British Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association

Glasto helicopter infringer prosecuted

Helicopter pilot Mark Matthews, 49, was prosecuted at Bath Magistrates' Court in January for flying his helicopter into and out of the 2016 Glastonbury Festival without permission. Matthews was seen to have landed his Robinson R44 at the Love Fields on June 23rd, and was later photographed and filmed taking off again.

Since 1998 regulations have prohibited aircraft from flying below 3,100ft amsl within 2.5 nm of Glastonbury. Matthews, of Radstock, Somerset, did not have the required permission from the police to enter the TRA; he pleaded guilty to two charges and was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,000.

Readers may recall that paramotor pilot David Hoare was similarly prosecuted by the CAA and fined for landing at the site in 2015 and 2011.

For those of us that wonder why there aren't more prosecutions for illegal flying, it's clear that if enough people witness someone doing it - and take pictures - the CAA will see them in court.

Posted: 6 March 2017
By: Paul Dancey

RAeC Trust bursaries

A final reminder that applications for Royal Aero Club Trust bursaries close on March 31st.

The bursaries are of up to £1,000; last year the Trust awarded 50 of them to young pilots of up to 21 years to progress their flying qualifications and further their dreams.

New rules introduced last year allow previous winners of up to 24 years to make further progress.

In 2016 BHPA teenagers Ryan Jenkins and Joe and John Ashman all received substantial cash support to pursue their flying goals, and in 2015 Theo Warden's bursary enabled him to pursue SIV training. If you are between 14 and 21 and financial assistance would help you progress, please visit the Royal Aero Club Trust website. If you are a young BHPA pilot - apply now!

Posted: 6 March 2017
By: Paul Dancey

Live Superfinal tracking

The PWC Superfinal starts at Brazil's Governador Valadares on Wednesday January 18th. The racing can be followed live, with tracking and the live commentary, each day on the PWC website. British competitors to watch are Julian Robinson, Guy Anderson, Brendan Reid, Russel Ogden and Idris Birch.

Posted: 23 January 2017
By: Paul Dancey

Super Testival 2017

This year's Super Paragliding Testival at Kössen in Austria will run from May 25th - 28th.

50 of the world's major manufacturers will be there, exhibiting their products to 3,000 pilots or more. The set-up is ideal for pilots keen to fly and compare several brands of equipment. Kössen is ideal for this purpose; its north-facing mountain is famous for easy thermals and gentle convergence and the huge LZ boasts the world-famous Fliegerbar. Local pilots say it has the most flyable days of any site in the northern Alps.

The event is sponsored by the Tirolean Government and AXA insurance; details can be found on the Fly Kössen website.

Posted: 23 January 2017
By: Paul Dancey

Buttermere Bash dates

The 10th anniversary Buttermere Bash and Lakeland Charity Open paragliding comp will take place on Friday and Saturday June 2nd - 3rd at its usual location on the shores of Buttermere.

Plans are afoot to attract some of the world's top acro pilots to perform jaw-dropping stunts at the UK's only acro display (photo shows John Oliver performing a SAT at last year's display), and some fantastic bands to fill the nights with music.

Details of the paragliding competition - A and B comps as well as a coaching group for low-airtime pilots - can be found on Jocky Sanderson's website. Camping will be available from Tuesday 30th May; details can be found on the Air Ventures website.

Posted: 23 January 2017
By: Paul Dancey

Kilimanjaro flight

In September British paraglider pilot Matt Sudlow flew from the 19,300ft summit of Kilimanjaro as part of the Wings of Kilimanjaro charity expedition.

Kilimanjaro was flown in 1979 by British hang glider pilot Ashley Doubtfire and three others, and again in 1981 by Bill and Steve Moyes. There have been numerous attempts since, all hampered by the extreme altitude and the protective attitude of the Tanzanian government. Most recently Nepali pilot Babu Sunawar flew tandem from the summit in 2013.

Posted: 19 December 2016
By: Paul Dancey

IPPI card expands

Serbia, Hungary, France and Italy are now part of the International Pilot Proficiency Information (IPPI) scheme.

In operation since 1992, the IPPI card system provides a standard reference by which all national rating programs may be compared. IPPI cards are issued by approved associations to any of their licensed pilots for a small fee. When you travel abroad this card, together with your BHPA membership/rating card, gives site managers, instructors, etc, an easy way to verify your experience level.

For further details about the scheme and an application form, please visit the Flying Abroad page on this website. The current fee for UK pilots is £11.

Posted: 19 December 2016
By: Paul Dancey

Pilot Development Structure

An outline of the new BHPA Pilot Development Structure is now available online. The PDS is aimed at new pilots who have recently attained CP and for non-current pilots who need motivation or reassurance to get out flying again.

The Pilot Development Structure consists of Foundation, Development and Performance layers. Within each are a series of modules that deal with a specific aspect of flying (glider control, meteorology, equipment, flight planning, etc). Each module contains a series of exercises to help a pilot gain proficiency in the appropriate skills and acquire the appropriate knowledge, before moving to the next layer. The goal is to facilitate pilots in making safe, structured progress towards their personal flying ambitions.

To find out more, please visit the Pilot Development page on this website.

Posted: 19 December 2016
By: Paul Dancey

last updated: 15 April 2021