BHPA Merit Award

Jim joined the Sky Surfing Club in 1978 and initially served as secretary in 1983. Other positions followed; he has now spent 27 years on the committee and 22 as Chairman. Respected as a ‘steady hand’, he has helped guide the club around innumerable obstacles: site closure threats, conflicts between members, Mode S transponders, a proposed wind farm and local airspace restrictions, and recently played a key role in the club’s Covid lockdown response. Jim’s diplomacy and sense of fair play have been critical within the club and with other groups who share their sites. Without his efforts the club would not be the active and healthy organisation it is today.

A former RAF and and airline pilot, Chris served the Thames Valley club as Safety Officer and Chief Coach for several years. Recognising a need to make it easier to submit CANP requests, he created a spreadsheet to facilitate the process. When he began adding other clubs’ sites, Pete Logan offered to convert the spreadsheet into a web utility while Chris balanced BHPA members’ needs with military requirements. In its first year the app processed 624 CANP requests; following promotion in early 2020 submissions quadrupled, despite Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns. His latest project is a Thames Valley remote weather station.

Pete served as Dales club Website Editor and Secretary and ran the BPCup for several years. After a break to focus on work and family he returned to flying with renewed passion. Technical knowledge, backed by enthusiasm, led him to convert Chris Williams’ spreadsheet into a user-friendly web app whose slick design has won many plaudits. It brings the CANP system into the 21st century, is recognised by the CAA and has potential beyond our Association. While coping with endless upgrades and maintenance of the app Pete recently became Dales club Chief Coach; he also runs the ‘internationally recognised’ Baildon Sod competition.

Dave, a valued member of the South East Wales club for many years, has kept local hang gliding alive. He has coached many pilots, often with dual flights, volunteered in running the club and its sites, and helped the smooth running of local and national competitions. In April 2019, witnessing a pilot in difficulties at Pandy, ‘Trigger’ located the downed pilot and landed to provide first aid, and feedback to the emergency services. He later returned the injured pilot’s equipment to his vehicle, moving it to safety before the long walk to retrieve his own glider. His actions had a profound result on the pilot’s eventual recovery.

In August 2018 Innes Powell and Igor Volov died after a mid-air collision at Kruševo. In difficult circumstances Charles led the team picking up the pieces from this tragedy. Staying on in Macedonia after the competition, his experience in negotiating with the authorities in a very bureaucratic society, and arranging the repatriation of the pilots’ bodies, was invaluable, as was the sensitivity he displayed in breaking the news to the pilots’ relatives. Without Charles’ skills and experience, and the considerable time he gave, the event would have been infinitely more traumatic for all involved

Since its inception John has set the standard for the Malvern Aerotow Club’s equipment. His ingenuity and determination has improved and optimised the physical resources of the club, with particular regard to safety. His work includes the design and construction of the glider trolleys, the construction and testing of tow releases and weak links, and supervising every aspect of the rebuild of the club’s trike. Although his re-use of domestic equipment earned him the title of Dogruff Designs, his finished engineering is always carefully tested to ensure safety. His expertise has also benefited other groups

Paul is one of the most experienced instructors in Britain and has been teaching people to fly since 1986. Well known on Derbyshire hills, Paul has quietly produced numerous competent flyers. Even if you did not train with him he will find the time to reassure and offer advice and help, answering every question with a knowledge that never fails to impress. Many experienced pilots still seek him out for his advice. Paul is another of paragliding’s many unsung heroes

A full-time hang gliding and paragliding instructor for over 20 years, Alan has recently retired as the Officer Commanding the Joint Services Paragliding Centre at Crickhowell. In that time he has been involved in training hundreds of students, always with patience and enthusiasm. A qualified winch operator, he worked with the Norfolk club for many years before moving to Wales. He has taken part in many competitions including the Chabre and Nepal Opens, inspiring his fellow Joint Services instructors with skilful and confident flying. Alan is an all-round ambassador for free flying.

 

Bryan retired in 2016 after 14 years as Malvern Club Treasurer. He also took on a great many behind-the-scenes tasks, contributing to the successful operation of the club and flying on the Malverns. Landowner relationships, clearing trees, annual dinners, club trips, reserve repacks and issuing helmet stickers are but a few of his responsibilities. As a Club Coach Brian is happy to share his knowledge with newcomers and more experienced pilots too, both locally and on annual club trips he organised to Piedrahita. Having inspired and encouraged a new generation of XC pilots he still outflies most of them; he has held the club’s XC aggregate score award for 11 of the last 14 years

An active instructor for over 20 years, Ian has safely trained thousands of paragliding students. Now retired as CFI of Sunsoar Paragliding, his legacy is an active school in good shape with full bookings. He was the first to run regular BHPA training courses abroad, and his daily log sheets became the BHPA’s template for schools to keep effective records. He pioneered trips to the Dune de Pyla, Southern Spain and Morocco, now the mainstay of UK training abroad. He also made great efforts to help students with problems or disabilities, motivated by a desire to see others succeed as pilots. Many instructors will recall his advice: ‘It’s not about you, it’s about your students!’ On receiving his award Ian responded, ‘It’s been a wonderful journey!’

Andrew joined the Association of Parascending Clubs in 1974 as Publicity Officer and Newsletter Editor. When the Association became the British Association of Paragliding Clubs (BAPC) he served on the Executive Committee as Chairman, Treasurer, Insurance Officer and Magazine Editor. Very involved in the BAPC office, he was responsible for BAPC computerisation when comparable associations were still using card-index systems. His database, specifically tailored to the Association’s requirements, was adapted to accommodate hang gliding following amalgamation with the BHGA in 1992. Andrew continued to work behind the scenes

Already a longstanding icon for female hang glider pilots, 2015 was an extraordinary year for Kathleen. In May she set a new European declared distance-to-goal record of 156.3km from Llangollen. She went on to set two European and two world records from Hochfelln in Germany in July: triangle distance (200.08km); and 200km triangle speed (27.08km/h). These were followed a week later by World and European out-and-return distance records (229.8km) from Bischling in Austria, only narrowly missing the 200km out-and-return speed record at the same time. All these flights were the result of careful planning and brilliant flying

Richard single-handedly developed Tracker, an Android app providing a robust text based tracking system, an IGC tracklog and data uploads to Livetrack24 and other systems. It now has a significant user base with over 5000 free downloads including many UK XC pilots. It has proved to be a valuable contribution to safety as well as a useful tool for retrieves. Its design ensures tracking in difficult signal conditions, with battery monitoring to retain enough charge for an essential call. The Tracker system, continuously updated and now on version 6.05, has now grown to a maturity that deserves wider recognition.

The dedication of Lee Bligh, CFI of Cloudbase Paragliding goes beyond what is expected of a commercial operation. He brings on new pilots and continues to support them as they progress. His concern extends to strangers, often giving up his own flying. He has introduced many to XC flying and organised numerous trips abroad for no financial benefit. Lee will often drop everything to help out, not least when called last year at short notice to operate the Cloudbase winch at the Accuracy Nationals. He actively shuns any limelight; these efforts are accomplished without fanfare or publicity

A non-flying BHPA member, Rob has, with his father Phil, provided IT support for the BOS and hang gliding Nationals for several years. Rob has also maintained and developed the UKNXCL, default reference and main competitive element for most pilots and clubs. Last year Rob planned to stand down but was prevailed upon to continue. At Ager last year a bug threatened to bring the British Nationals to a halt; Rob wrestled with the scoring software late into the night to allow the competition to continue. His exceptional contribution to the hang gliding comps panel is an entirely voluntary endeavour.

Conspicuous service to the North Wales Club

Conspicuous service to the South West Wales Soaring Club

Conspicuous service to Army paragliding

Conspicuous service to the Peak Soaring Association

Conspicuous service to AHPA, Long Mynd and Combined Svcs

RAFHG&PGA

NWHGPC chairman, editor and repack organiser

Peak Soaring Association

Ongoing contribution to the sport

Services to accuracy competition

Services to the Wessex Club

Services to the Derbyshire Soaring Club

Services to the Derbyshire Soaring Club

Services to the Northumbria Club

Services to the Suffolk Coastal Floaters Club

Outstanding services to paragliding & FSC

Outstanding services to the SEWales Club

Outstanding services to the SEWales Club

Outstanding services to the Sky Surfing club

Unwavering support of women pilots and the Derbyshire Soaring Club

Matchless competition coaching & contributions to Skywings

Services to club/national parascending and FSC

Perfecting the Big Fat Repack format

Services to hang glider towing and FSC