No. 397 MAY 2022 The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association2 SKYWINGS MAY 2022 The prerequisites to become a BHPA dual pilot are laid out in the Technical Manual; there’s also good deal of useful advice in the Dual Flying fact sheet at Comments such as, ‘I have thought about dual flying but I’m not sure if it is for me,’ are often heard. In this article I’ll offer some thoughts on what you should be aware of when considering this step. The first question is, why do it at all? There is no doubt that it is great fun, and dual flying enables us to share our unique experience of being airborne with people who otherwise would probably never have the chance to fly. This may be because they are young, or are less able, or don’t have the time or money, or the strong inclination to learn to fly that you had. For instructors dual flying is a valuable and powerful teaching tool, and of course a potential source of great wealth.* One note of caution. Your partner, children, parents and friends may all say they would love to have a go. But once you have paid out for all the kit and announce that their chance has come, you may find that the take-up is not as enthusiastic as you expected. Further, many passengers are, inexplicably, quite happy with just one flight. It is not uncommon for dual pilots to struggle to maintain the necessary currency to retain their licences. A little honest self-evaluation is also worthwhile. A dual paraglider is a powerful thing requiring exemplary ground-handling skills. You need to be fluent in all types of launch, including no-wind, the offset ‘cobra’ technique, and reverse launching with an uneven riser set – whilst attached to someone who may not move the same way or at the same time as you. Dual pilots also need to be familiar with the use of some additional kit: steerable wheeled undercarriages in hang gliding, different spreader-bar systems and, often, Quick-Out connectors in paragliding. In most clubs only two or three pilots may have the skills to consistently cope with all the demands that dual flying can require. There are many capable XC pilots and instructors whose skill levels do not reach the standard required in this area. The key is to spend many hours practicing, ideally with a dual wing, which requires considerable commitment and is not always easy to arrange. Because of this, the majority of dual candidates undertake a professional training course with a suitably qualified Senior Air Experience Instructor. It isn’t just about the physical skill set – a dual pilot also has to inspire confidence and possess good social and communication skills. You need be able to accurately assess everything, from the weather or the best launch point for a dual wing, to your passenger’s state of mind. The exam includes a written paper and an interview to test your depth of knowledge and how you would cope with various scenarios. In dual hang gliding there are two of you squashed into a control frame. Control and performance are noticeably compromised; you are also travelling a good deal faster than other soaring craft. When flying on a ridge with others, or with a limited landing field, this can be challenging. Landing on your feet is so easy to get wrong that normal practice is to land a dual hang glider on wheels. A dual pilot needs to be able to fly competently and still retain spare capacity to consider their passenger. Often a tight approach or other challenge causes the usually chatty pilot to go quiet as they focus. This is classic sign that they are operating at close to 100% and can be disconcerting to the passenger. The pilot needs to be constantly aware of their passenger’s state of mind and be managing the flight accordingly. It is all about the experience of the passenger. If they are stressed or frightened the flight is a failure. This is why all manoeuvres should be communicated: ‘We are going to turn left now, so look over your left shoulder. OK, it’s clear, we can lean and turn,’ etc. All dual landings should include a long straight final approach for the same reason. A low turn or slope landing might be fine for a solo pilot but will be disconcerting to most passengers. The other significant issue is responsibility and liability. As the pilot in command you are responsible for your passenger’s safety as well as your own. Our sport is undeniably dangerous, and as dual pilot you are exposing your passenger to significant risk. If there was an accident there is little doubt that you would be liable. Even if your passenger does something unexpected, like sitting down during a launch, dropping something, or fiddling with a harness buckle; it means that you have either not briefed them properly or you have not assessed their state of mind very well. Some pilots have said that liability does not really concern them as they only intend to take family or friends. Experience has shown that family and friends are just as likely to pursue a claim against you if, for example, they are injured and cannot work. Whether or not a passenger pays you for a flight does not affect your duty of care or your potential liability. All this sounds rather negative, but of course there are many positives to dual flying. It can be hugely rewarding, and having someone to chat to as you fly is great fun. It is a very useful method of teaching, allowing the passenger (or student) a chance to take the controls and experience flying with plenty of time whilst well away from the ground. In towing or mountain environments it is particularly useful and promotes fast, safe, and effective learning. Dual also allows people with disabilities to experience our sport: with suitable equipment and assistance almost anyone can be flown – the BHPA Flyability programme can offer further advice on this. If you are thinking of charging for flights, the BHPA system caters for this though the Air Experience Instructor licence. An AEI may offer air experience trial lessons; however as the flight is now a lesson the passenger becomes a student and must therefore be a BHPA member (often a day member). Crucially, the instructor must be operating as part of a BHPA registered school. If you have a friend or partner who is genuinely keen on sharing the air with you, dual flying adds a whole new dimension to the sport. When I was regularly flying dual I found that flying by myself, especially on simple ridge-soaring days, seemed rather boring by comparison. I hope this brief article helps clarify that becoming a dual pilot is a challenging and significant process. It demands a good deal of thought before you rush out and buy some dual kit. * NB: The words ‘potential’ and ‘great’ are subject to a broad range of interpretation. attitude Dual flying IAN CURRER, BHPA SENIOR TECHNICAL OFFICER Over the last few years quite a few pilots have taken their BHPA dual exam. Many do this so they can share the air with their family and friends; others seek the licence to operate as BHPA Air Experience Instructors, offer trial lessons and perhaps earn some money from flying. Photo: Katy Cole Photo: Ian Currer4 SKYWINGS MAY 2022 regulars reviews features 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. E-mail: COVER PHOTO: Professional kite surfer Thèo de Ramecourt proves he’s no slouch on a paraglider either, flying Skywalk’s Arak Air on the South African coast. Photo: Miriam Joanna THIS PAGE: Yeray Gonzales flying the Gin Camino at Bellagua, in the Spainish Pyrenees. Photo: Jérôme Maupoint 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 All issues of Skywings magazine are now freely available at DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for the July issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Friday June 3rd. Letters for the June Airmail pages should arrive no later than Monday May 16th. Advertisement bookings for the June edition must arrive by Wednesday May 11th. Copy and classified bookings no later than Wednesday May 18th.MAY 2022 SKYWINGS 56 SKYWINGS MAY 2022 news Aeros difficulties While parts of their country are being pounded into rubble there has been no production at the Aeros plant in Kyiv, seriously affecting UK importers and microlight manufacturers including Flylight. The incredibly popular Peabee sub-70 trike uses an Aeros wing, as do Flylight’s other variations on the minimalist theme. At the other end of the spectrum the new 500kg, 100hp DeltaJet 500 StingRay, now assembled by Flylight, also uses an Aeros wing. We learn from Flylight that the Aeros employees are safe and the Kyiv factory is more or less intact. However the staff are unable to receive any money or salaries due to the war. A few workers have been able to assemble a small number of wings but materials have begun to run out. Supplies, and deliveries out, need to resume before Aeros can get back to any semblance of normal life. The team have promised that all existing orders will be completed, either in Kyiv or at a possible temporary manufacturing base near Aeros’s European distribution centre in Germany. The company has played a significant role in the advancement of hang gliding and microlighting; they are determined to carry on. An appeal has been set up to help the Aeros workers using a gmail account to receive PayPal donations. Ben Ashman at Flylight asks us all in the flying community to make a donation, no matter how small, to help. If you can, please donate* by PayPal LATE NEWS. On April 4th Ben received word from Aeros that the previous few nights in Kyiv had been quiet. Several employees had returned to the factory to load an export shipment that had been overdue for a month. On reaching Aeros’s German hub the truck was to pick up delayed supplies and return to Kyiv with a view to restarting production at a modest rate until all staff are able to return, a further demonstration of the courageous resolve of the Ukrainian people. The Aeros staff nevertheless remain in a very precarious position and are reliant on outside support such as the appeal above and other charitable aid. We hope that peaceful times will return to the whole of the region soon. Flylight will keep us informed of developments. [*If you need proof that this is a genuine appeal, don't hesitate to or message Aeros Nano or Aeros Pilot Community on Facebook.] Bulldog Paramotor Club members learn Vittorazi tech skills In March Lincolnshire’s Bulldog Paramotor Club received expert training on Vittorazi engines from Skybound Aviation’s Clive Bunce. ‘This was an extraordinary contribution from Clive to help build our knowledge,’ said CFI Mike Chilvers. ‘He took an entire engine to bits, and no questions were off limits. Club members were so enthused that the session went on all day.’ Club member Howard Bradley reported, ‘I confessed to knowing nothing about my Vittorazi engine at the start. I now feel so much better equipped to take care of my kit. First class!’ A further event is planned for June 18th and 19th. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Mike at For Bulldog Paramotor Club info go to Aviation is at 2.5 liners explained The eighth episode of Nova’s Insights series is an online lecture by Nova R&D head Philipp Medicus: ‘2.5 liners and new ways in paraglider design’. Aired (in English) on March 28th, the talk explained the differences between conventional paragliders and hybrid ‘2.5-liners’. With reference to the Mentor 7 Light, Philipp explored the characteristics, advantages and disadvantages of the 2.5-liner concept and discusses how it feels to fly one. Nova stress that their Insights series is about sharing knowledge and enthusiasm no matter what brand you fly. All episodes – some in English, some in German – are at 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 £85. Charly Helmets A new laptop can mean only one thing, wherever you are, or we are in the world we can stay connected for enquiries and orders. Whilst our lives, businesses change and face new challenges, we are always adapting and growing. This has only been possible due to our fantastic customer base and the friendly no- stress attitude Simon has always had. Long may it continue... :) Yes, we have the new Charly UNILOCK Karabiners right here in stock, together with the full range of spares to keep them right on top for go and stop. We still have a limited range of harnesses that are for sale, please contact us for more info! Paragliders too, we have a few left in stock, new and used I'm sure they'd make a great toy for someone! Accessories The new Charly QR tandem karabiners are here! Paralocks are strong and light, and cost just £75 each. I also have a small stock of Quick-outs at £60 each Charly Pinlock alloy Karabiners: Weighs 80gm, certified to 25 Kn. £27.50 each. The Charly Snaplock Titanal Karabiner, weighs 75gm and certified to 30Kn. £23 each. Simon Murphy’s Flying Circus tel 01404 891685 07873176517 Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA New laptop, same attitude! The Charly Vitesse is just arriving in five colours and a multitude of sizes. Weighing only 380 grams, it is a sure-fire winner. Visors are optional. Prices start at £138. 15% off! 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 £165, and weight is only 660gm! This month only 15% off the whole Insider range! Any colour, any size please contact us directly quoting SKYMAG The stylish Charly Loop costs £125, 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 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 £230. A clear visor comes as standard with optional Tinted visors available. We also stock radios with accessories Fresh stock arrived for 2022! Our British Made and British built Zoot Bar Mitts have won a few friends around the world, being ideal for stowing inside your hang glider, and also for keeping your hands warm when nearing cloudbase. Doctors just can’t believe the facts... 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! New and used varios, lets keep an eye on that height! Zoot Pip-pins, three lengths from £10.75, and Zoot Caps at £2.75.8 SKYWINGS MAY 2022 news Airplay for sale Over the last four years Airplay Aircraft has become a leading supplier in the booming ‘sub-70’ nanolight flexwing market. However their 2020 move from Sutton Meadows to the Isle of Skye made it difficult to promote their range to UK fliers and the business is now for sale. If you are looking for a career change, Airplay comprises the UK and US dealership for the Eurofly range of aircraft including the Snake nanolight, Minifox fixed wing and Viper/Twinfox two-seat aircraft, plus the UK dealership for Grif Italia nanolight wings and the Strike nanolight, and the Minifox fixed-wing microlight. The sale would include several demo aircraft and all spares stocks, including for the out-of-production Cisco engine range. The company currently has has over 2300 e- mail subscribers and several thousand Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram/ YouTube followers. Boss Dave Broom says, ‘Our priority is to see the business in safe hands. Any new sales and ongoing support for existing customers will continue until the business sale is complete.’ Contact him on 07773 253454 or Airspace modernisation response In early April the BHPA submitted its response to the CAA’s Draft Airspace Modernisation Strategy 2022-2040 (see March Skywings). The BHPA document outlined the volume and geographical spread of UK free flight activity, while stressing that collisions between hang gliders or paragliders and other types are unknown. Our response also enumerated – not for the first time – the reasons that Electronic Conspicuity (EC), as construed by the CAA, would not work for us: no suitable ADS-B device; sporadic low-level reception; EC in its current form offers little or no benefit to the majority of free fliers; and broadcasts from gaggles of free fliers are likely to cause signal saturation and be filtered out, increasing the risk of a mid-air collision. However the Association supports voluntary EC equipage and the important principle of interoperability between platforms. Its response noted the take-up among free fliers of the DfT/CAA EC rebate scheme (over 10% of members), and that most devices so purchased were FLARM-enabled. Legislation to mandate EC is likely to drive some free fliers to fly ‘rogue’. The BHPA response requested the evaluation of FLARM as a formal EC option to enable free fliers to access Transponder Mandatory Zones. Regarding the AMS consultation’s suggestion that ‘Electronic Obstruction Beacons’ could be located at busy free flying sites, the BHPA noted that such devices had not been tested in situ and their effectiveness was unknown. It was also stressed that a reliance on EC by heavier aircraft could lead, counter- productively, to more ‘head-in-cockpit’ flying. The BHPA’s response has also been forwarded to the Airspace 4 All Trust who have compiled a broader collective response to the AMS on behalf of GA organisations. XC-buddy update With spring flying now well under way, keen cross-country fliers are reminded to check out Jeremy Soper’s brilliant tracklog- analysis web app. XC-buddy crunches .igc tracklog files to create numerical and graphical flight reports on glide and climb performance. Data collated over multiple flights allow glide polars and speed-to-fly curves to emerge from the averages, a great tool for comparing different gliders quantitatively. Multiple same-day files can be used to compare competition tactics, and series of flights over time can detect gains due to improved technique (and glider performance deterioration too). It works for hang gliders and paragliders and sailplanes; full details were in Pi in the sky, November. Many more glider polars have since been added, including 14 hang glider and 11 paraglider models, compiled from thousands of tracklogs. Check it out at the hyphen! Sunsoar back in action After almost two years of enforced inactivity due to the pandemic, Sunsoar Paragliding are back with a refreshed menu of trips abroad for qualified pilots, to some new and exciting locations. In the capable hands of Pete Gallagher, the team of friendly and experienced guides and instructors will be organising trips to France, Greece, Italy, Slovenia and Turkey this year. The season has already kicked off with a successful trip to Morocco. If you would like to join in the fun, check out Fly & Share 2022 Last year’s Fly & Share event at Greifenburg, Austria was a washout. Bad weather across Europe not only stymied the physical event but prevented participants from flying XC to raise money elsewhere. Nevertheless over 11,000 euros was donated to KarmaFlights in Nepal. This year’s event, run in conjuction with the Cloudbase Foundation, will be bigger, better and more flexibly organised. Fly & Share is an XC camp for everyone to learn and improve XC performance, and to raise money for Nepal. The physical event will take place from July 7th-10th, supported by former German Champion Ferdi Vogel and others. Parallel online Fly & Share events can be held wherever you fly. Pilots are invited to collect sponsorship and donate to KarmaFlights for every kilometre flown (or hiked) on the event date. The pilot raising most money online will be able to receive an hour’s mentoring from a top pilot. One UK expert will be two times XC League champion and Dragon H&F winner Hugh Miller. Nepal’s 2015 earthquake killed nearly 9,000 people and injured thousands more. Local pilots stepped in to help, using their retrieve vehicles to deliver aid to remote communities, while thousands of others helped fund their efforts. Karma Flights came together to provide a safe home and educational support for a group of Nepali children. Activities have since expanded to include large-scale disaster relief, school, library and computer-lab construction, hydro, solar and road infrastructure support and more. There’s more info at at In brief Brazil takes all at Pan-American. Brazilian pilots took the top three places in a closely-fought FAI Pan-American Paragliding Championship at Governador Valadares in early April. Six consecutive tasks averaging 81km saw Rafael Saladini take the win from compatriots Rafael Barros and Alexandre Germani, just 38 points covering all three. Top woman was the USA’s Galen Kirkpatrick, runner-up to Meryl Delferriere at the Baixo Guandu PWC. Brazil’s Marcella Uchoa was second and Violeta Jimenez (US) third. Brazil also took the nations win; US (2) and Argentina (3). At 95 and 101km, tasks 4 and 5 were the longest, in good conditions but requiring skilful navigation of blue thermal zones. The final 79km task was very fast, some pilots seeing 60km/h on final glide. Saladini played a strategic game to hold his lead, while Galen was able to dislodge front-runner Marcella Uchoa. Rafael Saladini and the top three women flew Ozone’s omnipresent Enzo 3, but both Rafael Barros and Alexandre Germani were aboard Niviuk’s X One, as were another seven of the top 30 pilots. The only other non-Enzo wings in the top 30 were three Boomerang 12s and two Flow Spectra 2s. Hang gliding fatality. On March 17th BHPA hang glider pilot Kevin Turner, 62, died following a towing incident at Mendlesham airfield, home of the Suffolk club of which he was a member. A BHPA formal investigation will examine the circumstances of the accident; a report will appear in due course. We offer our sympathies to Kevin’s family and friends. Paragliding fatality. On April 18th longtime BHPA member Philip Wood, 65, crashed while paragliding at Parlick; he died in hospital on Thursday 21st. A BHPA formal investigation will examine the circumstances and report in due course. We offer our sympathies to Philip’s family and friends. BGD – even more colour! BGD have gone full psychedelic for the new season, relaunching the EN Magic with a full-colour undersurface. The change has been led by input from instructors, dealers and pilots, the idea being to make individual wings clearly identifiable from below and help instructors identify their students at a glance. Details Volt 4 errors. April’s report on Air Design’s Volt two-liner contained errors regarding all-up weights. Of the five sizes, covering 60-115kg, only the 23m S model (80-92kg, weighing 3.87kg with Aramid risers) is so far certificated; other sizes will follow shortly. Apologies for the confusion. The Volt is available from all UK AD dealers; for details go EC Rebate scheme extended. We learned on April 5th that the CAA Rebate scheme for EC devices has been further extended to March 31st 2023. Search ‘CAA electronic conspicuity rebate’ to find the relevant CAA page outlining the application procedure. BHPA 500 Club WIN CASH PRIZES AND HELP THE ASSOCIATION! March winners Neal Lewis £131.60 Ray Caspall £65.80 Adam Dullage £32.90 John Taylor £19.74 Andrew Stirzaker £16.45 Derek N Frith £16.45 Andrew Burton £13.16 David Joseph Price £13.16 John Ling £9.87 Paul Treadwell £9.87 BHPA £329.00 If by the time you read this you have not received your cheque, please contact me on 07802 525099. Marc AsquithNext >