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 17th FAI World Hang Gliding Championship 2009, Laragne-Chabre, France takes place from 19th June to 4th July, 2009. 

 

• The mandatory Test Event for the Championship took place from 24th June to 4th July, 2008.  The 2008 Chabre Hang Gliding Pre-worlds was deemed a great success. 

• The World Championship is held under the auspices of the Fédération Aéronautique International (FAI), the airsports equivalent of the International Olympic Committee.  The FAI establishes the rules and regulations for competitions and records, and confers medals and diplomas.  It operates through its various airsport commissions; for Hang Gliding, this is the Commission International de Vol Libre.

 

• 130 pilots from some 30 countries will compete in 2009.  Each national team, comprising between 4 and 6 of the country’s top pilots, will participate, accompanied by team leader, coach and supporters.

• The event starts with an official practice day (20th June), an opening ceremony (21st June) and up to 12 competition days, followed by a closing ceremony (4th July).  The FAI gold, silver and bronze medals, plus diplomas are awarded to the individual and team winners. 

 

• Each competition day the pilots are transported from Laragne town centre to the take-off.  A course is set, depending on weather conditions, which may be in excess of 200km, taking in a number of ‘turnpoints’, and specifying a ‘goal’ landing field.  Courses may be a straight distance to a remote goal or more usually an out and return via turnpoints.

• At the end of each day’s task, pilots submit their GPS tracklogs to the scorers.  Points are awarded for speed and distance around the course.  The competition is won by the pilot and team scoring the highest cumulative score.  Consistency is essential and the key to success.

 

• Scores will be posted at the Laragne town centre headquarters each day.  Photographs, task reports and pilot reports will be posted on the website daily, and video footage will be available during and after the event.

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.

• The 17th FAI World Hang Gliding Championships will take place from 19th June to the 4th July 2009 at Laragne, in the Hautes-Alpes department of south east France. 

 

• 130 pilots from at least 30 countries are expected to compete.  Each national team, comprising the country’s top pilots, will participate, accompanied by team leader, coach and supporters.  FAI gold, silver and bronze medals and diplomas are awarded.

• Prior to the World Championships in 2009, a test event was held, providing an opportunity for the organisers to demonstrate that the site and the organisation are up to the FAI’s exacting standards for Category 1 events. 

 

• The steward of the FAI who attended the 2008 Pre-worlds reported that the event was exceptionally well run, meeting FAI requirements. A number of minor recommendations were made to improve the event further for 2009.

• This World Championship event provides an excellent opportunity for the local region to further enhance its deserved reputation as a superb location for the practice of a wide range of airsports and tourism, as well as providing commercial benefits both directly and indirectly. 

 

• Located in the Hautes-Alpes department of south east France, Laragne-Chabre ridge is an exceptional flying site with a unique aerology and excellent climate.

• The competition will be complemented by a programme of social events for pilots and the public.  An extensive media campaign will promote both the sport and the area.

 

• The organising group, Chabre 2009, has been created as a cooperation between the Fédération Française de Vol Libre (FFVL), the local hang gliding and paragliding clubs, and the local authorities, to run and finance the events.  

 

 

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.   

• Located in the Hautes-Alpes department, above the village of Chateauneuf de Chabre, this 18km ridge overlooks the town of Laragne-Montéglin, the beautiful Gorges de Méouge and the Buech and Durance valleys.

 

• The Chabre ridge features both north and south facing take offs.  While the dominant wind direction is northerly, diurnal evolution, valley breezes and strong, reliable thermal activity, generally create a southerly flow up the hill.

• The launch area is easily accessible by car, with parking and toilets close to the summit.  Official landing fields are located at Laragne-Montéglin, Ribiers and Barret sur Méouge.

 

• The valleys of the Buech and Durance are wider, and less prone to strong valley winds than the higher Alps. This provides safer outlandings, while good interconnecting roads aid the retrieval of pilots.  

• Chabre has a great reputation as a competition and record-setting site.  Long distance, out and return and triangular flights, often beyond 250km have been made from here. The French Hang gliding triangle distance record held by Gil Souviron was set here in 2007. After launching from Chabre, he flew 275km over Mont Ventoux, to Dormillouse, then to Grenoble before returning to land at Laragne.  Local pilot, Alain Chauvet holds the site out and return record of 230 km.

 

• Laragne-Chabre has, over the years, become a favourite  site for national and international competitions.  In recent years it has hosted:

• the European Hang Gliding Championship in 1994,
• the French Hang Gliding Championships in 2000, 2003 and 2006
• several Belgian, Dutch, British and Danish national championships

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.

• The event will encourage more pilots to visit Laragne-Chabre and the surrounding area, not only this year and next, but every year; not only for competitions, but for flying and family holidays throughout the season.  

 

• A local initiative, Excell’Air, is promoting the wide range of aerial sports available in the region, incorporating a major programme to gather and disseminate information, and help promote local flying sites, aerodromes and other facilities for air sports.  

• The FAI World Hang Gliding Championships at Laragne and the FAI World Air Games in Turin, will be held within weeks of each other in 2009, geographically split by the southern Alps.  These major events are focal points of the cross-border Excell’Air project.

 

• The organisers of the World Championships have planned a major communication campaign, in English and French, aimed at local, national and international press.  Primary targets are newspapers, magazines (specialist, sports and mainstream), radio, TV and the internet. 

• An awareness campaign is planned for local schools to include discussions on the theory of flight, weather, plus practical sessions on kite building and flying.  Building on a similar initiative last year, this education campaign, part of the FFVL’s Educ’en-ciel programme, will be run in partnership with local educators.  The aim is to bring a real ‘air culture’ to young people and to encourage some of them, at least, to take up aerial sports.  

 

• Film cameramen will follow the competition during 2009, providing not only a great souvenir for the participating pilot, but equally, a demonstration of the fantastic visual opportunity provided by this sport. Daily footage will be available for broadcast by local, specialist sports and international TV channels.  The region will benefit from a film showing, literally, a bird’s eye view of the beautiful countryside, to help promote the area.

Providing interest for the general public are: opening and closing ceremonies with a parade of all pilots and their national flags, musical evenings, exhibitions and flying oriented decorations around the town, and a Fête de l’Air & Sports during the middle weekend (27th & 28th June) of the event.  

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.

• 130 pilots from at least 30 countries are expected to compete. Each team will be accompanied by a trainer, coach and supporters.

 

• Typically, the event takes place over two weeks, with training days, official practice day, opening ceremony, 12 competition days and a closing ceremony with prize giving, to present the FAI gold, silver and bronze medals to the individual and team winners. 

• Safety is of the utmost importance.  A Safety Director is appointed to coordinate information from meteorologists, expert staff and pilots observing the weather conditions developing during the afternoon, at launch and along the length of the course.

 

• A system of hooks and cables has been installed on the summit of Chabre, to attach the hang gliders while pilots are setting up and waiting to launch.  A large team of assistants will be present on launch to help both pilots and organisers.

• A fully qualified and equipped medical team will be on launch each day, with access to local helicopter and rescue services as required.  

 

• The task for the day is decided each morning, and is highly dependent on the weather conditions, especially wind speed and direction.  Courses can vary between 40km and more than 200km; and can be out and return, triangles via several turnpoints, or simply a race to a distant goal field.

• The headquarters facility will be based at the Salle des Fêtes in Laragne-Montéglin town centre.  Equipped with computers, printers, WiFi, office equipment, noticeboards, briefing room and pilot lounge, the area will provide a central location for pilots, press, officials and organisers. 

 

• The event website, www.chabre2009.com is in English and French, and features a wide range of information about the competition, including pilot registration, rules, photos and video clips.  It will be updated daily with results and reports during the competition.