No. 368 DECEMBER 2019 The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association2 SKYWINGS DECEMBER 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 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 Contents Chen Katz and Apco Force II above Israel’s Judaean Desert Photo: Nir Alpert COVER PHOTO Chen Katz and Apco Force II above Israel’s Judaean Desert Photo: Nir Alpert THIS PAGE Charles Norwood and Ozone Zeno, Brazil, October 2019 Photo: Harry Bloxham 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 December issue enter the username Dec_2019 and the case-sensitive password t_P@jwK9 For the January issue enter the username Jan_2020 and the case-sensitive password D6g[Z4a$ DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for the February 2020 issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Monday December 30th. Letters for the January Airmail pages should arrive no later than Friday December 13th. Advertisement bookings for the January edition must arrive by Tuesday December 10th. Copy and classified bookings no later than Tuesday December 17th. regulars features regulars reviews 4 SKYWINGS DECEMBER 2019 And it is far from just a handful of headbangers. Largely it is those made desperate by the dearth of opportunity, who reason, ‘If I can get it in the air, the glider can take it!’ But for what? A thrashing in the air when a thrashing on the ground isn’t enough to warn us off? Not quite. For currency itself! That much-belated first flight of the year? For airtime required for any progress? For readiness to cope with the big air of a pending foreign trip or contest? Like surfers, necessarily having to train mostly in poor or dangerous conditions, to be ready for the good times? All this is not to excuse anyone for overestimating their survivability and becoming a problem to us all, but to indicate the paradoxical nature of currency – the need to know our realistic limits and the dangers of our pressing needs in such disturbed conditions. Whilst it is comforting to quote the first rule of flight – ‘If in doubt, don’t!’ – as though it settles all currency requirements, the reasoning and decision are left to each and every pilot, albeit within the framework of our training and insurance requirements. In a sport in which acceptable and admirable challenge is barely demarcated from ‘Taking the chance!’, it would seem that casualties will always be likely – and some recent years have seen bumper yields of insurance- related ones! And the price? Whilst knowledge of the full human cost is not readily available to us, we are all expected to have deeper pockets than before just for membership. And, for those seeking travel insurance with a free-flight extension, matters have become more than a little unusual too. I purchased my usual going-abroad insurance to find the free flight extension missing. They apologised and sent the corrected certificate. Grateful but sceptical, I studied the wording document and found no mention of hang gliding or paragliding! Had they been dropped? I was assured this was not the case and they would send me a statement from a manager verifying the fact. The manager was most obliging and proffered a reassuring statement from herself. Outlining the BHPA situation, I thought it likely that others had been hit and I suggested an immediate call to the underwriter – or let me do it! She gave me the number and my suspicion was confirmed. I broke the bad news to my provider. We scrapped the useless policy and found a new one, which I was assured did cover paragliding and hang gliding this time. Nevertheless it proved strong on generalisations, only stating Category 4 risk level, medical emergency cover of up to £5 million on ‘usual and customary matters’ agreed by us (and underlined by the provider). The only example offered was cover for an escort from home to assist the injured party’s return – which could be achieved for £500 – and not a word about the £5000 cost of a possible helicopter airlift to hospital. And half of my identifying address had gone missing too! So, after the sixth contact and mailing I now had a policy certificate with full address, and a separate statement that an airlift was available under medical emergency. With no more time before departure, this piece of vague legalese as to who pays was left unclarified. Just what you need when on a serious trip! Staying current on insurance is every bit as important as staying current on skills and weather. I would advise rechecking your own policy to be sure that you really do have cover, in black and white, as these cock-ups may be industry-wide – but note that endurance training will be required to get through the likely clarification process. As for the impatience … on Tenerife, my initial destination, the flying season is approximately October to April, with little ventured in the warmest months, excepting early morning or late evening, because of violent conditions. Similarly, local pilots at St. Andre prefer to move to more northerly sites during high summer, when temperatures can routinely reach 35°C or so, or exercise patience to wait for conditions that do not require putting your life on the line just to fly. Surely it’s not too much to suggest that we bring time, location and patience into our thinking instead of simply satisfying the ‘I need it now!’ brat inside all of us? We are in a sport singularly unforgiving of inadequate consideration or inappropriate action, even for a millisecond. We are not just going for a jog! And the likely cost of ignoring such accommodation? What are our lives worth? Few pilots cannot have questioned why they were standing ready to launch in a calm, or in violent, gusting conditions, or during the prolonged heatwaves of recent years. Managing an effective line-sort and posy-up without being blown into knots, and showing some proficiency at ground handling, are not always to the fore. And the sight of hang glider pilots playing ‘glider up! glider down!’ yo-yo with their nosemen for half an hour before retreating becomes a warning – frequently ignored! On restraint … and insurance DON NUNAN, LONGTIME PARAGLIDER AND HANG GLIDER PILOTMerry Xmas! Seasons Greetings from all at Turfhouse! With any luck we will be snowed-in, but it is more likely that I’ll be rushing around sending out last minute Xmas orders. People have been buying presents from me for over 40 years. Join in – just try to navigate the minefield that is my outmoded website. This year, the latest Zoot bar Mitts have arrived just in the nick of time to fill stockings! Talking of Nick, Mr.Chitty uses his SMFC Speedarms when scuba-diving. Designed them for flying, but they are multi-talented! My website is full of stuff like this! What is more, T-shirts and FlyMike flying suits are going in the sale soon! Is it odd to advertise secondhand paraglider rucksacks in Skywings? Well, I am odd, and I have quite a few used rucksacks. QED! There is LOADS of new and used kit here. Jezzer is not so much odd as unusual, and he likes landing out. Unusually talented and determined, I try to support his flying. He has won the local HG XC League again, with one of my stock used gliders. Don’t forget that my ongoing sale will run right through Xmas and the New Year, and there are some stunning bargains to be had. Like a Coconea X-Alps medium lightweight harness. Check out the rest of this page, but also take your courage in both hands and explore the website. There are all sorts of amazing presents on there, like this radio-controlled Me109! Charly Helmets The aerodynamic Charly NO Limits is available as an open - or a full-face helmet. The pressure-formed aerodynamic Kevlar- reinforced fibreglass shells are renowned for their quietness, and come in four colours and four sizes, starting at £225. A clear visor comes as standard with optional Tinted visors available. The Charly Insider is probably the top-selling free flight helmet of all time. The Kevlar-reinforced fibreglass shell is fully-lined, and I stock eleven colours and six sizes from XS to XXL! Prices start at £158, and weight is only 660gm! The stylish Charly Loop costs £120, weighs around 505gm and comes with a helmet bag included. There are three sizes and six colours: Gloss White, Matt Blue, Matt Black, Matt Red, Matt Orange and Nova Silver – see them all on my website: The Charly Ace has a polycarbonate shell and comes in four sizes, with a choice of Gloss White, Matt Red, Matt Black or Carbon-look. Weight is around 560gm, and prices start at £84. The Charly Breeze has a swoopy polycarbonate shell, comes in four sizes in either White or Matt Black - with contrasting removable ear covers to suit different seasons. There is also a version in two adjustable sizes for commercial operators schools and tandem. It weighs about 480gm, and costs £87. I stock all the Charly helmets optional accessories, too! The Ace, Breeze and Loop will all accept the optional visor, available in Grey, Yellow, Orange and Mirror finishes. Prices start at £28 per visor, with the fixing screw set costing another tel: 01404 891685 Turfhouse, Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA New Reserves Why buy your reserve parachute from me? I’ve been selling reserves for over 40 years, and have had a successful real-life deployment, too. I am UK distributor for reserves from Charly, Skyman and Independence. My brands have sold tens of thousands, and have hundreds of successful deployments to their credit. Not everyone can afford new reserves, so I also try to keep a representative stock of second hand ones, too. My deployment came while paragliding in Switzerland, and proves the wisdom of always flying with a reserve installed in your harness! If you aren’t already convinced, read the full account on my website or, if you have a free half hour, just ask me about Independence Cornetto, from £585 The new Independence Cornetto is available for both paragliders and hang gliders, and brings us a square reserve at the price of a round! It’s light, too, starting at around 1.5kg. All our reserves can be supplied with Rotor swivels at extra cost. Independence Annular Evo, from £580 Charly Second Chance from £460 Charly Clou2 from £620 Charly Diamond Cross, from £699 Skyman Ultra Cross, from 1kg and £8256 SKYWINGS DECEMBER 2019 news In Brazil on October 27th, after most record-seeking pilots had packed up and gone home, Harry Bloxham and Guy Anderson took the world paragliding distance- to-goal record to an astonishing 510.8km. At Assu in Rio Grande do Norte for two weeks with a number of determined pilots, they had stayed on for a few extra days on the promise of better conditions. Earlier they had achieved several 400+ km flights and narrowly failed to complete 200km out-and-returns in lighter winds. On the 27th, both flying Ozone Enzo 3s, they tow launched at 7am in the company of Charles Norwood and Craig Morgan, having set goal at 510km. ‘Eking out every possible thermal will get you 400km, but if you want 500km you need to be in the first thermal, maintain a PWC pace all day … and land after sunset!’ reported Harry. He and Guy proceeded to do just that, overflying the legendary record-breaking launch at Quixada at 230km and eventually landing at dusk. Both had overflown their goal; having crossed two state lines Harry eventually touched down at Piripiri at 552km, with Guy not far behind at 533km. Craig and Charles had both gone down early in the day. There goes Jouni Makkonen’s 478,6km goal record, set from Caicó last October, and Seb Ospina’s 485km British record set from Assu last November. Their joint record is of course subject to confirmation; meanwhile we salute them – there is much, much more to such flying than being in the right place at the right time. Brazil’s long-distance flying season reaped rich rewards this year. On October 9th Switzerland’s Michael Küffer pushed his Gin Boomerang to 505.6km to seize, temporarily as it turned out, the world straight-distance-to-goal record. On the same day France’s Seiko Fukuoka (Enzo 3) took the female goal record to 451.5km, plus 463km straight distance and 464.4km via three turnpoints. The following day Brazilian veterans Marcelo Prieto, Rafael Barros (Evox) and Rafael Saladini (Enzo 3) took the world straight-distance mark to 582km from Tacima (and 588.5km via three turnpoints). At the same time, not content with her 447.5km three-turnpoints record on October 4th, Yael Margelisch (pictured, Enzo 3) reset the female straight distance record at 531.8km from Caicó (Brazil) and adjusted her three-turnpoints mark to 464.4km. Also on October 10th, Brazilian hangie Glauco Pinto (Laminar 14) pushed the hang gliding straight-distance record to 621km from Tacima, plus 616km to goal and 631.72km via three turnpoints. All the above are of course subject to FAI homologation. World goal record falls to Harry and Guy! Other records tumble in Brazil Nova Pilots awards Nova recently made Pilot of the Year awards to Chile’s Victor Salinas, Austria’s Chris Feichtl and Germany’s Stefan and Uli Lauth, Hermann Klein and Johannes Jakobi. Each pilot received, among other goodies, a 400-euro voucher towards a new wing. Victor had won the Chilean XC league; Chris took 3rd place in the worldwide standard- class ranking; the Lauths flew a world record 232km triangle; Hermann is a highly- regarded XC and competition pilot; and Johannes flew his Mentor 5 and 6 gliders to 6th place in the German XC League. The photo shows them flanked by Nova boss Sisi Eisl and pilots team captain Till Gottbrath. BHPA AGM The BHPA’s 2020 Annual General Meeting runs at a new location – the National Sports Centre at Lilleshall, Shropshire – on the afternoon of Saturday March 7th. It is hoped that following straight after the BHPA Trainers Conference (Friday March 6th and the Saturday morning) will encourage more people to attend. As well as the Election of Officers, the current Exec will report on their work and members will be able to cross- examine them on their achievements. The meeting will commence at 14:30 with the election of officers to the BHPA Executive Committee, followed by Officers’ reports and a members’ open discussion forum. Nominations are also sought for BHPA Awards of Merit to recognise members’ conspicuous service to a club, to competitions or to free flying in general. If you know someone who has put their very best efforts into the good of the sport over the years, or succeeded in a single outstanding achievement, please write a citation and send it to the BHPA Office by December 31st. Certificates will be presented at the AGM or other suitable occasion.Post CP - Guided XC - Pilotage Join our BHPA Post CP Developmental Mentor course Work through pilot tasks, top landings, vital thermal skills clinics Suits rusty and low airtime pilots Fully GPS tracked XC guided holidays You concentrate on flying, we’ll take care of everything else Get some control Join our Pilotage Control course and SIV in May in Turkeynews 8 SKYWINGS DECEMBER 2019 An airspace reform bill? Those with a stake in recreational aviation were quick to pounce on the promise of airspace reform said to have been contained in the Queen’s Speech on October 14th. ‘An aviation bill,’ said Her Majesty, ‘will provide for the effective and efficient management of the United Kingdom’s airspace.’ The official transcript slightly differently: ‘An aviation bill will provide for the effective and efficient management of the United Kingdom’s airspace air traffic management and unmanned aircraft bill.’ Let’s be charitable and assume it’s a drafting error, because it absolutely doesn’t make sense. Clearer – but less promising – is the top line of the principle of the proposed Bill: ‘New Government powers to direct an airport or other relevant body to prepare and submit a proposal to the Civil Aviation Authority to change the design of airspace.’ Let us hope that if any of this ever sees the light of day some common sense will be brought to bear on the frenzied proliferation of controlled airspace. It doesn’t seem too likely. D&S Condors coaching course The Devon & Somerset Condors are holding a Club Coach Course at Taunton on January 18th-19th. Becoming a Club Coach is a good way for all pilots to give a little back to the sport, to improve their own abilities and help and encourage newbies to the sport. The course is best suited to pilots who hold a CP rating and a minimum of ten hours. Less-experienced pilots are welcome and will learn lots, but will not be able to become BHPA Club Coaches immediately. The course costs £30 (£20 for existing coaches who are renewing); Condors members taking the course (or renewing an existing qualification) can claim a 50% subsidy once registered as a club coach. Refreshments, including a light lunch, will be available at a small charge. Two Premier Inns and a Travel Lodge are within five miles of the venue, the Maypole Inn, Thurloxton TA2 8RF, with other accommodation nearby. Further details from Condors Chairman Tony Farthing at 2020 RAeC Bursary Scheme starts The Royal Aero Club Trust has announced the start of the 2020 bursary awards scheme for young people. 48 bursaries were awarded in 2018 and 35 in 2019. Last year Oliver McCourty of Green Dragons secured support for further training, as have many young BHPA pilots before. The awards are of up to £1,000; all young fliers or would-be fliers reading this should take note: these bursaries represent free money for young pilots to progress their flying! Applicants must be aged between 14 and 21 (up to 24 in the case of a follow-on bursary). Full details and application forms are at date is March 31st 2020. Saunton news As a one-off event to celebrate 60 years of the local AONB flown, by special arrangement, by two NDHPC pilots in October. However all pilots should note that Saunton is not a registered site and is not to be flown; the club is working with the landowner and tenant farmer to discuss potential opportunities for its use in the future. Please do not attempt to contact the landowner or farmer, or attempt to fly from this site. To do so would instantly jeopardise years of hard work and permission would probably never be given. The North Devon club welcomes visiting pilots, but please do not try and fly at Saunton. If further information is required, contact the club at Summer speed flying in France Sunsoar Paragliding returns to the French Alps from July 11th - 25th to run two speed flying progression weeks at Morzine. Both weeks are open to qualified BHPA speed flying pilots and to qualified paraglider pilots – a speed flying conversion course is included in the price. Multiple high mountain descents will be possible each morning (there is cable car access back to take-off), with afternoon paragliding at Morzine, Samoens and Grand Bornand. Accommodation will be in a nearby self-catering chalet. Further details are at In brief Antonio is Romanian Champion! Romanian pilot Antonio Burian, currently resident in the UK and a member of the Dover & Folkestone Club, flew to 7th place overall at the Pre-PWC event at Clopotiva in Romania. The event doubled as the Romanian national championships; Antonio, now 19, is Romania’s youngest-ever paragliding champion. He also flew in the PWC Linzhou in China in June to finish 31st. PGAWC Wasserkuppe downgraded. Following the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup event at Germany’s Wasserkuppe in October, CIVL became aware of complaints against the PGAWC organisation. Noting that some Section 7C rules had not been implemented, CIVL’s Bureau decided not to include the results in the WPRS. The results nevertheless contributed to the overall World Cup series, won by Matjaz Sluga of Slovenia for the second successive year. New European records. The FAI has ratified Katalin Juhász’s 144.6km UP Meru flight from Kocs, Hungary, on July 16th as the previously-unset European female distance-via three-turnpoints record. Jouni Makkonen’s 274.7km Enzo 3 flight from Kauhava, Finland, on June 28th is also acknowledged as the new European straight-distance-to-goal record, eclipsing Martin Morlet’s 271km mark from July 2016. BHPA 500 Club WIN CASH PRIZES AND HELP THE ASSOCIATION! October winners Adam Sullivan £132.20 Neal Lewis £66.10 John Casson £33.05 Alan Johnson £19.83 Nicholas Rogoff £16.53 Rob Schwab £16.53 Michael Johnson £13.22 Robert Bradley £13.22 Robert Holland £9.92 Derek Frith £9.92 BHPA £330.48 If by the time you read this you have not received your cheque, please contact me on 07802 525099. Marc Asquith BHPA 500 Club WIN CASH PRIZES AND HELP THE ASSOCIATION! September winners David Hayes £134.80 Stephen Flint £67.40 Simon Goodman £33.70 Martin Baxter £20.22 Andrew Keene £16.85 Christopher Webb £16.85 David Moy £13.48 Brent Pullen £13.48 Jayne Dennis £10.11 Peter Bowden £10.11 BHPA £337.00 If by the time you read this you have not received your cheque, please contact me on 07802 525099. Marc Asquith BHPA Coach and Instructor courses December 7 - 8 BHPA Club Coach Avon Club January 18 - 19 2020 BHPA Club Coach D & S Condors 01458 834113 March 14 - 15 2020 BHPA Club Coach To be confirmed 0116 289 4316 April 20 - 22 2020 BHPA Instructor To be confirmed 0116 289 4316 Next >