SOARING fearlessly over Worcestershire were a group of daredevil hang-gliders taking part in a contest to fly away home.

People in Malvern may have craned their necks skyward to see more than 60 winged visitors gliding their way upward at the start of a 100km route.

The gathering was actually the first round of the British Hang Gliding and paragliding Association’s British Open Series, taking to the skies.

Pilots from across the UK caught an easterly wind blowing over the hills on Saturday and – finding a gap in the wet weather – managed to navigate from their launch point near the Kettle Sings cafe to Llandovery, South Wales, via Kingstone in Herefordshire in the main class category.

In the club class category, gliders went from The Kettle Sings to Kingstone.

Richard Sheppard, competition spokesman, said: “Long-time Malvern Hang Gliding Club member Dave Corbett of Evesham won the club class on Saturday by landing short of the goal by a few hundred feet.” On Sunday pilots battled to get off the ground, with less wind, with the main class to fly to West Brecon, South Wales, with six people making the target.

For the club class, the course finish point was set at Weobly, Herefordshire.