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Skywings news stories published in 2018 are displayed below.
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There are 52 news stories for 2018 in our database.
Displaying page 2 out of 7
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The 55th anniversary of the first successful flight of the modern hang glider was celebrated on September 8th at Grafton, New South Wales.
An FAI Hang Gliding and Paragliding Diploma was presented to Pat Crowe, driver of the boat that first towed John Dickenson's remarkable design aloft back in 1963. At Grafton's old water-ski club, scene of the original flight, a small group of pilots flew vintage gliders including an original Dickenson Ski-Plane.
John Dickenson himself was scheduled to appear as special guest. Media photographs of the first successful flight circulated in October 1963. With John's Ski-Plane the leading edges, keel, cross-boom and triangular A-frame in aluminium tube, the control by means of weight shift via a pendular harness, and the ability to be folded down and transported on top of a car, all came together to form the template from which pretty much all subsequent hang gliders are descended.
John Dickenson was awarded the FAI Gold Medal in 2012; he had been awarded an FAI Diploma in 2007 and the same honour was conferred on the Ski-Plane's inaugural pilot Rod Fuller in 2012.
Posted: 4 October 2018
By: Joe Schofield
This year's annual Royal Aeronautical Society Design Conference focuses on the lighter end of the GA world.
A fascinating programme of talks includes Dr Bill Brooks outlining the design and development of his recumbent/SSDR Flycycle; instructor Oliver Gibbs discussing wingsuit flying and technology; Mike Whitaker talking about his series of microlight designs;Norman Wijker of Samad Aerospace on developing a VTOL hybrid electric biz-jet; Guy Grattan on the challenges of electric vs. IC-engine power; and Ian Currer's presentation on foot-launched flight.
Martyn Ingleton, Chief Mechanical Engineer at BAE Systems, will also introduce his scaled-down WW2 Hurricane SSDR project. The conference will also examine the winning submissions in the RAeS's annual design competition; there will be panel discussions and plenty of opportunities for networking too. The event aims to examine the current resurgence of grassroots aviation, driven in part by new materials and electronics, and where it might lead. It takes place at Hamilton Place in London W1 on November 19th.
Full information and booking details are available on the Royal Aeronautical Society website.
Posted: 4 October 2018
By: Joe Schofield
More details on Alex Colbeck's terrific self-imposed 6 Peak Challenge in June. Alex achieved the 'impossible' in 22 hours and 45 minutes. He was supported by his dad, Andy Colbeck, and then by his friend Richard Pullan - that's both driving andcooking!
Alex - pictured here at the summit of Ben Nevis, his final climb - raised over £2000 for for the British Tinnitus Association and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. For more info, Alex's tracklog and a fascinating local radio interview, and to donate, please visit the Six Peaks website.
The 6 Peak Challenge represents 15,000ft and 17 miles of climbing that has never been done before. It has now. Further adventurers - form an orderly queue!
Posted: 4 September 2018
By: Joe Schofield
Home-grown British star and BAPA team pilot Jack Pimblett recently finished 11th against the world's best acro pilots at Italy's King of Brenta event at Molvino - Round 2 of the FAI Acro World Tour. This is a huge achievement for British paragliding as we have traditionally only competed on the world stage in XC and accuracy.
Jack's result is the first instance of a British pilot competing in an FAI acro comp. At Molvino it was France's Théo de Blic who impressed the judges the most, beating Chile's Victor Carrera and fellow Frenchman François Ragolski.
At 19 Jack is the UK's foremost acro pilot. He began to fly with his father at the age of 3, flew solo at 15, and in the last 30 months has made progress that would take most pilots five years. His achievements result from a near-obsessive passion for flying and training at every opportunity.
Posted: 4 September 2018
By: Joe Schofield
In late July top South African climber Alard Hufner won the Icarus Trophy - world's longest distance paramotor race - beating 26 other contestants over a 1,000-mile route.
The race started just north of Johannesburg on the 25th, finishing three days later near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Pilots battled mountain ranges and fierce weather systems to complete the course; to celebrate all contestants reaching the finish in one piece pilots were able to make a historic fly-by of the spectacular Falls.
The organisers also run a series of shorter two-day races, known as the X-series, in the US, Australia, the UK and South Africa, this last also having been won by Alard back in March.
Next year the Icarus Trophy will head to Brazil; to get involved contact the organisers on the Icarus Trophy website. Awe-inspiring footage of the 2018 Trophy is available at https://youtu.be/v5T1wB22D8c.
Posted: 21 August 2018
By: Joe Schofield
The British Open Paramotor Championships will run at Worleston just west of Crewe from Wednesday August 29th to Sunday September 2nd.
Competition flying will begin on August 30th. The event director is Paul Smith and the comps director will be Barney Townsend, with task along the entirely new XC format laid out in his Rethinking the British Paramotor Championships article in March Skywings.
Further details can be found on the are at Paramotor Competitions website.
Posted: 9 August 2018
By: Paul Dancey
Ozone's Russell Ogden finished fourth at the Italian PWC at Gemona in June.
Russ, flying an Enzo 3, was only 19 points short of winner Juri Vidic's score after four tasks. the only other British pilot at the Gemona comp was Seb Ospina who finished 39th.
Posted: 9 August 2018
By: Paul Dancey
On June 26th - 27th of June Alex Colbeck completed his self-imposed 6 Peak Challenge - to climb and fly from the well-known 'three peaks' of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon and the three Yorkshire peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-Y-Ghent inside of 24 hours!
Starting with Snowdon, Alex pushed on to Pen-Y-Ghent, Ingleborough and Whernside, then Scafell Pike in the Lakes before a long drive to Ben Nevis to complete his epic trip.
The 15,000ft and 17 miles of climbing has never been done before. Alex was raising money for the British Tinnitus Association and Yorkshire Air Ambulance; for more info and to donate please visit the Three Peaks website.
Posted: 9 August 2018
By: Paul Dancey
last updated: 10 March 2025
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