A diary of the Aussie team's journey through the 2007 Paragliding
Worlds at Manilla, Australia
Pilot Profile
Name:
Craig Collings
Age: 38, Marital Status: Partnered
Job and how often in a typical week would you fly:
IT
Manager for the Alpine Shire Council, based in Bright. This provides
easy access to weekend flying and the occasional mid-week lunchtime
flight.
Sponsors:
Gradient Paragliders
1. What equipment do you
use:
Use the slippery Advance impress harness
Gradient Avax glider
Brauniger
Compeo flight compter
2. Approx hours airtime:
I currently get about 150hours airtime a year and have about 2500 hours
total. I fly less now than I did when I wasn't so choosey about the
conditions.
3. When did you learn to fly and where?
I learnt to flying Christchurch, New Zealand. The first few year were about
70% soaring and 30% thermalling; I think this taught me alot about scratching
and glider handling.
4. Best site in Oz:
Manilla is a great world-class flying site. It offers plently of safe
flying.
5. Best site O/S:
Anywhere in the French Alps. It has so much potential!
6. Best comp task you’ve
flown so far, the most memorable:
Coming first in any task is always memorable. But in one task
I was the only one to make it into goal after 6 hours of flying,
which was lucky as I didn't have a retrieve organised.
7. Why do you fly:
I fly to embrace nature and be humble to its power
8. Best flight ever:
Pictures say a thousand words
.
9. Worst flying experience so far:
In my early years, being rotored to the ground through ignorance. This
wasn't much fun, I didn't flying for over a month after this event.
10. What tips can you give to newcomers
to the sport:
Seek to continue learning, but don't expect it to
come all at once.
11. Who do you most admire in our sport?
Jimmy Pacher for being at the top of the game when I was learning and
Christian Tamagger for still being at the top of the game after all
these years.
12. What are your other favourite
hobbies/sports:
Mountain and dirt bike riding.
13. Favourite band and song?
Now I'm showing my age. Most of the songs by Pink Floyd
14. Best book you’ve
read so far?
Hmm...
15. Have you ever thrown your reserve?, if
so tell us about it.
Yes. No
16. Biggest flying mistake so far?
poor tactical descision in a big comp,
then realising it immediatly as 60 pilots
fly past you. It is an instant teacher
17.
What are your personal flying goals
To maintain my confidence when leading a compeition, and not
to get hurt.
18. Where are you going to be in 10
years time and doing what?
Travelling and flying for the pleasure of flight and meeting people.
Pilot Profile
Name: Craig Collings
Age: 38, Marital Status: Partnered
Job and how often in a typical week would you fly:
IT Manager for the Alpine Shire Council, based in Bright. This provides easy access to weekend flying and the occasional mid-week lunchtime flight.
Sponsors: Gradient Paragliders
1. What equipment do you use:
Use the slippery Advance impress harness
Gradient Avax glider
Brauniger Compeo flight compter
2. Approx hours airtime:
I currently get about 150hours airtime a year and have about 2500 hours total. I fly less now than I did when I wasn't so choosey about the conditions.
3. When did you learn to fly and where?
I learnt to flying Christchurch, New Zealand. The first few year were about 70% soaring and 30% thermalling; I think this taught me alot about scratching and glider handling.
4. Best site in Oz:
Manilla is a great world-class flying site. It offers plently of safe flying.
5. Best site O/S:
Anywhere in the French Alps. It has so much potential!
6. Best comp task you’ve flown so far, the most memorable:
Coming first in any task is always memorable. But in one task I was the only one to make it into goal after 6 hours of flying, which was lucky as I didn't have a retrieve organised.
7. Why do you fly:
I fly to embrace nature and be humble to its power
8. Best flight ever:
Pictures say a thousand words
.
9. Worst flying experience so far:
In my early years, being rotored to the ground through ignorance. This wasn't much fun, I didn't flying for over a month after this event.
10. What tips can you give to newcomers to the sport:
Seek to continue learning, but don't expect it to come all at once.
11. Who do you most admire in our sport?
Jimmy Pacher for being at the top of the game when I was learning and Christian Tamagger for still being at the top of the game after all these years.
12. What are your other favourite hobbies/sports:
Mountain and dirt bike riding.
13. Favourite band and song?
Now I'm showing my age. Most of the songs by Pink Floyd
14. Best book you’ve read so far?
Hmm...
15. Have you ever thrown your reserve?, if so tell us about it.
Yes. No
16. Biggest flying mistake so far?
poor tactical descision in a big comp, then realising it immediatly as 60 pilots fly past you. It is an instant teacher
17. What are your personal flying goals
To maintain my confidence when leading a compeition, and not to get hurt.
18. Where are you going to be in 10 years time and doing what?
Travelling and flying for the pleasure of flight and meeting people.
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