< Previous30 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 This was my third SIV course, although the first in the Flyeo style, and also my first training over water in four years. I was anxious to see how much skill-fade had occurred over a much-reduced flying schedule over the past two years. I also wondered if I would be able to adapt to a new style of learning in only three days. I did my first SIV training, six months after passing my CP, with Jocky Sanderson at Oludeniz. It was an eye-opening experience that helped me move a lot of things from ‘unknown fear’ into ‘known problem’, and changed my understanding and enjoyment of flying forever. I immediately signed up for another SIV course, and then acro training. My memories of those early courses are vivid, of friendships forged in the fire, and each course building up to the pinnacle that was ‘stall day’. SIV training (from French: Simulation d’Incident en Vol) is a form of safety training that evolved from the paraglider certification testing process. Pilots fly over water, with a safety boat on standby below, deliberately induce their wing into unstable situations, and learn how to recover it. Over the years the level of understanding, and the process of teaching that some instructors have developed, has progressed into a sort of mindful pilotage. Students learn to identify the indicators and understand the reactions of a stalled or spinning wing, then utilise the characteristics and stored energy of the wing as a tool to help recover it. In other words, SIV has gone from wrestling with your wing to dancing with it. At the start of the course, one check flight of rapid exits was all it took for Malin to clock exactly where I was with my current abilities, and he immediately started me on exercises that would build upon them. Rapid exits (from a spiral or wingover) are the foundation of understanding your wing’s pitch and roll sensitivity. Flyeo uses a student’s understanding of this process to develop into spin, stall, and autorotation recovery. The idea is that, when you understand by feeling when your wing is ready to fly again, you can immediately recover it and avoid over- controlling and initiating a cascade of problems. My friend Steve Hallsworth of the LLSC, out for his fifth SIV with Flyeo, already had a good idea of what he wanted to work on. He and I received just as much care and attention as the less-experienced pilots in our group – everyone progressed at their own pace but had the benefit of listening to each other’s debriefings. There was no set agenda to the teaching and students progressed at a rate they were comfortable with. We did three flights a day – a precious, short three minutes ‘in the box’ – for three consecutive days. Nevertheless our days were filled from 0800 to 1600, and we were all pretty frazzled by the end of it. 21 minutes is not a lot of time, barely enough to get a sweat up in the gym, but in the context of SIV or acro training quite a lot can happen in that period. When I first heard that we’d only get three minutes in ‘the box’ for each run at Lac d’Annecy, I wasn’t sure if this would be long enough for repeated attempts at the various manoeuvres. As it happens, three minutes (the length of a pop song) is, for most people, a pretty good length of time for SAM SMITH DISCOVERS THERE’S ALWAYS MORE TO LEARN WITH SIV I recently completed three days of SIV training with Malin Lobb at Flyeo in Doussard (Annecy). The course surpassed all of my expectations, and taught me a lot about myself and my wing in such a very short and exhilarating time. A return to the w Sliding into backfly becomes an automatic response; if timed right it takes very little effort to reset your wing and fly awayJULY 2022 SKYWINGS 31 such intense focus. Each flight gave me room to make mistakes and then re- attempt, learn and progress. Another feature of the teaching at Flyeo is their direct application of sports psychology in the briefing process. This is becoming a more prevalent idea in our sport, and for a very good reason. Acknowledging the various pressures and traps that we create for ourselves in our heads gives them form and substance; we can then pick them up and turn them over, and work out how to deal with them. Sometimes we learn something and don’t really know why or how, but if it works then we keep it and give ourselves a pat on the back. My own experience on this course was very different – it felt like popping the hood and examining each part underneath, replacing or upgrading ideas on a case-by- case basis. I felt I was becoming more aware of my own thought processes as the training progressed, in the same way you become more aware of your posture and physical movements if someone is coaching you through them. People on SIV courses are often so preoccupied with the stress of the course that they forget to eat, drink, apply sunscreen and other acts of self-care that help to keep us happy and healthy in a hot and busy environment. I found that taking a small bag for such essentials to accompany me on the bus ride up to launch was an easy fix for this. Launching early in the group is another favoured tactic of mine; it gets you away from the stressful situation of waiting on launch, sweating in all your flying kit, and also gives you more time to pack your kit properly on the beach and watch others’ flights while listening in on the radio. water Debriefing between flights breaks the day into manageable chunks of practice, feedback and reinforcement Malin Lobb heads out on the Lac d’Annecy to await the first flights All photos: Sam Smith32 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 Looking back on the course now, my only regret is that it took me so long to get back out over the water. These skills aren’t locked in for life; they fade over time. Different methods of teaching can shine a light onto a new way of understanding a problem. Building on past experiences is a skill in itself, weighing and measuring each piece of knowledge to see if it still fits. By fully investing in the insight and capability of my instructor, I found I was able to get on board with what was being taught very quickly. Each set of exercises was linked to the previous one and the progression felt measurable and logical. How much I’d learned was really brought home to me at the end of the second day, when we went for an evening XC flight. I launched into rough air with a cravat (fabric folded through the lines at the wing tip). Usually this would be a bit of a situation that requires management – you’d fly out of the lift and pull at various lines until you’d freed it – but we’d been practicing spins to correct this exact problem earlier that day. It felt completely automatic to look around, check I was clear of terrain and other pilots, and then spin my wing right in front of launch, get straight into the climb, and get on with enjoying my flight. I finished my training with Flyeo on a real high. It was great to be back in the process of actively learning, and also to be in an environment where I could speak openly to my instructor about fears and doubts, and to really drill down into the essence of a question I hadn’t resolved yet. There will always be more to learn – that’s one of the greatest things about this sport we have – and I can’t wait to pick this particular thread up again. SIV training gives you a set of tools you can rely on, and a better feel for your wing in thermic air JULY 6 - 10 z British Open Paramotor Championship Wingland, Lincs 9 - 16 u British Sports Trophy Championship Gemona, Italy 10 - 23 l FAI European Hang Gliding Championship Sigillo, Italy 14 - 21 u PWC Kruševo Kruševo, Macedonia 23 - 31 z BHPFC Icarus Cup Lasham, Hants 25 - 06 Aug u FAI European Paragliding Championship Pantelej, Serbia AUGUST 7 - 13 l British Hang Gliding Championships Laragne, France 26 - 29 m British Accuracy Cup Superfinal South Cerney, Glos SEPTEMBER 2 - 10 m FAI European Paragliding Accuracy Championship Sibiu, Romania 4 - 10 l British Open Series Round 2 Mid Wales 17 - 18 u Classic Accuracy European Grand Prix Rotterdam Holland 20 - 25 ulz 49th Coupe Icare Festival St Hilaire, France DECEMBER 7 - 17 u PWC Superfinal Valle de Bravo, Mexico classified ads or schools, tuition, guiding and holidaysschools, tuition, guiding and holidays calendar of events u: paragliding event l: hang gliding event z: powered flying event m: accuracy event z: human powered flying event Please double-check with the organisers that any event is going ahead – entry in the calendar is no guarantee. • EP/CP tuition in small groups • BHPA Development & Refresher courses • Fully tracked GPS XC weeks • Paramotor Coversion Established 2001 - 20 Years experience in Algodonales Spain Get the most out of your holiday in the perfect flying playground ! 00 34 651 736 JULY 2022 SKYWINGS 33 Algodonales Spain call: 0797 3222 713 with Chris Williams BHPA development instructor BHPA registered development school • XC fly guiding (we fly XC with you) • Post CP training weeks • Cross Country training weeks • Professional guide • Tandem paragliding flights • Tandem paragliding instruction weeks • Max group size 6 pilots per instructor • Over 26 years guiding in Spain • Reliable Algodonales weather • Group discounts on guided weeks • Prices start from 500 euros, including accommodation34 SKYWINGS JULY 2022 classified ads Choosing an overseas EP or CP training course Members are advised to exercise considerable care when choosing a course from those that they will see advertised in Skywings and elsewhere. Only Club Pilot courses completed at a BHPA registered school will result in the straightforward issue of a BHPA CP rating. (BHPA Registered Schools can be identified by the BHPA logo. Do not be misled by non-BHPA schools misusing terms such as “EP Course” (Elementary Pilot) and “CP course”. Many of the other establishments advertising courses have no links to the BHPA, and therefore there is no simple means of establishing whether or not the training they provide meets BHPA standards. At worst this can mean that your safety is compromised: at best this can mean that you will gain a “qualification” that is not recognised, and so will need to prove your level of ability and understanding over again before any BHPA rating can be issued. Please note: The member associations of the EHPU agree that the only qualifications that (subject to national law) they recognise and accept are those issued by Government Ministries, the FAI, National Aero Clubs and National Associations. Financial security Establishments advertising courses and holidays are not usually ATOL bonded. Customers should consider the financial security of any bookings made. It would be wise to check that your travel insurance would cover the cancellation of a course or holiday. Airworthiness certification Where no airworthiness certification details appear on an advert for a new or second-hand hang glider or paraglider, potential buyers should assume that it is uncertificated. Gliders which are certificated will have a verification label attached either to the keel (hang gliders) or canopy (paragliders). If no such label is present the glider is uncertificated. Safety advice For your own safety, if you are purchasing a second- hand glider, inspect it thoroughly for damage or wear in critical parts, then test fly it. If in doubt, seek advicefrom your club Safety Officer. Make sure you receive the owner¹s manual and, in the case of hang gliders, the batten plan. While every effort is made to check the authenticity of claims made in adverts, these are accepted in good faith and neither the Editor nor the Publisher, nor the Advertising Agent can be held responsible for the quality or airworthiness of items acquired through these pages. Pilots who fly uncertificated gliders take their lives into their hands each time they fly. Advertising policy Skywings will not carry advertisements which the Executive Council considers may be detrimental to the interests of BHPA Ltd or to the sport of hang gliding and paragliding in general. IMPORTANT ADVERTISING INFORMATION paragliders for salehang gliders for sale Gin Bolero 6 in red. (EN A) size XL weight range 105 - 135 kg. It is a 2018 wing and is in excellent condition. £1500 ono. Atos VQ in excellent condition flown three times and recently checked by John Barratt, perfect on aero tow. Contact Terry on 07974 993024 Moyes Litespeed S 136 great condition £1000 call 0777042422 or service, repairs, parts and accessories 07966229963 REPACKING, SERVICE, SPARES & STOCK 3 Days Turnaround on reserves insurance life cover FOR PILOTS Paraglider, Hang Glider and Paramotor pilots can often face expensive premium loadings when applying for life cover. We can usually secure standard rates with no aviation exclusions. Your insurance will provide 24/7 cover including whilst flying. • Life insurance for your family, mortgage or business. • Cover can be arranged over the phone. • 24/7 life insurance. • Online quotes. 0800 5999 101 stein pilot insurance servicing, repairs, repacks landline: 01883 652 666 mobile: 07860 875567 Storage of hang gliders, paramotors available 24hour access NEW ’Self Service’ learn to fully service, porisity check and trim your glider. Pack your parachute under supervision or hire the GD workshop and toolsJULY 2022 SKYWINGS 35 Come visit us in the beautiful lake District. We have a large retail shop, open 7 days per week. • Free independent equipment and flying advice • Demo centre for Advance, Woody Valley, Ozone Sup’Air and more! • Part exchange welcome plus large selection of second hand equipment available • Ozone and Advance premier main dealer • Free next day delivery on 100’s of flying products • All major payment cards and Paypal accepted Southey Hill, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 5NR grab your gear and get high, the new season is here The monthly Sense of Humour Panel meeting happened to fall on the Summer Solstice. Even in the local park this involved avoiding the local Druids, and naked ladies too, dressed only in flowers. This last was only reported; I didn’t see anything. Yes, we had intended to do it on the Jubilee weekend but the dates were wrong. And the flags, oh the flags! Despite these difficulties Barry Hobbins emerged a close winner, and much fun was had all round. Did you know you can get eight big tins of Heineken for a fiver in supermarkets? It was news to us … As ever, thanks to all … and keep ‘em coming. Also (small detail) … we’re running out of suitable pictures, so please send in some daft stuff we can use. We like to see high resolution and great mirth embodied … the readers will do the rest! Clever, funny or stupid captions for this month's photo should arrive at the Skywings Office by Friday July 15th. Multiple offerings are perfectly acceptable. The funniest offering, judged by Skywings' resident Sense of Humour Panel, will appear in the August issue, together with the next ridiculous picture we can find. The winner can choose between a copy of Bruce Goldsmith's excellent Fifty Ways To Fly Better, Kelly Farina's Mastering Paragliding, Dean Eldridge's Paramotoring – The Essential Guide or XCMag’s Paragliding – The Beginner’s Guide. And don't forget … we're always on the lookout for daft pictures to use. Send your entries to: Caption Competition, Skywings Magazine, 39 London Road, Harleston, Norfolk IP20 9BH, tel: 01379 855021, e-mail: Note: Entry to this competition does not exclude BHPA employees, their families or relatives of the persons depicted. Photo Katy Cole Photo Jo Binns caption competition I know it looks bad but I can explain, and in any case, we are deeply in love. (Mark Helm) You can come out Mum, there's nobody about – thanks for carrying it up. (Barry Davis) And now you find the car keys you lost last weekend. (Iona de Wing) Excuse me while I avail myself of the onboard facilities. (Mel Leggett) It's in the BHPA handbook: pre-flight preps if you must know. (Barry Davis) What a faff! Why oh why did I give up paragliding? (Martin Bates) The newly redesigned XCPee leaves a lot to be desired in the subtlety department! (Alejandro Jeketo) Blimey, ‘This Side Up’ – who knew? (Mark Bradley) Win one of these excellent instructional flying books! As he admired the solar panels he thought, ‘Why has a glider got solar panels?’ Reliable Paragliding Equipment Picture Thomas Ulrich – Nideri Sulegg, Switzerland PIONEERING SPIRIT AND SWISS PRECISION. advance.swiss SINCE 1988 In the beginning was curiosity. It still shapes us today. Meeting the needs of pilots is our benchmark: We offer them the highest quality and absolute reliability, both in the air and in customer service. That's how we went from pioneer to perfectionist. Reliable Paragliding Equipment Start a New Era HIGH-B PARAGLIDER EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE FROM 3.75 KG* The new IOTA DLS is a high performance XC specialist. Perfectly balanced pitch behaviour and effective C-handle control provide maximum fl ight comfort. Manufactured with our DLS technology, it offers you both robustness and durability at the usual high level. Photo: Adi Geisegger *Size 21 with optional light risersNext >