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These podcasts are available in two formats:

• An MP3 version for downloading to your MP3 player (or listening from your own computer). Download by right clicking on the link, and saving the file to your own computer. This is the preferred method of listening to them.
• A version converted to Flash, for playing direct from this web site.

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You can now subscribe to our podcasts via iTunes. See Subscribe links on the right for more info.

If you have any suggestions for podcasts (content and/or interviewees), or any other comments, please do contact us by email.

Podcast title MP3 version Flash version Please note! New podcasts will now be available from . Coastal flying with Her-Hsin Tsai. As well as being a keen XC flyer, Hamish (as he is better known in the paragliding community) lives and flies at the coast. In this podcast he discusses a wide range of aspects of coastal flying, including weather, hazards, coastal XCs, sea breezes, convergence, sea thermals and more. It makes valuable listening for people both familiar and unfamiliar with this flying environment. 34mins (November 2013) (32Mb) Possible Future Developments in Competition Technology with Chris Trow (). Following my interview with the PWC and British Open retrieve manager for the Marshalling podcast, here Chris talks about possible future technological developments in comps, including live tracking, Spot and other satellite tracking devices, radios, etc. All these developments are aimed at making competitions safer and more fun. He also talks about what you can do to make itall work more efficiently. 14 mins (March 2013) (13Mb) Serial Class! A 2012 comp season roundup from the ex-open class perspective with Josh Cohn, Nick Greece, Adam Hill, Craig Morgan, Russ Ogden, Yassen Savov and Adrian Thomas. During the 2011 Paragliding World Championships, CIVL banned the use of uncertified open class gliders in its sanctioned competitions. In the last year, much debate has focused on the pros and cons of this decision. This podcast is a round up of pilot’s perceptions of the first year of ‘pure’ serial class from the perspective of some top international pilots. [see podcast below for the serial perspective] 68 mins (January 2013) (64Mb) Serial Class! A 2012 comp season roundup from the sports/traditional serial class perspective with James Bradley, Mike Miller, Idris Birch and Pat Dower. Serial class has not only had a profound effect on former open class pilots, but traditional serial class and sports class competitors have also been affected – both in positiveand negative ways. This podcast is a round up of pilot’s perceptions of the first year of ‘pure’ serial class from the perspective of some very accomplished sports/serial class pilots. [see the podcast above for the ex-open class perspective] 47 mins (January 2013) (44Mb) Marshalling and Supporting a Competition with Steve Charlesworth, Sarah Frysol, Alex Hatfield, Alan Horsfield, Barbara St Aubyn and Chris Trow. Many pilots are not aware of the immense amount of background work that goes into a competition, before, after and during the comp week. In the UK Championships we are fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly as a team to make sure the competition works as seamlessly as possible. This podcast is about the work they do and hopes to give information as well as encouraging anyone who is interested to give it a go! 37 mins. (November 2012) (35Mb) Crossing the Pyrenees Unsupported – a vol bivouac adventure with Dean Crosby () and Steve Nash (). InAugust/September 2012 Steve and Dean set out to cross the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by foot and flying. They did the trip completely unsupported so they had to carry everything they needed – gliders, shelter, food, clothes, etc. This podcast is a description of their epic 18 day trip, with both the highs and lows that are part of such an adventure. You can see their route and kit list at the . A second podcast with their advice, tips and tricks for lightweight fly/hiking is also available. 73 mins. (October 2012) (69Mb) Vol bivouac and lightweight gear – tips and tricks with Steve Nash () and Dean Crosby (). In August/September 2012 Steve and Dean set out to cross the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by foot and flying. They did the trip completely unsupported so they had to carry everything they needed – gliders, shelter, food, clothes, etc. This podcast is a discussion between them on preparation, what kit worked and what didn’t, foot care andloads of other useful advice for anyone wishing to undertake fly hiking. A second podcast all about their trip is also available. A full kit list is available from their blog at: 50 mins. (October 2012) (47Mb) The Big One with Kirsty Cameron. On the 13th of May 2012 Kirsty flew a massive straight line flight of 233km from Milk Hill in Wiltshire to the flats of Norfolk. This is the second longest flight in the UK ever and only the third over 200km long. In this podcast she describes the flight and how to negotiate the extensive airspace she had to cross, as well as providing loads of good tips for aspiring long distance fliers. to see her tracklog. 50 mins. (June 2012) (43Mb) Competition scoring with Jörg Ewald. This podcast is about scoring formulas and how they work. It is not aimed at scorers, but competition pilots so they can know more about how tasks and competitions work and why some days are high scoring and others are worth little. It also tells you about what questions to ask,and how knowing a little about this topic can help you prepare better for your whole comp. 46 minutes. (June 2012) There is also a very detailed, 18 page, written explanation of the GAP scoring formula available from the FAI: (written in Feb 2011). (43Mb) Flatland flying with Steve Ham of . Steve Ham should need little introduction. He is a multiple record holder, former British champion and long term national team member. Since he discovered Piedrahita he has been a pioneer in the area and is now a legendary guide.This podcast is about flying in flatlands, but also includes invaluable information for anyone wishing to go to the flying mecca of Piedrahita. 40 minutes. (May 2012) (37Mb) Breaking the British PG distance record with Richard Carter. The big ambition of 2011 was to break the 200km mark on a paraglider. Richard bypassed this distance on the 9th of August with a flight of 253.4km from Derbyshire to Essex. Here he describes this flight and other record breaking flights he’sdone in the past. 50mins. (September 2011) (48Mb) Flying in wave with Steve Hudson of the . Wave is a fairly common weather condition in the UK and can provide excellent and exhilarating flying, but it can also be scary if you don’t know how it works. While hang gliders have a lot of knowledge and experience of it, many paraglider pilots are unsure of flying in wave. In this podcast, Steve aims to explain how to assess conditions, get down, fly safe and have fun! 52 minutes. (February 2011) (49Mb) Flying Triangles with Kai Coleman. After achieving huge open-distance XC flights in the UK, Kai started turning his attention to triangle flying and has done so successfully for the last few years. In this podcast, Kai talks about his experience of flying triangles and gives some advice on planning, GPS use and just going for it! See triangle flight from the Wrekin and flight from XClent. 23 minutes. (July 2010) (17Mb) Improving your flying with Judith Mole. In this podcast I talk about someof the strategies I have used to become a better pilot in a structured way over the last eighteen months. You can also read Dave Thomas’ article to see how he became a better XC pilot by reading it (right-click to download). 18 minutes. (June 2010) (17Mb) Making the most of blue thermal days with Dave Thomas. Dave has been flying various aircraft since 1979 and has a huge amount of XC experience. He excels on blue thermal days and in this podcast he explains how they work and how to make the most of them. He uses a flight at the Malverns to illustrate his points. If you would like to see the terrain he describes, you can view and from the day in Google Earth. 45mins. (April 2010) (43Mb) Competing in the British Paragliding Nationals with Martin Dockerill, Wendy Griffiths and Simon Twiss. In this podcast Martin, Wendy and Simon talk about why they decided to enter the competition, what they learned, and they also provide some tips for others thinking of entering for the first time.16mins. (January 2010) (15Mb) Advanced Thermalling with Kelly Farina of . This podcast doesn’t explain what a thermal is or how to find one, but it explains the common mistakes people make and how to rectify them. It is aimed at people experienced in thermalling, who want to improve their technique. [Excuse the quality of this podcast – it was recorded remotely, but the content makes up for the poor audio!] 15 mins. (January 2010) (14Mb) Winter Flying with David Thomson of . If you think winter flying is the same as summer flying just colder, think again. There are lots of differences (meteorological, how the wind works, assessing conditions, etc.), which change the way we fly in the winter months. In this podcast David talks through his observations over the last 15 years. 27 minutes. (December 2009) (25Mb) Paragliding Guiding with Toby Colombé (), Adam Hill () and Kelly Farina (). This podcast discusses what guiding is about, and how you can make the most of your guided holiday. 20minutes. (November 2009) (19Mb) Paragliding: A new pilot’s perspective with Melise Harland. Melise recently qualified and in this podcast she discusses her progress to date, explains some of the things she’s learnt and illustrates the advantages of having a plan. 25 minutes. (August 2009) (23Mb) The Red Bull X-Alps: The Inside Story with Tom Payne. In this follow-up podcast about the , Tom talks candidly about his experiences, joys, aches and pains of the race. 42 minutes. (August 2009) (40Mb) Paragliding and the Mind with Tony Spirling. Tony is a long standing sail plane, hang glider, paraglider pilot and psychologist. In this podcast he explains how the brain works and how you can use it to optimise your flying performance. 39 minutes. (July 2009) (36Mb) Preparing for the X-Alps with Tom Payne. Tom is taking part in the for the first time in 2009. This podcast is an informal chat about his preparation and strategies for the race. A further podcast on his experiences will be availableafter the event has finished. 35 minutes. (June 2009) (33Mb) An XC flight from the Malverns – three different perspectives with Wayne Millichope, Geoff Minshull and Judith Mole. This podcast is a discussion between us about the flight, the decisions, the mistakes made, and the lessons learned from the day. You can view or download our tracklogs to see the flights. . . . 40 minutes. (May 2009) (37Mb) Alpine Flying with Tom Payne. Tom has lived in the French Alps since 2003. Here he talks about strategies and characteristics of alpine flying, including how to plan an XC in the Alps, meteorology and tips and tricks. 32 minutes. (May 2009) (30Mb) SIV/Pilotage with Pat Dower, Geoff Minshull and Judith Mole. This podcast describes the experience of an SIV course, the benefits of undertaking such a course and the lessons learnt. See the for some videos, and for the write up of our course. 18 minutes. (May 2009) (17Mb) Coaching, with David Thomson of . David is the chief coach for theLanarkshire and Lothian Soaring Club in Scotland. In this podcast he discusses the subconscious and its influence on pilot behaviour and progress, as well as general coaching. 31 minutes. (February 2009) (29Mb) Mental training, with Anja Kroll. In this podcast, Anja (twice the PWC women’s champion) talks about becoming a competition pilot and some of the strategies she used to become one of the top female pilots in the world. She also discusses mental training and how it can be used to benefit all pilots. (More information about Anja is on her website, – mostly in German, some articles in English). 25 minutes. (November 2008) (24Mb) XC tips from Kai Coleman, former British distance record holder. Kai also discusses some of his favourite sites in the Long Mynd area. (Formerly two podcasts, now merged into one). 19 minutes. (June 2008) (18Mb) Flying 100km with Richard Westgate from . Richard is a paragliding world record holder, and did four flights over 100km in the UK in six weeks inJune/July 2008. In this podcast, Richard talks about those four flights, and general tips on flying long distances. [As many people will know, Richard sadly died in December 2012. He was a brilliant pilot, always willing to share with others, and an extremely nice person. He is a great loss to the flying community]. 26 minutes. (August 2008) (25Mb) Flying in competitions, by from . Spanish Women’s Champion, ex-British team member. 18 minutes. (July 2008) (17Mb) First competiton season, by Martin Knight. Martin talks about his first season flying competitions, the BPC, and offers advice to people considering entering competitions for the first time. 26 minutes. (August 2008) (20Mb) Getting your confidence back after an accident, by Judith Mole. Relatively early in my hang gliding career, I broke my arm at Lord’s Seat in Derbyshire. In this podcast, I talk about the steps I took to regain my confidence. 11 minutes. (July 2008) (10Mb) You’ve got your CP – what next? Mark Dann runs , andis a highly experienced paraglider pilot and instructor. This podcast is aimed at new pilots, who have just completed their CP. 18 minutes. (September 2008) (16Mb)

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