Weekend Update -

It was an exciting weekend starting with Friday's USHPA Competition Committee meeting.

I entered into a new world of hang gliding where there seems to be much history of ill feelings towards others within the competition community which is unfortunate and puts a bad taste in my mouth as a new comp pilot. Unfortunately, this history seems to affect the attitude and judgment of those involved to where they can not view the situation objectively and the comp pilots are the ones that suffer. I'm glad I went and I learned a lot, but it's not what I had expected. I would write more but I'm afraid a post like that would just perpetuate the negative impact the internet may have contributed to the current situation.

Saturday I flew for about 2 hours, got 2,400' over launch and had a good time. I was heading to the point when I heard fireworks, then I noticed little orange disks flying off the bluff. It wasn't fireworks, but someone shooting skeet off of the bluff that I was only 200' over! I turned around because I didn't want to get shot on the way back if I was lower. Living in North Georgia keeps you on your toes! Many people flew that day, once I landed at 6pm, there were still about a dozen gliders in the air. That night was the Halloween party and an experienced tandem guy, Mike Labato, won as a one-night stand. All of the pictures Ray took are at: http://photos.visioncomm.net/index.cfm?Lib=37

I've finished a video that I will post for a video contest soon, maybe tomorrow.