Fine hang gliding

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 22

Fine hang gliding

Neil McPhail, of the Canterbury Hang Gliding Club, emerged as a provisional New Zealand representative for the world hang gliding championships in Austria after a fine performance in the national championships on Coronet Peak at the weekend. McPhail was third in the open event behind Graeme Bird (Auckland!, who took the title of New Zealand champion hang glider pilot. R. Poynter, also of Auckland, was second. Bird soared away on the first day and started the final day with a healthy lead over Poynter of 8455 points. Bird made 14 turns of 360 ■>’ grees around the two pylons, 2400 vertical feet from the take-off point, on his first flight on Saturday. In the first of two flights yesterday he completed nine turns before straightening out for the flight to the target circle. Like most other pilots he didn't manage to spot land in the circle, but with points massed up in the 360 degree turns, he had littl- need for bonus points. Bird will definitely represent New Zealand at the world championships. If snonsors are found the other two will provisionally be Poynter, and McPhail, who were second and third in the open class event. Jeff Kennedy, one of the

three Kennedy L.others competing in the championships, took second place in the Seagull class. He was 1645 points behind the winner C. Burcher of the Sc uthland Club. It was a creditable performance in a class i,i which 20 of New Zealand’s leading hang glider pilots competed. Almost unnoticed, McPhail and CJ-year-oIJ ’.'erry Delore, also from the Canterbury club, piled on the points with great performances. —

McPhail used scant airs to best advantage, gaining a lot of height after take-off from the car-park 2400 ft up on Coronet Peak. Possibly a reason for the lack of attention paid initially to ALPhail, was his superb judgement,' making it all look so easy. Delore, of course, was tlways considered a strong possibility. He has the endurance soari g record of 5 hours 45 minutes and for his age a lot of flying time.