Big Spring - Wins

The 2007 World Hang Gliding Championship will be held in Big Spring, Texas!

What do the pilots want?

Listen to the pilots: Oleg Boundarchuk, Kraig Coomber, Brett Hazlett, Robin Hamilton, Corrinna Schwiegershausen, Lukas Bader, Alex Plonar, Brian Porter and more... Click Jan. archive to see more written comments by pilots.

Betinho Schmitz - Brazil

I would like to congratulate on your job bringing the world's to Texas. I had the chance to fly in Slovakia in 1998 and in Texas 2001 and i can tell you that Texas is way better.

All the Brazilian hang gliding communitiy is happy about the competition in Big Springs and we are already organising a big group of brasilians to go there.

Oleg - World Champion - Ukraine

It looks to me that Texas is more preferable place to have a Worlds there because of more reliable whether conditions. Everyone I speak to says Texas has every day flying under the clouds, and also it's got a good facilities.

In Slovakia it is pretty good flying when whether is good, but from my experience (I've been there several times), there is very good chance to have some rainy or windy days, so all together there may be half of the comp days with poor conditions or even not flyable at all.

Christian Ciech - World Champion - Italy

I want to have the Worlds in Texas in 2007. The really good reason because I like Texas most is because I never been there, and Worlds are a good opportunity to have a look to another country.

Attila Bertok - Hungary

Whenever people asking me which place would be the best for a competition my answer is “the one which has the best weather”. If you are a real pilot who likes to fly this has to be the selection criteria #1. Personally I’d like David Glover to win the bid to get the WC to Texas. I also know Slovakia quite well, people there are my friends, but when it comes to weather consistency the place doesn’t have that. The infrastructure is super and the hospitality of the people on that part of the world is great, but for a world competition site I have to say Texas has to be better. The statistics of the place speaks for itself.

I am also the big fan of fully aero-towing meets because this kind of competition gives us the biggest chance for proper and well deserved public exposure and all the attached benefits.

Also, on a fully aero-towing meet the social aspect of the flying is great, because everybody starts the day together, including all the support people. If we can make it back home that’s even better. The overall dependency from the weather, like wind direction issues, are a lot less than on a mountain competition.

I really hope that this time David Glover gets the right to organize this meet, it would be well deserved after many years of trying.

Brett Hazlett - Pre-Worlds Champion - Canada

The facilities available to us at the airport are excellent. Preparing for each flight, staying hydrated, and cool, is easy. This makes for more pleasant, and safer flying.

In Big Spring, there is a level of community support that I have not seen elsewhere. The entire community wants us to be there, and they hope that we come back! They have shown a willingness to cooperate with us to solve any difficulty that might arise. Even at the individual level, the friendly folks of Big Spring, are a pleasure to talk to.

Even more impressive is the strong and consistent conditions, with low turbulence. This is something that high level competitors will appreciate. With 35 competition tasks flown, out of 35 days of competition, Big Spring has a consistency record that is unheard of!

Big Spring is an oasis for elite competition.

Corinna Schwiegershausen - World Champion

I would like to see the next Hanggliding World Championships in Big Spring, Texas, USA - that place promises a great chance to many valid tasks flown, as the weather is extremely reliable. The organizers already have successfully proven to be capable of running a world size meet. I would like to see a comp that is fun for the pilots, providing many valid tasks and good organization.

Kraig Coomber - Australia

I have been hang gliding competitively since 1993. I have competed in many countries including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Austria, Slovakia, Columbia, Argentina, Malaysia, Brazil and the United States. Of all my travels, the one venue that stands out in my mind as being ideal for competition hang gliding would be Big Spring, Texas. It offers great facilities, epic flying conditions, a crew friendly road system, safe landing terrain, friendly people and the potential for world class tasks day after day. I believe it would be an excellent location for a World Championship and will more than satisfy all competitors. Big Spring and David Glover have my support.

Robin Hamilton - UK

Big Spring has offered the best and most consistent flat land flying conditions of any of the World's competition venues bar none. It is simply a great place to fly, has good road infrastructure and enjoys a significant, enthusiastic set of volunteers to help make the Meet a success in any way they can.

Brian Porter - World Champion

Big Spring - Texas has got to be one the best places for to hold a World Championships. My Flying experiences in Big Spring Texas have always been quite good. The terrain and climate lend themselves to high attitude and long distance flying. The Town of Big Spring and it local population are friendly and more interested in Hanggliding,than is usually found in other parts of the world.

Claire Vassort - France/USA

I am in full support of a World Meet in Big Spring. The place offers excellent, consistent flying, very nice airport facilities for aerotowing and incredible enthusiasm from the town. It would be a shame not to take advantage of them all. I have flown in the Big Spring competition for the past three years. Not only did we fly every single scheduled day of the meet, but the tasks were varied, safe and challenging. The organization was flawless. I would strongly recommend that the CIVL delegates vote for Big Spring!