Skywings News
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Skywings news items are available for the following publication years: Skywings news items published in all non archived years are displayed below. All non archived Skywings news items can also be searched by post date or headline (title). If you're looking for Skywings news items published before 2024, please visit our archived news pages. There are 393 news items for all non archived years in our database.Displaying page 15 out of 50
Skywings News - all non archived yearsIcaro Gravis 1 paraglider Safety Notice It has been found that older Gravis 1 wings can suffer from a shortening of C and D lines, adversely changing take-off and flight characteristics including entering deep stall when using big ears. As a precautionary measure, Icaro is ordering a check on all Gravis 1 gliders last inspected more than 12 months ago, or that have been flown for more than 75 hours, or displaying unusual behaviour such as deep stall and/or hanging back on launching. These gliders must be subjected to a check by the manufacturer, and possible line replacement, before being flown again. Ascent Paragliding will be dealing with all contact and corrections within the UK. The Icaro Safety Notice can be downloaded from our Importers & Manufacturers Safety Notices page. Contact aidan@ascentparagliding.co.uk, tel: 07921811800. Icaro Paragliders, March 9th 2021
Posted: 10 March 2021 BHPA 2021 AGM The 2021 Annual General Meeting of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association will be held at the BHPA offices, 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park Leicester, LE19 1RS on Saturday 13 March 2021 at 11.00am. Although a small number of Exec members will gather at the office, suitably socially distanced, the meeting will be live-streamed on the BHPA Facebook page and on a meeting platform. The Login for the meeting platform will be posted on this website and on our Facebook page when arrangements have been confirmed. The 2021 AGM Reports document (AGM Pack) can be downloaded from the Members AGM Minutes page on this website, and includes details of candidates standing for election at this year's AGM.
Posted: 8 March 2021 Coronavirus – Covid-19 Update Yesterday, Friday 5 March 2021, the Government published the new Regulations which will come into force on Monday 8 March 2021. These are The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Wearing of Face Coverings in a Relevant Place and Restrictions: All Tiers) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021: These Regulations amend The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020: All these Regulations apply to England only. Wales is due for a review of its lockdown next week. The position in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland can be found here (Scroll down to the very bottom of the page): From our point of view, the most important amendment is the re-insertion into Schedule 3A as a legal reason for leaving home of Regulation 2(2)(d): Previously, we took the view that this exception would appear to allow solo hang gliding and solo paragliding to take place and we continue to hold that view. We continue to be of the view that XC flying is not appropriate for the time being. We are aware that the DfT/CAA guidance asks us to refrain from flying until 29 March 2021 but it would appear that the Guidance was drafted prior to the publication of the Regulations. Further, College of Policing guidance issued to Police Officers states that: Therefore, consistent with our previous position in November, the BHPA takes the view that hang gliding and paragliding are legal forms of outdoor open air recreation and where there is no landowner objection, flying in England can resume from 8 March 2021. There is no requirement to stay local in the Regulations, but that would appear to be very much in the spirit of all the restrictions. Pilots should be particularly careful if they are visiting another club's sites to ensure that the site is open and that they are welcome. Making contact ahead of travelling would appear to be the least requirement. We continue to liaise with the DfT over the re-opening of schools which is currently scheduled for 12 April 2021 and in which we appear to have been included as if training in our sport takes place inside a 2 seater, cockpit aircraft. The return to flying is taking place at a higher risk time of year. We will soon see the return of spring thermals, and rusty pilots flying in such conditions is a recipe for accidents. Please ease yourself back into flying, consider the conditions with Club Coaches and other pilots. Fly early or later in the day to start with. Don't launch in marginal conditions. We would not want to see a spike in accidents as we did at the end of the first lockdown. Fly safe !
Posted: 6 March 2021 Gin Genie Lite 3 rescue deck Safety Notice Routine inspections have revealed a small number of these optional add-on units have issues with the zipper that may cause difficulty in extracting the parachute. Owners should inspect their rescue deck prior to their next flight. If the parachute can be extracted without difficulty the rescue deck is safe to fly with. If it cannot be extracted without difficulty, or you are unsure, visually inspect the two zipper boxes. If there is burring or the part is thickened it is defective - contact your GIN dealer for instructions. Gin's Safety Notice can be found here Gin Gliders, March 4th 2021
Posted: 5 March 2021 Covid-19 BHPA Update (England) We have just received confirmation from the Department for Transport of their roadmap by which General Aviation resumes. In essence solo leisure flying in England can commence on 29 March with Training resuming on 12 April. For details see the link below. We will provide further guidance in so far as it is necessary once we have seen the regulations. There is no change to the current rules on 8 March. coronavirus-covid-19-general-aviation
Posted: 2 March 2021 Covid-19 BHPA Advice Update Covid 19 and the easing of lockdown. Having heard the Prime Minister's announcements at the start of the week, we are aware that members are asking when they can resume flying. It seems that possible dates are 8 March 2021 or 29 March 2021. At this stage none of the Regulations have been published nor has any guidance been produced. The CAA guidance that 'no leisure flying is permitted' remains the current guidance. We would ask that pilots contain themselves. Once the Regulations and guidance is published, we will post appropriate advice on both our Facebook page and on this Website. Marc Asquith
Posted: 26 February 2021 BHPA 2021 AGM The 2021 Annual General Meeting of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association will be held at the BHPA offices, 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park Leicester, LE19 1RS on Saturday 13 March 2021 at 11.00am. Although some Exec members will gather at the office, suitably socially distanced, the meeting will be live-streamed on the BHPA Facebook page and on a meeting platform. Login details for the meeting platform will be posted on this website and on our Facebook page when arrangements have been confirmed. Details of the candidates standing for election and a proxy voting form were included in the February issue of Skywings Magazine. This information and a proxy voting form is also included in the 2021 AGM pack, which you can download on the BHPA documents page on this website. Completed proxy voting forms should be emailed to office@bhpa.co.uk not less than 48hrs before the time fixed for the meeting.
Posted: 11 February 2021 Covid-19 BHPA Advice To all BHPA licenced Instructors (including Air Experience Instructors). The CAA have issued the statement below to provide clarity on the Government's position on General Aviation flying for the purposes of Instructor Currency. "The current GA guidance in relation to Covid restrictions permits GA flying for the purposes of work, and the CAA has confirmed with the DfT that this includes any activity that is "reasonably necessary" for an individual's work, where there are no alternative options available. This would include pilots who need to keep up with required training or currency flights for their work; for example, a professional pilot or any pilot in possession of a current instructional qualification. Therefore, instructors are permitted to fly to maintain required training or currency. Instructors are not permitted to fly with students, with the exception of professional training as detailed above." Coronavirus - Covid 19 General Aviation As a result of this clarification, the BHPA is now able to issue advice for its members who hold Instructor licences. All BHPA Instructor licences (including Development Instructors and Air Experience Instructors) require annual renewal. This renewal is dependent on evidence of personal flight currency and instructional/operational currency in accordance with Section 4.1.5 of the BHPA Technical Manual. Current members who hold any type of BHPA Instructor licence may resume solo personal flying in accordance with the CAA's guidance, strictly for the purposes of maintaining personal flight currency to support renewal of their licence. Flights are limited to the local flying area. Cross country flights are not permitted. This permission is limited to those who are licensed to undertake instruction, other members who are required to provide a means for these flights to take place (launch marshalls, winch operators and tug pilots) may undertake these duties. Lockdown rules applicable to the country in which you live and work must be adhered to, and can be found by following the link in the quoted statement above. It is intended that instructors who need to travel to sites to fly should remain as local to their home as possible. The reference in the CAA Guidance to "professional training as detailed above" does not apply to our sports but is intended to allow courses for the training of prospective airline pilots and the like to continue. Our advice to all BHPA members who fly for leisure has not changed. Even though flying locally may be legally permitted, pressures on the National Health Service remain high and with the potential impact of an accident on Mountain Rescue Teams in some areas, you must refrain from flying for the duration of this lockdown. Further advice on currency issues will follow in the Instructor & Coach Newsletter which will be issued shortly.
Posted: 9 February 2021
last updated: 2 April 2024 Displaying page 15 out of 50
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Visiting Overseas Hang Gliding & Paragliding Pilots please read this...
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