No. 358 FEBRUARY 2019The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association2 SKYWINGS FEB 2019 THE BHPA LTD 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park,Leicester LE19 1RJ. Tel: 0116 289 4316.Skywings magazine is published monthly by the British HangGliding and Paragliding Association Ltd to inform, educate andentertain those in the sports of Paragliding and Hang Gliding.The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily thoseof the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, theirCouncil, Officers or Editor. The Editor and publisher accept noresponsibility for any supposed defects in the goods, servicesand practices represented or advertised in this magazine. TheEditor reserves the right to edit contributions. ISSN 0951-5712SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DELIVERY ENQUIRIES Tel: 0116 289 4316, THE EDITOR Joe Schofield, 39 London Road, Harleston, Norfolk IP209BH. Tel: 01379 855021. COVER PHOTO ‘Here above the Namibian desert we feel so smalland tiny.’ Photo: Nelson de Freyman THIS PAGE Jack Pimblett falls away after a tandem drop with AidanDavis at Oludeniz, Turkey Photo: Aidan DavisDESIGN & PRODUCTION Fargher Design Ltd. Killane House,Ballaugh, Isle of Man, IM7 5BD.PRINT & DISTRIBUTION Newman Thomson Ltd, One Jubilee Rd,Victoria Ind. Est, Burgess Hill, RH15 9TL.ADVERTISING Tel: 020 7193 9133 SKYWINGS ONLINE Go For theFebruary issue enter the username Feb_2019 and the case-sensitive password 9Xwev%?5For the March issue enter the username Mar_2019 and the case-sensitive password D2x#3tS9DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for the April2019 issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by FridayMarch 1st. Letters for the March Airmail page should arrive no laterthan Friday February 15th. Advertisement bookings for the Marchedition of Skywings must arrive by Saturday February 9th. Copy andclassified bookings no later than Saturday February 16th. regulars regulars reviews features 4 SKYWINGS FEB 2019Three intently-arguing people appearedright behind me at the top of a steep, thermiclaunch. Only on the third gesturing requestdid I manage to get them to move clear incase I was blown back, leaving meexasperatedly looking down to my hands tosee if the wrapswere still on. No hands? Noglider!I found it as it arrived above me. Itried to turn left, out of reverse, only tobe blocked by the riser and thrown right –headlong into the rocky slope. I’d ‘turned thewrong way,’ one of the distraction partyinformed me, a German who spokeperfect English – and from thequality of their canopyclose-down, pilotsall! I bit mytongue forservicerendered.So, who does notexercise thesimple rule ofthe launch: Donot distract apilot on take-off! Why,threeGermans– andyourstruly,allowinga little righteousexasperation to sodistract me that asmoothly self-launchingglider is neither felt norseen until too late to check!Both parties entrapped bythe demands of theirimmediate concerns?Tunnel vision.And it could be that the condition is endemic,even amongst the professional good guys. Onegroup, performing on national TV: a Searchand Rescue helicopter going in for a secondclose look at an injured paraglider pilot whosecanopy was held on the face of a cliff byshrubbery, a pal and luck – despite havingbeen frantically warned-off against downwashreinflating the canopy and dragging them allto their deaths! Surely the dangerous secondapproach was not made merely toaccommodate the filming, when high-powered binoculars are standard inSearch and Rescue craft?In the age of the individual we mayall have become used to pursuing ourown set of agendas a little too strongly,with consideration or even lifepreservation assuming a lower priority?I do not inted to censure, but I do drawattention to a condition which seems toafflict many – and is likely to persist unlesswe become alert to it and its consequences.It comes as a bit of a surprise, for instance,when you have to explain to those you regardas dedicated and competent, that a hangglider has crashed, nose-down, into wind andis holding the unconscious pilot in therecovery position. His weight, and the gliderin its stable position, made him secure; hisharsh breathing and the green mark on theback of his helmet indicated possibleneck/spinal injuries requiring expertassessment. All these were reasons I did not,‘take him out of his harness!’ – the firstconcern of the rescuers. Plainly they assessed attachment to thesolidly secure glider to pose so great a riskthat waiting for the arrival of medicalassessment, and possibly compounding anyneck/spinal injuries, were matters ofsecondary importance.It is sensible to consider ways of approachingsuch invidious situations. For instance, writinga Sighting Aid on the back of an illustrativeclub membership card, for use on those tricky,‘I thought I saw...’ visitor alerts, and passing adozen of them to the local Coastguard orMountain Rescue Team, might assist in thedifficult business of establishing thecredibility of a potential alert, beforeunnecessary full deployment of emergencyservices for want of a little shared knowledge. Instead of being just another problem to them,such a gesture might render them a littlemore inclined to hear what we have to say onproblematic matters a little nearer home?The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Inour case we have become so good at this gamethat we might have become complacent;orderly take-offs and landings are now socommonplace that we don’t accord them therespect, space and concern that they deserve. Let us resolve to never make a bad situationworse by our action, our inaction, ourpresence or our thoughtlessness. Tunnel Vision?DON NUNAN, LONGTIME PARAGLIDER AND HANG GLIDER PILOTattitude2019 didn’t start as planned! I was advised to postponemy trip to New Zealand in favour of staying in the UKfor some medical tests! Well, there are worse places tobe than Turfhouse… In fact, it has always played amajor part in the success of the Flying Circus. Quiteapart from coming here to get some great flyingequipment, people just like to visit because it is such aspecial place.The sale of this gorgeous Moyes Malibu 2 188 fellthrough when the shipping costs to Bulgaria turned outto be higher than the buyer could contemplate. So it isback on the market at £3200. It has about ten hoursflying from new, and is just one of my selection of usedhang I have new paragliders available from Skyman (the EN BCross Country is in stock – pick it up today!) andsecond-hand ones, too. Prices start at about £90 for aground-handler, and £250 for flyable gliders:Young Jezzer has just started flying my secondhand all-carbon Litespeed RS3.5. Last summer he flew thisearlier Litespeed 4 all over the place – this picture wastaken in France at the end of yet another cross-country.It is remarkable what can be done with a £499 glider!Available now….I’ve also got a selection of new and secondhandharnesses for both hang gliding and paragliding. Isthere any pilot out there who wants this small KortelKamasutra 2 pod harness? It is only £125. Harnessesgenerally run from about £75 to £1400You could even use thisharness for supine hanggliding with the addition of aspreader bar. We sell Charly’spurpose made supinespreader bar which comes instandard length £99. or madeto order £125. to suit anyhang-height requested. New and usedinstruments are here,too. This not-quite-newAscent came in with aslight imperfection onthe screen, so I sent itback to the factory for areplacement, and itcame back like new. Butrather cheaper!As well as the vastnumber of radios andheadsets that I sell brandnew, I also have aselection of secondhandradios for sale. Choosefrom Icom, Alinco,Magiksun and (at themoment) my personalBaofeng VR5:I seem to have acquireda nice selection ofparagliding rucksacks,too. This Airwave one isa beauty – absolutelyas new in all except theprice. Gin and Firebirdalso available. The bestway to keep track ofwhat I’ve got in stock isto have a look at mywebsite:Change of Plan!Forty years in the business - my extensive range allows youto choose what best suits your needs. Find lots more on thewebsite: Zoot headsets: Four models for open- and full-face helmetsand various radios. Prices from £34.45.Zoot Radio outfits: A great radio and a choice of Zootheadsets for just £77! I stock various speaker/mics andantenna, too!Instruments fromlots ofmanufacturers,priced from £79.95.Charly Quickout Karabiners fortandem pilots. Weighs 200 gm with abreaking load of 4000kg. £60eachThe Austrialpin Delta Steel karabinerfor hang gliding, weighs 215gm and israted to 32Kn. £24 eachCharly Pinlock alloyKarabiners: Weighs80gm, certified to 25Kn. £27.50 each.The new Charly Snaplock alloyKarabiner, weighs 75gm and certifiedto 30Kn. £23 each.Tow releases from £48.Hang glider wheels from£51.10 a pair.Zoot Camera Mounts £29.50.Zoot Pip-pins, three lengthsfrom £10.75, and Zoot Capsat £2.75.SMFC Speedarms, assortedcolours and sizes at £29.50tel:01404 891685 email: Turfhouse, Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA AcessoriesBHPA subs increaseAs outlined by Marc Asquith last month(Attitude, January 2019), a very seriousclaim on the Association’s insurance, andthe subsequent dramatic increase in ourpremium, has resulted in a substantialrise in BHPA member subscriptions acrossthe board.Annual flying membership will now cost£126, Family Annual membership £114,three-months Training membership £67,Under 21/Over 67 membership £106, Non-flying membership £47 and a Skywingssubscription £41. The joining fee remainsunchanged at £22. All annual subscriptionsare discounted by £7 from the abovefigures for Direct Debit payment. Thechanges will take effect on April 1st 2019. Every effort has been made to keep theseincreases to the minimum necessary, andit is hoped that claims on the BHPA’sinsurance will revert to their normalmodest level. Nevertheless members areencouraged to keep their own flying risksas low as possible. A further rise inpremiums occasioned by another veryserious accident could be catastrophic. APPG airspacehearingsIn early December, Pete Stratton of the BGAand Steve Slater of the LAA gave evidenceat the first hearing of the Inquiry intoairspace commissioned by the All-PartyParliamentary Group on General Aviation(APPG-GA), chaired by Lord Kirkhope.The Inquiry is studying airspacegovernance and the process by whichdecisions are made. Pete and Steve voicedthe concerns of GA pilots, worried that thecurrent process for airspace change isfundamentally unfair, with large elementsof airspace being unnecessarily restricted. Electronic conspicuity was noted as beingone key to the future to ensure that UKcontrolled airspace is propoortionate andsustainable in the long-term. Lord Kirkhope later commented, ‘Theconcerns of light aircraft and glider usersmust be taken into account, consideringthey are such a large part of the UKaviation sector. I look forward to our nexthearing with representatives from UKairports and airfields.’ The inquirywill report on its findings and makerecommendations to ministers andparliamentarians.6 SKYWINGS FEB 2019newsSolar-powered flight anniversaryDecember 19th 2018 marked the 40thanniversary of the world’s very first solar-powered flight. Only a short hop wasachieved at Lasham in 1978, but on June13th the following year Ken Stewartcovered nearly three-quarters of a mile inthe same machine at 35 knots.Earlier, British architect Fred To hadstarted a project to build a human-poweredaircraft for the Kremer Prize. When itproved too heavy for human-powered flightFred converted it to solar power. Its 24-cellbattery pack, weighing 30kg, powered four36V electric motors driving a propeller at1,100 rpm. The batteries were charged by750 three-inch solar cells, by far the mostcostly part of the project.A later planned flight across the Channelwas abandoned when it was found thatthe aircraft did not have the endurance.Last October Fred was presented with anoverdue award when the PlanetSolarFoundation brought energy pioneers fromacross the world together in Switzerland.Fred To is still active in HPA circles and iscurrently working on a redesign of hissuccessful 1982 Phoenix. Of the theMontreux gathering he said, ‘I just wishmy late working partner David Williamscould have been there.’BHPA 500 ClubWIN CASH PRIZES AND HELP THEASSOCIATION! December winnersJon Harvey £133.40Neil Richards £66.70Richard Davis £33.35Jonathan Greenwood £20.01Andrew Burton £16.68William Seward £16.68David Moy £13.34Stephen Formoso £13.34Alexander Giannakopoulos £10.01Paul Hartley £10.01BHPA £333.48If by the time you read this you havenot received your cheque, please contactme on 0780 2525 099.Marc Asquithnews8 SKYWINGS FEB 2019Lasham fights backat airspace grabIn December the Lasham Gliding Societyobtained a go-ahead from the High Courtfor a judicial review of the TAG-Farnborough airspace grab, seen by manyas an unnecessary encroachment thatdisenfranchises all forms of lightweight GAflying for the benefit of a few wealthyprivate jet owners. The TAG-Farnboroughproposal directly affects free fliers, notleast because it closes off a major XC route,and, more importantly, sets an unwelcomeprecedent for access to airspace. Manyobservers have questioned the process bywhich the TAG-Farnborough proposal wasapproved, perceiving that the current CAAprocess is predisposed in favour ofCommercial Air Transport (CAT). Lashamare now raising finance for their judicialreview, arguably a step towards levellingthe playing field between GA and CAT. TheBHPA Exec has agreed to support it as itdirectly affects our members’ interests. BHPA AGM - finalcallDon’t forget the date of the BHGA AGM –Saturday March 2nd – to be held at theNottingham Belfry Hotel alongside the BGAAGM and trade show. The Treasurer’sReport was published in the January issueand the voting papers were included in thesame issue as an insert. The Election ofOfficers will be contested – six hopefuls forfour possible places on Exec. If you havestrong views on the make-up of the BHPAExec, please attend, or at least make sureyour proxy vote is received at the BHPAOffice not less than 48 hours before theAGM (note that the proxy form – alsoavailable from the BHPA website – can bescanned and e-mailed to The AGM will also hearreports from BHPA Officers, and awardswill be presented if the recipient ispresent. A discussion on the future of theAssociation will take place after the formalpart of the AGM. It is again planned tobroadcast the AGM live on Facebook; it isnot yet clear whether it will be possible tofield members’ questions online.RAeS lecture onflying wing stabilityThe annual lecture of the RoyalAeronautical Society’s Human PoweredFlying Group is entitled ‘Aero-mechanicalstabilisation of flying wing aircraft:reducing weight and drag.’ The lecture willbe given by Jonathan Howes of HowesAero-Nautics Ltd, a current hang gliderpilot and one of the originators of therecent BVHG rallies.Jonathan’s lecture outlines an investigationinto reducing an aircraft to the bareminimum, using aero-mechanical servotechniques to control unstableconfigurations. It’s at 6pm on WednesdayFebruary 27th at 4 Hamilton Place, LondonW1J 7BQ. Details and booking – free to all –is at or contact 50 years ago I was airborne above asmall airfield in Wiltshire. At 2500 ft. Ipushed away from the wing strut of the DeHavilland Rapide biplane and discovered awhole new world of adventure in anamazing new environment – the sky.Many of us come to this brilliant free flightsport of ours via different experiences andactivities. Reading about people and theirintroduction to hang gliding or paraglidingis always a delight. This was definitely true when, in the Mayissue of Skywings, Lynelle Williams’ storyThe first eight and a half hours! grabbedmy attention. ‘I didn’t fully anticipate howit would feel to become a part of the sky …to see the world around me from thisdifferent perspective … to feel a part ofthe hang glider.’ Wonderful stuff!Then, in the July edition, a man with 30years mountaineering experience, PaulJiggins, describes his paraglider flight offMont Blanc du Tacul. A spectacular 10,500fttop-to-bottom flight, after first climbing forover four hours from the Aiguille du Midiat Chamonix!A change of mood greeted me in DalePickard’s very amusing Confessions of anXC pilot. He split his chapter headings intoeight different categories to illustrate howmany different types of characters he hasmet in the course of his endeavours to getback to take-off. Under the heading ‘Sex’ hedescribes landing at an outdoor musicfestival where a young lady wrappedherself around him and emphasized thatshe would do ‘… anything, absolutelyanything, for a ride on his kite’. Uponhearing the tale, Dale’s wife commentedwryly that she must have been high as akite herself!So, after a hushed silence, the winner is …Paul Jiggins with his article, Chamonix –the big one!Not only did Paul paint a beautiful pictureof his determination to get to the summitand make a successful launch (after threeor four attempts!), but he went on to tell ofa two-day SIV course and a mini Tour duLac at Annecy straight after his Chamonixexploits. Great story!The BHPA Wings Over A Cloud Award 2018JAN 2019 SKYWINGS 9New Year First FlighterTrainee John Quinn has got the New Year off to a flying start atFirst Flight Paragliding, reports CFI Bertie Kennedy, by achievinghis CP Novice rating in record time for Northern Ireland, whereunreliable weather is guaranteed).Derek PiggottDerek Piggott, renowned glider pilot, author and, amongmany other achievements, the first person to make an officiallyauthenticated flight in a man-powered aircraft (in 1961), died onJanuary 6th having earlier suffered a severe stroke. BHPA memberand historian Tony Prentice writes, ‘Derek’s exploits are toonumerous to list here. He was able to fly many different types ofaircraft and did stunt flying for films like The Blue Max andThose Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. When he flewwith me I gently reminded him, when he took the controls of themicrolight, that, “We have no rudder.” It did not faze him and hemanaged to fly the aircraft despite the controls being reversed toconvention. I will miss his enthralling stories, of which therewere so many. Goodbye to the Master.’In briefTurkey for everyone. Sunsoar Paragliding will return to Turkeyfor a week of fun in the sun from April 20th - 27th. 6,000 foot top-to-bottom flights, thermalling, coastal soaring, beach landingsand SIV will all be on offer, but the trip is also open to pilots whowould like to enjoy the Oludeniz experience without the addedstress of SIV. Minimum qualification is BHPA Club Pilot; for furtherdetails go to More Oceanic records. Australian hangie Scott Barrett has claimedthe Oceanic Class 1 straight distance and straight distance to goalrecords. On December 8th Scott flew west from Dalby, Queensland,to land his Airborne C4 at Charleville after 507km. He claims AdamStevens’ goal record (343km set in November) at 500km and thepreviously-unset straight distance record. Scott already holds theClass 5 Oceanic records at 581.4km, set in December 2014.Skywings online. The online version of this (February) issue ofthe magazine can be found at Enterthe username Feb_2019 and the case-sensitive password9Xwev%?5. For the March 2019 issue enter the username Mar_2019and the case-sensitive password D2x#3tS9. These details can alsobe found on the contents page of each issue. Magazines with acover date over six months old can be viewed online ordownloaded without the need to log in.Macedonia BPCup cancelled. The Macedonia Round of the BritishParagliding Cup, due to be held at Kruševo at the end of June, hashad to be cancelled. The proposed event clashed with other, muchlarger international competitions and the organisers couldn’t beconfident of sufficient entries. The UK rounds will go ahead asplanned, at Parlick from May 3rd - 6th and at Austwick in theYorkshire Dales on August 8th - 11th. BPCup details are atNext >