The sky over Golden will once again be filled with hang gliders as the 2013 Canadian National Hang Gliding Championship will be happening from July 14 to July 20.

The competition will see pilots go from Golden to Invermere and will be a test for all those who take part.

Ross Hunter is a pilot and one of the organizers for the event this year.

He said Mount 7 in Golden has been and still is one of the best jump sites in Canada.

“Golden is a really nice site. It has a nice take off and landing field. It is a nice community. From Golden we can fly down to Invermere and always have a landing field within a glide. That makes it very safe for flying cross country.

This year there will be around 20 pilots coming to the event.

“We actually fly and are able to catch and rise in thermals. We

can do this as long as our luck and abilities can keep us in the air,” Hunter said.

Mount 7 is well known by hang gliders for many reasons. With over 3800 vertical feet, two wheel drive access to launch and being able to launch in three directions, it is the perfect site for the competition.

Even though most of the action will be happening in the sky, Hunter does see this as a chance for people to come out and enjoy the event.

“Spectator’s can go up Mount 7 and see the pilots. The nice thing is watching the pilots set up and take off though it can take some time. Once they take off some will go up and some will go down as they search for lift.”

Hunter also wanted to send a special thank you out to the people in the area.

“It is really nice that the people in Golden and the valley are so gracious by allowing us to land in their fields. It is really appreciated,” he said.