The aim of this page is to provide background information for other pilots, ATC and governing bodies about how we operate, in order to assist with deconfliction.
Hang gliders consist of rigid airframes covered in high performance Dacron. They were first flown in the UK in the early 1970s. They pack into a long thin bag weighing around 36kg and some 17 feet in length.
Paragliders, which are essentially high-performance parachutes, lacking a rigid airframe, first started to appear in the UK in the mid-1980s and soon overtook hang gliders in popularity because they are lighter, pack into much smaller packs and have simpler controls. A typical paraglider (including harness, reserve and instrumentation) weights between 10 - 20kg and fits into a large rucksack, making it the most portable of flying machines.
Both types can be fitted with a power unit or towed into the air, although the majority launch from a suitable hill facing into wind. There are about 800 registered sites in the UK, but many more that have not been recorded.
Whilst all pilots must comply with air law, the Air Navigation Order 2016 provides that foot launched aircraft (and those with wheels, weighing less than 70kg) are not required to undergo a formal course of instruction, and do not need a Pilot's Licence to fly. There are no currency requirements for solo pilots. We estimate that there about 10,000 such pilots, each with at least one aircraft, in the UK.
The vast majority of pilots do NOT carry airband radio and are not equipped with ADS-B. Some now transmit using Flarm. The BHPA's policy on Electronic Conspicuity can be found here. All aircraft operate under VFR anywhere between the ground and cloud base, in class G airspace, during daylight hours. They do not display any form of lighting.
Modest forward speeds mean that they are limited to relatively light winds, about 20kts for hang gliders and 15kts for paragliders. Precipitation is generally avoided although they can tolerate a light shower. Unpowered aircraft utilise rising air, either in the form of ridge lift or thermals. Novice pilots, and all pilots over the winter months, will tend to stay on the ridge near to the launch point where it can become very busy.
Due to the vagaries of the UK weather pilots often don't know where they will be flying until the night before. In order to access the NOTAM system at short notice pilots are encouraged to use the Civil Aircraft Notifications Procedure (CANP) primarily to deconflict with low flying military aircraft. They system isn't perfect but if you see a NOTAM it means that, the night before, 5 or more pilots were planning to fly at that site.
On a good thermic day pilots stay airborne for many hours and it is now common for pilots to fly 100km or more. The current UK record stands at just over 300km. To maximise their chances of searching out the next thermal, they will often fly in 'gaggles'; if you do see one paraglider there are likely to be others nearby.
The track that a hang glider or paraglider takes would appear chaotic compared to that of a powered aircraft. The majority of any flight is spent searching for lift, and then flying in circles in order to climb within the thermal. When approaching cloud base the pilot will set off on a glide, hoping to progress on his journey AND find more lift. When not climbing the pilot is descending. If he fails to find lift then, as he gets lower, he needs to select a suitable landing field. Paragliders in particular can land safely in a fairly confined area, say the size of a football pitch. The following diagram shows the altitude and elevation of a typical cross-country flight. A soaring pilot can never commit to either a heading or a level. The inset demonstrates how the pilot has to follow a thermal (downwind) to gain height, before tracking crosswind on a glide along his course (to avoid airspace).
You can get a good idea of when and where you might encounter soaring aircraft by looking at the Regional Atmospheric Soaring Predictor (RASP). Check out the star rating for foot launched aircraft. A low rating (blue/green) means activity will be limited to ridge soaring. A high rating (amber/red) indicates that it is likely to be a good cross-country day: you should expect soaring aircraft anywhere in Class G airspace (The other star rating will give you a good indication of gliding (sailplane) activity).
Wake turbulence can last for several minutes after an aircraft has passed and can extend for hundreds of metres. If can cause a paraglider to collapse and, if the pilot can't deploy his reserve parachute in time, is likely to result in a fatality. Helicopter pilots should be aware of a video produced by French company BEA. They investigated the death of a paraglider pilot due to wake turbulence from a helicopter. The video is less than 7 minutes long and includes a clip of a similar incident from a paraglider pilot's perspective. The distance between the helicopter and the paraglider at the time of the accident is surprisingly large, and it's worth noting that the wake turbulence is influenced by the prevailing wind and local airflow.
Fixed wing aircraft produce wake turbulence similar to that of a helicopter in forward flight. Clearly, the heavier the aircraft the greater the wake turbulence but, perhaps it is not so obvious how much the turbulence is increased by low airspeeds and tight turns - the more lift being demanded of a wing, the more turbulence it creates. Hang gliders and paragliders will try to soar the hills on the downwind side of a valley and are therefore vulnerable to aircraft tracking the valley bottom.
Last updated: 14 July 2024
