The Paraglider Podcast

Josh Cohn, Nick Greece, Adam Hill, Craig Morgan, Russ Ogden, Yassen Savov and Adrian Thomas - during the 2011 Paragliding World Championships, CIVL banned the use of uncertified open class gliders in its sanctioned competitions. In the last year, much debate has focused on the pros and cons of this decision. This podcast is a round up of pilots perceptions of the first year of ?pure serial class from the perspective of some top international pilots. [see podcast below for the serial perspective]

James Bradley, Mike Miller, Idris Birch and Pat Dower - serial class has not only had a profound effect on former open class pilots, but traditional serial class and sports class competitors have also been affected - both in positive and negative ways. This podcast is a round up of pilots perceptions of the first year of pure serial class from the perspective of some very accomplished sports/serial class pilots. [see the podcast above for the ex-open class perspective]

Steve Charlesworth, Sarah Frysol, Alex Hatfield, Alan Horsfield, Barbara St Aubyn and Chris Trow - many pilots are not aware of the immense amount of background work that goes into a competition, before, after and during the comp week. In the UK Championships we are fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly as a team to make sure the competition works as seamlessly as possible. This podcast is about the work they do and hopes to give information as well as encouraging anyone who is interested to give it a go!

Dean Crosby (Active Edge) and Steve Nash (Nova) - in August/September 2012 Steve and Dean set out to cross the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by foot and flying. They did the trip completely unsupported so they had to carry everything they needed - gliders, shelter, food, clothes, etc. This podcast is a description of their epic 18 day trip, with both the highs and lows that are part of such an adventure. You can see their route and kit list at the Active Edge web site. A second podcast with their advice, tips and tricks for lightweight fly/hiking is also available.

Steve Nash (Nova) and Dean Crosby (Active Edge) - in August/September 2012 Steve and Dean set out to cross the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by foot and flying. They did the trip completely unsupported so they had to carry everything they needed - gliders, shelter, food, clothes, etc. This podcast is a discussion between them on preparation, what kit worked and what didnt, foot care and loads of other useful advice for anyone wishing to undertake fly hiking. A second podcast all about their trip is also available. A full kit list is available from their blog .

Kirsty Cameron - on the 13th of May 2012 Kirsty flew a massive straight line flight of 233km from Milk Hill in Wiltshire to the flats of Norfolk. This is the second longest flight in the UK ever and only the third over 200km long. In this podcast she describes the flight and how to negotiate the extensive airspace she had to cross, as well as providing loads of good tips for aspiring long distance fliers. Click here to see her tracklog.

Jorg Ewald - this podcast is about scoring formulas and how they work. It is not aimed at scorers, but competition pilots so they can know more about how tasks and competitions work and why some days are high scoring and others are worth little. It also tells you about what questions to ask, and how knowing a little about this topic can help you prepare better for your whole comp.

There is also a very detailed, 18 page, written explanation of the GAP scoring formula available from the FAI: GapGuide-2011-v1.pdf (written in Feb 2011).

Steve Ham (flyPiedrahita) should need little introduction. He is a multiple record holder, former British champion and long term national team member. Since he discovered Piedrahita he has been a pioneer in the area and is now a legendary guide. This podcast is about flying in flatlands, but also includes invaluable information for anyone wishing to go to the flying mecca of Piedrahita.

Richard Carter - the big UK XC ambition of 2011 was to break the 200km mark on a paraglider. Richard bypassed this distance on the 9th of August with a flight of 253.4km from Derbyshire to Essex. Here he describes this flight and other record breaking flights hes done in the past.

Steve Hudson (Derbyshire Flying Centre) - wave is a fairly common weather condition in the UK and can provide excellent and exhilarating flying, but it can also be scary if you dont know how it works. While hang gliders have a lot of knowledge and experience of it, many paraglider pilots are unsure of flying in wave. In this podcast, Steve aims to explain how to assess conditions, get down, fly safe and have fun!