Pan American Gliding Championships in Brazil

Branko Stojkovic

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Jun 21, 2022, 4:55:02 PM6/21/22

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Dear US Team Members,

I am disappointed and saddened by the fact that no pilots from the US have signed up to fly in the Pan American Championships in Brazil in September this year. The organizers have extended the entry deadline, hoping that someone from the US might still decided to participate.

Two Canadian pilots will participate, Sergei Morozov and yours truly. For my US friends who might be sitting on the fence, I compiled some information about the venue.

I have flown from Luis Eduardo Magalhais (or LEM in Bahia province) on 9 occasions since 2012, each trip lasting between 2 and 3 weeks. I only missed 2020 because of Covid. The conditions for gliding in the area are excellent, especially in the month of September, when you can on average fly 9 out of 10 days.

I have flown there a total of 630 hours and 62,000 XC kilometers (40,000 miles). I made 9 flights over 900 km (all in a Nimbus 3T) and 28 flights over 750 km, (three of which were in a Jantar Standard 2). I also did a lot of XC flights in Quero Quero, the Brasilian version of KA6, including a 500 km declared FAI triangle. The average length of all my XC flights (107 in total) was 580 km.

You can find some more details on my Blog and the YouTube video below.
https://brankosbahiagliding.blogspot.com/2013/12/welcome.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoVO0Ma8z10

Currently, there are only three gliders offered for rent on the contest Website (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoVO0Ma8z10). All three are Discus B and all three are owned by the Brazilian aero club. These gliders can be flown in the handicapped 15m class, where the majority of the gliders will be ASW-20. One Discus B will be flown by Sergei, so two are still available for rent.

The hotel accommodation in LEM is decent and relatively inexpensive. Renting a car with a tow hitch may be difficult, however, I am sure that my Brazilian friends will help you in an unlikely case you need a ground retrieve.

I would be happy to answer any of your questions.

All the best,
Branko Stojkovic XYU

rfrit...@gmail.com

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Jul 10, 2022, 12:41:35 PM7/10/22

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Here is a link for the web page for the contest https://www.planadores.org.br/panamerican/?tipo=entry-list
and a face book page for the event https://www.facebook.com/4pagc.brazil with pictures for the area and previous contests
It is an area with good weather and the potential for racing tasks of 500km+

John Godfrey

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Jul 10, 2022, 5:23:28 PM7/10/22

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Unfortunately, unless the IGC has/does issue a waiver, entries from four countries are required for it to be an official championship. Currently there are only three shown.

Sergio Bassi

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Jul 12, 2022, 5:50:00 PM7/12/22

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I am also sad with the USA team not participating in the Pan American Championship. As a teenager I started to fly gliders in 1974 in Brazil when SSA membership was booming. Soaring magazine was one of my prime references. George Moffat and Karl Striedieck and other USA pilots were my heroes. Crewing for the Brazilian team I witnessed Tom Beltz almost winning the 1983 WGC at Hobbs and Doug Jacobs winning the 1985 WGC at Rieti. Now days it is exciting to see promising newer generation pilots like Sarah Arnold, a World Champion herself and Daniel Sazhin between others. I was thrilled when the Pan American Championship was proposed, and did my best to be present at the first championship in Tennessee. The competition was cursed by poor weather but the experience was worth all efforts, due to the camaraderie between the contestants, the beautiful sceneries and all the nice people I met.
All that said, the Brazilian Gliding Federation is not sparing any effort to make the 4th Pan American a successful championship. As Branko has properly described in his post, the chosen site is maybe the best in Brazil. A very high flyable days statistic, strong conditions and a very safe environment for the rare outlandings. I am aware of the difficulties involved in participating, but in some degree they are always present when flying a championship in other country. The lack of interest of a country with so many competitive pilots and one of biggest glider fleet in the world is maybe indicating that the Pan American Championships may not have a bright future ahead.

Sergio Bassi

John Foster

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Jul 12, 2022, 7:59:15 PM7/12/22

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure its so much a lack of interest, as it is a lack of funding. It costs a lot of money to organize and transport a team and equipment for an event this big. In the USA we have trouble getting attendance for regional and national events, often due to travel expenses, let alone making an international trek for an event that is not a "Worlds" level event. The economy in the USA is not doing so well recently.

John Godfrey

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Jul 12, 2022, 9:07:47 PM7/12/22

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The Pan American Gliding Championships in Brazil is sanctioned as a Category 1 event, with the same importance as a WGC.

Tony

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Jul 13, 2022, 6:54:45 PM7/13/22

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Does COVID have anything to do with it? Only a few months ago a friend had to leave his wife behind in Brasil because of travel restrictions...and surely part of the problem is that SSA hasn't yet initiated the ranking and balloting for the US team, and this with pre-WGC at Narromine only 4 months away. No excuse has been offered, and what excuse could there be?

Sergio Bassi

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Jul 13, 2022, 9:08:17 PM7/13/22

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COVID restrictions for flying to Brazil are presenting a Vaccination Card at least 14 days old or a negative PCR test from the day before departure.

Tony

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Aug 8, 2022, 5:23:35 AM8/8/22

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Perhaps getting it posted on the SSA website would help in future? Maybe even worth doing now...

John Godfrey

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Aug 8, 2022, 1:18:00 PM8/8/22

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Done

John Godfrey

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Sep 1, 2022, 10:17:25 AM9/1/22

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From the notes from the recent IGC Bureau meeting on 23-Aug 2023 (https://www.fai.org/sites/default/files/igcbureau_220823_notes_final.pdf)

"The bureau took note of the recent cancellation of the PAGC 2022 by the organisers due to lower then required number of registered international participants."

At my last observation, there were entrants from 3 countries incluing Canada an none from the USA. For a championship 4 countries must be represented.

Roy B.

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Sep 1, 2022, 7:13:13 PM9/1/22

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One of the contributing factors to the lack of US pilot participation is something nobody much talks about. In the USA you do not need a medical certificate to fly gliders nor to compete in gliders. But you do need one for FAI contests and to fly in most other countries. They will not accept Basic Med (if you have that). I was on the PAGC Team in 2019 but recently lost my medical for 14 months and just got it back. I could not apply for the '22 PAGC Team because of the medical certificate issue. Yet, during the 14 months of "no medical" I was fit (at least in the USA) to fly gliders and flew 220 hours and over 20,000 km. I know of several US competition pilots (most better than me) who can't get a medical and can fly abroad for that reason. I've flown in many countries (and hold licenses in 3) but unless other countries address this issue they can't invite all US glider pilots or competitors. Many countries follow the US lead in aviation regulation - but not in this area.
ROY

Valéria Caselato

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Sep 2, 2022, 12:38:54 AM9/2/22

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Dear John and all,

The 4PAGC in Brazil was cancelled because no country in America was interested in participating.

The IGC Bureau authorized the validation of the championship with 3 countries and 8 pilots per class. Big efforts have been made to organize this competition, along with a series of measures to facilitate foreign competitors' participation. Among them, Brazilian gliders usually flown in competitions were made available up to the last moment, as well as cars, trailers and competent bilingual crew. Foreign license validation, incredibly large and highly authorized airspace, Brazilian Air Force Aerobatics Squadron presentation are only a few of the most visible features that were already arranged. And even so, no country in America was interested in participating and contributing to the development of the sport in Brazil and in the world.

So, we set up at the last minute a Brazilian Championship to take advantage of all the preparations that had been done for the cancelled 4PAGC. Luis Eduardo Magalhães (LEM), where the 4PAGC would be held, is the gliding paradise in Brazil. And we plan to fly 750 km FAI and 1000 km FAI triangle in the tasks. Follow us in Soaring Spot and OLC.

Good flights :)

Valéria Caselato
Brazilian Gliding Federation, President
Delegate of Brazil IGC
4PAGC Championship Manager

Tony

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Sep 9, 2022, 10:32:25 PM9/9/22

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Dear Valeria: so sorry to see the effort fail. The multiple COVID postponements may have caused folks to lose track. Please reach out on this venue and to the SSA in advance with details for...2026!?