“Reaching the edge, the huge crater opened before our eyes. What a venomous throat, a toxic boiling bowl. Steams, fumes and smog came out of the slots and crevasses that opened up to poisonous red ground. It was definitely time to leave.” Felix Woelk cycles across southern Italy to fly live volcanoes with his friends. […] …read more
Author: winguu
The beginners’ guide to vol-bvouac
“The beginner’s XC tip of ‘altitude, altitude, altitude’ is even more relevant for vol-biv. A 1 m/s thermal corresponds to a 3,600m height gain per hour, which makes a flying pilot between six and nine times faster than a hiking pilot.” Robert Schaller’s seven-page guide to getting into vol bivouac flying, from micro-adventures through to […] …read more
Mastering Paragliding: On tour with Kelly Farina
“After our first morning in the air, I ask Kelly what he thinks of my body position. ‘It’s alright,’ he replies. ‘Lean in more, put your nose right in line with the inside riser.’ Later that day I try out some circles, my new body position in mind. Wow, I think, as the glider locks-in […] …read more
Gavin McClurg: The goal is coming home
“The greatest goal is coming home”: Gavin McClurg checks his perspective after his outrageous Alaska vol-bivouac expedition with Dave Turner. “Returning to the arms of my girlfriend, the smiles of friends… home makes me realise what’s really important.” See what’s in Cross County 173, September 2016 …read more
Jonny Durand on the quest for 800km
Jonny Durand on the serious business of chasing records: “I don’t think you enjoy flying for 10 or 11 hours, I think enjoyment comes from what you accomplish. It’s a gruelling day but when you’ve got your mind set on the world record, you’re not too concerned. Why Zapata? Because its got the unique Dryline […] …read more
Cross Country 173: September 2016
“Quickly we got ready and took off. The sun was low and we glided along the spine of the ridge between light and shadow, dark forested slopes on one side, the still sunlit mountain pastures the other. Just the space and us on the longest day of the year. A never-ending summer’s evening.” As ever, […] …read more
Airfer upgrade Mustang tandem paratrike
Airfer have upgraded the Mustang tandem para-trike, adding a gas-and-oil shock absorber to the rear axle and a new harness. The new harness is much more padded and therefore more comfortable, Airfer say. For pilots looking for more power, they also now offer the Mustang with the 65hp Rotax 582 engine. The Mustang is a small and […] …read more
Aircross to launch high-B U-Cruise at Coupe Icare
AirCross have announced that their new high-end EN-B U-Cruise has passed certification in the S, M and L sizes, with XL to follow shortly. The glider will be officially launched at the 2016 Coupe Icare in September, and the company say demo gliders will be available through their dealer network around August 2016. AirCross say: After such a long time […] …read more
Nova’s EN-B Bion 2 tandem
Nova say their new Bion 2 is a safe and fun tandem wing for professionals and recreational tandem pilots. EN-B certified, Nova say it has excellent take-off and landing characteristics, high-level safety and the performance for cross-country flights. They say a light pull will see the canopy rise in a controlled and even maner above your head. Its trimmer […] …read more
Woody Valley X-Rated 7 competition harness
Woody Valley have released their X-Rated 7 pod-and-fairing competition paragliding harness. They say it has many improvements over the X-Rated 6, “elevating it to new levels of quality and detail”. Here are just a few of the major long-tested and improved features: New lighter and better performing (32G) back protection New streamlined shape Extractable headrest Extra water […] …read more