PARAGLIDING CLUB NEWS

Once Club Pilot, some students may wish to continue using our private sites while improving their skills and receiving some extra guidance from our instructors. This allows you to continue flying in a familiar, friendly and controlled environment with pilots you know. We also run Club trips abroad, arrange social events and have Club Coaches to guide you around the Southern sites.

THE 2024 STEYNING CHALLENGE
for our club members
could you fly cross-country from Steyning? Steyning is an ideal training site with gentle grass slopes, and as such does not normally produce thermals suitable for massive height gain. Although XCs have been flown by experienced pilots in the past. it will take a lot of preparation and skill to achieve even a short distance. From the North to North East it can be difficult, as you have Shoreham airspace to contend with. In a southerly the thermals are generally small, but this is not always the case. While in an easterly, cool air flow and a sunny day can make the chance of XCs quite good. Even if you manage a short flight over the back, log your flight and we will present a trophy to the winner at the end of the year.

ACCOMMODATION IN THE PYRENEES
If you are looking for an outdoor adventure holiday or just want to relax in the South of France with friends or family then Johns house is the place to stay. Paragliding, Biking, Rafting, Walking etc its all on his door step. Spain is just over the boarder and surfing on the Atlantic coast an hour away. John also runs Photography courses from the house. Due to COVID restrictions in France please contact the office for details

PILOT LECTURE AND EXAM
We will be holding lectures for Club Pilots with 25 hours plus, who have the relevant tasks signed off. You can also sit the exam at the same time if you feel ready. As usual we need a minimum of six pilots.

FRENCH TRIPS
For students already on courses we will be offering holidays to France throughout the year. We have some of the best sites in Europe at our disposal where we have had complete beginners flying tandem at 800mts and towing up to 300mts. Solo flights on their 4th day up to 800mts and soaring flights on small ridge sites. Details of holidays in France

EMAIL FROM CHRIS BRADLEY - PASSED CP 2002 - NOW IN AUSTRALIA
It's great to hear from past students.

Long time no see! good to see that you're still going strong, cant believe I never bumped into you guys on one of the hills over the years!

I thought this may give some inspiration to your students!

Thought I'd get in touch and let you know about my latest flying exploits! Got to say I've still got the same enthusiasm i had when I left your school. Believe it or not still flying the Flying Planet Astaire i bought off you back in 2002! and its still in good fettle although will be finally trading up to a 1-2 something or other soon!

I had the great fortune to emigrate to Queensland Australia in July, I live in a town called Toowoomba which is nestled in the Darling Downs (about 1 1/2 hour drive inland from Brisbane), I immediately joined the local club!, and not surprisingly there is only a few of us flying at any one time (so different to the likes of the Dyke etc on a good day)!

To date I've only flown a couple of the sites here, one of which the take off is actually in a friends garden!, he actually hosted part of the Queensland Paragliding Champs from here! how cool is that! You need to be very active flying here because of the thermal conditions, something which I'm still getting used to, so hope to hone my flying skills as i seem to have more opportunity to fly. Hoping to fly at Rainbow Beach which is near Fraser Island, I've been told its one long Dune (20 miles) and great for soaring, cant wait!

I would also like to say how much I enjoyed my time learning to Fly at Steyning and the great trip to Morzine, so a big thanks to yourself, mike and co for all your help

Thought you'd like a couple of flying photos, one is my last soaring task at Steyning in 2002, second is at Beachy head 2005 and the last is at a place called Stringy Bark near Toowoomba, Queensland

Best regards Chris Bradley

TRAINEE INSTRUCTORS
Ever thought of helping out in the school? then let us know. It's great fun, you meet loads of interesting people and of course there are lots of perks! Pilots tend to forget what it is like for beginners and you may feel you have something to give.

KITESURFING
We managed to go out a few times this winter, mainly at Shoreham beach and Littlehampton, also a couple of weeks in North Devon back in September. We should also have a chance for a few days in the South West France on our April trip. For six years running we have managed to combine flying holidays in Northern Spain with some awesome kitesurfing, on both the Atlantic coast and Mediterranean all in a week. Kitesurfing compliments paragliding very well, so if you want too sports, one physical and one not, then this is the way to go. As long as you have a good wet suite to keep you warn, then it is great fun to learn, 2 days should see you up on the board! If you want to have a try we have spare kit, just ask.

As our sites are private the club is only available to Airsports Paragliding School students