Tom Payne (GB) on his way to a 169 km FAI triangle. Photo: Tom Payne
British paraglider pilot Tom Payne stormed to the top of the British international XC league with an FAI triangle flight of 169.55 km, flown around the Chamonix – Annecy area of the French Alps on Wednesday 28 April 2010. The flight may also have earned him two UK records: UK National Distance around a triangular course – 169.55 km and UK National Speed over a triangular course of 150km – 7hrs 29mins 20.3 km/h.
Starting from les Grands Montets in Chamonix, his turnpoints were Les Dents D’Arclusaz and a point North of Parmelan (Annecy). Another British pilot, Jon Chambers, flew most of the triangle with Tom, but his left brake line snapped near the second turnpoint, forcing him to land early.
Tom describes his flight in detail on Paragliding Forum.
On the same day, there were seven 200+ km flights flown on paragliders in the Alps, the longest of which was French pilot Guy Parat’s 245.72 km triangle in the Grenoble area of France.
Swiss hang glider pilot Heinz Betschart topped the hang glider distances that day, with a 230.27 km FAI triangle flown in Switzerland on an Atos.
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