Hay Guys,
Just wanted to post as a feel that you’re maybe being somewhat harsh on the BHPA. Firstly let me introduce myself, I am a keen speed flyer and paragliding pilot having flown for 20 years. I run my own (BHPA registered) paragliding school and have taught full time for 17 years. I am also the northern site officer for my local club 'Cumbria Soaring Club' a voluntary position that makes me responsible for managing free flying access to over 20 sites around the Lake District and northern Cumbria.
On the BHPA issue.. It is very easy to form opinions about any organisation which you may feel is compromising or trying to control your flying, just as it is easy for paraglide pilots to form strong opinions about people flying little wings if they have little experience of them. The same arguments raged when paragliding first appeared with the hang-gliding futurity, however over time pilots came to accept the benefits of each others aircrafts and differences were put aside, as I am sure will happen and infact already is with the paragliding futurity’s view of speed flying. The BHPA is a self regulating body for foot launch aviation, which does not try and control flying but promote it in a responsibly way. This is achieved by having a system of proven schools teaching the basics and then a supportive club environment where pilot’s skills can be developed whilst the club negotiates access to suitable flying sites for their members benefit. Due partly to the professional way the sport is conducted in the U.K. the C.A.A. allow a foot launch exemption, but by being a recognised organisation it allows us to lobby for our freedom to fly when often changes in U.K. air law threaten these freedoms we all hold so dear.
Insurance is another important issue with in free flying. Firstly lets be clear on the legal position of foot launching off private or public land. Once you strap on an aircraft in England and Wales (Scotland has more relaxed access rules) then you have no right of access to that piece of land unless you have express permission from the landowner. In other words even open hillsides included in the ‘Right to Roam Act’ access must be pre arranged other wise theoretically one is trespassing and could be dealt in the appropriate legal manner. Most suitable sites for flying have a local club who often go to great lengths to negotiate this access right with insurance forming a main part in any agreement. Clubs are therefore rightly protective over their sites and wish that as pilots we respect this and fly in a responsible way, which is in my opinion your duty as some one wishing fly and use these hills. It is only right that we were not included in the ‘right to roam act’ as unlike walkers and the like even one pilot on a hill side can have a big impact over that piece of land, disturbing farm stock and potentially causing disruption to the land owner/ farmer.
As for learning to speed fly there are infact a number of ways. I have trained and processed a number of pilots through the BHPA development pilot route. This requires people to learn to paraglide first and then gain 10 hrs paragliding experience after gaining CP qualification, when they can then get an endorsement to their licence which gives them full insurance benefit form the BHPA for speed flying. This allows me to prove to my landowners and local pilots that the new speed flying pilots are conducting the sport in a responcible manner and access to the hills can be open to all and site security not compromised.
SO please guys don’t try and be mavericks but open your attitudes a bit and hopefully you to will go on to reflect speed flying in the U.K. in a positive way rather then distancing your free flying brothers and who knows if there are any old stick in the mud’s then you may even win their respect.
