Evening coastal ridge flight, 19th March 2009

After a part day with a RE-training BHPA pilot (ground handling and tandem flying) then back to Dundee for a photoshoot, there was just enough time to head back out to grab some late evening soaring :-)

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Precision
• Paragliding
• Aviation
• Flying
• Coastal
• ridge
• soaring
• flight
• PG
• ESP
• NOT
• BHPA

[ollycopter]

My Apologises, People have to work and not everyone can get away with starting their own training school. BHPA is a place to earn a living doing what they love. Do you take on instructors and increase your size? I say this as spreading your knowledge would be a good thing.

[murrayhay]

Hi Ollycopter I've a number of friends who are now providing a certain amount of instruction to their (in their home locations) friends, to assist them I provide a on-line help (often reviewing video of students flying/ground flying). One chap in particular is in Eire, and has a LOT of locals that keep pressing him to get me across to set up GOOD PG training in their area, the last couple of years family matters (Sis's cancer treatment, all OK now) has kept me in Scotland.

[murrayhay]

I've spent thousands of pounds 1) Providing training to RE-training PG pilots, 2) New to the sport pilots 3) writing technical & safety articles (I WAS offered payment for the articles) 4) providing on-line and on-phone assistance to PG pilots UK & world wide 5) Providing gliders & 'Passive Safety' Eq for load to members/visiting pilots etc. etc.

NB it's not as case of 'trying' to prove, I HAVE proved this 1,000's of times! Which is why so many come to RE-train with me UK & Abroad!

[murrayhay]

Hi Ollycopter Just to be clear the Welsh BHPA Instructor was talking about a BHPA CP (Novice) pilot who INCLUDING A COUPLE OF FLIGHTS ##AFTER FINISHING## his BHPA 'training'..... had a TOTAL of 20 mins airtime!

I've met many 100's of BHPA 'rated' CP's who got under an hours airtime in training... that airtime was typicaly over ONE to TWO years 'training'!

I've only met (inc. those not training with me, just met when out flying) a handfull that got more than two hrs flight time in training

[murrayhay]

Hi Ollycopter in 7,000+ hrs airtime I've had the glider in more than a few 'odd' shapes... and in more than a few 'odd' positions (inc lower than me ;-) but in all that time I've NEVER had a single time I would have thrown a reserve, NOTE I OWN about £3,000 worth of reserves for lending out to members/visiting pilots, I've also probably done more TESTING in action (at LOW/Medium level) of PG reserves than any other pilot in the UK (it was one of the articles I wrote, How to Survive a Low Deploy)

[murrayhay]

Hi Ollycopter 'Bummer' (not watched it) was prob running out of lift when normally soarable :-)

Yep Instructor/student is a MAJOR issue with many BHPA schools, that said it is often GOOD (resting pilot can STUDY errors) to have two pilots per wing during Ground Flying ('handling') parts of the training... I often will use a SMALL wing (i.e. incorrect wt range) as they are more 'twitchy' so better to 'fine tune' the student :-) Also in LIGHT WINDS use a 12m2 'trainer' (stronger if adv student)

[murrayhay]

YEP (risks) which is why I spend a LOT of time with students ensuring they FULL understand the How & Why of the 'normal' (BHPA in the UK) accidents,,,, and ENSURING that my students do NOT end up injured or dead due to INSTRUCTION ERROR (Instructor Incompetence!)

I personaly know of one BHPA (Wales) who aim for CP's to have had FIVE Hrs flight time (over a YEAR).. better than 30 mins... but I've had Day One students with that by the end of the first day! And 50+hrs in a few months!

[murrayhay]

@ollycopter Never loose sight of the fact that the BHPA could EASILY, if they were prepared to face the legal CONSEQUENCES of the last 20 years, SLASH their accident rates anytime they wished to!

One of the phone calls today was from an English BHPA pilots (we have spoken a number of times) who finishes work (Aberdeen/Oil Ind.) on Friday and wants to come to meet up for some (practice & THEORY) RE-training EVEN IF THE WEATHER is not suitable for flying....

[murrayhay]

The problem, BIG problem is not 'with earning a living doing what they love',,,, the BIG problem is that many in the BHPA think is perfectly acceptiable to 1) Break the law (Example charity solo training (Maltesers/Kimberly Walsh) and tandem (many!! Examples!!) charity flights, and of course MANY many other breaches of AirLaw 2) 'train' and sign off as 'rated' pilots with UNDER 30 mins airtime... 4) Worst of all... KEEP GENERATING THE ACCIDENTS.. and KEEP blaming the students!

[murrayhay]

People have the work & BHPA membership allows them to??????

What on earth does that paragraph mean?

Nothing 'twisted' about pointing out the FACTS of BHPA injuries/deaths/illegal activities, and of course threats/intimidation

I've wrriten a number of technical & safety articles for the American publication 'Paraglider Magazine', I also spent a couple of years as a regular guest on 'The Paraglider Radio Show', I've been (in the past) asked to write a book, none yet... (customer at door)