Yoko Isomoto, Woman’s World Hang Gliding Champion
Yoko Isomoto of Japan won it, there in the carnage of alps flying in Annecy, France. Haven’t seen shit like that in nearly 20 years of being around this stuff. Numerous serious injuries, and 9 reserve-chute deployments in 10 days (all survived, but deployments are very rare events—vast majority never do it in a lifetime of flying). Several collisions, and a death. Alps flying can be very unforgiving for tailless aircraft. It’s the terrain.
Basically, the format of the competition is about 10 days of a cross country flying task each day, shortest time to goal. Total goal distance averages 80 miles at minimum, 150 miles max, and some are out-and-return. On a weak-thermal day, a 150-mile task will have pilots laboring for over 6 hours in the air.
Françoise Dieuzeide-Banet of France, and longtime world-class pilot Corinna Schwiegershausen of Germany took 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
We need more women hang-glider pilots. Some like these New Zealand and Australian lovelies.
Make it happen, girls. Most of the guys are chicken. :)
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Yoko Isomoto .i like it . useful Champion!