Episode 187- The ABC’s of Flying the World Cup

Superfinal, DisentisThis episode was first scheduled as a quick primer to be released on the front of a “normal” podcast interview, but as we began recording it became clear it could stand alone as a show on its own. The World Cup is as high as it gets in competition hang gliding and paragliding. For many it is the ultimate goal in cross country flying. But getting an invitation to fly in the world cup isn’t very straightforward. First there are the many organizations- the FAI, CIVL, PWCA, and a nations flying organization (USHPA, BHPA, etc.). What’s the difference between Cat 1 and Cat 2? What is the WPRS and how does it play into selection? What are letters and why are they important? How do you make the World’s team and how is that different from a world cup? The road to a world cup isn’t very straight, but with a little clarification of the acronyms, and an understanding of how it all works together you can navigate the process quite easily. I sat down with Bill Hughes, who is the treasurer for the PWCA, is on the board at CIVL and USHPA and also works with the FAI to take us through the ABC’s of flying the highest level comps there is. If you have a goal of competing on the world cup this show is for you.