De Grenfell Weekly

> It's a Bird, It’s a Plane, No it’s a Hang Glider
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> Forbes is currently hosting their annual Flatland Hang Gliding Championships, so if you see a rather large, strange looking bird flying around, don’t be alarmed, it’s a hang glider. I came across Hadewych Van Kempen who had just landed her hang glider in Hunter’s canola stubble on the Mid Western Highway on Tuesday. This is the fourth year Hadewych, 42 from the Netherlands, has competed in the championships and she just loves it out here. The championships are run over 10 days and have attracted over 70 pilots from beginners to well known experienced ones. A large number of these pilots are from overseas. Hadewych is pleased to see a few more women taking up this exhilarating sport, with two Russian girls, one from Germany, Austria and Finland taking part in this year’s event. Hadewych is a part of team with two other male pilots from Sydney. The teams are set tasks for the day. Tuesday task was to fly 110km south to a goal, target. Unfortunately, Hadewych fell short of ‘goal’ flying only 50kms, which had her up in the sky for just over 2 hours, but her team mates where radioing in saying they were only 35km from goal. She was however very pleased with her landing in the paddock and once she had her energy drink, she phoned the driver, fourth member of the team, her co-ordinates so she could be picked up. Back in the Netherlands she works as a civil servant which helps fund her passion for hand gliding which she took up 17 years ago and has been all over the world with her trusty Moyle’s. (she misunderstood Moyes of course)