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Name: | Kari Ellis |
| Glider: | Niviuk Peak 3 | |
| Flying For: | 5 years | |
| AU Rank: | 20 | |
| WPRS: | 760 |
1. Where do you mostly fly?
The flatlands, Bright and Corryong.
2. Which pilots most influenced you?
The first pilots who really influenced my flying were my early mentors, Brian Webb and Andy Horchner. These two guys were so good to me - they took me along on their flying trips, flew with me, patiently listened to my thermal stories and generally did whatever they could to help me get established as a comp and XC pilot. They have both had a huge impact on my flying career. Over the last 5 years I have been lucky to be around a lot of other pilots that I have watched and learned from too. Alex Yaschenko and I learned to fly around the same time and we have flown a lot together every season since then. He is a tremendously naturally talented pilot, but he also works very hard at it improving both his XC and comp flying skills. Trying to keep pace with his rapid development has been good for me - it has kept me motivated and made me push myself hard as well. I have also been really fortunate to fly a lot with Sebastian Benz over the last couple of seasons. Spending time with Sebby has taught me a lot about the importance of developing mental toughness. It contributes to so many aspects of comp and XC flying - consistency in performance, hunger to do well, tenacity, self belief, bouncing back from bad days and so on. I have also learnt a lot from flying with Bruce Marks over the last few years. In particular, the importance of doing your homework before you fly. Bruce is always the best prepared pilot on the hill - he will have studied the weather, airspace, terrain and road networks; planned his route; and arranged his logistics. From that point onwards, the only thing he has to worry about is flying the day as it unfolds. Last but not least is Mer Malocsay, who introduced me to crossfit and the (what I believe to be significant and under-recognised) correlation between being really fit and flying a really long way.
3. Where and what was your most memorable flying experience, best flight ever?
My favourite paragliding memory is definitely from the summer of 2011 and my first trip out to Deni. Brian and Andy were heading out there and invited me to join them, along with Alex, Geoff, Mer and of course Ronnie. It was really early days in my flying career and I knew I was probably in way over my head. I had flown my first 100km flight less than a month beforehand, I had about 10 tows on a winch under my belt and I was heading out to fly in seriously harsh conditions, over very remote terrain, with sparse and unfamiliar road networks. The guys had also made it very clear to me that if I joined the trip, there would be no 'hand holding' - I had to be able to look after myself. Quite sensibly, I was seriously intimidated. But I couldn't resist - so I went anyway. The first day we flew was pretty close to a classic Deni day. The tow paddock was hostile - hotter than an oven, with huge cycles coming through, but Alex and I got away early together on our Mentor2s and hooked up with Geoff Wong on his R10.2. We went on to fly over 200km together that day. It was 7 hours of incredible adventure - learning to navigate wind-blown thermals, horrible windy low saves which induced panic any time we were more than 2km from a road and finally that beautiful feeling you get when you realise you have made it through the rodeo and you are going to get to fly out to the buttery smooth end of the day. That flight definitely kicked off my love of flying in the flatlands. I eventually landed up beyond Griffith in a remote valley at sunset. Our pilots were scattered all over NSW and our retrieve van drove over 1200km that night picking everyone up. When they finally arrived to collect me at 2am I had climbed a tree to escape the feral pigs. We made it back to Deni as the sun came up. I was feeling pretty happy - 200km was so much further than I had thought I was capable of flying and I had set a new Australian women's record. I crashed out in my 40'C tent and slept for about 15 hours. The post-script to this story is that my Aussie women's record stood for less than 24hrs. Mer had bombed out that first day and she was so pissed with her effort that after we got home from retrieve she had a 1 hour power nap, then headed straight back out to the paddock, towed up and smashed out 257km. She might be midget-sized, but that bird sure can fly.
4. What is your favourite flying site in your State?
Pig Hill, Brindabella Ranges.
5. What is your favourite site in Australia?
Conargo, NSW
6. What is your favourite site in World?
Chelan, Washington State.
7. What is you favourite item in your flying kit and why?
My selfie-stick and my iPhone, for in-flight photos and social networking.
8. What do you believe to be your strongest flying skill?
My ability to remain relaxed and fresh throughout flights. This is something I learnt from Sebby and I think it really helps for flying a long way, day after day.
9. What do you believe to be your weak link?
I need to learn to find top gear earlier and stay there for longer, to make better use of the peak of the day.
10. What equipment do you use, Harness, Instruments, etc?
Impress3, Peak3, Flymaster B1NAV, Kobo + XC-Soar...
11. Best comp task you’ve flown so far, the most memorable?
A 100km out and return task in the 2012 comp in Chelan. It was a totally classic Chelan day that allowed for wonderfully fast flying. The turn point was at Mansfield and I had a very memorable run under beautiful clouds. I just squeaked back over the rim to make goal for the first time ever in my comp flying career and I won the day in sports class. There were heaps of pilots in goal and its hard to beat the vibe in a happy goal-field.
12. Why do you fly?
Flying is the perfect dose of adventure, challenge, fear and fun for me. I also feel like I found my 'tribe' when I started flying - the friendships that I have made through flying are incredibly precious to me.
13. What are your personal flying goals?
To fly +400km. And some day, to fly my paraglider for my country at the World Champs.
14. What tips can you give to newcomers to the sport?
Keep your ego in check.