< Previous20 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 dead centre Paragliding accuracy competition It having been too windy to fly on the official practice day, a 6am start was called on the first competition day to try and beat the forecast high winds. Yet on arrival pilots were greeted by fog, with Meet Director Andy Shaw having to motivate reluctant pilots to go to an invisible launch point in the middle of the Warlingham airfield, in readiness to start as soon as the fog lifted. Given the conditions, it was decided that the finer control of the parallel towing system should be used, to ensure pilots did not get towed into the stronger upper winds. Drifter pilot Steve King was used a few times to check visibility levels before it became clear enough to make a safe start. The wind speed increased as the fog eased, and crabbing across to the target after release was an achievement in itself. Pilots early in the flying order who did not reach the landing field were shown some initial leniency by the Chief Judge and given re-flights if they remembered to fly away from the target. Pilots were soon told to release well upwind of the landing field to ensure they could reach the target. The judging team was led by Chief Judge Maja Karas, appointed by the World Cup organisers. Also in the judging team were Lara Leban, Jayne Houston, Jonathan Parkinson, Josie Ewington, Steve King, Harrison Darani and Simon Regis, with Mark Bignell and Judith Freeman compiling the results. Chris Haynes was on Launch Marshall duty, assisted by Philippe Geraldo laying gliders out and connecting the tow strops. Overseeing everything was meet director Zlatko Spirkoski, also appointed by the World Cup organisers. As the round progressed the wind speed continued to increase along with thermic activity, and a lot of big scores were recorded. Eventually Round 1 was completed and Dale McMahon found himself in the lead, the only pilot to record a DC. Jaka Gorenc of Slovenia also scored a DC but had flown out of order; an unsporting protest changed his score to 500cm! Two scores were recorded in the second round before conditions became too dynamic to continue. Despite numerous attempts to restart, there was no more flying on the first day. After another 6am start on the second day, matters were looking good until drifter pilot Steve King hit stronger upper winds causing a weak link to break. The strong upper winds soon dropped to ground level and it was eventually decided to cancel the day’s flying. A 5.30am WhatsApp message on Day 3 told pilots to stay in bed; a weather check had confirmed that conditions were not suitable for flying. The day did not improve so another 6am start was called for the last day. Despite a windy forecast people were surprised to wake up to low winds on Day 4. The competition was back on. Pilots were launched by parallel tow operated by Andy Shaw and Tyron Paul, and by winch operated by Arthur Bentley; they all had to be wary of the stronger upper winds. Pilots initially had to deal with a wind gradient, but as Round 2 progressed the low-level wind and thermic activity increased, making target approaches difficult. Nevertheless Round 2 was soon completed, with Valery Tzvetanov of Bulgaria taking the lead on 4cm followed by Cemel Direkci of Turkey (6cm) and Dimitar Ralev of Bulgaria (12cm). William Lawrence (20cm) was top Brit in 5th place, Marketa Tomaskova of the Czech Republic was top lady and Ben Woodcock was in the best under-25 position. Round 3 progressed at pace but eventually succumbed to strong winds. Numerous attempts were made to complete the round, but by late afternoon it was decided to cancel the round and end the competition. Classic accuracy competition Due to the early starts and efforts to validate the paragliding competition, the classic competition didn’t get going until the last competition day. Fortunately Dave Crowhurst was available to run the competition and was keen to remind pilots of the flying order rules. Del Lazell did all the Land Rover towing, and British Skydiving judges Amanda Kenny, Bob Hiatt, Clem Quinn and Roger Flavell were on hand to help Liz Lawrence and Andy Cowley at the target. The squares were obviously struggling with the same conditions as the paragliders. Initially they had to deal with the difficult transition between the stronger upper winds and lower winds at the target. However, as the day progressed and the lower level winds increased, pilots were struggling to penetrate on finals, where it was luck of the draw as to whether the wind meter would bleep over limits. Fortunately for the squares, they could still be towed after the paragliders had been stood down, and all the square pilots were able to post two scores before conditions got too strong. Only Dave Crowhurst and Jamie Robe were able to get pad scores in both rounds, with Dave Crowhurst taking the win with a total score of 5cm. Tyron Paul was the best under-25 pilot. Turkish pilot Cemel Direkci took 2nd place in the World Cup British Accuracy Cup Round 2 & UK World Cup Only a few days after the first round of the British Accuracy Cup over the Easter Bank Holiday, the second round started at the same location. The forecast showed high winds and postponement was seriously considered, but with so much infrastructure in place, and overseas pilots still in attendance from Round 1, it was decided to continue. The paragliding competition doubled as the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup, with 34 pilots from nine countries entered. Eight pilots entered the classic event, five of whom also competed in the paragliding event. All photos: Andre w W ebsterWorld Cup Individual (2 rounds) 1 Valery Tzvetanov Bulgaria Davinci Point 0.04m 2 Cemel Direkci Turkey BGD Adam 0.06m 3 Dimitar Ralev Bulgaria Gradient Bright 0.12m 4 Umut Akcil Turkey BGD Adam 0.18m 5 William Lawrence GB UP Rimo 0.20m 6 Samuel Sperber France Advance Pi 3 0.32m 7 Ben Woodcock GB UP Rimo 0.36m 8 Andy Shaw GB UP Rimo 0.63m 11 Matthew Bignell GB UP Rimo 0.71m 13= Dale McMahon GB UP Rimo 1.07m 15 Andy Webster GB UP Ascent 4 1.39m 16 Tyron Paul GB UP Kibo 1.66m 18 Mark Bignell GB UP Ascent 3 2.47m 26 Myrianthe Ewington GB UP Rimo 6.18m 27 Dave Mercer GB UP Ascent 3 6.32m 29 Peter Cush GB UP Rimo 8.69m 30= Mindaugas Jakovlevas GB Skywalk Mescal 5 10.00m 30= John Lawrence GB UP Ascent 2 10.00m 30= Sue Britnell GB BGD Wasp 10.00m World Cup Team (2 rounds; best 3 scores per team each round) 1 Davinci Delta V Tzvetanov, D Ralev, Y Neychev, L Dzhermanova 0.68m 2 Green Dragons 1 W Lawrence, A Shaw, M Bignell, T Paul 0.95m 3 Czech Cyprus M Tomaskova, C Direkci, Umut Akcil, M Mendeli 1.25m 4 Hot Temperature Pilots S Sperber, P Piazzalunga, V Rodrigeuz, N Alrehaili 7.08m 5 Green Dragons 2 B Woodcock, D McMahon, D Mercer 7.75m 6 Flying Fox J Gorenc, R Herega, S Krnc 12.89m Full BAC Classic Individual (2 rounds) 1 Dave Crowhurst PD Zero 0.05m 2 Jamie Robe Parafoil 282 0.22m 3 Matthew Bignell Parafoil 282 1.74m 4 Andy Webster Eiff Classic 2.54m 5 John Lawrence Eiff Classic 2.64m 6 Mark Bignell Sportlite 324 2.66m 7 Andy Shaw Green Dragons Focus 4.25m 8 Tyron Paul Green Dragons Focus 4.71m BAC Classic Team (2 rounds; no dropped scores from team pilots) 1 Green Dragons 1 D Crowhurst, J Robe, A Shaw 4.52m 2 Birdwings A Bentley, A Webster, Mark Bignell 10.20m 3 Green Dragons 2 T Paul, D McMahon, Matt Bignell 11.45m 4 Scout Rebels S Sykes, K Sykes, John Lawrence 12.64m Trophies were presented by accuracy royalty Myrianthe Ewington, Marketa Tomaskova, Uglesja Jondzic and Zlatko Spirkoski. Special awards went to officials Myrianthe Ewington, Liz Lawrence, Maja Karas, Lara Leban, Del Lazell and Chris Haynes. Chief Judge Maja Karas also had special praise for Josie Ewington’s judging at the target. Top marks go to the Green Dragons team of Andy Shaw, Myrianthe Ewington, Tyron Paul, Ben Woodcock, Dale McMahon, Matthew Bignell, Mark Bignell, Steven King, Jamie Robe, Dave Crowhurst and Del Lazell for the phenomenal amount of work they put into the event. Special thanks go to Farleigh Football club for use of their facilities, and all the sponsors; Green Dragons Airsports, Birdwings Airsports, Cloudbase Paragliding, UP Paragliders, Thermal Chasers, Air Sports Promotion, Sportlite, Red Bull, XC Mag, Natterbox, Hallmark Engraving, PGFry & Co, the Co-Op and Rendezvous Café. Event Director Andy Shaw said, ‘It was fantastic to be able to bring a FAI Category 2 PGAWC to the UK, and I feel very proud of Team Green Dragons and BHPA friends for pulling this together, with over 500 flights over the week. It was tough coming out of Covid, facing restrictions and helping many pilots get visas to enter the UK. 50 years of accuracy flying hang gliders and paragliders sure has been amazing.’ Report by Andy Webster JULY 2022 SKYWINGS 21 World Cup top 3 (L-R): Dimitar Ralev, Valery Tzvetanov and Cemel DirekciWorld Cup top 3 ladies (L-R): Lidhiya Dzhermanova, Marketa Tomaskova and Myrianthe Ewington World Cup top 3 youth pilots (L-R): Spela Krnc, Ben Woodcock and TyronWhen I found out I was going to be competing in Brazil I was ecstatic. I had only gained my Pilot rating around a week before the 2021 British Championships and it was amazing to make it as part of the team. Here I’d like to give a massive thankyou for the training and constant support from Northern Skies Paramotoring for getting me to this point. I knew that I had the ability and drive to compete, but with less than two years’ flying, did I have the experience? The three members of the British team had all participated in the UK competition scene before, but none of us had competed internationally. We entered the competition hoping to gain experience, training and friendship. Although we all would have loved to win, we knew our equipment was set for the British Endurance format and couldn’t compare to that of the French or Qatari teams. I was flying a Parajet Zenith Top 80 and a 26m Ozone Speedster 2. Dan Jones was held aloft by his trusty Bulldog Atom 80 and Dudek WRC 27m, and Nigel Cosbie- Ross by a Bulldog Moster and Dudek Synthesis 29m. We soon discovered that we were flying the biggest wings in the PF1 class. Surrounded by the latest and greatest equipment on the market, we came up with one simple plan: to score in every task! The tasks were very similar to those in the British Championships, but instead of deciding which ones we wanted to do and when we wanted to do them, the task director would set a task with barely any notice. As there was so much going on at Saquarema, I’ll focus mainly on Day 1 of the competition and the challenges the team and I faced. Task 1 was Pure Navigation: 60+5 minutes to fly around as many turnpoints as possible and return. After being given the map I got straight to work and planned a route that should in theory have got me back to base within 53 minutes. I filled my tank to the brim to get the fastest speeds out of my wing, set up and got off the deck quickly. After completing 30 minutes worth of turnpoints in fair conditions I heard a loud pop. My engine became very noisy and there was a noticeable lack of thrust. I quickly located a safe land-out option, pulled in my trims and inspected the issue using my fuel-check mirror. I soon realised that my exhaust had snapped, but luckily it was still in place and there was no danger of a propeller strike. Still able to climb, even with the reduced thrust, I decided to head to the finish gate and land. I made it back in the nick of time at 61 minutes, thankfully scoring all the points I had collected. I checked over my engine, and sure enough the exhaust had snapped in two. The first issue I had in the competition and it was mechanical – just my luck. Fortunately the guys over at Vittorazi had a spare exhaust, which was mounted onto my engine quicker than I could put my fuel tank back on – thank you so much to Vittorazi for their support! The camaraderie has got to be the best thing about paramotor competitions. In the air we will do anything and everything to beat the person above us, but the second we land it’s like being surrounded by a 22 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 New kid on the block! PARAMOTOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS REPORT My name is Joe Womersley and I recently competed at the World Paramotor Championships in Brazil. I’m 23 years old and started flying about a year and a half ago. Some of you may know me from my videos online about my flying antics, or you might recognise my surname from my bigger, less-attractive brother Ric, the current British Paramotor Champion (soon to be ex-champion if I have anything to do with it!). Instead of the usual story of how it feels to be the new World Champion, I’m going to describe the challenges I faced at the World Championships, and what it was like to be the new kid on the block! propellerhead Joe Womersley on a skittle task At rest … but not for long!JULY 2022 SKYWINGS 23 200-person support group. Everyone helps each other as much as they can to make sure we all get back in the air to continue the fight! Task 2 was Economy with Navigation. This involved being given 1.5L of fuel, flying up a line on a map and turning at a specific point, planned by the individual competitor, to score as many points as possible. I knew that my equipment gave me around 24 minutes of flying and I planned a route which should have taken 22 minutes. I was airborne as quickly as possible to try and avoid the anticipated bad weather, but at the start gate I realised the wind was a lot stronger than I had thought, and coming from the wrong direction. I flew my task regardless, but as I was about to turn a gaggle of eight paramotors blocked my path and I had to wait another ten seconds. I turned later than I had planned, and at this point I knew it was going to be close – and, with the lack of land-out options, potentially dangerous. I saw a fellow pilot ditch into the mountains at the only clear piece of land. After almost making it back to the landing zone my engine spluttered out. I shook around to try and find any lingering fuel but after one final pull there was nothing left. With 0.5km to go I landed out with Qatari pilot in a swamp- like field. We were soon rescued by two lovely locals who took us back to their home. There we laughed and joked and they gave us water, and even offered us a traditional Brazilian beverage. Unfortunately it smelt like pure ethanol and we had to turn it down! Although it was annoying that I didn’t quite make it back, this is a memory I will keep forever! Only 15 of the 42 PF1 pilots made it back to the field on that task. Task 3: Precision Navigation. This task will be remembered forever for one of the most controversial decisions ever taken in a classic competition. The task was eventually cancelled, but as it had been a high-scoring task it completely changed the final leaderboard, knocking me down by over five places. However the decision was made fairly through the appropriate channels and by the Jury. As the task was set immediately after the previous Eco task, not everyone had made it back to the field and some were still waiting to be picked up. Yet at 15:30 we were put into quarantined planning and instructed to land before sundown at 17:30. This was going to be very difficult for the Team GB pilots, on slower equipment, to achieve. With this in mind I planned out two of the four legs, knowing I would have to gun it on full speed bar for the rest of the flight to return in time. Everything was going to plan until I went into the lee of the mountain, which can only be described as the worst conditions I’ve ever flown in. I was being thrown around left, right and centre and, because of the low celling (1900ft above sea level), if went wrong it would be straight for the reserve! I tried different altitudes, trim in, to try get out of sink, but even on full power I was still falling fast. After battling the conditions for what felt like hours, I made it past the lee of the mountain and went full speed bar, pulley to pulley, hammered it and made it back. I landed at 17:21pm, followed by my teammate Nige at 17:25. We waited anxiously to see if Dan was going to make it. He still hadn’t been rescued from the economy task when I set off, and I knew that it was would be down to the wire. He returned at 17:32 pm, which meant that he scored zero. With that, Day 1 was complete. Three tasks, some questionable decisions and a snapped exhaust. I had well and truly been anointed by fire to the classic competitions. Luckily, it wasn’t all so stressful. I had some of my best experiences while flying in Brazil. From being part of the mass formation flight around the Nazareth Church at Saquarema, to the team flying to the beach to have lunch, to the opening ceremony, to feeling like celebrities with Nige dressed in his famous blue suit! I cannot recommend it enough: try your hand at competitions. There is such a good progression structure in the British Open to learn, meet like-minded people and become a better pilot. I can’t describe the leaps and bounds I have made from when I first started. Why not give it a go? Who knows – maybe we will be flying together in some exotic country in the next few years? Report by Joseph Womersley – social media: yaboywom Formation flight around Saquarema’s Nazareth Church Team GB (L-R): Dan Jones, Joe Womersley and Nigel Cosbie-Ross All photos: Oscar Man ville-Hales/F arr Photos24 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 airmail Perseverance brings rewards! It was Saturday 28th May, the site was West Firle and the forecast was good, with the usual high expectations for what the day might bring. However most of us in the free flight community have had our share of frustrating days, with slope landings, bottom landings, and some hot walks back to take-off when the weather forecast suggested something better! I managed two flights of about one hour each and slope landed along with my brother Tim. A warm walk back to take-off, and time to cool off and some early lunch. Tim took off, gently went below take-off and bottom landed. I took off a short while later and slowly sank down, and was getting ready to land when I felt some pockets of lift. I was determined to try and stay up and worked the lift, and managed to get above take-off and then to cloudbase. From base I went east to Firle Beacon, north to Ringmer and then west to Lewes, Devils Dyke, Truleigh, Steyning, Worthing and Goring. I eventually landed on Littlehampton seafront close to the east beach café, and was swamped by lots of children asking all sorts of questions. It is difficult to put this flight into words. Even the video clips do not really capture the sense of elation, adventure, and achievement. Having checked my air chart scale and the route taken, I think the flight was about 55km, which is my first XC flight over 50km. If I had not worked that lift below take-off, I would not have caught the subsequent thermal cycle to cloudbase and achieved my furthest XC flight, which included some sea-breeze convergence. I would like to encourage you to press on and persevere and enjoy the rewards this will inevitably bring: some of our best flights can come when we least expect it. Finally, I would like to say a big thank you to Rob Chisholm of Freeflight Paragliding in Brighton for his encouragement to leave the hill, and for his guidance on the radio. And for recording the first part of my flight on one of his recent videos. And to my brother Tim for picking me up again! The photo [below] shows me climbing out over West Worthing on my trusty Gin Atlas, heading towards Littlehampton seafront. David Bradshaw, West Sussex Beach party Saturday May 21st saw 12 pilots, a few prospective trainees and a couple of kids on Aberavon beach for a spot of dune flying, having put the word out midweek via Telegram. Five gliders to share amongst us, after Dave Tregaskis said to leave our nice clean wings at home. As well as experienced pilots who had not flown in a while there were a few low-airtime pilots wanting to gain confidence after long layoffs, all added to the mix of current pilots wanting a day at the dunes. There were lots of small hops and plenty of soaring before the wind dropped to almost nothing by 4pm. Everybody managed to get their feet off the ground throughout the day. We even clipped two young children into gliders and ran them down the dune and along the beach, giving those of us very unfit people a good workout whilst giving the young a taste of flight. And only one slight bend to one upright all day! This showed once again that all pilots alike want to keep flying sand dunes and enjoy the fun that can be had on a hang glider there. We all left at the end of the day, tired and exhausted but looking forward to the next good south-westerly to lure us back. Justin Parsons, Worcestershire Onwards & upwards … I’m a 29-year-old software engineer, originally from India but now working for a London startup building self-driving vehicles. About five years back I discovered some paragliding videos of people flying high over the Alps. The views were stunning, and the ability to just take off from a mountain, gain altitude and fly over even bigger mountains sounded crazy and exciting. Ever since then I have wanted to fly. I moved to London in early 2020, finished my CP that September, bought my own equipment in April 2021 and started flying regularly as a weekend warrior. Now, with about 45 hours of flying, I think I’m finally getting close to achieving XC flights in the Alps after becoming Pilot rated, and a recent SIV giving me confidence to fly in Alpine thermic conditions. Mukund Muralikrishnan [Mukund recently passed his Pilot exam at Brighton’s Freeflight Paragliding with a 96% mark. JS] Another Buttermere success! Well didn’t we have a grand old time! Once again the collective spirt of all you lovely people has made this year’s Bash into another mighty success. From the bottom of my heart I can not thank you all for supporting, flying, partying, donating and, crucially, tidying up. Buttermere has been returned to its peaceful state with nothing but squashed grass and special memories to show for it. You are all amazing! Besides all the fun we had, I am delighted to announce the event has raised £13,000 for charity. This will be distributed as follows: £6000 Great North Air Ambulance £1000Cumbria Mines Rescue £1000Pets’ Lifeline Keswick £1000Music Against Malaria £1000Cockermouth Mountain Rescue Team JULY 2022 SKYWINGS 25 £1000Hesket Newmarket Brewery Ukrainian Fund £500Dementia Adventure Keswick Plus the Lakes Charity Classic comp winners’ nominations: £500 each to Dementia UK, Flyability and Macmillan Cancer Support. Have a great summer everyone. See you all next year on June 2nd and 3rd in our little bit of heaven … which is the one and only Buttermere Bash. [Photo above by Tom McNally.] Gordie Oliver, Air Ventures Harness queries I have a questions regarding the harness seen in Josh Coombs’ Make it snappy photo in May’s Airmail. First, Does my bum look big in this? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!). And, second, more seriously and to provide some debate: Does this type of harness give enough back protection? A stall at low level would probably have the pilot land on his back. It appears that this type of harness has no protection for this eventuality. Also the harness looks like it is too small for the pilot. Of course there is always the old adage to consider: ‘Tell me what type of accident you are going to have and I’ll tell you what type of harness you should have!’ Chris Stevens The Flare Moustache The first Flare Moustaches [see April Skywings, page 6] have arrived in the UK and are available for demo through Air Ventures Paragliding in the Lake District. This new concept and unique way of flying, best described as a cross between hang gliding, paragliding and speed flying, allows pilots to dramatically change the angle of attack of the glider, achieving huge swoops with massive energy conversion. This new way of flying and glider set up needs some tuition, so Flare are teaming up with a Pro Partner in each country, including Air Ventures in the UK. If pilots choose to go through a Pro Partner they will receive a discount code to be used when purchasing the glider direct from Flare. A full test report should appear in Skywings soon. Gordie Oliver, Air Ventures Flew like a bird! I thought you might like to know what a wonderful day we had with ‘Fly Like a Bird’ in North Devon on Tuesday 24th May. My wife, who is 77, was given a tandem hang glider flight with the senior instructor, Sam Jeyes. She was thrilled by the ride, and the entire procedure from initial briefing to the actual flight was carried out in a most pleasant and professional way. All the instructions were very clear, and excellent clothes and flying suits were provided. My wife, who has never attempted anything as exciting before, could not say enough about how great the day had been. She is now busy telling all her friends. Fly Like a Bird and Sam deserve much credit for such a great day. Dr Peter Street Happy smiling people! I’m pretty sure you could use this photo [below] taken at Ringstead Bay in Dorset on May 21st – it seems a pretty funky angle and whatnot. The pilot is me and the passenger is a work colleague called Tom. Grant Oseland Paraglider Servicing • Full pro paraglider servicing • Wing cleaning - inside and out • Porosity testing and light-box checking • Lines laser length checked • Line strengths tested • Fabric strength (Bettsometer) tested • Test flight and report Hang Glider Servicing • Strip down service • Sail cleaning and bettsometer testing • Luff lines measured • Sprogs tested • Test flight and report NEW Self-Servicing • full training available Parachute Repacking • Airing • Fabric test • Line check • Bridle Inspection • Advice on weight loading • Airing • Fabric test Bus-Stop Collection Service • Two week turn-around Video Report • Optional extra - 3 minute video summary of your wings findings, servicing and repairs. NEW Storage • Hang glider and paramotor storage - 24hr access Green Dragons’ Workshop! emergency repairs hotline: 07860 875567 26 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 The SSDR class of microlights require a National Private Pilot’s Licence (NPPL) and third party insurance is mandatory. The class is exempt from the airworthiness requirements that ‘permit’ two-seater flexwings are subject to, not least initial sign-offs and continued inspections overseen by the BMAA. If you register your desire to fly microlights under your BHPA insurance and provide the requested scans of your NPPL, you are covered up to the minimum legal limit for the UK (about £750k, but it varies), and more for third party insurance as BHPA cover is now £5 million. The BivvyBee is a development of the FoxCub (Skywings, July 2015), but with a lot of changes since then. The main difference is the massively increased payload, allowing you to do some motorised vol biv, or for the larger pilot to be able to fly with a full fuel load. The BivvyBee wing has been tested to a higher weight, allowing the same wing to take the FoxTug’s Rotax 582 engine. In order to put some numbers on this, we need to know that the empty weight of the BivvyBee with the Cors-Air Black Bull engine option is 78kg, and the maximum all-up weight is 228kg. This means there’s a 150kg payload for pilot, luggage and fuel, and plenty of optional stowage like the trike frame bag, top box and the inside of the fairing to stow all those items. The trike has a four-point harness. The top box doubles as a headrest, and if not used for additional storage can house an Apco Mayday 20 parachute. The front forks have the foot throttle on the right hand side and, optionally, a brake lever on the left operating a front wheel disc brake. There is a large range of adjustment on the footpegs – the middle setting goes up to the fairly tall, but there is one further setting with an adaptor which ensures maximum comfort for the very tall. The fuel tank sits behind the pilot and is covered by the trike fairing, which also allows some stuff to be stowed in it. Tank capacity is 25 litres, which with a half-hour reserve means you have over 200 miles of flying in still air from full. The engine choice is between the 33hp Cors-Air Black Bull and the less powerful Vittorazi Moster. Along with the Polini Thor 250, the Black Bull is one of the really powerful engines offered on Flylight SSDRs and gives blistering performance. Reduction drive is by belt to a 1.3m Helix two-blade propeller. The engine is free-air cooled (no forced cooling via a dedicated fan like the Thor 200, for example), but has ducting to enhance the effects of the propeller over the cooling fins. It runs on 40:1 fuel/oil premix. Ben loves minimal flying and no instruments are fitted as standard. The Motomonitor, a small instrument with an LCD colour screen which collects engine parameters via a wireless link and displays a moving map, can be specified as an accessory, with the addition of a fuel gauge if needed. The demonstrator had no instruments, and whilst I tried a combination of things to start with I ended up with my trusty Garmin 76 running Simon Headford’s Flight test: Flylight BivvyBee STEVE UZOCHUKWU REPORTS Flylight, based at Sywell Aerodrome near Northampton, is run by Ben Ashman and Paul Dewhurst. Both are well known, Ben for hang gliding and flexwing microlight flying, and Paul for flexwing and fixed-wing microlights. Flylight products feature in hang gliding (Aeros), ‘permit’ two-seater microlights (Air Création) and fixed-wing microlights (Skyranger/Nynja), as well as their own-brand SSDR and sub-70 trikes. JULY 2022 SKYWINGS 27 airspace map, either secured to the seat belt lap strap with a paragliding instrument holder, or tied with hook and loop ties to the trike keel. The wing is the Fox 13TL, first seen on the FoxCub but now refined with the widespread option of Dimension Polyant 4.5 ODL, a translucent, top-of-the-range Technora-based sailcloth similar to that seen on some newer flexwing hang gliders and rigids. The topless wing uses struts instead of side wires, backed up by internal cables. One benefit of a strutted wing like this is the ability to de-tension it and fold it away on the trike to the point where it can be bagged. This means it can be stored in a very small area, freeing the owner from the need to lift the wing on or off the trike if that very small area is available on site. Other options include pushing the trike and folded wing onto a trailer for transport. An extra five minutes will see the wing short packed whilst still on the trike. With no kingpost and thus no luff lines, pitch stability is taken care of by the combination of sweepback and washout, with washout rods at the tips and mid span to maintain wing twist at very low angles of attack. The wing has 15 battens in total, and a small insert in a sail panel near each tip to prevent panel flutter. Test flights took place on the Flylight demonstrator, which has a lot of optional extras including the windscreen. Both days I flew had significant thermal activity, and one day included a north-east breeze at 10- 15 mph. The wing has two trim positions for the hang point, and the furthest forward one was used for the review. There is a moving hang point option, driven by an electric motor, but this wasn’t fitted. If you’ve learned to fly flexwing microlights in a ‘permit’ two-seater, you’ll find the BivvyBee’s seated position a lot lower than you’re used to. It’s very stable when taxying and on the ground run, but in stronger winds you must remember you’re at the bottom of the flexwing weight spectrum – wing down into wind on turns, and bar out downwind, are things to keep in mind. The big wheels will soak up bumps on smaller, rougher strips, and the footbrake stops the trike smartly and holds it well for engine runs with significant power on. The take-off run is short as the Black Bull gives a really powerful punch from behind. On the shorter farm strips or fields you might fly from, this short run and the steep climb are very much what you want. As well as getting out of the mechanical turbulence you may have on the boundary of the field, there’s a huge grin factor and a noticeable drop in stress as the ground recedes. When you come to fly at GA airfields this performance will result in you reaching the far end of the runway high enough to possibly put you in conflict with aircraft on a standard overhead join as they cross the numbers at circuit height. The stronger the wind is the more this situation is likely to arise, as your climb angle gets steeper. This is actually a nice problem to have, and a slight reduction in power sorts things out. It wasn’t possible to get my own climb figures as the thermal activity made any numbers meaningless. However Flylight’s figure of 900ft/min with a 90kg pilot is totally believable – I am that 90kg pilot. The air was rowdy on all my flights, and whilst putting the BivvyBee through its paces the air did the same to me. Familiarity from a family of wings you’ve flown before, and have confidence in, gets you quickly in the saddle, and the BivvyBee’s handling deals with bumpy air well. When I return to flex from rigid, rather than hold the bar to fly straight and level, I take a lighter grip so I can sense feedback from the air, making use of the handling to prevent deviation rather than trying to correct it after a strong thermal has knocked me off course. In the really strong stuff you have to make larger control movements, but for Photo: Flylight Ste ve Uzochukwu Ste ve Uzochukwu Front forks carrying throttle and (optional) brake pedal28 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 turns in anything else, small movements get an instant response. What I love about this wing is that, once rolled in, as you let the pitch back to neutral and then apply a slight push out, it cuts into the turn in a gratifying and precise way. It can therefore easily climb in thermals on idle, and the response in turns is ideal for exploring them. When you pull the bar into your stomach the BivvyBee picks up speed smartly and flies straight, with no hint of any sort of wandering. This is quite a feat for a flexwing; those that have sharp handling sometimes exhibit Dutch Roll at higher speeds, or achieve the sharp handling via noticeable anhedral and tend to be a bit nervous. The BivvyBee has the best of both worlds, a nod to the excellent design. It feels roll stable; when hands off it’s a long time before the wing wanders off in one direction or the other, always pushed into it by the somewhat fruity air. The BivvyBee doesn’t stall from a measured push to the front strut, and unless you really provoke it the stall is not something you have to worry too much about. Roll response drops off as you get close to the front strut, and the machine becomes pretty heavy in roll when the bar is at the limit of push out. An ASI is therefore not needed. As with all lightly- loaded aircraft, a strong wind gradient needs to be respected, and a first landing through the same resulted in an arrival where a lot of pitch had to be used for a light landing. If you’re flying two-seater trikes you’ve been spoilt by the higher energy retention of the heavier aircraft, which I had been on this particular day. A very slight increase in speed, on the other hand, made for easy last-minute inputs to get the ideal landing, even in a crosswind. The BivvyBee is a really nice package for an SSDR, getting you in and out of small fields or strips, and dealing with rougher surfaces if you specify the larger wheels. You’ll be able to fit it into tiny spaces, and may be able to avoid lifting the wing on or off the trike if there’s the smallest area of storage at your strip. You’ve now got much more payload, and a good balance of being out in the air but with the strongest effects of the airstream deflected by that excellent windscreen. A benchmark for affordable aviation, with the core FoxCub values retained and a whole host of improvements made. Definitely a top contender for the purchasing shortlist. Specification Sail area (m2) 13.0 Span (m) 8.65 Aspect ratio 5.75:1 Packed length (m) 3.08 % double surface 30 No. of battens 15 Airframe material 6082 aluminium Powerplant Corsair Black Bull Power output 33hp Fuel capacity (l) 25 Empty weight (kg) 78 Max. take-off weight (kg) 228 Cruising speed (mph) 43 Max. speed (mph) 60 Price (inc. VAT) From £12,386 Manufacturer: Flylight Airsports Ltd, Sywell Aerodrome, Northants NN6 0BN, tel: 01604 49445, JULY 2022 SKYWINGS 29 pilot profile No. 343: Andrew Kruszynski Age? 35 and a half. Marital status? Engaged. Where were you born? Essex. Where do you live now? Brighton, Sussex. It means I can get to most of the Southern sites very quickly. Occupation? Structural Engineer. Previous occupations? Waiter, airport security, town planner, and project manager for the MOD. How and when did you start flying? My partner gifted me a one-day taster with Tom Wycherley at FlySussex – which now she probably regrets – and I passed my CP in January 2019. Which pilots most influenced you? David ‘Gandhi’ Newns, Martin Long, Hugh Miller, David Willis, James Chandler and Mariusz Macias, to name a few. Where and what was your most memorable flying experience? After many attempts at trying to fly 100km (I managed several 99km!), I had an incredible flight from Milk Hill with Tom Wycherley. The day started off ‘mincy’ and I got a fantastic low save over Southmoor (the same field I had landed in the week before). Two kites guided me back to cloudbase, and from there the day got better and better. The views over Oxford were brilliant. Over Silverstone racetrack my instruments told me I had hit the 100km! I was ecstatic to finally get the ton. After Silverstone the day got mellow and buoyant. Near Wellingborough, while we were having a conversation about where to land, trying to find a decent train station to get back to the car, we suddenly heard our friend Jonny Fox over the radio. He had picked up the car and was chasing us down. He told us to fly as far as we wanted. What is your favourite flying site in Britain? Mount Caburn, a brilliant training ground. With the sea air and convergence lines it can be very technical, and it’s great fun to try pushing out into the sea air. Most of the time you can’t really go on big XCs, so you end up just going for short adventures with your mates and end up landing by your car. What is your favourite site in Europe/the world? St Andre is a great place to fly, a playground for paragliders. It was where things started to click for me. In 2019 we flew along the Dormillouse ridge to St Vincent and nearly back – my first big XC. I was flying my Buzz Z5 with my friend James Bancroft, on a guided trip. For most of the journey we were flying with vultures and sailplanes. Who do you most admire in the sport? Hugh Miller, an absolute wizard in the sky! I haven’t flown with anyone who can read the sky as well as him. What trait do you most deplore in yourself? The inability to be satisfied with my previous flight. What trait do you most deplore in other people? Cheesing – standing on the hill encouraging people not to fly when it’s clearly flyable. When not flying, what do you do for recreation? Kitesurfing, surfing, climbing, photography, dog walking, and music festivals. What is your favourite piece of music? I love the Chemical Brothers. Watching their headline set at Glastonbury 2019 was a life highlight! What is your favourite book? Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive. What is your favourite film? Not a film, but I could watch The Office (American version) for the rest of my days. What is your greatest fear? FOMO – the fear of missing out. What is your idea of perfect happiness? A weekend packed with a sunrise surf, a long XC, and landing next to my family to be greeted with a beer and a curry. What would your motto be? Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination. How would you like to be remembered? As a paragliding bum. Formerly (and still!) a kitesurfer, in 2012 Andrew helped Richard Branson to secure the Guinness world record for crossing the Channel to France. After moving to Brighton in 2017 his girlfriend bought him a one-day taster course with Fly Sussex. After attaining his CP in 2019 he quickly became obsessed with the XC side of the sport. He’s been chasing the numbers ever since, achieving his first 100km flight in 2020. At Gemona In 2021 he was third Brit in the British Sports Class Championship. And this year he has already broken two site records: the longest flight from Bo Peep in Sussex (subsequently exceeded by Hugh Miller), and from Hill Farm in Norfolk; he is currently seventh in the UK XC League. Andrew is also a member of the British Paragliding Racing Academy. ‘I’m very lucky to live near some of the best training grounds,’ he says, ‘where conditions are technical, tricky and busy. I can see why the BPRA has produced great pilots like Russ Ogden, Hugh Miller, Seb Ospina, and Martin Long.’ He flies around 150- 200 hours a year, mainly in the UK but also in Europe and Colombia. Find him Next >