Gear Guides Archives - Flybubble Blog

Phi VIOLA wing review

The Phi Viola is a wing that appeals to potentially the widest range of pilots imaginable. The majority of sizes are EN A, and are thought of as lightweight hike and fly wings, and that's correct, as it's a lightweight version of the Sonata. However, it's also a very capable mainstream wing, and a mini wing for alpine flying or high wind soaring. It is able to cater for all these demands with a range of eight sizes, and certification from EN A to EN D, depending on the size chosen, and the use of extended weight ranges.

Phi VIOLA sizing guidance from Flybubble

Our Flybubble MATCH service customers are often asking us which size of Phi VIOLA they should go for. Here's some guidance on this.

Advance EASINESS 3 paragliding harness review by Flybubble

Advance EASINESS 3 paragliding harness review (2)

The Advance Easiness 3 is a very high quality mainstream 'hike and fly' harness that's also suitable for beginners, and those with more general flying experience but new to the hike & fly genre. It also provides a myriad of other possibilities, for "travel and fly" or cycling to sites, for example. If you're interested in this sort of harness, read on…

Safety Notice: Woody Valley X-Rated7 reserve elastics (2) 30.03.2020

Further to the safety notice Woody Valley issued back in August 2018, they issued another similar safety notice about the reserve elastics on the X-Rated7 harness on 30.03.2020. The elastic loops securing the reserve pins on the XR7 gradually tend to overextend, eventually compromising the reserve deployment. There's a risk of one elastic loop looping over the other. All X-Rated7 owners must read and act on this safety notice before flying. The check and fix are simple and easy. Download the full safety notice (pdf).

BGD CURE 2 sports paraglider review

The CURE 2 from BGD (Bruce Goldsmith Designs) is a Sports Class wing (rated EN-C) that promises high performance with low stress. “It’s fast on glide with excellent stability in wind and turbulence,” says BGD. Flybubble tested it in the British winter and the South African summer to get a true picture of its character.

Woody Valley Wani Light 2 harness review

The Wani Light 2 is a reversible airbag harness with integrated reserve, designed to help you get your kit really compact and still have certified back protection. In this class are the Supair ALTIRANDO LITE and Gin Gingo Airlite 4. Although the Skywalk BREEZE and Advance EASINESS 3 are similar, they are split-leg designs with no seatboard. The Wani Light 2 has a broad lightweight seatplate that helps to improve the minimalistic crash protection and provides maximum weightshift control and feedback.

Safety Notice: Kortel T-Bone link

In randomized tests on the strength of T-Bones links, Kortel found a break at between 16 and 18KN. There is no immediate safety risk for solo use of T-Bone link harnesses/risers or even rescue/rescue risers. However, due to their non-compliance with the 24KN announced, Kortel are recalling and exchanging all T-Bone links delivered as a stand-alone product or with the Kruyer III since October 2019.

Naviter Oudie 5 review

The Oudie 5 offers everything you need to fly at any level, including XC and competitions. It has a very bright screen with 100% touch screen interface. The Oudie 5 Pro is a big update on its predecessor. It has Electronic Conspicuity (FANET+) for the first time, a higher capacity battery, and a more advanced main processor board. In this review we provide an overview of the functions, a guide to setting it up and a report of our experiences with the Oudie 5 in flight.

Ozone Mantra M7 Review

The Mantra M7 fits well in Ozone's paraglider range midway between the Delta 3 (EN C) and the Zeno (two-liner EN D). What's it like to fly, and who should buy one?

Skywalk service info & FAQ

Service information and answers to some frequently asked questions about Skywalk Paragliders.