The BMAA are pleased to announce that the 2016 FAI World Microlight and Paramotor Championships will be held at Popham Airfield, near Basingstoke, England. Popham is an historic airfield, home to the Spitfire Flying Club and situated in picturesque rolling countryside less than one hour's drive from London and within easy microlight range of the beautiful south coast and the Isle of Wight.
The official competition website is at
www.wmpc2016.com. There is a forum for general questions and further information about sponsorship and marshalling. All further enquiries should be directed through this site. The event director will be Rob Hughes, 1st Vice President of CIMA (the microlight and paramotor commission of the FAI), and a member of the Executive Council of the BMAA. The microlight competition will be directed by another BMAA Council member, and 8 time FAI World or European Microlight Champion, Rob Grimwood, who recently directed the Microlight competition of the FAI World Air Games in Dubai. The paramotor competition will be directed by Mike Chilvers, who runs a BHPA paramotor club and is a veteran of the British Paramotor Team. Mike has directed of a number of British national paramotor championships in recent years. With this wealth of experience in the leadership team, pilots can expect a challenging and efficient competition that will set new standards for international championships.
The guiding principles for the competition are:
• Plenty of tasks that are challenging but not unnecessarily complex
• Fast and efficient scoring
• Good social atmosphere and high levels of spectator engagement
• Efficient communication between microlight and paramotor competitions
• Reliable facilities and infrastructure
Key dates for the competition are as follows:
• Friday 1st April: Registration for pilots and teams opens on the competition website
• Saturday 16th July: Deadline for 'early bird' preferential entry fee rates
• Monday 15th to Friday 19th of August: Arrival of pilots on site and training flights
• Saturday 20th August: Opening ceremony:
• Saturday 20th-Friday 26th August: Competition flying days:
• Saturday 27th August: Closing Ceremony and Awards
Competition Activities
Each class of microlights and paramotors will fly a series of tasks throughout the week, as many as weather conditions and scoring capabilities allow. Both groups of aircraft fly tasks consisting of 3 main types: Navigation, Precision, and Economy. Navigation tasks involve long-distance flying, in which pilots typically cross a start gate and then navigate a route through a a series of waypoints over a period of up to 90 minutes (more for microlights), before crossing a finish point and returning to the airfield. Scoring is conducted through GPS-logged tracks.
Precision tasks are either landing based (e.g. spot landings, engine switched off at a certain height, and gliding to land on a specific target), or for paramotors, also slalom-based, in which pilots fly timed circuits around a course of inflatable pylons or poles. Economy tasks consist of taking off with a measured quantity of fuel and using thermals to fly for as long as possible whilst still being able to return to the airfield.
Marshals wanted!
The marshals are essential team members who help to ensure that the competition runs smoothly and efficiently. Marshalling is a great experience, not only to see all of the competition action from the very front row, but to develop your own skills as a pilot and learn all about competition flying. Many of those who marshal find themselves competing soon after. Marshals will get free camping on site throughout the competition as well as other benefits. If you would like to get involved in this way, please register your interest through the competition website.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsoring the World Microlight and Paramotor Championships provides an excellent opportunity to market your brand on an international stage. A range of sponsorship opportunities are available for this event, in three basic packages of Bronze, Silver, and Gold level. For further details of these, please see the competition website.
About the FAI
The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the World Air Sports Federation, is the world governing body for air sports and for certifying world aviation and space records. The FAI (www.fai.org) was founded in 1905 and is a non-governmental and non-profitmaking organisation. All FAI Microlight and Paramotor World Records, World Championships, and Continental Championships are conducted under the direction of CIMA, the Commission Internationale de Micro-Aviation.
About the BMAA
The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) looks after the interests of microlight pilots and enthusiasts in the UK. It is an organisation approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Its aims are to further the sport of microlight aviation, keep flying costs down to a minimum for its members and to represent them in national and international matters relating to the sport (www.bmaa.org ).
About the BHPA
The British Paramotor Competitions Committee is a panel of the BHPA, whiich supports a countrywide network of recreational clubs and registered schools, and provides the infrastructure within which hang gliding and paragliding in the United Kingdom (UK) thrice. The organisation oversees pilot and instructor training standards, and provides technical support such as airworthiness standards, and coaching courses for qualified hang gliding, paragliding, and powered paragliding (paramotor) pilots, as well as automatic £5 million 3rd-party insurance for its members. (www.bhpa.co.uk )