< PreviousBe kind to your emergency parachute SEASONAL ADVICE FROM BHPA REPACKER GUY RICHARDSON Most of the reserves that come to us as repackers have something we can improve on. Virtually all of the BHPA-licensed EPS (Emergency Parachute Systems) packers will take a look at your complete system, offer free advice and help you rectify any problems identified. That five-minute initial check can mean the difference between it working or not. Make sure your system is installed by one of these lovely people. To find a BHPA licensed packer in your area go to Most reserves these days specify repacking ‘at least every six months’ and checking by a qualified repacker once a year. It’s a common misunderstanding the repack interval is once a year! There are many reasons for this; we’ll cover that another time. Most reserves should last ten years if properly cared for … check your manual. The first thing you need to repack your parachute is a big, clean, dry, well lit area. You should be familiar with how to reinstall it in your harness. Repacking, and familiarity with your emergency system, isn’t just good practice. When you need it, you’ll be thankful. Here follows a simple guide to what you’ll need and what to do. Tools. Count them in as you use them and out as you finish with them Rubber bands. Check your manual to find the correct size String. For installing your reserve and lacing of the packing loops Weights. Clean! Nothing special, even full baked-bean cans will do. 1: Check the harness Examine straps, buckles, fabric, stitching, seat plate and bridle attachment points. Check for manufacturer’s safety/recall notices. Take the time to read over the repacking and installation instructions. 2: Check the deployment from your harness You don’t need a zipline. Stand in your harness (or make a hang point in the garage/chandelier). You’ll need a large, clear and clean area to do this: village hall, sports hall, etc. Look for the handle. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to extract. Pull the handle, extract the container in one horizontal movement and throw into clear air … letting go of the handle! In the air it’s good practice, in clear stable air, to touch your handle to build muscle memory of its location. The reserve will probably then fall out of the inner container. If it doesn’t, check the mouth lock. This is normally elasticated and should release under the weight of the reserve just by lifting it off the floor by the bridle. If it doesn’t, ‘Who ya gonna call?’ Yup, a BHPA EPS packer. 3: Check the bridle connection! Maillons are the repacker’s bane. They’re often overtightened (should be finger tight and plus 1/8th of a turn tighter with a spanner). Any tighter may strip its threads! The maillon should normally be covered with a neoprene sleeve, and the bridles at each end secured with nitrile rings (costing about £1). Electrical tape is sticky, picks up grit and is to be avoided. The maillon should be the correct shape to ensure the bridles at each end aren’t a sloppy fit. Depending on the harness and reserve combination these can be different. Refer to your manual, and if in doubt give a repacker a ring. Softlinks are sometimes used; manufacturers have some very good videos on how to attach them. The maillon should be the correct load rating and thickness. Correctly manufactured ones are stamped with the tested load. We sometimes come across ones people have bought from Screwfix! BHPA guidance on the correct size is available in the Technical Manual online. 4: The parachute This should be the correct size for your all-up weight, and fitted with the correct deployment bag. Some harnesses have their own built-in deployment bag. Here the experience of a repacker really comes in handy. Inspect the deployment bag for stitching, sharp edges, etc. Anything that looks wrong probably is… Inspect your canopy stitching, panels, bridle and lines. Give it a good airing by hanging it up for at least 24 hours. Sweat, moisture, sun, wet grass and fuel all encourage panels to stick together. Now it’s time to fold the parachute. This is where the clean, dry, well-lit area with plenty of room really matters. Most reserves fold easily if you follow the instructions. If in doubt, stick it in a bin bag and send it to your local repacker. Most will turn it around quickly for you. 10 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2025 safety matters BHPA club parachute repack sessions January 18 Dales Ilkley January 25 North Wales Chester January 25 Derbyshire Bakewell February 9 Thames Valley (BFR) Aldershot March 9 Pennine Chipping Please book all repack places in advance; some clubs may require money up front or a deposit. BHPA Club Coaching courses January 18-19 Cumbria James Jackson To ensure this happens when you need it to, look after your parachuteNow remove all your tools. Spanners or packing string left in will ruin an already bad day. When your parachute is back in its deployment bag, do a test! A second deployment will further familiarise yourself with it, and you’ll be happier with your packing. Test the mouth lock: it should almost fall out! 5: Installation Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. We see a lot of reserves installed upside down. Take your time and do a final deployment test. Again it should come out easily. If not, investigate! By following these simple steps, if you do see your reserve open in anger you’ll praise your local BHPA repacker! Best of all, get along to your club’s repack day where expert advice will be on hand. Finally, remember: there’s no shame in throwing your reserve. ‘If in doubt, chuck it out!’ And, ‘You’re never too low to throw!’ And if you’re interested in becoming a repacker, register with the BHPA for the next course. Appropriate ratings It has recently come to light that a small number of BHPA members are inadvertently flying in a discipline or environment for which they do not hold the appropriate rating, despite being experienced in that environment or discipline. When a member conducts an activity for which they do not have the appropriate rating or licence, they are not covered by BHPA insurance (BHPA Rule 9: Members must restrict their activities to those that they are qualified to undertake). An issue arose last summer in respect of a pilot who, for many years, had been regularly flying on his club’s hills. BHPA officers discovered that he only held a Club Pilot rating in the Tow environment – on paper he was not qualified to fly from hills. Every year this pilot had received a renewal notice showing him as a CP(Tow). Every year the BHPA Office had sent him a membership card showing CP(Tow). Every year the club had gone through the membership checking process and been advised that this pilot only held a CP(Tow). No one noticed that the pilot was flying from hills without a Hill qualification. All flying members should check their membership card to ensure that the Association’s database reflects the qualification that they believe they hold. In this way they can ensure that their insurance is valid. Club officials should be aware that inappropriately-rated pilots flying their sites, despite being BHPA members, pose a serious financial risk to the club and its members due to their lack of insurance. If a club’s annual BHPA membership check reveals any such lapses the club should take immediate action. It should be relatively easy for such pilots to obtain the ratings they need to comply with BHPA rules. In the first instance they should contact a member of the Technical Team, who may advise a check flight supervised by a Club Coach, or a day or two at a local school. When discrepancies have come to light in the past the pilots concerned have been happy to follow such a course. The tow rated pilot’s former CFI was able to show that he had completed a conversion course, but the paperwork had never been sent in. Issuing the Hill qualification was then merely a formality. Calling BHPA insurance into action is traumatic enough; don’t add to the stress by finding that you are not insured because of a paperwork error. JANUARY 2025 SKYWINGS 11 0114 3920032 Hope Cottage, 7 Sherwood Rise, Nuncargate, Nottinghamshire, NG17 9AF Have you made the most of the summer? We specialise in training post CP qualifications, tandem flights, tandem training and refresher training • BHPA registered development school Time to service your equipment and repack your reserve We are the one stop shop for equipment servicing and sales: • reserves repacked • harnesses inspected and repaired • come visit our physical shop and have a brew with Ginge for impartial advice y Always check the mouth lock – it should release easily Photo: Gin12 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2025 safety matters The DHV have issued a Safety Notice from Finsterwalder, manufacturers of the Paralock 3, after several cases of unintentional opening in flight and a fatal accident. The failure reports may be due to incorrect operation. However to rule out a malfunction, all users must carry out a function check before the next flight. This consists of releasing the swivel lever at a deflection of about 45 degrees. It should then lock automatically. Correct locking must then be checked by applying counter-pressure. This check must be carried out regularly. If the function check is negative the Paralock must be returned to the manufacturer. The safety instructions issued with the Paralock 3 must be observed. In particular, the secure engagement of the swivel lever must be checked immediately before each launch by pushing against the release button. In addition, the Paralock 3 may only be flown with the additional blocking mechanism activated. This applies to tandem and solo use. The pilot must not unblock the carabiner during flight except after an emergency parachute deployment. DHV Safety Notice: Finsterwalder Paralock 3 locking carabiner Woody Valley TENAX hang gliding harnesses. A safety advisory was issued in September 2024 regarding a possible issue with the inside trim system fitted to the Tenax 3 and 4. Woody Valley have since confirmed that the same system is used in the original Tenax and the Tenax 2 harnesses; pilots using these models should check that the bolts and grub screws are properly secured before flying. The user manual notes that all harnesses should be inspected periodically. [See November Skywings and AGM 2025 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1RJ Saturday March 1st, 11am Attend via GoTo Meeting link; it is hoped that those receiving awards will attend in person. • Election of Officers to BHPA Executive Committee • Resolutions • Officers’ reports to AGM • Presentation of BHPA Awards • Members’ discussion forum THE AGM WILL BE LIVE STREAMED FOR ALL TO PARTICIPATE – SEE THE BHPA WEBSITE OR THE BHPA FACEBOOK PAGE FOR DETAILS 28.09.2024. CP rated pilot aged 69 Experience: 270 hours (5) Site & conditions: Mendlesham, 0-5km/h Glider: Wills Wing Sport 3 Incident: When the pilot lifted the glider in preparation for a tow launch the control frame came apart. Upon inspection, the pilot noted that the basetube and its end bracket were not correctly fastened together and the Wheel Retro Kit was incorrectly installed. Injury: None 03.10.2024. CP rated pilot aged 85 Experience: 1000 hours (20) Site & conditions: Hownam Law, 20-25km/h, light turbulence Glider: Ozone Delta 2 Incident: The pilot elected to top land in gusty conditions. The wind was reported to be perpendicular to the hill. The pilot was dragged on touchdown and sustained injury. Injury: Minor: head 10.10.2024. P rated pilot aged 56 Experience: 172 hours (65) Site & conditions: Ingleborough, 10-15km/h, not turbulent Glider: Skywalk Chili 5 Incident: The pilot experienced a large asymmetric collapse whilst scratching close to the hill. They impacted on rocks, sustaining injury. Injury: Serious 17.10.2024. P rated pilot aged 57 Experience: 450 hours (40) Site & conditions: Oludeniz, Turkey, 0-5km/h, not turbulent Glider: Skywalk Chilli 5 Incident: An in-flight video shows the pilot’s emergency parachute handle had become detached from its normal mounting position on their Supair Delight 4 harness during an SIV manoeuvre. The pilot stated they had checked the retaining pins were properly engaged as part of their pre-flight check. Upon landing touchdown, the emergency parachute fell out of the harness’s parachute container. Injury: None 17.10.2024. P rated pilot aged 73 Experience: 168 hours (19) Site & conditions: The Terrace (Chale, IoW), 25-30km/h, very strong turbulence, leeside Glider: Advance Iota 2 Incident: The pilot was attempting to fly back to the take-off area and flew into rotor. Whilst attempting to fly out of the rotor area, they induced a stall near to the ground and landed heavily. Injury: Serious: lumbar spine 18.10.2024. CP rated pilot aged 64 Experience: 243 hours (57) Site & conditions: Poniente North, Algodonales, Spain, 10-15km/h, moderate turbulence Glider: Skywalk Chili 5 Incident: When the paraglider entered a spin the pilot applied control inputs to regain normal flight. The wing began to spiral dive. The pilot was not able to effect a recovery or deploy their emergency parachute before impact. Injury: Serious: feet, legs 19.10.2024. P rated pilot, age not recorded Site & conditions: Rybury, 30-35km/h, light turbulence Glider: U-Turn Blackout Incident: The pilot, seen to initiate an acro manoeuvre at ridge height, was unable to recover to normal flight before impacting the hillside. Injury: Minor 24.10.2024. P rated pilot aged 51 Experience: 800 hours (45) Site & conditions: Bir Billing, India, thermic Glider: Ozone Rush 6 Incident: The pilot was attempting to top land in thermic conditions, and inadvertently ended up behind the front lip of the ridge in rotor. Following an asymmetric collapse on approach to land the pilot struck the ground hard. Injury: Serious: thoracic spine 14.11.2024. AP rated pilot aged 67 Site & conditions: Bo Peep, 10-15km/h, moderate turbulence Glider: Advance Sigma 10 Incident: The pilot experienced an asymmetric collapse in turbulent air during a ridge soaring flight. They were unable to deploy their emergency parachute in time and impacted the ground, sustaining injury. Injury: Serious BHPA Accident and Incident digest The following is an edited digest of Incident Reports submitted to the FSC between October 1st and November 15th 2024. ’Experience: 20 hours (5)’ indicates 20 hours total airtime and 5 hours within the previous six months. The complete database of reports can be found 14 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2025 hang points The pandemic put a damper on that idea, and it was autumn 2021 before I had my first proper flights on my local hill in Orkney, supervised by Donnie and Irene. Some more flying in Andalucia in November, and winter practice, encouraged me to go to the Great British Aerotow Revival in 2022 as an observer, and maybe get a UK tow rating. No good flying was had (by me at least) but meeting the gurus, and learning a lot from banter and chat, made up for that. Early in 2023 I attended BOS Dales and BOS Wales, optimistically dreaming of a first cross-country flight. I did get airborne at Semerwater in the Dales and had a longer flight at Dodd Fell in bumpy conditions. Being at the BOS encouraged me to commit to going to the British Championships at Àger in the hot summer of 2023. I had some excellent flights with Donnie in the week before the competition, but then weather stopped play again. But this time, instead of 12 degrees and Welsh mist, it was 41 degrees and a Spanish cauldron. The mountain closed for a week and lots of good flying time was lost. Another wet winter and inconsistent summer followed, but flying in Lanzarote and then at Wallaby relaunched my lapsed tow interest. In May I managed to get a tow rating signed off at Cambridge Aerotow Club in time for GBAR 3. Experience gained here included managing a tight schedule, being ready to launch, instruments ready and checks done. This event helped me a lot, and despite not activating any tasks two safe land-outs boosted my confidence, especially on my new Moyes Gecko 155. The faster glider was very addictive, and I loved that I could at last punch into headwinds and reach more distant fields. Next was ScotBOS in June. On home turf, and now with a lot more flights under my belt, surely I could get a cross-country? Unfortunately, despite three good launches and three good landings, I still didn’t get a proper cross-country. The only consolation was seeing some legends in the bottom fields with me. Even these magicians can’t always whip up a thermal on demand! So, onwards and upwards. I finished 2024 at Laragne, making, at last, many proper cross-country flights in the British Championships, and in the days before and after. I also took part in my first scoring competition, in Sports class. On the first task I could so easily have been up for a top three finish – but for a couple hundred feet on final glide. I now have a ‘one that got away’ story to match the legends! Nevertheless I was 6th overall and 4th Brit in the Sports class. In the days after the comp I had three long flights up of to nearly three hours, beating my previous duration and altitude records. For the first time really felt like a cross-country hang glider pilot! Things I have learnt include perseverance, belief in my aim even when it seems impossible, and how much an old guy can learn from even older guys and girls. Those who have got me here are virtually a who’s who of British hang gliding. I can’t list you all, but especially thank you to Donnie and Irene, Tim Swait, Mark Bosher and everyone at Cambridge Aerotow Club. And everyone who helped with equipment, tech and advice, stories and banter. Bring on 2025! Comps Panel meeting The Hang Gliding Competitions Panel held its annual planning meeting in early November. The agenda was full, from arranging the 2025 competition calendar around the constraints imposed by two World Championships, to selecting the UK teams for those competitions. As always, the discussions were complex and closely argued, with many factors to be considered. We are fortunate in the UK to have some of the very best pilots in the world, hence our team Silver in the 2023 Worlds. The fact that we are all friends can make the selection process very difficult. We wish the teams the best of luck in the coming season. 2025 Worlds team. The 2025 Hang Gliding World Championships will be held at Àger, Spain, from July 13th-26th. The UK plans to send two full teams, six pilots in Class 1 and four in Class 5. The pilots, under Team Manager Garry Hume, will be: Class 1: Darren Brown, Grant Crossingham, Dave Matthews, Steve Penfold, Gordon Rigg, Jeremy Soper. Reserve: Malcolm Brown. Thick mist and thin flying TORQUIL CLYDE, BEST NEWCOMER IN THE 2024 BRITISH OPEN SERIES, DESCRIBES HIS JOURNEY TO COMPETITION FLYING. I qualified at Wallaby Ranch, Florida, in March 2020, right at the start of the pandemic. Three days later I met Donnie and Irene Carson, having phoned Irene to enquire about the Highland Club. Later the same day I found myself eating curry with Donnie, Irene and Bob Dunthorn, and being sucked into the hang gliding world that I knew so little about. Already Irene was suggesting I come to the British Open Series (BOS), to see it all happen and learn from the gurus. Flashback to ScotBOS in June 2024 Torquil Clyde on home turf at Wideford Hill, Orkney Photo: Gordon Rigg Photo: Torquil Cly deJANUARY 2025 SKYWINGS 15 FAIRHAVEN ELECTRONICS LTD MICRO ALTI 2 Now available with bluetooth! The Micro Alti 2 is our latest wristwatch- size multifunction vario-altimeter which now includes Bluetooth-5 to connect to paragliding apps! It provides ultimate vario sensitivity with a loud audio tone system, QNE and QNH references, G-meter, weather trend, humidity, vario averager, weak lift thermal finder, FM radio, time clock and timers, and gives up to 70 hours of battery life! The Micro Alti 2 also has USB-C and headphone sockets and is supplied with wrist strap and riser mounting clips. Bluetooth Micro Alti 2 £139 (no Bluetooth £119) for more info and FAIRHAVEN 01332 670707 Class 5: Nigel Bray, Mike Armstrong, Tim King and Stewart Reid. Reserve: Neil Atkinson. Sports Class Worlds at Laveno. It has also been decided to support a team at the Sports Class World Championships at Laveno, Italy (June 1st-14th). Comps Panel will be inviting pilots to submit applications as soon as the local rules, with team sizes and qualification requirements, are finalised, In other business, Dave Barber takes over as Secretary, Steve Penfold remains Treasurer, and Neil Atkinson is our new Chair. All Panel members are volunteers, who spend a significant amount of time organising activities for the hang gliding community. Their only reward is the satisfaction of a job well done, and the gratitude of those who benefit from their work. XC development weekend Following a very positive response, Comps Panel’s proposed XC Development Weekend will be held at Airways Airsports, Darley Moor on February 22nd and 23rd. The two-day programme will include presentations and workshops from some of the country’s leading pilots, plus refreshments and buffet lunches. Attending the event will cost £50; payment details and deadlines are included in the Booking Form. Places are limited and filling up quickly. Go to: BOS 2024 series results The British Open Series in 2024 was badly affected by the weather, with one round washed out completely. The overall series results are as follows: Class 1 Class 5 Club Class 1 Gordon Rigg Nick Collins Andy Woods 2 Darren Brown Mike Armstrong Scott McMeekin 3 Steve Blackler Stewart Reid Torquil Clyde Best Kingposted Glider in Class 1: Tim Swait Best Newcomer: Torquil Clyde Congratulations to all the winners, runners-up and also-rans in the series. See you all next year! Oliver Moffatt is new Hang Points co-ordinator BOS and British Championships pilot Olly Moffatt, who has only recently stepped down as Chair of Comps Panel, has agreed to become the focal point for co-ordinating Skywings’ hang gliding comps pages. Oliver has been flying since the 1980s but took time out of the sport, to return to the fold with renewed enthusiasm in 2014. Olly has already floated some good ideas to take Hang Points forward, and I look forward to a constructive and supportive relationship. There doesn’t seem to be any likelhood of these pages losing their current calibre in the near future. Welcome aboard Olly, and thanks again to outgoing co-ordinator Christo Tracey for his more than six years on the team. [JS]. New Hang Points co-ordinator Olly Moffatt New Comps Panel chair Neil Atkinson Photo: Ben Philpot t Photo: Kathleen Rigg16 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2025 comp lines You’re up at 5:20am, likely earlier, since the bloody cockerel has been at it since 4. Dress, and drop your wing downstairs ready to go. Breakfast and get some water for the day. October near the equator is hot, and if you find yourself walking you will get through a single water bladder easily. Take two. Load into the pickup where your driver will take you to the airstrip. What was I doing here? Good question. I was at Assu with fellow Dales pilots Richard Meek and Chris Fountain, Kirsty Cameron from Thames Valley, former Dales flyer Phil Cunningham, and Richard Butterworth from the Pennine club, together with Dan, Lil and Magnus from Scandinavia and local drivers Jair, Ricardo and Italo. All of us were hoping for big distances, personal bests and more. At the airstrip, bag your spot on the tarpaulin among the 20 other pilots, and then under a tent for a bit of shade. Prep for the day’s flying as you normally would, then discuss a goal with your fellow pilots – 300km or more to the west. Far enough away that the sun sets noticeably later. It’s 7am now and you have a gamble to make. Are you good enough at staying up that you can launch amongst the early folks for a longer day flying, risking a sink- out, or do you wait in the queue to launch after 7:30? The queue is where you see everyone’s technique in high wind put to the test. You know you have the same thing coming yourself. You launch from a tarp on the airstrip threshold. It’s not big so you don’t have too much luxury in messing up and relaunching. There’s unforgiving gravel and thorny bushes to the sides. There are plenty of helpers keeping your wing down during the stronger gusts as they come through. It’s nothing to fear most of the time. Wing successfully above, Roland the reassuring launch marshal is shouting ‘Away!’ to the driver in Portuguese. If you aren’t quite awake now you soon will be! The driver speeds off down the runway but you just go forward and up at a light jog. He’s paying out line with a low-tension pull to reduce the danger of lockout. Once enough line is out it gets serious, and you might see 5-up on the vario. You look down as the car shrinks below and starts to crawl along the second half of the runway. If it’s windy up high it’s kiting you up and can only edge forward without putting too much tension on the line. Eventually the truck U-turns 800m below you and the beeping eases slightly. Release the cable from your bridle … and you’re on your own. This is a wonderful contrast. You’ve gone from three minutes of terror with the wing straining against every bit of lift on the way up, to calming down so you can be sensitive to every scrap of lift. Your best strategy is to be very Zen so that you settle into survival mode. It’s five hours before midday, and thermals are still fickle and bubble-like this early. Base is about 1000m and you hang onto it like glue as you drift back over the power station. Yes, there’s a power station with multiple high-tension lines on pylons, hectares of solar panels, a substation, etc, 5km over the back. Mince over that like there’s no tomorrow – it focuses the mind. A few So, you want to fly 300km? PETE LOGAN SAYS YOU’VE ONLY GOT TWO OPTIONS If you hope one day to fly 300km on a paraglider there are really only two options. Fly for 30 or so years, plan a lot, get out on most windy days that look flyable, to remote hillsides a long way from home, and just maybe you’ll become one of the very few to have flown 300km in the UK. Or go to somewhere like Assu in Brazil in October and become a tiny speck riding on the trade winds that set up there at this time of year. Oh, and learn how to tow launch. If you went for the second option, here’s how it works … The never-ending Sertão Extensive solar farm, sub-station and attendant high-tension lines, just over the back of the launch strip Climbing in company with Chris Fountain All photos: P ete LoganJANUARY 2025 SKYWINGS 17 more km after that and there’s respite; the rise up to the Sertao plateaux is only 50m or so but enough for the air to reliably kick off and you’ll be back to base every time. Now you’re 20km in and committed. The Mossoro road disappears off to the north and a dry, brushy terrain stretches for dozens of km ahead. It consists of ten foot high brush punctuated by the odd orange dirt track, small oilfield or tiny settlement with a few surrounding dusty fields. In the first 100km survival is still foremost in your mind. It’s too far away to get a retrieve and tow again, but too early in the day to be sinking out, kicking yourself that you’ve not made the best of it. And there’s the anxiety – you’ve come to the other side of the planet for a few chances to fly a PB. At any moment sink could combine to put you down. You might not find the next thermal. Will the wind mean that you’re going backwards into thorns and trees which will shred your wing? If you do fly into the afternoon, what about dealing with the stress of a 6m/s climb from some desperate low save, because that’s the only way you’re going to join back up with your gaggle? Can you even last the ten hours in the air? I’m over-egging it. If you do sink out it’s mostly not too bad. There might be a friendly farmer to give you a ride to the nearest settlement on a moped or donkey cart. Once there the locals will likely be offering you sweet coffee and the chance to tickle the tummy of an armadillo. If you’re lucky you might even disrupt the morning’s school for an entire village. That wind will push you along most days. You should see 100km in the first three hours, but that doesn’t mean you can hang about. To get 300km or more means averaging 30 to 40km/h until the sun is starting to set. It does help when you see 75km/h on glide with a bit of bar. Late morning should be your first big change in landscape as the plateau suddenly drops and the do-Norte valley comes into view. It’s 20km wide and full of towns, plantations and lakes. Very much civilisation again. The sun is high and you can be dealing with some rough air around here, and the drop in terrain can mean scrabbling around for a low save. Or you might connect with a booming set of thermals off the last of the plateaux as the hot air is forced to rise … and find yourself in a kilometre-wide 4-up that threatens to put you in the white room. It’s the Land ‘o Lakes for the next 50km. Mixed rolling hills and damned lakes of all sizes. You might get low here but shouldn’t go down. There’s always some friendly Urubu (vultures) to find the cores. I wouldn’t trust them on a glide though. Below 1000m they should be around somewhere, so keep your eyes peeled. You might be lucky enough for one of them to join you if you’re going their way. They’ll ride in front of your pod and surf the leading edge. Occasionally they’ll join you in a climb – that’s when you know you’re getting good, when you’ve stolen a march on the vultures. The mixed terrain is coming now that we’re past lunchtime. First it’s the long line of low hills called the Serrote Pedra Branca. They’re just a few hundred metres high but are enough to provide ample trigger points. By now base has risen to 2500m and you’ll be cold up there if you haven’t worn a couple of thin-sleeved tops. Winter running gloves will be fine for your hands. It’s time to be powering ahead with long glides, only stopping for climbs that are 2-up or more. You’ll definitely see the larger peaks of the Serrote Branco Park next at 900m height. You’ll be at 200+ km by this point and the big prize of any flight out there is in view. Quixada and the surrounding inselbergs (isolated peaks) begin to dot the landscape like the approach to Mordor in the Lord of the Rings. You need to tackle uplands now and this could be a problem. If it’s late afternoon you could be losing lift and not able to commit to going low over peaks in high wind with few tracks. Ideally you have the opposite problem, big, gentle afternoon thermals which lift you up to sucky clouds that you’ll need to skirt around. Whichever way it works out, you’re knocking on the door of 300km at this point. Eke your flight out as much as possible in the late afternoon. You’re gliding into the setting sun and it’s going to be on your exposed forehead for a while. Keep it protected or you’ll be living with a horizontal tan line across your forehead for days. In the plains after the highlands you’ve bagged your goal. Well done! It might even be difficult to get down in places since there are large areas of restitution-like lift in the afternoon. You will need to get down though. Sunset is a bit after 5pm and it starts to get dark very quickly in civil twilight. Come down near a village or road and there are always power lines that need spotting and rechecking. Don’t discount that lines can be strung across the centre line of a football field, not just the sides. Pack up quickly to avoid the dark or bring a head torch. Send a pin via InReach to tell the chase drivers you’ve landed. They’ll have been tracking you all the way and shouldn’t be too long getting to you. If all works out, you’ll be picked up with some other stray fliers within an hour or two, and then it’s a seven or so hour drive back. Be sure to buy your driver some food at a churrascaria (meat-on-a-stick self-service restaurant) on the way back. Share the driving, have a podcast/album or three ready to go. At times you’ll need the Zen patience you showed early in the flight in navigating almost invisible speed bumps and epic numbers of potholes on the way back. Like I said, that’s how it works. Repeat the next day if you’re up to that kind of punishment. Kirsty Cameron bagged the British women’s distance record several times while we were there, and Richard Meek went on to fly 480km+. Big thanks from all of us to fixer and organiser Owen Thompson bringing it all together and being such a good host. British Club Challenge 2024 The Advance British Club Challenge (BCC) completed five rewarding rounds during 2024, although the total number didn’t increase beyond our interim report in October Skywings. With all results now validated by the XC League, the SE Wales club, led by the unflappable Dennis Trussler, are BCC Champions for a second successive year, sitting atop the league table of 22 scoring teams from 19 clubs. Runners-up, with their first BCC podium finish, were the Devon & Somerset Condors. A great result for Viv Fouracre and team, since their numbers have been reduced by the North and South Devon clubs both joining the BCC. In third place once again were the Sky Surfing Club. This was a much better year than 2023 for Pilot Development (PD) awards, with double last year’s tally. Sixteen of the 52 were First Ever XC awards, always a joy to see. Impressively, over a fifth of the PD awards were bagged by the Wessex Club, earning them the Best Development Club trophy. The Talybont round on Sunday July 28th saw eight 100km+ flights, including the year’s Furthest Flight award. This went to 18 SKYWINGS JANUARY 2025 comp lines Flooded shrimp fields in the do Norte valley Landing out, Pete Logan meets the Lucas family Pete’s best shot: 349km. Note 8h:28 in the air, and 8250ft+ max altitude!North Devon’s James Lloyd for an inspirational 148.4km flight ending near Denbigh, not far from the Welsh coastline! Finally, special mention must go to Long Mynd Soaring Club’s comps committee, led by James Allcock and Dave McLeod, who hosted two of this year’s rounds with contagious energy and enthusiasm. They are deserving winners of a Spirit of the BCC Award. The SE Wales club are no doubt similarly delighted as they won both the Long Mynd rounds, having failed to come out on top in either of their home rounds! This year’s prizes, thanks to our ever-generous sponsors Advance, will be awarded at the first big BCC gathering in 2025. Already our energies are concentrated on preparations for next season. We will continue to focus on aiding keen CPs to complete their Pilot Rating upgrades through BCC rounds, allowing them to continue to fly XC after a second season in the XC League. In addition we will look to adopt better tracking for all pilots through adoption of Pure Track, already showing its worth in all aspects of our sport. Most importantly, we look forward to welcoming you all to participate in the BHPA’s entry-level, club-empowered, pilot-development-focused competition that truly has something for everyone. BCC stats for 2024 show 330 pilots taking part: 107 Club Pilots, 211 with a Pilot rating and 12 Advanced Pilots. In a total of 174 flights BCC pilots covered a total of 5,062km. The types of glider flown were: EN A EN B EN C EN C 2-line EN D EN D 2-line 21 212 63 29 3 2 Report by BCC Co-ordinator Matt Tandy PWC India at Bir After seven tasks, two of which were can- celled in the air, US pilot Austin Cox won the Indian leg of the PWC Asian Tour at Bir in early November. Conditions varied between strong lift/high cloudbase and hazy skies or low cloud cover. Austin ran away with the first two tasks, yet scores at the top were relatively close. By the penultimate day he had secured the win yet still pushed hard to take the final task. About 40% of the 65 pilots were from Europe, Australia/NZ and the Americas, but Indian and Asian pilots were heavily in the mix and well represented on the leaderboard. Top female was Poland’s Joanna Kocot. Austin had also won the Pre- PWC here in 2023. The Bir event appears to be the only competition in the PWC’s ‘Asian Tour’; all eyes are now on the Superfinal at Roldanillo, Colombia in early February. 1 Austin Cox USA Ozone Enzo 3 3,742 2 Ranjeet Singh India Ozone Enzo 3 3,557 3 Dominik Kapica Poland Ozone Zeno 2 3,552 4 Bence Halasz Hungary Ozone Enzo 3 3,539 17 Joanna Kocot Poland Ozone Zeno 2 3,194 New Comps Panel chair Fresh from his 486km distance in Brazil in October, at the November Comps Panel meeting Vice-Chair Richard Meek agreed to take over as Chair. Richard has been flying for over 30 years, topped the XC Leagues in 2023 and 2024, hasn’t been outside the top ten pilots since 2019 and currently leads the UK XContest table. Charles Norwood, himself no stranger to big distances – or to Brazil – steps down after four years at the helm. Every British competition pilot is in his debt for his quiet and competent management of a very wide-ranging brief. Charles will continue as Vice Chair, with responsibility for media and sponsorship. Other Panel posts are Brett Janaway (CIVL rep/Secretary), Carl Foster (Treasurer), and Steve Senior and Andy Macdonald (Operations). Gareth Aston and Matt Tandy look after the BPC and BCC and John Stevenson the XC League. Hike & Fly is covered by Alistair Andrews, BHPA sponsorship by Andy Shaw, BPRA by Malin Lobb, and Safety and Skywings by Phil Clark. The Team Manager role is currently vacant. For all British Comps updates see Longest flight apologies December Skywings listed 2024’s longest XC League flight as Ludek Munzar’s 257.3km open distance, flown from Milk Hill on the longest day on June 21st. Marek Mogielnicki points out that, elsewhere in the same issue, we credit him with the Worcester Beacon site record at 260km. Marek is indeed correct; his July 26th flight is recorded on XContest at 266.19km, comfortably ahead of Ludek’s 258.83km. In fact Marek overflew his declared goal at 219km on that flight. Respect! Apologies to all concerned, including Marek’s XC Junkies club. 2024’s longest XC League flight: Marek Mogielnicki, 266.19km! The big day at Talybont on July 28th ... ... and below, XCRT screenshot showing all the action Photo: Mat t TandyNext >