A diary of the Aussie team's journey through the 2007 Paragliding
Worlds at Manilla, Australia
Pilot Profile
Name:
Heike Hamann
Age: 38, Marital Status: Partnered
Job and how often in a typical week would you fly:
Engineer and Facilitator, Every day that it is flyable – have travelled
away from Bright during the bushfires to train
Sponsors: None
1. What equipment do you
use:
Glider: Nova Tycoon
Harness: Advance Impress
Vario: Brauniger
Compeo
GPS: Garmin 12XL
.
2. Approx hours airtime:
About 800 hours
total
3. When did you learn to fly and where?
1992, Bright
4. Best site in Oz:
Bright – the views are stunning, the flying is very tactical and
the area is gorgeous if the weather is not flyable
5. Best site O/S:
Chelan in the USA. A great combination of mountains and flatland flying,
with a beautiful lake to go swimming in at the end of the day
6. Best comp task you’ve
flown so far, the most memorable:
In Bright, during the competition there in 2006. It had been
quite a long day, conditions quite rough, and just before making
goal, I met up with Viv (another Aussie team member) and we
climbed the last thermal up together. It was quite late in
the day, the thermal was big and relatively smooth, and we
both climbed around each other, much, much higher than we needed
to! When we glided into goal together and landed, being the
first to congratulate each other and grin sheepishly about ‘coming
in too high’, was something I’ll never forget
7. Why do you fly:
I fly because I love the feeling of being one with my glider - working
with her to make the most of every thermal, as it takes us up and away
from the earth. I love competing in a sport that always has new challenges – no
day in the air is ever like another one, requiring constant decision
making and to be aware of everything that is going on around you – the
clouds, the winds, dandelion puffs, eagles, other pilots, the sun – and
what’s going on in you, in every moment. I fly because I enjoy
hanging out with people from all over the world, who love to fly.
8. Best flight ever:
In Canungra, late in 2006. I was flying almost wingtip to wingtip with
my partner, Brett, for 2.5 hours. We decided to fly as a team, the
countryside was beautiful, with the odd fluffy cloud showing us the
way. I had been working hard on some psychological aspects related
to flying, and everything just seemed to come together.
9. Worst flying experience so far:
Loosing control of my glider for what seemed like an eternity, and having
to full stall it to get it flying again.
10. What tips can you give to newcomers
to the sport:
Fly as much as you can and keep yourself safe. Talk
to pilots around you and learn as much as you can from
them and from books. If you want to fly XC or competitions,
do courses – your flying will improve a lot!
11. Who do you most admire in our sport?
Others in the Australian team, for their dedication to improve themselves
and their generosity in sharing their knowledge with others
12. What are your other favourite
hobbies/sports:
I love running and bike riding, and spend a lot of time studying in a
field I am passionate about – Process Oriented Psychology, which
is sometimes described as a mix between psychology, spirituality and
social activism. Oh, and eating mangoes and patting dogs
13. Favourite band and song?
Wow, this changes all the time – at the moment, probably “White
Flag” by Dido.
14. Best book you’ve
read so far?
“Leader as Martial Artist”, by Arnold Mindell. Book that’s
had the single biggest impact on my life? “Jonathan Livingston
Seagull”, by Richard Bach
15. Have you ever thrown your reserve?, if
so tell us about it.
Yes, flying high over the Austrian Alps. I got a collapse relatively
close to the trees two-thirds of the way up a 2500m mountain, and realised
that I didn’t have the height to get the wing flying again, so
out came the reserve. It probably only just opened before I hit the ground,
and a helicopter ride later I found myself in a hospital for a week
16. Biggest flying mistake so far?
Flying into a powerline not long after
I’d learned to fly.
17.
What are your personal flying goals
To have fun and to keep learning and improving, so that I’m
flying to my potential.
18. Where are you going to be in 10
years time and doing what?
All over the world as I am now, living my life to the full, making the
biggest contribution I can.
Pilot Profile
Name: Heike Hamann
Age: 38, Marital Status: Partnered
Job and how often in a typical week would you fly:
Engineer and Facilitator, Every day that it is flyable – have travelled away from Bright during the bushfires to train
Sponsors: None
1. What equipment do you use:
Glider: Nova Tycoon
Harness: Advance Impress
Vario: Brauniger Compeo
GPS: Garmin 12XL .
2. Approx hours airtime:
About 800 hours total
3. When did you learn to fly and where?
1992, Bright
4. Best site in Oz:
Bright – the views are stunning, the flying is very tactical and the area is gorgeous if the weather is not flyable
5. Best site O/S:
Chelan in the USA. A great combination of mountains and flatland flying, with a beautiful lake to go swimming in at the end of the day
6. Best comp task you’ve flown so far, the most memorable:
In Bright, during the competition there in 2006. It had been quite a long day, conditions quite rough, and just before making goal, I met up with Viv (another Aussie team member) and we climbed the last thermal up together. It was quite late in the day, the thermal was big and relatively smooth, and we both climbed around each other, much, much higher than we needed to! When we glided into goal together and landed, being the first to congratulate each other and grin sheepishly about ‘coming in too high’, was something I’ll never forget
7. Why do you fly:
I fly because I love the feeling of being one with my glider - working with her to make the most of every thermal, as it takes us up and away from the earth. I love competing in a sport that always has new challenges – no day in the air is ever like another one, requiring constant decision making and to be aware of everything that is going on around you – the clouds, the winds, dandelion puffs, eagles, other pilots, the sun – and what’s going on in you, in every moment. I fly because I enjoy hanging out with people from all over the world, who love to fly.
8. Best flight ever:
In Canungra, late in 2006. I was flying almost wingtip to wingtip with my partner, Brett, for 2.5 hours. We decided to fly as a team, the countryside was beautiful, with the odd fluffy cloud showing us the way. I had been working hard on some psychological aspects related to flying, and everything just seemed to come together.
9. Worst flying experience so far:
Loosing control of my glider for what seemed like an eternity, and having to full stall it to get it flying again.
10. What tips can you give to newcomers to the sport:
Fly as much as you can and keep yourself safe. Talk to pilots around you and learn as much as you can from them and from books. If you want to fly XC or competitions, do courses – your flying will improve a lot!
11. Who do you most admire in our sport?
Others in the Australian team, for their dedication to improve themselves and their generosity in sharing their knowledge with others
12. What are your other favourite hobbies/sports:
I love running and bike riding, and spend a lot of time studying in a field I am passionate about – Process Oriented Psychology, which is sometimes described as a mix between psychology, spirituality and social activism. Oh, and eating mangoes and patting dogs
13. Favourite band and song?
Wow, this changes all the time – at the moment, probably “White Flag” by Dido.
14. Best book you’ve read so far?
“Leader as Martial Artist”, by Arnold Mindell. Book that’s had the single biggest impact on my life? “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”, by Richard Bach
15. Have you ever thrown your reserve?, if so tell us about it.
Yes, flying high over the Austrian Alps. I got a collapse relatively close to the trees two-thirds of the way up a 2500m mountain, and realised that I didn’t have the height to get the wing flying again, so out came the reserve. It probably only just opened before I hit the ground, and a helicopter ride later I found myself in a hospital for a week
16. Biggest flying mistake so far?
Flying into a powerline not long after I’d learned to fly.
17. What are your personal flying goals
To have fun and to keep learning and improving, so that I’m flying to my potential.
18. Where are you going to be in 10 years time and doing what?
All over the world as I am now, living my life to the full, making the biggest contribution I can.
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