BHPA e-News

BHPA e-News - May 2012

2012-05-05T13:39:14Z

May 2012 e-news - from the Skywings Team

Submit Incident Reports online!

Pilots can now submit Incident Reports on the web. A new online reporting system has been extensively trialled and is now live on the BHPA website. It involves filling in a relatively simple Online Incident Report form that automatically logs your report, assigns it a specific number and generates an e-mail confirmation. The system can also accept sketches or photos if required.

The BHPA Incident Report (IR) system is designed to log accidents and incidents with a view to highlighting emerging problems and keeping track of trends. "The one-off incident or near-miss that affected you or one of your flying friends might not be as rare as you think," says FSC Chairman Angus PInkerton. "Without reports we can‘t investigate, and without investigations we can‘t provide timely advice to pilots or manufacturers." In the past an isolated occurrence has turned out, on investigation, to be part of an emerging pattern of which the FSC was previously unaware. This applies to glider airworthiness issues, to problems highlighted by new equipment, particular conditions or use of certain sites.

Anyone can submit an IR; if the pilot in question either has other things on his mind or is perhaps incapacitated, it is incumbent on any witnesses to report what they saw, even if the detail may be incomplete. And FSC would far rather receive multiple reports of the same incident than none at all.

Note that the IR system is not designed to apportion blame. Although the system requires a name and contact details so that further information can be sought if required, these are never publicised. And there is no shame in reporting an error that you made - it just might prevent others making the same error, with perhaps more serious consequences.

It is in fact a legal requirement to report air incidents. Fatal or potentially fatal incidents must be reported to the BHPA, the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and Police immediately. Serious incidents should be reported to the BHPA as soon as possible. In these cases an IR should be submitted to the BHPA as within 48 hours. Otherwise, an IR should be submitted following an incident if it:

Involves injury, whether to participants or others
Involves damage to property, third party or not
May give rise to an insurance or legal claim
Involves non-standard equipment or techniques
Involves failed or malfunctioned equipment
Highlights safety points or is unusual
Is something you feel the sport may learn from

The new online IR report can be found at https://contact.bhpa.co.uk/incident.php. IR submissions can still be made on paper; for an IR form contact your club‘s safety officer or the BHPA Office.

UK flexie record goes to 280km!

On Sunday April 15th Carl Wallbank pushed the UK flex-wing hang gliding record to 276.93km. On a day when most pilots were grounded by high winds, Carl put into action a plan he had conceived and perfected a long time ago.

So confident was he of reaching the south coast from his home site at Llangollen that he declared Weymouth, 165 miles away, as a goal. With a RASP soaring prediction "in the red" over the entire route, Carl took his first climb at 1045, passed to the east of the Long Mynd about an hour later, crossed the Severn and reached his turnpoint (west of Chippenham to avoid Bristol airspace) at 13:10 and altered course to the south-south-west.

From there it was little more than an hour and a half to Dorchester and Weymouth beach, landing at 15:30 after five hours in the air. The few extra km to secure the UK outright record were there for the taking but would have involved landing on the Isle of Portland, a dodgy proposition in the fairly strong wind.

Sadly, due to a daft error, he missed his 10km goal radius by just 450m and the flight-to-goal record remains for another occasion.

Several other hard-nosed pilots were active that day; Tim King securing a 118km Class 5 out-and-return along the South Downs, Paul Harvey on the same route and Tony Stephens going down at Arundel on the way back to Harting, among others.

But hats off to Carl for achieving a flight he has been obsessing about for 15 years. Planning, planning, planning, plus no little skill, a Moyes RS and bags of attitude. Carl‘s superb film of his flight is available on YouTube.

Bruce takes over Airwave

In partnership with Brazilian importer Roberto Galera, Bruce Goldsmith has bought the Airwave company from longtime owner Markus Villinger.

Markus bought the defunct company in 1999, transporting the remaining assets from the Isle of Wight to a new base at Innsbruck. The hang glider line soon came to an end, but in an inspired move Markus hired former Airwave and Ozone designer Bruce in 2000 to spearhead a new line of paragliders.

Bruce had had a hand in Rob Whittall‘s Worlds-winning Kiss hang glider in 1989 and John Pendry‘s Worlds-winning XXX paraglider in 1997. Back at Airwave again, Bruce was to go one better in winning the 2007 paragliding Worlds on his own Magic 3FR. Bruce left Airwave in 2010 to work at Advance but departed earlier this year.

Roberto has been Airwave‘s distributor in Brazil for the last seven years and will be the new company‘s marketing expert. The pair say they are looking to substantially update the entire Airwave range, currently led by the EN C Cobra and top-end B Sport 4; their first entirely new wing is expected to be an EN C offering. When on form Bruce and Airwave have been a very hard-to-beat combination.

BHPA integrates human-powered flying

Over the past year the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) Human Powered Aircraft group led by Dr Bill Brooks has been organising a competition for human-powered aircraft, aimed to coincide with the London Olympics and commemorate 50 years of human-powered flight.

The competition, the Icarus HPA Cup, will include 200m and 1km races, a slalom course, unassisted take-off performance and landing accuracy, and duration and speed around a triangular course. When the issue of adequate 3rd-party insurance reared its head it was agreed that HPA flying will become part of the BHPA sphere of activities and UK HPA pilots will become members.

Recent experience in restoring and flying Airglow, for many years the only operational HPA in the UK, has shown that the aircraft is less fragile than one might expect, and that a viable sport and competition can be built around such aircraft.

Airglow packs into a glider-type trailer and can be rigged for flight in around half an hour. With its 25m span it weighs around 35kg empty and flies at 20mph.

In March the RAeS HPA group assisted the BBC in completing their own human-powered aircraft and instructing Bang Goes The Theory presenter Jem Stansfield in how to fly it.

The Icarus HPA Cup will take place at Lasham on July 14th - 22nd July. The first flight of the Bang Goes The Theory machine was scheduled for transmission on BBC1 on April 30th.

BHPA e-News - March 2012

2012-03-15T16:14:59Z

March 2012 e-news - from the Skywings Team

New BHPA Chairman

At the BHPA AGM in Nottingham on March 3rd Martin Heywood stepped down from the Chairman‘s role he has held for more than eight years.

Rising to the challenge is Marc Asquith, already BHPA Chairman for several years in the late ‘90s. Martin becomes Vice-Chairman and continues as Insurance Officer; Marc‘s BHPA Company Secretary role will be taken on by John Nash.

These changes ensure continuity and safe hands. Officers‘ reports reveal that the Association remains on an even keel. A small profit is predicted or the year and BHPA‘s ownership of its Leicester premises should give a greater return on reserves than in any bank.

An uncontested Election of Officers returned Brett Janaway, Angus Pinkerton and Steve Walsh to the Exec and also former Exec member Ed Cunliffe. Ed takes the place of John Lawson who has stood down.

The BHPA wants your views

A project is under way to review communications across the BHPA.

To this end an online survey is running on the BHPA website until the 31st March 2012.

The Association values the opinions and views of the membership, and it is hoped that as many members as possible will participate in this short survey.

BHPA Communications Survey.

John Dickenson honoured in US

Hang gliding pioneer John Dickenson was made an Honorary Life Member of the BHPA in 1993 and awarded an FAI Hang Gliding Diploma in 2012.

Now the USHPA has seen fit to confer a Presidential Citation on him in recognition of his achievements. The citation statement includes these words...

"The Dickenson wing‘s essential design features were so easily comprehended and absorbed with only a few minutes inspection that it was routinely copied by thousands with no special knowledge or skill, and often flown within a day of that first viewing. Because it was so simple, so easily copied at a cost of $100 to $300, and so user friendly, tens of thousands became pilots, in a great many cases with no training whatsoever. No other aircraft can make such a claim."

Share the Sky!

The Share the Sky campaign is a call to anyone involved in flying to help save the world‘s vultures by spreading the message of conservation.

The aim is to inspire and encourage the international flying community to participate in the global effort to protect vultures and prevent their extinction. The campaign was inspired by the success of Parahawking in promoting vulture conservation and raising funds for vital conservation projects in Nepal.

Parahawking raises several thousand $US annually through its tandem flying business; now they are asking other airsports-related businesses, clubs, associations, manufacturers, etc, to do the same. Funds will go directly towards vulture conservation projects run by local organizations. By joining the campaign you pledge to participate and contribute to the global conservation effort in whatever way you can, big or small.

For more information and to join the campaign go to www.share-the-sky.org.

Fly the Karakorum.. with John Silvester

Renowned high-mountain pioneer John Silvester has started a new venture, guiding in the big mountains of the Karakorum.

Teaming up with accomplished Himalayan pilot Brad Sander, John is going to take his experience and learning from guiding in Bir to the big mountains of Hunza in Pakistan.

"If you want to fly in the clearest air on the planet," he says, "and see up close the strong sun sparkling off untouched ice peaks, Hunza is the place."

For more information go to www.skyguides.co.uk. You can also contact John at silvflyskyhigh@mypostoffice.co.uk.

Pennine Parafest

The Pennine Soaring Club, top performers in the paragliding XC League, are organizing a "Parafest" on July 6th - 8th.

The Chipping Show Field, at the foot of Parlick in the Ribble Valley, has been booked for the occasion and offers space for several hundred tents at £9 per person per night. The location caters for all wind directions, with Longridge Fell five minutes away and Pendle just down the road.

The PSC is looking to source food, drink, music, family entertainment (and good weather) for lots of flying. There will be more information on the PSC website site and the club‘s Facebook page.

For details and offers of help, contact event coordinator Billy Maxwell on 07548 126499, e-mail billymiuaiga@aol.com.

Lakes Classic dates

The 22nd edition of the Lakes Charity Classic competition will take place on June 8 - 9th at Buttermere, Cumbria.

It is hoped that the Saturday night display will feature a leading acro pilot and a further attempt at the world record for the most speedwings airborne at once. The Saturday bash, with music all night, will be a ticket-only event.

Full details and registration are at www.cumbriasoaringclub.co.uk.

Winch towing in Denmark

The Fasterholt Hang Gliding and Paragliding Center is said to have some of the best facilities for towing and thermal flying in Northern Europe.

This year they will be manning their facility full-time from for certain weeks in May, June and August. These "All You Can Fly" weeks include towing, training, thermal and competition flying in the 100-euro fee, and if the weather is bad for towing they will take you to coastal sites for dune flying.

The facility has onsite camping and clubhouse accommodation with kitchen, TV, wi-fi, etc.

For details go to www.drageflyvning.dk or e-mail: allyoucanfly@drageflyvning.dk.

BHPA e-News - January 2012

2012-01-21T11:07:10Z

January 2012 e-news update - from the Skywings Team

EN paraglider classes and pilot skills

The BHPA table relating EN/LTF glider certification classes to the appropriate pilot skill levels required to fly them safely is now available for ready access on this website.

The table builds on the EN certification scheme‘s own description of the sort of pilot level required for each certification class, and adds a rough guide to the level of experience and currency levels that are appropriate. The table was produced to draw pilots‘ attention to the degree of flying experience, and the amount of regular flying, required to be able to fly any paraglider safely within their limitations.

This is of particular use to those pilots who may be tempted to trade up to a higher level of certification for their next glider. It might surprise some to realise that the appropriate skill/experience set for an EN C wing, for example, includes being very current, being familiar with active flying and SIV techniques, and understanding the consequences of flying a glider with limited passive safety.

Pilots should note however that certification classes are becoming increasingly wide, and also that the new breed of EN D gliders have almost nothing in common with earlier EN D types. If you are in any doubt at all about the suitability of any glider, consult an instructor or a highly-experienced coach.

Read and download the entire document at www.bhpa.co.uk/pdf/En966_summary.pdf or visit the Safety Information area on our website.

Top gun for hire

Longtime coach and championship pilot Pat Dower is expanding his range of paraglider pilot-development training. Over the winter he will lead a number of ground-based training days for people wanting to improve their XC flying, with content negotiated with the host club to match the group‘s need.

The first one, at the Devon and Somerset Condors this month, has completely sold out. In the flying season Pat will be running UK-based XC coaching and flying development for groups of pilots. Pilots will be able to benefit from a range of expert ground-based coaching, even if rained off or blown out. "Running these in the UK," says Pat, "means pilots can have a high-quality experience at affordable cost." A limited number of intensive pilot-development weeks abroad are also planned, the first one based near Annecy. "These are the jewel in the crown," Pat says, "for pilots wanting to focus intensively on building their skills, overcoming barriers and moving to a new level in their flying. Individual coaching will help pilots meet their particular goals."

In addition, pilots wanting personal coaching can arrange a one-to-one or small-group pilot development day in the UK, designed around their own training programme. "By combining my teaching experience in education and my leadership coaching with over ten years of coaching in flying, I can provide targeted development for pilots of all levels. The key to a pilot‘s development is helping them to work on the right thing at the right time - and in the right way," he says.

Pilots will need to be at least CP rated; details, and Pat‘s blog and other useful resources, are at www.patdower.co.uk.

Testing and certification of the new EN D wings

As previously reported, testing of EN D gliders was briefly suspended in November following an accident involving Alain Zoller at Air Turquoise/Para Test while testing a candidate EN D glider. The opinion put forward by Air Turquoise and the SHV was that the current crop of EN D gliders was becoming too dangerous to test. After consideration at the Paraglider Manufacturers Association (PMA) meeting on December 9th it was agreed that the testing of EN D gliders would recommence, citing that the testing house‘s role was to test gliders, not to decide which gliders may or not be tested. However a testing house may still refuse to test a glider if the manufacturer‘s own test flight videos or live demo flights are not satisfactory.

One of the big issues arising was the very tight tolerances in the EN schedule for the 75% collapse test for these wings. This will be addressed in the new EN regime for 2012, which will be updated to make it closer to the wider tolerances in folding angle and collapse percentages permitted in the LTF (DHV) tests.

A second issue was the use of folding lines. These are additional lines which are not part of the canopy as it is sold, but are connected to extra tabs to allow the test pilot to induce an exact 75% collapse at the leading edge that does not exceed 50% at the trailing edge, as specified by the tighter EN tolerances.

An interim consensus has been reached that collapse lines will not be used at all in the testing of EN A and B gliders, and only used on C and D gliders if tests at the testing house first show that the correct collapse can‘t be obtained without them. If fitted they must have the same layout as the A lines. Given the wider tolerances currently specified by LTF for collapse folding, and the imminent changes to the EN standard, it is believed in some quarters that the need for collapse lines will be much reduced. Where they are used, the tabs will now be fitted to production canopies so that collapse lines can be reinstated for the purposes of pilots undergoing SIV training.

The changes in 2012 will harmonise EN and LTF tests, making the testing to both that most manufacturers do much easier. The PMA is trying to find out whether it is possible to switch over to the new EN test regime ahead of schedule. The advantage of all this for former Open Class competition pilots is that they will be getting gliders with greater passive safety and only minor limitations (lower top speed). The downside is that Serial Class pilots will have to realise that the new competition-oriented EN D gliders will be a world apart from the old, familiar EN D class.

Lakes mountain flying/XC theory

Chris Scammell is running another mountain/XC flying theory course over the weekend of March 10th and 11th near Keswick in Cumbria.

The course covers all the essential theory necessary for successful mountain XC flights in the UK. The course, suitable for novice and expert alike, covers all aspects of UK mountain flying from the basics of mountain flying safety to the complexities of sea-breeze fronts in mountainous areas.

The cost is £60 for the weekend. Details are at www.mountainparagliding.co.uk.

TVHGC Big Fat Repack

The Thames Valley Club‘s famed Big Fat Repack runs on Sunday April 1st at the Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading.

BHPA qualified packers will be on hand with help and advice, and will give presentations on how to deploy and repack your ‘chute. A zip slide will allow practice deployments. First-aid lectures have again been arranged and will cover calling the emergency services, administering basic first aid and dealing with fractures, back and head injuries.

The cost is £26.50, less than the cost of a commercial repack. Book online or download a booking form at www.tvhgc.co.uk/bfr.

BHPA AGM

A reminder that the Annual General Meeting of the BHPA will be held on Saturday March 3rd at the Belfry Hotel, Nottingham, NG8 6PY, starting at 11am. The Belfry is adjacent to Junction 26 of the M1.

You will be able to quiz Exec members on their record and put forward ideas for the future direction of the Association. Topics for discussion at the members‘ forum, held directly after the AGM, should be notified to the BHPA Chairman by February 1st. The British Gliding Association AGM will take place at the same location on the same date. This will include trade stands and the BGA‘s fabled gliding simulator.

2012 Royal Aero Club Trust Bursaries

Aged between 16 years and 21 years?
Got at least a basic air sport qualification?
Want to advance your air sport qualifications but lack the funds?
Would £1,000 help you realise your air sport ambitions?

The Royal Aero Club Trust has announced its bursary scheme for young people for the 2012 season. The bursaries include The President’s Scholarships (2 bursaries each worth up to £750), the Peter Cruddas Foundation Scholarship worth up to £1,000, the Breitling Bursary also worth up to £750, and the Bramson Bursary which is one of a number of additional bursaries worth up to £500 each to anyone between 16 and 21 years of age wishing to progress their interest in either air sports or aviation. The closing date for applications is 31 March 2012.

The Royal Aero Club Trust has been offering bursaries for twelve years and a wide range of grants have been awarded. Activities available in the programme include gliding, ballooning, paragliding, hang gliding, parachuting, flying microlights, motor gliders, light aircraft and helicopters, and building and flying model aircraft. Bursaries are also available for Personal Computer or Flight Simulator pilots wishing to have their first experience of an air sport.

Applicants must be UK citizens, resident in the UK, and training and flying can only be conducted at Clubs, Associations or training establishments in the UK. Applications, which must arrive at the Trust by 31 March 2012, are to be submitted through a Sponsoring Organisation, Club or Association. In our sport I believe this traditionally means the BHPA.

Full details, rules and an application form are available on the Royal Aero Club Trust web site, www.royalaeroclubtrust.org. The Trust is very grateful to its sponsors who generously provide the funds for bursaries. If you, or your organisation, would like to assist young people in this way by becoming a Trust sponsor, please make contact with the Trust or click on "Donations" on the Trust website, www.royalaeroclubtrust.org.

e-newsletter change

This e-newsletter is traditionally made up of news items published in Skywings, and a few items I've received directly. In the past I've tried to keep the publication date of this e-newsletter roughly in sync with that of the appropriate issue of Skywings magazine. The downside of this approach is that it can unfortunately result in delays when reporting fast moving events.

This year I have decided to change that arrangement, and will now be publishing our e-newsletter ahead of the relevant issue of Skywings. Hence the publication of a second e-newsletter this month containing a number of news items that are due to appear in the February issue of Skywings.

BHPA e-News - January 2012

2012-01-05T18:52:38Z

e-News January 2012

Certification houses quit EN D testing

Air Turquoise, European Academy, Aerotest and the DHV have all agreed to a temporary stop on the testing of top-end EN D paragliders. This move follows an accident on November 25^th involving Alain Zoller of Air Turquoise, who was knocked unconscious in a heavy landing in Lake Geneva after losing control of a glider under test. Zoller has been testing paragliders for more than 20 years and is reported to have not had to deploy an emergency parachute since the 1990s… until November when he had two separate incidents, both involving two-line gliders submitted for EN D certification.

On December 2^nd Air Turquoise released a statement saying, "We have come to the conclusion that we will not certify high-end performance gliders in the frame of EN standard. This kind of glider doesn‘t belong in the EN philosophy." This refusal to do further tests has been supported by the other test houses. Although a number of two-line gliders have been submitted for EN certification, and some are said to have passed the flight tests, none has yet achieved certification. With the PWC Superfinal in the New Year heralding the start of the southern hemisphere competition season, the paragliding competition world is in a state of confusion.

A crisis meeting in December between the PMA and the testing houses had a very detailed interim report from the CIVL Task Force to consider. This contained options including the removal of the ban on competition class gliders, the redefinition of Serial Class and its inclusion in Category 1 events, and the revival of an EN-overseen form of self-certification for competition gliders. The development of marketable two-line gliders is at present stalled and only the reliable option for competition remains the EN D certificated Serial Class glider. The CIVL plenary meeting takes place in Taiwan in February.

XC development day

A joint initiative between the Cumbria and Dales clubs has resulted in an inaugural XC Development Day run by Pat Dower on Saturday February 18^th.

It‘s aimed at budding or improving XC pilots of all levels. The cost for the day is £30 per pilot and numbers may be limited. Pat Dower is of course a very accomplished flier with many years of XC and competition flying behind him and excellent communication skills.

Details of the venue, timings and course programme are at www.dhpc.org.uk. To book a place contact organiser Ed Cleasby at edcle1@tiscali.co.uk or call 07808 394895.

Great retrieves No 5

Dales XC hounds will be aware that the upper reaches of Nidderdale can be something of a sink hole. The area lies about 30km downwind of Wether Fell and has to be negotiated in order to enter the Vale of York and the route to the east coast.

One day last summer, half a dozen Dales pilots sunk out in this dead-end valley and found themselves scattered around the village of Lofthouse. They congregated at the pub, in accordance with Rule 1 of the XC Pilot‘s Handbook, only to discover that it was closed! Without a mobile phone signal and the next bus not due for two days, they drew lots for the inevitable walk and hitch-hike to civilisation. However before this plan could be put into action, a bloke trimming ivy from the windows of the pub pointed out that the school bus would be along shortly and that the driver might be able to help.

So it was that Martin Baxter found himself hanging around outside the village school, trying for all he was worth to look like any other parent. Not quite fitting in with the yummy mummies, he was greatly relieved when the bus turned up. The driver, very sensibly, told the pilots to to wait until she had dropped the kids off further up the valley. True to her word, she returned 15 minutes later. For the bargain price of one Yorkshire pound the retitled Dales Retrieve Bus took them all back to the relative civilisation of Pateley Bridge: tea shops, through roads and mobile phone coverage! "The retrieve," says Martin, "is all part of the adventure".

Airways demo weekend

A New Products Weekend will take place at Airways‘ Darley Moor base in Derbyshire on the weekend of March 24^th - 25^th. All the major UK importers and distributors will be there: paragliders and equipment from Ozone, Nova, Gin, Niviuk, Skywalk, Advance, Firebird, UP and Dudek; hang gliders and gear from Icaro, Avian, Atos, Wills Wing, Moyes, Aeros, Airborne, Aeriane and Seedwings; plus Easy Riser and Dragonfly microlights.

Equipment brands will include Woody Valley, Sup‘Air, Rotor, Crispi, Fly Products, Bailey and Lazer, and instrumentation from Aircotec, Brauniger, Flymaster and Flytec. Winch, aerotow or hill demo flights with all of these can be booked directly with Airways.

To book go to www.airways-airsports.com and click the Demo button. There will be free camping on the airfield and an evening barbecue in their new hangars.

BHPA AGM

A reminder that the Annual General Meeting of the BHPA will be held on Saturday March 3^rd at the Belfry Hotel, Nottingham, starting at 11am. The Belfry is adjacent to Junction 26 of the M1.

You will be able to quiz Exec members on their record and put forward ideas for the future direction of the Association. Topics for discussion at the members‘ forum, held directly after the AGM, should be notified to the BHPA Chairman by February 1^st. The British Gliding Association AGM will take place at the same location on the same date. This will include trade stands and the BGA‘s fabled gliding simulator.

Kirsty gets BWPA gong

The British Women Pilots Association has awarded its O. P. Jones cup to British paraglider pilot Kirsty Cameron in recognition of her win at the first Women‘s Open at Ager in 2010 and her Bronze medal at the Piedrahita World Championships last year.

The O. P. Jones Cup is awarded for achievements or special contributions to the sports of gliding, hang gliding or paragliding.

SHPF Repack

Didn‘t receive the ideal Christmas gift ... then book now for the SHPF Repack on Saturday 4^th February 2012 at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena at Ratho and to which all pilots (and family) are cordially invited.

Along with the World class dynamic reserve parachute deployments and repacks there will also be the workshops ....

Steve Nash and Richard Bungay: Team GB in the most recent Red Bull X-Alps will be coming along with their insightful stories and images of their career from X-Scotia to X-Alps. Gordie Oliver: The first BHPA Speed Wing Instructor to be will be presenting a workshop on speed wings. Triantafyllos Gkikopoulos - Advance XC Serial Team member - has confirmed his XC flying workshop, and Brendan Reid - Highest placed Scot at the British Open flying his Ozone R10, will be talking and showing everyone around his BB for us all to learn more, see, touch and feel a two liner.

Other family members may wish to use some or all of the other facilities available at this venue - details of which can be found at www.eica-ratho.com.

The cost is £30 plus £5 for the X-Alps talk - and payment details can be found on the SHPF webpage - www.shpf.co.uk/shpf-Ratho-Repack.php.

For those of you travelling from further afield then there are also some beds reserved at - www.edinburghbackpackers.com/hostel/directions.shtml right in the centre of town that might still be available for £28 pppn (Let the Social side of the event begin!).

BHPA e-News

2011-11-22T14:35:34Z

e-News November/December 2011

Website Maintenance

The BHPA web server is being moved to a new datacentre at the end of November.

The physical move is scheduled to take place after 10pm on Saturday 26^th November 2011, and if all goes according to plan the work should be completed by 6am Sunday on 27^th November 2011.

During the move our web site, and all BHPA hosted mailing lists and email addresses will inevitably be offline. But emails received will be queued, and delivered when the server is powered back up in it‘s new home.

It‘s likely to take a while to clear the backlog on Sunday, so the system may be slow until things settle down later in the day.

Hopefully as this work is taking place overnight, the impact should be minimal.

Big wave day in the Peaks

Derbyshire pilots need no reminding of the fantastic wave flying available from Lord‘s Seat in a northerly, usually in the winter. Those pilots don‘t need reminding how rare the correct conditions are, and how even on the right day a lot of people will go home disappointed, made worse by their friends going on about unbelievable height gains and coast-to-coast views.

Christmas came early this year and provided just such a superb window of wave flying on Lords on November 6^th. We received a number of superb pictures, not least from local regulars Gordon Rigg and John Baxby.

"Richard Carter confirmed the others were getting into the wave over near Jacob‘s Ladder, an easy glide from launch," reports Gordon. "I found a lumpy 5-up that I had to circle in before it smoothed out, and then the valley opened up above base with lift everywhere."

"There’s no long story," writes John. "Just a truly amazing four-and-a-half hour flight around the Edale Valley, above the clouds, that was absolutely breathtaking. Winter flying just doesn‘t get better than this. Words just cannot compare to the experience." Having been there and done it, long ago, I can but agree. Hats off to all those who were able to enjoy the ride.

Paramotor speed race

BHPA member Steve Brockett attended the first PXP paramotor speed race at Baza in Spain, organised over five days in October by PXP paramotor boss Jose Navarro.

Competitors from all over Europe took part in a series of race tasks over spectacular desert landscapes and the stunning lake Negratin. Overall winner was France‘s Mathieu Rouanet flying an Ozone Speedster/PAP Moster outfit.

The final day‘s events included acro by Raul Rodrigez and parachuting from a trike. Steve, the only UK competitor, finished a respectable 10th. PXP intend to run the event again next year; details are at www.pxparamotorspeedrace.com/index.php/en.

North Wales/North West Repack

The North Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club will be running its annual Parachute Repack on Saturday 28^th January at the Airbus UK Sports and Social Club at Broughton, near Chester.

Bill Morris and his team of BHPA Parachute Packers will provide instruction and supervision. The repack is open to any BHPA member at a cost of £10 per applicant. Advance booking by 20^th January is essential.

An application form can be downloaded from nwhgpc.org.uk or requested from organiser Jerry Hazzard on 01948 780378, e-mail: jerry.hazzard@btinternet.com.

SHPF repack

The SHPF‘s annual dynamic reserve deployment and repack event runs on Saturday 4th February at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Ratho. All pilots (and families) are cordially invited.

This year reserve parachute deployments and repacks will run simultaneously with the workshops, which include Steve Nash and Richard Bungay providing insight and images of the X-Scotia and X-Alps; Gordie Oliver‘s workshop on speed wings; Advance XC Serial teamster Triantafyllos Gkikopoulos‘ XC workshop; and Brendan Reid, top Scot at the British Open, talking about his R10 exploits.

Facilities available for family members can be found at www.eica-ratho.com. Details and entry forms are at www.shpf.co.uk/shpf-Ratho-Repack.php.

Carnet takes world paramotor speed records

Michel Carnet took advantage of strong winds at altitude at West Wittering on October 2nd secure the world paramotor speed-over-a-50km circuit record.

Michel took advantage of a strong tailwind on the outward leg, returning at low level to clock 72.8km/h overall. His flight eclipses European Champion Juan Garcia De Abajo‘s 2007 record of 65.4 km/h. The same flight also secured the speed-over-a-straight-15/25km-course record at 75.0km/h, exceeding Italian Raffaele Benetti‘s 2009 record of 64.85km/h and Dean Eldridge‘s pending claim of 73.84km/h submitted in February.

The machine used was a Nirvana Instinct under a Dudek Nucleon 25 wing. Both record claims are subject to FAI for ratification. Our congratulations to Michel on his achievement.

BHPA AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the BHPA will be held on Saturday March 3^rd 2012 at the Belfry Hotel, Nottingham, starting at 11am.

The AGM will include the election of the Association‘s Executive Committee (Exec). Any BHPA member considering seeking nomination for election should contact Chairman Martin Heywood to find out what‘s involved, and contact the Office for the appropriate form. Completed nominations should arrive at the BHPA Office no later than Friday December 2^nd.

It is hoped that members will take the time to turn up at Nottingham to hear how the Association‘s officers have been working on your behalf. You will be able to quiz Exec members on their record and put forward ideas for the future direction of the Association.

Topics for discussion at the members‘ forum, held directly after the AGM, should be notified to the BHPA Chairman by February 1^st. Voting papers and details of candidates, and the BHPA Treasurer‘s Report, will appear in the February issue of Skywings.

The BGA AGM will take place at the same location on the same date.

Idris flies well in Slovenia

Young Welsh pilot Idris Birch finished second in the Sports Class at Slovenia‘s Serial Cup in September.

The top three pilots in the class all flew Nova‘s Factor 2. The Serial Cup is an interesting departure in which three top-level competition pilots compete alongside the event on EN-B wings.

Aljaz Valic, Michael Sigel and Tomas Brauner functioned as mentors at the event, each making a presentation on an aspect of XC flying. Thus competitors have unique opportunity to learn from their vast experience.

Overall winners were Jurij Vidic (1, Niviuk Peak), Przemek Licznerski (2, Ozone Mantra M4) and Piotr Pawlowski (2, Ozone Mantra M4). The comp was a huge success with over 80 pilots competing. Full results are at www.serialcup.com.

Dolomites warning

Pilots visiting Italy and flying in the Dolomites (in particular Canazei, Val di Fassa and Molveno, Brenta Dolomites) please take note: in the event you become aware of an accident in your vicinity, you are advised in the strongest possible terms to either land or clear the area immediately.

This is because the presence of paragliders remaining airborne in the area has seriously hampered helicopter rescue services. These attend casualties on a regular basis, not just for pilots but also other mountain-based sports such as mountain bikers and climbers.

The situation has become so serious that there is currently a threat to close these sites to flying unless the situation improves. This is a request from the FIVL that the BHPA fully support; we hope you will co-operate so that the sites can be preserved for all.

BHPA e-News - Urgent Notice: Paragliding Competitions

2011-07-18T11:48:35Z

British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

Urgent Notice: Paragliding Competitions

Following the recent events at the Paragliding world championship in Piedrahita, the following statement was issued by CIVL:-

"Due to recent incidents at the 12th FAI Paragliding World Championship in Piedrahita, Spain the CIVL Bureau has temporarily suspended the certification of Competition Class Paragliders with immediate effect. This suspension means that paragliders classified as Competition Class under Rule 12.1.1.2 of Section 7B of the FAI Sporting Code are not permitted to fly in FAI Category 1 championships for the period of the suspension. Organisers of FAI Category 2 events are also strongly advised to consider whether Competition Class paragliders should be permitted to compete in events with racing tasks for the period of the suspension."

Members of the Paragliding Competitions Panel met with The BHPA Executive Council at an emergency meeting in Leicester on the 14^th July to decide on the steps that should be taken in response.

The BHPA‘s position, with immediate effect, is that participation in all BHPA Paragliding Competitions involving racing tasks is limited to the use of EN or LTF certified gliders only. This position will remain in force until CIVL‘s decision is reversed or varied.

A significant effect will be that BHPA competitions currently in progress or planned, must proceed using certified gliders only. This will seriously impact upon the British Paragliding Championships, the next stage of which is to be held in St Jean. The Paragliding Competitions Panel is currently liaising with competitors involved.

Important: Insurance Situation:

This will affect the applicable BHPA liability cover. Your BHPA 3rd party liability insurance will be invalid if you participate in the organisation (eg: task-setting or marshalling) of any paragliding competition involving racing tasks where pilots are flying uncertified gliders. If any member is uncertain as to whether this affects them, they must contact the BHPA to discuss their particular situation.

For Clarification:

Free flying is not affected
Paragliding XC League and Accuracy competitions are not considered to involve "racing tasks" and are therefore not affected
The BHPA 3rd Party Liability insurance continues to cover individual pilots who fly uncertified gliders at all times, provided they are registered with the BHPA in the usual way
Paramotoring is governed by CIMA and is therefore unaffected by the advice from CIVL

BHPA Executive Council
BHPA Paragliding Competitions Panel
15 July 2011

BHPA e-News - March 2011

2011-03-01T00:16:19Z

BHPA e-News
A round-up of recent news items from the Skywings Team.

BHPA AGM

It turns out that Bisham Abbey is rather a nice sports place down by the Thames at Marlow, and quite the most pleasant spot the BHPA have chosen for an AGM in ages. The meeting opened with Chairman Martin Heywood recapping the significant happenings of the year, notably the seamless move to new offices at Merus Court and the increase in landowner insurance cover to £5 million. Martin also thanked John Aldridge for his great efforts in support of the sport. John is stepping down from the Exec competitions post he has held for something like 15 years and his wise counsel will be sorely missed.

Trophies & awards
Trophies were then presented. The BHPA President‘s Trophy is normally awarded for the longest flexwing hang glider flight of the year. If this flight does not exceed the previous year‘s mark, as happened last year, the Trophy is awarded for conspicuous service to the sport. How fitting therefore that this year the trophy should go to John Aldridge; no-one in the history of the BHPA has done more to support and improve competitions.

BHPA Awards of Merit, put forward by clubs or individual members, were presented to Nikki Bodill of Accuracy comps and Andy Wallis of the Derbyshire club (details below). The Wings over a Cloud award for the best article to appear in Skywings over the year was awarded, in her absence, to Australia‘s Helen McKerral.

Election
Those present voted for four candidates from the seven listed on the voting papers. When postal votes were taken into account the following were elected to the BHPA Executive Council: Paul Dancey and Angus Langford (re-elected), Chris "Calvo" Burns and Bill Bell. Finally a vote of thanks was proposed to former MP Lembit Opik, who has been the BHPA‘s Honorary President for the past five years.

New faces on Exec
Chris Burns, known to most as Calvo, has been flying for 15 years and heavily involved in competition paragliding for ten, not least as Meet Director at the British Championships. For the last five years he has represented British paragliding interests at CIVL. He has accepted the role of BHPA Competitions Officer.

Bill Bell is a longtime hang glider pilot and secretary of the Hang Gliding Competitions Panel. A former Airwave dealer, he will support Calvo as deputy Competitons Officer on the BHPA Exec.

Exec changes
John Lawson has taken on the role of BHPA Vice-Chairman to assist Martin Heywood. Brett Janaway will take over External Representation. Ed Cunliffe has been co-opted as informal (non-Executive) paramotor representative.

A full AGM report is available here.

Any South Asian pilots?

Eastern Eye, Britain‘s biggest Asian newspaper, is researching an article on gliding and/or hang gliding. They want to spend a day with a pilot of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan origin to discover how they got into the sport, the training needed and the cost, and their memorable experiences and unfulfilled ambitions, etc.

If anyone can help, please contact Nadeem Badshah on 0207 654 7772, or e-mail nadeemnews100@yahoo.co.uk.

Would you like up to £1000 to realize your air sports ambitions?

The deadline is fast approaching for handglider and paraglider pilots between 16 and 21 looking to advance their air sport qualifications to apply for bursaries worth up to £1000 from the Royal Aero Club Trust (RAeCT).

Applications for the bursaries, including The President‘s Scholars (2 bursaries each worth up to £750), the Peter Cruddas Foundation Scholarship worth up to £1,000, and additional bursaries worth up to £500 each such as the Bramson Bursary, must be received by 31^st March 2011.

Applicants must be UK citizens, resident in the UK, and training and flying can only be conducted at Clubs, Associations or training establishments in the UK. Applications are to be submitted through a Sponsoring Organisation, Club or Association.

Full details, terms & conditions and an application form are available on the Royal Aero Club Trust web site.

X-Scotia is back!

This year the Scottish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Federation (SHPF) will be organising a revised version of the X-Scotia endurance event, making it accessible to a wider range of pilots. The new format is designed to give the maximum opportunities for flying but still retaining the challenge of a two-day endurance event that involves both flying and walking (or running if you are so inclined).

X-Scotia, based at Lochearnhead, is an excellent way to experience fantastic Scottish Highland flying with stunning scenery. It features the iconic Highland peaks of Meall nan Tarmachan, Ben Vorlich and Ben More. The event will take place on one of the first three weekends of May (7^th - 8^th, 14^th - 15^th or 21^st - 22^nd) depending on the weather.

The main changes for 2011 are a massed start at the best launch site on the day, at a time to suit optimum flying opportunities. Separate legs will mean an overnight halt for all competitors. For more information join the X-Scotia Google group by visiting X-Scotia Google Group.

Wendy award

Rod Buck‘s brilliant weather website has won top prize at the BulkSMS UK Messaging Awards. The citation says, "Wendy Windblows uses text messaging to update subscribers as to the weather conditions at their favourite paragliding or hang gliding site. A subscriber can set wind or weather condition preferences and Wendy Windblows sends email or text alerts when weather conditions are favourable to that subscriber. The site came ahead of many of other worthy entries from commercial and non-commercial organisations that use text messaging for innovative services or their day-to-day communications."

The awards were run last year as part of BulkSMS.com‘s tenth year anniversary celebrations. Wendy Windblows is at www.wendywindblows.com.

A hang gliding site leading the world? Whatever next!

Hangie rescued after coastal mishap

A hang glider pilot had to be rescued by the fire service after becoming stuck in a tree at Corton Cliffs near Lowestoft in January. The glider was embedded in a tree 35ft off the ground at the well-known coastal soaring site.

"The gentleman was very concerned about the safety of his hang glider," reported Steve Mableson of Suffolk Fire and Rescue, "but we were more concerned about his personal safety." Two fire engines, one with a hydraulic platform, and two advanced water-rescue teams attended the scene, as well as the local police to keep the nearby road clear.

Local council workers were then sent with a cherry picker to retrieve the glider. The pilot is believed to be non-BHPA member Paul Whitley. Local clubs are hoping that the good work they have put into promoting hang gliding in the area isn‘t undone by this incident.

Rucksack harness comparison

Rucksack harness comparison. The DHV has compiled a very interesting report, in English, comparing five popular convertible rucksack-harnesses.

It outlines DHV testing of airbag effectiveness, particularly in the take-off phase. The report concludes that none of the tested harnesses offered anything like the back protection required by the LTF standards during take-off, and that good results were often dependent on the presence of a reserve parachute.

The DHV notes that accidents frequently occur during this phase of flight. They are to propose additional requirements for airbag design in the next revision of the LTF harness specifications.

The report is available on the DHV Web site

BHPA e-News

2011-01-15T00:18:03Z

BHPA e-News
A round-up of recent news items from the Skywings Team.

BHPA Insurance Update

Now that we are into 2011, all members of the BHPA are on the new insurance policy that we have with Hiscox, and are flying on the same basic third party coverage terms. In short this means that pilots have £2m third party cover, and, where an incident results in the involvement of the landowner (for example at take-off or landing sites), the landowner has up to £5m cover as an insured person on our policy. All BHPA members and clubs should therefore have no trouble in accessing sites where the landowner requires £5m cover.

There are other changes in the 2011 policy which will benefit pilots who are also licence holders, namely dual pilots and instructors. The £25k cap which has existed since September 2003 is now raised to £50k in respect of your passenger/student, which will hopefully offer a little more peace of mind to those involved.

Please note that this will only apply when you renew your licences, because this change only started on 1 January 2011. Due to our rolling renewal and coverage system, most instructors and tandem pilots will still be flying on their 2010 membership/licences so the higher level will not yet apply.

The documentation on our web site will be updated shortly, but in the meantime if you have any queries, please contact the BHPA Insurance Director.

Christmas at St Hilaire

Pilots from clubs in the Grenoble region gathered at St Hilaire early in December for an informal costumed evening Christmas flight.

Although care was taken to fly less than half an hour after official sunset to comply with aviation rules, most flights took place in darkness. The temperature was 10 degrees below freezing and the Coupe Icare‘s famous green take-off carpet was covered with 50cm of fresh snow.

As an additional hazard the wind was blowing from over the back. Nevertheless about two thirds of the pilots managed to take off, most after making one or two failed launches. No-one was hurt and everybody eventually flew or drove down to a party at the Lumbin LZ where enthusiastic members of the public waited with sausage and mulled wine.

Photographs of the event by Ilan Ginzburg are at www.murblanc.org/parapente/noel2010.

Hang gliding XC league changes

Early in 2010 it was announced that the existing UK hang gliding National XC League (UKNXCL) was coming to a close. The code used to generate the tables and associated items was not going to be released and it would be impossible for someone to take it over in its existing state.

Requests for anyone interested to start again from scratch got a single response from a commercial company. Phil Chettleburgh, who brought the UKNXCL to the web in 1997 with a lot of help from Tony Southwood, was concerned that 20 years of data would be be lost.

Fortunately Phil‘s son Robert, studying Maths (and drinking) at Exeter University, was able to drag himself from his Xbox for long enough to generate a program that would pretty much mirror the existing database sorting system. Robert, pictured below, has continued to make improvements to the system as his programming learning curve allows.

Now, at the very least, we can be sure that the historical "tables", and thus decades of the history of UK XC flying, will be available for years to come. The site is expected evolve rapidly as the new season begins and one or two bugs are to be expected. The new UKNXCL site is at www.uknxcl.co.uk.

RAeC Trust bursaries - apply now!

The RAeC Trust bursary scheme for 2011 is now open. It offers several bursaries including the prestigious Peter Cruddas Foundation Scholarship worth up to £1,000, and other bursaries of up to £750 to enable young people (aged 16 - 21) to progress in their chosen air sport.

Applicants must be UK citizens and resident in the UK; training and flying must be conducted at UK clubs training establishments. Applications must arrive at the Trust by March 31^st, submitted through a sponsoring organisation (eg the BHPA).

Last year‘s winners included BHPA members Idris Birch (19) of Aberystwyth and Katie Lawrence (18) of Hornchurch. If you‘re under 21 and need help in furthering your flying or continuation training, go to www.royalaeroclubtrust.org for details and an application form.

Glider reviews on Twitter!

Brad Nicholas of Snowdon Gliders is putting mini-reviews of paragliding stuff on Twitter.

"I‘m not sure if this concept is a first," says Brad, "but I thought the idea of a mini-review in the form of a tweet is a fun and perhaps useful idea. I call them Twiviews." Brad says his reviews are not intended to replace the serious job of a full review which Skywings and the other mags do, "However test flights and number-crunching often boil down to confirming the first impressions and gut feelings we have with a product.

So here they are: my personal opinions, as tweets on some of the best stuff in paragliding. I hope pilots find them fun and maybe informative." Find them by searching SnowdonGliders in the "find people" bar at http://twitter.com.

Leavesley branches out

Mark Leavesley has acquired a pair of shops in Bishops Castle town centre. He and his partner Sian will be living there and running both as second-hand shops.

"Instead of buying from a forum and not being able to see what you‘re getting," says Mark, "this will be a shop with actual paragliders, harnesses and helmets, etc! We will take in anything to do with flying, work out a sensible price and take a 20% cut for ourselves - simples!"

Next door, Funky Monkey, run by Sian, will be a designer clothing shop run on the same basis. Details are at www.leavesleyaviation.com.

BHPA e-News - December 2010

2010-12-06T15:18:04Z

BHPA e-News
A round-up of recent news items from the Skywings Team.

Parajet supports Jump for Heroes

Jump for Heroes raises awareness for the Royal British Legion through the medium of extreme stunts. The team consists of three serving members of the Armed Forces who belong to the national skydiving team, plus a photographer, liaison officer and PR specialist.

Jump for Heroes have jumped from the North Face of the Eiger, set world records in BASE jumping and appeared on TV and in the national press. Parajet International was recently be asked to produce three custom paramotors for the team, decorated with the poppy motif. "It was an exciting project for us," reported Parajet MD Jim Edmondson. "and the units turned out beautifully. We hope that they will raise awareness of the brave men and women that serve our country."

Great TV exposure

Some terrific TV exposure was achieved by British Open Series winner Tony Stephens in October. Excellent on-board footage of Tony and his Combat L soaring high over the Dorset coast appeared on the BBC South evening news, along with a brief interview.

One would like to think that one or two of the millions who watched it would have thought... "Wow! That's hang gliding? Where do I learn?" Nice work Tony!

Superb why-I-fly video!

In response to a competition set up by Skywalk, Portuguese paraglider pilot Déciu Abreu has made a short film about why he flies.

It‘s really a kind of prose poem to flying, nicely shot and with a great soundtrack from Aaron Parks and Kurt Rosenwinkel. "The more I fly the more I realise I can‘t get enough of it… I fly because I can." It‘s viral marketing and slightly clichéd too, but it also captures the very essence of why we all fly. It‘s at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r7zKMo3-eA. Send the link to all your friends that don‘t!

World XContest

The 2010 World XContest online cross-country league has been won by Swiss pilot Thomas Koster flying an Advance Omega.

Thomas finished third in 2009, but early this season he logged three 200km triangles and three more in the succeeding months. Thomas started flying in 2002 and is said to spend 250 hours a year in the air. Details of his flights are at www.xcontest.org/2010/world/en/pilots/detail:tomkostair.

Training Guide

The BHPA Training Guide, aimed at up-to-EP pilots under training, is now available in hard copy for schools to give to their students.

Originally incorporated into a spring edition of Skywings as Training Wings, then published separately and finally available as a download, this invaluable source of basic training guidance and advice can be obtained by all pilots under training from their schools. Schools should contact the BHPA office for stocks. It is also still available on our home page www.bhpa.co.uk.

BHPA e-News - November 2010

2010-11-05T11:52:42Z

BHPA e-News
A round-up of recent news items from the Skywings Team

Midwinter uplift!

More details on the Midwinter Uplift paragliding celebration in Shrewsbury on Saturday December 4^th. The event, sponsored by XC Magazine and the Long Mynd Soaring Club in aid of the Midlands Air Ambulance, features adventure, acro and XC films including Jocky Sanderson‘s Security in Flight 2 and John Silvester‘s Birdman of the Karakorum, plus Path of the Condor, Adrenaline and Turbulence and a Pimple Queens feature.

There will also be lectures by Toby Colombé (big distances in the mountains/world-record tandem flight), Steve Nash and Gareth Aston (Mongolia vol-biv) and an Air Ambulance rep (what they do/how you can help in an emergency). Other attractions include parachute repacking by Bill Morris (£20: limited places so book early), a photo competition sponsored by XC Magazine, a raffle with lots of prizes including a microlight flight voucher from Airways Airsports, and a bring-and-buy sale.

Tickets for the event are £10 in advance and £12.50 on the door. More information and an online payment facility are at www.longmynd.org/about/social_uplift. To book a repack place or submit photographs contact Martin Knight at mkfly@hotmail.co.uk, tel: 07787 226279. The Midwinter Uplift event is at the Gateway Centre, Chester Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1NB, near the railway station and NCP. Airways Airsports are running a shop at the festival, and there is a coffee shop on site for light lunches, etc.

Paragliding Equipment Found

A couple of items of paragliding equipment were found in the Old Man of Coniston area on the 12^th October. If you think these may be yours, please contact Stuart Halford at stuart.halford@impactinternational.com.

Blue-sky thinking on airspace

A new document released by the CAA outlines work being done on its Future Airspace Strategy (FAS). The future needs of airspace users, they say, will require the provision of flexible airspace capacity to respond to developments, at acceptable cost yet minimising aviation‘s environmental impact.

The document is aimed largely at users of controlled airspace but it does reveal that the CAA is to carry out "stakeholder consultation" to develop its draft FAS between now and February 2011! There‘s little mention of General Aviation in the document except to say, "…factors may be in conflict; for example, expanding controlled airspace to increase capacity could restrict the access to some in the General Aviation community."

The key words are flexibility and integration; no doubt we will soon learn exactly what these mean in CAA hands. The Airspace for Tomorrow 2 document can be found at www.caa.co.uk/docs/7/2010928AirspaceForTomorrow2.pdf.

Condor has superb L/D!

Research into the aerodynamic attributes of flying fish has revealed that they are far more efficient than hitherto believed, reports The Economist. Drs Choi and Park of Seoul National University in Korea wind-tunnel tested stuffed flying fish in different configurations and discovered that they could achieve a lift/drag ratio of 4.4:1, increasing to 5.5:1 in ground (i.e. water) effect.

The original article, in the Journal of Experimental Biology, cites L/D ratios for other flying creatures including the Black Vulture which is said to have a remarkable best glide of 17:1!

The Cloudbase Foundation

US pilot Ricker Goldsborough has started a non-profit organisation that raises money and initiates projects to help children in need in areas where hang and paraglider pilots fly. To date the Cloudbase Foundation has raised over $20,000 and completed a number of projects that have had a big impact on the quality of life for the children concerned.

Completed projects include supplying medicine and nutritional supplements to Guayaquil in Ecuador; constructing a schoolroom and providing a teacher‘s salary for a year at Canoa, also in Ecuador; and providing water tanks at Kwahu-Nkwatia, Ghana. Ongoing projects include the provision of emergency and quality-of-life items and childcare at Big Spring, Texas, and supplying special education teaching material and projectors at Dunlap, Tennessee.

Cloudbase supporters include 2008 US hang gliding champion Zac Majors, paraglider pilot Christina Ammon, USHPA magazine editor Nick Greece and Oz-Report contributor Belinda Boulter. This is a thoroughly laudable development that we hope will grow and grow. To learn more about the Cloudbase Foundation, contribute funds or register as a supporter, go to their web site www.thecbf.org.

RAeC Trust bursaries

The RAeC Trust bursary scheme for 2011 is now open. It offers several bursaries including the prestigious Peter Cruddas Foundation Scholarship worth up to £1,000, and other bursaries of up to £500, to enable young people of 16 - 21 years of age to progress in their chosen air sport.

Applicants must be UK citizens and resident in the UK; training and flying must be conducted at UK clubs, associations or training establishments. Applications, which must arrive at the Trust by 31 March 2011, should be submitted through a sponsoring organisation (eg the BHPA).

2010 winners included BHPA members Idris Birch (19) of Aberystwyth and Katie Lawrence (18) of Hornchurch, plus others including seven young parachutists and eight young glider pilots. Details and an application form are at www.royalaeroclubtrust.org.

Blorenge party and fly-in

The South East Wales club is planning another Blorenge party and fly-in on the August Bank Holiday next year. This will again be based at Pen-y-Worlod Farm, Abergavenny, by the side of the river Usk.

Further details will be posted on the Club web site at www.sewhgpgc.co.uk/blorenge11.php when arrangements have been confirmed - put the date in your diary now!

BHPA e-News

2009-08-15T14:23:55Z

BHPA e-News
A round-up of recent news items from the Skywings Team

Mid-air collision
On Saturday 9^th August there was a mid air collision between two paraglider pilots at the BCC on Long Mynd. As a result, Stephen Allen from SE Wales Club and Dennis Wray from the Dales club impacted the ground hard. First aiders attended, and the air ambulance was called.

Both pilots received emergency attention at the scene, and were then taken away. Sadly Steve Allen passed away on arrival at hospital.

Dennis Wray is in intensive care, recovering from emergency surgery, and is said to be "stable and comfortable".

There will be a full investigation into this tragic accident, but for the moment our thoughts must be with Steve and Dennis's family and friends.

CAA decision on Mode S
On July 1^st the Civil Aviation Authority published its final decision on the second phase of expansion in the use of Mode S transponders in UK airspace. Following extensive consultation on a variety of proposals, the CAA has decided to focus on the busiest and most complex areas of airspace for the expansion of Mode S use.

The CAA intends to introduce regulation to require all aircraft (except gliders) flying within Class A to C controlled airspace to carry and operate a Mode S transponder with effect from October 1^st 2009. For gliders read also hang gliders and paragliders.

The Mode S transponder carriage regulations will also be extended to include gliders with effect from April 6th 2012. Amendments to the regulations will bring Self-Launching Motor Gliders into line with the regulations for all other gliders. There will still be an option for Air Traffic Control to allow non-transponder equipped flights into the airspace, providing safety and efficiency levels can be assured.

So far, so good. There has been no mention of further tightening of the rules to include all GA aircraft, wider areas of airspace or Transponder Mandatory Zones. Yet. This is not the end of the Mode S story.

The full CAA decision and further background material is available at www.caa.co.uk/modes. A fact sheet on Mode S is also available at www.caa.co.uk/docs/1/Mode%20S%20decision%20-%20In%20Focus.pdf.

Toby Colombé sets new paragliding World Record
On 26^th July, British Pilot Toby Colombé of Passion Paragliding set a new out and return tandem world record! Toby launched from Sorica in Slovenia at just after 10am and struggled with very light thermals for the first couple of hours.

Shortly after midday he crossed into Italy, and then flew deep into the Julian Alps before returning to Slovenia in the late afternoon. It took Toby just over 7 hours to complete a 168km out and return flight, extending by 9km the previous world record set two years ago by local hot shot Tomaz Erzen.

Toby was flying a Gradient Bigolden XC for the first time: not bad for a test flight! Toby would like to thank Cefn Hoile "for being the perfect passenger as well as exhibiting extraordinary bladder control"; and Brett Janaway of xTc Paragliding for providing much needed encouragement and logistical support,.. oh, and for allowing Toby to test fly his wing!

Full details of this remarkable flight are available at www.passionparagliding.com.

Brits 4^th at Worlds
Great Britain claimed a creditable 4^th position at the fifth FAI Paragliding Accuracy World Championships in Croatia over the 21^st to 25^th June. Uncharacteristic wet weather reduced the competition from a maximum 12 round to a five round event. Competitors flew from a 1,000 feet tall hill with landing in a small valley below with the objective of landing as close as possible to a 3cm disc at the centre of a target area. Target approaches were not easy as pilots had to cope with both sinky and bouyant conditions in the valley landing field.

Brits Andy Shaw (5^th) and Andy Webster (7^th) flew very well to achieve top ten placings, with Don Bodill, Nick Simmons and Tony Blacker all making valuable contributions to the Great Britain score. China took the first two individual places with a Czech pilot taking third. Fierce competition from the Czech Republic and Serbia did not materialise, however, favourites Slovenia, an unknown team from China and an improved Bulgarian team pushed Great Britain into fourth place. Teams consisted of a maximum number of five male pilots and two female pilots and Great Britain were at a disadvantage of being unable to field any female pilots. Hopefully there will be British female pilots at the European Championships in Turkey (2010) and next World Championships in Czech Republic (2011).

The Great Britain team would like to thank the BHPA for funding towards the championships. Full results and photos are available on www.pgworlds-croatia.com.

Best glide ever?
Ozone say their test and design team has built a wing with the highest glide ratio of any usable wing in the history of paragliding. Ozone fluid dynamics boffin Luc Armant claims that the Baby HPP has a glide of 11.7:1, almost two points better than the highest-performing Open class wings, and a top peed of 70km/h.

The Baby HPP is not for sale, but the Ozone team say the project is not over yet. Its findings are likely to trickle down to the rest of the Ozone range and may result in an Open-class wing that will outdo the cutting-edge Mantra R09.

FAI Gold
Congratulations to Captain Steve Penfold REME, who recently gained the FAI Gold badge for hang gliding with a 100km, five-hour flight, plus height gains of over 2,000m, on an Airborne C4.

And Brett Janaway has gained two FAI Diamond badges for paragliding distance and duration.

Detail of the newly-revised FAI badges can be seen at www.fai.org. Work is under way to integrate such awards into the hang gliding and paragliding XC leagues, both to simplify applications and to encourage all pilots to follow Steve and Brett‘s example and improve their flying performances.

BHPA AGM
The BHPA AGM will be held this year at the National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, on Saturday December 5^th.

The Sport and Leisure Aviation Show continues at the NEC on November 28^th - 29^th; this year the BHPA will have no direct involvement in the show.