Competition, techniques, instruments and records

amateur version - How to live a competition

What is it to compete in free flight?

To compete in paragliding or delta wing is not to run: it is to think fast while you plan. A modern competition is above all reading the atmosphere: decide what thermal rise, when cut, what line to take, when to stop up and fly fast. Those who make better decisions win, not the most reckless.

The races are called tasks. The organizers draw on the map a series of virtual cylinders called turnpoints (beacons). The pilot passes them in order, starts in a exit door at fixed time, and ends in a goal. It's all on the GPS. On landing, the pilot delivers the IGC file and the software calculates who won.

Main Formats

Carrera a meta: the star format. They all leave at the same time. The first one in goal wins the speed points. typical task 60-180 km.

Past time: the timer starts when you cross the door. More strategic freedom.

Distance on goal: maximum distance on a line. Slow days.

Free flight / XContest: take off, fly wherever you want, go up the trail. The algorithm scores according to the shape of the route.

XContest - the global ranking that never rests

Four flight types × coefficient:

  • Free distance: with up to 3 unclosed beacons. × 1.0
  • flat triangle: three points without restrictions. × 1.2
  • Out-and-return: ida + return. × 1.2
  • FAI Triangle: no side < 28% of the total. * * × 1.4 * (up to × 1.6 if closed < 5%)

A 100 km flight in closed FAI = 160 points; in a straight line = 100. That's why they're obsessed with closing.

FAI categories

  • Cat 1: World, European, Pan American Championships. The free flight Olympics. National team, every two years.
  • Cat 2: Everything else. PWC, national open (Nordic Open, Bir, Quixadá, British). Any licensed pilot comes in.

The great championships

  • Paragliding World Cup (PWC): circuit pro 4-5 rounds. Finish with Superfinal (125 better). 2026 opened with Brazil and Panchgani (India).
  • FAI World: every 2 years. The 19th was in Castelo, Brazil (September 2025). Baptiste Lambert and Constance Mettetal (FRA) won.
  • Red Bull X-Alps: walk and fly through the Alps. 2025 won Aaron Durogati (ITA), breaking the hegemony of Chrigel Maurer (8 consecutive wins).

Techniques you'll see from below

The bandade: swarm of 20-100 paragliding in the same thermal. It looks like chaos but it has code: everyone turns in the same sense, the first marks the center. Learning to fly is the first filter when you get to comp.

Leeching (do the wheel): continue without risk. You never win like that.

Push the bandage: go out front, dial thermal, take risk. Pay if you're right.

final plan: last plan to finish. Here you win comps. The pilot calculates with GPS if it can dispense with the last thermal.

Instruments in flight

GPS variables:
- Skytraxx 5 mini (release 2025, 499 €, Fanet + Flarm, 60h battery)
- Skytraxx 4.0
- Naviter Oudie N (4G + SeeYou)
- Flymaster Vector, Ascent H1, XCTracer, Alfailot

Mobile Apps / tablet:
- XCTrack (Android, free, comp dominant)
- You Navigator (iOS / Android)
- Flyskyhy (iOS)

Functions showing:
- Instantaneous + integrator
- GPS and barometric altitude
- Earth speed, course
- Calculate wind by drift
- thermal assistant (radial map of the core)
- airspace alert
- Live tracking (FlymasterLive, SkyTraxx, FANET, FLARM)

Auxiliary material

  • Hat approved (each with side protection)
  • VHF radio in Comp frequency
  • Reserve parachutes (preferred directional or cruciform Rogallo)
  • Flight suit with mittens, insulating boots (4000 m = -15 ° C)
  • Garmin InReach / Spot (SOS satellite)
  • Light O2 for > 4000 m (Himalaya, Andes)

Records that remove the hiccup

  • Distance PG: 564.3 km (Nascimento, Saladini, Lemos · Tacima, Brazil · 2016) - still record official FAI 2026.
  • Distance HG: 764 km (Dustin Martin & Jonny Durand · Texas · 2012). 11 hours of flight.
  • PG altitude: > 7,400 m (Himalaya).
  • HG altitude: ~ 15 km with wave.

Costs

  • FAI + annual insurance licence: 150-250 €
  • EN D wing: 4,500-6,000 €
  • SCC wing: 6,500-8,500 €
  • Top instrument: 800-1,500 €
  • PWC registration: 250-600 € per round
  • Serious season: similar to medium range bike, it takes you to fly in 4 countries.

Technical version - For intermediaries who consider competing

Change of mind

Moving from XC to comp is psychological jump. In XC you fly against the atmosphere; in comp against 100 pilots with the same information. Reading the bandade is as important as reading clouds.

tacit rule: first year = survival and learning. Score 60% of the best task is already worth it.

GAP score 2023 / 24 (PWC / FAI)

A valid task gives up to 1000 points:

  • points of distance: per km effective, even if you don't get to finish.
  • Time points: only those who arrive (ESS). Proportional to time over the fastest.
  • Leadership points: bonus for leading sections.
  • points of arrival: bonus to be arrived.

GAP weights are adjusted for difficulty (hard tasks → Time points devalue). They are normalized at the end by validity of the event (arrivals, flying day).

McCready theory in paragliding

Define optimal speed (STF) according to next expected thermal:

  • Strong thermal (+ 3 m / s): bar 1 / 2 or 3 / 4. Thermal recovers fast.
  • Low thermal (+ 0.8 m / s): close to better planning without bar.
  • Neutral ascending air: loose bar.
  • Strong descent: step bar to get through fast. Polar moves (more casualties but more advances proportionally).
  • Wind in face: speed up.
  • Wind in line: slow.

best planning vs best climb: C-wing plans worse but rises easier in tight thermal; CCC plans better but needs large thermal and aggressive piloting.

Strategy exit door

In Carrera a meta with multiple goals (2-3 in the task):

  • Thermal good output, sky marking: salt first. Lead points and positioning.
  • late mature day: wait. Going out with loaded bandage is exponentially faster.
  • against the wind task: coming out early punishes double.
  • with crossed wind: choosing line matters more than time.

the big bandit advances faster in transitions - any wing finds before the next thermal.

Fine techniques in thermal

  • Oblate entry: do not cross the center, enter tangential and turn to where the inner tip is higher.
  • thermal assistant: draws you last 30 s.
  • Pitch control: advance sail before entering prevents minced.
  • Weight-shift aggressive: CCPs with 2 lines, hip balance + asymmetric brake define radio.
  • Side-pull: pull out line to flatten turns and increase ascent rate.

Optimized transitions

Superpon 3 layers:
1. Nubes en route: cumuli street = intermediate ascending mass. 15 ° may avoid turning.
2. Lateral orientation: perpendicular to the sun works first in the morning.
3. Wind: barlovent ascending compression; rotor leeward.

Rule: He prefers to lose height moving towards good air than to keep it still in dead air.

Minimum decision height

Each pilot must have its "hard deck" - altitude under which it stops fighting and seeks landing. Typically 300-500 m AGL according to relief. Getting down from that height looking for saving thermal is the main cause of accidents outside.

final planning

Instrument calculates:
- Height required = distance × tan (planning) + wind margin
- expected plan adjusted to wing, weight, measured wind
- Security margin 50-100 m on meta altitude

Accelerating is counterintuitive: you fall more, but you get to finish. Time points are counted when crossing ESS, not the goal.

Competition wings 2025-2026

CCC (Competition Class Certified, 2014):
- Ozone Enzo 3: the most victorious in recent history
- Gin Boomerang 12: historical rival
- Niviuk Icepeak X-One
- Advance Sigma CCC
- Skywalk Cayenne (X-Alps)
- Length AR recent reviews ~ 7.7

EN D sport class:
- Ozone Zeno 2
- Advance Omega XALPS 4
- Niviuk Peak 6
- Nova Sector

hang glider comp: Wills Wing T3, Moyes Litospered RX Pro, Aeros Combat GT / C, Icaro Z9. Just for years of experience.

deliberate training

XC top courses:
- Roldanillo (Colombia): ideal thermal valley for marathon
- Bir Billing (India): Himalaya, wide sky
- Gredos, Ager (Spain): conditions alpino-iberic

Competition Training Camp with coach PWC: €1,500-3,000 per week. They can double ranking in 6 months.

Post-flight tools:
- SeeYou (Naviter): analyzes IGC, compares traces with top of the day
- Thermal.kk7: historical thermal hotspots
- Paragliding Sim: winter simulator

Security in comp

Pre-flight list each task:
- A's check, closed harness
- Armed reserve, placed pin
- Haircoat.
- Instrument with battery, charged
- Radio frequency correct

Retrieve plan: computer phone, pickup coordinates, FANET / FLARM visible.

Emergency: pull reserve < 100 m AGL always; SIV every 2 years minimum.

FAI insurance: RC + minimum rescue 1.5 M €in Europe. Extra repatriation for height.

Top pilots 2025-2026

Male:
- Honorin Hamard (FRA)
- Baptiste Lambert (FRA, World Champion 2025)
- Aaron Durogati (ITA, winner X-Alps 2025)
- Michael Sigel (SUI)
- Russell Ogden (GBR, Ozone test pilot)

Women:
- Constance Mettetal (FRA, World Champion 2025)
- Alexia Fischer (USA)
- Keiko Hiraki (JPN)
- Petra Slivová
- Seiko Fukuoka-Navile (FRA- JPN)

XContest - Nick Greece leads the historical USA. In Spain Juan Sebastián Ospina and Xevi Bonet.

walk and fly Chrigel Maurer remains technical reference despite defeat in X-Alps 2025; 16 years winning defines the standard.

Realistic plan to debute

Full license + 200 h + XC 80 km own + high EN C or comfortable D:

  1. Previous season: XC Roldanillo course (ene-feb) + camp comp with coach in summer.
  2. First comp: open Cat 2 local. Objective: to complete tasks.
  3. Ala: EN D series first. SCC only after 2-3 consistent seasons. The premature jump to CCC is the most frequent and expensive error.
  4. Instrument: XCTrack mobile + XCTracer sufficient year 1; Skytraxx / Oudie when confirming commitment.
  5. Mentality: First 5-10 championships are paid for in euros and bruises.

To compete in free flight is a sport of geological patience: years of flights, thousands of micro decisions, continuous learning. Those who persevere discover: the day you start to compete is the day you start to fly for real.
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