No. 353 SEPTEMBER 2018The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Allround TourerThe new XI – realise your StoryAs a light and compact Performance-Intermediate from 3.4 kg the XI satisfies the most diverse pilots’ needs; and does it in style. Whether near or far, difficult flying or exciting adventure. The new light high-end B goes with you for bivouac flying, Hike & XC-fly tours, traveling or discovering new routes in remote regions. What will be your XI story?More Stories in /advancedadventures#xiontour New product line unveiled Travelling to CappadociaVisiting a Wold Heritage Site by air Road Trip to MongoliaOn the road through Central Asia; and above itVolBiv with the windSetting off from the front door – only on foot and with gliderXC-Flying in the Indian HimalayasTriangle route on the track of the Dalai Lama CrossAlps ExpressFrom the South of Franceto Austria in three flying days 09:284 SEPTEMBER 2018 THE BHPA LTD 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park,Leicester LE19 1RJ. Tel: 0116 289 4316.Skywings magazine is published monthly by the British HangGliding and Paragliding Association Ltd to inform, educate andentertain those in the sports of Paragliding and Hang Gliding.The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily thoseof the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, theirCouncil, Officers or Editor. The Editor and publisher accept noresponsibility for any supposed defects in the goods, servicesand practices represented or advertised in this magazine. TheEditor reserves the right to edit contributions. ISSN 0951-5712SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DELIVERY ENQUIRIES Tel: 0116 289 4316, e-mail: Online: THE EDITOR Joe Schofield, 39 London Road, Harleston, NorfolkIP20 9BH. Tel: 01379 855021. E-mail: COVER PHOTO Airglow human-powered aircraft flying at Sywellin the Icarus Cup. Full story next month Photo: Reed YoungTHIS PAGE The start of the X-Pyr hike-and-fly event on the beachat Hondarribia, northern Spain Photo: Wesley MurchDESIGN & 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: 020 7193 9133 Email: SKYWINGS ONLINE Go theSeptember issue enter the username Sep_2018 and the case-sensitive password c1Pr#w6For the October issue enter the username Oct_2018 and the case-sensitive password C*UZyD#DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for theNovember 2018 issue must be submitted to the Skywings office byWednesday October 3rd. Letters for the October Airmail page shouldarrive no later than Monday September 17th. Advertisementbookings for the October edition of Skywings must arrive byMonday September 10th. Copy and classified bookings no later thanMonday September 17th.Contents regulars reviews features 6 SEPTEMBER 2018 attitudeThe CAA’s decision on the TAG/FarnboroughAirspace Change Proposal (ACP) waspublished on July 11th. In essenceTAG/Farnborough’s proposals have beenapproved and the Airport’s request for theintroduction of Class D airspace in itssurrounding area will be met.The CAA have said that, given theincrease in business aviation atFarnborough, there was a ‘material’ safetycase for introducing controlled airspacearound the airport to create a knowntraffic environment. The CAA make greatplay with ‘significant concessions to thegeneral aviation community’, and that‘suitably equipped’ GA aircraft will beallowed open access to segments of thenew airspace. They also say they ‘respectthe concerns of some sections of the GAcommunity who have opposed it’. This lastis manifestly untrue.In the view of the BGA, who led the GAAlliance’s examination and response toFarnborough’s proposals, the CAA decisionmarks a new low point in the CAA’sattempts to be a responsible guardian andregulator of UK airspace. In what is onlythe latest in a series of airspace decisionsthat test credulity and defy reason, thedecision has ‘all the hallmarks of beingwritten as an attempt to show thatprocess has been followed, but with littleif any concern for making the correct ormost appropriate decision.’The emphasis on process is notmatched by depth of analysis, logicalrigour or concern for the legitimate needsand safety of all airspace users. Thedecision redirects huge volumes of airspacefrom the safe enjoyment of a great manypilots to serve the self-interests of oneparty alone, based on a case that waspresented only on the need to avoid anydelays in inbound/outbound movements atFarnborough airfield. There was no safetyissue that needed to be addressed but,having arriving at its decision, the CAA nowruns the risk of creating a major one. The decision will give rise to the mostcomplex volume of new airspace, theoperation of which will critically dependon air traffic control and SecondarySurveillance Radar working perfectly –and at potentially greater capacity levelsthan almost anywhere else in the UK. Itwill create an even more significant chokepoint in an area that already has one ofthe highest concentrations of aviationtraffic in the country. The CAA has notrequired the sponsor to show that theserisks have been quantified and can bereliably mitigated, and has not carried outits own independent assessments. Thework done by the CAA in processing theTAG/Farnborough proposals is clearlydeeply flawed. There is absolutely no imperative forTAG/Farnborough to have this airspace.They have repeatedly stated that they canmanage a doubling of their movements(to 50,000 per year) without the need forcontrolled airspace. The CAA has proveditself incapable or unwilling to determinethe true need of an airspace changesponsor and, not for the first time, to takeany view other than that of a sponsor. The GA community recognises the needfor all parties to work on the appropriateevolution of UK airspace, and the systemsthat will enable safe operation andequitable access. However the inadequacyof CAA analysis and decision-making, andits disregard for carefully-made GA inputs,indicate a very worrying future airspacescenario for recreational flying.It is imperative that GA organisationswork together to do whatever it takes tochallenge and modify the CAA’s decision.The BGA and its GA partners – includingthe BHPA – and others to establish themost effective approach. It won’t be simpleor easy, but the cause is vital for the futureof GA in the UK.Airspace is a national asset; it shouldn’tbe allowed to fall into the hands of anycommercial organisation for their ownends and those of their clients. The new airspace is scheduled to becomeoperational in 2019. For more informationgo Farnborough airspace decision JOE SCHOFIELD, SKYWINGS EDITORcall: 01404 Turfhouse, Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA. Email: Search me, but you could have found me soaring thegolden Dorset coast recently, on a lovely secondhandRio 2 that I have on sale at the moment. Just look atthe views in this photo – not least those reflected in myCharly mirror visor! Looking for more airtime, a less successful day out sawme land my stock BGD Cure on the Beach, having takenoff just as the wind was dying. No problem! Let’s have aswim, sunbathe, picnic and sleep. These are days tocherish – I’m so lucky! This hidden gem is partof Devon’s JurassicCoast, so the carry backup is like walkingthrough a jungle,between cliffs and rockspires. There are caves,too. What a day out! Finding good beginner’sgliders isn’t easy, butthere is a steady streamof new and returningpilots, and it’s my job tohelp people get into this magical sport. The Rio 2 (topphoto) is actually like new, so pretty cheap at £2499,but this rare small Clubman 140 is almost as new, andonly £399! Two tasty Calypsos are due in soon, atsimilar Well, obviously, I also stock more advanced gliders. If youare very light I have a couple of these nice Aeros StealthKPL 12’s, as well as a fine selection of Litespeeds ofvarious ages and Paragliders too! Hiddengems like this mediumDHV 1 Firebird Z-One fora low airtime pilot on abudget. Only £399,because it has beenflown a lot, but I haveothers to suit mostpockets and grades ofpilot. I’m always wheelingand dealing, so moreused gliders arriveregularly. Try me!Vanishing! I try to hold astock of groundhandlingwings like this old NovaXyon, because you reallydon’t want to trash yourbest glider whenpractising, and winter iscoming. If I can find them,prices usually startaround £100, harnessesfrom £70.Never mind Wally, where’sJeremy? Soperman didn’tturn up for any of the BOSrounds this year, and at the moment nobody is quitesure where he is! He emailed to say he is heading forsomewhere off the beaten track (again?). If you see him(probably not wearing a wooly hat or stripey jumper) letme know!No secret that the latestversion of the Zoot Trolleyhas almost indestructiblewheels, and retails at£69.95. Vital if you are anold codger with a heavywing to move around.Microlight pilots lovethem, too.Talking of old codgers, isanyone seeking one ofthose Thommenaltimeters that was all therage 40 years ago? I knowwhere to find one that isas-new, the fully-jewelledmovement ensuring that itis both accurate andsensitive. Make me anoffer!Where’s Wally?I may not haveeverything you need, butI’ve got a lot!The Charly helmets range was created to suit all tastes and pockets.Full- and open-face, they all have the EN966 rating for airbornesports, but not all helmets offer the same level of protection. Everypilot makes a choice as to the sort of head protection they want, andit is a reasonable rule of thumb to say that you tend to get what youpay The Charly Ace has apolycarbonate shell and comes ina choice of four colours (GlossWhite, Matt Red, Matt Black andCarbon-look) and four sizes. Ikeep them all in stock. It weighsaround 560gm, and prices startat £84.The Charly Breeze has a swoopypolycarbonate shell, and comes infour sizes, as well as in twoadjustable sizes for commercialoperators – schools and tandem.Colours are Gloss White and MattBlack - with contrastingremovable ear covers to suitdifferent seasons. It weighsabout 480gm, and costs £87.All Charly helmets have fully linedinteriors, but the Breeze Tandemhas an adjustable internal harnessto fit a wider range of heads –ideal for tandem and schooloperations. Just two sizes, all inwhite. £87.The stylish Charly Loop costs£120, weighs around 505gm andcomes with a helmet bag. Thereare three sizes and six colours:Gloss White, Matt Blue, MattBlack, Matt Red, Matt Orange andNova Silver – see them all on my keep them all in stock, of course!The Ace, Breeze and Loop will allaccept the optional visor, availablein Grey, Yellow, Orange and Mirrorfinishes. Prices start at £28 pervisor, with the fixing screw setcosting another £6.The Charly Insider is probably thetop-selling free flight helmet of all time. The Kevlar-reinforcedfibreglass shell is fully-lined, and I stock eleven colours and six sizesfrom XS to XXL! Check them all out on the website: start at £158, and weigh only 660gm!The Charly NO Limits comes inopen-face or integral forms. Thepressure-formed aerodynamicKevlar-reinforced fibreglass shellsare renowned for their quietness,and come in four colours andfour sizes, starting at £225. Aclear visor comes as standard with optional tinted and mirror visorsavailable. The styling is aerodynamic without being so extreme as tocompromise practicality – it shouldn’t snag on your harness or lineswhen you try to turn your head!The Charly Microfibre Helmet bag offersprotection against damage when thehelmet is not in use. It comes Black/greyin one size and only costs £7.55.Charly HelmetsSOLE UK DISTRIBUTOR: Simon Murphy’s Flying Circus8 SEPTEMBER 2018 newsAcro JackHome-grown British star andBAPA team pilot Jack Pimblettrecently finished 11th againstthe world’s best acro pilots atItaly’s King of Brenta event atMolvino – Round 2 of the FAIAcro World Tour. This is a hugeachievement for Britishparagliding as we havetraditionally only competed onthe world stage in XC andaccuracy. Jack’s result is thefirst instance of a British pilotcompeting in an FAI acro comp.At Molvino France’s Théo deBlic impressed the judges themost, beating Chile’s VictorCarrera and fellow FrenchmanFrançois Ragolski.At 19 Jack is the UK’s foremostacro pilot. He began to fly withhis father at the age of 3, flewsolo at 15, and in the last 30months has made progress thatwould have taken most pilotsfive years. His achievementsresult from a near-obsessivepassion for flying, and trainingat every opportunity.The Acro World Tour consists of three qualifying events and a finalat the end of August. This last is part of the Sonchaux Acroshowwith around 25,000 spectators expected. The points earned by thetop 30 finishers in each qualifier (with one possible discard) select16 pilots to go forward to the AWT Final. Individual rounds areVertigo Voss (Norway, June 24th - 27th), the King of Brenta (July 17th- 22nd) and Acromax (Udine, Italy, August 9th - 15th). The final is atVilleneuve (Switzerland, August 24th - 26th).Within days of the publication of the CAA’s decision on theTAG/Farnborough Airspace Change Proposal in July (see page 4of this issue), the 170-strong All-Party Parliamentary Group(APPG) on General Aviation announced that it intends toinvestigate the way the CAA processes airspace changeproposals.The Group will invite stakeholders to submit evidence and holdhearings in the House. Their report is expected to coverwhat the overarching policy objective should be forlower airspace, whether there is sufficientparliamentary and ministerial oversight ofproposed and enacted airspace changes, whatmeasures are needed to monitor and withdrawunderutilised areas of controlled airspace, andwhether airspace change sponsors shouldmake financial contributions in return fortaking away airspace from other users.Commenting on theFarnborough decision, APPGChair Grant Shapps MPsaid, ‘Airspace belongs toeveryone. We entirely acceptthat there will be cases forimplementing ControlledAirspace, but are concerned thecurrent procedure circumventsparliamentary and ministerialoversight both in terms of policy direction and decision-making.The Farnborough decision impacts on a large number of otheraviators … should the Sponsor be required to compensate otherair users like the gliding community, who will now requireTransponders to transit Class E airspace, for example.’The controversial Farnborough decision raises another issue: wheredoes the power to make such decisions reside? Currently the CAAwrites its own rules using Civil Aviation Publications and thenjudges the outcome of any applications. Although the CAA recentlyupdated its process for deciding on airspace changes it has seen noparliamentary or ministerial oversight. Neither the actual airspacedecision or the rules being applied have gone through anydemocratic filter. Lord Kirkhope, Parliamentary Chair of the APPG’sAirspace Working Group, commented: ‘The APPGregards this airspace change as a test case. Currentlythe CAA and Airspace Change Sponsors(usually airports) make changes undera set of rules devised by the CAA withlittle Ministerial guidance.Parliamentarians are alreadyexercised about the apparentinability of the CAA to amend orwithdraw controlled airspaceonce it has been allocated.’On the same issue, the BGA’sPete Stratton, Chair of theAPPG’s Airspace Working Group,commented: Until the UK getsstrategic with lower airspace [it] will continue to be in the hands ofself-serving airports and their shareholders, resulting in thechaotic mess we have now … The current system stinks.’APPG to investigate CAA airspace change processemail call (spain) 0034 651736718 or (UK) 0208 144 2087Nepal & Colombia 2018Book two weeks with our team of experts in Nepal orColombia next winter. Early bird offer £50 off!Guided XC HolidaysOver 14 years experience. Southern Spains most popularthermal and XC winter destination.CP Plus HolidaysGeared ultimately for the new and rusty pilots out there.SIV & PilotageFly Spain believe your paragliding skills shouldn’t stop at CP level.Next >