Last year Team Army was kind enough to allocate the Army Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association (AHPA) with a grant of £2000 and secured an additional £3000 sponsorship from Porcher for the UKAF Championships.
For a small team this money was a real boost to our finances and allowed us to support the following activities:
- 7 Army Pilots to Columbia Feb 18 as part of a UKAF Exped.
- 9 Army Pilots to Southern Spain, Mar 18 to help train novice pilots in thermal flying.
- 3 Army Pilots to Turkey, Apr 18, to undertake advanced flying skills.
- 4 Army Pilots competed in the Lakes Classic finishing second overall.
- Porcher Industries sponsored the UKAF championships with over 5O pilots.
- 5 Army Pilots to compete in an international competition in Southern France. Jul 17, where they placed first in the Team event.
- 3 Army Pilots attended an SIV Cse in Turkey to improve their recovery from collapses.
Without the Team Army grant, some pilots would not have been financially able to attend. It has allowed our junior soldiers to attend courses and competitions abroad, which has greatly improved their flying and their ability to represent the Army.
Please accept our sincere thanks and we look forward to your continued support.
Hang Gliding and Paragliding are two closely related air sports in which lightweight foot launched gliders are used to take off and soar in ridge lift and thermals. Recent improvements in glider efficiency mean that in the right conditions we can climb thousands of feet and fly cross country covering 50 – 100 km or more! All this is possible with an aircraft that packs into a rucksack or fits onto a car roof rack.