British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association

Updated Flying sites list for Olympics Restricted Airspace

Tom Hardie has just updated the sites list for Olympics Restricted Airspace he compiled earlier this month. The two changes are:

• Changed Dover and Folkestone site details
• Despite pleas from us for common sense, we have been told that the DfT lawyers have said that we can only call on the day of the flight. Remember that the call must be completed successfully at least one hour before the first take off, and that the lines are likely to be very busy first thing in the morning

The updated list is available for download here. This document includes details of the operating procedures and regulations that will apply to these sites during games.

For information about airspace restrictions in the Weymouth area during the Olympic Games please visit the Wessex Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club website.

For information about airspace restrictions in the Cardiff area during the Olympic Games please visit the SE Wales Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club website.

Posted: 23 July 2012

World hang gliding distance record smashed

It was reported early in July that Dustin Martin (Wills Wing T2C) and Johnny Durand (Moyes Litespeed RX) pushed the World Hang Gliding Open Distance record to over 760km at the annual Zapata, Texas record camp on July 3rd.

Dustin launched just before 10am, 15 minutes ahead of Jonny. The pair were in visual contact with each other throughout the flight and went on a final glide together after 9pm, at which point Dustin was able to eke a few extra km over Jonny.

The flights represent a greater than 50km margin over Manfred Ruhmer's 2001 record of 700.6km! Latest reports are that two weeks later Jonny also smashed Mike Barber and Pete Lehmann's 2002 straight distance to a declared goal record with a flight of 557km.

Posted: 22 July 2012

Crosby and Nash bivvy adventure

In August Dean Crosby of Active Edge and X-Alps survivor Steve "Gnasher" Nash embark on a three-week hike-and-fly adventure in the Pyrenees.

The pair will start at Hendaye, France on the 22nd and bivvi-fly their way to Cadaques on Spain's mediterranean coast, aiming to arrive around September 8th. The paraglider of choice will be Nova's EN-B Ion2 Light, "smaller brother" to the Mentor2.

The pair plan to take photos and video images along the route to capture the essence of the adventure and share it with other like-minded people. There will be a blog linked off the Active Edge website where you'll be able to track their progress.

Posted: 22 July 2012

Dales 3-Peaks nailed!

Dave Smart nailed the Dales Club's elusive Three Peaks Challenge by flying the Whernside - Ingleborough - Pen-y-Ghent triangle on June 20th.

The Dales club hasn't publicised it recently but there has been a long-standing prize of £300 awaiting the first pilot to complete the flight.

Dave's 30km flight, on an Advance Sigma 8, took two and a quarter hours in a south-south-east wind. Congratulations Dave!

Posted: 22 July 2012

Ozone speed records confirmed

Andre Rainsford's 50km triangle and 100km out-and-return paraglider speed records, set from Pampoenfontein in South Africa on December 9th and 10th 2011, have been confirmed at 35.6 and 38.9 km/h respectively.

Both flights were made on an Ozone R11. These are African records, comparable to European ones; no previous marks have been set in either category. Both records are close to the existing world records of 36.07km/h (50km triangle: Charles Cazaux, 2007) and 40.20km/h (100km out-and-return: Thomas Schweers, 2011).

Andre Rainsford is reported to have claimed another African record on June 23rd, flying a 25km triangle at 33.77km/h from Barberton.

Posted: 22 July 2012

xTc Paragliding clients score record flights

The seventeenth of July this year saw four of xTc's clients score personal bests of 132.7km. It wasn't the best XC day in the Alps (Slovenia), but we thought we'd go up to the Sorica launch anyway and see what we could do. It was very satisfying for the xTc staff to be able to guide these guys the distance. Better still, they all found a suitable bar to land at and celebrate.

Looking ahead, xTc still have some vacancies for the last of the Slovenia dates this month and for the Spanish trips in a few months. Interested pilots should get in touch ASAP;

1st to 11th August (11 days) flying in Slovenia. Staying at Bohinj, in the national park, the weather is famed for big flying at this time of year in easy, consistent air for all experience levels.

28th Aug to 4th September flying in Ager, Spain. One of the most reliable destinations in Europe at this time of year. We have the odd vacancies on other weeks too, but this one is notable because there are 5 places available at the moment. Most weeks are fully booked. Probably one of the most chilled sites in Spain

For more information please visit the xTc website.

Posted: 22 July 2012