More than 150 participants of the best paragliding pilots of the national panorama crossed the skies of the province of Jaén, from 12 to 19 May thanks to the celebration of the Paragliding Championship in Pegalajar, Spain. This event served as preparation for the World Cup of the specialty and took place in the beautiful spot of the Siete Pilillas de Pegalajar Flight Center, thanks to the collaboration agreement of the City Councils.

The activities were scheduled to start around 12.00 in the morning without a specific closing time due to weather conditions. The championship was supported by the Andalusian Federation of air sports and the Royal Aeronautical Federation of Spain. The celebration of this test of great national and international impact is measured, according to Antonio Lope – president of the Pepelajar Paragliding Club-, by the participation of more than 150 pilots, some even international.

The National Championship and FAI2 Open began on May 13 with more than 150 pilots taking part in Siete Pilillas’ extensive take-off of the turf. The window was opened at 1:00 pm and the start point at 15:00. Time to spare for all the participants to go on the air. In addition, the Peña del Águila de Mancha Real Flight Center was enabled for unofficial flights of the Championship, so fans and practitioners of this sport who wanted to get closer to the competition, had the opportunity to practice their favorite sport near the stars of the national paraglider.

The Flight Center Siete Pilillas de Pegalajar, is one of the most recognized in Spain for its long history in the celebration of this type of event. It has hosted the Absolute Spain Championship and aspires to host the Paragliding World Championship in 2022. The Siete Pilillas takeoff is located in the port between the road from Pegalajar to Mancha Real, 2 kilometers from the municipality of La Charca.

The event, organized by the Pegalajar Paragliding Club and the city council, seeks to increase the competitiveness of this population in relation to flight zones, and to promote tourism, adventure sports, and of course promote Sierra Mágina as a place for paragliding, even through the brand ‘Parapente Pegalajar’, which would increase tourism, generating an economic boost for the region.

The first day was something windy and covered with cirrus clouds but there was a lot of instability so the 60.5km route could be completed. It was a very technical and long-suffering race, especially at the start of the race and up to the Almadén, both due to the large number of pilots and the very broken and scattered thermals, which generated moments of tension.

The conclusion of the race was exciting, Francis Reina and Julien Garcia dominated the situation about 50m above the rest of the riders, so when they considered that they had enough altitude they started the final glide but they encountered a strong thermal that forced them to loosen their grip. rhythm. Daniel Crespo, who was already happily resigned to enter third position saw the opportunity and pressed the pedal fully and decided to launch about 10 seconds later and then there was a continuous flow of pilots towards the Goal. Finally 55 pilots completed the race.

The talented and sympathetic Venezuelan pilot Ernesto Hinestrosa, was crowned winner in the Serial class with Meru M in the Paragliding Open in Pegalajar, Spain which just finished last week.

Some takeoffs that stand out both for their quality in terms of thermal air currents that allow large flights both in height and distance, as well as their accessibility, as they have completely paved accesses that allow access for both pilots and the general public , which contributes to making the show more visible to the viewer.