Welcome to the 8th British Winter Open. The purpose of the event is for pilots to maintain their flying skills in the winter period and to meet friends in a fun, social environment.

The British Winter Open will be held in Panchgani, India from Tuesday 23 February 2027 to Tuesday 2 March 2027.. Registration (and practice) will be on 23 February. The event is directly after the PWC being held in the same venue. One day has been allowed between the events for pilots to recover, if flying both events, and to ensure no conflicts exist on suitable accommodation in the region.

Panchgani is one Of the top paragliding destinations in India, located in the Satara district Of Maharashtra. This picturesque hill station and municipal town is nestled amid five hills in the Sahyadri mountain range, surrounded by the villages Of Dandeghar, Khingar, Godwali, Amral, and Taighat. The Krishna River flows nearby, forming the scenic Dhom Dam, located just 9 km from Wai.

To the east of Panchgani lie Wai, Bavdhan, and Nagewadi Dam; to the west is Gureghar; to the south are Khingar and Rajpuri; and to the north stands the Dhom Dam.

The climate in Panchgani is generally pleasant, with winter temperatures averaging around 120C and summer temperatures occasionally reaching 340C. Despite the warmth, humidity remains low. The region experiences heavy monsoon rains from June to February, followed by a dry and sunny spring lasting about three months.

The five hills surrounding Panchgani are crowned by a vast volcanic plateau, the second largest in Asia after the Tibetan Plateau. Locally known as the "Table Land," this geological wonder forms part of the Deccan Plateau and was created by tectonic uplift between the earth's plates.

February marks the best time for paragliding in Panchgani. Early spring offers ideal flying conditions with mild temperatures, strong thermals, and moderate wind speeds —making it a perfect venue for both leisure and competition flying.

The region's topography of small hills and adjoining flatlands provides excellent cross-country and competition flying opportunities. All take-off sites are easily accessible by car and are equipped with green mats. Sunshades are installed at launch and landing areas where needed.

The convergence of sea breeze from the west and land breeze from the east often creates convergence lines over Panchgani, resulting in rewarding flights with great altitude gains and spectacular views.

Top-landing at the Table Land is easy and safe for pilots Of all levels. Numerous alternate landing options are available across the flatlands and lakeside areas, all suitable for varying skill levels. The official landing zone is located at the Boat Club— an obstacle-free, serene, and scenic area. Depending on the day's task setup, several other safe landing options are available, all well-connected by a robust road network.


The event will have a mix of CCC & Sports wings and will give PWC Letters.

Generally pilots as a minimum must have:
• Made a 50km flight to goal in a FAI competition in the last 2 years
OR
• Made a 100km XC flight in the past 2 years
OR
• Participated in a British Open in the past and achieved a significant result and be a current pilot
If in doubt, please contact the organisation with full declaration of your experience for acceptance.

What do you get?
The entry fee includes all the usual aspect, plus a few extras for this year!

- Seven high quality tasks
- A full tracking system for safety and scoring
- T-shirt or other souvenir
- A lunch pack
- Retrieves
- Party
- PWCA letters

IMPORTANT
Please be aware of the following:
• The tracking system being used will be a local Meshtastic system. It will ensure the organisers can track your location throughout your flight
• The organisers may, at their discretion, issue Flymaster trackers.
• GPS devices in India are not allowed unless they are phone based (ie, the device has an EMEI number). Attending with GPS devices is at your own risk. We encourage you to bring a phone based device as your instrument, running software such as XCtrack or Naviter Navigator. In particular we recommend you do not bring FLARM, Garmin In-reach or Spot devices as they may cause you problems at the airport customs. Devices such as an Oudie N, even though it has an EMEI number, may not be obvious as an allowed device to customs.
• You may be asked to install a phone app to improve the tracking experience at the event.
• Tracklogs for scoring may be taken from your device. Please ensure you have any suitable USB cables you may need.