Masterclass: How to fly Bir with Debu Choudhury

In recent years Bir Billing has become incredibly popular thanks to the promise of big mountain flying from October to December. But it can also be strong and committing – and busy. It’s caught out many pilots in the past so in this Masterclass, we hear from someone who’s been flying there for 30 years – Debu Choudhury.

He describes why Bir is such an incredible flying destination, how it works and what you can expect in a typical day. In the talk he offers tips for first time pilots and why they should stay out front, gives some guidance on first XC runs and then comes to going over the back for more experienced pilots.

The masterclass has five sections:

• Introduction and history
• Bir’s rise in popularity and when to go
• Advice for first-time visitors
• Going over the back
• Regulation, gear and final tips

Introduction: The early days of flying in Bir

In this video Debu takes us back to the 1990s, a time when the sport was in its infancy in India and he was one of several pioneers exploring flight in the region. He looks back on some historic images of him in his “colourful pink pants” flying a Sigma 1 and shares stories on some of the pilots who first fell in love with Bir as a flying destination.