The British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (BHPA) is the governing body in the UK for hang gliding

Hang gliding

Hang gliding is an air sport in which a pilot flies a light and unmotorized foot-launchable aircraft called a hang glider ....

 and paragliding

Paragliding

Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...

 and is based in Leicester

Leicester

Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...

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The BHPA is recognised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the Royal Aero Club

Royal Aero Club

The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...

 and the Civil Aviation Authority

Civil Aviation Authority

This is a list of national and supra-national civil aviation authorities.-See also:* Air route authority between the United States and the People's Republic of China* National Transportation Safety Board -External links:****...

. The association has approved and registered schools/clubs across the country where initial hang gliding or paragliding training must be undertaken.

The association was formed in 1992 by the coming together of the British Hang Gliding Association and the British Association of Paragliding Clubs. Since then the sport has grown considerably and now has over 60 clubs that are affiliated to the association with around 7,000 individual members. The association exists primarily to promote safety within the sport.

Each month the association publishes a magazine 'Skywings'.