I have started this website with the aim to help people who are interested in speed flying here in the UK. The sport is already popular in Europe and is growing fast. Here in the UK there are very few speedfly pilots as the sport is very much in its infancy and currently unregulated, there is also no approved training structure. I hope this will change in the near future as the BHPA (British Hangliding and Paragliding Association) is looking into it, I will post information as and when it is available.
Here in South Wales only I am currently active but across the UK numbers are slowly increasing as the sport gains more exposure to the mainstream.
The biggest difference between the UK and European speed flying scene is the launch. The sport in Europe is ski based but here we have no choice but to foot launch. Not a problem on most speed flying wings but a number of things need to be taken into account. The size of wing you will be flying, typically 12m² up to 16m², your all up weight and more importantly your flying experience! These wings are very fast, 20kph stall up to 80kph full speed (depending on the wing and loading), and agile but need to be treated with respect as the consequences of an incorrect landing could be serious.
Speed flying is not an ideal sport for a person starting out but is great for existing experienced pilots from a paragliding or skydiving/basejumping background looking for something different. I will update this site with information and tips that i think may help would be speedflyers.
I hope you find this site useful and I will try to get it fully up and running as fast as possible. Feel free to contact me if you find something relevant not on this site or would just like to comment.
Cheers all,
Dan
“Memories are the only thing we can take with us. Make them good.“