BGD have released a new recreational paragliding harness for “all types of pilots and all types of flying”, and it’s called the Snug. Bruce loves flying it XC, Ant takes it tumbling, and Tyr grabs it for an easy sledge ride down to the beach. Weighing only 3.5kg in the medium size, BGD say it […] …read more
Author: winguu
Gin’s Carerra Plus – EN B
GIN have upgraded their high-end EN B Carrera, to create the Carerra Plus which they say is more comfortable and easier to manage in active air. The upgrade comes in the form of a new riser set and a modified line-set, whose sheathed lines “allow the wing to be trimmed at the optimal angle of attack”. Owners of […] …read more
Niviuk’s single-skin Skin / Skin Plume
Niviuk are to release their super-lightweight single-skin paraglider, the Skin and its even lighter sister, the Skin Plume, in April 2015. They say the single-skinners have the performance of standard gliders, are as easy to fly as school wings and inflate effortlessly, even in nil wind. Designed for hike-and-fly adventures, Niviuk say you can also thermal them and they have […] …read more
Nova Prion 3: EN-A paraglider
Nova say the new EN-A Prion 3 is a wing for every occasion, from school use and mellow top-to-bottoms to cross-country flights. Uncomplicated ground-handling, easy take-offs and a reassuringly high dampening around every axis are promised, as well as precise and agile turns and “amazingly high performance for a wing in this class”. Nova say it’s a completely […] …read more
Didi Siglbauer wins Gradient wing in Hikeandfly-XC comp
German pilot Dietmar (Didi) Siglbauer won first prize of a brand new Gradient wing in the Hikeandfly-XC competition 2014. He was awarded his prize at the Stubai Cup on 8 March 2015. The Hikeandfly-XC competition runs over a calendar year, and is scored by Leonardo using the same scoring rules. Each pilot’s top six flights count […] …read more
AirDesign Hike: Superlight tandem
AirDesign’s Hike is a superlight, small-packing 35m2 tandem wing, that weighs just 5.3kg. It’s certified EN B for solo or tandem use with a 110-180kg weight range. The company say the simple 38-cell construction ensures the Hike packs down small, and it’s built from light and durable materials: Dominico D30 on the leading edge and double-coated Porcher Skytex 27 classic II elsewhere. […] …read more
Nova Somnium cross-country harness
The Somnium (Latin for ‘dream’) is Nova’s new cross-country harness. A seatboardless, aerodynamic pod design with hybrid back protector, the S size weighs in at just 3.7kg. The hybrid back protector has foam under the seat for immediate protection, and an aerodynamically shaped airbag for full protection without adding too much weight. The split-leg, seatboardless design tends […] …read more
XC Tracer time lag-free vario
Swiss engineer Koni Schafroth has been developing the XC Tracer, a small lightweight variometer with real-time response, and has set up an Indiegogo campaign to crowdfund its production. The tiny unit weighs just 55g and is a variometer and data-logger, which connects via Bluetooth to an iOS or Android tablet or smartphone. Koni, who currently works […] …read more
Skywalk – Salewa Alpine Speed Clothing Range
Skywalk have partnered with mountain clothing and equipment brand Salewa to release a range of specialised lightweight alpine clothing. Skywalk say the new clothing range, a special version of Salewa’s ‘Alpine Speed’ collection, will complement their lightweight alpine paragliding range and be ideal for serious mountain hike-and-flyers. Their X-Alps athletes will be sporting the range in the 2015 […] …read more
Learning to fly pylons: Curved Ball
In Cross Country 158 (April 2015) we talk to some of the sport’s top pilots about the art of learning – and getting good at – flying pylons. Pylon flying has taken the paramotoring world by storm in the last five years, pushing the sport out of the windy, remote airfield and bringing it to […] …read more