< PreviousA reminder to all pilots: the UK flyingseason has begun. Many of us are rusty;very few of us have recent experience ofthe small and powerful thermals likely tobe encountered at this time of year. Andfew of us have recently encountered thecrowded skies that the arrival of spring islikely to bring out on a good day.Being prepared for the new seasonincludes having all your equipment in tip-top condition, including a recently-repacked parachute. Check yourinstruments and radio and that you canremember how to operate them – and thatyou have an up-to-date air chart and/oryour navigation instrument has the mostrecent air chart loaded.Paraglider pilots would do well to brushup on their ground handling if they arenot supremely confident, and all pilotsshould ensure they are on top of actuallyrigging, preparing and pre-flighting theirwing. Whether you fly a hang glider orparaglider (or both), before the first flightof the year, and no matter where it hasbeen stored, give your glider a reallythorough pre-flight inspection, taking timeto look into even the most difficult toexamine areas. Cases have been known ofunexpected damage through damp, and ofmice and insects taking up residence ingliders over the winter and chewing fabric,cords and lines for nesting materials!Remember that spring conditions can beboisterous, and that you may be lacking inrecent flying practice and may be less fitthan you were in October. All pilots need tobe extra-careful in assessing theconditions and give themselves widersafety margins than they may recall fromlast season.Acknowledge that you are rusty and takethings slowly. Resist the urge to fly ifconditions aren’t suitable, and land ifyou’re uncomfortable. The only way thatyou will regain currency is by flying, butpick another day if conditions are not idealfor you.If none of this applies to you – great! If youare out of practice, not used to ‘sporty’thermals or busy conditions – please takeextra care!Paramotor AirproxA recent Airprox investigation into a closecall between a paramotor and an airlineron final approach, was graded B, ‘SafetyNot Assured’ by the UK Airprox Board. Intheir parlance this means that the safetyof the aircraft involved was compromised.A commercial jet was under radarguidance in controlled airspace, passingthrough 2000ft and about 7 miles fromtouchdown at Belfast City airport, when theFirst Officer saw a paramotor pass downthe left hand side of the aircraft, at thesame height and at a separation ofbetween 100 and 200ft. The crew had notime to take avoiding action. Theparamotor had not shown up on radar andhad not been reported by other traffic. Theincident occurred on a summer evening invery good visibility.The Airprox took place in Class Dairspace in which VFR traffic is permittedif it has obtained an ATC clearance beforeentering. Such permission includes areadiness to comply with ATC instructions.No such permission had been sought.Extensive enquiries with local BHPAschools and clubs have drawn a completeblank as to the identity or location of theparamotor pilot, although it is known thata number of non-BHPA paramotoristsoperate around the Belfast area. In their report the UK Airprox Boardrecommended that the CAA reviewscertification and licensing requirementsfor paramotor activities. Since thisincident, members of the CAA’s GA Policyand Enforcement teams have met BHPAofficers to discuss paramotoring [SeeJanuary Skywings, P6]. It is fortunate thatwe can discuss such issues with the CAA;also that the BHPA is represented on theUK Airprox Board itself, and on thisoccasion was able to provide muchbackground information. Nevertheless it is clear that incidents ofthis nature do nothing but harm to thefree flight movement. We urge all BHPApilots, powered and unpowered, to bevigilant and ensure they carry out properpre-flight planning, etc.Close to the windLast July a GA aircraft skirting the edge ofcontrolled airspace triggered an automaticincursion warning that resulted in a civilairliner within the controlled airspacebeing issued an immediate diversion toavoid a possible conflict. The controllerfiled an Airprox report; subsequentinvestigation revealed that the GA pilot hadremained outside controlled airspace but,by following a route just outside itsboundary using GPS, had come very closeto it indeed. The investigation also revealedthat the radar video used to track therelative positions of the aircraft is onlyspecified to be accurate to +/-0.25nm.Free flight pilots who routinely skirtcontrolled airspace should be aware ofthese limitations. The type of incident isincreasing in frequency as GPS navigationbecomes the norm and avoiding controlledairspace becomes more onerous. In thiscase the GA pilot was on the right side ofthe line, although the wisdom of avoidingthe boundary by a very few hundredmetres is questionable indeed. Even whenusing a GPS moving map, flying in closeproximity to horizontal or vertical airspaceboundaries requires a finesse and degree ofconcentration that very few of us possess. Sub-70kg insuranceMembers who wish to fly sub-70kgwheeled powered aircraft (of the hang-glidertype), have faced an insurance ‘black hole’as they are covered when they are qualified,but not while they are under training unlessit is being conducted by a BHPA poweredhang-gliding instructor. There is a severeshortage of people qualified to offer thistraining. However there are several CAAinstructors who train pilots in weight-shiftmicrolight flying who have the requisite skillset, and the BHPA Exec have agreed toextend cover to members flying these craftas long as they are under training with asuitably qualified CAA flying instructor. Notethat it does not mean the instructor benefitsfrom any cover under our policy unless theyare a BHPA registered school. Power record booksThe BHPA have published a new versionof the Student Training Record Book forParagliding (power) training. This newversion includes an updated syllabuswhich has been revised to cater for sub-70kg wheeled types as well as foot-launched types. It is available from theOffice to any BHPA schools offeringpowered paragliding tuition. safety mattersBHPA Coaching and Instructor CoursesMar 9 - 10 Club Coach Manx HG & PG Club 07624 423258Mar 23 - 24 Emergency Parachute course Aerofix, Derbyshire 0116 289 4316 Apr 29 - May 1 Instructor/Senior Coach Lilleshall, Staffs 0116 289 431610 SKYWINGS MAR 2019Spring caution7 Aug 2018. Male pilot aged 56, AP ratedSite & conditions: Long Mynd, 0 - 5km/h,strong turbulenceGlider: Moyes RX3.5 ProIncident: Pilot took off into extremeturbulence, possibly caused by a dust devil,and was turned downwind into hill. Wasable to flare hard and prevent significantdamage to himself and the glider.Injury: None11 Aug 2018. Male pilot aged 43, AP ratedSite & conditions: Parlick, 20 - 25km/h,moderate turbulenceGlider: Niviuk Takoo 4Incident: Pilot and passenger landed safelynear top of hill due to light winds. Stronggust came through and wing tried to inflate;dragged pilot and passenger into a stonewall. Pilot was unable to control wing.Injuries: Pilot: Minor; Passenger: Serious 25 Aug 2018. Male pilot aged 46, CP ratedSite & conditions: Bell Hill, 15 - 20km/h,moderate turbulenceGlider: Not recordedIncident: Pilot stalled glider attempting toslope land in strong and buoyant conditions.Injury: Serious29 Aug 2018. Male pilot aged 59, ratingnot reportedSite & conditions: Private field, 5 - 10km/h,not turbulentGlider: Dudek ReactionIncident: Pilot attempted a turn at low level;excessive control caused the glider to spin.Glider recovered but entered a spiral diveand the pilot crashed heavily.Injury: Serious30 Aug 2018. Male pilot aged 64, AP ratedSite & conditions: Chabre, France, 5 -10km/hGlider: Moyes Litespeed RXIncident: Pilot was flying along a ridge oftrees heading to landing field. Turned to lineup landing; did another turn to ensure noovershoot and was forced into trees due topossible rotor.Injury: Serious: Hands, arms, shoulder31 Aug 2018. Male pilot aged 59, P rated &Club Coach Site & conditions: Croft Farm, 5 - 10km/h,not turbulentGlider: Airwave Fly 2Incident: Pilot left insufficient height for hiscircuit and landed heavily just short of therunway.Injuries: Pilot: Minor: Head; Passenger:Minor: cervical spine13 Sep 2018. Male pilot aged 59, P ratedSite & conditions: Rybury, 25 - 30km/h,moderate turbulenceGlider: Gradient Aspen 4Incident: Pilot suffered small asymmetriccollapse having passed behind anotherparaglider. Collapse was overcontrolled andglider entered spin. Pilot was swung intothe hill and was dragged. The wind hadgone off the slope and was gusting.Injury: Serious16 Sep 2018. Male pilot aged 58, P ratedSite & conditions: Algodonales south-east,Spain, 5 - 10km/h, light turbulenceGlider: UP Ascent 3Incident: Attempting to avoid imminent rain,pilot opted to land upwind of the landingfield. Pilot suspects he stalled on approachbut has no memory of the events.Injury: Minor: Pelvis24 Sep 2018. Male pilot aged 61, P ratedSite & conditions: Chalvet, France, 20 -25km/h, light turbulenceGlider: Gin Yeti 4Incident: On launching the right leg strapbuckle came undone. Pilot could notrefasten it in flight and landed immediately.Flat-plate buckle was incorrectly fastenedand not noticed due to inadequate pre-flightcheck.Injury: None24 Sep 2018. Male pilot aged 55, CP ratedSite & conditions: St Vincent, France, 5 -10km/h, not turbulentGlider: Ozone Buzz Z5Incident: Pilot launched with low airspeed;glider suffered a large asymmetric collapse.Pilot fell 20ft to road below take-off.Injury: Serious: Feet, legs24 Sep 2018. Male pilot aged 58, AP ratedSite & conditions: Dungiven West, conditionsnot recordedGlider: Icaro Laminar 2000Incident: Pilot successfully deployed drogue,attached to left shoulder strap, for adownslope landing. Glider was impossible toturn; crashed onto road having flown undertelephone lines and over a hedge.Injury: Minor25 Sep 2018. Male, aged 67, CP ratedSite & conditions: Beer Head, 15-20km/h,not turbulentGlider: Nova Ion 4Incident: In decreasing winds the pilot losttoo much height to top land, resulting in adownwind slope landing. Pilot attempted torun off speed but stumbled.Injury: Serious: Hands, arms, shoulderMAR 2019 SKYWINGS 11Dudek PowerGliders Great pricesand part-ex dealsCall us for a deal on thenew Reportair or Universalparamotor/paraglidingwingsMorocco EP, CP &post CP 2nd – 16thMarch and 2nd -16th NovemberStruggling 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 – 11thThis destination is one ofthe most picturesequeplaces you will ever fly.6000ft top to bottoms,landing on the beach.SpainParamotoring26th May - 2ndJune Beginners and improversparamotring courses andconversion courses forparaglider pilotsDune du Pyla6th - 13th JulyWaga, waga, waga! Brushup on your ground handling,hone your skills, soarEuropes biggest sand duneand just enjoy the ambience.tel: 07779 790 637 or 01974 241574or visit MID WALES PG CENTRECOURSES 2019BHPA accident and incident digestThe following is an edited digest of Incident Reportssubmitted to the FSC between July and September 2018.The complete list of reports can be found at Andy started proceedings with an account of the Panel’s officialrole: responsibility for the national team, national championshipsand leagues, and being accountable to the BHPA CompetitionsDirector. There was also acknowledgement of Arthur Bentley’s roleon the European Parascending Accuracy Committee (EPAC), andAndy Shaw’s role on the CIVL Paragliding Accuracy Sub-committee. Gratitude was also expressed for the BHPA funding thePanel receives for the national team; a full team could not be sentto Category 1 events without this. A discussion was held on the future of accuracy and what rolethe Panel should have. There was general agreement that thefollowing objectives should be set:• Maintain a high ranking in the paragliding accuracy WPRS• Create a more professional coaching system• Share expertise between BHPA competition panels• Increase accuracy pilot numbers with a focus on youth andfemale pilots• Tap into the BPA to get new members• Increase accuracy pilot numbers at the national championships• Create a national parascending team• Get more countries involved in the parascending Grand Prix• Seek accuracy sites and support clubs involved in accuracy• Have more UK competitions and events• Avoid competition date clashes• Be guided by the BHPA membership• Promote success.It was noted that most big competitions are on the website events page, and that a paraglidingaccuracy event is planned for the end of March in SE Wales.There is also the possibility of accuracy events taking place onthe Isle of Wight, at Abingdon and in Norfolk.Everyone felt that a 50th anniversary celebration for theclassic nationals was a good idea; the first step would be todetermine the year in which it would take place. Ideas will besought to make this a big event and volunteers will be needed tohelp organise it.Andy Shaw described what the British Accuracy Academy (BAA)was about and its aim to develop accuracy. The BAA will operateparagliding and parascending training on the last weekend ofevery month, and volunteers are required to help run theseevents. It was noted that the relationship between the BAA andthe Accuracy Panel needs to be clarified. However having separateBHPA Panel and BAA Facebook pages was causing confusion; itwas felt that these could be merged and the BHPA-Accuracy.org.ukwebsite used more.Andy Shaw offered his thoughts on sponsorship. It was notedthat most sponsors want to support the top pilots and teams andgetting sponsorship could be difficult. However an event like the50th celebration of the classic nationals could attract sponsors.Andy Shaw presented a proposal for a new Panel structurewhereby nine panel members would look after working groups intheir field. The proposal was accepted and elections took place forthe nine roles plus a Vice-Chairman. BHPA members present atthe meeting were then able to put themselves forward for theworking groups. The Panel and working groups are detailed below.Officer role Panel member Working Group membersChairman Charlie Grantham Vice-Chairman John Harbutt Treasurer Jonathan Parkinson Andy WebsterSecretary Stuart Short Andy WebsterSafety Officer Jason Harper Chris Haynes, Merv Turner, Stuart ShortDevelopment Officer Andy Shaw Merv TurnerRules Officer Liz Lawrence Nikki Bodill, Andy Tillsley, Andy ShawMedia Officer Andy Webster Mick Collins, Andy Shaw, Mark BignellParascending Officer Arthur Bentley Martin Robe, Jamie Robe, Dave Crowhurst, Lee Cogman, Andy ShawParagliding Officer Mark Bignell Del Lazell, Andy Shaw, Charlie GranthamMinutes of the meeting are available on the website.Summary by Andy Websterdead centre ANDREW WEBSTER BHPA Accuracy Panel General Meeting12 SKYWINGS MAR 2019This event was well attended by 23 BHPA members including Exec Competitions Director Bill Bell, who commentedthat the attendance was better than at recent BHPA AGMs! The one-off meeting, chaired by Andy Webster, wasintended to gain members’ opinions on the future of accuracy and to elect Panel Members. Thanks go to AndyShaw for both promoting and organising the event, and Marc Asquith for opening up the BHPA offices.Photo: Andy ShawPhoto: Ben HarbuttPhoto: Arthur BentleyPhoto: Arthur BentleyPhoto: Jason HarperPhoto: Arthur BentleyPhoto: Arthur BentleyPhoto: Vlastimil VachtlPhoto: Martin RobePhoto: Arthur BentleyParagliding Accuracy WPRSThe paragliding accuracy World Pilot Ranking System (WPRS) has 2075 pilots from58 nations and shows a small growth in numbers through 2018. At the start of 2019Slovenia’s Jaka Gorenc held the No. 1 spot, with fellow countrymen Matjaz Feraric andMatjaz Sluga taking 2nd and 3rd respectively. Andy Shaw is the only UK pilot in the top100, in 59th position; Marketa Tomaskova of the Czech Republic is top of the 297 femalepilots in the system.Since this time last year Slovenia have moved up to top spot with Serbia andthe Czech Republic maintaining 2nd and 3rd respectively. Romania, Korea, Bulgaria,Kazakhstan and Macedonia have all moved up; the UK has dropped to 17th place.Andy Shaw, Andy Webster, Simon Sykes and Dave Mercer are the top four UK pilotscontributing to the UK’s position. There are four Asian and six European nations in thetop ten. Full rankings, and details of the formulas used, and separate European andAsian continental ranking systems, are available at Overall Individual1 Jaka Gorenc Slovenia 777 Deck 350.72 Matjaz Feraric Slovenia BGD Wasp 342.63 Matjaz Sluga Slovenia Gradient Bright 5 333.94 Goran Djurkovic Serbia Skywalk Mescal 5 323.75 Vlastimil Kricnar Czech Republic Axis Para Compact 3 314.96 Sergei Usanov Estonia Nova Prion 4 288.97 Dejan Valik Serbia Icaro Pica 287.28 Jafro Megawanto Indonesia Icaro Pica 281.99 Ivan Pavlov Serbia Icaro Pica 274.310 Marius Stoian Romania Skywalk Mescal 5 273.4 59 Andy Shaw GB UP Ascent 3 188.6108 Andy Webster GB UP Ascent 4 136.7110 Simon Sykes GB UP Ascent 3 135.9137 Dave Mercer GB UP Ascent 3 114.6173 Katie Lawrence GB UP Ascent 3 97.9257 William Lawrence GB UP Ascent 2 63.8270 Don Bodill GB U-Turn Evolution 60.5327 Matthew Bignell GB UP Ascent 4 48.1MAR 2019 SKYWINGS 132019 Accuracy CalendarApr 19 - 21 Paragliding Accuracy World Cup Alanya, Turkey Jun 28 - 30 Paragliding Accuracy World Cup Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan Aug 24 - 26 UK Classic Accuracy Nationals/European GP South Cerney, Gloucester Aug 30 - Sep 1 Paragliding Accuracy World Cup Mungyeong, Korea Aug 31 - Sep 1 UK Paragliding Accuracy National Championships Woldingham, Surrey Sep 8 - 18 Paragliding Accuracy World Championships Vrsac, Serbia Oct 2 - 6 Paragliding Accuracy Pre-Europeans Sibiu, Romania Oct 4 - 6 Paragliding Accuracy World Cup Wasserkuppe, Germany Accuracy Panel members (opposite page) from top left to bottom right: Accuracy Panel Chairman Charlie Grantham, Vice-ChairJohn Harbutt, Panel Treasurer Jonathan Parkinson, Panel Secretary Stuart Short, Safety Officer Jason Harper, DevelopmentOfficer – and top Brit in WPRS – Andy Shaw, Rules Officer Liz Lawrence, Media Officer Andrew Webster, Paragliding RepresentativeArthur Bentley and Paragliding Representative Mark Bignell Nation1 Slovenia 1263.62 Serbia 1148.43 Czech Republic 1051.54 Indonesia 1026.65 Romania 988.96 Korea 945.17 Bulgaria 874.48 Thailand 851.89 Kazakhstan 774.910 Macedonia 756.717 United Kingdom 575.8Report by Andy Websterthe square rescue with fast opening, rapidstabilisation and reliabilityThe lightweight Pull-Down-Apex for Paramotorand heavier pilots up to 150kgReplaces top selling One-G, new materials,lighter weight, small volume, stability slotsNEWpilot profile No. 303: Darren BrownFlying since 1998, Darren spent his early hang gliding days in the Peaks and at Nont Sarahs and nearbynorthern sites. In 1999 Stuart Bond persuaded him to enter his first competition, the Ulster Open, despite neverhaving even thermalled before; he made his first XC flight to win the novice section. Not long afterwards hebought a Doodlebug and travelled with Stuart’s group to the 2001 World Air Games in Spain, bivouacking their wayacross Spain with the paramotor pilots and stopping for parties and amazing meals laid on by the locals.The next few years were spent flying local sites, occasional holidays in France and Lanzarote, andDoodlebugging. A new family encroached on his XC ambitions and Darren almost stopped flying for about sixyears. In 2011, realising how much he missed the sport, he resolved to put his all into returning. Dave Cooper [PilotProfile, July 2018] persuaded him to enter the BOS: 'It was the best thing I ever did – achieving distances and inconditions I’d have never previously believed I could have managed. And I gained a whole new group of reallygood friends who shared my passion.'Darren finished third in the 2018 BOS series and then third at the British Championships at Laragne. He wasalso selected to fly on the British Team at the European Championships at Kruševo. 'Competitions have totallyre-energised my flying. Learning from top pilots and an accelerated learning curve has improved my skillsdramatically – alongside my enthusiasm. I’ve tried to impart some of that into my YouTube channel, and I hope toinspire and draw others into this fantastic sport.'Photo: Sasha Serebrennikova 14 SKYWINGS MAR 2019MAR 2019 SKYWINGS 15Age? 47Marital status? Partnered with Tuesday.Where were you born? Leeds.Where do you live now? Doncaster.Occupation? Police Officer.Previous occupations? Royal Engineer.How and when did you start flying? Around1996 I wanted to realise my dream of flying,and I thought hang gliding would be thecheapest method. I picked up the YellowPages and there was only one flying schoolin it. I am so glad I picked hang gliding!Which pilots most influenced you? StuartBond mentored me well after finishing my CP,always pushing me to improve myself. Morerecently Graham Phipps has inspired, encour-aged and believed in me. My biggest influencehas to be Gordon Rigg, who has driven mewith a huge amount of support, advice andmentoring, for which I am very grateful.Where and what was your most memorableflying experience? So many. When I flewunder a suspension bridge in Seville on myDoodlebug … achieving over 100 miles on anXC … or when a flock of vultures beganfollowing me in formation over the Trempvalley … or taking off on the death-defyingramp at St. Hilaire. But possibly it was myfirst big XC from Laragne. I left Chabre onmy Solar Wings Typhoon without a cluewhat I was doing or where I was going.Starting with a long glide, which I thoughtwas going to be to the deck, I somehow keptgoing over boonies and mountains … until Ieventually recognised somewhere andlanded at St. André. There I met threeBritish pilots who plied me with booze,before my retrieve drivers eventuallyarrived and treated me to an impromptubarbecue in the landing field.What is your favourite flying site in Britain?Predictably perhaps, the Mynd. Such easyaccess, smooth soaring and great potential,with XCs from there taking you overbeautiful landscape. I also love BlackstoneEdge in the Pennines – it’s so unlikely-looking but works great in light winds,taking you high over amazing scenery. Oneday I will fly to the coast from there.What is your favourite site in Europe?Ager – fantastic rugged mountains, flying withvultures and the awesome giant ridge of SierraFerrera (aka Ferrero Rocher). I can’t wait to goback for the British Nationals this year!What is your favourite site in the world? I’mnot well travelled outside Europe but wouldlike to fly some big mountains in America.Who do you most admire in the sport?There are lots, but have to highlight OllieChitty and Tim Swait – for their dedication,professionalism and bravery in giving somuch of their lives to hang gliding. Bothhave made a huge contribution in recentyears in keeping our sport alive andgenerating new interest.What trait do you most deplore in yourself?Procrastination. And indecision. I think.What trait do you most deplore in otherpeople? Intolerance. And disagreeing with me.When not flying, what do you do for recre-ation? Eating, computer games, programming,reading, cycling, windsurfing and bouldering.What is your favourite piece of music?It must be Bohemian Rhapsody because I’vebeen enjoying it for over 30 years.What is your favourite book? The Lord ofthe Rings, by a country mile.What is your favourite film? The Matrix.What is your greatest fear? Somethinghappening to my kids. And grumpy meetdirectors.What is your idea of perfect happiness?Sat outside watching the sunset withsomeone I love, a glass of wine in myhand, a full belly and tired out after agreat day of adventure in the sun.What would your motto be? Live eachday like it’s your last – one day it will be.How would you like to be remembered?Like Tigger in Winnie the Pooh.product news16 SKYWINGS MAR 2019Phi MaestroDesigner Hannes Papesh returns to the top-end B class aftera long absence with the keenly awaited EN B Phi Maestro, nowcertificated in four sizes and available for test flights. Leadingand trailing edge mini-ribs, as seen on the Tenor, give its 60 cellsbetter profile definition, and performance is said to beoutstanding. Six sizes cover all-up weights from 50 - 135kg. All butthe smallest size have extended weight ranges allowing them tobe flown with slightly higher loads if desired, while remainingwith the certified weight range (XS and XL sizes are awaitingcertification). For more information or to arrange a demonstrator,contact UK importer Flybubble 01273 812442and or go to Mentor 6Nova’s high-performing EN B Mentor is now available in a 6thincarnation offering better glide performance and handling. Newfeatures include ‘zig-zag’ 3D-shaping, a mini-rib ‘Vector Tape’, anew line layout and new risers. In the air Nova say it’s ‘intuitive,precise and responsive, with comfortably low brake pressure’.Ronstan ball-bearing pulleys reduce speed system effort and newergonomic brake handles are fitted. The Mentor has always beenaimed at ambitious XC pilots, those trading up from low-end Bwings and those downshifting from a C or D glider. Five sizescover all-up weights from 60 - 130kg. Details from UK importerActive Edge on 08451 298286, and or go to Buzz Z6Over the last ten years each successive iteration of Ozone’s Buzzhas enjoyed a good reputation as a low-B intermediate wing. Thenew Z6 version features a refined shark-nose profile and a 20%reduction in line drag, plus less weight and better durability froma new blend of materials. G-String straps, as seen on the Rush 5,aid reinflation and maintain a cleaner cell opening duringaccelerated flight, and internal construction has been revised toimprove tension and spanwise flow. From all this Ozone say glideperformance in active air and accelerated flight has beensignificantly improved, with greater passive safety. Six sizes coverall-up weights from 55 - 130kg; the MS (75 - 95kg) model weighs4.84kg. From Ozone dealers; details are at MAR 2019 SKYWINGS 17Neo ShortyNeo’s Shorty Harness is not a reversibleharness but a convertible one. Theshoulder straps and back are the samewhether in harness or backpack mode.The leg loops and hang points aredeployed from a zip compartment on thebottom of the rucksack to convert intoharness mode. For more details go to As usual with Neo stuff,all materials are sourced from withinEurope. They are imported by UK Airsportsat tel: 01768 779800,e-mail: Improved rucksackprotectorA lot of customer feedback has gone intoimproving Rob Steele’s Rucksack Pro-Tector and a new batch has just beencompleted in Nepal. The upgraded designfeatures strengthened main seams and animproved integral handle, and nowincludes an adjustable shoulder strap,cord-locks on the draw-cord and stuff-sack, and a waterproof luggage label. If youare doing any hard travellin’ with yourglider, consider using one of these. A shortvideo demo of the paragliding-specificJumbo Heavyweight version is atFor full details go to or e-mail Advance T-ShirtAdvance’s new ‘monochrome’ T-shirt isavailable in all sizes from S to XXL sizes.A bit late for winter, Winter Beanies ineasy-care 50-50 wool/acrylic fabric witha soft fleece inner band are alsoavailable in three new colours –Anthrazit, Pacific and Spectra. FromAdvance dealers or go to• excellent performance over the entire speed range• smooth inflation in all wind conditions• very stable, especially on bar• well-damped pitch control in strong conditions• good climbing ability• great passive safety for level of performance• C-riser steering with Smart RisersDrawing on our technology from the Genie Raceharness, the Genie Lite 2 has been designed formaximum XC comfort and stability in turbulence.The must have harness for those that want lightweight but with the added glider control andsecurity of a seat plate harness!Certified En C in all sizes.18 SKYWINGS MAR 2019hang pointsDoes a drag ‘chute make iteasier to land a hang glider?No, it does not. If you are struggling totime your flare to make a good nil-windlanding, a drag ‘chute is not going to helpat all. In fact the flare timing is a littlemore critical because the speed of theglider falls away more rapidly. Does the drag ‘chute make theglider fly slower?No, it does not. The glider has to flyabove the stall speed. The stall speedstays the same because the wing areaand the wing section don’t change. It isan air brake, not flaps.What does it do?A drag ‘chute make the approach easierby steepening the glide angle. This meansyou fly less distance across the ground andcan land in a shorter field, or approachmore steeply over obstacles into the field,or land flying down a shallow hill.Flying faster produces a lot more dragand the glider behaves more like aninefficient beginner’s glider, droppingquickly if you pull the bar right in, andslowing and losing its energy more quickly.The advantage is that you can approachsteeply without the need for any turnsnear the ground or near obstacles. Theeffect on glide angle is small if you flyslowly, and very pronounced if you fly fast.Use in strong windsFrench pilots in particular like to usetheir drag ‘chutes when it’s windy. At firstI thought this didn’t make sense. Howeverwhen it’s strong and your approach isthrough a steep wind gradient it can helpto make a steep, straight approachwithout any S-turns. A drag ‘chute alsohelps to stop that effect when you dropthrough the wind gradient and suddenlyshoot unexpectedly across the field. Insuch a situation you must of courseensure you over-compensate with a lot ofspeed to make a safe dive down throughthe wind gradient. What can go wrong?The ‘chute can fail to open when youhave put yourself in a situation where itis vital. I try to set up my approach sothat I can deploy the ‘chute and make astraight approach into the landing, butstill be in a positon where I canmanoeuvre to get into the field if it failsto open. That’s great when you can havethe best of both worlds.People are often pretty slapdash aboutthe way their drag ‘chute is folded, andthese people, unsurprisingly, have moreproblems with them not opening. Treat itlike a real parachute, make sure thelines are not twisted and Z-fold it – don’troll it up.Catching on the harnessMy drag ‘chute is on the harness close tothe unzip string, which has a velcro tab onthe end. I have had the drag ‘chute catchand tangle on that velcro tab. I try to besure I have that string end stowed before Iuse my drag ‘chute.Catching on the gliderThis is where the serious issues are.There is a lot of pull from a drag ‘chute.If it catches on the corner of your controlframe you are going to know about it. TheThe drag ‘chute – friend or foe?GORDON RIGG EXAMINES THE ADVANTAGES AND THE PITFALLSEver since hang gliders got the first semblance of real performance, dragparachutes have been experimented with for landing. These days opinion isdivided between believers and non-believers.The truth is that there a lot of thing that can go wrong with a drag ‘chute, and some ofthem are rather catastrophic. So it is understandable why some pilots have decided theyare well avoided.To make sure a drag ‘chute is more useful and less of a worry, I’ve compiled this guideto the pitfalls and the good practice.Flare timing is a more critical because speed falls off more rapidly Photo: Rick MastersPhoto: Adventure Flying/Zhenya LaritskayaMAR 2019 SKYWINGS 19‘chute will pull the control frame backand accelerate the glider, and then pullharder due to the extra speed. There havebeen very serious accidents where pilotshave deployed the ‘chute through thecontrol frame and then gone into adisastrous high-speed dive.The other issue is the drag ‘chute hookingon the keel while you fly slowly, and thenpreventing you pulling in to accelerate.More on that below.Locking into turnsAvoid anything but gentle turns withthe ‘chute deployed. The ‘chute takesthe inside line and then pulls your bodyacross into the turn, and you have toovercome the drag ‘chute pull to get yourweight the other way to level the turn. Asteep turn can lock into a spiral dive if youstart wanging it about. The longer the drag‘chute bridle the worse this issue can be.Deployment systems andharness mountingThere are two schools of thought withdeployment. One is to pull a handle and the‘chute drops out and opens. The other is topull the ‘chute and hold it by a handle on theapex, dropping it precisely when required.It can be argued that the simpledeployment method is safer, but l preferthe handle on the apex. I pull the ‘chuteand hold the handle against the base bar.Then I am controlling two-handed when Idecide to actually deploy it, and can choseto do it very late if I’m a bit low or a bitshort. There have been instances of peopleending up too short due to their drag ‘chute– once it’s out there is no going back. A fewpeople even had rather public landings justshort of competition goal lines!Most modern harnesses have a pocket forthe drag ‘chute, on the opposite side to themain parachute and well back, at pilotthigh level. This puts it well behindthe control frame to avoid a disastrousdeployment over the base bar. If you arefitting your own drag ‘chute pocket fit it atwaist level or below (Fig. 1). Putting it atchest level, thinking it is easier to see andget hold of, can give rise a deploymentthrough the control frame.Setting up the bridle lengthArrange the length of the bridle so thatwhen you are in a rearwards (slow)position the rim of the ‘chute cannot hookover the end of the keel. You don’t have toaccount for a full flare, only the slowestflying speed. Making the bridle too shortallows it to fly in and out of the pilot’s bodywake and become unstable.PracticeDon’t just put the drag ‘chute in theharness ‘just in case’. You need to practiceand appreciate how it affects the way theglider flies. Often we land in a big field butwe approach over the access. In thatsituation I use my drag ‘chute for practiceand save the walk!Overall I regard my drag ‘chute as anextra piece of kit worth carrying. It hashelped me out in some small fields anddown-sloping situations, and on occasionhas saved me a lot of walking.Shortly after the Forbes Flatlands, in late January Ollie Chitty met up with Steve Blacklerto contest the Category 2 New Zealand Nationals at Mount Murchison, South Island. Afterfive tasks, including a NZ-record 137km (won by Ollie) Steve Blackler emerged the overallwinner with Ollie 3rd – hats off to both pilots. Full report next month. New Zealand NationalsNZ HG Nationals winners (L-R) Ollie Chitty 3, Shane Mackay (NZ), 2 and Steve Blackler 1Fig .1: Correct location of drag 'chute pocketFit drag ‘chute at hiplevel or belowMy drag ‘chutePhoto: Gordon RiggWALK ON THE WILD SIDEThe Punk’s lighter twin, the Riot is forfun-seeking rebels looking to lighten theload for the ultimate freedom of the skies.The straight-talking Riot tells you aboutthe air, so you’re in control, while BGDhandling, mid-B safety and high-Bperformance are the tools you need to beyourself and do your own thing. Breakfree, explore the skies and carve your ownpath. Have a Riot!EN/LTF-B Next >