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There are 458 news stories for all non archived years in our database.
Displaying page 16 out of 58
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Update 21 of the BHPA Technical Manual has now been published.
This latest update of the BHPA Technical Manual is available for download in the documents section of our website, and supersedes Update 20.
Posted: 7 April 2022
By: Paul Dancey
Armin Harich, Jean-Baptiste Chandelier and Benni Bölli have come up with the Moustache. It looks like a conventional paraglider but has a reflex profile and is controlled more like a kite. Using pulleys to mix the B and C risers in proportion to brake travel allows the pilot to change the angle of attack at will.
Hands up you go fast with a steep glide angle; hands down you slow down and glide increases. Aimed at sand, snow, coastal soaring and speed flying, the Moustache, is ideal for swooping too. It converts energy from dives into turns or height in a more dynamic and efficient way than a paraglider.
Not designed for thermalling, the Moustache requires a different skill set compared to a standard paraglider. Its designers say it's like a mid-B wing, with the bigger sizes optimised for soaring and the smaller sizes for speedriding. The size you choose also depends on pilot weight and skill level.
Its roots are in Armin Harich's long history in foil kites, culminating in a one-liner that captured world and European foil racing titles. After years of development the team were able to reduce the steering forces to 'less than those of a tandem'.
The new wing is very resistant to collapse, but it still needs careful handling and will misbehave if the pilot reacts to deflation by going hands-up.
The Moustache is produced by Flare, a new offshoot of Skywalk. Armin Harich believes that one day all paragliders will end up being controlled in this way, and that it has the potential to revolutionise the sport. There's a series of videos explaining all this on the Flare website.
Posted: 1 April 2022
By: J. Schofield
Flyeo - the Doussard, France-based paragliding training school and SIV provider - are seeking to sponsor some up-and-coming UK pilots.
This could be your big break into the world of competition and beyond. All you need to do is email info@flyeo.com with a link to your social media and Flyeo will contact you with more info.
Posted: 29 March 2022
By: J. Schofield
Members may be unaware that the BHPA's digital membership card went live last summer. Invitations were emailed all members for whom the Association had an address; these have now expired.
Any member wishing to use the facility should visit https://members.bhpa.co.uk/login. Clicking the 'forgot password' button will allow them to sign in. They will be asked to set-up a password enabling them to view a digital version of their current membership card, carrying details of their ratings and any IPPI or FAI cards they may possess.
Any member who needs to update their email details should email the office quoting their name and membership number
Posted: 29 March 2022
By: J. Schofield
With great regret we report the passing of paragliding pioneer Gerald Williams, who died on March 1st aged 85. Gerald was one of the very first in the UK to realise that parachutes could be soared from a hill. By 1985 he had perfected reverse launching, using a heavily modified jump canopy rerigged with thinner lines and other ingenious modifications. Having taught legions of Derbyshire pilots to fly at Peak Paragliding, he retired from instructing in 2001. DSC pilots in particular will remember him for his unquenchable enthusiasm.
Posted: 29 March 2022
By: J. Schofield
Woody Valley has recorded a case of low-load breakage on one of their X-Rated7 rescue handles. Test results on harnesses sold in 2016-2017-2018 show that the aging factor of the materials is not the cause, and they think it might be the accidental sharp edge of one of the tallurit.
As a result, Woody Valley have issued a safety notice and have decided to replace the plastic-wired rescue handle on their X-R7 harness with the most recent steel-wired handle.
Owners of Woody Valley X-R7 harnesses are therefore advised to contact their local dealer or national distributor for a free replacement handle.
A copy of the full safety notice can be downloaded from the Importers & Manufacturers Safety Notices page on this website.
Posted: 21 March 2022
By: Paul Dancey
The CAA has acted on free flying attracting the potentially misleading WP code in NOTAMs, which has been taken to indicate parachute jumping instead of paragliding and hang gliding to which it refers. Our sport now falls under the WG code for gliding; the definition now being 'glider flying, paragliding or hang gliding'. The change was implemented by the UK NOTAM Office on March 1st.
Posted: 1 March 2022
By: J. Schofield
The military conflict taking place in Ukraine is of grave international concern. The FAI are deeply saddened by the inevitable human cost of war and the humanitarian crises that will be created because of this conflict.
The FAI's fundamental aim is to maintain the integrity and support the development of air sports across all nations in line with a set of values that nurture inclusion and transcend national differences.
To maintain that aim under the circumstances created by the military conflict in the Ukraine, the FAI Executive Board has unanimously decided to implement the following extraordinary measures:
To suspend the members of Russia and Belarus with immediate effect and therefore removing all rights as listed in FAI Statutes 2.4.2.1.
In making this decision, the FAI Executive Board has taken note of the considered actions being taken by the International Olympic Committee and other international sporting organisations.
In addition to the above measures, the FAI Executive Board will:
1. Engage with FAI Members, FAI Air Sport Commissions and other stakeholders to ensure that the situation is carefully, and regularly monitored and further decisions taken as to current and future measures.
2. Ensure that the organisers of all FAI sanctioned events due to take place in Europe between now and April 2023 are consulted with to consider the direct and indirect impact of the conflict in the Ukraine, any mitigation measures that might need to be considered, and what forms of assistance the FAI might be able to provide to maintain the integrity of such events.
This is a very difficult situation. Our thoughts are with those that are being most directly impacted, and we all hope for a swift resolution.
FAI Executive Board
28 February 2022
Download a copy of the FAI Statement
Posted: 28 February 2022
By: Paul Dancey
last updated: 18 September 2026
Displaying page 16 out of 58
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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.
