Welcome to the Skywings news archive.
Skywings news stories posted online in Jan 2014 are displayed below.
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If you're looking for stories posted after December 2015, please visit our Skywings News page.
Many years ago the Civil Aircraft Notification Procedure (CANP) was set up to limit the risks associated with military and BHPA-type flying sharing the lower levels of UK airspace. Further information about the current system is available on the Civil Aircraft Notification Procedure (CANP) on this website.
For various reasons it has become a good time to conduct a review of CANP and how it does, and does not, work for all those that are part of the system. The BHPA needs your help with identifying the good, and the bad,
aspects of using it.
If you have flown midweek, or intend to fly midweek in the future, please complete this short on-line questionnaire - it shouldn't take more than five minutes and could well help save your, or someone else's life. BHPA Clubs are of course welcome
to submit a combined response.
Posted: 16 December 2013
It is reported from Brazil that Alex Coltman made 369km from Quixada in over nine and a half hours' flying on November 19th.
This exceeds both Simon Headford's 338.2km solo flight and Richard Westgate and Phil Bibby's 356km tandem flight, both set in South Africa in 2006, giving Alex the UK worldwide distance record.
Alex, flying a UP Trango XC2, reached 3064m and averaged 45.5km/h over the distance. We offer him our congratulations!
Posted: 11 December 2013
In November Green Dragons' paragliding student Benjamin Akhtar, 14, became the youngest BHPA pilot ever to have been issued with a Club Pilot (Hill) rating. Having dreamed about paragliding for as long as he can remember, Ben began training with Green Dragons at Woldingham last January, just a week after his 14th birthday. He achieved his EP award in April, dropping only two marks in the exam.
Ben has funded his training himself, selling personal items and working in Green Dragons' workshop on Saturdays, to scrape together the £600 course fee. "It was far from easy," he says, "but my determination to fulfill my dream pushed me on."
He has set his sights high and is aiming to one day represent Britain in the World Championships. "I want to go as far as I can, to push myself and my equipment to the absolute limit." Ben is now engaged in passing on the news of his achievement to the mainstream media.
Posted: 11 December 2013
The Thames Valley club's Big Fat Repack will run on March 2nd at the Rivermead Leisure Complex, Reading.
There will be a zip slide to practice reserve deployment, and the BHPA's repacking team will give presentations on how to deploy and repack your 'chute. There will also be First-Aid lectures.
BHPA-qualified packers will be on hand with help and advice so that everyone leaves with their 'chute repacked. The cost is £28 - less than a commercial repack.
Book online at www.tvhgc.co.uk/bfr. To pay by cheque, downloaded a booking form from and send it to BFR, The Gables, 1 Henwick Lane, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 3BJ (please enclose an SAE).
Posted: 11 December 2013
Green Dragons - many birthdays!
Next year Green Dragons Paragliding celebrate 40 years in business.
Fresh from a trip abroad in which 14 of his trainees qualified, a breathless CFI Andy Shaw, who also celebrates his 30th year as a qualified BHPA instructor, said, "I'm just back from Thermal Soaring - at cloudbase in November! My guys are exhausted and I had to stop some of them flying on the last day!"
To celebrate all this success Andy is organising a mini 'All Out!' air show on May 24th - 26th. Details are at www.greendragons.co.uk.
Posted: 11 December 2013
A new podcast features Sir George Cayley club stalwart HHTsai discussing the ins and outs of UK coastal flying.
All aspects are covered including weather, hazards, coastal XC, sea breezes, convergence and sea thermals. Find it at www.judithmole.net.
Posted: 11 December 2013
The Annual General Meeting of the BHPA will be held on Saturday March 1st 2014 at the Belfry Hotel, Nottingham (adjacent to Junction 26 of the M1), starting at 11am. The meeting will be co-located with the BGA AGM and trade exhibition as it has been for the last two years.
It is hoped that members will take the time to turn up to hear how the BHPA Exec has been working on their behalf, to quiz Exec members on their record and put forward ideas for the future direction of the Association.
The AGM will include the election of the Association's Executive Committee (Exec), from which four current members will be standing down and may seek re-election. Martin Baxter, co-opted earlier this year to take on the role of Sites Officer will also be standing.
Any BHPA member considering seeking nomination for election should contact Chairman Marc Asquith or another Exec member to find out what's involved. Application forms, available from the BHPA Office, should be completed and submitted by December 31st. Voting papers and details of candidates, and the BHPA Treasurer's Report, will appear in Skywings' February issue.
Posted: 6 December 2013
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.
