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A secure future for Avian
Last June Steve Elkins announced that he was putting Avian up for sale after running the business for nearly 30 years. It is now clear that engineer, hang glider pilot and Hang Points columnist Tim Swait will be taking Avian on.
Tim will be taking over all aspects of the business but Steve will remain involved as a consultant, training Tim and providing assistance with new designs. Avian will continue to manufacture and sell Avian gliders, provide factory support, servicing and repairs for all models of hang glider, and act as agent for AIR rigid wings, High Energy Sports parachutes and Icaro gliders, helmets and other accessories.
Tim's first priority is to maintain continuity in all Avian's services; in the longer term he plans to implement further innovations. To raise capital for this he is launching a crowd-funding campaign offering rewards such as substantial incentives on gliders and servicing. For further details please visit the Avian website.
Posted: 9 April 2017
By: Paul Dancey
Kenya o/r record falls
Brit Hunter Marriam's world tandem paragliding out-and-return distance record, set two years ago at Nyaru, Kenya, has been broken by Slovakian pilot Miroslav Matovič.
Miroslav flew his Axis Vega XCT 219.2km from the same site in January, exceeding Hunter's record by 4km.
Posted: 6 March 2017
By: Paul Dancey
Nova XC-Challenge
Nova's own-brand worldwide online XC contest continues in 2017 for a third year.
To participate, pilots simply upload their flights to XContest.org and Nova's own system generates the XC-Challenge rankings. Note that it's important to use the correct model name as the system will not recognize flights with incorrectly named wings.
The XC-Challenge ends on September 30th; it includes five categories covering Prion, Ion, Mentor, Triton and Phantom (pictured) gliders. The winner of each class will receive a Nova harness of their choice. For further information please visit the Nova website.
Posted: 6 March 2017
By: Paul Dancey
Carl's European record
Carl Wallbank's 264.99km straight-distance-to-goal record of last April has been recognized by the FAI as a European record. Carl's flight, on Moyes Litespeed RX 3.5, retraced the route of his 2012 UK record flight from Llangollen to land at goal at Weymouth (in 2012 Carl missed out on a similar goal by a few hundred metres).
In 2015 Carl topped the hang gliding XC league with over 1100km; last year he won again at 1,197km.
It's worth noting that the European obsession with alpine triangle flights for big records means that record straight distances and flights to goal are less common.
As a result Carl's 2016 flight stands as a previously unset European-area record, surely a unique distinction!
Posted: 6 March 2017
By: Paul Dancey
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
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