< Previous10 SKYWINGS NOV 2018newsAs always at the Coupe Icare, there areannouncements of new products and newmanufacturers. Flow Paragliders are anAustralian manufacturer founded five yearsago, appearing at St Hilaire for the firsttime. They now have a near-complete rangewith an EN C glider expected next year. Alsoseen for the first time was DaVinci glidersfrom South Korea. They cooperated withFlow on EN B and D designs but thendiverged. Ozone’s Mike Cavanagh revisitedthe hike-and-fly concept with an XXLite2/ F-light harness/ B-light bag package weighingjust 1.5kg. Their Mantra 7 will be a classicthree-liner to sit between the Delta 3 andthe Zeno. Gin announced the Bonanza 2;Phi had the new Maestro prototype;Advance showed the Lightness 3; andNaviter’s Hyper is now 100% ready software-wise and lies between the Oudie 4 Basicand the full version of the same. Mike Campbell-Jones at Reflex Wingsoutlined new ways of making wings. Heintends to turn manufacturing upside-down, printing the graphic design on plaincloth with marks for cutting and qualitycontrol, cutting the cloth in-house andsending all the parts to a subcontractor asa kit. By reducing the number of machiningoperations he hopes to cut manufacturingtime from 40 person-hours to 17.Unfavourable winds forced the fancy-dresscompetition into the Sunday. The big filmprize winner was Nicolas Alliot’s Blutch by,a documentary about flying from amongthe Himalaya. There’s a preview at:With over 100,000 attendants the CoupeIcare is the world’s biggest free-flying event.All indications are that it will get bigger infuture, given its current diversification andthe level of interest from spheres outsidefree flying.Indonesia appealThe 28th September earthquake andtsunami that devastated Palu in Indonesiahad dropped from the headlines before itbecame clear that seven paraglider pilotshad been killed there in a hotel collapse.32 pilots were staying in Palu for theNomoni XC Competition, intended tocelebrate the opening of a new launch inan area where paragliding has beenstrongly supported by the local authorities.Most of the pilots, of whom 20 werestaying at the eight-story Roa Roa hotelwhich was completely destroyed, werefrom Indonesia, as were all of those killed,except for former South Korean team pilotLee Dongjin, a DaVinci Gliders pilot. Morethan 2,000 people died as a result of theearthquake and subsequent tsunami; tensof thousands remain homeless andthousands are still missing. On October 11th the Cloudbase Foundationlaunched an appeal, led by Brett Janaway,to raise $60,000 for the families of theseven pilots. Ozone were very quick torespond by immediately donating $15,000.At the time of writing over 140 donationshave been made to take the fund at least athird of the way to its target. Funds raisedwill go directly to the families of thedeceased pilots to help them through thedifficult months ahead, and to assistinjured and otherwise affected pilots intheir recovery. A minimum of $7500 fromthe fund will be reserved to help the widerlocal community.The Cloudbase Foundation assists freefliers to engage with their local communityand accomplish altruistic goals thoughone-off events and longer term missions.By means of projects and grants, pilotsintegrate into communities in which theyfly to develop strong relationships andstay connected to local needs. Pilots andsupporters donate resources, time andtalent to impact the communities in whichthey fly. There's more information, anddetails of how to support the EarthquakeSupport Fund, atNova pilot awardsAt its annual team pilots meeting inOctober Nova crowned Swiss pilot ToniBrügger and Austrians Hans Tockner andTomy Hofbauer as their Pilots of the Year(again!). French star Maxime Boudot andAustria’s Christoph Feichtl were this year’sNewcomers of the Year. Maxime, 32, is anendurance athlete on bikes, cross-countryskiing and hike-and-fly paragliding, aboarda Mentor 5. Christoph, 28, completed two200km flights on a Sector in only hissecond XC season. Nova has been runningthese awards – for flying excellence andcommitment and enthusiasm – since since2006; each winner receives a personalisedtankard and a 400-euro voucher towardstheir next glider.New importer for Sol Earlier this year Guy Richardson,trading as Ginger Nomad Ltd, took over theUK importership of Sol gliders, harnesses,clothing and accessories. Their shop, northof Nottingham near Junction 28 of the M1,holds stock of most Sol spares, harnessesand reserves and offers demo facilities forharnesses and gliders (visitors byappointment). Sol, a Brazilian company,have recently bought out several newwings including the CCC-level TR27 and thelightweight LTF/EN B Cyclus; their mostpopular wings are the low-B Atmus andhigh-B Sycross. Guy Richardson is atHope Cottage, 7 Sherwood Rise, Nuncargate,Notts NG17 9AF, tel: 07966 229963, e-mail: website:Photo: Steve UzochukwuPaul ScorerIt is with great regret that we report thedeath on August 24th, following an illness,of sailplane pilot and RASP-UK innovatorPaul Scorer. At the turn of the century,when most XC pilots were still using MetOffice synoptics to predict good soaringconditions, word began to circulate ofsome very clever programming beingapplied to US National Weather Servicedata. Originally pioneered by ‘Dr. Jack’Glendening, a US atmospheric scientistand glider pilot, the Regional AtmosphericSoaring Prediction soon becameestablished in this country, hosted byLeeds Metropolitan University where PaulScorer had been a lecturer since 1975. Overthe years RASP-UK became moresophisticated, more wide-ranging andmore user-friendly, while pilots becamebetter able to decode its meanings. Amember of York Gliding Club, Paul hadflown sailplanes regularly since 1989. Heretired in 2011 and continued to fly, and torefine RASP-UK, until earlier this year.RASP continues to be a powerful asset toany and every UK XC hound; those whoare now familiar with once-strange termslike blipmap and convective layer, andcan use the information gained to planflights that would have been unthinkableonly a few years ago, have Paul Scorer tothank for their achievements. He was wellaware that free fliers had become a bigpart of the RASP-UK audience and wasgood friends with a number of BHPArecord-breakers.The Northern Challenge Trophy (NCT), which closed onSeptember 30th, was a season-long set of predefined tasksinvolving the six northern clubs, covering an area between theM62 and Hadrian’s Wall. It was designed to allow maximumflexibility and convenience in terms of accommodating thevariable British weather, pilot availability and skills development.By setting up and flying the tasks, pilots had the opportunity tobring an increased focus to their flying and gain valuablepractice in instrument and navigation skills, whilst pushingthemselves and site boundaries. The NCT format was a fresh concept. 2018 was regarded as atrial year to gauge interest, sort any software glitches and try outtasking ideas whilst keeping it as user-friendly as possible.Linking up with Chris Foster (xcmap designer) made things fareasier than I’d envisaged, and the hosting of the NCT took shapebetween us. When the series opened on March 1st pilots wereable, with a few clicks, to view a mapped-out task, downloadcomplete tasks into a variety of instruments/apps and, havingattempted a task, upload their flight into the league. As theseason progressed extra features were added to provide guidanceon scoring, task design and latest flights. Other features are inthe pipeline for 2019. In addition to the Main series there was a shorter Hike ‘n’ Fly setbased on the main Dales and Lakes summits. Being mountainareas with a keen lightweight Hike ‘n’ Fly following it was worthyof inclusion. The two leagues sit alongside each other ascomplementary yet separate disciplines. With the 2018 NCT league now closed, it’s useful to reflect onhow things went. In total 34 pilots entered the league with over100 flights uploaded – the actual number slightly greater as onlythe best result is shown, and some pilots used the tasks as partof their personal development but didn’t submit flights. At theother end of the spectrum there was keen competition to buildpoints and for a few it became their primary focus for 2018 –knocking off tasks in the fastest possible time. Super keen wasGeoff Crossley, eager to get his best eight scoring flights past the5000-point mark, but just falling short. Narrowly behind him,John Westall grabbed opportunities to snap at his heels butstruggled to get within overhauling distance. Further down thefield came the ‘just for a bit of fun’ pilots who popped in for theoccasional task. Despite generating the most interest during last winter’sintroductory sessions, the Hike ‘n’ Fly proved less popular –especially the Lakes Three Summits. It takes a fit and motivatedpilot to take on such a gruelling undertaking but there alwaysseems to be someone up for it – maybe next year. The DalesThree Peaks, being smaller, was more popular. I managed asuccessful attempt along with three others last July and I canhonestly say I enjoyed it more than many XC flights.We have plans to extend the NCT in 2019 in a number of ways.The tasks will be refreshed with new sites and possibly madeslightly longer, with a move to odd tasks being along flight-to-goallines (currently all are site-based). A possible extension from 12 to14 main tasks with a third Hike ‘n’ Fly added. Currently limited tojust the Northern clubs, it will become open to all BHPA memberswith pilots able to nominate their club. Chris is also keen toextend the concept beyond our own region; any club or areawishing to set up their own league should contact him via xcmap.Although the NCT is little known outside our area, theoverwhelming feedback has been very positive. It has struck achord with pilots, regardless of their level or experience. Ianticipate 2019 being bigger and better, and would urge otherclubs to consider offering something similar to their membersbecause – put simply, it works. The final results for 2018 can be found at:Ed Cleasby and Chris FosterKamshet, India PostCP 19th January -2nd February 2019This course is for qualifiedCP pilots + 10 hours. Basedin the hills of western India,off the tourist track, this tripwill be filled with exoticsecnes, spicy food,sunshine and amazingmemories.Morocco EP, CP &post CP 2nd – 16thMarch 2019 Struggling to finish your CPor are you alreadyqualified? Come and join usin sunny Morocco wherewe’ve been teaching for thelast 10 years.Olu-Deniz, TurkeyMay 4th – 11th 2019This destination is one ofthe most picturesequeplaces you will ever fly.6000ft top to bottoms,landing on the beach.tel: 07779 790 637 or 01974 241574or visit MID WALES PG CENTRECOURSES 2018-19Northern ChallengeTrophy reviewNOV 2018 SKYWINGS 1112 SKYWINGS NOV 2018safety mattersWith the current surge in take-up of SIVand Pilotage courses, pilots might beforgiven for feeling overconfident abouttheir glider recovery skills. Straight after anSIV course a pilot is no doubt fairly hot onextricating him or herself from unusualattitudes and/or a snarled-up wing. Howeversuch currency in SIV can soon evaporate. Ifyou have bags of altitude and you cancorrectly identify what has happened toyour wing and what you need to do torectify it, by all means exercise your SIVskills to bring your wing safely undercontrol. If you don’t have altitude … throwyour emergency parachute!During a recovery from a large collapse aparaglider can lose a considerable amountof height very quickly, particularly if initialrecovery attempts lead to further instability.If your height above ground is less than isnecessary for a full recovery - or if yourattempts to recover are unsuccessful, thefirst action taken must be to deploy youremergency parachute. There have been anumber of reported accidents in which aparaglider has collapsed at low level andwhere the pilot may well have had enoughheight to use their parachute, but eitherchose not to, or was unable to, deploy. Theimpacts have led to the pilots sustainingserious and sometimes fatal injuries.Pilots should fly with a suitably sizedemergency parachute system and shouldpractice deploying it in a safe environmentsuch as a club repacking session. Pilots, SIVtrained or not, should become familiar withthe actions to be taken following a collapse,and should be aware how much height maybe lost in recovery. A mishandled recoverywill only increase the height loss.Whenever there is insufficient height torecover from a major or mishandledcollapse – or if you are in any doubt as tohow much height will be lost – be acutelyaware that the only course of action to takein the event of a collapse is to throw youremergency parachute. issued some time ago and available on theBHPA website, address this issue. PDS updateThis month there are new FoundationLayer skill pages in Decision Making andPsychology, Equipment Understanding, SiteConditions and Meteorology and GliderControl skills modules. There’s also moregood stuff in the XC Flying module atDevelopment Layer.As you’ve heard before, the PDS has thescope to include an unlimited number ofpages, and so far we haven’t even comeclose to identifying all the topics related toall the various branches of our sport. Sothe drive to encourage pilots who knowstuff to add their experience andknowledge to the PDS goes on.One recent innovation, which initiallyseems very successful, is the concept ofsomeone in each club taking the role ofPDS Coordinator. Within each club therewill no doubt be, for example, the pilot whois really good at ground handling; someonewho knows all the latest info oninstruments; the experienced hang gliderpilots; the pilots who fly speed wings etc.All it takes is for the PDS Coordinator tohave a word with the right pilot aboutwriting a Skill page or two and the blanksin PDS content will fill in quickly.They may also want to do a demo of thePDS at a club night to show members whatit can do. There is plenty of scope withinthe PDS to include club-specific pages, egto post updates on new information onsites or local meteorology.Perhaps it’s worth some discussion roundyour club about what the PilotDevelopment Structure can do for you.As always, just email formore information.The use of emergency parachutesBHPA club parachute repacking sessions January 26 Skysurfers Hamble, Hants January 27 Big Fat Repack Reading, Berks February 9 Dales Menston, Leeds Flyeo Paragliding is based in the heart of one of the paragliding mecca’s of the world - Annecy,France. Established 12 years ago we have become one of the world leaders in Pilotage/SIV courses.We are now a BHPA school and will be putting on a range of new courses in English, to help youreach your full potential and fly more XC than ever before.Whatever your level we’vea course suitable for you• SIV & Pilotage: the World’s No. 1 international SIV and pilotageexperts. Our courses run in Spring and Autumn in Annecy, France.• Cross Country Courses: we have a number of beginnerand expert XC courses throughout the year, some lead by British teammember and SIV instructor Malin Lobb.• Post CP Development: we think we have created the mostcomprehensive post CP course on the planet with advanced groundhandling and pre-pilotage we can solve the most common beginnermistakes, and excel your flying career!• Dune Du Pyla - 7/14th July: advanced ground handlingand wagga course & BHPA tandem course. Learn with wagga championand acro pilot Jim Nougarolles.• EP & CP Courses: learn to fly in two weeks! Annecy has over3OO flyable days a year!!• Record Breaking XC Camp in Australia: in January2O19 we will be heading to Australia in search of personal bests andworld record attempts. If the high wind launches of brazil don’t lookappealing, then join us in Oz to chase hundreds of kilometres.• Single Skin Hike and Fly: if you love the mountainsand want to learn new skills on ultralight equipment with plenty ofadventure mixed in then this course is for you - with Fabien Blanco.Our new booking calendar is nowavailable online at flyeo.com Book earlyto avoid disappointment! For 2019 there will be more XC courses.Want to increase your XC distance, orhave a guide to explore the area ?Contact us for more details14 SKYWINGS NOV 2018dead centre ANDREW WEBSTER After the previous two Grand Prix legs it was looking like a two-horse race for the individual title between Bruno Lautard (39points) and Thierry Vasseur (38 points), but Simon Sykes (35points) and John Lawrence (30 points) were waiting in the wings ifthere were any major slip-ups by the top two.On Saturday the winds proved to be too strong for towingparagliders but the squares completed two rounds. Numerous re-flights were awarded for over-the-limit winds and there was amidday stand-down as conditions got too strong. Less wind onSunday allowed the paragliders to start the competition andenabled three rounds to be completed by all competitors. 14-year-old Sathan Mahinda scored a DC in the first round to takeany early lead, followed by Bruno Lautard and Simon Sykes whoboth scored 1cm. Jamie Robe and John Lawrence both scored 5cmto become joint second placed Brits.In the second round Simon Sykes scored a DC to share the leadwith Sathan, who scored 1cm. A further 1cm score from Bruno puthim in third place, and Jamie Robe (8cm) and John Lawrence(9cm) were second and third placed Brits respectively. Hugerespect went to 78-year-old Dutchman Huub Coumans who scoredthe only other DC in the second round.Bruno Lautard’s DC in the third and final round proved to beenough to give him the win, as Sathan scored 8cm and Simonscored 14cm. Romain Lecamus scored 4cm to join Sathan in secondplace on a total score of 9cm, requiring a fly-off. Sathan flew withgreat skill for his age to score a perfect DC that gave him secondplace as Romain scored 8cm. Simon’s 14cm dropped him down to5th but was still good enough to win the Best Paraglider Pilottrophy for the third consecutive year.It proved to be a tough time for the Brits as most accumulated amaximum score over the three rounds when falling short of thetarget in the gusty winds. Both Jamie Robe and John Lawrencesuccumbed to the wind in the final round, giving up their topthree Brit status.Big thanks go to the Dutch team, headed by Ed Hilleveld, fororganising another great competition and Saturday eveningBarbecue and band.1 Bruno Lautard France Parafoil 252 0.02m2 Sathan Mahinda France Parafoil 252 0.09m3 Romain Lecamus France Parafoil 252 0.09m4 Thierry Vasseur France Parafoil 252 0.12m5 Simon Sykes Jnr GB UP Ascent 3 0.15m6 Andrew Webster GB Eiff Classic 238 0.23m =9 Katie Sykes GB UP Ascent 3 2.58m=9 Jamie Robe GB Parafoil 252 2.58m11 John Lawrence GB Eiff Classic 238 2.59m12 Don Bodill GB U turn Evolution 2.65m13 Gary Ounsworth GB Eiff Classic 304 2.74m17 Charlie Grantham GB UP Ascent 4 2.78m18 Martin Robe GB Eiff Classic 304 5.08m23 Liz Lawrence GB Sportlite 255 5.20m1 GIPS A France B Lautard, Thierry Vasseur, A Caralho 1.35m2 GIPS B France R Lecamus, S Mahinda, L Jaguelin 2.92m3 Scout Rebels GB J Lawrence, S Sykes, K Sykes 5.32m4 Must get beer GB G Ounsworth, A Webster, S Prooien 8.74m5 Sky Rebels Netherlands H Coumans, P Hendriks, J Reijden 11.09m6 BAA GB C Grantham, J Robe, M Robe 12.86mDutch Grand PrixTen Brits made the crossing to the Numansdorp tow field near Rotterdam for the final leg of the European GrandPrix. The weather forecast gave borderline winds but flying was able to take place on both days. All photos: Andrew WebsterBruno Lautard, winner in Holland and overall Grand Prix championSimon Sykes, top Brit and top paraglider pilot in Holland and Classic Accuracy League Champion NOV 2018 SKYWINGS 15Scout Rebels, second overall in the Grand Prix series (L - R): Simon Sykes, Katie Sykes and John Lawrence16 SKYWINGS NOV 2018European Classic AccuracyGrand PrixAt each Grand Prix leg the winner gets 15 points, down to onepoint for 15th placed pilot. In addition all attendees at Grand Prixcompetitions get five points, thus a maximum of 60 points areavailable to an individual.After successful completion of all three Grand Prix competitions,Bruno Lautard was crowned individual champion for the thirdtime, a great achievement for a pilot in his 60s. A special mentionalso goes to Simon Sykes for gaining overall third place whileflying on a paraglider.Credit also goes to last year’s individual champion Pierre Astiex.He was unable to attend this year’s UK and Holland legs due toparachuting commitments but became World Parachuting AccuracyJunior Champion at the World Championships in Bulgaria.GIPS dominance continued by claiming another Grand Prixteam title, and another strong performance by Scout Rebelsallowed them to take second place. 1 Bruno Lautard France Parafoil 252 59 points2 Thierry Vasseur France Parafoil 252 55 points3 Simon Sykes Jnr GB UP Ascent 3 51 points4 Romain Lecamus France Parafoil 252 42 points5 John Lawrence GB Eiff Classic 238 40 points6 Katie Sykes GB UP Ascent 3 32 points 8 Andrew Webster GB Eiff Classic 238 30 points10 Jamie Robe GB Parafoil 252 29 points12 Don Bodill GB U-Turn Evolution 24 points14 Charlie Grantham GB UP Ascent 4 22 points19 Gary Ounsworth GB Eiff Classic 304 16 points21 Liz Lawrence GB Sportlite 255 15 points23 Andy Shaw GB Eiff Classic 304 13 points24 Martin Robe GB Eiff Classic 304 10 points29 Dave Crowhurst GB PD Zero 295 8 points=32 Andy Tillsley GB Sol Start 5 points=32 Mark Bignell GB UP Ascent 3 5 points=32 Joe Ounsworth GB Eiff Classic 238 5 points1 GIPS A France B Lautard, Thierry Vasseur, A Caralho 60 points2 Scout Rebels A GB J Lawrence, S Sykes, K Sykes 56 points3 Sky Rebels Netherlands H Coumans, P Hendriks, J Reijden 47 points4 GIPS B France R Lecamus, S Mahinda, L Jaguelin 34 points5 Must Get Beer GB G Ounsworth, A Webster, D Crowhurst 34 points6 BAA GB C Grantham, J Robe, M Robe 32 pointsBirdwings Classic AccuracyLeague CompetitionA phenomenal 11 rounds were completed at the Birdwingscompetition on the last weekend of September. Conditions werenot easy, with thermic winds on Saturday and stronger gustingwinds on Sunday. Congratulations go to winner Dave Crowhurst(0.37m) and second placed John Lawrence (1.37m) both flyingsquares. Also special mentions go to third placed Katie Lawrence(3.31m) and 4th placed Don Bodill (3.40m) who flew theirparagliders brilliantly in the difficult conditions.Big thanks go to Arthur Bentley and his deputy Alan Buckinghamfor organising the great event. Alan was awarded the ‘Nigel LeggTrophy for services to accuracy’ for his help with the ClassicNationals and Birdwings competition over the years. As alwaysthese competitions are a great team effort, and thanks go to thejudging team of Nikki Bodill, Liz Lawrence, Jane Houston, JonathanParkinson, the GLSW&S Scouts towing team of John Lawrence,Simon Sykes Snr and Jnr, Stuart Short and Richard Featherstone,and the launch crew of Gary Ounsworth and Chris Haynes. 2018 Classic Accuracy LeagueFollowing the completion of the Birdwings competition, pilots’best three competitions out of the four league events countedtowards the 2018 league. Congratulations go to Simon Sykes forwinning the classic accuracy league for the 2nd time while flyinga paraglider. The top ten in the final league are listed below.1 Simon Sykes Jnr UP Ascent 3 32 points2 John Lawrence Eiff Classic 238 26 points3 Andy Webster Eiff Classic 238 22 points4 Katie Sykes UP Ascent 3 22 points5 Jamie Robe Parafoil 252 20 points6 Don Bodill U-Turn Evolution 16 points7 Charlie Grantham UP Ascent 4 15 points8 Dave Crowhurst PD Zero 295 12 points9 Andy Shaw Eiff Classic 304 10 points10 Gary Ounsworth Eiff Classic 304 10 pointsAll reports by Andy Websterdead centreTop three in Holland (L - R): Romain Lecamus, Bruno Lautard and Sathan MahindaPhoto: Andrew WebsterNOV 2018 SKYWINGS 1717 Feb 2018. Male pilot aged 80, P ratedSite & conditions: Woolacombe, 5 - 10km/h,not turbulentGlider: Advance SigmaIncident: Pilot omitted to clip into harnessbefore clipping on flight deck. Fellow pilotnoticed odd attitude of harness when inflating.Wing safely deflated and brought under control.Injury: None11 Mar 2018. Male pilot aged 54, CP ratedSite & conditions: Parlick, 20 - 25km/h, lightturbulenceGlider: Avian Rio 2Incident: Pilot misjudged approach and wasshort of official landing field. In attempting toreach an adjacent field the pilot accidentallystalled the glider due to the wind gradient.Injury: Serious: Hands, arms, shoulder5 Mar 2018. Experienced aircraft mechanicaged 55Incident: Mechanic, unfamiliar withparamotoring, ran paramotor engine withoutsafety cage. The engine revved up, lifted andtilted. Mechanic was struck hard on the facediagonally with two strikes from the carbonprop that eventually broke.Injury: Serious head injuries21 Mar 2018. Male pilot aged 49, AP ratedSite & conditions: Sutton Meadows, 15 -20km/h, moderate turbulenceGlider: Moyes LitespeedIncident: On release at 2,000ft the pilot’sbarrel release string wrapped around itselfand knotted, causing him to remainconnected to the towline from one side of hisharness. Pilot was able to force a weak-linkbreak and landed safely.Injury: None25 Mar 2018. Male pilot aged 27, CP ratedSite & conditions: Monks Down, 15 - 20km/h,light turbulenceGlider: BGD CureIncident: Pilot deliberately stalled glider butwas unable to control the recovery. Gliderdived 135 degrees and pilot fell past. Pilotdeployed parachute and landed momentsafter it had inflated.Injury: None26 Mar 2018. Male pilot aged 54, P ratedSite & conditions: White Sheet, 10 - 15km/h,strong turbulenceGlider: 777 Queen 2Incident: Soon after take-off glider suffered afull frontal followed by an asymmetriccollapse. Glider dived to recover but too low.Pilot struck slope on his back.Injury: Minor13 Apr 2018. Male pilot aged 53, P ratedSite & conditions: North Luffenham, 5 -10km/h, not turbulentGlider: Nova Mentor 5Incident: Hill pilot on tow conversion. Whenline slackened for pilot to correct drift, drogueparachute started spinning. When attemptingto release it was found the tow bridle hadtwisted around the ring, preventing the linefrom being released. Pilot successfully ‘essed’off height and landed without incident. Knotin drogue line found to be cause.Injury: None14 Apr 2018. Male pilot aged 62, P ratedSite & conditions: Blease Fell, 0 - 5km/h, notturbulentGlider: Advance Sigma 10Incident: Pilot had a collapse on right wingwhile thermalling left. In attempting to rectifythis the pilot spun the glider. There wasinsufficient height to fully recover before thepilot impacted the slope.Injury: Serious: Lumbar spine22 Apr 2018. Male pilot aged 57, CP ratedSite & conditions: Compton Bowl, 0 - 5km/h,light turbulenceGlider: BGD TalaIncident: After take-off the pilot attempted towork a small thermal, turning left too slowly.Overcompensated for a small wingtip collapsecausing the glider to spin, then stall, resultingin a free fall of about 20ft to the ridge.Injury: Serious: Internal28 Apr 2018. Male pilot aged 55, P ratedSite & conditions: Rhiw Wen, 10 - 15km/h, lightturbulenceGlider: Ozone Rush 4Incident: Pilot had been flying by himselfwhile waiting for a friend to arrive. Was foundin a dazed state with no recollection ofhaving had an incident.Injury: Serious: Lumbar spine29 Apr 2018. Male pilot aged 52, CP ratedSite & conditions: Ben Rinnes, 5 - 10km/h,light turbulenceGlider: Gin Bolero 5Incident: Low-airtime pilot attempted to topland with insufficient height, resulting in across-slope crash landing.Injury: Minor: Feet, legs29 Apr 2018. Male pilot aged 43, no ratingrecordedSite & conditions: Dune de Pyla, France, 40 -45km/h, not turbulentGlider: Gradient Freestyle 2Incident: Pilot misjudged spiral dive onunfamiliar glider, losing more height thananticipated. Impacted sand dune at speed.Injury: Serious: Cervical spine4 May 2018. Male pilot aged 62, no ratingrecordedSite & conditions: Aldbrough, 5 - 10km/h, notturbulentGlider: Dudek Synthesis 2Incident: Pilot stalled glider after engine cutout on practice approach.Injury: Minor5 May 2018. Male pilot aged 55, CP ratedSite & conditions: Wind Bank, 20 - 25km/h,not turbulentGlider: Nova Ion 5Incident: Pilot took off with a full riser twistbut was able to untwist and get into pod. Onattempting to turn back into wind the pilotapplied excessive control and spun the glider.Injury: Serious5 May 2018. Male pilot aged 35, no ratingrecordedSite not reported, conditions: 0 - 5km/h, notturbulentGlider: Ozone FreerideIncident: Pilot, flying low towards setting sunand looking out for obstacles. Did not seelow-level power line and collided with cables.Injury: Serious7 May 2018. Male pilot aged 66, P ratedSite & conditions: Brecon Beacons, 0 - 5km/h,light leeside turbulenceGlider: Ozone Rush 4Incident: Pilot accidentally flew into lee side ofhill. Glider collapsed and entered spiral dive.Pilot recovered glider but with large cravat.On approaching ground level glider was hit bygust and pilot landed heavily.Injury: Minor8 May 2018. Male pilot aged 39, P ratedSite & conditions: Chinkwell Tor, 20 - 25km/h,moderate turbulenceGlider: Advance Omega X-Alps 2Incident: Pilot took both hands off brakes toadjust vario. Frontal collapse occurredwithout enough height to recover.Injury: Serious14 May 2018. Male pilot aged 67, AP ratedSite & conditions: Murton Pike Glider: Flow XCRacerIncident: Pilot spun glider while attempting tothermal. Pilot suspects lack of sleep anddehydration were significant factors.Injury: Minor18 May 2018. Male pilot aged 57, no ratingrecordedIncident: Pre-flight inspection of Icaro helmetrevealed that one of two retaining loops ofplastic-coated cord had snapped anddetached where it is fixed with a rivet.Inspection of spare helmet revealed that theplastic coating had snapped in the sameplace leaving only the inner cord core.Injury: None23 Jun 2018. Male pilot aged 50, CP ratedSite & conditions: Westbury, 10 - 15km/h,strong turbulenceGlider: Wills Wing Sport 2Incident: Pilot made hurried launch to catchthermal upcycle. Failed to check true winddirection and made uncoordinated take-offwith insufficient speed. Glider turned sharplytowards side of hill. Pilot applied full weightshift control to avoid collision with hill andwent on to complete a normal flight.Injury: None24 Jun 2018. Male pilot aged 49, CP ratedSite & conditions: Cutthorpe, Derbyshire, 0 -5km/h, not turbulentGlider: ParAAvis AcrobatIncident: Pilot veered towards dry stone wallwhile heavily loaded, not realising histrimmers were asymmetrically set. Clippedtop of wall and fell down the other side.Injury: Serious: Hands, arms, shoulder27 Jun 2018. Male pilot aged 60, CP ratedSite & conditions: Treak Cliff, 25 - 30km/h,strong turbulenceGlider: Not recorded Incident: Pilot landed in a tree attempting toavoid power lines, having been unable topenetrate in strong conditions.Injury: None4 Jul 2018. Male pilot aged 53, CP ratedSite & conditions: Anstey, 5 - 10km/h, notturbulentGlider: Ozone IndyIncident: Pilot had frontal collapse at 600ftwhile on landing approach. Regained controlat 60ft but struck power lines, causing pilotto pendulum underneath to the ground.Injury: None10 Jul 2018. Female pilot, age notrecorded, CP ratedSite & conditions: Pontlottyn, 10 - 15km/h,moderate turbulenceGlider: Not recorded Incident: Pilot appeared to enter spiral divewhile attempting to thermal. Glider thensuffered an asymmetric collapse and pilotcrashed onto the hillside.Injury: Serious14 Jul 2018. Male pilot aged 44, P ratedSite & conditions: Magic, 20 - 25km/h, lightturbulenceGlider: Niviuk Artik 5Incident: Reverse launch take-off in strongwinds. Pilot was lifted off the ground facingthe glider. Unable to rotate to untwist thelines, brake input was ineffective. Gliderturned slowly and impacted hill with someforce.Injury: Serious30 Jul 2018. Male pilot aged 65, CP ratedSite & conditions: Les Roches Rouges, France,15 - 20km/h, moderate turbulenceGlider: Ozone Mojo 5Incident: Pilot had mid-air collision withanother paraglider while thermal soaring.The gliders became tangled and the otherpilot deployed his parachute. The gliders thenseparated and the pilot was able to land hisglider in the landing field. The other pilotlanded in trees under his parachute.Injury: NoneBHPA accident and incident digestThe following is an edited digest of Incident Reports submitted to the FSC between February and July 2018. Thecomplete list of reports can be found at No. 299: Sissi Eisl18 SKYWINGS NOV 2018pilot profileAge? 33Marital status? Single.Where were you born? Salzburg, Austria.Where do you live now? Near Salzburg, and inthe Tyrol near the Nova office.Occupation? Managing Director of NovaPerformance Paragliders.Previous occupations? Production Manager for aTV station.How and when did you start flying? On a coldday in January 2011, at a flight school in Salzburg.Which pilots most influenced you? My dad andmy uncle, and Heli Eichholzer, one of the bestAustrian competition pilots.Where and what was your most memorableflying experience? The first take-off on myparagliding course, one amazing evening flightthis year with my Nova colleagues at Stubaiafter a long day in the office, and my first100km FAI triangle.What is your favourite flying site in Britain?I have never been flying in Britain but I hope tochange this soon.What is your favourite site in Europe? Gaisberg inSalzburg (my home site), and the Tyrolean Alps.What is your favourite site in the world? I havenever flown outside of Europe, so far.Who do you most admire in the sport? All thegreat girls who are flying PWC, like Seiko, Meryland Yael. They show us that girls are at least asgood pilots as men. And of course Chrigel Maurer… because he is Chrigel Maurer.What trait do you most deplore in yourself?I always try to do my work 120%. It’s why I spendso much time in the office …What trait do you most deplore in otherpeople? Unreliability.When not flying, what do you do forrecreation? To be outside in nature, hiking insummer and ski-mountaineering in winter.What is your favourite piece of music? Rescue Meby German band Bell, Book and Candle.What is your favourite book? My all-timefavourite is Harry Potter; right now I’mreading a biography of the German climberAlexander Huber.What is your favourite film? I like Marvel filmslike Iron Man and X-Men.What is your greatest fear? I have a fear offalling; that’s why haven’t tried skydiving yet.And I don’t like flying in airplanes.What is your idea of perfect happiness? A nightin the mountains with a sky full of stars and aflight in the morningWhat would your motto be? Everything youcan think, you can do – borders only exist inour heads.How would you like to be remembered? I wish tocreate a better world, even for the few peoplearound me. And maybe I can help to improveour incredible sport with my new position. Austrian media sciences graduate Sissi recently took over the top job at Nova fromjoint founder Wolfi Lechner. Her dad Nikolaus Eisl was a hang gliding pioneer whowon the Austrian Championship in 1982. Her mum had quit flying by the time shewas born; several of her uncles and an aunt were pilots too. Although encouraged tostart flying at an early age, Sissi chose to focus on her education, and on soccer andtriathlon. Having studied in Germany, she took up paragliding in 2011 when shereturned to Austria. In 2014 she began competing to improve her flying, only to findthat few of the older, male pilots would speak to her or take her seriously. She took awhile to find her niche in the competition world and says she is still too impatient,makes mistakes and often flies herself into the ground. Nevertheless she hascontested the 2015 Zillertal Open, the 2017 Alpen Cup and several rounds of the 2017,2017 and 2018 Austrian Championships. In August this year she completed a 125kmtriangle from Bischling in the Ikarus Open. She’s going to have her work cut out now;as Nova’s MD she will be responsible for the commercial end of the company:marketing, human resources, business development, etc. She joined Nova last yearto run sales and marketing but was considered unanimously by the board to be theright person to lead the company on Wolfi’s semi-retirement. She is the first womanto hold such a position within a paragliding company.Time for ChangeRebellious, fun and enlightening.Not just talk, the Punk actuallytells you the truth about the air.Stay informed, make your ownchoices, fly the Punk.EN-BNOV 2018 SKYWINGS 19Next >