British Pilot Ben Dry Breaks National Paragliding Distance Record with 334.9km Flight

Ben Dry has shattered the UK paragliding straight-distance cross-country record, completing a 334.9km flight from Llangorse in Wales to the East Suffolk coastline on Saturday, 1 August 2026.

The remarkable journey added 5.6km to the previous benchmark of 329.3km, set by Mark Watts just one year prior. Even more impressively, Dry's flight surpassed the long-standing UK hang gliding record of 330.2km held by Carl Wallbank since 2015.

"It was a magical day," Ben recalled. "Realising I was on track to break the record brought a real sense of achievement. And then managing to squeeze out a few extra kilometres on top of that felt incredibly satisfying."

Ben launched at 10:21am aboard a Niviuk Peak 6, remaining airborne for nearly ten hours. The route mirrored last year's historic flight line, crossing the country west to east from Wales through the Midlands to the Suffolk coast. He described the late afternoon conditions as unusually calm and peaceful, landing at approximately 8:10pm with his wing damp from atmospheric moisture.

A significant challenge along the route was navigating complex airspace. "Keeping clear of the 6,500ft airspace was difficult enough midway through the flight, and avoiding the 7,500ft zones after that was even trickier," he explained. His altitude peaked at 7,900ft at one stage.

The day offered a contrasting flying experience. "It was really rough early on," Ben noted. "I had a low climb-out around 11am above a farm in Wales — that was pretty hair-raising. But by evening it settled into much gentler lift with big, beautiful clouds. A far more mellow experience overall."

A 41-year-old professional classical cellist originally from South Africa, now based near Stroud, Ben has been flying for around a decade, primarily in the UK. While he sees no direct parallel between music and aviation, he believes the intense focus required by both pursuits sharpens concentration in the air.

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