Media Release

The Western Australian Hang Gliding Championships will begin in the wheat belt town of Wyalkatchem this Sunday.  Up to 50 pilots and support crew are expected to converge on the small country town to do battle in the extreme conditions. 

Despite winning the title 5 times in the last 10 years, defending champion David Wellington has never achieved back-to-back wins.   This year perhaps provides his best opportunity with the absence of several top-ranked pilots. 

Cross country hang gliding is a unique and incredible sport. Hang gliders are towed aloft to a height of 300 metres where they are released from the tow-line. Pilots must then utilise rising thermal currents to gain the altitude needed to race around a predetermined course. 

Courses can be up to 150 kilometres long. Competitors are often airborne for more than 5 hours at a time, reaching altitudes of 3000 metres in cold and turbulent conditions. Flights are timed and verified using data collected by portable GPS units (Global Positioning System) carried by each pilot. 

Despite being at high altitude, pilots often fly within metres of each other in large “gaggles”.  With closing speeds of over 100km/h, intense concentration is required to avoid mid-air collisions. 

The championships are contested over eight days with a new race being run every day. The winner is the highest accumulator of points over the eight rounds.
 

Daily race briefing

Ready to launch

Out on course

At the finish line

 Late finisher