Can Visiting Overseas Pilots fly in the UK?
Can Visiting Overseas Pilots fly in the UK?The BHPA welcomes pilots from abroad.
The United Kingdom (UK) is made up of four countries, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (Cymru). The UK has some very crowded skies; the need to protect commercial airline operations has resulted in little space left over for recreational fliers, and even this has to be shared with military jets. Because of this, flying cross country in the UK will almost always involve complex navigation around airspace that you must not enter.
The topography of the UK varies considerably, with the more mountainous areas largely found in the North of England (Scafell Pike 978m), Northern Ireland (Slieve Donard 850m), Scotland (Ben Nevis 1,345m), and Wales (Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon 1,085m). Dartmoor on the South-West Peninsula of England reaches over 600m, but the rest of Southern England is mostly limited to hills (Downs, Wolds, Moors) of 300m or less. Coastal soaring sites are often found where hills meet the sea.
Good reverse launching skills are a must for visiting paraglider pilots. Hills are usually dynamically soared in winds of 25km/h or so, whilst trying to locate usable thermals. Visiting pilots should also be aware that hills in South-East England can get very busy, with hang glider and paraglider pilots of mixed abilities often sharing the same hill.
UK flying sites are looked after by around 60 local BHPA recreational clubs. Access to those flying sites has often been the result of lengthy, and sometimes difficult, negotiations with local landowners, farmers and graziers. Most UK flying sites are therefore subject to site rules which have been put in place by the local club to try to ensure the safety of pilots flying the site, and continued access to that site for the foreseeable future.
Once you’ve decided which area you are going to visit, please visit our Club locations map and make contact with the club responsible for flying sites in that area. They will be able to fully brief you and hopefully ensure that you get a warm welcome and some first class flying.
BHPA members carry £5 million third-party insurance cover as a result of their BHPA membership, and most UK flying sites have been negotiated on that basis. Visiting overseas pilots will therefore need to carry proof of suitable third-party insurance cover, and be able to produce an IPPI card to show that they are suitably qualified to fly a particular site.
If you decide to take out temporary BHPA membership, please be aware that the third-party cover is restricted to flights in the UK only. For further information about about BHPA insurance cover, please contact the BHPA Insurance Officer