NOTICE : Manilla XC Camp - no event in 2025.

The 2024 Manilla XC Camp marked the temporary end of an era for annual big week long international events in Manilla after 30 years.

From the beginning in 1993 with annual Manilla PG Open, Australian PG Open and Kiwi PG Open through to the FAI 7th World Championships in 2007, the XC Open World Series (2006-2010) and more recently the hugely popular XC Camp events (2011-2024), it’s time for a break.

Information below is for the previous 2024 event.

Manilla XC Camp 2024 - it's FREE ! 

Dates :  Sat 20 - Sat 27 Jan 2024

Location : Mt Borah

Manilla XC Camp 2024

Full DAY REPORTS for the event can be found on the Manilla Paragliding Facebook page : Click here !

2024 Pilot Registration Link : Click Here !

Daily Pilot Scoring (kms) input link : Registered pilots should check their event info email for the link

Pilot List : Click Here

2024 Event Results PDF : Available once the event is finished

Results for XCC 2023 : Click Here !

Note : All pilots must be SAFA & Manilla SkySailors full or visiting members.

SAFA Visiting Pilot Membership Link : Click Here !

Manilla SkySailors Club Membership (requires SAFA MShip First !) : Click Here !

 

 Fly as Far as You Can !

Dates : 20th - 27th Jan 2024

Location : Mt Borah, Manilla, Australia

First Briefing : Friday 19th Jan 8pm

First Day Briefing : Sat 20th Jan 9am

Regular Day Briefings : 930am

Hi XC Pilots ! 

The MANILLA XC CAMP 2024 is a FREE event for XC pilots of all levels.

The informal flight distances are scored either using one of the online systems (your choice) or your straight line Open Distance from your GPS - nice and easy. You just write your distance on the score sheet - simple !

Come for as many days as you like, fly XC as far as you can, fly with and learn from some of the best XC pilots. No pressure, no worries... just fly. Many pilots (of all levels !) achieve Personal Bests every year. In 2015, 2017, 2018,  2019 and 2020 many pilots flying at the XC camp flew over 200 and even 300kms and many novice pilots flew PB's over 100kms in easy, safe conditions. 

Mt Borah has 4 huge astro-turfed launches for nearly all wind directions and easy landings and was developed for the World Champs in 2007. The Manilla area offers one of the worlds safest XC regions for all pilot levels from Novice > Expert who have some thermalling experience. Emergency services (ambulance and rescue) are 15 minutes away in Manilla township, and the medical evacuation helicopter is based in Tamworth just 15mins flight time away. The area also has excellent 3G mobile phone coverage with 2 networks now operating giving reception to over 300kms out ! 

Features : Daily XC weather briefings by Godfrey Wenness, tips and trick sessions, regular day prizes and scoring updates in all classes (FUN, SPORT, XC and COMP). Pilots with OPEN Class gliders are welcome to attend but will not be scored. 

Camping on site is A$10/pp/night - power is available (powered sites are $15/pp/night). 

Cabins - Twin or double - are $25/pp/night and include all linen, blankets and towels. 

The cabins & camping area at Mt Borah has 2 kitchens + BBQ, and now a Bar & swimming pool to chill out in after a long XC ! 

Bookings for cabins are essential - contact "godfrey (at) flymanilla.com" 

Pilot Classes:

The Manilla XC Camp scores in 4 pilot/glider classes as well as womens. Please be sure to input the correct pilot/glider class when registering.

EN-B sub-classes and pilot requirements

In previous years there has been debate about the EN-B High glider class. If a brand has 2 (or even 3) gliders certified in EN-B then the ones with the higher aspect ratio are usually the 'B-Mid' or 'B-High' and require around 100hrs experience to safely fly in all conditions. Another way to identify a 'B-mid' and 'B-High' is that a standard EN-B Low is suitable as a first glider for new pilots straight from school who are well skilled, a 'B-Mid' or 'B-High' is NOT suitable for such pilots as their first glider.

EN-C sub-classes and pilot requirements

The EN-C class is now also split into 2 sections : EN-C Std (2.5 and 3 liners) and EN-C High (2 liners). The EN-C High require a minimum of 300hrs logged over at least 3 years flying and stepping up from experience on a EN-C Std.

IMPORTANT NOTICE : To promote safety in the sport the MSS Club reserves the right to not permit pilots to fly from Mt Borah if they are using a glider above their logged skill level. Generally that means around 100hrs logged for a EN-B High, 200hrs for a EN-C Std, 300hrs for a EN-C High and 500hrs for a EN-D and above. 

FUN

Glider : EN-A & EN-B (Low)

Eg: Gliders up to En-B like Alpha, Epsilon, Buzz, Bolero etc

and...

Pilot: <100hrs XC

SPORT

Glider : EN-B (Mid), EN-B+ (High) & EN-C (Std) 2.5 and 3 liners

Eg: EN-B+ (High) Iota, Rush, Mentor,

Eg: EN-C (Std) 2.5 and 3 liners : Sigma, Delta, Artik etc

and...

Pilot 100-500hrs XC and/or <5yrs XC

Note : Pilots with 500hrs+ and/or 5yrs+ XC are in XC Class below regardless of glider type !

XC

Glider: EN-C (High) 2 liners and EN-D (old gen) – 3 liners

Eg: EN-C (High) 2 liners : Photon, Artik R, Bonanza

Eg: EN-D 3 liners (usually older/previous generation EN-D models) : Omega X-Alps2, Mantra, Peak etc

COMP

Glider : EN-D Comp/CCC – All EN-D and above 2 liners

International Pilots - more info .. please read this :

If you are coming for the XC Camp, or any XC flying in Australia now and in the future, you will need to have a VHF Airband radio endorsement to allow you to fly through some areas called CTAF's (small airport zones). Of course you can fly through the areas as before, but if you don't have the endorsement AND you upload the flight to a online contest etc (or are in a comp) you will get penalised as there are pilots watching who have nothing better to do and just love to send the xc flight track file to the authorities :-(

These are small airports with almost no traffic, but the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) decided in its (un)wisdom to force all users to listen and make calls on airband radios (VHF AM 118-136mHz) to improve safety and avoid mid-air collisions. Previously there was no need for this as everyone just looked out for each other typical for Class G airspace around the world. There has been no increase in air traffic nor any evidence of mid-air collisions or close calls. Almost nowhere else in the world has such requirements for such small airports. Yes its not statistically valid, but we all know bureaucrats are not known for their practical thinking ability ! 

Either way we are stuck with this situation almost uniquely in the world. It has recently effected the HG World Champs (in Forbes) as well for example. 

Most XC areas in Aus now have some of the CTAF zones which are a circle 10nm / 18kms radius around the tiny country airports/airstrips. We have some in NSW, and there are close ones to Bright, Corryong and others. 

There is a study guide on the SAFA web site (documents section) so you can do the exams with you once here. We can then send in the form which gets endorsed to your HGFA Visiting Pilot Membership. This doesnt cost anything except your time to study a little - (maybe on the flight over!) and do the exam (about 30mins). You will learn how to make proper radio calls to other aircraft just like a Cessna or Airbus pilot. Once you have the VHF Airband Radio Operators Endorsement you will have it for life..and wont need to do it again. Then you are Ok to fly in the zones here (and publish your flights track-log online) and in other countries where it is needed (of course you need a VHF AM airband radio as well). 

If you would like the study guide link please do a member log-in to  www.hgfa.asn.au and go to the documents section.

Of course there are ways around the issue.. like uploading xc flights with a pseudonym, or dont upload at all...its the track-log upload that is the issue as this provides official evidence that you were in the zones. 

In the Manilla XC region there are some zones like this approx 60-150kms out from take off in a few directions. You can easily fly around them if you plan ahead, but on a cracking XC day with great wind drift its a shame to waste time to fly around them. 

ALL visiting international pilots MUST have a SAFA Visiting Pilot Membership (VPM) to fly in Australia. Please also don't forget to do your SAFA Visiting Pilot m/ship online before you leave home.. Click Here !

ALL pilots (Australian and International) must be members of the Manilla SkySailors club. It is now done ONLY online using your valid SAFA# : Click Here !

See you in Manilla for some XC this January !

Godfrey

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