No. 447JULY 2026 The magazine of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding AssociationB attitude 2 SKYWINGS JULY 2026 The Long Mynd is what happens when hobbyist free flight evolves in a confined space over several decades and nobody throws anything away. Least of all on a good day, when everyone arrives at once. The result is a site of extraordinary variety; slow paragliders, faster hang gliders, rigid wings that make hang gliders look leisurely, sailplanes that make everything else look stationary, and canopies ranging from wide-arc racers to stubby speed wings, and the parakites turning high-speed proximity into an adrenaline-heavy discipline of its own. Powered aircraft are not permitted, for which most of us are quietly grateful. Strolling across a live airfield is something that would feel completely ridiculous almost anywhere else. None of us would lay a wing out on the centreline of a commercial runway and start to launch with an airliner on approach … and yet, in softer form, we occasionally recreate exactly that kind of conflict here. To reach the paraglider launch area at the Long Mynd you walk across a runway. Loaded with your bags, chatting to your mates, probably debating whether that optimistic task may actually be an option. In doing so you are crossing an active airstrip used by craft with in-flight weight of around 150kg, travelling fast with, once committed and ready to flare, all the manoeuvrability of a runaway bus. Hang glider numbers have declined over the years, which makes it tempting to treat two or three delta wings as a minor footnote to the day. They are not. They still need the full length of a clear, unobstructed approach; with options to adjust, overshoot, and think again. Don’t forget, in times not long ago they generously made room for the strange new sport of paragliding! There is also the small matter of our floppy brethren slope-soaring immediately below the hang glider launch. From the paraglider’s perspective you are tucking in tight to the face, optimising weak lift and showing your pals how it’s done. From the apprehensive hang glider pilot’s viewpoint, when poised and ready to launch, a large colourful bedsheet is tracking steadily back and forth directly across the area they are about to sprint towards at speed. To go or not? Some will choose to wait. A whistle, it turns out, can be an excellent solution. Used much like a car horn: before the launch run, on final approach, and whenever a paraglider appears to be executing a particularly meditative turn without first checking what may be travelling towards them somewhat faster. The old mantra of swivelling your head like a hyped-up owl can be the best way to signal to others that you make careful observation your paragliding priority. Most of these conflicts aren’t caused by bad intent. They’re caused by closing speeds and blind spots that are so different to the experience of the dangling paraglider pilot. The sailplane pilots’ winch vehicle is equipped with flashing lights, which mostly illuminate the surrounding heather. The more reliable signal that a launch is imminent is a person at the wingtip holding the sailplane level. If that wingtip drops to the ground and the helpers step away, the launch is no longer imminent. Our site guide recommends 1,500ft of clearance before crossing the tow area. More is better. Much better still is to travel east or west when you are well north or south of the gliding club’s operational arena. There’s loads of room for all on such a long and generous ridge. Once airborne, the sailplanes are admirably disciplined in avoiding slower aircraft, right up until they need to cross the ridge lift band at speed to set up position for their landing approach. This is exactly the band of air where paragliders and hang gliders spend most of their time. Sailplane pilots have reasonable forward and upward visibility. Below and behind them is a different matter. Second- guessing their intent is essential if we are to give them the safe window they need to cross safely for their landing. On a light, scratchy day when lift is scarce, everyone gets squeezed into the same small columns of air. The slow paraglider becomes a useful marker of where that lift actually is, in much the same way we use the birds. Bear in mind, though, that for the hang glider pilot a bottom landing ends their day entirely. For the sailplane pilot it is essentially a non-optional disaster. For the paraglider pilot it is an inconvenience at worst and maybe a short climb back up to the car. On a busy day, we’re all just sharing the same small piece of sky at very different speeds. The trick is to remember that what feels comfortable to us may look very different from the other end of the aerial food chain. Steve Young’s definitive guide to top landing at the Mynd can be found at https://longmynd.org/img/long_mynd_top_l anding_guide.pdf Sharing the air – notes from the bottom of the food chain JAMES ALLCOCK, CHAIRMAN, LONG MYND SOARING CLUB Experienced hang glider and rigid-wing pilot Steve Young wrote a definitive guide to top landing at the Long Mynd in these pages back in 2021. It may well have saved a few uprights and several pilots’ dignity. This piece aims to cover a wider picture: what happens when paragliders, hang gliders, rigid wings and sailplanes all decide that today is a rather good day to fly. Illustration: James Allcock regulars 2 attitude: James Allcock 6 news 10 safety matters 11 new products 12 pilot profile: Barry Johnson 14 comp lines 22 hang points 26 dead centre 28 airmail 28 calendar of events 35 caption competition features 30 we’re here for the flying! the Buttermere Bash – it’s tribal! 4 SKYWINGS JULY 2026THE BHPA LTD 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1RJ. Tel: 0116 289 4316. SKYWINGS MAGAZINEis published monthly by the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association Ltd to inform, educate and entertain those in the sports of Paragliding and Hang Gliding. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, their Council, Officers or Editor. The Editor and publisher accept no responsibility for any supposed defects in the goods, services and practices represented or advertised in this magazine. The Editor reserves the right to edit contributions. ISSN 0951-5712 SUBSCRIPTIONS AND DELIVERY ENQUIRIES Tel: 0116 289 4316, e-mail: office@bhpa.co.uk THE EDITOR Joe Schofield, 39 London Road, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9BH. Tel: 01379 855021. E-mail: skywings@bhpa.co.uk. COVER PHOTO Sam Smith and Avian Rio 1above the Long Mynd in February Photo: Sam Smith THIS PAGEMike Lester of the USA (Ozone Enzo 3/Submarine) glides during Task 2 of the PWC Superfinal at Gemona Photo: Martin Scheel 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: 07624 413737 Email: ads@skywingsmag.com Online: www.skywingsmag.com. SKYWINGS ONLINE All issues of Skywings magazine are now freely available at https://www.skywingsmag.co.uk. DEADLINESNews items and event/competition reports for the September issue must be submitted to the Skywings office by Friday July 31st. Letters for the August Airmail pages should arrive no later than Friday July 17th. Advertisement bookings for the August 2026 edition must arrive by Friday July 10th. Copy and classified bookings no later than the following Friday July 17th. JULY 2026SKYWINGS 5B news 6 SKYWINGS JULY 2026 Dragon Power Girls At the Magic Bash/Dragon H&F at Crickhowell in May, Rosie Ireland had the bright notion of a Power Girls get-together. The idea was to reunite a number of women pilots who had been active in promoting the sport, reaching back to Kinga Masztalerz’s 2024 ‘Tour’, the 2023 women’s flying weekends and beyond. Identifiable among the Power Girls are Annabelle Cracknell-Jones, Kate Millson, Peggy Williams, Rosie Ireland and Viv Fouracre; also present are Chiara, Bex, Lizzy, Kim, Nadia and Sonia. Having reconnected at the Glanusk campsite, Rosie proposed taking the reunion conversation to the gin tent. We are told there was some disappoinment on discovering there was no gin on tap, only Gin paragliders. It’s good to observe that a form of critical mass has emerged among women pilots over the last few years. Note to sponsors: consider the provision of a G&T tent for future social gatherings. [Photo: Ben Ireland] FlySussex power too! It turns out that the FlySussex instructor squad is also a female powerhouse. The photo shows (L-R) proprietor Tim Cox asleep on his feet, plus CFI Jessica Futter and instructors Amy Shaw and Ylva Jones. Not pictured are Instructor and Oxford University flight-theory boffin Zoe Hitchcock, and Sussex’s much-travelled Senior Instructor Jenni Fleming. Also too busy to be photographed is Office Manager Georgeana Scobie, said to be the brains of the outfit, who also runs their website. There are a few chaps on the team, but women are in the ascendant at FlySussex. Gin performance camp Billed as a new kind of paragliding competition, Gin’s performance camp at Krushevo this month (19th-24th) combines high-level XC racing with professional mentorship from luminaries such as Gin Seok himself, 3 x female world champion Petra Slivova, SIV guru Yeray Gonzalez and R&D pilots Stephen Ashley and Dora Goksal. It’s aimed at ambitious EN C pilots seeking to improve their racing and XC skills. Groups will be mentored with daily briefings, analysis and shared experience during the week. More than a competition, Gin are calling it a ‘complete learning and performance experience’. Note the dates – you’ll need to move fast. Details are at https://tinyurl.com/3e92p4sy or via www.gingliders.com. Record entry for Icarus Cup A record number of HPAs have been entered for the 2026 Icarus Cup, running at Lasham as you read this. Alongside the regular contestants – Aerocycles 301/2 and Airglow – the event will see the return of former winner Betterfly, and Southampton University’s Lazarus with a new wing of Aerocycle design. In addition a new aircraft from Strathclyde University will make its debut, and a new machine from 2021 and 2023 winner Kit Buchanan. All will be hoping to prize the Cup away from current champion Lewis Rawlinson flying LSBU’s much-modified Airglow. HPF Strath’s new Aether is in the hands of a very capable and experienced team, trained over several years’ attendance at the Cup event. Kit Buchanan’s Magpie is another dark horse, utilising many FDM ‘printed’ components, and SUHPA’s AeroLazarus is more or less a new machine. Current interest in HPA development is intense and each of the current teams has great experience in building and flying these machines. Aerocycle 302 has taken the last three Icarus Cup winners to victory; it’s entirely possible that it will be eclipsed by new talent and new technology this year. Details are at https://bhpfc.co.uk/icaruscup2026/. Flybrief – no noise! Rutland Airsports paraglider Steve Wagner has developed a one- stop shop for NOTAMs, airspace and emergency notifications, also lifts and retrieves. Still under development but gaining new features daily, FlyBrief is a daily briefing system built to circumvent the drawbacks of conventional feeds aimed at GA pilots. Free fliers don’t need runway closures, ILS outages, taxiway works and other distractions; they need to know about active danger areas, BVLOS drone corridors, parachute drops, military exercises, lasers and tethered balloons. The system generates a clean OpenAir airspace file for the day, colour-coded by hazard type and compatible with Oudie, SkyDemon, Flyskyhy and XCTrack. Data is sourced from the official NATS NOTAM feed but stripped of everything irrelevant. Its XContest-format output enables XCTrack to auto-activate zones at their scheduled times, JULY 2026SKYWINGS 7 Adv li vnur n liv e y ou r SIN SS‘‘MANMANSKY EDSIR SKY ybrid single sh THE SKINNGLE WERFWERFPO POTTOSOSM SHARK M acwith20%doublesurfkin DMUND FUL IS FUL ec K EDSIR t pomos SHARKDMUND lyFe&ikH orerful single skin fw crShort T www sttry flighounoss-cr hermalling T ly Fe &ik oo.skyman..w H aer and it hosts an interactive map and dedicated ATZ Status page, with tap-to-call phone numbers for every aerodrome. It’s not an official aviation briefing service, but will always refer you to the original source. Potentially all your birthdays in one, Flybrief is a genuine breakthrough in providing reliable, up-to-date airspace date – without the noise. Anyone for an Ee-Bee? Seen at the Popham microlight show in May, an electric Sub-70 flexwing trike. It turns out to be the personal project of Jez Walsh, who works at Flylight. Jez has used a 21kW motor, battery and controller salvaged from an electric motorbike to electrify a Peabee trike. With some careful refinement he was able to get the weight below 70kg, and after a lot of ground running the machine made its maiden flight early in April under an Adam wing. Test flying by Ben Ashman and Paul Dewhurst is said to have confirmed strong performance and hinted at the trike’s development potential. In its current state the Ee-Bee offers 40- minute duration on a 4kWh Li-ion battery. Neither a price or a limited production model have yet been mentioned. There’s quite a good video of the Ee-Bee in action at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMfdJtW79-U. Next Aero Gen Fly Camp A week of hang gliding at Laragne for pilots aged 16–27 from all over Europe? It’s the brainchild of Dutch school Delta Fly Adven- tures, intended to help young hang glider pilots fly together. ‘Most young hang glider pilots quit,’ says DeltaFly’s Heleen van den Bos. ‘Not because it’s too hard, but because there’s nobody their age around. They fly with people twice their age, feel out of place, and slowly disappear. Next Aero Gen Fly Camp is built to change that.’ It’s for pilots of all levels to fly, be coached, and spend time with others at the same point in the sport and their lives. Pricing is low and all-inclusive; glider hire is available. Details are at deltaflyadventures.com/hang-gliding-camp-europe-2026. Online coaching talks South East Wales coach Chris Begley has created online talks for the club, with supporting information distributed through the club’s Telegram groups. He has now created a dedicated website for pilots to access his coaching material. ‘I wanted to make coaching more accessible and effective for our members,’ he says. His most recent talk, on wing control – ‘among the most important skills a pilot can develop’ – was opened up to pilots from other clubs. Drawing on presentation skills developed during an aerospace career at Rolls-Royce, Chris aims to create an accessible (and free!) resource of paragliding knowledge for the flying community. His wing control talk includes links to videos on his YouTube channel, which is entirely non-monetised. Catch this useful material at www.chrisbegleyparagliding.com. Paul Dancey honoured Outgoing Skywings and website chief Paul Dancey was given a fitting tribute to his years of impeccable service at a BHPA Exec meeting on June 2nd. In front of appreciative Exec members and BHPA staff, all of whom have reason to thank him for his tireless efforts, Paul was presented with a beautiful ornamental hourglass, inscribed ‘The Hours You gave’. Although finally bowing out from Exec after more than 27 years of behind-the-scenes work, Paul will continue to handle the current website back end and the new website phase-in until bedded in. In 2004 Paul received a BHPA Merit Award for his earlier work for the SE Wales Club; he was awarded the the RAeC’s Bronze Medal in 2011 and the BHPA’s President’s Trophy in 2016. As volunteers go there is none finer. Ron Richardson Former British hang gliding team member Ron Richardson died on May 20th, aged 72. Ron flew for the British hang gliding team in European and world championships in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, winning several team medals. In the mid ‘80s he begun building a series of varios, culminating in the famous Davron 808, the first with a full pixel screen and many years ahead of its time. Always an innovator, he also helped Avian develop the composite structure for their Cheetah topless glider. In 1999 Ron flew this glider to a world championship task win at Monte Cucco (something no Brit has achieved since); his flying that day helped the team win an FAI Silver medal. Ron was able to make and fix pretty much anything. He made the gauges and releases for us to car tow in Australia, and kept the ancient Fords we drove there going with string, bits of broken batten and opened-out beer cans. Our condolences are with Val, his wife of over 50 years, and their family. [Gordon Rigg] Len Hull Free flying pioneer and former British hang gliding team pilot Len Hull died peacefully on May 29th, aged 79. Len, an Airwave dealer, was a founder member of the Sheffield Hang Gliding Club (later the DSC). A great character and a big player in Derbyshire hang gliding circles, Len has often been cited as a formative influence by later pilots. He managed the British team at the 1983 Schwangau Worlds to win Silver, and flew on the British team at the 1988 Mt Buffalo Worlds that won Bronze. His sons Sam and Ben became active hang glider pilots in the 2000s; both flew in the UK Nationals and the BOS, and joined the British team for the 2005 Hay World Championships in Australia. Although unable to take an active role in flying after a serious accident in 2003, Len had helped lay the groundwork for free flying in Derbyshire, and encouraged countless pilots to progress and succeed. In brief RAeC awards. At the Royal Aero Club awards ceremony, held at the Brooklands Museum in May, members of Steve Penfold’s family were present to receive the RAeC Bronze Medal conferred for his long service to hang gliding. Steve’s family intends to make a bequest in Steve’s name to support up-and-coming competition pilots. Also honoured at Brooklands: Dennis Trott received the Ann Welch Memorial Award in recognition of his immense contribution to the sport of paragliding. Schmittenhöhe mid-air. Both pilots survived a mid-air collision between a single-engine Cessna lightplane and a paraglider at about 2000m asl, outside controlled airspace near Zell am See, Austria, on May 23rd. The paraglider pilot took to her parachute; the Cessna landed with canopy fabric still draped over its wing. Naoki Itagaki. We learned on May 28th that Naoki Itagaki, Japan’s reigning Class 5 world champion, had died in a flying accident at Buchenberg in Bavaria. It is thought there may have been a rigging error. Naoki had been a member of Japan’s Class 1 team before taking up Class 5; in July last year he won the Class 5 Worlds at Àger on an Atos VQ. European tandem record. Early May is when the Austrian Alps really kick off. On May 2nd, local expert Christopher Manzl flew a Skywalk tandem proto 263.5km from Zillertal on a more or less triangular route. The flight exceeded Thomas Hofbauer’s European free-distance-via-three-turnpoints record, set exactly a year earlier from Stoderzinken, by 51km. The flight, accompanied by someone called Linda, took 10.5 hours. Zillertal again. The Ziller valley is the gift that keeps on giving. Having nailed the world and European tandem free-distance- around-a-triangle record at 272.7km on May 25th, Christopher Manzl had another go the next day to achieve 291.7km. Stefan Lauth’s existing record of 233km has stood for seven years. And Kinga again! With ink barely dry on Kinga Masztalerz’s 2025 female Free distance triangle world record, just ratified at 272.5km (May Skywings), she broke it. On May 26th Kinga flew a 287.96km triangle from Antholz in Italy to reset her new record, subject to confirmation. Kinga’s wing was a Phi Scala 2 L in both cases. The FAI records department must love her! New weather API. Convek is a new API that turns RASP-style ‘WRF’ forecast output into a common (JSON) format for apps, club websites, instruments, etc. Current coverage is UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Czechia at 4km resolution. Wider European – and eventually global – coverage is envisaged. Weather tech geeks should go here for more: https://convek.dev. Blunder Dept back from holidays. Observers of the paramotor scene will have noted that the photo of ‘Adrian Southgate’ in the June issue actually showed Germany’s Jannick Kauth. Apologies to both parties; thanks to Jonathan Hobbs for the correction. LATE NEWS: Paragliding fatality. Pilot-rated BHPA member Steven Reynolds died on June 17th after colliding with power lines at Àger, Spain. A BHPA Formal Investigation will investigate the circumstances of the incident; a report will appear in due course. We offer our sympathies to Steven’s friends and family. 8 SKYWINGS JULY 2026 B newsFlying High Testival STEVE UZOCHUKWU REPORTS ‘Flying High’ took place at Mayrhofen in Austria in late May. Zillertal’s north-south valley, branching off the east-west Inntal, is a ski area whose infrastructure supports paragliding in spring and summer. The Testival, organised by the local club, Flying High, is in its sixth year. It’s run by volunteers, with publicity support from the local tourist board. 24 manufacturers were present with wings, harnesses and instruments available to borrow. All the stands were adjacent to the main landing field, with a dedicated packing area for wings before their return. Shuttle taxis ran from the exhibition area to the lower cable car station; the top station was within metres of two take-offs. Flying was based around five local sites for which the club had sought approval, with the main thrust based around the Penken, served by the cable car and providing a 4,500ft top-to-bottom. North-east and south-east directions are covered but the Testival was exclusively flown from the north-east launch, where a large area was set aside for preparation. A daily cost of €60 covered participation and unlimited cable car rides. The landing field had a bar and a food stand. Around 200 pilots were expected daily. At these events we often see trends emerging as well as new releases. Nearbirds debuted the Vyra long-tail ‘submarine’ type harness pictured. Harnesses were well represented by other manufacturers, with the offer of designer and/or factory fitting advice. Recently the push has been much lighter harnesses, from sitting to streamlined pods, with hike & fly leading the way. Among gliders two trends were evident. The larger sizes of more popular wings may be only available in a light version, as their packed volume, boosted by the more complicated internal structure is felt to be larger than ideal by some designers. Some wings will only be made in light or semi-light versions for the whole gamut of sizes. Another notable push has been for EN B wings to have decent pitch control systems on the rear risers, or B-C bridges as some manufacturers call them. These attempt to get closer to the two- liner feel, with pitch control available without having to come off the speed bar. They give a very useful amount of rear riser control, but not quite the two-liner experience. With pre-registration completed before arrival, the final sign- up for the event on the first day involved minimal fuss or effort. I was able to experience eight gliders I hadn’t flown before, covering mid and high Bs, plus low-end EN C two-liners. There are great offerings in the mid B class now. I was very impressed with the organisation and execution of this Testival. Mayrhofen is a great place to fly, and I would recommend it to anyone wanting to find a new glider or harness. The opportunity for top-quality advice and back-to-back comparisons is hard to resist. 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