Paragliding
British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association logo

British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association

news
skywings news

Skywings News

Skywings On-line Magazine

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 all non archived years 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).

or and

There are 416 news stories for all non archived years in our database.

Displaying page 49 out of 52

[ Top ] - [ Prev ] - [ Next ] - [ Bottom ]

Skywings News - all non archived years

Flylight's 21st

Saturday July 30th sees a hangar party at Sywell Aerodrome, Northants, to celebrate Flylight's 21st birthday. All are welcome and demonstration flights can be arranged.

If flying in you will need to send your aircraft registration, number of visitors, etc, in advance as the airfield is PPR. Visitors are welcome to camp, by arrangement, but camper vans are not allowed on site; there is more comfortable accommodation at Sywell's Aviator Hotel and local B&Bs.

For further information please contact Flylight at info@flylight.co.uk.

Posted: 7 July 2016
By: Paul Dancey

Olympic torch flies from Ibituruna!

local pilot Moisés 'Moka' Sodré with the Olympic Torch at Feira da PazOn April 27th the Olympic Torch travelled from Greece to Brazil to begin a 95-day tour to the Rio Olympics opening on August 5th. The tour will visit 83 cities, 26 state capitals and 500 towns.

On May 11th the torch parade passed through Governador Valadares where XC Brazil's Steve Barton was one of the pilots to escort it from the peak of Ibituruna to the landing field at Feira da Paz. The torch was carried on the 20-minute top-to-bottom by local pilot Moisés 'Moka' Sodré (pictured left).

"When we arrived above the landing field - still with more than 1,500ft of altitude - it was illuminated by hundreds of flashing cameras and the TV film crews," reports Steve. "Spiralling down whilst monitoring the position of 20 other dark, silent shapes, listening to the roar of the hundreds of spectators, was definitely the most memorable yet nerve-wracking top-to-bottom ever - fantastic!"

Steve runs XC and thermalling courses in Brazil with Dean Crosby. Please see the XC Brazil website for further information about their courses.

Posted: 7 July 2016
By: Paul Dancey

CAA gets tough on airspace infringers

In May the CAA announced that pilots who infringe controlled airspace could have their licences suspended while the incident is assessed. The decision is the latest attempt to try and reduce the number of infringements occurring in UK airspace - over 1,000 were reported in 2015.

If an incident is deemed serious enough the licence of the pilot involved will be provisionally suspended. Depending on the outcome of the subsequent follow-up action, a decision will be made about lifting the suspension.

While few BHPA pilots possess licences of the type the CAA can suspend, the move reveals the seriousness with which they view such incursions.

"We hope this decision will bring home the gravity of the situation... we need to see the numbers decline urgently," writes the CAA's Rob Grattan. Recently a Red Arrows display was disrupted by an infringement; the licence of the GA pilot involved was suspended as a result. XC free-fliers should check and double-check their potential routes for possible incursions... and land if they don't know where they are.

Posted: 7 July 2016
By: Paul Dancey

HPA contest at Sywell

2016 BHPFC Competition at Sywell AerodromeThe aim of the British Human Powered Flying Club - affiliated to the BHPA - is to encourage the building and flying of Human Powered Aircraft in Britain and around the world.

The club's annual competition runs at Sywell Aerodrome from July 16th - 24th. At present seven aircraft have been entered including four from university teams. Researchers from several other universities will visit to witness the flying and attend lectures. There are unconfirmed rumours of teams visiting from Lithuania, France, Germany, USA, Hong Kong and China.

Human-powered aircraft are highly efficient in design and construction, weighing 30 - 45kg with major structural elements in carbon fibre and needing as little as 0.3hp to fly. Details of the event are available on the British Human Powered Flying Club website; for more information contact BHPFC President Roger Warren on 07935 901093, e-mail: roger.warren@triteq.com. Or visit the British Human Powered Flying Club's Facebook page.

Posted: 7 July 2016
By: Paul Dancey

Vintage hang glider rally!

Vintage Hang Glider - photo courtesy Mark WoodhamsThe inaugural British Vintage Hang Gliding Rally will be held at Keswick Flight Park on September 17th - 18th. The event features milestone gliders such as Judy Leden's Royal Jordanian Airwave K4, John Pendry's Planter's Magic 3, plus examples of the Wasp Gryphon, Flight Sails Shark and many others.

The event is the brainchild of veteran hangies Steve Pionk and Jonathan Howes, aided and abetted by 80s returnee Pete Sonderskov, former Airwave worker Jon Sacre and new convert Christo Tracey. They are aiming for an informal get-together of vintage equipment and pilots to celebrate the early days of UK hang gliding.

"It's amazing how fast the sport evolved from the early Rogallo-style wings," says Christo, "and it's remarkable how many of these old designs are still around. How better to celebrate this than with an end-of-season party with as many old wings on display as possible?"

Everyone is welcome, particularly if they have an old glider to rig. Prizes will include best in Show and Best Team; amenities include the usual Keswick Flight Park hospitality, plus evening entertainment and a bar. The rally will raise funds for the Alzheimer's Society.

For more information and details on how to book, please visit the British Vintage Hang Gliding Rally website.

Posted: 7 July 2016
By: Paul Dancey

PSC Penninefest

The Pennine Soaring Club's annual Penninefest takes place at the Chipping Showground, just north of Preston, on September 2nd - 4th. The venue is in the shadow of Parlick; it takes all winds except northerlies, in which case a five-minute drive will take you to Longridge Fell. In stronger north-westerlies Pendle Hill is a 15-minute drive away.

The event will be centered around a marquee serving local beers, and Eric Innes's famous barbecue. Camping at the showground is £7.50 per unit per night (electric hook up: £2 per night extra). All pilots taking part must be BHPA or BMAA members and carry a membership card. For further updates go to the PSC's Facebook page or the club website.

Simon Blake will be running flying competitions including a fun event featuring Cumbria, Dales and Pennine clubs; briefings and talks by guest speakers will be in the village hall. The showground is two-minute walk from Chipping's pubs and cafes; for steaks and sausages the town of Longridge is close by. A curry night has been arranged for the Saturday night at Chipping's famous Sun Inn; booking will be essential.

Posted: 7 June 2016
By: Paul Dancey

Avian Ltd is for sale

The Evo 3 high-performerUK hang glider manufacturer Avian is for sale. The Peak District-based company includes Avian Ltd, Avian Online and the busy AIR importership and overhaul business. "We are looking for somebody with engineering know-how and a desire to do something totally different," says Steve Elkins, Avian MD and designer. "To be able to design, test and fly your own aircraft is the privilege of a very few."

The Rio 2 intermediate Avian have recently moved to an integrated fully-digital sail design and laser-cutting process that allows far greater production accuracy and supports the evolution of new designs, a changeover that is already beginning to reap rewards. Steve, who started Avian over 25 years ago in 1989, wants to be able to devote time to other business ideas, but won't be leaving the company without regrets.

"I have enjoyed my time at Avian and have appreciated meeting and having the support of some very loyal customers. I will be passing Avian on in a strong position with its best and most extensive range of gliders, including the Evo 3, Puma, Rio 2 and Fly. There are several other projects in the pipeline such as a prototype SSDR trike and wing."

In the meantime Avian and Avian Online will continue to trade as usual. All enquires to info@avianonline.co.uk or by post to Avian Ltd, S33 9JT.

Posted: 7 June 2016
By: Paul Dancey

Sponsored SIV

Passion Paragliding are offering up to ten sponsored places on their renowned SIV and Wing Control courses later this year. "We wanted to reward the hard-working BHPA Club Coaches,' says top SIV instructor Toby Colombé. "Many of them regularly give up their own flying time to help other pilots, and we decided to help them!"

To access one of these half-price, one-week courses, contact them through the Passion Paragliding website.

Posted: 7 June 2016
By: Paul Dancey

last updated: 31 January 2025

Skywings News Feed

Displaying page 49 out of 52

[ Top ] - [ Prev ] - [ Next ] - [ Bottom ]

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.

BHPA Pilot Handbook
Skywings Magazine Online
Download the BHPA Elementary Training Guide
Submit an Incident Report
Information for visiting overseas hang glider and paraglider pilots
Events & Competitions Calendar
Information for UK hang glider and paraglider pilots who want to fly abroad

© British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association 2004 - 2025