Club Members do well at the British Open Series and Tony Stephens wins.

Following the third and final round of the 2010 British Open hang gliding series in mid-Wales, which ended on 30th June, Sky Surfing pilot Tony Stephens was the overall winner. Other club members scored well in the competition:

Bruce Kavanagh 3=
Neil Atkinson 5
Justin Needham 11
Steve Green 12
Tim King 18
Murray Brown 33
Grant Crossingham 41
Jamie Cannon 44
Steve Gale 51

Congratulations to Tony and the other club members. Read an interview with Tony on the BBC here.

Flying with the Modellers

On Sunday 17/1/10 a number of Paraglider pilots turned up at Butser West face. Conditions were generally good with plenty of separation. At times there were six in the air which the conditions could support.

However, some pilots were repeatedly flying low across the modellers airspace . There were three separate approaches by the modellers to complain of the PG pilot's behaviour. We always urge that problems between the clubs to be resolved by communication on the hill on the day. On this day, the modellers did this. The least we must do is take notice of the their issues and attempt to avoid the conflict.

Pilots flying our sites must be aware of the rules for sharing the airspace and stick to them. Do not fly in front of the modeller's take off below 150ft. Above 150ft should be a rapid transition and pilot should not hang around here. These rules are not just to keep the peace between the clubs. Mid air collisions can, and have, caused fatalities.


New Flying Diary Blog

We have a new flight diary, in the form of a Blog. To post a flight report on this blog simply write it in an email and send to:

SkySurfers.blog.[password]@blogger.com

The [password] is the name of our main easterly site.

In the subject line of your email, make the heading the title of the Blog entry, for example, "Butser Hill Wednesday 2nd September".

Then, in the body of your email write your flight report. Please include what you fly (HG or PG) and the conditions. You can also include pictures as an attachment to your email.

Lastly, please include your name.

Get posting!!


 

Light Aircraft activity on the North Side of Butser

Pilots flying the North face of Butser should be aware of the airstrip at Twentyways farm in front of the hill. The local farmer sometimes flies a Super Cub or a small helicopter from the strip. See the sites guide page for more details. When flying please keep an eye out for the aerial activity.


Newsletter

Any articles for the for forthcoming newsletter will be very welcome. Please send them to the Newsletter Editor (see committee page) as soon as possible.

Yahoo Group

This is a message board facility combined with email messaging that the club uses for sending out urgent information, discussing issues, distributing files and posting pictures. Club members should join here.


Annual Events

The club puts on various events through the year. The following gives a list of the notable annual events. Keep an eye on this website, the Yahoo Groups and the club newsletter for details of each event when they arise.

Annual Prize giving - End of January
This is the event where the club prizes are awarded, including the cups for the cross country leagues, best out and return flight and the others. Usually held in a local pub with a buffet on a Saturday evening.

Scrub Bash - Mid February
Club members work out their frustrations through the lack of flying in the depths of winter by helping the Queen Elizabeth County Park keep the scrub on Butser Hill under control. Turn up with suitable saws to cut down the scrub and build a bonfire. Usually on a Sunday morning.

Barnett-Dignand Competition - Spring
This is a friendly inter-club hang gliding competition against the Wessex club aimed at all levels of pilots. This takes place on a Saturday or Sunday when the weather allows, and has been known to be deferred to the Autumn when the weather has refused to co-operate. Keep a close eye on the Yahoo Groups or email the Hang Gliding Competitions secretary to register your interest. The decision to go is not usually made until Friday and communicated by email/Yahoo Groups.

Festival of Flight / Club Barbecue - Early June
The Festival of Flight is an event held on Butser Hill by the QE Park Centre and supported by the club. This is usually followed by the annual club barbecue at one of the Barbecue sites in the Park centre.

Club AGM - October
The annual club meeting at which the committee are elected for the following year. Usually held in a local pub one evening.