12:54pm Tuesday 30th January 2001
A PARAGLIDER with just 26 hours' flying experience plunged to his death when a gust of wind ripped him out of the sky, an inquest heard on Wednesday.
Mr Richard Hills, of High Street, Colney Heath, was flying with friends at a popular East Sussex ridge when a 20mph gust of wind forced his canopy to collapse, sending him falling 50ft into the ground below.
The inquest heard how the father of two achieved his basic qualifications to fly unsupervised and was testing his recently-purchased Mission canopy at Ditchling Beacon, near Brighton, on September 3 last year.
West Sussex coroner Roger Stone was told that Mr Hills, 47, had waited until the afternoon for the wind to die down to about ten to 15mph.
But he had been flying for around ten minutes when a strong gust forced the wing of his canopy to fold in two, sending him into an unrecoverable spin.
Flying partner Mr Keith White, from Bushey, told the coroner: "I was watching him fly backwards and forwards and then there was a sudden gust of wind.
''When it blew you could see the wings move and then it folded underneath and sent him into a spin.''
Mr Hills was treated at the scene by passing doctors before being taken by air ambulance to Worthing Hospital.
The coroner heard that Mr Hills' paraglider was a demanding piece of equipment and that he had only flown for 26 hours before the accident.
Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Stone said: "Having taken off, Mr Hills got into some difficulty with the weather conditions, the thermals and gusts, which caused a tuck of his wing and caused him to lose control.
"If he had had more experience possibly he may have seen it coming a touch earlier or he may have reacted a touch earlier but once his wing was tucked he was powerless to control it.
''Flying a paraglider has a measure of risk just as riding a bicycle or driving a car. Mr Hills was regarded as a responsible and sensible person.
"But the wind suddenly came along and upset his rhythm and he was unable to cope.''
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