Final Flights and Thoughts in the US of A
After the WCPC, I hung around Woodrat for one more day. Unfortunately conditions were surprisingly average, so I was a driver instead of a flyer. I didn't mind at all - I clocked my fair share of airtime during the previous week.
My boyfriend flew down to Medford and we had a couple of days to make our way back to Vancouver. We drove to Pacific City on the Oregon coast and looked for some of the nearby flying sites.
We found Oceanside without a problem, although the wind was very light, swirling, and mostly blowing down. I had a couple failed launch attempts - I guess I'm just not very good at downwind launches! My boyfriend took my small glider and managed to run it off the hill for an epic sleddie! It was fun watching somebody else fly my wing - now I know what it looks like in the air, and damn, it looks good!!!
We then drove back to Gammonds Launch/Cape Lookout as the wind had a northerly component to it. Again, the winds were light, so I only had a sleddie, but it was fun! Very beautiful to fly next to the coast and then land on a beach, if only for a minute.
That concluded our flights in the US but they were short and sweet.
I don't have any plans at this point to attend any other meets or competitions although I am eyeing Golden and plan to make an appearance out there sometime in July. I would also like to do some flying out in Pemberton, or "mini-Golden" as they call it.
Although the last day of the WCPC gave us good weather and it was fun and challenging to make my way towards Goal, I'm still a bit put off by the whole competition experience. I'm sure I'll do another FAI comp at some point, but I'm not seeking any out right now...I'm just not that of an emotionally mature pilot. I still get angry, upset, frustrated, etc. when I fly against other pilots, and although I've improved in that area, I still take things too much to heart. I'm sure that as my total paragliding airtime continues to tick upwards, my attitude will change.
Until then I need to focus on flying better against one person, and that person is me.
My boyfriend flew down to Medford and we had a couple of days to make our way back to Vancouver. We drove to Pacific City on the Oregon coast and looked for some of the nearby flying sites.
We found Oceanside without a problem, although the wind was very light, swirling, and mostly blowing down. I had a couple failed launch attempts - I guess I'm just not very good at downwind launches! My boyfriend took my small glider and managed to run it off the hill for an epic sleddie! It was fun watching somebody else fly my wing - now I know what it looks like in the air, and damn, it looks good!!!
We then drove back to Gammonds Launch/Cape Lookout as the wind had a northerly component to it. Again, the winds were light, so I only had a sleddie, but it was fun! Very beautiful to fly next to the coast and then land on a beach, if only for a minute.
That concluded our flights in the US but they were short and sweet.
I don't have any plans at this point to attend any other meets or competitions although I am eyeing Golden and plan to make an appearance out there sometime in July. I would also like to do some flying out in Pemberton, or "mini-Golden" as they call it.
Although the last day of the WCPC gave us good weather and it was fun and challenging to make my way towards Goal, I'm still a bit put off by the whole competition experience. I'm sure I'll do another FAI comp at some point, but I'm not seeking any out right now...I'm just not that of an emotionally mature pilot. I still get angry, upset, frustrated, etc. when I fly against other pilots, and although I've improved in that area, I still take things too much to heart. I'm sure that as my total paragliding airtime continues to tick upwards, my attitude will change.
Until then I need to focus on flying better against one person, and that person is me.
posted by Veronica at 10:39 PM
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