Final Glide and Thanks.

Merci - Danke - gracias - obrigado - grazie - 致谢 - ありがとう - благодарности

A message from event organizer – Godfrey Wenness

This event was the culmination of a 14 year project to put Manilla, Australia on the world paragliding map. For the last 2 years the organization of the event was a full time unpaid job for me. Mother Nature did not come to the party and decided to provide the region with much needed drought breaking rain virtually from Day 1 onwards as the El Nino pattern broke down.

 

It was however typically excellent Manilla flying in the weeks leading up to the event with long XC’s possible each day. Thankfully many pilots arrived early to experience this “real” Manilla weather and had the chance to achieve personal bests at the same time. In what can only be described as cruel timing, the rains stopped at the end of the Worlds event…its been fine and sunny since the last day !

 

With only 5 race tasks in 13 days, this event sets a new record for Manilla in terms of how few races were flown – previously it was 8 (of 14 days), which is quite reasonable by world standards. The FAI Category 1 European Champs in 2006 also had only 5 valid race days for example.

 

The conditions were not representative of the typical XC flying Manilla is famous for and tasks were difficult to set due to the fine balance needed between weather/course conditions, safety and race requirements. To have 45-60kms races each day and pilots in goal under such circumstances reflects as much on the skill of the pilots as it does on the effectiveness of the task setting.

 

Thanks…

 

This event was not possible without the support, assistance, sponsorship and work of a large variety of people, business's and organisations.

 

The list is long and in order to not miss anyone I am covering whole organizations rather than individuals unless there is a particular situation which is especially needed to be noted (eg committee chairs etc).

 

Major Support Organisations :

 

• Tamworth Regional Council (with special thanks to Mayor James Treloar)
• Manilla 2007 Town Celebrations Hosting Committee – a Section 355 Council Committee (with special thanks to chairperson Cheryl Randall, TRC Event support officer Jodie McKenna, TRC Manilla Office staff Robyn Fletcher and Sarah Thurn)

Mt Borah Infrastructure Funding :

 

• NSW Dept of Sport, Recreation and Tourism (special thanks to Minister Sandra Nori)
• Federal Dept of Transport and Regional Services & Area Consultative Committee (special thanks to Kate West – NENW ACC)
• Manilla SkySailors Club Inc
• Bernie Kelly

Mt Borah Works :

 

Special mention needs to be made about the team of workers (who are all pilots) which gave their time for free or at discounted rates to complete vqarious aspects of the Mt Borah project. The include : Tim Smith, Bob Smith, Kevin Tame, Juano, Peter, Dave and Johnny Fox.

 

Event Sponsors :

 

• Advance Paragliders Switzerland (pilot products)
• SPAR Supermarkets - Manilla & Aust HQ (pilot food packs + fuel for buses)
• Patrick Mahoney’s Guardian Pharmacy (pilot packs)
• Telstra Country Wide (internet service at HQ)
• Thrifty Car Rentals (vehicles for organization and discounted rates for visitors)
• Royal Hotel Manilla – Vic and Tom Cocking (venue, town square entertainment, some staff/officials meals, G’day night & BBQ beverages and discounted pilot dinners)
• Harvey Norman & Canon (internet PC’s and hardware for HQ + photographic competition)
• New England Credit Union (Landowners prize draw)
• Tamworth City Toyota – (Toyata Hilux vehicle for Goal Crew)
• Yellow Tail Wines (pilot night wines)
• Adidas Eyewear - Euro eyewear Brisbane (day prizes)
• Flytec Switzerland (day prizes)
• Red Bull - Australia (energy drinks for pilots)
• Brazil Cultural Trading – SASSE Coffee (pilot lounge coffee)
• Buttercup Bakeries Tamworth (bread for pilot lunches)
• Rapid Clean – Tamworth (Toilet supplies)
• Coates Hire - Tamworth (discounted toilet and other hire)
• Coca-Cola Tamworth (shade marquee’s)

Event Key Staff :

 

• Assistant Meet Directors ; Brandon O’Donnell and Suzi Smith
• Airshow Organiser and Tamworth Airspace Co-ord : Matt Morton
• Safety Director : Bob Smith
• Official Scorer : Georgi Jordanov
• Event Admin Co-ord : Lynda Stanley
• Event Admin Team : Pip Wallace, Julie Terry
• Headquarters Manager : Tina Clemens
• Event Gopher : Fred Wilson
• Retrieve Co-ord : Rob Hunt
• Retrieve Team : Carol, Gary and Annie
• Launch Co-ord : Mark Mitsos, Maderson Ford, Dave King, Glenn Hawkins, Helen Smith
• Goal co-ord : James Ryrie, Ant and Catherine Scurrah
• Air Marshals : Brandon O’Donnell, Hans Bausenwein, Mark Leavesly, Ant Prehn
• Media Unit : Roger Lilford, Talisha Holley, Javier Alvarez
• Film Unit : Glenn Cook (WideHorizons Productions), Lachy Fletcher, Jared Veall
• 2007 Shop : Bob Pratt and Jill Jones plus other HQ crew
• Media Tandem Pilots : Air Marshals + Dave Prentice
• Borah Basher Service : Marie-Eve and Yann
• Borah Retrieve Service : Manilla SES (Stan Meadows and Crew)
• Official Amateur Radio Operator : Brian Kelly
• Task Setting Pilot Committee : Craig Collings (AUS), Steve Ham (UK) , Kari Castle (USA)
• Pilot Safety Committee : Brian Webb (AUS), Adrian Thomas (UK), David Worthington (DEN)
• HGFA Liason : Chris Fogg
• FAI Stewards : Scott Torkelson, Leonard Grigorescu
• FAI Jury : John Aldridge, Agust Gudmundson, Mansoo Chae

The Volunteers group :

 

Volunteers gave their time up to assist in many varying areas of the event from HQ to launch. Their efforts from large to small are greatly appreciated and helped to keep the whole event operational.

 

Adrian, Albert Hart, Andrew Perry, Andrew Polidano, Andy Shurger, Ange, Arthur Lagos, Benn Kovco, Bernice Ramage, Bob Pratt, Brendon Jones, Charz, Christa Texler, Christopher Rogers, Craig Walker, Darren Downes, David Ramage, David Turner-Mann, Debbie Haig, Dianne Gurnett, Edwina, Geoff Bednal, Hugh White, Jannette van Eck, Jeff Terry, Jesse De Caires, Joanne Bubbles, John Harriott, Julie Terry, Ken Perry, Kym Fielke, Kym Harris, Lee Maxwell, Lionel Rose, Magdy Malik, Marika Martinez, Mark Elston, Martin Haig, Mathew Johnston, Matt Fox, Melanie Humphreys, Neil Bright, Neil Brown, Paul Kenny, Paul Underwood, Peter Rundle, Robert Hunt, Rod, Sonia, Stephen Connor, Tania Millen, Tony Sandeberg.

 

Air Display pilots and organisations :

 

Len Birger, Chris Morrison, Dan Waters, Marty Taylor, Richard Wiltshire, Frank Fontayne, Andrew Kennedy, Paul Roche, Paul Kenny, Glenn Hawkins, Willi Ewig – Manilla SkyRanch, BAE Systems Tamworth (CT4’s), RAAF (FA/18), Andrew Polidano – Poliglide (PPG).

 

Other various groups and organisations :

 

• Manilla Sky Sailors Club members : George Huentaler, Huw and Katrina White, Murat Winter
• Manilla Uniting Church members led by Delma Sneesby (tea, coffee, yummy cake & biscuits at Mt Borah each day)
• Manilla’s Sports Chaplains led my Paul McFarlane.
• Manilla Districts Emergency Services – VRA, SES, Police, Ambulance
• St John First Aid Service
• Theressa Lavender (Pilot Massages)
• CASA and Air Services Australia (Airshow, Tamworth Air Corridor and Event height limit approvals)
• Tamworth Air Cadets
• Hunter River Lancers
• Local Tamworth Regional media for their great coverage.
• Media who came to Manilla from around the world.

…and of course…

 

The pilots, team leaders, support staff and spectators who came to Manilla from far and wide for the event.

 

… and to the Manilla community and landowners which made the visitors so welcome.

 

A big thank you to everyone.

 

I hope that despite the weather a good time was had by all and that the memories of and friendships made during Manilla 2007 will be with you for many years.

Godfrey Wenness

15th March 2007