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Mark Dale new EHPU General Secretary
Niels Jensen new EHPU President
Hang Gliding and Paragliding not affected by COM 579To a very important question concerning all hang glider and
paraglider pilots in Europe the EHPU President Martin Heywood
and EHPU General Secretary Klaus Tänzler could give a
clear answer in their annual reports for the EHPU AGM:
This question has been raised during the current rule making process for the Amendment COM 579 of Regulation 1592 which deals not only with the extension of EASA competence for licensing and operation setting but also with the creation of a new framework for Leisure Aviation. Meanwhile the rule making process is far advanced. And EASA,
European "It would not be appropriate to subject all aircraft
to common rules, in particular aircraft that are of simple
design or operate mainly on a local basis, and those that
are home-built or particularly rare or only exist in a small
number; such aircraft should therefore remain under the regulatory
control of Member States, without any obligation under this
Regulation on other Member States to recognize these national
And therefore Hang Gliding and Paragliding will belong also in the future to the aircraft which are excluded from the regulation 1592 in Annex 2: …"(g) gliders with a maximum empty mass, of no
more than 80 kg when single-seater or 100 kg when two-seater,
including those which are foot launched"… Several other topics have been discussed in the 7th EHPU annual General Meeting, e.g. "Speed-Gliding", and the participants agreed that all in all it has been a productive atmosphere.
Future European Air SpaceOne of the main topics of the EHPU annual general meeting 2007 was "access to airspace for hang gliding and paragliding." Chris Bouman, a hang glider pilot who works for Eurocontrol, presented a power point presentation made by Mr. Armit, Eurocontrol, explaining the future plans. After a discussion of this first hand information the EHPU plenary agreed the following in addition to the EHPU airspace policy paper: "As regards revised class E airspace (i.e. future K Airspace) outside CTR's, the EHPU strongly supports that the norm is that no 2-way communication is required except in those areas where this is necessary for demonstrable safety reasons. Given the many issues still outstanding, including health risks and the availability of suitable transponders, the EHPU does not currently see a sound basis for requiring hang gliding and paragliding to carry transponders anywhere. It is the EHPU position that existing controlled airspace, established in the past for reasons that were applicable at that time, should be subject to reconsideration, with the aim to change this airspace into uncontrolled airspace wherever this is possible. Member nations are reminded that they should constantly be aware about redundant controlled airspace and take steps locally to encourage the authorities to release this airspace as class G." The EHPU is a member of Europe Airsports (EAS), where the efforts of all airsports are coordinated. EAS has a delegate in the two high level Eurocontrol committees which make policy and approve actions of working groups: the Airspace and Air Navigation Team (ANT) and Stakeholders Consultation Group (SCG). A Task Force named Alpha (TFA) is tasked by the Air Navigation
Team to prepare for a harmonised European Air Space. The reasoning
behind this was the variety of Air Space classification systems
used all over the ECAC States (European Civil Aviation Conference).
Europe Airsports Technical Officer Airspace Günter Bertram
is member of TFA. He is in good contact with EHPU and reported
recently:
Below FL 195 the classification is left to national regulators.
Here a major step forward was done without much hassle in
the spring of last year, by introducing the ICAO classification
in all of the ECAC states. ICAO uses the letters from A -
G to name the different air space categories. In use are mainly
air space C, D, E and G. This will be probably true for some
years to come." Günter Bertram closed his report with a warning:
16th January 2007Annual General Meeting of EHPU in Annecy/France on 17th February 2007See internal for details.
20th December 2006 Video of Hang Gliding and ParaglidingNew on ehpu.org: Have a look at our Video of Hang Gliding and Paragliding "Flying like a Bird". This video has been presented in the lobby at the first EUROCONTROL Sporting & Recreational Aviation Conference in Brussels (see below) to provide basic information about Hang Gliding and Paragliding. Other videos have been shown during the presentation of Klaus Tänzler (see here for presentation and videos).
12th December 2006 Europe Airsports Newsletter No. 25EHPU is a member of Europe Airsports, the umbrella organisation
of all the different airsports in Europe. This
Newsletter shows a status report.
8th December 2006 Eurocontrol Sporting and Recreational Aviation ConferenceEUROCONTROL, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation and EUROPE AIR SPORTS (EAS), the association of the European National Aero Clubs and European Air Sports Unions, held the 1st Sporting & Recreational Aviation Conference at the EUROCONTROL HQ in Brussels on Friday 1st December 2006. See Europe Airsports Newsletter for more information.
1st November 2006 Newsletter IAOPAThis link shows an extraction of the IAOPA Newsletter concerning EASA policy: IAOPA Newsletter 11/06.
21st July 2006 Newsletter Europe AirsportsThis newsletter shows the current activities of Europe Airsports. EHPU is a member of Europe Airsports. Especially the items NPA 06/2006 on safety regulation of aerodromes, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the Eurocontrol matters are currently being worked on by EHPU. Newsletter 07/06. On 25/26 March 2006 the General Meeting of EAS was held in Cologne. Here you find the EAS Newsletter with general information on the meeting matters.
24th February 2006 EHPU Annual General MeetingEHPUs annual General Meeting has been held in Thalwil / Zurich on 18th February. The Presidents and Secretary Generals of 13 Hang Gliding and Paragliding Federations were present. The Czech federation LAA has been welcomed as new member. Europe Airsports President Sir John Allison visited the EHPU meeting and held a very well received speech. You find his speech here. Roland Stuck, President of the European Gliding Union (EGU), has been invited too in order to advance the coordination of the policies between gliding, hang gliding and paragliding. You find his presentation here.
standing from left: Sergio Calabresi
(I), Scott Torkelsen (DK), Daniel Riner (CH), Chris Bouman
(NL), Angus Pinkerton (UK),
Yves Borreman (B), Jurij Franko (SLO), Niels Jensen (DK),
Jean-Claude Benintende (F), Chris Borra (NL), Miroslav Fejt
(CR), António Fernandes (P), Karel Vejchodsky (CR),
Hans-Peter Fallesen (S), Marion Varner (F),
9th January 2006 EAS reportEurope Airsports report on last year's activities just came out, see here. EHPU supports the work of Europe Airsports as a paying member.
9th January 2006 Good relationship between EAS and EASAEurope Airsports Consultant Rudolf Schuegraf is in close
contact with EHPU General Secretary Klaus Tänzler in
order to keep EHPU well informed about all legislation activities
in Europe. Rudolf reports from EAS/EASA Workshop Part M
04/05.11.2005 in Cologne:
20th October 2005 News from BrusselsAn important issue is the redesign of European airspace. Restructuring of upper-airspace has been decided upon. Lower airspace issues finally resulted in a decision of Eurocontrol to recommend not to define a common Lower Airspace Level for the member-States. Regulation of lower airspace is left to the National Authorities. This is a satisfactory result – however, national developments should be monitored carefully by our Members! Another issue of great concern was the regulation for charging air navigation services where an intended coverage of VFR traffic would impact our community. The issue is suspended at European level, also by pressures from EAS, but again National regulators can impose unsatisfactory rules.
21st September 2005Next Annual General Meeting of EHPU in Thalwil/Zurich on 18th of February 2006See internal for details.
18th August 2005 EHPU European Safety and Training Committee Meeting on 27th/28th AugustThis year the ESTC Meeting will be held on the Wasserkuppe in Germany, a historical site for aviation. Current issues of safety and training matters will be discussed. Here you find the agenda.
9th June 2005 EU Sports Consultation Conference on 14/15 June in BrusselsThe EU is interested to identify areas in which an EU action could present an added value in promoting the social function of sport in relation to initiatives already developed by sporting organisations and Member States. One of the questions to be addressed: How can sport contribute to social cohesion in Europe? The European Commission has convoked this Consultation Conference as part of its efforts to consult with all major stakeholders on the present and future interplay between the EU and sport – how best to match expectations. During two days, representatives of the European sport movement, including Olympic and non-Olympic sports, big and small organisations, elite and mass sports, academics and NGOs active in the field of sport, have the opportunity to make their voice heard and to share their different experiences and perceptions. In coordination with FAI - who formally represents sports matters with the EU - it is agreed that a Europe Air Sports delegation will attend the Sports Conference, since two important issues have a potential impact on regulatory matters where Europe Air Sports represents the air sports community.
Lobbying on national level
27th April 2005 Annual General Meeting of Europe Airsports (EAS)At the EAS meeting in Friedrichshafen at 23. April 2005 the president Sir John Allison gave an impressive description of EAS in his presidents report. It is worth reading! The board election brought new board members: Frank Peter Doerner (Germany) a lawyer specialized in European Law and Aviation Law, Marcel Felten (Luxemburg) former TO Airspace and Jean Paul De Looff (France). The re-elected Louis Berger (Belgium) continues to hold good connections to the European Commission and European Parliament. The EAS president offered to the FAI, the European Unions (such as EHPU) and the national Aero Clubs to send for each an observer to the bureau meetings. The EMF (European Microlight Federation), the EGU (European Gliding Union) and the EHPU agreed to send Roland Stuck as their observer. The aero modellers have not yet founded an European Union but are considering the foundation. The EPU (European Parachuting Union) is not an EAS member because of money reasons but has been represented in this EAS meeting. For the EHPU it makes sense to agree that the EGU president Roland represents the Unions in the EAS board during the next year, because the EGU has the same intentions in Airspace matters as the EHPU. There is a close and friendly relationship between the EHPU and the EGU. While hang gliding and paragliding is exempted from EU regulations on licensing, airworthiness and maintenance - gliding is not. As a result the EGU has to deal with much more urgent European regulation problems than the EHPU. During the EAS meeting the representatives for powered flying and gliding expressed their concern about the EASA opinion on maintenance and the unwillingness of EASA to take on board the EAS proposals. (We are exempted from this regulation.) Knowing that the European Commission tends to accept EASA opinions the EAS meeting agreed a strategy to tackle the problem. The EMF presented their wish to propose to EASA a new definition of microlights which is currently described in Annex II of EC Regulation N.1592/2002. The EMF wishes to raise the maximum take off mass to 600 kg. As changes of Annex II will also affect other airsports the EAS has tasked a working group with the creation of a new Annex II draft. It should then be proposed to the European governing bodies by the EAS.
Annual report on EAS activitiesThe report of the Secretary General of Europe Airsports gives an overview about the efforts taken last year. Rudi Schuegraf - new EAS Program Manager
12th April 2005 European Charging Scheme for Air Navigation ServicesThis new Commission
regulation draft is based on a proposal made by Eurocontrol.
The good news is in article 9:
11th April 2005 Report from the Eurocontrol General Aviation Day
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During the General Aviation
Day of Eurocontrol in Brussels at 8. April 2005 the
Europe Airsports President Sir John Allison adressed
the conference on behalf of the national Aero Clubs
and the Airsports Unions like the EHPU. You can find
his speech here. EHPU has been represented by EHPU Secretary General Klaus Tänzler, who attended the conference together with the EHPU Airspace specialist Chris Bouman (a Dutch hang glider pilot, who works for Eurocontrol) and Hanspeter Denzler from the Swiss Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (SHV). The General Aviaton Day brought clarification that for the time being Eurocontrol will not propose regulation for the Airspace below FL 195 if the European Commission accepts this which is likely. That means the national regulations will stay for the airspace used by us during the next years. But work for below FL195 will continue through Eurocontrol working arrangements, such as the Task Force A, which will need continued attention, as this will be an important basis of what states will do without regulation in place, and of course a basis for any future regulation. |
Another concern of aisports pilots is that in the future also VFR airspace users might be charged for using airspace by control service providers. Up to now only IFR airspace users have to finance control services which are provided also to VFR airspace users. Eurocontrol stated that it is up to the states to make exemptions from the charging but it is a request of the European Commission that cross subsidies must be made transparent. Here you find some of the presentations made on: Mode S, Charging Policy, Airspace Classification. |
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6th April 2005
General Aviation Day of Eurocontrol on 8 April 2005
The yearly General Aviation Day is an important meeting to get an update on developments that could affect General Aviation. The majority of participants and subjects will be on issues more related to motorised General Aviation (IFR and VFR), but it is also the adequate forum for the European Airsports organisations to make their points. Therefore EHPU will attend the meeting. One of the issues at hand: We want to avoid fees for using certain airspaces. A Charging Scheme for Air Navigation Services has been drafted already by Eurocontrol and there is an Exemption Table relating to the Charges.
31st March 2005
EASA Fees and Charges regulation
The implications of this new regulation will be discussed at the General Meeting of Europe Airsports in Friedrichshafen on 23 April, where delegates of the EHPU and other Airsports Organisations will be present. EHPU seeks to avoid EASA fees and charges for our sport.
New Fees and Charges regulation (pdf).