No. 356 DECEMBER 2018The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association2 SKYWINGS DEC 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, THE EDITOR Joe Schofield, 39 London Road, Harleston, Norfolk IP209BH. Tel: 01379 855021. COVER PHOTO Nader Couri and Icaro Laminar over Praia deBotafogo, Rio de Janeiro Photo: Nader CouriTHIS PAGE Richard Wiseman at Bow Fiddle Rock near Portknockieon Scotland's Moray coast Photo: Gordon Robertson 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: 020 7193 9133 Online: SKYWINGS ONLINE Go to For theDecember issue enter the username Dec_2018 and the case-sensitive password $F20_Bw9For the January 2019 issue enter the username Jan_2019 and thecase-sensitive password &91_YZF3DEADLINES News items and event/competition reports for theFebruary 2019 issue must be submitted to the Skywings office byMonday December 31st. Letters for the January Airmail pageshould arrive no later than Friday December 14th. Advertisementbookings for the January edition of Skywings must arrive byMonday December 10th. Copy and classified bookings no later thanMonday December 17th. regulars regulars reviews features 4 SKYWINGS DEC 2018Hang gliding was so lucky during the 1980s– the hills were ours and pilot developmentwas pretty much unconstrained. 30 yearson and hillside operations are morecomplex, the mix of hang gliders andparagliders having a broad range ofperformance and speed. Whilst manageablefor the experienced flier it is a challenge forthe developing pilot. Aerotowing helpsovercome this problem, but until recentlyhad some constraints that limited itseffectiveness. However, during the last yearor two we’ve had two exciting developmentsthat are already producing good results …1. New aerotowing equipment – the Foxtug Until recently most aerotow clubswere limited to using the original 1990sworkhorse, the Solar Wings XL tug. Whilst ithas served us well the climb rate is quitelow, affecting pilot turnaround. We areindebted to the foresight of DonaldMacKenzie for the original design, and toBen Ashman at Flylight who took the plungeand productionised the Foxtug, a higherpowered and better handling tug so muchmore fit for purpose. It’s up there with theworld class Moyes-Bailey Dragonfly. 2. Commitment from aerotow clubs topurchase the Foxtug Acquiring a Foxtug is a significant financialcommitment. But spread the loan amongst20+ people over a number of years, and allof a sudden the outlay per pilot per annumis not such a big hit. Especially when youconsider how much time and expensewe commit to our pastime – why skimpand miss out? At Malvern Aerotow it tookthe ‘Let’s get on with it’ attitude of DonaldMacKenzie to buy one; club membersquickly bought into it once the obviousresults were seen. Cambridge Aerotow aresoon to take delivery of their Foxtug. How have we benefited from thesedevelopments?Turnaround is transformational. When youcan get to 2000ft in two minutes instead ofsix or seven the whole club can launch in areasonable timescale; up to 12 pilots perhour instead of four. The shorter take-off run (higher power)means the launch queue can start halfwaydown the airstrip and the tug can land andtake-off with minimal taxiing. Airfieldoperations are more efficient. The faster turnaround means more flying,more achievement and better results. Justlook at the majority of long flights from thetop 25 of the XC League – aerotowing isleading the way. We consistently get up and fly on thoseclassic light/zero-wind days that providethe best soaring conditions. Very differentto the alternative – wondering if you canactually stay up on the hill! It’s good for all levels of pilot. At Malvern wehave club pilots who enjoy local soaring,experienced XC-hungry pilots and thosereturning to the sport who have takento aerotowing like ducks to water (e.g. JoBinns). And we are now trialling our dualrigid wing, building experience inpreparation for Dual licences for airexperience and familiaristion flights. All this in greater safety. We are nolonger weaving around paragliders on hillsin sometimes difficult air – just connect toa cloud, maybe with a few others, and go. Whilst the per-annum cost of flying maybe slightly higher you get more – andbetter-quality – flying. If you use cost-per-hour as your benchmark you will probablyfind your flying is actually cheaper!Finally, we are no longer a disparatebunch of nomads travelling the country.We now gather, fly, land, reflect andeat/drink in a special club environment. Ithas brought the best of the sailplane worldto hang gliding. Carl and Michelle Wallbankliked it so much they now live 500 metresoff the end of the runway! Does this sound appealing? Go join (or form!)your local aerotow group. Better still, pushfor getting a Foxtug in your local club andtransform your flying. Look for solutions;maybe a 0% BHPA loan? For clubs too closeto the coast, consider moving inland andeven collaborating with an existing sailplaneoperation. Time has healed old wounds;many sailplane pilots are former free fliersand their reducing numbers are opening updifferent ways of operating, which includesinviting us in. Make it happen! UK hang gliding - a bright future!NEV ALMOND, HIGHLY EXPERIENCED XC PILOT, RECORD BREAKER AND BRITISH TEAM PILOTPhoto: Richard SheppardattitudeThe mystery is solved! Our original plan for Sopermanto contest the BOS series with his SMFC Litespeed hadevaporated under the pressure of work required for hisHonours Degree at Cambridge, and the lad was feelinga bit guilty. Although he was walking away with theCondors XC League, he felt obliged to enter a propercompetition. Not for Jeremy a simple trip to Laragne orMonte Cucco - that would be altogether too easy. SoSeptember found him heading for the Kazakh andEurasian Opens in spectacular Kazakhstan. WOW!In comparison, my paragliding trip to the over-crowdedtake-offs in Algodonales seems rather tame. Still, I hada great time with a select bunch of intellectuals fromthe South Devon club, the highlight of which wasclimbing out with a massive flock of vultures. ColinBlagdon took this shot of my Cure when we weregliding between thermals. (Yes, it is for sale! Everythingis for sale - you know The Gap - the yawning divide between Bossington andPorlock Weir. About thirty-five years ago I was the firstpilot to cross it, and I’ve done it many times since - butnot at all in the last decade or two. I got home fromAlgo just in time for a rare day at North Hill. OnLitespeeds, Brett Wright flew further than me, and thenreturned across The Gap, and Jezzer flew about twiceas far along the coast as I did. But it was marvellous torevisit the epic feelings of reaching the far side. Morephotos on my blog: I flew my stock used Avian Rio 2, simply because it wasthe easiest to access in my overcrowded hangar.People think this glider is brand new, and it is delightfulto fly, so it has amazed me that it hasn’t been snappedup. No worries, I get to enjoy it from time to time, andon this occasion it flew me thirty years back in time.These pictures show my time machine and The Gapfrom both sides.I also have a range of rather lovely used paragliders forsale, and this photo shows off one of them to very goodeffect. An EN-A Niviuk Koyot 2 with not many hours is arare beast indeed, and this one is even more rare, beingan XS size for 45-61kg. Check out the full range of usedgliders at: I’m the UK distributor for Charly helmets and reserveparachutes, which have been market leaders fordecades. I keep all their helmets in stock, in almost allcolours and sizes, so you can have immediate delivery.Superb quality and design ensures that many top pilotschoose Charly - this is Luke Nicol skying-out. As well as new reservesfrom Charly andIndependence, you willusually find a goodselection of secondhand reserves on thewebsite, available atprices from about £100upwards. Price reflectsage and condition, of course, and I try to keepsomething for all pockets. This Sky System 90 is onlyfive years old, and has never been deployed.If you are afterinstruments, I have newones from Renschler,Flymaster andNaviter/Flytec, pricesfrom about £80. I alsocarry a selection ofsecondhand ones fromabout £100 upwards - thisas-new Brauniger Alto willbe a bit more. You’ll findthe current selection onthe website, but you arealways welcome to callme for a chat about what is available:At the Flying Circus, every day is like Christmas Day!Great products and good deals all year round! MerryChristmas and a Happy New Year to you all!There’s Wally!Reserves 2019tel:01404 891685 email: Turfhouse, Luppitt, Honiton, Devon, EX14 4SA It makes sense to buy your reserve parachute from me. I’vebeen selling reserves for over 40 years, and have myself hada successful real-life deployment. I am UK distributor forreserves from Charly, Skyman and Independence. My brandshave sold tens of thousands, and have hundreds ofsuccessful deployments to their credit.My own deployment was beneath a Charly Revolution 1, and Iregard that reserve as my best ever investment – it probablysaved my life. Read the full account on my website, or justask me about I also make a point of holding stock of second hand reserves,because not everyone can afford new, My experiencesuggests that it is wise to always fly with a reserve installedin your harness!Charly 2nd Chance from £399 Charly Revolution, from £505.Charly Clou 2 from £620 Independence Annular Evo,from £545Charly Diamond Cross, from£699Skyman Ultra Cross, from1kg and £825This is the Charly Revolution1 that probably saved mylife - it was that veryreserve!6 SKYWINGS DEC 2018news37-year-old gliderairborneOn a clear autumn day in October GaryDear of the Wessex club took to the air atMonks Down on a Hiway SuperScorpion,built at Abergavenny nearly 40 years ago.Gary bought the glider from a Bournemouthpilot who had flown it a few times andthen stored it for 30-odd years. Closeinspection revealed it to be in goodcondition other than a tiny tear in the sailnear one tip. Gary made an uneventfulextended top-to-bottom shortly beforesunset, remarking on the SuperScorp’smodest weight and easy handling. He wasassisted at launch by Brian Wood, a recentreturner to the sport who had been thefirst British hang gliding champion in 1974.Electronicconspicuity surveyIn September 2017 the CAA conducted ashort survey asking GA pilots for theirviews on electronic conspicuity (so shortwe didn’t get a chance to publicise it inthese pages!). Of the 1,600 responses, 75%were from single engine fixed wing pilots.Glider pilots of all kinds made up 12% ofresponses, with microlight, balloon androtor pilots making up the rest.The CAA seeks to encourage the use ofelectronic devices across the GA fleet, withADS-B their preferred standard. Pilots werequizzed on their use, or not, of electronicconspicuity devices, and on factors thatmay affect widespread take-up. 16% of fixed-wing pilots reported using ADS-B, mostlyintegrated with a Mode S transponder. Afurther third fly Mode S equipped aircraftthat are not adapted for ADS-B. Almost 90%of glider pilots who responded use FLARM.Very nearly 90% of respondents thoughtelectronic conspicuity would improve flightsafety; 83% of aeroplane pilots identifiedcollision avoidance and better situationalawareness as the principal benefits.Of the factors that would encourage use ofa low powered ADS-B device, cost came outon top for two-thirds of aeroplane pilots.More than 50% of all respondents thoughtthe prospect of receiving flight informationor weather data via ADS-B was a significantattraction. 40% of respondents said theywere prepared to pay £100 - £250 for aOn top of the worldJuly 2018, Llanbedr North Wales – Parafest. Dave Dewhurst had travelledfrom Cornwall for the chance to fly over Snowdon, something he’d dreamedabout since starting flying six years ago. As a child he used to camp atnearby Shell Island and watch the RAF planes taking off and landing.Having seen the forecast he arrived late on Wednesday to make the most of the bestweather on Thursday. Testing the air in the afternoon he found it rough over the hillsand stuck to the smooth air over the coast, deciding to attempt Snowdon in the evening.Taking off again at 17:30 he set off for the dark, looming hills to the north. Pushed alongby a steady 14km/h breeze it didn’t take long to reach the towering central mountainsof Snowdonia. ‘Cruising about at 3000ft over the coast I had felt on top of the world, but here at thesame altitude I was still somehow below the top of these mighty mountains, darkenedby the shadow of the thick cloud layer. I felt small and vulnerable. I contemplatedturning back but pulled myself together, easing out the bar to gain as much height aspossible until I finally reached 4000ft – just enough to sail right over the summit andsee all the people standing at the top waiting for their train. The panoramic view wasabsolutely breathtaking!‘Over the tops the air funnelled through a lot quicker than just a few hundredmeters further back and I noticed I was absolutely gushing along. When I turned I couldjust about penetrate – about 10km/h groundspeed with the bar full bar in! I crawledsouthward, watching the shadows of the clouds whizzing by beneath, but later I hadtime to play about over the hills behind Barmouth before my fuel got low. ‘If I learned one thing it’s that I had put myself in a potentially tricky situation by notconsidering the venturi effect beforehand. If the engine had cut out it might have beendifficult to get out in one piece. But I shall definitely have to do it again, perhaps withmore sunshine next time and snow-capped peaks.’ [Watch a five-minute video of Dave’sflight by googling BHPA club parachute repacking sessions January 14 North Wales Broughton, Chester January 26 Skysurfers Hamble, Hants January 27 Big Fat Repack Reading, Berks February 9 Dales Menston, Leeds email call (spain) 0034 651736718 or (UK) 0208 144 2087Nepal & Colombia 2019Book 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.news8 SKYWINGS DEC 2018device; a further 50% were willing to invest£250 - £500. Those numbers may not bereflected among free fliers if and whensuch a device turns up.The CAA concludes that the responsessupport their ambition for widespreaddeployment of ADS-B across GA.Nevertheless they are aware that muchwork still needs be done to achieve therequired technological and systemstandards. The survey report is atCoupe I-BridIn a bid to emulate the camera-friendlyCoupe Icare masquerade flying at the StHilaire Festival, the George Cayley club areinitiating a slightly lower key event – theCoupe I-Brid! The event will be focused onthe club’s coastal site at Bridlington duringJuly and August, whenever the weather isgood for flying. The intention is to have funat the coast by encouraging paragliderpilots to dress up themselves and theirflying equipment for a photo competition.Photos must be taken at Bridlingtonbetween July 1st and August 31st and safety– for pilots and those on the ground – mustnot be compromised. Now’s the time to getplanning; entries must be received at bySeptember 30th. We hope to be able tofeature some of the results in Skywings.FlyFurther XC campOver the past couple of years the theFlyFurther XC camp in Slovenia has beenan inspiration to those looking to improvetheir XC flying. It’s not a competition but atask-focused week of flying, coaching andtalks to help you get more from your wing.The 2019 event, running from June 6th -12th, is open to pilots flying all classes ofwing from EN A to CCC. Pilots are separatedinto small groups of similar abilities andassigned a mentor suited to theirambitions. These include world champions,record holders and just plain brilliant XCpilots, who all possess excellent teachingskills. Places on the XC camp are limited sodon’t delay. Details are atBGD WeightlessBruce Goldsmith’s all-new competitionconcept, rewarding pilots for flying withoutballast, turned out to be a great success andwill be repeated next year at St JeanMontclar in France from July 7th - 13th. Atthe Weightless, being light is no longer thebig disadvantage it can be at othercompetitions – the organisers are notseeking the heaviest pilots but the best!This is a fun event, so expect a lot of talksfrom Bruce and his team, some parties andlots of fun. The 2018 Weightless gave away anew paraglider and other toys; expect moreof the same in 2019. For details, and toregister, go to Naviter OpenThe third Naviter Open will be held atTolmin in Slovenia from June 15th - 22nd.This year will be the most in-depth eventyet as Naviter, who are based in Slovenia,plan to attend with all their staff and toys.If you are new to competitions and want tolearn more, or just enjoy relaxed, funKobo/XCSoar/Bluefly updateFor over five years Kobo eReaders have been widely used asnavigational aids due to their exceptional readability in sunlight,especially when compared with most conventional phone/tabletscreens. Navigation software like XCSoar and LK8000 has beenadapted to run on them and the only other addition is to connecta simple instrument – typically a simple GPS and possibly abarometric sensor – like the low-cost Bluefly.The Kobo model range changes around every 18 months, andin July 2018 the new Kobo Clara HD became available. TypicallyXCSoar requires some modification before it will function on newmodels, but it actually works on the new Clara HD. A minor, low-impact quirk is that when turned on the first XCSoar menu is notdisplayed and the screen is blank, but touch where the menubuttons should be and thereafter it functions as normal. This issoon to be resolved; an XCSoar developer has agreed to accept adonated unit and make the necessary changes.How is the Clara HD different to the outgoing Kobo Aura 2?• Very clear screen resolution, back up to 300dpi (like the muchloved and discontinued Glo HD) and higher than the outgoing212dpi Aura 2.• The touch screen operation is capacitive like the Aura 2rather than InfraRed (like older models). This is less of an issuenow that capacitive gloves are widely available (or use somecapacitive thread on your older non-capacitive favourites). Onebenefit of capacitive over IR is the eradication ofunwanted/accidental screen actions at take-off.• The touch screen controls seem more reactive and snappierthan on the Aura 2.• Physical size has been further trimmed; whilst the 6-inch screenhas the same area the external dimensions are all fractionallysmaller. Inside, everything is more crammed and soldering yourinstrument to the serial port is an even more delicate operation.• The internal SD Card is now 8Gb – effectively unlimited from anXCSoar perspective.• The 1,200 mAh battery now powers the unit for around 8 hours(using the popular Bluefly GPS/vario). Supplementary power isonly required for really long flights.I have car- and flight-tested XCSoar on the Clara HD for severalhours and all appears good. When tested on a transatlanticAirbus the unit mirrored the aircraft’s own flight data. The popular low-cost Bluelfy vario (over 8,000 produced since2014) now has an improved chip which uses the Russian Glonassand the European Galileo systems in addition to the US-controlledGPS. Performance differences are difficult to measure (theprevious chip worked fine anyway), but anecdotally the cold-startacquisition appears faster.At we’ve been offering both old(Aura 2) and new (Clara HD) models for three months. Now we’removing to the Clara HD – it’s proving a worthy successor and weexpect the XCSoar quirk to be resolved soon. For further advice orto acquire a pre-built unit contact NevDEC 2018 SKYWINGS 9competitions, the Naviter Open is for you. The event no longeraccepts pilots flying EN D wings. More details are atLakes Charity Classic datesTo take advantage of the area’s good late spring weather, the2019 year’s Lakes Charity Classic will take place from Friday 21stto Sunday 23rd June. The competition itself runs over theSaturday and Sunday but early arrivers may find a flyablewindow on the Friday. The event remains based at the GrasmereSports Showground with its excellent facilities and access to awide range of sites. Good food and refreshments will be availablethroughout the weekend, both on site and in nearby Grasmere.Registration opens for CSC members opens on January 14th andfor all comers on February 1st. Go to for details and updates. Bring the family – there isentertainment for all!Nepal and Colombia tripsContinuing their regular forays to the other side of the world,FlySpain will visit Nepal and and South America early in the newyear. 12 days in Nepal reaches most of the area’s major sites andincludes transfers, transport, accommodation and retrieves; datesare January 12th - 25th. For low-airtime pilots wanting to realisetheir thermalling and XC ambitions, 14 days in Columbia visitsbig, grassy launches in T-shirt-and-shorts weather; dates areFebruary 2nd - 16th. All trips offer non-stop coaching, full air-to-air radio contact and state-of-the-art tracking. Details are at or contact In briefBrazil records. First record to fall at the annual Swiss XC camp atCaicó was Charles Cazaux’s 476km world paragliding free distancevia up to three turnpoints record, set in Australia in December2015. On October 7th Swiss pilot Michael Sigel flew his GinBoomerang 11 551km, with four other pilots in close companyincluding Chrigel Maurer at 520km. Four days later Finland’sJouni Makkonen flew 479.4km from Caicó aboard an Ozone Enzo 3to beat Vagner Campos’ 2017 straight-distance-to-goal record of451km. Late in October we heard that Brazil’s Marcella Uchoa hadclaimed the word female straight distance (410km), straightdistance to goal (377km) and free distance via up to threeeturnpoints (414km) records on the 25th. All three were previouslyset by Seiko Fukuoka in December 2015.Final call for BHPA merit awards. A last call for BHPA Meritaward nominations. If someone you fly or work with has putcommendable effort into the sport over a number of years, pleaseconsider writing a citation to arrive at the BHPA Office byDecember 31st. Certificates will be presented at the 2019 AGM –Saturday March 2nd at the Nottingham Belfry Hotel (NG8 6PY) –or other suitable occasion.New Apco dealer. The Winged Monkeys Paramotor Team ofNorth Wales have become an accredited Apco importer anddealer, specialising in paramotor wings and equipment. Fordemo flights, etc, contact Alan Horne on 07792 337664, e-mail: For full detail of Apco’s range andother UK dealers go to xTc dates. xTc will be running fewer trips in 2019 than in pastyears as Brett and Stan focus on other activities. However anylow-airtime pilots seeking to achieve a Pilot rating compressedinto one week, or high-airtime pilots looking for some guidingthrough the Julian Alps or French Alps, contact them at North Wales repack. The North Wales Club repack runs at theAirbus Social Club, Broughton, Chester, on Saturday 19th Januaryat 10am. BHPA parachute packers will instruct and supervise; itwill cost £15 and is open to any BHPA member. Advance bookingby January 14 is essential. Go to or contactIan Home: tel: 01978 761235, e-mail: Next >