Welcome to Malvern Hang Gliding Club
Website
Visit the club website for full information including site guides.
Introduction
The club was established in 1975 for hang glider pilots: But times have changed. Over the years the safety and performance of paragliders has improved hugely, so that the vast majority of our members are now paraglider pilots.
What we fly
Paragliders are large colourful inflatable wings with the pilot suspended in a harness (either sitting or semi reclined) some distance below. Hang gliders have a rigid “A shaped” frame and the pilot is attached in a prone position immediately below the wing. Paragliders are lighter and easier to carry (packing into a rucksack) but fly more slowly than hang gliders (which are bulkier, heavier and less easy to carry around on the ground).
Philosophy
Our Club believes in adopting and maintaining an “Open Sites Policy” (also known as “free flying”), wherever possible. It means that we do not require anyone to become a member of the Club before they can fly from the sites that we manage, but they will need a “sticker” - read on………
Managing the flying
Flying on the Malverns is managed by our Club with the agreement of the Malvern Hills Trust (MHT) and other landowners. It is done in accordance with the National Regulatory Body, the BHPA.
The Malvern Hills themselves are a particularly sensitive site and subject to their own Acts of Parliament. We therefore require that pilots who want to fly here must be suitably qualified, adequately insured and undertake to comply with the site rules laid down from time to time
You must either be a full member of MHGC (£17.50 annual membership and helmet sticker included) or be in possession of and currently comply with the requirements of a Helmet Sticker (£5 for life - although this may change on the future)
You are expected to display your helmet sticker to show that you have made that commitment.
The rules of MHT prohibit the use of the Malverns for commercial activities. This rules out the use of the hills for paragliding school training and paid tandem flights.
Membership
Benefits of annual membership
Membership costs just £17.50 per year and is open to all BHPA qualified pilots rated CP or above. Please see the "Learn to Fly" section for information about how to become qualified.
Membership of the club gives you so much more than just access to fly all of the hills that the Malvern club uses:
- support from the Club’s large BHPA qualified coaching team, including membership of the “Malvern Coaching” Telegram group for low airtime pilots
- access to the Club’s very active “Malvern Flyers” Telegram group, where members arrange cross country flying, share retrieves and talk about all sorts of flying (and beer) related things
- an annual organised Club reserve parachute repack
- club meetings that cover many things such as expeditions, flying techniques, improving your skills, new technology and the opportunity to meet a very friendly group of pilots who love flying; there is a Club BBQ every summer
- eligibility to win Club awards (see the “Awards and Trophies” page), which are given out at the Club’s annual members’ dinner
Club flying trips are arranged from time to time, either in the UK or overseas.
The Club has a great many BHPA qualified coaches who take pleasure in helping newly qualified pilots find their “air legs”, build their hours and improve their flying skills. Although there is a general requirement for pilots who launch from the Malvern Hills to have not less than 15 hours post-qualification experience, this is waived if you are a Club member under the supervision of a Club coach.
Many pilots have gained their first flying hours after qualification flying from the beautiful Malvern Hills. As they progress, the Club’s coaches will help them with their first cross country flights, allowing them to enjoy the amazing views of the Vale of Evesham to the east and the hills of Herefordshire and Wales to the west from heights of 6,000 feet or more.
Club members have an enormous amount of experience in cross country flying (not just from Malvern club sites but across the UK and worldwide). From Malvern, pilots have flown west to the Welsh coast near Aberystwyth and east to Cambridge.
Joining
If you would like to join the Club (whether as a hang glider or paraglider pilot) then go to MHGC Subscriptions Or if you simply want to email to one of the coaches, their contact details are available in the “Coaches” section of our website.
If you would like to come to a Club meeting to see who we are, then you’re more than welcome. Details are listed on the website with upcoming events. Feel free to contact the Social Secretary or one of the coaches beforehand to ensure you are welcomed and introduced at the meeting.
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