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December 20, 2007
Gliding Grand Prix in New Zealand
It's an obscure sport, it seems. In New Zealand, 18 top-notch glider pilots have just finished their second day of a week of races, trying to be the fastest to get around tasks as long as 280 kilometers, driven by the power of thermals and wind alone. Their flying machines are highly-optimized, slick, well-polished planes with enormous, long but narrow wings. It's a fascinating story to follow, not just for the small-time "hobbiest" glider pilot.
With this Gliding Grand Prix, the competition is moving towards an event that is internationally visible, with pretty pictures and fascinating live coverage. Having installed video cameras and tracking devices in the gliders, a (rather hypothetical) TV audience can follow every move. The event is broadcast live on AirsportsLive, with a free low-quality version and better, more costly videos. Unfortunately I couldn't make the videos work on my standard Mac computers. I guess this Grand Prix is more a test case for the media coverage of a gliding event, and the website simply needs (a lot more) work.
Thankfully, US pilot Tim McAllister gives a first-hand account of the race on his blog. He managed to beat World Champion Sebastian Kawa (Poland) on one day (happens!). Watch that space!
Posted by dr at December 20, 2007 11:36 AM