1st World Cup in Wingsuit Performance Flying - Day 1 - 25th May 2015

Monday, 25th May 2015,

By the opening ceremony this eventing 57 competitors had registered for the competition - representing 17 countries and 5 continents.  It would appear to be a competition of firsts - obviously a first for Wingsuit Flying (performance) competitors, a first for the organisers and the NAC, the UK, and the FAI Controller - James Hayhurst, the Chief Judge, Randy Connell, the Meet Director, Mark Bayada, and the Jury President, Susan Dixon - in fact it is the first all female jury at an IPC First Category Event. (Karla Cole & Lidia Kosk) The rules had been accepted at the last Plenary Meeting in Bulgaria, and at the competitors briefing it was an opportunity for Randy Connell to present them and answer questions from the competitors.  I think the by-line for this competition has to be "This decision is not grounds for protest"! 

The weather forecast for the morning is not perfect and so we shall have an early start - 7.00 am - but the organisation is good and with the three aircraft it should take no more than 90 minutes per task, and the plan is to start with the Time task, moving onto Distance and ending with Speed to complete the first round.  The "unofficial" dynamic results will appear on line immediately after uploading from the PLD device (GPS gizmo) - making this probably the most technical event of our skydiving disciplines.

The opening ceremony was stunning, with Gary Connery starting the ceremony with a dramatic wingsuit flying display culminating in opening the parachute that carried the "Queen" into the opening ceremony at the London Olympics 2012.  Followed by Wez Wesley with an awesome display of swooping into the area in front of the competitors.  Finally we were treated to a professional display by the Red Devils showing as a range of skills, as they flag jumped the Regimental Flag into the arena, team approach on landing and a three man down plane, culminating in a stupendous flag jump with the "Union Flag" measuring 5000 sq feet (the size of a football pitch)!

These amazing jumps, and it cannot be easy jumping in in front of the best Wingsuit Performance Flying competitors from all over the world, were followed by a pertinent and succinct speech from the Mayor of Salisbury, welcoming all to Netheravon - the oldest airfield in continuous use, in the world.  Graeme Windsor then thanked everyone for coming and for the hard work put in by Jackie Harper, (APA Secretary and organiser), John Smyth (BPA/UK Delegate) and James Hayhurst (Wingsuit Committee Chair) since their original proposal to host the competition was put to Graeme whilst at the CP World Championsdhips in  Z'Hills last August, to approval at the Plenary in February, to today.   An truly amazing timescale.  The FAI flag was then raised whilst the FAI Anthem played and the competition declared open.