Chopper's New Ride

Getting the last few things wrapped up here in town then it's off to Chelan Saturday morning for the Chelan XC Classic. Chris and I went to the shipping dock yesterday and picked up the Litespeed 4 RS that he'll be flying. Looks pretty nice. We got it unpacked and re assembled then had a little fun with the traffic. I wonder what that guy was thinking as he looked in his rear view mirror. lol.
Clear!

The Swyft

I'm getting ready for a week in Chelan, Washington, and in preparation I'm building a new Swyft to have on hand. The Swyft is an incredible little RC glider. It's wingtip-launchable to 100 feet, weighs less than 5 ounces, and breaks down quickly into a very small box for traveling. The design has had a long evolution from the scratch built Li'l Nipper to the current Swyft; each incarnation has seen incremental refinements to achieve this simply elegant little glider design.

Keep an eye on Liftworx. I have a feeling you may be seeing more unique RC glider designs from them in the future.

Here's a little flight demo movie I shot of Scobie flying the Swift.

Performance

Got Chris Smith into doing Crossfit with me. He's doing great but the first couple of weeks adjusting to the intensity and work load can be tough, especially for a competitor like Chris who doesn't hold back, but I think he's already getting into the groove and enjoying the new challenge.

I don't hear much discussion about fitness and hang gliding but I think it's a cornerstone to performance flying and to just enjoying the sport more. For competitors like Chris, fitness/nutrition should get as much attention as equipment and tuning. At the end of long flights your physical & mental state can have a big effect on performance, both in maximizing your gliders potential and good decision making. Why not take every advantage you can? Whether you're a comp pilot or fly recreational cross country, working towards your physical potential will help you maximize your flying performance and increase your enjoyment of the sport.

If you want to know more about Crossfit check out Crossfit Foundation's and What is Fitness?

See you in the air.