Welcome to the Skywings news archive.
Skywings news stories posted online in Nov 2015 are displayed below.
Please use the left hand menu to select a different month, and the right hand menu to select a different year.
When you select a different year, the left hand menu will automatically display the available publication months for that year.
If you're looking for stories posted after December 2015, please visit our Skywings News page.
Two twenty something mates wanted for Vauxhall Online Christmas Campaign advert
Casting House have just started casting on a Vauxhall Online Christmas Campaign advert (3 minute advert which will be shown on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc), and are looking for two twenty something mates who get on famously and are used to getting up and going on adventures at the drop of a hat.
The two friends will be tasked with driving to as many Christmas themed streets around the country as possible (e.g. Noel Street, Santa Close) at the end of next week (around 4th/5th December). They will each be paid £150 per day for taking part and go on a road trip like no other!
If you think you or any of your friends are suited, please contact Warren at Casting House on 07840664703. You can also telephone the office landline on 01908 681143, or email your details to w.tennyson@castinghouse.co.uk. For further information please visit the Casting House website.
Posted: 27 November 2015
Time-to-climb record goes again
Not content with his paramotor time-to-climb record of 18 minutes 53 seconds set last November (a UK record and still pending as an FAI world record), in September Mark Morgan knocked over three minutes off that figure with a 3,000m climb in 15:25, and then beat that with a new time of 13:45 on October 9th!
Mark reported, "My new MacFly 250 is more powerful than the Bailey Hornet I used last year and I felt confident I could beat my own record with the same 26m Ozone Viper 3. I wasn't sure by how much though – the special system I had used to lean out the mixture as I climbed was not possible with the Polini 250's PWK carb. I decided to go for it anyway, using the standard jets and standard pitch on my adjustable E-Prop. I never really plan my records, I just seem to have a gut feeling about them.
"For me the best part about these records is the flight back down – almost silent, with just the wind noise … and a chance to do some big spirals! This time I was enjoying the view (and the warmth!) so much it took me nearly three times as long to get down as it had to get up there!
"At 13:45 the record could stand for a long time – there is nothing out there as powerful as the MacFly 250 or as efficient as the Viper 3 – but I am fairly confident I can beat it again. And there's the solo time to 6,000m, tandem time to 3,000m and Ramon's absolute altitude record at 24,895ft!"
Posted: 8 November 2015
In the early hours of Saturday October 3rd, Flight Lieutenant Giles Fowler flew his Bailey Hornet/Ozone Viper 3 outfit to 21,804ft over the Chatteris parachute drop zone to break his own FAI UK solo altitude record of 18305ft set last September. Giles also claimed the previously unset UK 6000m time-to-climb record at 1 hour 20 minutes.
"Climbing to 6000m is where everything gets difficult, complicated and dangerous," he reported. "To go beyond 3,000m the rate of climb is much reduced and you need a lot more kit." Giles's dedicated support team included Hornet designer/manufacturer Paul Bailey, Group Captain (Retd) Mick Roche dealing with airspace integration, Squadron Leader (Retd) Paul Mahony flying the chase plane, Flight Lieutenant Adrian Waters (ground support) and Helen Spencer-Hicks (medical support). All heights and times are subject to verification.
Posted: 8 November 2015
Rob Whittall goes road racing!
Anyone keen on motorcycle racing, and the Isle of Man in particular, might have noticed the name Rob Whittall in the results for September's for Manx Grand Prix.
Sure enough, former world hang gliding and paragliding champion and Ozone co-founder Rob has discovered a new direction in which to excel. Riding a Suzuki GSXR 600, Rob won a Replica in the Newcomers up-to-750cc event, lapping the TT course at 105.7 mph, and averaged 106.039 mph in the Senior event – with a fastest lap of 107.812 mph – before it was red-flagged due to a number of accidents. "The whole experience was truly magnificent," he reported afterwards. "I met lots of good folk over there including a quite few pilots who saw my Ozone stickers on the bike."
Posted: 8 November 2015
London paraglider pilot Ben Akhtar, 16, has been selected by Red Bull Studios team to be a member of their '24 Under 24' team who are 'Shaping the City or inspiring others through their given fields'.
The Red Bull target audience is relatively young and the exposure will be a great advertisement for paragliding. "Once I saw paragliders near my home I knew it was what I wanted to do," says self-professed aviation nut and British Accuracy Paraglider Ben Akhtar. He's just returned from flying in the World Championships in Indonesia – all in his school holidays. All good publicity for Ben and the sport. Search 24U24.
Posted: 8 November 2015
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.