Safety
Safe Winch Launching. Thanks to your efforts there were no personal injury accidents from winch launching in the 12 months from October 2013 to September 2014. Although there were four reports of a wing drop, in each case the pilot released and avoided a cartwheel. There were no winch accidents involving a stall or spin. The BGA safe winch launch initiative has now run for 9 years. In that period there were 5 fatal or serious injury winch accidents which is a substantial reduction from the previous 9-year average of 27. Please keep up the good work and help ensure that 2015 is another injury-free year. If you need to a reminder of the advice for safe winch launching, please see http://www.gliding.co.uk/safewinchlaunching and, if there is anything you are not sure about, please ask an instructor.
Airspace Infringements. The GA safety occurrence reports published by the CAA (at http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=33&pagetype=65&appid=11&mode=list&type=serc at&id=76) include details of airspace infringements. Gliding has a good record but there were a number of infringements by motor gliders in 2014. We must all stay focussed on avoiding permanent and temporary restricted airspace. The future of gliding depends on it.
Regulatory
EASA Committee Decision. As we have already reported, the EASA Committee voted last month to accept the proposed changes to legislation described in our October Newsletter. This will defer the need to convert to Part-FCL licensing and implement ATO requirements until 2018. For glider pilots and clubs, the main effects of these changes include:
 There is no longer a requirement to hold a LAPL(S) or SPL in order to fly EASA sailplanes after 8th April 2015 - gliding will continue under existing national arrangements, i.e. current BGA arrangements (including self-declaration with GP endorsement medicals), until at least April 2018
 Aeroplane and SLMG pilots can continue to use NPPL privileges, again at least until April 2018
 Meanwhile, there continues to be no requirement: o for those using national PPL SLMG privileges to hold a LAPL (or SPL) to fly an EASA self-launching sailplane or a TMG o for those using national PPL aeroplane privileges to hold a LAPL to fly an EASA aeroplane o to hold a sailplane towing rating o to hold an aerobatic rating
More details are at http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/licensing/newsflashoct14.pdf. Readers may also find the latest edition of the EASA newsletter, which focuses on its new mindset for General Aviation, interesting. The newsletter is at http://easa.europa.eu/easa-newsletter-air (follow the link to Issue 4).

Government Red Tape Challenge and ANO Review. October saw two other very promising developments toward our aim of reducing the regulatory burden on air sports participants. The Government published its response to the General Aviation (GA) Red Tape Challenge Panel Report. The panel report, which was published earlier this year made a number of recommendations aimed at cutting red tape and implementing a system of more proportionate, risk-based regulation of the sector. These recommendations have been reviewed by the Government and CAA and work is in place to implement many of these. One specific project is a thorough review of the Air Navigation Order and how it impacts upon GA. The first stage of this major project will see the CAA examine all ANO provisions relating to general aviation from licensing requirements to operations and airworthiness rules – with a view to deregulating or delegating where possible, in order to simplify compliance for GA pilots and organisations. Until this work is completed, the CAA is being encouraged by the Government to make full use of its ANO exemptions power, where appropriate, so that the GA community can benefit from proposed deregulatory changes as soon as possible. The full text of the Government is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/general-aviation-red-tape-challenge-panel-reportgovernment-response
Consultation Concerning Future of Aviation Medical Services. The CAA has opened an eight week consultation focusing on several proposed options about how services, such as the medical assessment of pilots and airline personnel, currently provided by the CAA, should be delivered in future and whether there should be a separation between service provider and regulator. The BGA and its GA Alliance partners will be responding to this consultation. Details of the consultation are at www.caa.co.uk/cap1214
BGA
2014 Club Management Conference. There are just a few days left to book your place at this year’s event. If you are a club chairman, treasurer, CFI, manager or are otherwise involved with managing a gliding club, please book your place at this must-attend event by 7th November. Information and booking forms are available at https://www.gliding.co.uk/2014/10/29/clubmanagement-conference.
Competitions Committee. The BGA Competitions and Awards Committee is responsible for the policy and administration of all BGA-recognised competitive, record, and badge flying activities in the UK and for the annual flying awards, as well as the selection criteria, procedures and management of British team entries to international competitions. The committee is now seeking two new members to help with its work. If you have a strong interest in competitive gliding and feel that they can help with the continued development of a five year strategy than the committee chairman, Mark Holden, would like to hear from you. More details are at http://www.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/documents/compscommittee_oct14.pdf
The Flying Show. The BGA will be exhibiting at the 2014 Flying Show which, this year, is being held at the Telford International Centre. The show is the UK’s largest indoor aviation show and features all forms of recreational aviation. . Entry is normally £10.00 but we have negotiated a reduced fee of just £6 for BGA club members (free for under 18s). To purchase reduced price tickets, go to http://www.theflyingshow.co.uk/tickets. Above the Order Now button, you will see a box to enter a promotion code. Enter ‘BGA956’ and, on the payment page, enter your BGA club name (just above the ‘Pay Now’ button.)

General
Car Insurance While Towing. This is a reminder to pilots who tow trailers that they should check their motor insurance policies carefully to ensure that they are insured whilst towing a glider trailer. Direct Line, for example, has advised that their policies exclude towing trailers that exceed 7m in length, although the DVLA has previously detailed to the BGA why it is legal to tow a glider trailer over 7m. Any such exclusion may not be immediately apparent when reading a policy booklet and, if you are in doubt, we recommend that you make contact with your insurer and ask the specific question.
Royal Aero Club Awards. The BGA is responsible for submitting nominations for the Royal Aero Club’s awards in respect of gliding. Nominations are now being sought for the 2014 awards and we would welcome submissions from member clubs in respect of any of these as well as nominations for any FAI Awards. Nominations must be received by the RAeC by December 8th and we would ask that any club who wishes us to make a nomination completes the nomination form and returns this to the BGA office well before the closing date. Details of the various awards are at http://old.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/documents/raecawards2014.pdf and the nomination form is at http://old.gliding.co.uk/bgainfo/documents/raecawards2014.doc.
RAeS Light Aircraft Design Conference. The Royal Aeronautical Society will hold its 2014 Light Aircraft Design – Methods and Tools conference in London on 17th November. The BGA is a conference sponsor and a discounted rate of £50 (+VAT) is available to BGA club members. See http://aerosociety.com/Assets/Docs/Events/754/754_programme.pdf for details.