Tahtali – Paragliding Competition – Part 2

Tuesday, 13 October 2015 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

Tahtali – We spent the rest of the day on a short excursion to Adrasan, checking out the beach and swimming spots. It is a truly dreamy place, featuring a dark sandy beach and gloriously blue, shimmering turquoise water.

There were hardly any tourists! I wonder if it remains this deserted even in the height of summer? We continued on toward Olympos and Cirali to make a quick stop at the Chimera fires.

Due to the steep incline of the steps, the hike up is quite strenuous; however, the sight of the flames flickering up from the ground especially at dusk makes the effort well worth it.

We were in luck, as there were very few tourists around, allowing us to take some photos in peace before heading back to our hotel in Tekirova.

The next morning, we set off for Tahtali as early as 7:00 AM. Once again, the first clouds were already gathering around the summit which had remained completely cloudless since 4:00 PM the previous day. We had to hurry to the top now, hoping we might still manage to launch a flight.

A biting cold wind awaited us at the summit; consequently, it was Pal Takats who without a moment's hesitation decided to attempt a quick launch from the sun-shaded side of the peak.

More clouds rolled in rapidly, and the view toward the coast began to vanish before our eyes. Pal had already completed all the necessary pre-flight checks while still in the gondola, and now he launched without delay.

Two assistants held his small acro wing (measuring a mere 17 m²), and just like that, he was off. After executing a few acrobatic maneuvers, Pal quickly disappeared in the direction of the cloud-free zones above Finike. The gusty wind grew steadily stronger, to the point where the next pilots attempting to launch had to abort after just two failed attempts. This was primarily due to the standard wing sizes, which exceeded 20 square meters. After a brief consultation, the group split up: while some chose to remain on the mountain, others viewed the beach as a better alternative.

Consequently, no further long-distance flights could be undertaken, and the final flights completed in Beysehir were officially declared the final results of the competition. We were on our way back from the beach when we spotted pilots Mustafa Ulutas and Chris Arnu flying overhead.

On this day, too, by around 3:00 PM, not a single cloud remained visible over Mount Tahtali. Patience is a virtue, and it often pays off.

Around 4:00 PM, all the pilots along with the officials present from the Karaman, Beysehir, and Olympos regions gathered for an awards ceremony, complete with the presentation of trophies and prizes, at a 5-star luxury hotel in Tekirova.

The organizer thanked all the pilots for their participation, and the officials for their generous assistance and support throughout the entire project. The first prize was then awarded to Trian Gkikopoulos for the longest single flight of 184.2 kilometers (total distance: 236.3 km); the second prize went to Pal Takats for a flight of 141.7 kilometers (total distance: 225.8 km); and the third prize was presented to Dmitriy Chernyak for his longest flight of 104.2 kilometers (total distance: 217.5 km).

The pilots, in turn, expressed their gratitude to Murat for hosting the XC competition, for the many new impressions of Turkey they had gained, and for opening up opportunities for paragliders that will undoubtedly be utilized even more frequently in the future. Here’s to seeing you all again next year!

We would love to be there again!

Please also read:

Tahtali – Final Stage of the Paragliding Competition

Irmak, Özhan, and Ayhan – Paragliding Pilots from Izmir