Advance paragliders in the West Country

I’m Tim Pentreath and I’ve been paragliding since 1990 (I learnt with Dave Ward-Smith and Rob Stimpson down in Swansea) and have been flying Advance wings since 1998 when Gavin Foster sold me a second-hand Omega 4. I’d just won a round of the BPC in Snowdonia on my Nova Sphinx, and Gavin, never one to hold back, phoned me and persuaded me I needed to replace that old bag of washing! I had some great flights on the O4 and flew it for four years until Gavin said that he’d got a second-hand O5 that I just had to try. Sure enough, after a lovely day’s flying down at Putsborough (North Devon) I bought it… I kept it for seven years (I clearly enjoyed flying it) but changed it for a Sigma 7 in 2009, then a Sigma 8 in 2011, and thrn a Sigma 9 following my selection for the Advance Serial XC Team in 2014. In 2015 I flew a PB of 220kms from Milk Hill to Thetford – what a great day that was! You can read about the flight here. Earlier in 2016 I went all lightweight – I now fly an Omega X-Alps 2 with a Lightness 2 harness and Companion reserve. With a total pack weight of approx 14kgs including helmet, instruments, water and sandwiches it really is a revelation, not to mention much better for my back!

Over the years I’ve flown in a number of comps – BPC and British Opens – and in 2014 I flew in both rounds of the British Champs for the first time and won the Sports Class in Ager and came 3rd place in the Championships in Sports Class! Chuffed or what 🙂 Since moving to D class wings I haven’t been on the podium, though I have been first three-liner in the last two comps I’ve done.

I’ve really got into vol biv flying in the last couple of years – have a read of my Ecrins vol biv adventure last summer and my Jurassic vol biv earlier this year.

I live in Bath and am married with two grown-up children, and when I’m not paragliding I’m either kitesurfing, cycling, or doing my day job (which is designing, building and hosting marketing databases… yawn! – visit my company website if you’re still awake :-))…

Please contact me by email, Telegram or call me on 07905 271114.

Thanks

Tim Pentreath