Hang Glider

British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

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Welcome to the BHPA website

The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association is the Governing Body for hang gliding and paragliding in the UK.
Our Sport
Hang Gliding and Paragliding in the UK
BHPA
Flying Disciplines
Getting Started
Members Info
Schools
Learn to fly

BHPA Registered Schools are monitored for safety, the quality of the training they offer, and the equipment they use, and their instructors are licensed by the Association.
Hang Glide
Hang Gliding and Powered Hang Gliding

Hang gliders are unpowered wings that can be launched from hills or winches, or launched by being towed aloft behind a microlight aircraft.

A hang glider can be turned into a powered hang glider by using a specially designed hang glider harness fitted with lightweight 2-stroke engine.
Unpowered
Powered
Paraglide
Paragliding and Paramotoring

Paragliders are unpowered wings that can be launched from hills or winches.

A paramotor or powered paraglider (PPG) consists of a small motor driving a propeller, worn like a backpack under a paraglider wing.
Unpowered
Powered
Parascend
Parascending

Parascending pilots fly canopies that are towed into the air by a Land Rover or winch before gliding back down to land.
- Parascending
- Parascending Schools
Power
Powered Flight

A powered hang glider consists of a light weight motor driving a propeller that is fitted to a specially designed hang glider harness, in which the pilot is suspended under a hang gliding wing.

A paramotor or powered paraglider (PPG) consists of a small motor driving a propeller, worn like a backpack under a paraglider wing.

It is also possible to use human power to take off from level ground and fly specially constructed ultra light weight aircraft.
Powered Hang Glider
Paramotor
Human Powered Wings
- Human Powered Flight
Speed Fly
Speed Flying

Speed flying is a sport based on the principles of paragliding, but using a specially designed wing to fly fast hill descents.
- Speed Flying
Documents
BHPA Documents and Forms
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home - legal - website credits

British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association

Website Credits

Visiting Overseas Hang Gliding & Paragliding Pilots please read this.....

The BHPA is a member of The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom

The BHPA is a member of The European Hang Gliding & Paragliding Union

The current design of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association website was created by Paul Dancey, with the kind collaboration of Colin Fargher and Joe Schofield.

Our special thanks to the following individuals who have kindly contributed photgraphs for use on this website:

Roger Bassil
John Bate
Pete Brunt
Alan Clarke
Ian Ferguson
Louise Grahame
Nicola Hawkins
Mark Leavesley
Richard Lovelace
Steve Millson
Gary Shaw
Franck Simonnet
Christopher Taylor
Ann Underwood
Carl Wallbank

If the owner of a photgraph is known, this information can be viewed by hovering over the photograph in question. Unfortunately there are a few cases where we do not appear to have a record of who originally supplied the photograph. If you see one of your photographs and would like a credit, or want us to remove it, please contact us.

Page last updated on the 18 March 2020.

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