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Event info

The 15th Annual Big Spring Nationals site of the 2007 World Hang Gliding Championship, the finest cross country hang gliding competition site in the US. Big Tasks (world records), smooth thermals, unrestricted landing areas, easy retrieval on multiple roads, consistent cumulus development at 1 PM, air conditioned head quarters, hanger for setup, free water and ice cream, welcome and awards dinner, live tracking, many drivers available, strong safety record, highest pilot satisfaction rating.

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Flying site

Big Spring, one of the best cross country hang gliding competition flying sites in the world, is located in the Texas panhandle, USA. We usually fly big distances every day at Big Spring so be prepared physically.

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Prize funds and scoring categories

  • Open Class
  • Sport Class
  • Rigid Class

Event info

The 15th Annual Big Spring Nationals site of the 2007 World Hang Gliding Championship, the finest cross country hang gliding competition site in the US. Big Tasks (world records), smooth thermals, unrestricted landing areas, easy retrieval on multiple roads, consistent cumulus development at 1 PM, air conditioned head quarters, hanger for setup, free water and ice cream, welcome and awards dinner, live tracking, many drivers available, strong safety record, highest pilot satisfaction rating.
Also easy airport access to Midland-Odessa airport, inexpensive accommodations, plentiful infrastructure (restaurants), great community support, superb meet director.

To register you must follow the steps here and at the event's web site on the "Oz Report".

Flying site

Big Spring, one of the best cross country hang gliding competition flying sites in the world, is located in the Texas panhandle, USA. We usually fly big distances every day at Big Spring so be prepared physically. This is not Europe.

Big Spring, the county seat of Howard County, is at the "crossroads" of Interstate Highway 20, U.S. Highway 87, State Highway 350, Farm Road 700, and the Missouri Pacific line. The City is in a rocky gorge where the northern limit of the Edwards Plateau and the southern most hills of the Caprock converge. It is named for the "big spring" in Sulphur Draw, a historical watering place for coyotes, wolves, and herds of buffalo, antelope, and mustangs.

The McMahon Wrinkle Airport, formerly Webb AFB, has a ten thousand foot main runway and additional taxis ways.

The region consists of 904 square miles with a population density of 37.20 residents per square mile compared to a statewide density of 79.54. Howard County and Big Spring are located in an area where three ecological regions merge. To the north and east are the western Rolling Plains; to the south is the Edwards Plateau; and to the west are the southern High Plains (also known as the Llano Estacado or the Staked Plains).
When we are there in August it is normally dry although there are occasional thunderstorms. The prevailing winds are out of the south, but August winds are normally calmer than other summer months. Cumulus clouds appears almost every day at about noon.

We only fly at Big Spring during the competition in early August. Cloudbase varies from 7,000’ MSL to 12,000’. Elevation at Big Spring is 2,500’. Thermals are normally 300 to 600 fpm (your climb rate), although they can be 900 – 1000 fpm. The prevailing wind is south, but we come for the light winds and hope to do mostly closed tasks.
The inversion breaks around noon and we don’t start launching until we see the cu’s forming. Thermal activity lasts through 7 PM. We’ll normally start the tasks at 2 PM.

The reason why Big Spring is often called the best cross country hang gliding competition flying site in the world is proven by several record made there. For Example:

The longest task ever called and made in a competition was flown there with five pilots making goal – 215 miles (346 km).

The 100 km out and return world record rigid wing: http://www.fai.org/fai-record-file/?recordId=7858
Type of record: Speed over an out-and-return course of 100 km
Performance: 51.42 km/h
Date: 2003-08-02
Course/Location: Big Spring, TX (USA)
Claimant Davis Straub (USA)
Hang glider: AIR Atos C


Take off - 2,573 feet ASL - 32°13'5.93"N, 101°31'32.42"W
Winds: Southerly 5 – 15 mph
It is located on the town airfield.
Take off method: Dragonfly aerotow. 1 pilot at a time.
Precautions: Stay west of the main runway. Don’t fly low over any of the prisons.

Landing - 2,500 feet ASL
There are plenty of places for landing in the area. Cotton fields, peanut fields, open plowed fields, grass and bushes in uncultivated areas. The towns are very spread out.

See flying site videos:
The 2007 Worlds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9IapewHfEY

Spot Landings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFyDADuSLeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUfMbbhYPpk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KITzUrOTi_o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX0RYTUybGk

Selection and entry fee

Fifty slots available. Sign up and pay early to reserve a spot.
Entry fee $300 - $450
Flex wing, Sport Class, and Rigid wing classes.
After the registration please follow your status on Pilots' page.
Here is the list of statuses and conditions:
Waiting list – Registered and not yet received signed waivers and medical forms nor payment.
Waiting for payment – Registered and received signed waivers and medical form but not payment.
In progress – Registered and received payment but not signed waivers and medical form.
Confirmed – Registered and received signed waiver and medical form and payment.
If your pilot status is Waiting list that means we have not received your waivers and medical form and payment.

If Waiting for Payment, we have received waivers and medical form, but not payment.

If In Progress, we have received payment but not waivers and medical form.

If confirmed, all three steps have been completed.

See how to pay here: http://ozreport.com/2016BigSpringNationals.php

Prize fund and scoring categories

Over the last three years we have provided trophies/prizes and cash prizes for class 1 open, sport class, and women's. The amount of prize money depends on the number of entries (little sponsorship money) and in open it goes down to fifth place. Daily prizes are given out from the sponsors.

General schedule

Official Practice Day, Saturday August 6th - Schedule of Events

In order to fly you must have completed check-in with Belinda Boulter in person and paid Lori Brown for your tows.

Check-in 10 am to noon, 1 pm to 4 pm, airport terminal

Launch open for practice flights 1 pm to 2 pm, 4 pm to 5 pm

Welcome Dinner, hosted by the Big Spring Convention and Visitors Bureau 7:30 pm, Dora Roberts Center, Comanche Lake Park

The competition ends on the 13th. I add an extra day to take care of a bug in Live Tracking.

Daily schedule

Pilot briefing first day - 10 AM
Pilot briefing subsequent days - 11 AM
Launch normally open between noon and 1 o'clock
Start window normally 2 PM

In 2015 launch open and start were often later.

Accommodation and Activities

Accommodations: http://ozreport.com/accommodations.php

Spot landing contest: http://ozreport.com/spot.php

How to get here

Big Spring is in central Texas on the south end of the panhandle. The airport is on the west side of town. Go to the airport terminal.

Big Spring, TX 79720, USA
Big Spring, Texas United States

Plane

The nearest international airport is in Dallas.

Downloads

Waypoint files

Organizers

Belinda Boulter
Meet Director/Meet Organizer

Contacts

Socials

Confirmed
Selected
Registered
# Name Nation Sponsor Glider Status
Women
,
Men
,
# Name Sponsor Glider
Class
Status
,
Category Tagline Participant Email Phone Description Price
Please sign in and register before posting your own classifieds.

Tasks and results

Task 1

07 Aug, 2016

Class 1 Sport — 74.0 km — Race to goal

Replay:
Task results:
Comp. results:
Tracks:

Task 1

07 Aug, 2016

Class 1 — 123.1 km — Race to goal

Replay:
Task results:
Comp. results:
Tracks:

Task 2

08 Aug, 2016

Class 1 — 116.2 km — Race to goal

Replay:
Task results:
Comp. results:
Tracks:

Task 2

08 Aug, 2016

Class 1 Sport — 86.2 km — Race to goal

Replay:
Task results:
Comp. results:
Tracks:

Task 3

11 Aug, 2016

Class 1 — 192.2 km — Race to goal

Replay:
Task results:
Comp. results:
Tracks:

Task 3

11 Aug, 2016

Class 1 Sport — 155.6 km — Race to goal

Replay:
Task results:
Comp. results:
Tracks:
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