Crossroads Balloon Rally
Hot air balloons, team roping competitions, chicken-fried steak and wine. Those are just some of the attractions planned for the Lamesa, Texas, Crossroads Balloon Rally and Chicken-Fried Steak Festival. Organizers are expecting between 20 and 40 balloonists for the second annual event which will be held April 26-28 in this West Texas community located about 60 miles south of Lubbock. The weekend begins with, of course, a chicken-fried steak dinner on Friday night. Balloon flights are scheduled for sunrise on Saturday and Sunday as pilots soar over the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado on the southern High Plains. Saturday…
World Record Jump Attempt in Arizona
The World Team‘s most astonishing achievement to date is their 400-way jump in Thailand. With 400 skydivers all joining into one free-fall formation, the World Team broke the world record for the largest free-fall formation. Currently, they are in the process of attempting to break yet another world record, only this time, things are a bit more complicated. The World Team is now attempting to break the record for the largest 2-point formation. During the jump, all 222 members have to come together to build a formation, break off, and then build another formation. The timing and accuracy of each…
Beach Blast Cancelled Due to Government Restrictions
April brings disappointing powered paragliding news: Beach Blast, an annual powered paragliding (PPG) event at the Edgewater Resort in Panama City, FL, has been cancelled. Beach Blast was the largest PPG event in the U.S. in 2012, hosting 225 pilots from 14 different countries. John Black, owner of Panama City’s Freedom Flight Center, and the event’s organizer, told the Panama City News Herald the cancellation came on the heels of a proposed city ordinance that will impose new restrictions on take-offs, landings, and flights in the future. Furthermore, the proposed ordinance will require pilots to register with the local police…
The Science of Aerobatic Paragliding
Calin Popa has taken the sport of aerobatic paragliding into levels of precision that it’s never seen before. For years, Calin Popa practiced the difficult moves required to pull off a Rhythmic SAT. He failed time and time again. He realized that what he needed was an instructor that could tell him the precise timing of each move. Failing to find such a teacher, he set out to build one. Popa used his training in civil engineering, and help from software engineer Ovidiu Ban, to build the Voodoo Trimbulind Robot (VTR). The VTR is a portable computer that gathers data, crunches…
USPA Tests New Event in 2013
The United States Parachute Association held its first quarterly meeting last month, and it was perhaps as exciting as that sounds. For those waiting with rapt anticipation on the status of a wingsuit-instructor rating proposal, the bad news is that it wasn’t adopted, but the board is considering other training requirements for first wingsuit flights. On the other hand, amidst the more dry results of the meeting, we were intrigued by a change in 2013′s National Skydiving Championships. Or more accurately an addition; a 2-way vertical formation skydiving test event was approved, and will make its debut at this year’s…
Red Bull X-Alps 2013
The Red Bull X-Alps race is one of the most thrilling and challenging competitions yet devised by man. Most athletes around the globe regard it as THE top adventure out of all of the world’s extreme sports. The event demands superb athleticism, endurance and strength, technical skill, breathtaking courage, outstanding intellect, gut wrenching determination, and the survival instincts of a wolf. The race is a combination of paragliding and mountaineering. The objective is to be the first to arrive in that playground of the wealthy, Monaco. Oh, and by the way you start in Austria, with a route which takes…
World Hang Gliding Championship
On January 17th the 2013 World Hang Gliding Championship held in Forbes, Australia, saw Manfred Ruhmer take first place for men’s hang gliding with a total of 9010 points, winning his fourth world crown. Alessandro Ploner and Fillippo Oppici, both from Italy, finished second (8871) and third (8560), respectively. Ruhmer took first place by a margin of only 139 points over the last year’s world champion, Alessandro Ploner. Ruhmer is noted as one of the most prestigious hang gliders in the world, having won the World Championship three times previously and the European Championship four times. In 2005 he retired…
Former Power Ranger Breaks Skydiving World Record
For most people, skydiving in and of itself is an incredible feat. For one former star of the children’s program, The Power Rangers, jumping wasn’t enough. He combined his talent with mixed martial arts to break a skydiving world record. Jason David Frank got involved in Mixed Martial Arts after he finished his Power Rangers career. After several victories in the ring and being inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame, he was ready for a new challenge. This week, Frank completed a jump over Rosharon, Texas, and while freefalling, broke seven pine boards with his hands. The…
Skydiver Attempts Guinness World Board Breaking Record
Topping the headlines today in skydiving news, David Frank is going to attempt to break as many pine boards while skydiving from 14,000 ft. The current record holder Travis Donley, won the record in 2011 by breaking two during his free fall. David will attempt to break the record at Skydive Spaceland this January while an official Guinness World Record television station will be recording the entire thing in the event he is able to beat the current record, it will be recorded. David said in his interview, he has alot of respect for the sport of MMA and martial…
Hot Events in Chilly January for Hot Air Balloon Lovers
January is cold but the hot air balloon news this month is off with a sizzling start at the Havasu Balloon Festival January 18-21, 2013! This is their third annual event that has become a hot ticket for the new year! It will be highlighted by skydivers, illuminated balloons at night and off course lots of beautiful balloons in the skies during the day! A great family outting to get the new year started! You can find out all the details on this event http://www.havasuballoonfest.com/ . Also hot this month is the Mesquite Hot Air Balloon Festival January 26-27, 2013….
7 New Inductees into the National Sky Diving Hall of Fame
The National Sky Diving Museum in Fredricksburg, Virginia welcomed seven new members to it’s hall of fame last November. The National Sky Diving Hall of fame honored the seven new inductees at a ceremony in Eloy, Arizona at a weekend celebration that took place November 9-11. Among the new inductees are Carl Boenish of California (posthumous); Bob Buquor, also hailing from California (posthumous); Claude Gillard, Australia; Craig Girard of Arizona & Dubai; Dan Poynter of California; and husband and wife Hank Simbro (posthumous) and Muriel Simbro of California. Carl Boenish was considered the Father of modern BASE jumping. In 1978,…
Hudson Hot Air Affair
Balloon pilots are gearing up for the Hudson Hot Air Affair, one of the premiere winter hot air ballooning events. The annual event in Hudson, Wisc., is a ballooning event and winter festival that attracts thousands of visitors to the St. Croix Valley in western Wisconsin. More than 40 balloonists are expected to join the festivities for this year’s event which is set for Feb. 1-3. This year marks the 24th anniversary of the event which started in 1990 under the auspices of the Hudson Area Chamber of Commerce. It is now managed by Hudson Hot Air Affair, Inc., a…
Monarca Nextel Paragliding Open
For the latest in paragliding competitions, we head south of the border. It was good news for American Josh Cohn, as he brought home victory at the Monarca Nextel Paragliding Open last month, January 6th-12th, in Valle de Bravo in Mexico. Josh Cohn, sponsored by Eagle Paragliding and Flytech and using a Niviuk Icepeak glider, took high scores across a series of six tasks, rising to the top in a field of 122 pilots. Cohn won Tasks 4 and 6, and those strong performances, along with consistent high scores overall (he never placed lower than 10th) would be key. At…
USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships Conclude with Eight New Records
The 2012 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships came to a finish on December 31st, just in time for New Year’s celebrations. The winners definitely had a lot to celebrate. Of the eighty-seven competitors, eight new records were set. The 2012 USPA National Collegiate Parachuting Championships wrapped up on the last day of the year in Eloy, Arizona. 14 colleges and universities brought a total of 87 competitors to the small town 65 miles southwest of Phoenix. The Air Force Academy had an extremely strong showing in multiple events. Air Force Legacy set a college record with a 36 point dive…
2012 Indoor Skydiving World Championships – Results and World Records
The very first Indoor Skydiving World Championship was a big success with over 400 skydivers participating from more than 10 countries and a prize packaged valued at over $120,000 USD. The competition was held at the largest indoor skydiving facility in the world at the facilities of iFly Singapore. Fresh off a victory and a gold medal performance at the World Skydiving Championship in Dubai, team Arizona Airspeed‘s momentum continued in the indoor arena with a first place finish over fellow countrymen SDC Rhythm XP who took second. The Canadian team, Evolution, finished in third place at Indoor Skydiving World Championship in Singapore. In the Freefly,…
Forbes Flatlands Preview
The 19th Annual World Hang Gliding Class 1 Championship are going to be taking place in Forbes, New South Wales, Australia in January. The competition, held from January 5 to January 18 will host the world’s top hang glider pilots. Forbes, New South Wales, is growing in popularity as one of the top hang gliding destinations world wide. The region, known for its thermal producing skies and flat terrain, is a place to push boundaries and set records. Due to the lack of mountains or hills to start from, pilots will be towed aloft by ultralight aircraft up into the…
Foundation For Free Flight
The Foundation for Free Flight is an organization that helps promote and conserve the free flight sporting industry in America. The organization was originally founded in 1987 to help support teams competing in hang gliding and paragliding competitions. In 2001 the organization was reorganized to focus on preserving the legacy of free flight sports, educating the public and promote proper safety procedures for its sports enthusiasts. The foundation still supports hang gliding, women’s hang gliding and paragliding competitions. The entire Foundation for Free Flight staff is composed of volunteers that love the sport. The Board of Trustees, officers and executive…
Florida Bill Intends to Strengthen Parasailing Safety
During the summer months the beaches in Florida are lined with adventure seeking tourist looking for a bird’s eye view from a parasail. Little do they know that their adventure is widely unregulated in Florida with minimal government oversight to ensure their safety. Currently, the FAA only regulates the air space the parasailing activities use. The Coast Guard regulates the boats and by requiring that a license be onboard allowing it to carry passengers for hire. Other than seeing the parasail doesn’t run into an airplane or that the boat floats, the goverment doesn’t have any compelling safety requirements. Seeing that this oversight…
Taiwan Looking to US to Train Pilots
Many residents of the United States and Canada are familiar with hot air balloon festivals. There is nothing like watching a sea of colorful balloons filling up in the cool of the early morning, listening to the whoosh of the burner, and watching the balloons take flight to decorate the sky. It is unusual to hear hot air balloon news from the country of Taiwan though, because there are only two legal balloons in the entire country, both of them owned by the county of Taitung. Taiwan is just catching on to this beautiful sport, and they are looking to…
Monument Valley Balloon Event
Hot air balloonists will kick off the New Year in style with the Monument Valley Balloon Event. The 3rd annual festival is being promoted by the Navajo Parks and Recreation organization. Festival activities begin on Jan. 11 and conclude on Jan. 13. The event calls for morning launches on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 8 and 10:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday schedules wrap up with a balloon glow in the evening. The event concludes with a Sunday morning launch between 8 and 10:30. Monument Valley is a sacred site for the Navajo people and one of the most iconic of…
