9 minute read
Green Swamp Sport Klassic Catalyst
The Green Swamp Sport Klassic Catalyst
A pilot's beginnings to XC flying
by Ric Caylor
:My dream was to pilot my hang glider as far and long as I wanted to fly. I never could have imagined all that I would need to learn for that seemingly simple dream to become a reality. Attending the 2018 Green Swamp Sport Klassic (GSSK) turned out to be the biggest step toward achieving that dream. The GSSK is an annual mentored hang gliding event designed to improve cross-country skills and introduce pilots to competition flying. Since then, my life has never been the same.
In March 2017, I visited what is now Paradise Air Sports in Groveland, Florida, just a few days before the 2017 GSSK. I was a new H-3 pilot and had an unquenchable desire to fly cross country (XC) when I met Tom Lanning. He was a sage pilot who was working with two other pilots, reviewing a video that Lanning had taken while flying above them. They were analyzing their ICG track logs with a software
program while discussing how their flights could have had a different/better outcome. They talked about their thought process during those flights and why they had made the decisions that they did. Lanning was careful to offer only suggestions and hints. He emphasized that he did not want to tell pilots how or where to fly. Those pilots were Sara Weaver and Richard Westmoreland, both now highly ranked USA Sport Class competition pilots. The analytical detail and the tools they were utilizing to evaluate performance excited me. I thought that was exactly what I needed to help me reach my XC goals. I was green with envy because I wanted that kind of training. I knew at once that I wanted to participate, but I wasn’t ready for the 2017 GSSK.
Lanning sensed my desire to break the bonds that chained me to home LZs. He shared several key elements of flying XC. He had me drive around and visit possible fields where I could land. I surveyed several possible goal LZs, and I marked them on Google Maps. This tactic alone reassured me that I could “leave my home field bubble.” Thanks to his advice, just a few days later, I headed off to fly my first cross-country, a mere six miles downwind. I had flown my first XC and landed out!
Later that year, back home in central Pennsylvania, I started to push my XC distances. I desperately wanted to attend the next GSSK in 2018, and to be best prepared, I wanted to earn the following
LEFT TO RIGHT | Jon Irebeck & Ric | Zac (Zippy) Majors | 2018 mentor Larry Bunner with team and my daughter Kelsey Caylor as driver | Making goal with John Simon
special skill endorsements: turbulence (TUR), restricted landing field (RLF), and cross country (XC). The GSSK organizers recommend acquiring these endorsements before attending; however, the only “must-have” is the aero-tow (AT) rating.
Fun, fun, and more fun was my experience when I returned the following year with a few of my flying buddies. We still talk about how important the 2018 GSSK event was for us. I have fond memories of the accomplishments we shared. We also made new friends who came from the far reaches of the United States and overseas. I never expected to develop the incredible relationships that continue to this day.
Not only did we meet pilots who were of a skill level similar to ours, but we also learned from world-renowned pilots. Among them were Zac (Zippy) Majors (U.S. National Champion), Christian Ciech (World Champion), and Jonny Durand (Red Bull hang gliding athlete). In addition, other top open class pilots mentored and shared their time and energy to help participants who wanted to improve their skills.
There was no lack of talented mentors and fun times. The primary purpose of the GSSK was to learn from and fly with accomplished mentoring pilots. Each mentor and his or her mentees would try to fly as a team while attempting to make the daily task goal. The mentee teams were made up of, at most, four pilots who would remain together for the week.
I was blown away by what we experienced at our first GSSK. It was like a university for hang glider
pilots as the mentoring pilots patiently shared their knowledge. I am still in awe of those who, to this day, continue to advise me and others. One of my hang gliding mentors once said to me, “I could never quit this sport because all of my best friends are hang glider pilots. The fun times we share have no rival.” I couldn’t agree more. My life is incredibly rich thanks to the hang glider pilots who have become some of my closest friends.
Every day of the 2018 GSSK was full of fun; from early morning to late at night, the focus was on everything pertaining to hang gliding. Every day offered something a little different too. Our mornings were busy with setting up gliders, packing harnesses, readying gear, and loading tasks in our computers. We participated in an elective activity such as a “launching and landing clinic,” which was video recorded. In the evening, pilots would gather at the clubhouse to watch (and critique) the morning’s videos while enjoying pizza and adult beverages. Other fun social times were spent in enjoying the swimming pool or the lake, playing volleyball, flying RC planes, shooting pool, or shamelessly singing karaoke until late at night.
Our days were full of activity. We had group pilot briefings about the weather, task, launch order, and location, as well as launch and start times. Any safety issues were discussed before flying each day. Following the general meeting, we had smaller team meetings with our mentors to discuss strategies, tactics, and any questions or concerns about the assigned task.
On days we did not fly due to poor weather, the afternoons offered clinics and mini-seminars cover-
An evening spent reviewing videos with Mitch Shipley.
ing any topic related to hang gliding. World-class pilots led question and answer sessions during which we learned an enormous range of things, big and small. We learned how to read Skew-T atmospheric charts, how to improve thermaling, and how to fly safely in gaggles. We learned launching and towing best practices and how to plan glides to the next source of lift, as well as how to improve our odds of having a safe landing in a field without a windsock. We discussed the importance of landing near easily accessible roads, gates, and shade trees after landing (and how to deal with irate landowners after landing on their property). The list is almost endless: We learned to program and better understand our flight instruments; we encountered new equipment; and we learned effective use of radio communication. We would also discover better ways to pack our harnesses, stow gear, manage inflight resources, and prearrange retrievals.
I geeked out on becoming a more efficient and better-prepared pilot. Taken together, the mentors, teams, clinics, and other activities were an incredibly enriching experience. The GSSK, with all its vast and cumulative knowledge, is a safer environment to learn cross-country skills. Central Florida is typically non-threatening with lots of landing options and a multitude of huge fields with good road access. It also has typically reliable soaring weather. The daily routine of flying allows pilots to rapidly absorb, utilize, and refine what is being taught. This was a huge improvement over my earlier attempts to learn cross-country flying at my home site with my local club, where XC learning opportunities had been infrequent and often attempted in less-than-ideal conditions. So, when I discovered the GSSK, it was like nirvana for me. It addressed all those problems.
Having the whole week at the GSSK to fly, learn more, mess with my gear, tweak my instruments, and become more familiar with things that I never had time to do at home was great. This was time just for me—dedicated time to focus on hang gliding. It has been said that attending one week at the GSSK is equivalent to a year’s worth of recreational flying due to the concentrated learning that takes place. I found it a richly rewarding experience.
Even though this was a competitive event, winning a day or the GSSK was not of major importance to me. My goals were to have fun, cultivate relationships, learn more, be safe, and beat my personal bests. Competition flying is tough for many reasons, but it is the best way to measure one’s performance. Everyone is trying to achieve the same goal in the same weather conditions. The results are a yardstick against which to evaluate one’s strengths and weaknesses.
My intention was not to become a competition pilot. Rather, I yearned to become a more skilled, knowledgeable, and safer XC pilot. I have now attended two GSSKs and numerous other competitions. My progression has taken me from barely being able to thermal well to being selected as a U.S. Team member at the 2020 World Sport Class Championship (which was unfortunately canceled). The education I received at the GSSK was the catalyst that enabled my dreams to become a reality.
Please visit https://airtribune.com/2022-green-swamp-sport-klassic/info/details for more information and to sign up for the 2022 event.
SCHOLARSHIP opportunities available.
Does attending the Green Swamp Sport Klassic sound like fun? Does attending also sound expensive? We would like to see you there this year and maybe the scholarship fund could help. The target candidate would be a pilot with little or no competition experience and someone who would benefit from a mentored introduction to competition flying. Our goal is to provide funds to cover the cost of entry and/or tow fees depending on the number of requests made and funding available. If you would like to attend and find yourself with extra enthusiasm but limited funds, consider requesting a scholarship. Send a brief email to greenswampscholarship@gmail.com and tell us about your hang gliding experience and something about yourself. Generosity opportunities available.
GENEROSITY opportunities available.
If hang gliding has been rewarding for you and you would like to give back in a way that might encourage the next generation of pilots, this is your chance. Visit
