Preparations
The day-to-day communication mainly happens through our WhatsApp groups. From Wednesday on, we keep an eye on the weather forecast for the weekend. The authorised club members will also forward the relevant NOTAMs, weather forecasts and other practical information to the other club members. At the latest the evening before, we determine whether the conditions allow a winching day to be organised.
Membership
The number of members in the club is limited by our winching capacity, which means there is a waiting list. If you would like to become a member, please contact us to be put on the waiting list.
If you are not a member but would like to come and have a look, fly along, or just soak up the atmosphere, you must contact the club at least 2 weeks in advance: because of the safety regulations, we have to register all visitors beforehand by sending a copy of their identity card to the responsible authorities. Without registration you cannot access the base in any way! New members and visitors must report to the guard house and enter the base accompanied by an existing member. So make sure you provide the necessary information in time, so that you don’t have to miss out on a beautiful flying day!
Typical Daily Program
A winching day typically starts around 10am. We report to the base and go to the shelter of the club on the base. First, we start with the necessary practical matters: this includes an up-to-date weather analysis, checking the equipment, going through the necessary protocols, communicating about the status of the airspace and parallel activities on the base, reporting exceptional situations, etc…
After that, everyone makes their way to their positions: the pilots get ready to take off, the winch man sets up the winch, and the winch cable is pulled out by another club member. After going through the starting procedure, we winch up pilots. We don’t perform stepped winching: after all, we have almost 3 km of runway (in the prevailing wind direction), and if the conditions allow it we will winch you up to just below the airspace ceiling! How long you fly depends on you, of course, as well as on the conditions: on a good day, flights of an hour are no exception (as you can see on xcontest)!
After a nice chat over a cool drink, we round off a satisfying day of winching.
Certification Requirements
- We do not provide paragliding/delta training courses: you must already be a licensed pilot if you want to come and fly with us as a pilot. You’ll find more information on free flight courses in Belgium on the site of the BVVF.
- We do help licensed paragliding/delta pilots get started with winch flying.
- All licensed pilots fly on their own responsibility.
Material Requirements
- You are required to show your identity card and to check in when entering the base. Keep this in mind when departing on a cross-country flight!
- All pilots are expected to bring all their own flying equipment. This includes paraglider, delta, harness, radio, winch connector piece, instruments, suitable clothing, etc…
- A limited number of winch connector pieces and radios are available to new members.
- We don’t perform stepped winching, so a ‘normal’ winch connector is sufficient (ask a club member for more information).
- The club provides the shared equipment required for the winching activities. This includes the winch itself, a local radio, a quad to pull out the cable, and fuel. The regular usage of this material is included in the annual membership fee.
- You bring your own food and drinks, as we are out on the airfield all day.
- There is a fridge with cool drinks in the shelter, which is refilled by and for the club members.
- There is an outdoor toilet, but if you want to make use of it you had better bring your own toilet paper.
Insurance Requirements
- Avia Airsport does not offer personal insurance itself.
- To take part in the flying activities, you must be a member of the BVVF and hold an aviation third-party liability insurance. You’ll find more information on the site of the BVVF.
- Inform yourself about the limitations of your accident insurance: some insurers do not cover air sports such as paragliding, delta or gliding, and classify them as ‘dangerous activities’.
- We advise you to insure your own material.