Skywings news stories are available for the following publication years:
If you're looking for news stories published before January 2016, please visit the Skywings News Archive.
Skywings news stories published in 2016 are displayed below.
News stories published in the years listed above can also be searched by post date or headline (title).
To search by post date, please enter the month and year numerically as mm-yyyy (eg. 03-2016).
There are 61 news stories for 2016 in our database.
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Active Edge are hosting a Nova testival in the Peak District on the weekend of the June 11th - 12th.
The team, including test pilot Toni Bender and a van full of gliders for pilots to try out, will meet at the Derby & Lancs gliding club on Bradwell Edge at 9.30am each day (check Facebook for the actual destination on the day).
Toni will also be doing a Q&A session at the gliding club on the Saturday evening. Camping and food are available at the gliding club; everyone will be welcome.
Posted: 11 May 2016
By: Paul Dancey
German researcher Johannes Hogebrink has been allowed access to the Otto Lilienthal Museum's archive of 145 photographs to produce a short animation of of the world's first hang glider pilot flying from his artificial hill near Berlin between 1893 and 1896.
You can also view Otto Lilienthal's First Film from Johannes Hogebrink on the Vimeo website.
Thanks to Tony Prentice for the steer.
Posted: 9 April 2016
By: Paul Dancey
No more Worthing Birdman - the local council have decided against organising any further Worthing Birdman competitions 'for the time being'.
Apparently costs have been escalating and they have no major sponsor; according to the organisers "... it's time to stop injecting money and resources into the event." A shame after Ron Freeman scooped the £10,000 jackpot in 2014 with a 159m flight and Tony Hughes following with 106m last year.
The end of the 'pier show' will disappoint a number of determined hangies and experimenters; Ron has competed at Worthing, and Bognor before that, since the early 2000s and won at least 25 events.
Posted: 9 April 2016
By: Paul Dancey
Lakes pilot Chris Scammell is offering two prizes of his company's HD Lake District relief map to the first paraglider pilots to complete either of the following challenges this year.
The first is to fly a closed circuit that visits all four of England's 3,000ft summits (Skiddaw, Helvellyn, Scafell and Scafell Pike); the second is to fly a route - no closed circuit necessary - taking in the same four summits on an intermediate wing of aspect ratio 5.3:1 or less. Turnpoint cylinder radii are 100m; proof should be by IGC file sent to chris@mapsculpture.co.uk.
The Lakes HD relief map is realised in perfect detail by a blend of computer technology and old-fashioned artisan skill. It retails at £119. For further details please visit the Map Sculpture website.
Posted: 9 April 2016
By: Paul Dancey
A reminder that Parafest returns for its second year at a new easy-to-find location near Prestatyn in North Wales. Just a mile from the A55 and close to the coast, the site offers smooth sea breezes for the paramotors and the area's many paragliding sites within easy driving distance.
The UK Accuracy Squad will have a winch on site and will demonstrate how an accuracy comp works; experienced accuracy pilots will offer an introduction and coaching to any interested tow-rated pilots. A dozen bands of all genres are booked to play, and a varied selection of caterers and a bar with real ales, cocktails, etc, will be open all weekend.
For further details and online ticket sales please visit the Parafest website.
Posted: 9 April 2016
By: Paul Dancey
The Department for Transport is consulting on proposals to increase the fines for pilots infringing the Rules of the Air.
For offences relating to communicating with ATC, flight plans and position-reporting the DfT seeks to increase the maximum fine in England and Wales from £2,500 to unlimited. In Scotland and Northern Ireland the maximum fines would increase to £5,000.
The consultation closes on April 22nd; for further details and how to respond please visit the UK government website.
Posted: 9 April 2016
By: Paul Dancey
New recruit to the Nova Junior Pilots team is Mentor 4 pilot John Ashman, 15-year old son of three-times hang gliding XC League winner Chris Ashman.
John, flying since 2014, trained with Steve Hudson's Derbyshire Flying Centre and won the Derbyshire club's Best Newcomer award last year in his first post-CP season. Nine years after he last flew a hang glider, Chris Ashman was also signed off last year as a paragliding CP; John's big brother Joe is also paragliding.
Posted: 13 March 2016
By: Paul Dancey
On January 3rd Austria's Anton Raumauf claimed a new world height gain record of 4,359m aboard an Atos at Burgsdorf, Namibia, outstripping Rainer Scholl's 1985 mark of 3,820m.
For comparison, note that the current Class 1 world record of 4,343m, was set by Larry Tudor in the Owens Valley in 1985. The daddy is still Robbie Whittall's 4,526m by paraglider, also set in Namibia, in 1993!
Posted: 13 March 2016
By: Paul Dancey
last updated: 19 March 2025
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