WENDOVER, Utah – Have you ever fancied drawing back a bow, focusing on power over precision, and letting the arrow soar as far as you can muster?
Well, the 2023 USA Archery Flight Nationals from September 1-3 will help satisfy that urge, as Jessie Corbett - who sits on the Flight Archery Advisory Committee - points out.
“The feeling of letting an arrow fly and watching it disappear into the sky is absolutely amazing,” she said of the event at the Bonneville Flight Range, UT.
“The adrenaline rush of getting that arrow back as far and as safely possible before release, to get as much power behind it as you can is crazy. Six arrows! Six arrows to shoot as far as you possibly can.”
Competition
The Friday and Saturday of competition has two rounds each of flight archery, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. With each round you are allowed to shoot up to six arrows in your chosen category. You may shoot the same category in multiple rounds, or you may shoot a different category each round.
On the Sunday, there are two additional rounds of shooting but with broadhead arrows. Both rounds take place in the morning, as broadhead arrows do not fly as far, allowing measuring to be completed more quickly.
Equipment
For each round your equipment is checked per the category and weight class you register to shoot. This includes measuring the weight of the bow at the longest arrow length you have, to make sure the bow does not go over the registered weight class.
If shooting unlimited weight, no weight measurement needs to be taken. You will number your arrows and put your name on them to aid in measurement. Your equipment is then quarantined until it is time to shoot.
Shooting
Archers shoot from a set line. This line direction may change from round to round, based on wind direction. You want to try to shoot so the arrow will land as close to the center line as possible, as you will get the most measurement out of the distance you shoot.
You can have assistance from someone with adjusting bow angle and arrow release timing. They can stand a few feet in front of or behind you and call out direction. They may not physically assist.
Once everyone is done shooting, a team of people will head out to measure the arrow distances and collect the arrows, starting with the furthest and working their way back. All measurements are assessed by two people, one at the arrow and one at the shooting line.
Registration is open for the 2023 USA Archery Flight Nationals. For those new to this form of the sport, Jessie Corbett has this to say, “Trying to get everything to work together correctly – the bow design, the arrow design, the angle of the shot, the smooth pull as far back as possible and quick release once you've reached that length – hoping you get it all right at the right time to get that record.
“But even if you don't break a record, the excitement in the attempt is addictive.”
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