Skywings news stories are available for the following publication years:
If you're looking for news stories published before January 2016, please visit the Skywings News Archive.
Skywings news stories published in 2026 are displayed below.
News stories published in the years listed above can also be searched by post date or headline (title).
To search by post date, please enter the month and year numerically as mm-yyyy (eg. 03-2016).
There are 10 news stories for 2026 in our database.
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During packing courses, two cases were reported in which deployment of ALFAcross reserve systems was hindered because the container fabric became caught. A safety notice has therefore been issued highlighting this potential issue.
No similar incidents have been reported during flights.
The issue has been linked to the previous container-closing method described in the manual. This affects ALFAcross reserve systems that were repacked into the original container following the former packing instructions in the manual.
New reserves, or those that have never been repacked, are not affected.
Pilots whose ALFAcross reserve was packed according to the previous instructions in the manual should check their equipment, and if necessary, the rescue should be repacked according to the new instructions, which can be downloaded from the Gleitschirm Retter website.
A full copy of this safety notice is available on the Manufacturer Safety Notices page of the BHPA website.
Posted: 21 April 2026
By: Paul Dancey
During packing courses, two cases were reported where the deployment of Quadro containers was hindered due to the container fabric becoming caugh caught, Woody Valley have therefore issued a safety notice highlighting this potential issue.
No similar incidents have been reported during flights.
The issue has been linked to the previous container closing method described in the manual. This affects Quadro reserve systems that were repacked into the original container following the former packing instructions in the manual.
Rescues new or that have never been repacked, are not affected.
Pilots whose Quadro reserve was packed according to the previous instructions in the manual should check their equipment, and if required, the rescue should be repacked in accordance with the new instructions downloadable from the Woody Valley website.
A full copy of this safety notice is available on the Manufacturer Safety Notices page of the BHPA website.
Posted: 21 April 2026
By: Paul Dancey
The FAI have added a new XC Sport category to the various WPRS rankings.
The new table was topped in early April by British pilots. Ulric Jessop, Gerry McNicol, Tom Hodgkin and Mark Hayman together outscore the top four Swiss pilots. Poland and the US are 3rd and 4th.
Ulric, Gerry and Tom were all in the individual top ten with Mark at 11th. Magda Janaway and Kanan Thakur were 2nd and 3rd in the women's table; Tom Frances and Mark Janaway were 4th and 7th in the Junior table.
This good showing reflects the strong take-up by British pilots of Sports-level competition, exemplified by the SRS, British Sports Championships and Naviter Open.
Posted: 21 April 2026
By: J. Schofield
The BHPA Flight Safety Committee has issued a safety advisory for the Flare Prop.
Following internal quality testing, Flare has decided to reinforce the A-lines (12 lines in total) in order to improve durability and long-term reliability.
The updated lines are stated to have no impact on performance. In addition, the rubber line connected to the control handles has been slightly modified to improve handling and user experience.
This modification is not described as safety related.
Flare has advised that the A-lines must be replaced before the next flight.
For further information please download the full safety advisory which is available in the safety section of our website.
Posted: 24 March 2026
By: Paul Dancey
A Revised BHPA AGM Pack, that includes the directors reports due to be presented at the meeting, is now available for download in the documents section of this website.
The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association's 2026 AGM will be held at 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, Le19 1RJ on Saturday 28th February commencing at 11.00am.
The AGM offers an opportunity to quiz Exec members on their achievements, and on the future direction of the Association; all are welcome to attend.
For those who are unable to attend in person, there will be an opportunity to observe the meeting using your computer, tablet or smartphone and the following link:
https://meet.goto.com/491187253
Online joiners should ask questions using the chat function of Go To Meeting, as their microphones will be deactivated during the AGM.
Posted: 13 February 2026
By: Paul Dancey
The BHPA digital membership card web app, suspended in August, has returned with several new features.
Members can now upload a suitable photograph for inclusion on their 'card'. This can be replaced at a later date if desired, by tapping the account setup link on the login page..
There is an option for a member to share their membership card details with a competition organiser. Personal contact details can also be included in the shared information if required.
Once logged in, all BHPA membership details, qualifications, and the name of your club, are displayed on one page. Where appropriate, IPPI card and FAI licence details are included.
It's also possible to start your membership renewal process from within the app, making renewal quicker and easier.
The account setup procedure is initiated by tapping the create account link on the login page.
You will then be asked to enter and submit your registered email address. The resultant email will contain a unique link that will allow you to set up your account. All data and photographs are securely hosted on the BHPA web server.
Members with an existing digital membership sign-in will need to start over using the above sequence.
When intially setting up your account, or renewing your BHPA membership from within the app, please try to ensure you have a stable internet connection.
The new digital membership card app can be found at https://members.bhpa-membership.org.
Posted: 4 February 2026
By: Paul Dancey
The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association's 2026 AGM will be held at 8 Merus Court, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, Le19 1RJ on Saturday 28th February commencing at 11.00am.
Marc Asquith and Steve Young will be standing for re-election to Exec, and James Allcock, Mike Chilvers, Guy Richardson and Mark Schaefer will be standing for election to Exec. As there are six vacancies and six candidates, the election will be uncontested.
Nevertheless, the AGM offers an opportunity to quiz Exec members on their achievements, and on the future direction of the Association; all are welcome to attend.
For those who are unable to attend the AGM in person, there will be an opportunity to observe the meeting and participate in discussions by joining the meeting using your computer, tablet or smartphone. Further details will be made available in due course.
The 2026 AGM Voting Pack is available in the documents section of this web site. The pack includes formal notice of the meeting, details of members standing for election, and a proxy voting form.
Voting can only be in person, or by completing the proxy voting form in the AGM Voting Pack, and posting it to the BHPA Office or emailing a scanned copy to office@bhpa.co.uk.
Completed proxy voting forms must be received at the office by 11.00am on Thursday 26 February 2026.
Posted: 4 February 2026
By: Paul Dancey
The old EHPU incident database has now closed down and the new FIDA database brought online.
As a result our "report an incident" page is now back on line and can be found at it's new home report.bhpa-incidents.org.
Appropriate re-directs have also been put in place on bhpa.co.uk to allow for a smooth transition to the new page.
Posted: 31 January 2026
By: Paul Dancey
last updated: 21 April 2026
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