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Event info

The Flytec Race & Rally is back! We will follow the Quest Air Open, starting at Quest and flying (hopefully) north toward some of our favorite airfields in Georgia and South Carolina including Moultrie, Americus and Vidalia.

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Flying site

Wilotree Park (Sheets airfield) is located one mile south of Groveland in Florida, United States. Groveland itself is situated in Lake County, in the center of the state. The surrounding area is dominated by pasture lands intermixed with treed swamps and some residential areas.

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  • 100 Pilots max allowed
  • 7 Countries presented
  • 🏆 FAI Status = CAT 2 🏅
  • left before start of event

Event info

The Flytec Race & Rally is back! We will follow the Quest Air Open, starting at Quest and flying (hopefully) north toward some of our favorite airfields in Georgia and South Carolina including Moultrie, Americus and Vidalia. Late spring in the southeast generally brings southerly winds driving us toward the north and we plan on aggressive tasks between 80-200km each day. We have arranged to have goal and tow out of dozens of beautiful small airfields as well as a whole fleet of Dragonflies following pilots on course each day and then towing them all up again the following day. If you missed out on our last Rally in 2012, now’s your chance to come join the traveling flying circus once again.

Flying site

Wilotree Park (Sheets airfield) is located one mile south of Groveland in Florida, United States. Groveland itself is situated in Lake County, in the center of the state. The surrounding area is dominated by pasture lands intermixed with treed swamps and some residential areas. Flatlands at about 100 ft MSL.

The airfield is a grass runway field with north/south and east/west runways. One can easily find it on the east side of State Hwy 33 two miles south of the intersection with state highway 50.

The field is surrounded by trees. Plenty of extra landings areas in all directions off the runway especially to the north. Take-off and landing will be in generally the same location, whatever is appropriate for the winds at that time.

Paradise Airsports is a year-round hang gliding flight park located at Wilotree Park.

The flying season is best in April and May or September and October. Quite flyable in summer, but rain in the afternoon. Some flying from November through March.

Average weather forecast for May: Low 65 degrees, high 89 degrees, rain: 3.1 inches. Software edged thermals, 300 – 500 fpm. Spaced a few miles apart. Cloud base from 3,000’ to 8,000’. Average around 4,000’ – 5,000’. Wind direction varies considerably.

The record distance made from Wilotree Park 283 miles, the East coast record, held jointly by Jonny Durand, Jr and Dustin Martin. First 200+ mile flight on the east coast was made by Davis Straub, 212 miles. Numerous 100+ mile flights to the north and south are made there, for example, 125 miles to the Florida Ridge flight park.

Take off Wilotree field
GPS (Degrees): Lat: 28° 31' 58.320'', Lng: -81° 50' 48.180''

East/west runway: Length: 1780 ft, Width: 155 ft
North/south runway: Length: 2000 ft, Width: 115 ft
Launch method: Dragonfly aerotowing.

Selection and entry fee

We accept bids, not entry fee!
Here is the deal: We accept “bids” by email (to naughtylawyer@gmail.com) from now until the end of February. The minimum bid is $250. The average cost of an entry into the competitions is about $300, so if your bid is the lowest, you could save $50 and help the boys out in Mexico. I don’t have many bids yet and your chances are good to win of the entries, so hurry up and send in your bid. Make sure you specify which competition entry you’re bidding on. The highest bid for each of the competitions wins one entry into that comp. If your bid is the winner, you donate your winning bid price to the team via the USHPA website at http://ushpa.aero/donation_usteam_form.asp and The Foundation for Freeflight will match your donation. So, if your winning bid is $289, the team gets $578 – everyone wins!!

Skill requirements
USHPA Advanced (H4), XC, TURB, AT or foreign equivalent. Pilots must have previously flown in a USHPA aerotow competition or have written approval (acquired prior to registering) from the meet director. Pilots must have successfully aerotowed their glider model in competition conditions at least 10 times. USHPA advanced rating (H4) and USHPA membership with aerotow sign-off required minimum 7 days prior to the start of the meet. The meet director/safety director reserves the right to remove (without refund) any pilot who does not demonstrate the appropriate aerotowing skill.

Membership requirements
U.S. pilots must be full members of the USHPA for insurance purposes. International pilots may obtain temporary membership (appropriate membership forms will be available at meet headquarters during check-in).

Prize fund and scoring categories

There will be prizes for each class - 1, 5 and Sport

General schedule

May 17, 2015 Training day
May 18-23 - Competition flying days.
May 18, 2015 Prize giving and closing ceremony.

Daily schedule

08:00 - Provisional results of previous day
08:00 - 09:00 Meet Director / Task and Safety Committee meetings
09:00 - 10:00 Pilots' briefing / Previous task official results / Task definition
Noon: Ordered launch and task
16:30 - Scoring office opens

Accommodation and Activities

Each day we will be staying in a new town, so check at HQ for accommodation.

How to get here

Fly into Orlando. Head west on Florida's Turnpike (a toll road). Get off at Exit 272, Hwy 50 (Clermont). Continue west to Groveland and Highway 33.

Groveland, FL 34736, USA
Groveland United States

Plane

The nearest international airport is Orlando. From there you take a car to Quest Air hang gliding club.

Car

It take about 1 hour driving from Orlando. Take highways 528, Florida's turnpike and FL-50 to get to Sheets airfield. This route is about 42 miles.

Downloads

Waypoint files

Organizers

Jamie Shelden
Meet director
Zac Majors
Task Committee
Davis Straub
Weather forecast

Contacts

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