Tasmania? Why on earth would you want to go there? In the words of local pilot Pete Steane: "make sure you tell them the flying is shite, the weather is shite, the state is expensive to visit and the locals are grumpy and unhelpful. Basically just make sure they all stay away." Are they perhaps hiding something really special in their secretive island hideaway…
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A very enjoyable paragliding cross country flight from Devils Dyke in East Sussex to Margate, via Ashford and Canterbury, in Kent.
Pretty tricky getting up – and then staying up – at first, eventually rewarded by a wonderful experience soaring up the side of some beautiful sea breeze front clouds. Then great fun gaggle-flying with a nice group of pilots to Lewes and beyond. Rather than shoot off ahead on our own, Mark and I decided it’d be more fun to stay with the gaggle and see how far we could all get together. Flying an Enzo 2 (competition wing), Mark was literally flying rings around us at times – like taking a collie dog out for a walk in the country! 😉
Lovely, lovely day! 🙂
See Carlo’s flight tracklog
A pilot reported that the main rescue bridle failed at the shoulder connection points following a rescue parachute deployment on a Gin Genie Race 3 harness. Although the harnesses exceed the certification minima, Gin Gliders recommends connecting each main rescue bridle to the front rescue bridle connection point using steel maillons for added safety.
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Flymaster have launched a new firmware version available for the Flymaster GPS SD, GPS SD+, NAV SD and LIVE SD flight instruments. With this new firmware installed these instruments are then capable of providing worldwide Airspaces and height Above Ground Level (AGL)
Besides the firmware update it is also necessary to insert an SD card with some specific data files on it (containing the Airspaces and AGL data). To get this you can either:
1) Download the Airspaces and AGL data files and copy them on to an SD card (see instructions); or
2) Purchase an SD Card with all the necessary Flymaster files on it here.
A great new option for pilots on a budget. A simple well designed reserve parachute, easy to pack, and extremely stable. Sink rate below 5.5 m/s at max load (Certification: EN 12491). Pull-down Apex dome design with two colors to facilitate packing. Available in M (<100kg), L (<125kg) and Tandem (<215kg) sizes.
More information: http://shop.flybubble.co.uk/sup-air-start
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A lightweight cross-country ‘hammock’ style harness with removable carbon mini seatplate enabling efficient piloting with good feedback. Easy to use with a dorsal reserve parachute container; a backrest fitted with 15 cm medium density foam protection, "Safe-T" leg straps, and self-stabilizing geometry. Running on take-off is easy due to the light weight and the position of the leg straps. 3.640kg complete (M), Certification: EN 1651. Available from December.
More information on http://shop.flybubble.co.uk/sup-air-delight2
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A glider for a broad group of pilots in the mid-EN-B segment, with simple and precise handling, pleasant damping, pitch stability, high passive safety and impressive performance. The SENSIS is a balanced fun wing for leisure pilots who want to enjoy themselves with recreational thermaling, cross country flying, fun or freestyle. It is forgiving and easy to control, even in turbulent air.
More information http://shop.flybubble.co.uk/swing-sensis
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In the LIGHTNESS 2, ADVANCE has refined an already established product. The second generation LIGHTNESS takes the best of the original and achieves more safety, comfort and looks. At weights from 2.8 kg the LIGHTNESS 2 is a light harness, for sure; but its integrated reserve, certified protector and much reduced drag coefficient make it fully suitable for the serious cross country pilot. It comes with its own special rucksack, and the new COMPRESSBAG light.
Available from http://shop.flybubble.co.uk/advance-lightness-2
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The new ‘high-end EN-B’ wing claims to have an increase in performance of approximately half a glide point across the entire polar curve in comparison to the MENTOR 3.
Smart Cells improve the load distribution in the wing, the Air Scoop increases the internal pressure, which adds to performance and stability and Double 3D Shaping ensures a smooth profile nose.
The MENTOR 4 is lighter than its predecessor, achieved through an intelligent mixture of materials. It is currently being certified as EN B. The first demo gliders will be delivered from the end of October.
More performance but the price stays the same ;-)
More information on http://shop.flybubble.co.uk/nova-mentor-4
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Major paragliding magazines Cross-Country, Parapente, Parapente + and THERMIK have been putting the SIGMA 9 through its paces. And they are unanimous: the new ADVANCE performance intermediate is a top class EN C wing. Something especially stands out - all their reports emphasise the stress free SIGMA 9 flying, without having to pay for it in performance or precision. On the contrary: it’s exactly because the SIGMA 9 is stress free to fly that you can use all its potential performance.
Read what they have to say on our Sigma 9 page (scroll down to reviews).
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