The Wallaby Ranch

Record Flights

And What's New this month:

2000 has been another great year at the Wallaby Ranch. More people are flying farther and longer than ever before:

Davis Straub makes the first flight of over 200 miles in the eastern US.

Oldest Novice Rating in the United States - Bill Nye 74 years old, Palm Beach, Florida. (1997)

Youngest Novice Rating in the United States - Ben Jackson, 13 years old, Tampa Florida. (1997)
Record Type Pilot Date New Record
Cross Country Distance (rigid wing) Davis Straub May 20, 2000 212 miles
Cross Country Distance (ragwing) Mike Champlin April 5,1997 147.3 miles Wallaby Ranch to Lake City, Florida
Duration David Glover June 14, 1995 6 hours 34 minutes
Triangle Distance Mike Peleskovich and
Prior Powers		 48 miles

    Other notables:
  • Mike Barber and Davis Straub went over 100 miles on the same day "Hollywood" did the Record flight.
  • A 93 miler, an 88 miler, and numerous 75 mile flights. Over fifty 25+ mile flights during the spring.
  • Novice flights: many over 4 hours and a 40 miler.
  • A full time MD has logged over 50 hours on his days off in just two months.
  • Many women learned and flew their first solo flights here.
  • Michelle, who is paralyzed from the waist down, learned to fly at the Ranch.
  • In the last 3 years more people have learned to fly hang gliders at the Ranch aerotowing than at any other hang gliding school in America.

    Check Out What's New in 1997: