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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Did you know about the new era of harness safety? The new Advance SUCCESS 4 comes with a longer back protector, an additional one for the spine and even has SAS-TEC side crash protection. SUCCESS 4 – safety and comfort first!
The SUCCESS 4’s main protector extends far up the lower back.
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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
Happy New Year! The January edition of the Flybubble newsletter is here, to bring you good cheer. In this edition...
World Freeflight News, Flybabble
Advance Test Centre
Advance LIGHTNESS 2 reviews
Customer Reviews, New Products
Specials, Second Hand
Bivi flying, the slow way
Product News, Parting shots
A year of uplifting possibilities
Flybubble attended the Emergency Parachute Conference hosted by the BHPA in November 2015.
In the last ten years, the types and variety of systems has grown from the traditional round canopies, to the revival of the Rogallo types and the recent emergence of square reserves and cut away systems. This event covered the full range of systems with talks and practical demonstrations so that all participants are better briefed on this wide range.
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Nova introduce the Speedbrake Riser: "The NOVA Speedbrake Riser is the first three-liner riser which permits the glider to be accelerated as well as decelerated. It brings an end to pulling the C-lines, which killed performance.
We developed the NOVA Speedbrake Riser in conjunction with our team pilot Robert Schaller, an applied science student and enthusiastic cross-country pilot. The B and C risers are connected using a flexible strap. If the C-risers are pulled back, the B-risers are also reduced in length. The result is a perfect, crease-free deceleration.
The Speedbrake Riser provides new possibilities for performance-orientated XC-pilots!"
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Niviuk have introduced two new reserve parachutes.
Niviuk say: "Due to its octagonal shape, the revolutionary design of the Octagon delivers higher safety levels, superb descent stability and ultralight weight (1.39 kg in size M). The Octagon’s oscillation factor is 0-5º (other models: 10-15º) and its descent rate is 4,9 m/s at maximum load in size M (against 5,3m/s with other models).
The Cires is a more functional model. Three different sizes (M, L and Tandem) designed with top quality light materials for a 1.7 kg weight in size M. The Cires descent rate is 5 m/s and its oscillation factor 5-15º off from its vertical axis."
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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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When flying a spine-backed ridge in strong conditions, an experienced pilot suffered a wing collapse with cravatte and decided to deploy his reserve. He was blown over the crest of the ridge and landed hard. In this detailed analysis he shares the background and lessons of what he considers to be a lucky escape.
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When ADVANCE introduced a new 'high end EN B' paraglider series in their range, fitting in to what Flybubble call XC class, the chatter about the IOTA quickly went round the paragliding world. Something like this was bound attract the curiosity of mag editors and testers alike.
There's no predecessor to compare this IOTA with, but you can ask yourself if it succeeds in making its jump into the gang of high-performing intermediates? Parapente Mag from France published the first test, and now German language THERMIK joins in with a detailed report in its current issue.
Cedric Nieddu, Parapente Mag
For Cedric Nieddu everything about the IOTA is optimised - from its looks to its performance; continuing on to its user-friendliness. "It's not an over-bred EPSILON, or a tamed-down SIGMA", he reported in the French Parapente Mag n° 158. Its individual character and magnificent qualities could well make the IOTA the High-End B class benchmark, thanks to superlative performance coupled with very good-natured behaviour. The current Parapente Mag is on sale at the moment.
Norbert Aprissnig, THERMIK Magazine
The Thermik 3/2015 verdict is clear: editor and test pilot Norbert Aprissnig is enthusiastic - in the truest sense of the word. He said: "In a long testing career one seldom experiences such a thing, but very occasionally it's love at first sight." Norbert is especially entranced by the flawless workmanship teamed with very well-tuned damped behaviour. Likewise he enthuses about the perfect climbing qualities as well as a high feel-good factor. This latter is essential for long XC flights.
More about the Advance IOTA
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