Another year of the LUFTMAN endurance paragliding race took place at Javorové this year. A total of 24 pilots entered the race, competing not only with each other, but above all with themselves - with their own endurance, concentration and ability to read the conditions.
The competition was held in three categories:
ROOKIES – for pilots with one to two years since obtaining their license
MASTER – open category for all pilots without restrictions on glider type
COOL BULL – special category for paragliding instructors with a valid license
In addition to the main discipline, i.e. the longest possible flight ending with a landing on a designated area, a special XC BONUS was also newly announced this year.
It also evaluated the value of the flight from a Cross Country perspective – there was a competition for the flight with the highest points value according to the ČPP rules, with the important condition that the flight being evaluated must
to end at a predetermined landing spot, just like the other competitors' aunts. This element added an additional strategic dimension to the race and motivated the pilots to perform more daringly.
We had to postpone the original race date due to weather, and it turned out to be the right decision. The day of the event had great flying conditions – unstable air and functional thermals allowed the pilots to gain altitude and work with mountainous terrain as well as flying on the plains.
The best were able to take full advantage of the conditions – after the start, they systematically climbed the climbs and then headed along the ridge towards Prašiva and beyond.
In the MASTER category, Petr Žižák dominated with a flight time of 6 hours and 21 minutes, a feat that requires not only good tactics but also physical and mental endurance. Second place was taken by David Šťastný (3:46) and third by Philipp Miotti (2:50).
In the ROOKIE category, Jiří Vanda won (2:22), followed by Tomasz Bednarz (1:32) and Václav Chadim (1:22). It was clear that even less experienced pilots, in this case pilots with a maximum of two years of experience, can fly interesting flights with their tactics and patience.
The most interesting performance in terms of points, evaluated by XC BONUS, was flown by David Šťastný (76, 86 points) and he rightfully won the main prize in this category – an RSQ 110 reserve parachute from El Speedo.
The COOL BULL instructor category offered a glimpse of an “active paragliding instructor” in action – outside of their normal role. Michal Krasňan won (3:19), Vít Malý came in second (2:10) and Roman Míča took third place (1:54), all from the home training center El Speedo.
In the future, we would like to see more instructors from other schools participate in this category and come to compete in friendly but fair competition. This would create an even more interesting comparison across the instructor community and greater motivation for all pilots. What we were missing a bit this year was a separate women's category. Even though only two female pilots participated in the race, we believe that female participation has great potential - and next year we will also want to open this category. Women belong in the air and deserve their place and awards.
The race was held in a relaxed atmosphere. And because it was really cold, we spent the evenings mainly by the fire, where, as always, we discussed flying, equipment, and stories from life.
And we must not forget Dalibor's great shashlik from the "cows" that graze under Javorový and watch the parachutes and everything that happens in the air above them. So it's actually a win-win event - for the pilots and local farmers. LUFTMAN thus confirmed that in addition to the performances themselves, it is important for the pilots to work together
time spent and shared joy of flying. And we also thank the city of Třinec and the Paragliding Association for supporting the race.
PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/Odstoupeni_od_smlouvy_EN.pdf?v=1595420299" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">HERE</a>
RESULTS <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/Odstoupeni_od_smlouvy_EN.pdf?v=1595420299" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">HERE</a>
Author of the article: Blanka Smékalová from Flight park El Speedo