Advance LIGHTNESS (PAST MODEL)

LIGHTNESS - Two products, one concept

LIGHTNESS stands for an extremely light and very comfortable reclined harness with speedbag, together with its own lightweight rucksack. Both go perfectly together and these quality products weigh just over 3.0 kg all told, making up a very compact package. The LIGHTNESS is best suited to cross country orientated Hike & Fly pilots, travellers or bivouac flyers.

Tested by the X-Alps

The unique LIGHTNESS concept carries the X-Alps spirit wholeheartedly with it and epitomises the original idea of free flight – to gain the necessary metres on foot, then make the most of their full potential in flight. The ADVANCE X-Alps team put the LIGHTNESS well-and-truly though its paces, and Chrigel Maurer won the world’s hardest paraglider race with it.

Hike & Fly Impression - Photo Gallery

X-Alps 2009

Chrigel Maurer won the Red Bull X-Alps 2009 from Salzburg to Monaco - the hardest paraglider race in the world. He reached goal in less than 10 days, with a lead of 180 kilometres over second-placed Alex Hofer. The other ADVANCE team pilots at the start were Heli Eichholzer (A) and Ramon Morillas (ES). As well as an OMEGA proto each all the ADVANCE pilots used the LIGHTNESS harness system developed by Chrigel and his design team.

X-Alps 2009 Impression - Photo Gallery

Top level comfort

The LIGHTNESS harness does not have a seatboard, and thus can fit the body perfectly. The comfortable hammock principle succeeds in giving an even more direct feedback from wing to pilot. The many adjustments are used to fit the harness precisely to an individual’s requirements, and the whole body is therefore ideally supported. The exceptionally compact rucksack also offers the highest degree of carrying comfort.

Uncompromisingly light

Thanks to the workmanship shown on the highest quality lightweight materials, and a convincingly simple concept the harness with speedbag, front container, cockpit table and foam weighs less than 2 kg; the rucksack around 600g. The LIGHTNESS system can therefore compensate for the weight of a normal paraglider. This means that, without resorting to a light wing, all your equipment can add up to only just over 10 kg - helmet and light reserve included.

Features

• The harness is fitted with the successful ADVANCE two-buckle integrated chest and leg strap fastening-system (equivalent to the Safe-T-System).
• The adjustable-volume front container accommodates a light reserve.
• The cockpit panel can be easily secured on the front container.
• An additional pocket for ballast or storage is provided under the seat.
• The accelerate system has ball-bearing pulleys.
• The harness and rucksack have the stylish ADVANCE look: classy, clear and elegant.

Technical Details

*Because the hammock system follows the body shape exactly the seating width together with the carabiner height will vary with the pilot dimensions.

** Flybubble note: We weighed an Advance Lightness M harness on our electronic scales and it is approx. 2.3 Kg. The Advance Lightness rucksack weighs approx. 0.66 Kg.

Advance LIGHTNESS - Materials

Advance LIGHTNESS Certification

The LIGHTNESS has been tested and approved in accordance with the LTF and DIN EN-Norm 1651 requirements at 110 kg operating weight. The comfort foam does not have certification.

Downloads

• Getting started
• User manual (PDF) 

Advance LIGHTNESS > Package Contents

• Harness with Speedbag and carbon footplate
• Rucksack
• Adjustable-volume reserve front container with release handle and bridle
• Instrument panel
• 10 cm foam for the pelvis and back area
• 2 carabiners
• Speed system lines
• User manual with warranty card and service booklet

LIGHTNESS FAQs

Here are some answers to a few frequently asked questions about the LIGHTNESS...

What are the differences between a LIGHTNESS and an IMPRESS 2 & 2+?
The LIGHTNESS is just as comfortable as an IMPRESS, otherwise Chrigel Maurer couldn’t have made his ten hour flights during the X-Alps and the preparation for it. The biggest difference is the weight. A LIGHTNESS M harness weighs 2 kg, an IMPRESS 2 M a little over 7 Kg. The LIGHTNESS pilot pays for the 5 kg difference, however, with somewhat less user-friendliness, less protection and a shorter lifespan:

• Less user-friendly, because most of the adjustments cannot be made in the air, and the reserve can only be carried in a front container.
• Less protection and safety, because the LIGHTNESS harness has only a thin and small comfort foam.
• Shorter lifespan, because of the lighter materials used. They do indeed show very good robustness for their weight, but when it comes to long life, resistance to wear and UV they will not come close to the value of normal materials.

How does the LIGHTNESS manage without a seatboard?
The LIGHTNESS works like a hammock, which fits the body perfectly. The remarkable compromise of low weight and high comfort was mainly achieved by using this concept. Chrigel Maurer flew countless kilometers with flights of up to ten hours duration during the preparation phase of the X-Alps project. This hammock principle also gives the pilot even better feedback from the wing.

Why are the LIGHTNESS items so especially light?
The components of the LIGHTNESS were designed and built with the focus on minimum weight, down to the last detail. The development target was to use as little material as possible and seriously question the inclusion of every gram. Often a bewilderingly simple solution emerges when the debate is over – like, for example, the hammock principle for the seat surface of the harness, with no seatboard. On the other side of the equation uncompromisingly light materials were used. The speedbag for example is made from high quality, elastic and abrasion-resistant fabric, normally used for practical outdoor clothing - mainly trousers.

Why can’t the LIGHTNESS be bought without the rucksack?
The harness and the rucksack go well together and make a compact unit. The full potential of these products can only be realised when they are used together. The interplay of harness and rucksack paid off perfectly at the X-Alps. Firstly the shape of the rucksack is matched to the harness so that the equipment can be packed very compactly, and the weight lies close to the hiker’s back. Secondly the back pocket of the harness is exactly tailored to the rucksack for a perfect fit. A normal bigger and stiffer rucksack would be a nuisance for the pilot in flight, and leave less room for clothes, supplies, sticks etc. in the back pocket. Compared with a reversible harness however, where rucksack and harness are combined, the LIGHTNESS System has the advantage of much more versatility.

Why is there only one rucksack size?
The compactness and geometry of the rucksack allows the one size to be carried equally comfortably by short or tall pilots. This is confirmed by the experience of the X-Alps - all three ADVANCE participants had identical rucksacks (Chrigel 183 cm, Heli 168 cm and Ramon 163 cm), even though they used different sized gliders and harnesses. Correct shoulder strap setting (adjustable for pilot height), hip strap adjustment and packing technique are important for carrying comfort.

Maximum comfort is only achieved when the rucksack is full and under light internal tension. This tension effectively takes on the function of the supporting frame of a conventional mountain rucksack (usually aluminium) without additional weight. The space inside the rucksack is mostly taken up by a suitably folded glider. The fine tuning at the end is automatically done by the harness foam, which compresses when packed and expands in the rucksack to perfectly fill the space available. So the rucksack comes without compression belts, saving more weight.

Why can’t the harness be flown without the speedbag?
Foot support in the form of a stirrup is essential because there is no seatboard. The speedbag therefore forms an integral part of the harness because the stirrup is built in to the speedbag for weight reasons.

Why was a reserve stowage not built in to the harness?
The LIGHTNESS is a production version of the X-Alps harness used by the ADVANCE team pilots, in which every single gram was regarded as critical. A built-in reserve system would need extra parts, causing extra weight.