward to front of west take off for another climb and I drifted over the back with a red Artik 2 far below me.  I was feeling good about still knowing how to climb that first thermal efficiently.

Then it all went pear shaped.

From hero to zero in 20 minutes and I landed on the Split Rock Road 10 km from take off unsuccessful in connecting with a second thermal.  The Artik which had been in survival mode for so long below me started to climb out and I watched from the ground, trying to feel satisfied with my nice but oh so short flight as he headed in the direction of Barraba. It was tough and I had to work hard at it as I munched fiercely on an apple.

My efforts faltered as I watched other pilots come towards me and past me, Ion in the direction of Split Rock and the others heading for Barraba.  Some landed shortly afterwards in Tarpoly (12-14 km)  but Suzi had an excellent first cross country flying about 25 km!  Felt really good for her when I heard that later at the Royal.

The hike up Mount Borah to retrieve the car and perhaps see if a second flight was possible was not so pleasant and a humour breaker. The road seemed impossibly steep, the sweat stinging my allergy raw neck and the flies were worse than the Outback. I have walked up Mount Borah already this week for fun, but without a 20kg pack. 

Nearing the top, Magdy, Andy and Shaun drove by and gave me a lift to the west take off for a second flight, which was some relief, but by then I was knackered.  How did the Swiss boys do this before a comp and fly distance?!!!!

At 3.30 pm it was still flyable, now gusting power thermals on steroids, but with big usable dead wind lulls in between.  Andy got up and away fast, climbing to over 2000m.  Magdy had to work it awhile.  Shaun and I decided not to fly.  It was perfectly launchable, but I was not  up to the conditions which were now strong like Porterville in high summer.

What did I learn?

-  I learned that I want to be up there and fly, but I don't have to be.

- That I can thermal well.

- That it is better to consolidate with another pilot who is in neutral air and lower than me, as opposed to going it alone in sink.

- I learned that is sucks being on the ground and watching others fly over my head

- That it is time to get it together and focus on what I have got and not wish for something better.

- With retrieve I learned next time to do what is best for me and not make such an effort to be the 'good girl'.  I suck at that anyway.

I am returning to South Africa on 22 October for 3 months and looking ahead to see what flying activities there may be for the early part of the South African summer.  Fortune smiles. There is not 1, but 3 paragliding competitions to the end of the year - one for every month!!! 

Flygirl is on the road again!!!! :-) Hmmm...not sure if I ever got off?  This year has been amazing and I still don't know how I managed it.  But then again, all I did was take  a leap of faith that it would all come right .... and the Universe took care of the rest.

This is what is in store for me and my fellow competition pilots.  I have entered all three competition.

24 - 25 October Gatskop 2009 - Location Porterville, Pampoenfontein, Western Cape

14 - 21 November Gradient XC Africa 2009 - Location De Aar, Northern Cape

13 - 19 December Winelands Paragliding Open - Location Porterville, Pampoenfontein, Western Cape

Site information about Pampoenfontein including site record flights

Then it is back to Australia on the 22nd January for the www.xc-open.org 30 January - 10 February and another great walkabout. There is still so much I want to see in Northern and Western Australia and I very much want to do the Canning Stock Route. 

One perfect day at a time.

I am in such a strange place right now. My impending return to South Africa ... it is like a reset button pushed.  Everything that I have known is falling away, all that I have learned, unlearned.  It is as if I have stepped into another reality, a reality fixed in the past. I find myself hardening up, less forgiving, old ways returning.  It is like I am preparing myself for that which I ran from at the beginning of this year, but in doing so, I am setting myself up for a re-creation of what once was.  There are no influences at present, nothing attacking me ... except my memory.  I never did deal with those memories cleanly. I put them in a box. I never sat with them and felt them without fighting their existence and consequently I never really let them go,. Now they are coming back up to the surface.

How amazing to see this all working within me, the shifting reality, all being created by me.  Please excuse me if I say I am AWESOME!!!  I have a mind that is creative and strong ... and darn right stubborn and bull headed!!!  It is capable of so much and here it is deciding what the scenario will be when I return to South Africa - ahead of me even stepping on African soil!

Until now I believed that our environment influenced our development ... and it does, but here I am getting a clear picture of how my mind is manipulating my emotions by downloading pictures, pictures accessed from that great store house of memory it holds ever ready for such a moment, finding all those hurts and feelings it knows will weaken me and transport me to a place where it can fully control me.  What a clever little bio-organism! Of course its success is dependent on me letting it have free reign to do as it pleases.... And that is my choice.

But I am tired of this age old scenario.  I have great memories that make me feel incredible, but more than that, I have the gift of the present.  Allowing my mind to harness all that caused me hurt in the past, defeats my evolution.  I have lived those memories and hurts more than once. Time to let them go. It may sound obvious, but I enjoy feeling good. The present makes me feel good - but only if I am fully in the present.

Tomorrow I move out to Godfrey's farm where I can wake in the early hours of the dawn and watch and listen to the birds, where I can walk up Mt Borah in the cool of the day and enjoy the view, where I can camp another night with the kangaroos in my final days .... where I can draw strength from the mountain, the views and the beckoning horison, where I can settle the turmoil within ... and look forward to enjoying each day as it unfolds, with all its surprises and splendour.  I believe this is the only way I can stay centred within....and whether it is returning to South Africa, flying, spending time in the deserts of Australia, mixing with people or sitting quietly by myself, I understand that the only thing I have influence over, the only thing I want to have influence over, is myself, and how I live each moment of my day.

And how was the flying today in Manilla?

Well, I flew to Barraba in 'rough as guts' air that was freezing at 2000m.  The air was going up everywhere, but after an hour and a half of shivering and grinding my teeth, I decided that I would have more fun the rest of the afternoon having a cup of tea with Cliff at Nelia.  Cliff even brought out the cookies and hot bread too, so I was real happy about my choice. It was lovely to see the old house again and catch up with news. We watched Gala parrots taking turns eating from their new bird feeders from the little balcony I helped restore and Cliff showed me around his vegetable and fruit garden and we ate home grown lettuce with home baked spelt bread and a little cheese.

Paul, a Rhodesian/UK/Australian pilot flying an Airwave Sport 3 came by and went on to fly 65km before landing. He was also shaking with cold and for good reason - he was wearing shorts!!!!  I hitched a lift back with him and Doug (paramedic pilot from Manilla) and his family.

Why did I land?  Because I wanted to.  I had an hour and a half of toughening up time and that was better than my last two twenty minute flights. I have learned in the last few months that I don't have to force anything, that in fact, easing gently into a situation without any pressure can sometimes lead to very surprising results.  It does not have to hurt. I don't feel the need to prove anything or force any particular outcome.  I just want to enjoy every moment......

A whole bunch of licensed pilots have arrived including Ion, Lucy Legget, Dave Snowden and Waldemar.  Then there are the 9 students.   Today looks fantastic, but I will not be flying much for the rest of the week.  Godfrey is kindly letting me sit in on his paragliding training course. I get to learn from scratch again all the theory and practicalities of sharing the sport with newcomers.

'Gaynor, have you looked out the window?'  We were all sitting around the study table doing paperwork for the start of the student paragliding course

'No Godfrey, I know the sky is good'  I had my back to the window.  I did not want to look out.

'It does not get more epic than this'  Godfrey advised.   And he was right.  The sky was alive with popping cu's.

I could not bare it.  I ducked classes on my first day and went flying.

The short of it is that Dave Snowden, Ion Ghilescu and Flygirl all flew around 70 km and Pluckies I think had the best distance which was around 80km.  The air was.... thermic .... and at Boggabri Gap it was testing for most of us.  Dave explained later that it was convergence that caused the hectic air there. Ion and I both left vicious 7.9ms thermals.  Dave, the ex British competition pilot remarked that they were just numbers, but it was the sharpness of the edges and multicored whirling nature of those 7.9ms thermals that had many of us backing off and looking elsewhere for lift or landing.  It was a slow day with big sink and very little wind.  It  took 3 hours to fly 35km, fortunately the next 35km were faster in air that smoothed out with final glide at 4.30pm, landing around 4.50pm. I nice way to finish the flight.

Lots of pilots in the sky including 3 Omega's (James, JJ and one other) who decided to do a triangle.  Not sure how they fared as we parted ways 18km out.  Lucy had a good first flight on her new Skywalk Cayenne, managing to stay high (Max height 2600m) for most of her flight to the coal mines past Boggabri Gap.  She did not much like the air and elected to land as I did yesterday. Many pilots landed around Wean.  Lucy then went on to hitch back to Manilla via Gunnedah and Tamworth and together with Student Jason, come and retrieve, Dave, Ion and I who congregated in Gunnedah when it became too dark to continue hitching.  It was an epic retrieve.  We arrived back at the farm at midnight.

I really enjoyed the flight, despite the Boggabri Gap washing machine.  I revisited some situations, handled them differently to the way I have done in the past .... and I enjoyed the distance and airtime.  Choosing not to push it the day before was a good move.  I never built up 'resistance'. The air today was far more rough, and yet I handled it with calm confidence.

Ion Ghilescu reports

Saturday: Cloud base 2600m with light SE wind that kept changing direction with altitude.

I flew 65 km in 4 hours, landing on the S edge of Deriah State forest (sw of Mt Caputar National Park.) Getting back took 7 hours via Baan Baa and Gunnedah and involved a lot of good luck and help. The day was shut early by high level cloud, which also softened the thermals a bit after Boggabri gap.

it was very educational to experience in the first 2 hours the wide thermals of 0.5-1 m/s with narrow multiple cores going at >6.5m/s with respective sink mixed in for good measure. The best part was that it felt easy to locate the cores and sometimes avoid them (unlike Tuesday of the same week). Moments of weightlessness and wing wanting to spin in every direction were abundant.

Feeling a lot more confident on Sigma7 after the roller coaster that gave me only one 30% asymmetric collapse and a few strange tips "tucks".....

After the gap, when the high level cloud got thicker, it was high time to remember the textbook thermal sources and triggers that worked like magic for 2 more hours.

A few pilots took the Namoi river route and flew around 70km. Plucky almost made it to Narrabri. ...The day had 100km potential but required fast flying.

Sunday 11 October: OD'ed early that had me and Rasto walk down the mountain in light rain with tiny hail. the wiser pilots did not even drive up.

A day with Students - theory and ground handling.  Enjoying learning a new aspect of my sport.  Having to dissect things that I do instinctively and find ways to share them is a challenge.  I find I am having to slow my thoughts down and practice giving myself pause in order to explain myself clearly.  Not always getting it right.

I am also learning new ways of ground handling (A and D launching and steering) and I found myself teaching others on the run before I had practiced it myself.  I did not do so well in the morning session as I did not understand the process in depth, but by afternoon I asked Godfrey to explain it to me and it was much easier from there.

Weather not good for flying the next few days, so I may spend more time with the Students which is great.  No distractions from fluffy little Cu's!!!

Missing Andreas very much this evening...Learning to deal with this separation better than I have in the past, but still feel his presence when I approach an emotional situation differently.  This influence is improving my flying, although the results are  somewhat schizophrenic at 2000m ASL  :-)  Going with the flow though as having someone to talk things through is helpful at this early stage :-)

Happy Flygirl!!!!!

My Mommy and Daddy have helped me book and pay for my ticket back to Australia!!!!  What great parents I have.

I return to this beautiful country Australia 22 January 2010, to the XC Open World Series in Manilla 30 January and then May through to August to the Dreamtime Kimberly's and deserts where I feel so at peace and in tune with the land.  I would like to live and do volunteer work in an Aboriginal Community, if invited,and learn more about his ancient race, myself and this country.  There is also the Canning Stock Route. People say hitching it is suicidal ... but then they said that about the Tanami Desert too.  The land will show me the way ... of this I am certain.

Life is soooo incredible and being in Australia is where I am meant to be.

13 October

Dust storm blowing through Manilla. High winds, Mt Bora in thick dust haze.

Godfrey away so students at play (indoors) and I am reading up about the aboriginal painting I was given.  I always suspected that there was more to this gifted painting.

WANJINA - creative power manifesting wungud (the essence of all life circulating through the earth, the water and the sky) as an influence of the supreme being Wanjina Guling.

For those looking to read about the XC Open World Series in Araxa, Brazil 10 -17 October 2009, you can go to the official XC Open website by clicking on the xc open logo

I could not make it to this competition, so no Flygirl reports or photo's :-(

Wishing all competitors good flying and big distances!!!

Looking at the registration list, only one female competitor out of 66 pilots has been able to make it - Natalie Bonilla from the US.  Natalie is also webmaster for www.flygirlsinternational.com a website about extreme women in sport.  (and you think I meant women in extreme sport :-)