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| The caravan |
It will be made up of 20 hang-gliders, 10 paragliders, 5 trikes, 15 cars, 2 trucks and 2 buses.
Each one will have its own specific function. Here are some of their characteristics:
HANG-GLIDER Hang-gliders today can be considered true “ portable gliders ”, it being possible to fly for hundreds of kilometres in a single flight, on a single day. The South American long distance or “cross country ” hang-gliding record, was broken by the Brazilian pilot Fernando DF taking off from Patu, in RN, the 4th ramp of the course. The WORLD tandem flight record was also broken from there by the also Brazilian Andre Fleury. |
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PARAGLIDER Like the hang-glider, it is also a portable glider. Flying by using thermal currents, they can travel great distances. The great advantages over a hang-glider are the practicality (becoming a backpack after landing) and the possibility of landing in extremely small spaces. Measured against the hang-glider, the main disadvantage is performance: however aerodynamic they’re becoming, the glide is always at least 30% less than the hang-glider’s. The women’s WORLD record was achieved taking off from our 5th ramp: Quixada in Ceara. Petra Krausova from the Czech Republic flew 247kms in 2005. In the same year Diogo Pires from Portugal broke the male South American record flying 380kms. Due to the low speed, they cannot be towed by trikes, therefore in the event they will be towed by cars. |
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RETRIEVE CARS Their aim is to pick up the pilots who do not reach the day’s “goal”, in other words, those who don’t manage to reach the next city on the route. The cars are generally 4x4s equipped with GPS, base radio, maps etc. After the pilots these are the most important items to ensure the success of the event. |
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TOW CARS These will tow the paragliders at the take off in Recife and at the last task, in Piaui. |
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BUSES These will be responsible for the transport of pilots, staff and volunteers. One of them will be set up also to offer social services such as issuing of identity cards, consultations with doctors, distribution of donations etc. |
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TRIKE Motorized hang-glider. They will have the function of accompanying the event from the air, producing incredible aerial images, and assisting in the recovery of the pilots after the flight. They will have an important part also in the take off and on the last leg towing the pilots to the tasks because both Recife and the boundary between Piaui and Maranhao are located in an extremely flat area, without any possibility of take off for the pilots from ramps on mountains. This modality is known as Aerotowing and has been used in the competitions of the Race & Rally Series since 1996 in Sao Paulo. |
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TRUCKS They will be accompanying the route with the organization’s and pilots’ equipment, transporting the adventure park and all the itinerant structure of the event. |
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