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Skywings news stories posted online in Jan 2012 are displayed below.
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A joint initiative between the Cumbria and Dales clubs has resulted in an inaugural XC Development Day run by Pat Dower on Saturday February 18th.
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.
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".
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.
Further information about the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association and skywings magazine can be found on the about the BHPA and Skywings magazine pages on this website.
