Press Welcome! If you are unable to visit us in person, then you can keep up to speed through this website. Each day’s task will be posted on the website, with updates made throughout the day, reporting on progress. The blog site will feature lively coverage of the day’s events, with photos, video clips, plus quotes and interviews with pilots, team leaders and organisers. Please contact us on: worlds@chabre2009.com
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Interviews and Articles Interview with Atilla Bertok (World Champion) Hang Gliding Questions and Answers Press Releases: France proves to be World Class host for Pilot Profiles (Photos and Profiles go HERE ) |
Press Backgrounder (March 2009) Download PDF HERE Press Accreditation Download HERE |
THE EVENTS – AT A GLANCE
The objective of the FAI World Hang Gliding Championship is to determine the world champion pilot and the world’s best nation hang gliding team through a safe, fair and satisfying flying contest.
THE WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS HANG GLIDING EVENT COMES TO LARAGNE-CHABRE, FRANCE
The FAI World Hang Gliding Championships takes place every two years. In 2007, Texas, USA hosted the event, in 2005 it was in Hay, Australia, and in 2003, in Brazil.
Now it is Europe’s turn to show the world’s best pilots that France has a world-class site, and is capable of organising this World Championship event.
LA MONTAGNE DE CHABRE :
AN EXCEPTIONAL SITE FOR HANG GLIDING & PARAGLIDING
Overlooking beautiful countryside, the Chabre ridge already enjoys an excellent reputation among the hang gliding and paragliding community. An average of 300 sunny days a year, a unique aerology and climate, combined with its proximity to the southern end of the Alps, makes Chabre an exceptional flying site, and the whole region is ideal for free flyers.
In 2008 Chabre hosted the national hang gliding championships of the UK, Holland and Belgium as well as a number of paragliding competitions
DEVELOPING THE SPORT, TOURISM AND ENHANCING THE WORLD REPUTATION OF THE SITE
The impact of this major event will be considerable both for the reputation of hang gliding in France, and the reputation of the site worldwide. There is huge potential to expand the tourism in the area based on aerial sports.
A FIRST CLASS COMPETITION
The 17th FAI World Hang gliding Championships is a Category 1 event, taking place from:
19th June to 4th July 2009.
Good for the local economy and an excellent legacy for the area
Running these top-level, international competitions at Laragne-Chabre will bring substantial direct and indirect commercial benefits to the area and leave a valuable legacy for locals and visiting pilots.
Hang gliding, Paragliding & Vol Libre
Vol Libre, or Free Flying, perfectly describes these amazing aerial sports that requires no engine or motor, depending solely on wind, air currents and natural thermic activity. Pilots can launch unaided from hill tops, fly for hours, over hundreds of kilometres and land where they choose. With no noise, no engine and no pollution, this is truly an eco-friendly sport, requiring no specific infrastructure, just access to a suitable take off.
Hang gliders feature an A-frame with a light weight, fixed-wing structure above. The pilot is suspended from this structure in a prone position. The pilot shifts his weight using the base bar of the A-frame to control air speed and turn direction. There’s no closer way to truly fly like a bird.
Paragliders have developed from parachutes and comprise a flexible canopy with long suspension lines connected to a seat-style harness for the pilot. The entire aircraft weighs less than 20Kg and packs up into a rucksack, providing a much greater range of launch site options.
Hang gliding and paragliding are adventure sports and while sometimes regarded as ‘extreme’ need not necessarily be so. Training is essential, and experience counts highly in minimising risk. Hang gliding is more ‘physical’ than paragliding, and both require high levels of mental concentration.
Weather is a major factor in hang gliding and paragliding. The choice of launch site is dependent on the wind direction. Hang gliders can launch in wind speeds up to about 40km/hour. Paragliders are more limited to wind speeds less than 30km/hour.
Weather-watching is a full time activity for pilots, both before and during their flight, as the weather can change rapidly, especially in mountain areas, with possible storm developments and increasing winds in the afternoon.
Hang gliding and paragliding activities are generally governed by the national aviation authority, and pilots are generally required to hold a qualification and licence. Learning to fly hang gliders and paragliders requires several stages of training which should be undertaken with a school qualified by the national federation. Training covers three basic disciplines: theory of flight, meteorology and air law.
Hang gliders and paragliders can be self-launched from hills or mountains, into air currents which may be a ‘dynamic’ steady breeze enabling soaring along a ridge or a coastal cliff, for example. In addition, thermals, essentially pockets of rising air, can be used by the skilled pilot to gain altitude. Evenutally, the pilot can leave the launch site to fly ‘cross-country’, seeking further thermals to regain altitude and extend the flight.
Paragliders and hang gliders can also be launched by winch or aerotow from an airfield. Some of the greatest distances have been achieved over the ‘flat lands’ of the US, Australia and South Africa utilising this launch method.
The first hang gliders were built over 100 years ago, but only developed into leisure aircraft in the 1960s. Technology and design improvements have brought today’s light weight and more aerodynamic structures. Competition level gliders today fly at speeds over 100km/hour in still air, with a glide ratio of 16:1. The world record distance flight is now 700km.
Hang gliders have developed into three classes: Class 1 –Flexwing (pictured), Class 2 – Swift or ultra light sailplane, Class 5 – Rigid wing (with carbon fibre leading edge). The World Hang Gliding Championships taking place at Laragne, France in 2009 are for Class 1 flexwing Hang gliders.
Paragliders, developed from ‘ram-air’ parachutes, became popular in the mid to late 1970s. Tremendous progress has been made in recent years in terms of design, materials and fabrication, to improve their performance. Glide ratios are now up to 10:1, and the top speed of competition level gliders is approaching 65km. Stability has also been improved greatly, and most manufacturers have a range of wings, suitable for beginner, recreational and competition pilots.
Contacts
Organisers & Local Club contacts :
Organisation Director :
David OWEN - Tel : + 33 492 62 20 53 Email : worlds@chabre2009.com
Communication, Press, Administration :
Louise JOSELYN – Tel : +33 492 66 25 30 Email : worlds@chabre2009.com
Education & Awareness, Launch Director :
Bernard KURTZ – Tel : +33 492 66 46 22
French Federation de Vol Libre (FFVL) :
Web Sites : http://federation.ffvl.fr/ or http://delta.ffvl.fr/
President Comité National de Delta (CND), FFVL :
Cédric Estienne – Email : c.estienne@ffvl.fr
Cadre Technique FFVL :
Jean-Jacques DOUSSET – Tel : +33 622 77 86 12 Email : jj.dousset@free.fr
Local authorities & tourism :
Web Site : www.laragne.net & www.ot-laragne.com
Communauté de Communes de Ribiers Val de Méouge :
Francine CARRETERO (technicien) – Tel : +33 492 63 20 81
Communauté de Laragne :
David MARCELLO (technicien) – Tel : +33 492 65 11 90
Fédération Aéronautique International (FAI)
www.fai.org
Commission International de Vol Libre (CIVL)
www.fai.org/hang_gliding/
Competition Contacts :
David OWEN – Tel: + 33 492 62 20 53 - Email: worlds@chabre2009.com
Bernard KURTZ – Tel : +33 492 66 46 22
Press Contacts:
Louise JOSELYN – Tel: +33 492 66 25 30 - Email : worlds@chabre2009.com
Chantal BREMOND-MARTIN – Tel: + 33 492 65 09 38 – Email : ot.laragne@gmail.com
Brigitte Tel : +33
Tourism & accommodation contact:
Chantal BREMOND-MARTIN – Tel: + 33 492 65 09 38 – Email : ot.laragne@gmail.com