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The Bill Moyes Flight of the Year Award
In memory of Bill Moyes, founder of Moyes Gliders, we're proud to honour the most inspiring hang gliding stories from around the world. Whether it’s a flight that left you in awe, brought a deep sense of accomplishment, or created an unforgettable moment — we want to hear your story.
Congratulations to our July winner, Darren Brown from the UK!
Darren Brown of Extreme Sports http://www.youtube.com/@MooSurfer fame
relives the final day of the World Championships, in Ager, Spain a 160km task that had it all!
Here is his story:
Siera Ferrera Ridge
After 10 days of less-than-optimal flying conditions in the 2025 World Hang Gliding Championships, the last day arrived and finally provided weather suitable to fly the famous Siera Ferrera ridge. This imposing 8000ft mountain provides almost 20km of high-speed ridge run against the jaw dropping backdrop of the high Pyrenees and a lower panoramic vista of hills and valleys in front. Just getting to the Sierra Ferrera needs a high cloud base and light winds as it involves 30km of difficult terrain and mountains.
Take-off conditions were less than optimal. Light and changeable winds led to hesitating pilots and some launch lane closures whilst waiting for safer conditions.
By the time I took off from my low ranked position, my vario told me I had only 12 minutes before I needed to glide for the start. I was lucky, finding a good climb pretty quickly and reaching cloudbase not long before the start.
And then the race was on! I was lower than people who launched earlier and had climbed up the side of the clouds, but was high enough to follow them into the start and the daunting terrain to the west and north of the Montsec ridge. Some kilometres under my belt and a few climbs later, I had made it to what I think was the lead gaggle, although I was one of the lower pilots.
By this time, we were approaching the hills to the south-east of the Sierra Ferrera and pilots were opting for a direct course, rather than diverting to the more obvious but longer route along ridge lines. Naturally I followed them and naturally when we reached the next cliffs, which yielded no lift, I struggled in the weak conditions and dropped out of the gaggle. In fact, I dropped out of the sky. Very quickly finding myself in a ‘how the hell do I stay up’ scenario. I hadn’t even made it to the Sierra Ferrera - what a disappointment!
Abandoning any chance of racing, I turned north downwind, over un-landable terrain and hoping for any hint of lift as I approached a potential landing area. Finding nothing I dropped over a low cliff into a small valley near to the village of La Puebla de Roda. I was now only a few hundred feet off the ground, harness unzipped and deciding where to land in this undulating valley which had the wind blowing up slopes dotted with trees. I decided the safest option would be to land upslope and downwind, rather than risk gliding down a steep slope into a tree.
As I approached my landing area with some nerves, I hit turbulence from the cliff which was downwind and now above me. Was it turbulence? Or was there a thermal in there? A desperate tight turn saw me rising a little, so I tried again. And again. The kind of turns where you keep getting gust stalled and dropping out, only to hit another strong surge. Fighting it like a wild stallion until it finally began to tame and I was now consistently rising and drifting over the next ridge. Twenty minutes of intense concentration and I was unbelievably back in the game!
High again, I flew along the ridge lines and onto the Sierra Ferrera against the wind. Rather than being smooth lift, I found strong turbulence and blundered along the ridge around halfway up it, until I eventually hit a monster climb on a rocky corner. BOOM! I was at cloudbase looking down the full length of this jaw-dropping ridge with a huge grin on my face.
Racing now with other gliders I took the turn-point at the end of the ridge then turned southeast to point directly at goal. I glanced at my vario - all that effort and I still had 90km to go!
The next 20km felt amazing. Mostly at cloudbase as the ground dropped steadily away and I followed a winding river towards Graus, at the north end of a lake. I picked up a thermal after some searching in this area then headed over a rising plateau towards a small town called Benabarre. I knew this was the end of my flight. Clouds had mostly disappeared. It was almost 6pm. I was low.
The town looked so picturesque, perched on a hill with inviting landing fields in front. Lower and lower and oh, was that a weak thermal I felt? Turning in zeroes over this beautiful town I allowed myself to drift, just extending my flight a little before I would finally land in the big, flat fields. But my weak thermal had other ideas. Little did I know there was a hidden beast growing within it that would soon accelerate me to a 900ft per minute elevator ride. I couldn’t believe my luck!
Cloudbase again and I now glided towards the perfect azure lakes directly west of Ager. I was getting close to goal now and revelled in the smooth and gentle evening thermals as I took in the breathtaking views of the lakes. Then we were off, final glide towards the goal about 15km away. Radio messages from goal told me I should make it and I gradually accelerated over the now yellow undulating fields having left the mountains and lakes.
I arrived high and my landing was easy into a steady breeze. I had made it.
For me this was one of those flights you remember forever - the trials and tribulations, the fight and the rewards of amazing views over the lakes, mountains and clouds, adrenaline filled climbs and the peace and tranquility drifting high in the soft evening air.
Final day of the World Championships, 160km task - goal achieved!
A bit about Darren
Age: 54 (going on 15)
Occupation: Retired police officer
I live in South Yorkshire, England and I fly in the Peak District. Usually I fly in an area called the Hope Valley, where there are at least 7 flying sites that take different directions of wind all within 30 minutes of each other. It’s a beautiful area to fly and provides some great XC potential including several routes to the coast.
I started flying in 1998 and was taught by Stuart Bond, who now lives in Australia. My first competition was in 1999 where I won the novice section of the Ulster Open (in Northern Ireland) and came 4th overall in the competition. In this competition I also caught my first thermal, got above 1000ft for the first time and got to cloudbase for the first time. Oh… and maybe I disappeared into a cloud by accident too for the first time. My cherished prize from that competition was a peck on the cheek from Judy Leden - who of course won overall!
After this I did not compete again until 2011. I put this down to having false expectations of the competition scene and not enough confidence in my own ability. Not competing all that time is my biggest regret in hang gliding as I think it held back my development and I have now learned that competition is absolutely the lifeblood of the sport, giving the most challenge, the most fun and the best social environment.
Airtime hours each year - no idea! Maybe 150-200. I fly 4 or 5 international competitions each year and usually fly the British Open Series which is a series of 3 competitions based in the UK. I also fly just for pleasure and try to get XCs in as much as possible. Last year I won the national XC league, which is scored from your 6 highest scoring flights (based on distance plus a multiplier for goal, triangle etc).
Aside from the competitions and putting in airtime, there are two stand out things that I have done that have most improved my flying over the last few years. The first is flying regularly with someone better than me and who I treat as a mentor - Gordon Rigg. This has given me so much help with knowledge, advice and having someone to chase and aspire to beat. The second is getting a Moyes glider (genuinely). I think this is probably because of how much more the glider feels the air, but also I think the size range is more suited to me than my previous Wills Wing T2C & T3s. My Wills Wing gliders were amazing, but in hindsight I think the 154 was too big for me (fantastic climb, difficult to glide fast) and the 144 was a little too small (great at gliding fast, difficult to keep up in a climb). The Moyes RX3.5 is somewhere in between and now I find I can climb much better and still have a good glide. The trade off is that the RX is not as easy to control for me as the Wills Wing, taking a bit more effort and timing.
There are two flying sites which are my absolute favourites - Laragne and Ager. Laragne because of its accessibility, generally reliable xc conditions and a huge range of variety and possible distance to achieve in the flying terrain. I love Ager for the same reasons, though I think Ager is a little more reliable for the weather and more challenging with stronger and rougher conditions.
I would love to travel wider than Europe, potentially to fly in Australia and America in competitions and maybe complete tours of various flying sites.
My next goals are to obtain a top 20 placing in the 2026 European Championships and to perform well enough to be selected for the next World Championships in Brazil - it will be an absolute dream to fly in this competition.
Oh and to beat Gordon Rigg in a competition - although when I achieve this I think he will see it as time to throw in the towel for Hanggliding!
How to Enter:
- Write about your most inspiring flight (minimum 250 words).
- Include photos or videos to bring your story to life.
- Submit via the Dropbox link below:
- https://www.dropbox.com/request/hYqCEArKJSzSjaS2qcYK
- or email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Note: Your flight must have taken place in this calendar year.
Prizes:
- Monthly winners will receive a $200 voucher and entry into the grand final.
- The grand final winner will get a $1000 voucher and their name engraved on the Bill Moyes Flight of the Year trophy!
- The winners will be chosen by the Moyes family. The monthly winners will be announced in the first week of each month, and the grand final winner will be revealed in January.
We can’t wait to see your stories! Fly high, share your journey, and celebrate the spirit of flight with us!
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The Bill Moyes Flight of the Year Award
In memory of Bill Moyes, founder of Moyes Gliders, we're proud to honour the most inspiring hang gliding stories from around the world. Whether it’s a flight that left you in awe, brought a deep sense of accomplishment, or created an unforgettable moment — we want to hear your story.
Congratulations to our June winner, Ryosuke Hattori
Ryosuke has been flying for 25 years, yet the magic of hang gliding continues to ignite his spirit.
After a truly special flight this January, he was reminded that no matter how many years you’ve spent in the air, the sky always holds new wonders - ready to inspire and surprise us all.
Ryosuke, your $200 Moyes voucher is on its way, and you've officially earned a spot in the Grand Final draw later this year. Well done!
Here is his story:
Cloud surfing at my home site
It was January 26th, 2025, at Mt. Ryumon, Wakayama. I was expecting a good, ordinary winter flying day—but it turned out to be an epic one, with a view far beyond my imagination.
A strong northeast wind had been forecast. It took a while on launch to find proper timing in the slightly rotor-ish wind coming off the ridge to the right of take-off. It was around 1 PM when I finally launched (apologies to the pilots waiting behind me). At first, the air felt slower, and the wind wasn't as strong as I had expected from the ground—but it picked up as I gained altitude.
As I climbed closer to cloud base, around 1,400 m, I found a ridge-like lift on the upwind side of the cloud. I slowly climbed, playing around the cloud's edge, enjoying the broken spectacle—diving in and out, watching myself reflected in the white mist.
Climbing above the cloud base along the edge of a cloud ridge isn't something I can do on every flight, but it does happen occasionally. I mostly fly in areas influenced by sea breeze, which often causes a convergence of different air masses and cloud base heights. So, at that moment, I still hadn't realised how unusual the conditions were.
But then, it changed.
I began to find more consistent lift on the upwind side. I started circling in solid lift, climbing steadily. My shadow appeared on the cloud below, turning in sync with me, framed perfectly by a circular rainbow.
Eventually, I reached 2,000 m—600 m above cloud base and near the cloud tops. To be honest, I started to feel a bit uneasy. What should I do now? I wondered. I didn't fully understand what was enabling me to get so high. Was it some kind of local front? Would it suddenly become turbulent?
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to push into the wind and follow the planned task route I had set before launch. As it turned out, I wasn't able to climb that high again for the rest of the day, but I still enjoyed some fun racing in what turned into an ordinarily good (but fast!) flying day.
After the flight, I learned that a friend was flying 2,300 m above me. He had followed the cloud line sideways into the wind and made it nearly to the coastline.
Despite my earlier concern, the air was quite stable—even with wind speeds above 10 m/s above the cloud base. An experienced pilot later commented that it was likely a kind of wave lift. It's a bit of a shame—I could have made more of it if I had understood the conditions better.
This flight reminded me, once again, of how much I still have to learn. Even after 25 years of flying at my home site, there are still unknowns—and unknown joys—to discover. That's hang gliding!
About myself:
I was born in 1982 (currently 42 years old) and started hang gliding in 2001 when I entered university. I learned to fly at Kyoto Air Sports, where Mitsuya Sakamoto was my instructor. The take-off and landing skills he taught me still form the foundation of my flying today.
I now live in Osaka, Japan, with my wife and daughter, and I work in the IT industry. I mostly fly at sites in the western part of Japan, averaging around 50 flights or 100 hours per year.
What I love most about hang gliding is the feeling of absolute freedom in the sky and the deep sense of synchronization with the air. For that reason, I prefer flatland flying over mountain flying. Because altitude above ground tends to be higher on the flats, I feel freer, with more options and fewer concerns about landing. It also gives me a stronger sense of flying with the air on a larger scale.
Unfortunately, there aren't many opportunities to fly in true flatland conditions in Japan, which is why Forbes in Australia is my favorite place I’ve ever flown. (I sometimes catch myself dreaming of flying at Forbes even when I’m back in Japan.)
My goal in hang gliding is to become more in tune with the air and to make the most of the weather conditions on every flight. I don’t know how far I’ve come or how close I’ll get to that goal in the rest of my flying career — but I’m enjoying the journey.
Best regards,
Ryosuke Hattori
How to Enter:
- Write about your most inspiring flight (minimum 250 words).
- Include photos or videos to bring your story to life.
- Submit via the Dropbox link below:
- https://www.dropbox.com/request/hYqCEArKJSzSjaS2qcYK
- or email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Note: Your flight must have taken place in this calendar year.
Prizes:
- Monthly winners will receive a $200 voucher and entry into the grand final.
- The grand final winner will get a $1000 voucher and their name engraved on the Bill Moyes Flight of the Year trophy!
- The winners will be chosen by the Moyes family. The monthly winners will be announced in the first week of each month, and the grand final winner will be revealed in January.
We can’t wait to see your stories! Fly high, share your journey, and celebrate the spirit of flight with us!
Category: Uncategorised
The Bill Moyes Flight of the Year Award
In memory of Bill Moyes, founder of Moyes Gliders, we're proud to honour the most inspiring hang gliding stories from around the world. Whether it’s a flight that left you in awe, brought a deep sense of accomplishment, or created an unforgettable moment - we want to hear your story.
Congratulations to our May winner, Fuyu Shan!
Fuyu’s recent flight marks an inspiring comeback after a five-year hiatus from hang gliding due to injury. It’s uplifting to hear about his renewed adventures as he takes to the skies once again over the stunning landscapes of Guyuan, China.
Here is his story:
Guyuan, China
By Fuyu Shan
Since the arm fracture I suffered during a cross-country flying accident in 2018, I haven't engaged i cross-country flying for these past five years. After several years of psychological recovery, I now feel ready to start cross-country flying again.
Weather forecasts indicate that on May 28th, the cloud base will reach around 4,000 meters, and the cumulus distribution is very favorable. Based on past experience, this is a rare and excellent weather window.
Today's plan is to fly from the Guayuan County Paragliding Club to Sanggiin Dalai in Inner Mongolia, with a straight-line distance of 120 kilometers.
Around noon, after 12 PM, the pilots preparing for today's cross-country flight began to take off one after another via tow launch. However, after getting airborne, they found the thermals were broken and difficult to utilize, so nearly all of them ended up landing.
By 2 PM, the cumulus clouds in the sky started to improve significantly. The three Malibu gliders preparing for the cross-country flight began their tow launches. The three Malibu pilots were Fuyu Shan, Shi Hu, and Mengfei Han. Additionally,
Longfei Yang was flying a Litespeed glider.
After takeoff, Han was the first to reach the cloud base. I was the second to launch, but the thermals were weak, and it took me a long time to climb to 3,000 meters. By then, Han had already set off, and I was trailing behind by more than 5 kilometers. I radioed him to wait for me, since team flying makes cross-country much more fun.
At that point, Shi Hu's radio and flight computer malfunctioned, forcing him to turn back and land. In the end, only Han and I continued the journey.
After about half an hour of chasing, I finally caught up with Han around 15:20. By then, we had already flown 30 kilometers and reached an altitude of around 4,000 meters. The thermals were strong at this point, allowing us to maintain high altitude effortlessly as we progressed.
By 16:20, we had covered approximately 70 km and arrived near the town of ZhengLanQi. Since we were still at high altitude beneath the cloud base, the temperature was extremely cold—so cold that we encountered snowfall while flying under the clouds.
North of ZhengLanQi, while crossing a mountain range, we encountered the most challenging moment of the flight. The clouds began to dissipate, and the thermals seemed to vanish, leaving us struggling to stay aloft. At our lowest point, we had a mere 300 meters of clearance above the ground, and I was already preparing for a potential landing. It was then that Han and I separated—he veered northeast, while I continued northwest.
Just when hope seemed lost, luck turned in my favor. On the leeward side of the mountain, I stumbled upon a thermal that grew steadily stronger over time. This "elevator" lifted me back up to 3,000 meters—an altitude that would allow the Malibu to reach the 100-kilometer cross-country mark. I deliberately avoided climbing all the way to the cloud base, as I had already covered 85 kilometers by 17:00.
After regaining altitude, I pressed on toward the target. Over the radio, I learned that Han had already landed after flying 102 kilometers.
I pressed onward. Over the radio, I learned that Longfei Yang in the Litespeed had already reached the target waypoint and begun his return flight, but he didn’t make it far before landing. At that point, I still had some altitude remaining, so I scoured the area from above, hoping to spot his landing site and touch down nearby. When I couldn’t locate him, I settled for a relatively flat field and landed.
Final stats: 119 kilometers covered in 3 hours and 33 minutes.
Though I’d previously flown 150 km in a Gecko, this marked my first 100+ km cross-country flight in a beginner-level glider like the Malibu. With two more hours of flight time, I might even have pushed past 200 kilometers.
Here’s a little insight into Fuyu Shan
Age: 41
Occupation: Developer as Programmer
Where do you live? Beijing,China
How long have you been flying? Started flying in 2013
Who taught you to fly? Longfei Yang
How many airtime hours do you usually fly each year? More than 30 hours
What is your favourite flying site?
Guyuan, Hebei, China. When the season comes, there are abundant thermal currents here, with plains everywhere suitable for landing, making it stress-free to descend.
Do you have any goals for your hang gliding career?
I want to go gliding at world-famous gliding spots in the future.
How to Enter:
- Write about your most inspiring flight (minimum 250 words).
- Include photos or videos to bring your story to life.
- Submit via the Dropbox link below:
- https://www.dropbox.com/request/hYqCEArKJSzSjaS2qcYK
- or email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Note: Your flight must have taken place in this calendar year.
Prizes:
- Monthly winners will receive a $200 voucher and entry into the grand final.
- The grand final winner will get a $1000 voucher and their name engraved on the Bill Moyes Flight of the Year trophy!
- The winners will be chosen by the Moyes family. The monthly winners will be announced in the first week of each month, and the grand final winner will be revealed in January.
We can’t wait to see your stories! Fly high, share your journey, and celebrate the spirit of flight with us!
