No. 385 MAY 2021 The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association2 SKYWINGS MAY 2021 Like how blasé and relaxed many pilots are about it most of the time. And all the pretty pictures and videos of everyone having easy fun. Yet I can’t think of another sport where, if you do it for any length of time, you will experience prolonged terror. Getting thrown around at 5000ft, hanging from a floppy duvet on microlines, is ludicrous. And those times when you are fighting to get to the ground because the weather has changed. Getting close to passing out from g-forces in a spiral dive is just something we do. It’s not surprising that I, and so many members of my club, have grey hairs! Is there another sport where, at the highest levels, the champions shout for joy on reaching a goal, but where no one can hear them? There’s no stadium waiting for our record breakers. We can fly extremely high, over 8000m without an engine! But also lower than anyone else on the dunes and low cliffs. We can fly for as long as there is daylight in some environments, without the need to refuel. And paragliders were already the lightest aircraft back when the kit weighed 25kg. Now it can be under 2kg. That is certainly extreme, compared to a plane. And how easy it is to learn. There is no other aircraft you can buy off eBay, watch a few videos and fly without instruction. Sure, that isn’t the right way to do it, but people do. It’s that easy: pull left to steer left, pull right to steer right. Actually easier than a bicycle. You can’t do that with a helicopter. But that contrasts with the fact that you carry on learning how to fly properly for years and years, probably forever. Many of us after 100 hours shudder to think how naive we were when we started solo flying after passing CP. We knew virtually nothing, and that lack of appreciation is dangerous. At 200 hours you might not know you suffer from Intermediate Syndrome, meaning you think you have everything dialled, unaware there may be some extreme lessons waiting to be learned the hard way. Expertise in free flying can take a lifetime. Consider how unathletic doing paragliding actually is. Dr. Matt Wilkes took oxygen uptake measurements of regular flying which indicated that physically it is no more demanding than driving a car. But it depends what you are doing. At the other extreme the Red Bull X-Alps is one of the most demanding, gruelling and physically impressive events in any sport. Talk about extremes! Then consider how simple it is to understand: Alpine launch in still air and glide to an open landing field – there is nothing to know. But add in some wind and thermals, and suddenly we are struggling to active-fly, predict where rotor will be, trying to find invisible pockets of rising air, avoid airspace, looking for subtle clues in bird behaviour or tree movement, and predicting the fluid dynamics of the valley wind. Staying airborne all day is way more complex than chess. No wonder it is so tiring. We give the label ‘Skygod’ to our flying champions, sharing photos of them upside-down or dancing with lightning over the world’s highest peaks. As pilots ourselves we appreciate just how extreme that activity really is. This is wildly at odds with the perception the general public might have, seeing little difference between that skygod and some silly sod the coastguard had to rescue off a Dorset cliff. And that is the contradiction that amuses me most: the perception of paragliding by those who don’t do it. My family sees me loading my gear into my car like I’m going fishing. Their eyes roll knowing I’ll be telling them all about it later. Again. They entirely underestimate those grey-haired folk from my club and joke that we’re just like detectorists, or a train-spotting society. Whereas, when I clip on my helmet and harness I feel like Iron Man. He flies, I fly. Likewise Thor, Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Falcon and Wonder Woman. Launching off a cliff, soaring a mountainside, coring a thermal or aiming for cloudbase, it’s hardly surprising we get delusions of grandeur. Even the most meek and modest free flying pilots feel like a superhero sometimes. And indeed they are. You are all extreme athletes. But then I come down to Earth, sometimes with a bump, especially when I get home and find I was needed to mow the lawn or put out the bins. Like so many superheroes, I live a Clark Kent secret double life. My friends and family never suspect there may be a skygod in their midst. Superhero or trainspotter? It just depends on your perspective. Extreme Sport? Absolutely! Skygods or silly sods? A sport of extremes ROBIN WALLACE, INTERMEDIATE PILOT AND WESSEX CLUB PARAGLIDING SAFETY OFFICER I was asked recently if paragliding is an extreme sport. I quickly said it was – the helmet is the clue; it is pretty dangerous after all. But I swiftly contradicted myself, saying that it was also perfectly safe and that anyone could do it. Which got me thinking about the extremes and the contradictions within our sport. attitude Photo: Robin W allace 4 SKYWINGS MAY 2021 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 Chris Wills prepares to fly a Bamboo Butterfly at San Clemente, California, in 1972 Photo: Richard Hovey THIS PAGE The British comp scene will return! Photo: Martijn van Dijk 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 May issue enter the username May_2021 and the case-sensitive password BKc85$t4 For the June issue enter the username Jun_2021 and the case-sensitive password 931?Caf$ DEADLINES: News items and event/competition reports for the July issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Wednesday June 2nd. Letters for the June Airmail pages should arrive no later than Monday May 17th. DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for the June issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Monday May 3rd. Letters for the May Airmail pages should arrive no later than Friday April 16th. Advertisement bookings for the June edition must arrive by Monday May 10th. Copy and classified bookings no later than Monday May 17th.MAY 2021 SKYWINGS 5 regulars tests and reviews features 6 SKYWINGS MAY 2021 news Drone crash report In July 2019 a drone went out of control at a packed spectator event at Goodwood Aerodrome. Contact – and thus control – of the drone having been lost, and an emergency kill switch having failed to operate, the 95kg(!) machine is said to have climbed to 8,000ft, well above the FL6500 base of Class A airspace related to a holding pattern for Gatwick Airport, before running out of power and crashing in a field only 40m from occupied houses. In a damning 64-page report the AAIB report found the drone had not been designed, built or tested to any recognised standards, that its build quality was poor and that the manufacturer’s operating safety case contained untrue statements. The report also heavily criticised the CAA, which had authorised the demonstration flight, for multiple failings of inspection and oversight. Of the AAIB’s 15 safety recommendations in the report, 13 were levelled at the CAA. Anyone concerned that the CAA might not be quite ready for the drone revolution they are so keen to facilitate would do well to read this report. Find it in the AAIB’s March bulletin at New provider for GA safety evenings The CAA has awarded a contract to Astral Aviation Consulting to provide GA safety promotions including the GA Safety Evenings. For the last five years this service has been provided by GASCo; most (but not all) BHPA members who attended one were favourably impressed. AAC popped up out of the blue in January, headed by Chris Kidd, formerly of the CAA’s GA Unit. ‘We are keen to engender a just culture through collaboration,’ he says, ‘allowing the entire GA community the opportunity to contribute to the safety discussion.’ AAC’s contract began on April 1st. NOTAM ceilings The CAA has formally rejected the suggestion that the ceiling of our NOTAMs (submitted via CANP) be allowed to exceed 2,000ft AGL. The reasons are bureaucratic and best summarised as ‘too difficult’. As indicated in last month’s AGM sites report, it is important that all pilots understand that the boundaries of this type of NOTAM warning are porous – BHPA members are not constrained by them, and other pilots may enter at their own risk. The CAA did make a recommendation that CANP NOTAMs carry the following warning: ‘The activity around the site is not contained solely within the declared lateral and vertical limits.’ It remains to be seen if other aviators will get the message. Please continue to use CANP if you are flying mid-week. If you don’t know what CANP is, please take a look at the BHPA website Lilienthal Vorflügelapparat replica Otto Lilienthal enthusiast Dr Markus Raffel (see December 2018 and December 2019 Skywings) has now built an authentic replica of the Vorflügelapparat, an 1895 vintage machine featuring an enlarged, controllable rudder and variable-incidence slats (vorflügel) ahead of the leading edge. These devices, and small tip rudders, are all operated by a hip cradle, a control system later used on the Wright Flyer, to make the basic Lilienthal glider more responsive to roll input. An earlier replica, built in 1989 by Stephan Nitsch at the Lilienthal Museum at Anklam in northern Germany, was used to create another full-size glider as well as a smaller version that will undergo wind tunnel testing before true flight tests begin. Dr Raffel’s position at the Göttingen DLR research centre allows him access to their sophisticated modern wind tunnel; following testing the glider will be shipped to John Harris at Kitty Hawk Kites for experimental flying on North Carolina’s Outer Banks this summer. A full report on these activities will appear in due course. X-Alps route revealed The 2021 Red Bull X-Alps route was revealed in a blaze of heavily-engineered publicity on March 16th. Departing from the usual itinerary ending at Monaco, the 10th edition of the event will be an out-and-back race across the Alps from Salzburg to Mt Blanc – and back to Austria’s Zell am See. At 1,238km the route is the longest in the race’s history, covering Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. The 33 athletes will attempt to reach 12 turnpoints, taking in the Aletsch glacier and Piz Palü on the Swiss-Italian border. For those who make it back across the Austrian border, the final leg will cross the main chain of the Alps to the Schmittenhöhe, overlooking the finish line. In the past the clock has stopped at Peille above Monaco; in the 2021 event the front runners will have to race all the way to a float on the freshwater lake at Zell am See, even if they have to swim there. The race starts at Salzburg on June 20th; it promises be spectacular!The new Charly Vitesse helmets are manufactured by the expensive inmould process, resulting in weights starting at just 380 gm! Sizes run from XS (53-55cm) to XXXL (64- 65cm) and each helmet has an adjustable headband to give a precise and comfortable fit. They can also cater for narrow and round heads, giving new hope to those people who struggle to find a helmet that fits. As availability improves I aim to have stock in all sizes and colours, which are White/Pearl, Cyan/Blue, Black/Silver, Lime/Green, and Lemon/Orange. Optional visors come in Grey, Bronze or Mirror. Stock should be arriving when you read this advert, and prices will be fixed at that time. The helmets should start at around This Moyes Malibu 188 has just arrived, and I would like £2750, but am always open to offers. The glider is very tidy indeed – a credit to its former owner! I would buy it! Hang on - I did buy it! Anyone hoping to fly tandem on a budget should consider my Airwave Scenic 2 tandem paraglider. It is in super condition and gives porosity readings around 300 seconds, so there is a lot of life left in it! It is only £550. Talking of impecuniousity (I made it up) I have a several nice paraglider bundles here: two Firebird Spiders in Medium Red and one Large blue, with nice harnesses if you want. The Spider is a solid DHV 1-2 glider that has plenty of performance for a new pilot with budgetry problems. £500 will buy a complete outfit – glider and harness, possibly also a reserve! Or buy individual items for lower prices. I’m open to sensible I have just one really flash Skyman X-Alps pod harness in the medium/large size. Was £1100, now just £700! The Aeros Myth 3 has arrived, and is a classy piece of kit for a 6’ tall pilot. Condition is like new, price is a remarkable £550. How about a Moyes Silver XC bag? They cost a fortune when new, simply because they are superb. This one is sized for an RX 3.5, but will fit a host of other gliders. £75 for a quick sale. I have a range of new and used flying suits priced from £15 to £175. Let me know what you want, and I will try to catalogue them all. My health has prevented me getting airborne so far this year, but Soperman is doing it for me! Among other adventures, he took “our” championship-winning RS3.5 Litespeed for this mind-blowing flight across the Lake District in April. This is the stuff memories are made of, and that is far more important than winning trophies (although that is nice, too….). Go Jezzer! New Charly Helmets & Used Bargains too! Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA tel: 01404 891685 Simon Murphy’s Flying Circus news 8 SKYWINGS MAY 2021 As well as the flex-wing (Class 1) and rigid (Class 5), there is also a Club Class. Here the tasks are shorter and more achievable, to introduce new pilots to the competition scene. You can fly any class of wing in Club Class, but topless and rigid gliders incur a small handicap. A full site brief is given each day; mentoring and an organised retrieve are also part of the package. The competition tasks are XC flights in which the pilot flies through a series of waypoints navigated by 3D-enabled GPS. Lectures such as navigation, weather, XC flying and competition tactics are organised on any non-flyable days. A discounted parachute repack service is also available. Every time I have attended the BOS it has created great memories that have drawn me back the following year. From the incredible flying and personal bests that I’ve achieved, to the wonderful people I’ve met and can now call my friends. My flying skills have become so much better due to flying in the BOS: watching, listening and talking with so many great pilots and challenging myself with each task. I started flying the BOS in 2010. I had achieved CP only two years before and had spent the time ridge soaring and thermalling, but never to cloudbase for fear of going too far back to regain the ridge, and never leaving the ridge for lack of a retrieve! I didn’t really want to compete but I did seek a benchmark to see how good I was. You need to be Pilot rated but I was still CP – I sat the exam four days before the comp and the BHPA office rushed my Pilot pass to me the day before it began. The first task was 30km from Builth Wells, a new site for me. I had my kingposted Wills Wing Eagle, and the advice was to get to cloudbase and just drift with it. 20 minutes after launch I found myself in a nice smooth thermal and, passing the point where I’d normally head back to the ridge, I left the hill for the first time! Soon I reached cloudbase, also for the first time. What an amazing, euphoric place to be – I’d never felt so elated in my life! I soon lost sight of all the other gliders and just concentrated on staying high, drifting under the cloud as suggested. I was using a Garmin eTrex for navigation. After what seemed like hours (actually about an hour) I checked and found the goal to be about 4km away, 45 degrees off my drifting track. OMG – I might make it! Still at cloudbase, I turned and headed to goal, but the Eagle’s lack of VG meant I could do nothing when a faster glider flew under me to arrive at goal first. Grrr! It seems my competitive spirit is more alive than I thought. Still, what a great set of firsts! I’ve been flying the competition regularly ever since, and now help organise it as part of the Comps Committee! Although there is some uncertainty involved in organising comps this year, we will attempt to hold a week-long competition in Yorkshire from Saturday June 26th to Saturday July 3rd. HQ will be at the George & Dragon pub in Aysgarth, Leyburn DL8 3AD. Registration will take place on the evening of June 25th, but we need you to register online as soon as possible so that we can organise a great competition for you. Most people will be staying at the Street Head campsite, but there are quite a few B&Bs and other campsites in the area. Many places are very busy due to the easing of lockdown – get your booking in soon. All current information on the BOS is at BHPA 500 Club WIN CASH PRIZES AND HELP THE ASSOCIATION! March winners David Moy £133.20 John White £66.60 Len Hull £33.30 Jeffrey Howarth £19.98 Sean Biggs £16.65 John McDonald £16.65 Gerald Nolan £13.32 Leslie Weidman £13.32 Crawford Coulson £9.99 Michael Dixon £9.99 BHPA £333.00 If by the time you read this you have not received your cheque, please contact me on 07802 525099. Marc Asquith The British Open Series 2021 GREG EMMS INVITES HANG GLIDER PILOTS TO PARTICIPATE … The British Open Series (BOS) is a friendly and accessible series of competitions for hang glider pilots in the UK. As well as being a bona-fide competition for the best of British to compete and score world ranking points, it is organised to be a great entry to competition flying for new pilots. Photo: Martin ColcoughIn brief Merthyr Common update. As part of a wider plan to reduce fly-tipping and manage the area, access to the Merthyr Common site is now restricted. The site can only be accessed through a locked barrier to the south. A restricted number of keys for the lock are being issued to members of the South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club. Visiting pilots are advised to contact the club or its members for further information: Paragliding Worlds rethink. Probably either agreed or rejected by the time you read this – following cancellation of the world paragliding championships in early March, a few days later an idea surfaced to run the 2021 championships in South America in November or December. A formal bid was received from Matias Fortini at Loma Bola, Argentina on March 26th; CIVL Bureau was expected to take a decision soon. [Late news: Loma Bola is on! – Oct 31-Nov 13 2021] Hang gliding out-and-return record confirmed. Owen Morse’s 357km out-and- return flight from Bartlett, California USA last June has been ratified as a world record by the FAI. Owen’s flight, on a Wills Wing T3, eclipses Thomas Weissenberger’s 353km record of 2013. He also secures the free out-and-return record at 339km, and of course both North American area records too. Icarus Cup to go ahead. The British Human Powered Flying Club will go ahead with this year’s annual Icarus Cup competition for HPAs. The event will run at either Sywell or Lasham from July 24th to August 1st. Marshalls are required to assist with the running of the event; contact Tony Prentice on 01474706405, email Skywings online. The online version of this issue of the magazine can be found username May_2021 and the case-sensitive password BKc85$t4. For the June issue enter the username Jun_2021 and the case- sensitive password 931?Caf$. 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. John Higham 1932 - 2021 Former La Mouette importer John Higham died on February 28th after a long illness, aged 79. In the late 1970s John, a natural pilot, began to push the boundaries of hang gliding during a time of rapid development in the sport. In 1980 La Mouette’s Atlas represented the zenith of ‘4th generation’ hang glider development. John joined forces with Graham Hobson to form Northern Glider Sales, selling more than a few of the exquisitely-built Atlas. However its prominence was brief, rapidly eclipsed by the UP Comet and its British clones. John was one of the early pilots to discover the effects of wave, almost unknown to the hang gliding world at the time, and by the early ‘80s he had became one of the country’s top XC pilots. He made pioneering flights from Snowdonia to Anglesey and from the Peak District to the east coast, also showing the Swiss how to do it by flying 50 miles along the Valais. In his youth John had been a regular participant on the Cresta Run at St. Moritz in Switzerland; in later years he had a flat at nearby Fiesch and made frequent flying trips to the area; a photo exists of him playing his accordion while flying tandem on a paraglider there. He gave up hang gliding some years ago but never lost his love for flying. John Higham was a huge personality who enjoyed being the centre of attention. A few years ago, after a tandem flight with Judy Leden, he was more than happy to entertain the Darley Moor airfield crowd with tales of hang gliding at Fiesch and tunes on the accordion. His ashes are to be scattered above Mam Tor later in the year. [JS]Next >