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 2026 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 14 news stories for 2026 in our database.
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Gin have issued a safety notice for their Genie Race 5 rescue handle.
An internal quality-control inspection identified a potential manufacturing issue affecting the stitching securing the plastic paracord to the rescue handle. In a small number of cases the paracord may become loose and could interfere with the deployment of the emergency parachute.
Not all Genie Race 5 rescue handles are affected. A simple inspection allows pilots to determine whether their rescue handle is safe or requires replacement.
A copy of the full safety notice is available on the Manufacturer Safety Notices page of this website, and on the Gin website.
UK Airsports will assist in carrying out the inspection if required and arrange a free replacement rescue handle if necessary..
Posted: 22 July 2026
By: Paul Dancey
A CAA consultation on mandatory EC usage was launched on July 14th. A BHPA response, integrated with other GA groups, will follow. It is hoped this will be available by late August.
Clubs and individual members may like to study the document and respond, by means of a 30-minute online survey.
Details are here. The consulation closes at midnight on September 22nd.
Posted: 14 July 2026
By: J. Schofield
Ozone have issued a safety notice for their Forza 2 Hook Knife.
They have been made aware of a potential safety issue affecting some hook knives supplied by Ozone with the Forza 2 harness, as well as knives sold separately as accessories.
In at least one reported case, a hook knife failed to cut a paraglider line during testing.
All pilots who carry or rely on an Ozone hook knife must immediately check that their knife functions correctly.
Take a spare piece of paraglider line with a strength value > 50kg. Apply firm tension to the line. Attempt to cut the line using your hook knife.
If the knife cuts the line easily and cleanly and remains visually unblemished: No further action is required.
If the knife fails to cut the line, struggles to cut, or the blade becomes damaged during the attempt: The knife should be replaced immediately. Please contact your local Ozone dealer.
A full copy of the safety notice is available on our Importer & Manufacturer Safety Notices page.
Posted: 23 May 2026
By: Paul Dancey
Woody Valley have issued a safety notice for their M1 and MK1 Pro Harnesses.
During the handle assembly phase, a defective handle was discovered that was missing a seam which would have prevented the emergency parachute from being extracted.
Please view the full safety notice, which is available on our Importer & Manufacturer Safety Notices page, for further information, and details of how to check if you have a defective handle.
Posted: 23 May 2026
By: Paul Dancey
During packing courses, two cases were reported in which deployment of ALFAcross reserve systems was hindered because the container fabric became caught. A safety notice has therefore been issued highlighting this potential issue.
No similar incidents have been reported during flights.
The issue has been linked to the previous container-closing method described in the manual. This affects ALFAcross reserve systems that were repacked into the original container following the former packing instructions in the manual.
New reserves, or those that have never been repacked, are not affected.
Pilots whose ALFAcross reserve was packed according to the previous instructions in the manual should check their equipment, and if necessary, the rescue should be repacked according to the new instructions, which can be downloaded from the Gleitschirm Retter website.
A full copy of this safety notice is available on the Manufacturer Safety Notices page of the BHPA website.
Posted: 21 April 2026
By: Paul Dancey
During packing courses, two cases were reported where the deployment of Quadro containers was hindered due to the container fabric becoming caugh caught, Woody Valley have therefore issued a safety notice highlighting this potential issue.
No similar incidents have been reported during flights.
The issue has been linked to the previous container closing method described in the manual. This affects Quadro reserve systems that were repacked into the original container following the former packing instructions in the manual.
Rescues new or that have never been repacked, are not affected.
Pilots whose Quadro reserve was packed according to the previous instructions in the manual should check their equipment, and if required, the rescue should be repacked in accordance with the new instructions downloadable from the Woody Valley website.
A full copy of this safety notice is available on the Manufacturer Safety Notices page of the BHPA website.
Posted: 21 April 2026
By: Paul Dancey
The FAI have added a new XC Sport category to the various WPRS rankings.
The new table was topped in early April by British pilots. Ulric Jessop, Gerry McNicol, Tom Hodgkin and Mark Hayman together outscore the top four Swiss pilots. Poland and the US are 3rd and 4th.
Ulric, Gerry and Tom were all in the individual top ten with Mark at 11th. Magda Janaway and Kanan Thakur were 2nd and 3rd in the women's table; Tom Frances and Mark Janaway were 4th and 7th in the Junior table.
This good showing reflects the strong take-up by British pilots of Sports-level competition, exemplified by the SRS, British Sports Championships and Naviter Open.
Posted: 21 April 2026
By: J. Schofield
The BHPA Flight Safety Committee has issued a safety advisory for the Flare Prop.
Following internal quality testing, Flare has decided to reinforce the A-lines (12 lines in total) in order to improve durability and long-term reliability.
The updated lines are stated to have no impact on performance. In addition, the rubber line connected to the control handles has been slightly modified to improve handling and user experience.
This modification is not described as safety related.
Flare has advised that the A-lines must be replaced before the next flight.
For further information please download the full safety advisory which is available in the safety section of our website.
Posted: 24 March 2026
By: Paul Dancey
last updated: 22 July 2026
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