World Microlight Championships - A Huge Success!

The US Microlight Team has returned from the 2003 World Microlight Championship in England with a great success under its belt! Every member of the team put their best foot forward to represent our country with pride. Not only did our pilots do well, the entire team made a good impression on the world. Other countries are seeing that the Americans are becoming more proficient competitors and valuable contributors to the global competition community.

American pilots earned points throughout the entire week, returning to the airport every day safe and sound. The new team members did great and returning pilots saw dramatic improvements from the 2001 Worlds in Spain. Team leader Sharon Westcott did a tremendous job taking care of the team and seeing that we did what we came there to do. The assistants not only kept the pilots equipped, on time, and in the air, but went on to substantially assist the organizers with marshalling duties. Tom Gunnarson served as an International Juror, helping to resolve challenging protests in the final hours of the event.

The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) were fantastic hosts for the event. All facets of the event were well planned and smoothly executed. The briefings, task designs, camping, entertainment, and facilities were all top-notch. Everyone's hospitality, generosity and patience were top-notch! Attending this event was a fun, educational vacation even for those not competing. Have you seen OshKosh or Sun-n-Fun one too many times? Why not indulge yourself in a week of competition instead of a week of convention? The US Team will be heading to France in 2005 and will welcome new and returning pilots, assistants, and leaders.

For detailed scores revealing some surprising insights, visit www.USMicrolightTeam.org for a link to the official final results. At a glance, the US pilots did not rank very high, but don't let that fool you. As our country becomes more mature in FAI competition, we've seen our numbers improve across the board. Points are up, rankings are up, number of pilots are up. The simple fact that our pilots flew successfully and safely all week long, earning points day after day against the best competitive pilots in the world is testament to their success. As our experience base builds, 2005 will see a well-seasoned US Team that will continue to grow in size, skills, aptitude, points and rankings.

One area in particular that the US needs to expand is in the powered parachute and powered paraglider classes. Several PPC organizers and competitors asked why no American parachute pilots competed. This is a hard question to answer, as there is no good answer. Now is the time to get powered parachute competition on track within the FAI competition structure. With those classes new to the World Microlight Championships, they may be our best shot at a medal in the short term.

I predict that by 2007, the US will have won its first medal in a World Championship...IF we continue developing our skills on our own soil. A number of competitions have furthered that goal...Wig Wag, KIMO, the 2001 Nationals, and others. But we need more. To prepare our pilots for the 2005 Worlds in France, they need the opportunity to fly in four or more high-caliber competitions a year.

You can help America reach higher in the global competition scene in two key ways: compete in competitions and host competitions. You may be the first American to climb the podium. You might be the guy or gal that forced another pilot to work harder in a domestic competition...and helped them get good enough to win the first American medal at the Worlds. You might be the host of a bomb-drop contest that inspired a pilot to dig deeper...to find out what challenges competition holds for all pilots. So get involved, and keep competition growing in America!

US Microlight Points Championships:

The end of the year is close. Points turned in this year will be counted for rankings in the 2003 US Microlight Points Championships. It only takes entry into three contests to win national awards, and even a single contest will get you on the board. So have some fun, send in your points, and become a better pilot in the process.

Now is the time to squeeze in one or two more local competitions. Invite 5 or more pilots out to the airport and have a contest, sure to be a good time for all. Or just have an impromptu contest this weekend if there are enough planes happen to be flying one day. The tasks can be simple or challenging...bomb drops, spot landings, cross-countries and other tasks are encouraged, not to mention fun. If you need help setting up a contest, call USUA HQ!

Want More Competition Info?

Anyone interested in learning more about competition is urged to join the comp-pilot list at www.comp-pilot.org. You'll find a bulging archive of discussions about the local, national, and world competitions, including practical advice for competitors and event organizers. Members of the list include casual flyers curious about competition, seasoned organizers, and hard core world competitors. All are eager to exchange ideas and help get more competition going in the USA.

2004 US National Ultralight Championships

Reminder - USUA is accepting applications to host next year's Nationals. If your club or organization is up to the task, give headquarters a call at (717) 339-0200 or email me at hempy@ket.org. This is a great opportunity to show off your club's abilities while giving US aviators the arena they need to improve their competition skills. America needs this!