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Skywings news stories posted online in Feb 2014 are displayed below.
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The British Paramotor Open at the Hull Aero Club on May 15th - 18th will feature the UK's first Pure Slalom competition. Top British and some overseas pilots are already engaged, and the organisers hope to encourage more domestic and foreign pilots to compete for the title of Slalom Champion.
The event is well timed to boost the British team for the Paramotor World Championships in Hungary in August. The British Paramotor League (April 12th - 13th) and the Open are both showing increased popularity with many new and seasoned pilots intending to compete.
The Hull Aero Club site at Beverley, East Yorks, is said to be ideal for the event and has very good facilities. Entry has been set at just £30 to encourage new competitors. To register as a pilot or marshal go to the PPG Competitions website.
Posted: 15 January 2014
On January 1st the insurer for BHPA members' Third-Party liability cover changed from Hiscox to Manchester-based Liberty Mutual. The new policy will effectively be on the same terms as before, with the added bonus of ordinary members' liability cover increasing from £2m to £5m.
All other caps are unaffected. It is hoped that this will assist clubs in securing the use of sites where levels of Third-Party cover may have been an issue. For those members renewing early in the year there may be a delay in issuing the papers and wording, but they can be reassured that cover is in place.
Posted: 15 January 2014
Ben Ashman and Andy Bill followed the Severn Bore in November to make a video from several air, land and sea perspectives. Andy filmed this remarkable natural phenomenon during a two-and-a-half-hour flight featuring single-seat Dragonfly and DragonLite microlights.
It's impressive stuff, showing among other sights the formation of whirlpools and a rare sighting of a Harbour Porpoise.
Posted: 15 January 2014
Hang gliding Europeans cancelled
The 19th FAI European hang gliding championships, scheduled for Lumbier in Spain this year, has been cancelled.
CIVL acted on a report from the event stewards that the event could not go ahead. In November the organisers had sought CIVL approval to put the early-July date back by a week.
Posted: 15 January 2014
Green Dragons now have their own weather station on the North Downs.
Pilots can access the new installation, based at westerly-facing "Sticks Bowl" near their Slines Oak Farm base, by registering for a one-month free trial on the Green Dragons website.
Posted: 15 January 2014
On the last day of 2013, German pilot Jochen Zeyer set new Class 5 triangle speed and distance records on an Atos VR.
Flying from Burgsdorf in Namibia, Jochen completed a 406km triangle and set a new 300km triangle speed mark of 48.3km/h. Both existing record were set by Austria's Walter Geppert in May 2008 from the Emberger Alm.
Posted: 15 January 2014
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.
