No. 367 NOVEMBER 2019 The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association THE BHPA LTD 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1RJ. Tel: 0116 289 4316. Skywings magazine is published monthly by the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Ltd to inform, educate and entertain those in the sports of Paragliding and Hang Gliding. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, their Council, Officers or Editor. The Editor and publisher accept no responsibility for any supposed defects in the goods, services and practices represented or advertised in this magazine. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions. ISSN 0951-5712 SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DELIVERY ENQUIRIES Tel: 0116 289 4316, THE EDITOR Joe Schofield, 39 London Road, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9BH. Tel: 01379 855021. COVER PHOTO Sam Jeyes, Sue Batchelor and Wills Wing Falcon 3 Tandem over Putsborough in early September Photo: Sam Jeyes THIS PAGE Dan Burton and Fresh Breeze XCitor and X-Wing over Exmouth in August Photo: Dan Burton DESIGN & 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: 07624 413737 SKYWINGS ONLINE Go For the November issue enter the username Nov_2019 and the case-sensitive password ~82m+#Rt For the December issue enter the username Dec_2019 and the case-sensitive password t_P@jwK9 DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for the January 2020 issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Monday November 29th. Letters for the December Airmail pages should arrive no later than Friday November 15th. Advertisement bookings for the December edition must arrive by Saturday November 9th. Copy and classified bookings no later than Saturday November 16th. regulars regulars 2 SKYWINGS NOVEMBER 2019 reviews 4 SKYWINGS NOVEMBER 2019 I fly a Niviuk Peak 4 and I’ve previously had a Peak 2 and Peak 3; I’ve loved them all and have never had any dramas. Tuesday August August 20th was post cold frontal, and getting away from Woolacombe looked promising. XC from coastal sites is possible but never easy. On the hill around 10am the sky was already active, and the Cu’s downwind had pretty big vertical displacement. We planned to get away around midday when the sky was due to be less developed. A few of us took off around 11 and were easily making 1000ft. I found a decent climb and headed off over the back. A couple of pilots tried to connect with the same thermal but didn’t quite get there and headed back to the ridge. I headed off alone. I was concerned about going into cloud, with base at 2,500ft. The cu’s were still quite large and dark, however climbs were smooth and numerous and I pushed on downwind, trying to get inland. As I approached Exmoor, around 12k in, the land started to rise and I found myself getting low. I was in search mode but not finding much, and the rising ground meant that I would be down before long. Please no! Still in radio contact with the guys on the hill, I told them I was struggling and thinking I had blown it. I had a message back saying, ‘Never give up – fight to the ground!’ I was down to maybe 200ft and started looking for landing options. Just then I saw a buzzard climbing out from a tree line a couple of hundred yards upwind. With the tree line upwind and higher ground maybe half a mile in front, I did think that it was probably going to be a bit tasty. However the previous climbs had been sweet and the sky looked amazing – this was my best chance to get back in it, and I had done it loads of times before. I went to the buzzard and – bosh, 3-4 up! But up so quick that the wing wouldn’t turn. I did a 180, left the climb, lined back up and returned to the same spot. This time, as I hit the thermal I had a huge collapse of the right wing. It popped back out, but almost instantly the left wing went. I have a memory of looking down to my left at the wing in line with the field below and thinking, OK, that’s interesting! I swung back under the wing, but at the bottom on the swing I connected with the ground. I had thought to throw my reserve but decided that I was way too low, and I needed both hands on the brakes. I was a bit winded, also alone. I am a physiotherapist so went into physio mode: can I feel my legs? – yes; move my toes? – yes. Hand on my back – did it feel OK? – yes. I stayed there for a few minutes and then got up. What did I do wrong? Something which I see a lot and really dislike in flying: being on a mission, too desperate, pushing too hard. I knew that the buzzard was my best chance to get back up, but I also knew it wasn’t such a good option. High ground in front … a tree line … I got suckered in. I could have just landed safely but I was trying too hard. The thermal was probably a lee-sider, made rougher by the increased wind speed inland, but I blame myself for putting me in a dangerous spot. This story probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone who flies XC. I have shared it with our club and discussed it with my mates. The comments were that most people have done similar things. We have all pushed it – on an XC we say never stop trying – and I’ve had many low saves from much less than 100ft – feet out and ready to land – and safely got back up to cloudbase. It can be rough but you just hang on and ride it out, right? ‘Never give up!’ The other point is that I was very lucky that I walked away – I could have had serious injuries. My a*** has never experienced such an insult and I hope it never will again! Just a few feet lower and I would probably have gone into the ground like a dart and suffered a broken leg or spinal fracture. Alone in rural Devon I would have been in trouble. We expect that if something happens to us our mates will sort us out, but there was no one around. I called people I knew on the hill – but of course they were still flying – and I put my location on Telegram. What would I have done if I was more seriously injured and unable to tell anyone? I don’t carry an InReach or SPOT, but it has made me think that the investment might be well worth it. Please just have a think about how you fly. We don’t need to be so desperate. There will be lots more flying days, especially if we don’t try too hard. As one of my paragliding mates said, paragliding is an important part of our lives, but a small part of our much bigger lives. Two pilots have died in the UK in the last few months alone – we need to make a change. We need to make a change STUART HALL, CHAIRMAN, NORTH DEVON HPC In our sport we all need to share our experiences, good and bad, to learn from them and perhaps stop others repeating the same thing. So buckle in everyone – here I am on Bank Holiday Monday morning with a sore a**** and ankle – for my tale of woe. attitude Photo: Stuar t Hall tel: 01404 891685 Turfhouse, Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA Forty years in the business - my extensive range allows you to choose what best suits your needs. Find lots more on the Zoot headsets: Four models for open- and full-face helmets and various radios. Prices from £34.45. Zoot Radio outfits: A great radio and a choice of Zoot headsets for just £77! I stock various speaker/mics and antenna, too! Instruments from lots of manufacturers, priced from £79.95. Charly Quickout Karabiners for tandem pilots. Weighs 200 gm with a breaking load of 4000kg. £60each The Austrialpin Delta Steel karabiner for hang gliding, weighs 215gm and is rated to 32Kn. £24 each Charly Pinlock alloy Karabiners: Weighs 80gm, certified to 25 Kn. £27.50 each. The new Charly Snaplock alloy Karabiner, weighs 75gm and certified to 30Kn. £23 each. Tow releases from £48. Hang glider wheels from £51.10 a pair. Zoot Camera Mounts £29.50. Zoot Pip-pins, three lengths from £10.75, and Zoot Caps at £2.75. SMFC Speedarms, assorted colours and sizes at £29.50 AcessoriesYes! It’s November! Don’t you just LOVE November? The weather closes in for winter, the days are as short as really short things, and business goes rather quiet. It sometimes seems as though you might as well not be in the office. Well, us old hangies are chasing the sun down to Lanzarote so I won’t be around from November 16th - 26th. Will anyone notice? Well, they might! Because, if they can get my decrepit old website to work, they will have found some total bargains in my Autumn Sale, and they will want to clinch the deal. New in the sale this month will be my stock Skyman Cross-country medium, which has only ever been test flown - just the once. How does £1000- off grab you? There are a lot of paragliders of different grades and sizes. Prices from about £125. And don’t worry, I’ll be home November 26th and all orders will be treated in order of I’ve still got a nice selection of hang gliders at clearance prices, too. For instance, there are several topless gliders, including a lovely small Aeros Stealth for only £225! But it isn’t this one! That’s the Combat Jeremy Soper flew in the 2019 Kazakhstan Open comp. He was again the sole UK representative, and doubtless did us proud. He isn’t telling me where he finished, but I’m not fussed - position is not the measure of a great Back to the sale for a moment, and the issue is that I really must make more room in my hangar. Too many flying machines, karts and bikes to house, so I’m dropping prices on some rather tasty paragliding harnesses. Both new and used are going on the list this month! Prices start at next to nothing (this super old Evo XC is only £175) and go right up to 25% off superb new harnesses from Skyman. There are also new and used hang gliding harnesses up for grabs, all at lower prices than before. This extremely tidy Aeros Viper (built for a large geezer) is not in the sale, because it has only just arrived and it is only £375 anyway! I’m unusual in many ways, just one of which is holding LOTS of stock for hang gliders - all sorts of stuff. Check out that website! I’m also known for trying to stock interesting and unusual kit, just because it is …. interesting and unusual. These Koch tow releases have been out of production for several years, but there is still a worldwide demand for them. My last two went to Korea. I’ve got two in stock right now, and I’ll be very foolish and put one of them in the sale at a 25% That picture at the top of the page (could it be me flying the latest Sopalite prototype?) was actually taken at the 2019 St. Hilaire Festival. Vincent Masi dragged me off there last month, and a great time was had inspecting all the latest kit and enjoying the airshows. This Stearman Biplane evoked all that is great about flying, whatever your chosen aircraft. I’d love to tell you that there is a Stearman in the sale, but there is actually only an SE-5A. There are no microlights here, though. Who would have thought that this graceful display at St.Hilaire would be one of the highlights? I was transfixed by the trail of that red ribbon, which became one of the stand-out memories of the trip. Sometimes life is like that. It is a bit like a trip to my broken old website – you need to be ready for Check Out The Sale In November / December!6 SKYWINGS NOVEMBER 2019 news Readers may recall the article by Markus Raffel in December 2018 Skywings, outlining the building and flying of a replica of Otto Lilienthal’s famous 1895 hang glider. In September Markus returned to California, and with the help of Windsports LA instructor Andy Beem (pictured in flight) made another series of very successful flights – see already proven in wind tunnel tests at Germany’s DLR Aerospace Centre and successfully flown in 2018, was reassembled at Mountain View near San Jose, where Dr Raffel was a guest at NASA’s Ames Research Center. A large number of flights between 50 and 100m were made at a nearby coastal site in both monoplane and ‘Grosser Doppeldecker’ biplane form. ‘Flying at minor heights is possible and can be made without risk,’ reports Markus. ‘The apparatus is acceptably stable on all three axes and, given enough practice, can be safely steered downhill and landed easily.’ However he advises against higher altitudes, rough weather and ‘turning flights’! The glider is a precise replica, built from original construction drawings with the help of the Otto Lilienthal Museum in Anklam. Lilienthal is known to have made more than 2000 flights, many verified by photography, between his first public flights in 1891 and his final flight in 1896 when he died following a crash. His book Vogelflug als Grundlage der Fliegekunst (Bird Flight as the Basis of Aviation), published in 1889, was translated into several languages and became a significant reference for all who followed: Chanute, Pilcher, Herring, Langley, the Wright Brothers and many others. Dr. Raffel is Professor at the Institute of Turbomachinery and Fluid Dynamics, Leibniz University in Germany. A full account of the 2019 flights will appear here next month. BHPA AGM The 2020 BHPA AGM will be held at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Shropshire, on the afternoon of Saturday March 7th. The meeting will follow the BHPA Trainers Conference that runs from Friday 6th until Saturday morning at the same venue. The idea is to encourage more people to attend both the Trainers Conference and the AGM by running them at the same venue; it was decided in 2018 that the joint-AGM venture with the BGA had outlived its usefulness. As well as the Election of Officers, the current Exec will report on their activities and members will be able to cross-examine them on their achievements. Any BHPA member thinking about seeking nomination for election should contact Chairman Marc Asquith or another Exec member to find On September 13th, Grupa 303 and Derbyshire Club pilot Kacper Kinstler, on only his second XC flight, helped himself to 112.3km on a four hour 45-minute flight from Bradwell to Uppingham in Rutland. It was a pretty epic day and there were a lot of people out; nevertheless 100+km on a Nova Mentor 4 on your second half-decent XC is going some. Although only CP rated, Kacper was briefed by local pilots and was able to carefully skirt the airspace near Nottingham. ‘I didn’t expect 100km but I did have high hopes for 50,’ reported Kacper after his flight, ‘... I am still smiling to myself! It was my first season on my new Mentor 4 and first XC on it too. I flew a Sol Atmus 2 for two seasons and only just moved to the high B class. And it was only only my second-ever XC!’ ‘Kacper’s flight is a fantastic example of what we are trying to achieve,’ commented XC League administrator John Stevenson. ‘Rather than insist on a Pilot rating before you can log flights in the League, we prefer to ask that pilots are briefed beforehand on the airspace that could be encountered, with an added proviso that the pilot must get their Pilot rating in the subsequent year to them entering the League. This makes local club coaches responsible for briefing the pilots and, hopefully, guiding them through their Pilot rating. Kacper’s flight is listed in the DSC and Grupa 303 Leagues; he is well aware that he needs to get Pilot rated and intends to do so with the help of the club.’ XC League Entry requirements, rules etc can be found at Second time out – and 100km! Lilienthal glider flies again!out what’s involved. The closing date for nominations will be November 30th. Nominations are also sought for BHPA Merit awards. If someone you fly or work with has put commendable effort into the sport over a number of years, please consider writing a citation to arrive at the BHPA Office by December 31st. Certificates will be presented at the 2020 AGM. 2020 Trainers Conference The 2020 BHPA Trainers Conference will be held at Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Telford, on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th March. The conference gives instructors and coaches the opportunity to access new concepts in the training field and to put forward their own ideas. The 2016 and 2018 Conferences were pretty much sold out. This year’s event will precede the BHPA AGM on March 7th (see above). For more details and booking see Safety Matters on page 12. ADS-B trial report Airspace4All, successor to FASVIG, has reported on its trial of ADS-B traffic display equipment at GA airfields. The six-month trial ended in August; it set out to evaluate real-time flight tracking technology in conjunction with ATS/AFIS facilities at small GA aerodromes. The aim was to see if the above could reduce the probability of mid-air collisions, provide better situational awareness, reduce airspace infringements and monitor compliance with local regulations, all with a view to encourage further carriage of EC technology. The trial concluded that GA safety would be improved by authorising GA airfields to use ADS-B traffic displays. A few limitations were identified. The report also noted that the accuracy and reliability of non-certified devices was comparable to that of more expensive certified ones. If you regularly fly into or around GA hubs this report is worth a read at Morocco tandem pilot course Sunsoar Paragliding will be running a tandem paragliding pilot course from December 7th - 21st, based at the coastal area of Mirleft in Morocco. The course is designed to cover all the required practical training and theory required in preparation for the BHPA Dual Pilot licence. The minimum requirement to attend is the BHPA Pilot rating, a minimum of 100 logged hours and a very high standard of ground- handling skills. Further details can be found on the Sunsoar website Aviation minister makes positive noises Paul Maynard MP, the new Aviation Minister, has said the DfT is ‘committed to championing aviation, including GA’, and is ‘considering a wide range of policy options which will support GA.’ His comments came in response to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on GA (APPG-GA) highlighting its five-point plan for the UK. Among other priorities the plan urged Government to urgently undertake a programme of airspace reform. This is, at least, a positive response; we look forward to seeing concrete evidence of the new Aviation Minister taking steps to make these aspirations a reality. Sarah Fenwick It is with regret that we report the untimely death, on September 6th, of former BHPA paragliding team member and record holder Sarah Fenwick. At one time Sarah held the women’s declared goal world record (101km) and the women’s triangle and straight-line distance world records. She twice held the British ladies distance record and was third-placed woman pilot at the 1994 European Championship. Strongly associated with Airwave in their heyday, where she had been marketing manager, Sarah flew in the British Paragliding Championships for several years before returning to the world of sailing. She went on to become a very successful sports psychologist and leadership coach, working with CEOs who were leading their organisations to be environmentally aware. In brief Yael does it again! World no. 2 female paraglider pilot Yael Margelisch, not content with her 263.93km world triangle distance record in May, pushed the women’s free- distance-via-three-turnpoints world record to 447.5km from Caicó in Brazil on October 4th. Moyes clean up at Santa Cruz Flats. Arizona’s annual invite-only Santa Cruz Flats Class 1 hang gliding event was a clean sweep for Moyes pilots. After four tasks of 60 - 80km Canadian pilot Tyler Borradaile led Australia’s Jonny Durand and Norway’s Olav Opsanger; all were flying Moyes Rx gliders. Dragon race dates. Next year’s Dragon Hike and Fly Race will take place on May 9th - 10th, with May 30th - 31st as backup if the weekend is postponed. The event will be organised by BHPA school Crickhowell Paragliding. Entry to the Hike and Fly Race is Paragliding fatalities. It is with regret that we report the death in paragliding accidents of BHPA member Graham Craigie, 52, at Annecy in France on October 8th, and Darren Watson, 46, while on a training course at Puerto de Mazarron, Spain on October 10th. BHPA Formal Inquiries have been convened to investigate the circumstances of both fatalities and reports will appear in due course. We offer our sympathies to the family and friends of both pilots. Skywings online. The online version of this issue of the magazine can be found at username Nov_2019 and the case-sensitive password ~82m+#Rt. For the December issue enter the username Dec_2019 and the case- sensitive password t_P@jwK9. These details can also be found on the contents page of each issue. Magazines with a cover date over six months old can be viewed online or downloaded without the need to log in. news 8 SKYWINGS NOVEMBER 2019 Stein Insurance milestone Regular Skywings advertiser Stein Pilot Insurance (SPI) have achieved the significant milestone of 30 years in business. Established in 1989, SPI has since become a recognised expert in the niche field of personal insurance for pilots. They aim to secure the most competitive terms for clients despite the industry’s changing underwriting philosophies towards aviators, and whatever their clients fly. Although free fliers can often face expensive premium loadings when applying for life cover, SPI are usually able to secure standard rates with no aviation exclusions. They can arrange life and critical illness cover, along with loss of Class 1 medical insurance, for family, mortgage or business; quotes can be obtained online and cover arranged over the phone. A pilot himself since before starting the business, Russ Stein finds his flying experience proves an advantage whether talking to customers or underwriters. Pictured above (L-R) are fellow director Nicki McCormack, Russ Stein and case process manager Loreli Huntley. Contact SPI at Next >