The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club

The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club

The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club is a friendly Welsh Free Flight club based in SE Wales. The Club has access to 18 flying sites located within the area bounded by Bridgend to the west, Hay-on-Wye to the north, and Monmouth to the east.

Nine of these are "Open Sites" and may be flown by any suitably qualified and insured hang glider or paraglider pilot. The remainder are more sensitive and are therefore classed as "Members Only Sites" and may only be flown by Club members, or members of the Welsh Free Flight Federation.

The South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club can trace its roots back to the 1970s, and the early days of hang gliding in the UK. But it wasn‘t until 1989 that the name of the Club was changed to the present one, to reflect the explosion of interest in paragliding.

In 1998, after two years of fund raising & negotiations, the South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club purchased the Blorenge, and became the first UK club to own a major flying site.  

The Club currently has just under 400 members, who come from all over Wales and the UK.

The following schools train on SE Wales sites and have affiliate membership of the Club:

• Axis
• Joint Services Hang Gliding & Paragliding Centre
• Paraventure
• Welsh Airsports

Club membership costs £22.00 per annum, and membership fees can be paid on-line by debit or credit card, or through the post by cheque.

The Club doesn‘t offer associate membership, but a second pilot living at the same address can join the Club for an additional £17.00 per annum.

With so many large and relativly uncrowded sites to fly, membership of the South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club remains good value for money, so why not complete an online membership application form and join the Club today.

The Club‘s membership package includes a comprehensive full colour Sites Guide, detailing of the Club‘s nine open sites, and nine members only sites. Members also have access to a downloadable Sites Guide for Palm Handhelds, Cymfly (a mailing list for Club members), the SE Wales Forums, and regular issues of Dragonfly the Club‘s magazine.

The Club also has a team of Coaches willing and able to assist members to progress safely through their flying careers, and the BHPA Pilot Rating Scheme, but initial instruction to Club Pilot level must be undertaken with a BHPA registered school.

Throughout the year the Club arranges a number of social events & lectures, and during the summer normally hosts several major hang gliding and paragliding competitions.

For further information about the Club and its activities, please contact the appropriate officer.

Fly far and high, and always with consideration for others.