No. 381 JANUARY 2021 The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association2 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2021 Yes, 60. It’s a shock to me too! I am still test flying every flyable day so am 100% flying fit both physically and mentally, but it is not exactly the same as before. I find myself starting to fly a little more safely and taking bigger margins. What I could once get away with all the time I am no longer confident that I will continue to get away with in the same way. At Gourdon we have two top landings. One small and surrounded by rocks, the other large and flat but a 100m walk away. Every day for the last 20 years I landed on the small one; now, unless conditions are smooth, I mostly land in the big one. This is because age is slowly catching up on me. I know my reactions are just a little slower and I am less nimble at jumping over rocks. I also feel less need to prove anything, happier to be a humble pilot and take the safe option every time. This small change is symptomatic of a change in my whole flying style, that I feel is needed due to my natural aging process. I don’t resist it; I accept that I need to take bigger margins. At Gourdon, during the week probably half the pilots are retired, so in the 60-75 age range. Most of them have been flying for years and now finally have the time, and the money, to go flying every day. It is important that we pilots understand how age effects our flying skills. It creeps up on you slowly and it’s all too easy to feel that nothing has changed. But there are very good reasons why commercial airline pilots have tough yearly medical checks and normally retire at 55. Your reaction times get worse as you get older, as well as your senses. Worse eyesight and hearing, as well as slower reactions, have real consequences when you fly. The illustration shows how your reaction time changes with age. You are at your peak at 24 with an average reaction time of 460ms, which reduces to 547ms in your 50s, 617ms in your 60s , and 650 in your 70s1. For your eyesight the story is similar. You have your best visual acuity at 16 and this steadily degrades as you get older, the rate increasing with age. These effects are happening at the same time and the result is cumulative. In my own case we are talking about a 25% increase in reaction time, and a similar reduction in visual acuity. Together we have a 50% reduction, which is pretty significant! You can see less, and then take longer to react to it. These are only two of the effects; there are others, such as the ability to learn new things, that also reduce steadily with age. I spent some time looking at French statistics and concluded there are two main risk factors leading to accidents: strong wind and old age (pilots over 60). These factors are more important than the wing you fly or the type of site, or if you fly Acro or competition. Avoiding flying in strong wind is clearly a good idea, but old age is a little harder to avoid! As you get older it’s increasing important to stay fit as well as current in your flying. If you cannot stay current by flying frequently, you should definitely consider stepping down a level of wing. We are all mortal. We should not restrict older pilots from flying; it’s up to you if you want to fly or to take risks. And many pilots would prefer to face the increasing risks in order to continue to live life to the full. In the end, life should not be counted by how many breaths you take, but how many times your breath is taken away. attitude Slowing down sensibly BRUCE GOLDSMITH, PARAGLIDER DESIGNER AND FORMER WORLD CHAMPION, REFLECTS ON HITTING 60 1. Blomkvist AW, Eika F, Rahbek MT, Eikhof KD, Hansen MD, Søndergaard M et al, 2017 Reaction time (hands) 14 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2021 regulars regulars features JANUARY 2021 SKYWINGS 5 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 Markus Gründhammer and Skyman’s CrossCountry 2 Photo: Markus Gründhammer THIS PAGE Fabrice Ramet and Ozone Delta over Great Black River Bay during a 50km XC to the south-western tip of Mauritius Photo: Xavier Bugault, via Jeremy Hine 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 Email: SKYWINGS ONLINE Go For the January issue enter the username Jan_2021 and the case-sensitive password 92$XUe=5K For the February issue enter the username Feb_2021 and the case-sensitive password gR_%92P6 DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for the March issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Monday February 1st. Letters for the February Airmail pages should arrive no later than Monday January 18th. Advertisement bookings for the February edition must arrive by Monday January 11th. Copy and classified bookings no later than Monday January 18th.6 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2021 news In November’s Skywings, BHPA Chairman Marc Asquith, writing in mid-October, raised the prospect of having to raise annual subscription fees to around £150, despite several severe budget cuts and some opportune savings resulting from the Covid situation. Amongst the perceived future threats, the imminent end of the furlough scheme appeared likely to have adverse financial implications as well as forcing difficult decisions regarding staffing, and the Association’s annual insurance premium was expected to rise substantially in the light of potentially expensive claims. The extension of the furlough scheme to March 2021 has postponed, if not solved, the first problem. And instead of the anticipated £100k rise in premium, as a result of negotiations with underwriters, led by the Chairman, the Association has been able to secure its insurance renewal at an increase of only £40,000. Combined with savings on expenses, competition funding, etc, the finances for this financial year are looking far better. Nevertheless there are clouds on the horizon, not least the ongoing shortfall in new members resulting from the summer lockdown. Taking all this into account, at present a subscription rise of only about £10 per member is expected. J-B Chandelier joins Skywalk Paragliding icon, freestyler and YouTube filmmaker Jean-Baptiste Chandelier has joined Skywalk. The 35-year old Frenchman from Briançon signed up in November to help the team ‘break new creative ground.’ Known for his Urban Style, Sky Walking and Light Line films among others, and for his ability at proximity flying – beaches, ski slopes, lighthouses, skyscrapers, etc – J-B is also a renowned freestyle pilot. Less well known is his long-term collaboration with Dudek on their acro and paramotor range, including the design of their sub-1kg Run&Fly wing. He will join Skywalk R&D team members Alex Höllwarth and Stephan Gruber to pursue new projects ‘beyond the known horizon.’ ‘J-BC has incredibly forward-looking ideas.’ says Skywalk boss Arne Wehrlin, ‘Together we will break new ground. I’m looking forward to the years ahead.’ In mid November Ben Ashman announced a new addition to Flylight’s Sub-70kg nanolight range. The Adam pairs a new double-surface wing, built by Aeros to a Flylight specification, with a new trike incorporating the latest version of their distinctive retractable undercarriage. The Adam, intended as a high-performance soaring trike, offers the autonomy to take off anywhere and, when airborne conditions allow, to switch off the engine and thermal. The target market is hang glider pilots (and converting paraglider pilots) who want to explore the sport in a different way. Also pilots for whom foot launch may not be practical, and anyone else looking for a lightweight flying solution that can be stored with a very small footprint. The Adam is named in honour of Ben’s recently-departed brother, a victim of the Covid-19 virus. The first Adam wing (pictured) is currently undergoing flight testing and final tuning. The prototype is powered by a Vittorazi Atom 80 motor; with an 80kg pilot aboard it offers a climb rate of 400ft/min +. With an empty weight of around 58kg (depending on options), fuel tankage will be in the region of 16 litres – exceptional for the class. Fuel consumption of around 2.5 l/h will thus offer unprecedented range for a nanolight. Flylight’s stable also includes the new Sub-70 Peabee Redline sporting a fairing and other refinements, powered by the the 26hp Vittorazi Moster 185 Silent MY20. The SSDR Bivvy Bee, based on the Fox 13 topless wing, now has touring-type storage and an uprated all-up weight. Its 25-litre fuel tank offers a 5.5-hour endurance, one benefit of higher SSDR payloads. Blistering short-field performance, along with a new detachable touring bag, makes it ideal for fly-and- camp trips. More sailcloth options have been added and a trimmer allows a hands-off cruise of over 40mph, although top speed and stall remain unchanged. For more information go to see the aircraft in action search YouTube for ‘benashman’. We hope to carry a review of the Adam in the near future. A new Flylight Sub-70 BHPA’s likely subs rise halvedI promised you this photo, but it ain’t pretty! Two years ago I was diagnosed with cancer and five months ago I still looked like me - even with lockdown hair! I have aged about ten years since I started chemotherapy in July. You can avoid avoid this fate by eating real food instead of supermarket rubbish, and avoiding toxins. I’m told petrochemicals caused my cancer, which is quite likely given my history. No complaints - I’ve had a great life, and plan to go on enjoying myself for a long time yet! This is always a quiet time of year, and 2021 may start more slowly than most. But the world hasn’t stopped turning and I have lots of new stuff at Turfhouse! How about Jeremy Soper’s “other” glider? This medium Aeros Stalker scored a few miles towards his XC Championship, and is up for grabs - no sensible offer refused. As a complete contrast, I have this hardly-flown Niviuk Koyot 2 in the XS size, and just can’t believe it wasn’t sold long ago. EN A and totally gorgeous! £1650 is about a grand off new price. Lockdowns permitting, this WW Eagle 155 intermediate should be arriving at Turfhouse soon. It is tidy and flies a treat! Treat Another glider which should have shifted months ago is this lovely large Firebird Spider. At £395 you could happily use it for ground handling, but it still has lots of enjoyable flying in it for a pilot who doesn’t feel obliged to own the latest kit It wouldn’t be a Flying Circus advert without a picture of Soperman, and Katy Cole kindly snapped the lad on my wonderful Litespeed RS3.5. This glider helped to win Team Gold for Great Britain at the Florida World Championships, and now it has made Jezzer a British Champion, too! Why hasn’t somebody bought it, at only £1750? Ben tried so hard to cram himself into this Von Blon Silent, but it is about 6” too short for him! The Silent is a very practical harness - way lighter than some more popular harnesses, the most comfortable I have ever flown in, and this one is as cheap as chips. If you are about 5’6” and have £395, you are sorted. This rather lovely Charly Tube is cheap, too. It is in superb condition, is stuffed with luxury features, but is rather old- tech. Still, it is very comfortable, so at only £125 your money goes a looooong way. At the moment I have a selection of basic harnesses for hang gliders. This training bib harness is only £25 because it is old and a bit tatty, but could have a stirrup attached if so desired. I have a much nicer stirrup at £65, and a hardly- used kneehanger at £85. Ask for details and photos. I also have a choice of paraglider harnesses that would be ideal for ground handling. This Advance harness is probably too good for that - at only £125 it would still be good to fly with. Prices of ground handling harnesses go from about I also have a selection of rucksacks for paragliders and waterproof bags for hang gliders. When the new website is up and running (still work in progress, but it is getting there) I’ll get them all listed individually. In the meantime, just call and tell me what you want. In fact, the new website will be rather like the old one, featuring my hundreds of stock lines, new and secondhand. There is a reasonable choice in most departments, and my secondhand lines can save you a fortune over buying new. Let’s face it, everything is secondhand as soon as you fly it…. As far as reserves are concerned, I stock lots of the Independence Cornetto and am selling lots, too, including a couple to Free Flight royalty! They are beautifully made, and with prices starting at £545 you are buying the latest square reserve at round canopy money. It’s a no-brainer! Before and After! Simon Murphy’s Flying Circus Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA tel: 01404 891685 Lockdown Run away with the Flying Circus!news 8 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2021 EC rebate scheme update The CAA has recently updated the Electronic Conspicuity device rebate scheme information on its website, providing useful additional information for potential users. Applicants can submit claims for 50% of the cost of their device (up to a maximum of £250 including VAT). The claims window is from 1st October 2020 until 28th February 2021 (or sooner, if the money runs out). FLARM emitting devices are eligible, and the CAA has confirmed that devices providing ‘peripherals’ – other functions – are eligible too. You must be BHPA Pilot rated or above to apply (a CAA stipulation). The scheme has a ‘pot’, made available by DfT, large enough for up to 10,000 rebates. Indications are that, whilst many have made use of the scheme, by the end of November a significant portion of the fund remained available to use. The BHPA have asked the CAA to consider extending the scheme into the 2021 flying season, but this is unlikely to be granted. If you are thinking of buying a device, make your purchase – and your rebate application – well before the end of February. For more information, visit Airspace review procedure In late November the CAA published its new procedure for reviewing the classification of airspace. The document is said to take on board responses to the consultation that closed in September. The new system commits the CAA to reviewing airspace classifications every two years. The review process will draw on the monitoring of airspace safety, access and utilisation to list areas where a case could be made for amending a classification, and propose a schedule for addressing them. After consulting organisations representing airspace users, and the controlling authority for the airspace concerned, a formal proposal will be put forward. Before the end of the year they expect to announce the first volumes of airspace where potential amendments are under consideration. A new CAA team dedicated to the review of airspace classification will run the new procedure, starting work on those volumes in January 2021. We await developments in this field with great interest. BHPA AGM As reported in December, the 2021 BHPA AGM will take place on Saturday March 13th 2021, starting at 11am. The meeting will be live-streamed on the BHPA Facebook page. That much is certain; less clear is the location. It is planned to hold the AGM at Nottingham’s Belfry Hotel, but this option will be confirmed or abandoned when the lockdown position is clear. The fallback venue is the BHPA’s Leicester Office. The BHPA building can accommodate the Exec. and staff with modest space for members – all socially distanced. It is hoped that a Zoom-type facility can be employed for members to contribute. In this case a link will appear on the BHPA website and Facebook page. Please monitor this resource. New hang gliding player Fly Pure Air operates out of Croft Farm Airstrip near Pershore, Worcs, home of the Malvern Aerotow Club. An offshoot of an existing GA maintenance business, Fly Pure Air is led by licenced engineer and hang glider pilot Peter Montgomery. He believes UK hang gliding could do with a bit of support and intends to help provide it; co-location with one of Britain’s most active aerotow clubs is certainly a good place to start. To that end he has become a dealer for Wills Wing, Icaro2000, Skypoint (formerly Seedwings EU), Finsterwalder and Aeros (in partnership with Flylight); he also has constructive links with Moyes UK and Avian. Peter also intends to become an outlet for a wide range of hang gliding equipment, not least helmets and instruments. Contact him on 07789 556761 or email: BHPA 500 Club WIN CASH PRIZES AND HELP THE ASSOCIATION! November winners Gerald Nolan £132.00 Gerald Nolan £66.00 John Parker £33.00 Paul Hunnisett £19.80 Tommy Abdy Collins £16.50 David Moy £16.50 John Taylor £13.20 Jennifer Burdett £13.20 William Nelson £9.90 Henry Hookings £9.90 BHPA £330.00 If by the time you read this you have not received your cheque, please contact me on 07802 525099. Marc Asquith In brief Stripdown time at Avian. Due to reduced staff presence at Avian, hang gliders for stripdown or repair should be delivered as soon as possible to make sure they are ready for the 2021 flying season. The early bird is likely to be more successful than someone leaving things until the Spring. Contact Marek at or book in at Sunsoar plans. The team at Sunsoar have been working on revised plans for early 2021 to beat the UK winter and Covid. They are planning trips to Greece at the end of February and to Morocco for solo flying and tandem training in March, and to Portugal at the end of April. There are more 2021 trips in the pipeline; for details contact go Skywings online. The online version of this issue can be found at username Jan_2021 and the case- sensitive password 92$XUe=5K. For the February issue enter the username Feb_2021and the case-sensitive password gR_%92P6. Magazines with a cover date over six months old can be viewed online or downloaded without the need to log in. Skysurfing Club contact error. Our clubs list last month contained an error. The Skysurfing Club’s contact e-mail is Kieron Doick at ‘secretary@skysurfing.co.uk’). You can also call Kieron on 07880 911409, or go to please accept our apologies! CANP contacts change. Reorganisation of the RAF’s low flying coordination system has seen the Low Flying Operations Flight (LFOF) become a part of the new Military Airspace Management Cell (MAMC). With immediate effect, CANP bookings will now be handled by Low Flying Coordination (LFC). The contact e-mail is phone number is now 01489 443100. The Freephone number 0800 515544 remains active. The best way to submit a CANP request remains via the online system at Caroline, a former Airways Airsports instructor and one of the world’s great enthusiasts, died on October 24th. She committed fully to everything she did, pursuing excellence with an insatiable curiosity and a wonderful sense of humour, shooting from the hip with swift and witty one-liners. She loved to spread laughter, and she did it abundantly; in every photo she is grinning her infectious smile. Caroline had a puppy-like enthusiasm for all forms of aviation, from WW2 aircraft to microlights, paragliders, paramotors and hang gliders. She learned to fly paragliders with us at Airways Airsports and was a talented beginner. As her obsession with paragliding magnified, she embarked on learning to fly everything else that we teach at Airways, becoming proficient in paramotors and flexwing microlights. She abandoned her well-paid job to train as an Instructor with us. Caroline really enjoyed teaching, and maintained friendships with her ex-students. She loved to meet up with them on the hills, where she would encourage them, taking a mother-hen interest and pride in their flying. Always an avid traveller, paragliding gave her a new incentive to connect with people of all ages and from all cultures. Her foreign trips to Lanzarote, Turkey, India, France and South Africa introduced her to beautiful landscapes, and to a host of new people who swiftly became friends. A lengthy visit to the bar after flying was compulsory, where she would have everyone laughing. Flying was a huge part of Caroline’s life. She became an excellent pilot, but it was not just about the flying. It was being a part of an extended friendship group, with flying being the glue that stuck them together. In the words of Phil Bibby, her close friend, ‘If it’s true that she who dies with the most toys wins, then Caroline must be an Olympic Gold medal winner.’ She had kit for art, archery, astronomy, rock climbing and mountain biking, plus all the necessaries to look after her cats and her beloved Springer puppy, Tara. She undertook all pursuits with enormous enthusiasm and excelled in them all. In recent years Caroline converted to Buddhism. As usual, she under- took her learning with gusto, and two years ago she went to Dharamsala and met the Dalai Lama, which strengthened her faith. I hope that, through her belief, she is reincarnated as a golden eagle and can perfect the art of soaring, can teach us all how it should be done. Caroline was a unique spirit – bubbly, enthusiastic, great company and so very funny. She enriched our lives and brightened the day of anyone lucky enough to be in her company. Our thoughts are with her family and her many, many friends. [Judy Leden] A JustGiving page has been set up to channel funds into three charities relating to Caroline’s childhood that she chose to gift to in her will: PAC-UK, Epilepsy Research UK and Action for Children. Please go to Caroline Fox (formerly Williams), 1982 - 2020Next >