Ex-Dunedin pupil seeing world from great height

Former Dunedin hang glider Jonas Lobitz gets aerial over Golden, British Columbia. Photo supplied.
Former Dunedin hang glider Jonas Lobitz gets aerial over Golden, British Columbia. Photo supplied.

How is the air up there? Just ask Jonas Lobitz. The Otago Boys' High School old boy is seeing the world from a great height and rising up the hang gliding rankings. Hayden Meikle tracks him down.

 

Hayden Meikle: Hi Jonas, where are you right now?

Jonas Lobitz: I'm currently sitting at LAX airport about to board my flight back to Sydney.

HM: What events have you been in recently?

JL: I've been travelling around the United States for the last three months documenting and filming for a hang gliding project.

I have competed at the world hang gliding championships in Mexico, the US Open championships in Florida, Flytec Race and Rally in Georgia, and the Canadian nationals in BC, Canada. My overall placings were 28th, sixth, fifth and second respectively.

HM: What have been your career highlights?

JL: Recently competing at the 2015 world hang gliding championships in Mexico and placing third on day nine (28th placing overall).

Coming second at the Canadian nationals last month.

And I'd also have to throw in travelling around the US filming for the Rhythm of Flight hang gliding project, promoting the sport.

We got to fly some of the most epic landscapes in the world.

HM: Do you have a world ranking?

JL: I'm currently ranked eighth in the world as one of the youngest hang gliders on the competitive circuit.

HM: What's your ultimate goal in the sport?

JL: My ultimate goal is to travel the world competing, fly stunning landscapes and have a tone of fun. A world title would be nice, also, though!

HM: How did you get into the sport?

JL: My dad has been flying hang gliders for about 25 years so I naturally grew up around hang gliding in Dunedin and Central Otago.

HM: How does it work? Do you have to complete a distance in a certain time? Are you judged? Do you perform tricks?

JL: Yeah, that's a common question.

A simple way of explaining it is comparing it to a sailing race except throwing a third dimension in there.

We insert a course into our flight instruments each day and race each other head-on-head around that (up to 100 pilots).

The person who crosses the line first gets 1000 points and whoever has the most accumulative points at the end of the comp wins.

HM: Be honest - do you get scared?

JL: I'd be lying if I said I didn't!

There are definitely times when you're out of your comfort zone up there, particularly if it's terrain or weather conditions you're not familiar with.

For the most part, though, it's sweet as.

HM: Favourite place to fly?

JL: French Alps, Brazil and no place like home - Sandymount out by Hoopers Inlet would have to be up there.

HM: Is it an expensive sport? What does a glider cost?

JL: I'd compare it to road biking. You can spend a lot of money on a top-end glider - around $12,000 - but there's a fairly big second-hand market where you can swoop a good deal on a wing for $3000-$5000.

HM: Where are you living/working?

JL: I'm studying engineering and working as a hang gliding instructor in Wollongong, NSW.

I moved there three years ago to train for hang gliding as the conditions are far more reliable and there's a much bigger competition scene there.

HM: Still got family in Dunedin? Do you came back often?

JL: Yeah, for sure. My parents still live in Dunedin so I try to get back there three or four times a year to visit family and friends.

I think it will always be one of my favourite places in the world.

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