East Coast Championship - 2019

[Lucky_Chevy]

There has been a lot of interest in reviving the East Coast Championship hang gliding competition and some recent developments make that a possibility...although it's not a certainty for 2019. I have started the planning and the paperwork to have the competition sanctioned by USHPA and CIVL so that pilots can earn rating points. Live trackers will be used for scoring to simplify the process.

The proposed dates are Saturday, June 1st (practice day) with the comp running from June 2-8, 2019. The tentative site is at the former home of Highland Aerosports in Ridgely MD.

This would be an aerotow competition open to both sport class and open classes. To participate the pilot must have an USHPA H-3, AT, and XC ratings. The estimated costs would be a $200 entry fee; Aerotow fees would probably be around $350-400.

If we have it...will you come?
Let me know if you are interested.


Dan

[markc]

Wow! The return of an aerotow comp to the DelMarVa P? Heck yeah, I'd be into that!

Refreshing my AT skills would certainly be needed.... I'm hoping that might be possible at Blue Sky (combo of dolly-based scooter tow, then aerotow, see https://chgpa.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=7505 )

Maybe a 2019 event like you're suggesting could be coordinated in some way with BSky?

[Ward Odenwald]

This is good news! Don't know if I'll compete but more than willing to help out at any level.

Dan, thanks for initiating this!

Ward

[Dunegoon]

Interested just to fly...even if it is a "competition". Most of us will need a tune up weekend even before a practice day.

Thanks Dan

CF

[callen]

100% in. Also Rigely would be much better site than Bluesky, better XC routes and more landing fields. I could also potentially host at my place in Liverpool PA but would need to check with family and would need help getting fields in shape for aerotow. Hosted weekend comp their a few years back. Anyway we should discuss offline.

Charles

[krryerson]

Definitely 100% interested in attending 2019 ECC, but need to know by December.
Preferable Rigely.
Knut

[g.sessa]

Count me in!

[jimsmess]

This would be a dream come true. There is much work to do, hopefully everything keeps falling in place. Let's here from the rest the ECC alumni, come on and get on board.
Jim Messina

[mcgowantk]

I would be very interested as well. Thanks for reviving this comp!

Tom McGowan

[John Simon]

I'll be there. This place is the most casual, easy and care free XC site I've flown. LZ's everywhere. It's not so much a competition than a weeklong XC blowout with all your buds with bonfires and parties most every night. We should call it the East Coast (Scored) XC-Palooza, as there are rarely enough comp points to make it serious and most of the pilots are just there to have fun and fly/learn XC (and drink some beers).

It would be great to see everyone again.

John

[markc]

FYI : My mention of Blue Sky was meant to suggest that we might be able to leverage what Steve W can offer, by way of cart-based scooter tow and true aerotow, *in advance* of a possible revival of the ECC at Ridgely.

I don't have the luxury of taking time off in order to refresh my AT skills... And you've gotta be solid in a comp setting, even for Sport Class.

But Blue Sky is less than 2 hours away! So maybe we could involve BSky in advance of the comp, so that pilots like myself can knock off some rust?

Could be a win-win : More area pilots with AT skills refreshed == more pilots entering the event.

[callen]

Mark - Just saw your post. If you're looking to brush up your skills prior to the comp we should see if we can get Mitch to come out with his electric tow 1-2 days before start. He also did a clinic at Quest during the meet in the am to work on launch and landing.

Charles

[jimsmess]

The 2019 ECC is officially ON. Details and registration can be found on Airtribune.com those who have participated in the past know it's a lot of fun, those who haven't come on out and join the fun
Jim M

[krryerson]

Fantastic!
Just signed up and will be going to ECC 2019.
Come on, join us. This should be a no brainer for does that aero tow.
https://airtribune.com/east-coast-champ ... ails__info
Knut

[Dunegoon]

Can't get the time off. Maybe just fly the weekend?

[markc]

Cr@p, just remembered why it's always been so hard to participate in the ECC : It always happens right in the middle of my frickin' bi-monthly production crunch at work. Every damn year, Grrrrr!

I'd have to figure out a way to move things up... But maybe with enough lead time I can figure something out.