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RNHPA News
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Send in your flying phots!
Some of the best flying photos on the web!
The Royal Navy's web page has some of the best hang gliding and
paragliding photos available on the Internet. If you haven't checked them
out follow this link to our gallery.
Thank you to all those members who continue to send in photos of their
holidays and expeditions. Keep them coming, send them to the new
secretary rich_alston@yahoo.co.uk.
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08/02/08
Membership contact details need updating.
The membership list is healthy
but a lot of the contact details are no longer current. If you are a current member please email
your address, contact numbers and email address to rich_alston@yahoo.co.uk.
04/02/08
New secretary finally starts updating the website! Oh, and Spring Newsletter is in
production!
Apologies all there have been a few technical difficulties in getting
access to the servers that host our wonderful site, which have, in the best
traditions of the Navy, been overcome!
I am now working through the site and adding up-to-date useful info. My first action will be to post the
2008-2009 course dates. The second
will be to make sure all our contact details are as accurate as we can get
them; to that end, if you have changed mobile numbers, email addresses or
jobs please let me know by emailing me at rich_alston@yahoo.co.uk with your
latest details. As a quick heads up,
planning has started for a Joint Service Spring meet at Crickhowell 25-28
March 08. I will post the admin
instruction on the site when it is published but in the mean time check
your diaries and let me know if you would like to attend. Returns will be coordinated through
Single Service Secretaries so names to me please.
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CHAMPIONS
AGAIN!
16/6/07
RN win Inter-Services Hang Gliding Championships
As promised the Navy Hang Gliding team kept hold of the title of
Inter-Service Champions thanks to team captain Rob Dowdell. Rob led from
the front and continued his fine form to complete a difficult flight in
marginal conditions which secured our victory. This also meant he finally
lifted the trophy as Inter-Service Individual Champion after being runner
up more times than can be remembered. Well deserved Rob, this could be
the start of your winning streak!
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Team Navy, victorious!
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Unfortunately the weather didn't allow us to fly as many tasks as we wished
but the flying we did complete proved we are now a very strong team. During
both the warm up week and the competition there were some very positive
flights from our pilots. If you want to help us secure victory again get in
touch and join the Royal Navy hang gliding team (L-R) Steven Blackler, Jim
Garner, Mini Cooper, Ken Shaw, Wayne Holmes and Rob Dowdell.
We
have some excellent pilots coming through the training structure so next
year we're going for 3 years on the trot and with our current experienced
team and new, keen pilots: Darren Sullivan, James Woods and Si Hammock we
will be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future! See the
full results at the bottom of this page and the photos in our gallery.
10/6/07
Expedition leader and bivouac courses now available
JSHPC have announced 2 new courses for later this year and early 2008. An expedition
leader course, which will give you a qualification to organise expeditions
with your unit, is planned for Oct 2007 and a bivouac paragliding course in
Nepal is being run next year. There is a cost associated with the latter
course, for more information contact JSHPC on 943543260. Don't forget all
beginner courses can be viewed here.
7/6/07
RNHPA T-shirts arrive!
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The all-new RNHPA designer
T-Shirts have arrived. 25% of the stock have already been sold and we've
only had them a week! Finally you will be able to help advertise our club
throughout the fleet while highlighting the fact that you are a hard-core
hang glider or paraglider pilot, like everyones
hero Johnny Carr who kindly modelled one at the Inter-Service Championships.
Make sure you don't miss out order one now, the T-shirts are excellent
quality screen prints that cost £15. Send a cheque payable to RNHPA to
the club secretary. If you can't
pick it up from Portsmouth then include £2 for postage. Click: navy or white to
see the different t-shirt designs.
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RN PARAGLIDERS REIGN SUPREME!
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22/05/07
Paragliding Champions return from Slovenia
The RN paragliding team have just returned from the Inter-Service Sports
tour in Slovenia after bagging all the silverware. Chairman Rory Lynch
outclassed everyone by winning the individual open competition, David
Hadfield fresh from JSHPC school won the Intermediate competition and the
Royal Navy team won the Inter-Service competition. Everyone had a good
time, many flying their personal bests and gaining lots of experience.
Excellent work guys, I get the feeling this is the start of something
big. The pressure is on the Hang Gliding Boys to keep up now!!!
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The boys with all the
silverware, look at all that swag!
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This is the first time that RN
and RM Paragliding Team has won such an event and all team members
contributed to this success. Team Captain and RNHPA Chairman Rory said It was immensely
satisfying for the smallest team to take all the silver as the other two
services always attend these events in
far greater numbers than us.
The
team and the silverware can be seen above, in order Left to Right: Lt Jack
Daniels (Team Manager), Cdr Dave Hadfield, Cpl Grant Oseland RM, CPOWEA
Steve Bamlett, Cdr Jerry Ovens, WO2 Bert Lane RM, Capt Rich Alston RM,
POAET Jim Howe, Lt Cdr Rory Lynch (Team Captain), Lt Cdr Oscar Whild. See
more photos from the trip in our gallery.
21/5/07
RNHPA Coaching Weekend
Those RNHPA members who attended the coaching weekend at Airways Airpark in
Derby have reported that they had a good time. They managed to get two out
of four days flying, the best day being Sunday with Rob Dowdell getting
about 9 flights in. Again it was shame with numbers because a few people
decided not to go a couple of weeks before. We were hoping more would take
advantage of this brilliant flying resource, hopefully we can get more
people to attend next year.
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19/4/07
Dowdell does it again!
This Easter was perhaps one of the best Easter Expeds for flying ever,
with those that could handle it getting the full 4 days of flying out of
the possible 4. Unfortunately I only managed to get off work on
Wednesday. However, this was a very good day and the same day that Rob
Dowdell achieved another club first. After last years 115km at Easter
this year saw Rob fly a successful out and return which is another
milestone for the club. Not just any normal out and return Rob flew 50km
from the Blorenge all the way to Hay Bluff then back again via the
Crickhowell valley. The good flying conditions have meant there were lots
of new flights entered in the XC
league which makes it interesting and Rob has once again stolen the
lead early. He must be beat!!!
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Rob the-flying-machine
Dowdell, grateful to his teacher for all his skills
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For
those that missed it shame on you, but don't worry there is always next
year. And don't forget you can also get in the zone by checking out the photos.
In addition to the flying (which
you will read about in the next newsletter) we also had the evening
expeditions to the pub and Dave Fenwick's house which is now firmly a
tradition. We are already planning next years exped, so why not get in
touch and come along? If you can't wait that long then come along to the
Coaching weekend scheduled for 18-21 May. Remember you don't need to be
able to fly because we always need drivers! If you're in the military and
want to see first hand what this flying business is all about or you want
more information get in touch with our secretary.
Official Results from the 2006 Hang Gliding and
Paragliding Inter-Services Championships
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Inter-Service Hang Gliding
Open Individual Results
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Inter-Service Paragliding Open
Individual Results
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Open Winner:
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Rob Dowdell (RN)
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Open Winner:
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Simon Green (Army)
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2nd:
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Sean Kimberly (RAF)
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2nd:
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Paul Mahony (RAF)
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3rd:
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Steven Penfold (Army)
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3rd:
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Si Kerslake (RAF)
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Inter-Service Hang Gliding
Novice Results
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Inter-Service Paragliding
Novice Results
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Winner:
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Ken Shaw (RN)
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Winner:
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Oscar Whild (RN)
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2nd:
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Army Pilot
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2nd:
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-
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3rd:
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-
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3rd:
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-
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Inter-Service Hang Gliding
Team Results
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Inter-Service Paragliding Team
Results
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Winners:
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Royal Navy
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Winners:
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Army
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2nd:
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RAF
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2nd:
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RAF
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Losers:
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Army
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3rd:
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Royal Navy
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Inter-Services Concord
D'Elegance
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Awarded to:
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Jim Garner (RN)
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Royal Navy Hang Gliding
Champion
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Royal Navy Paragliding
Champion
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Winner:
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Rob Dowdell
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Winner:
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Grant Oseland
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2nd:
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Steven Blackler
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2nd:
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Rory Lynch
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3rd:
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Jim Garner
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3rd:
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Tony Haile
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