Buying Advice Archives - Flybubble Blog

Choose the right flight instrument

There are more than twenty flight instruments just within the ranges that Flybubble stock and support, each with their own features, screen design, sensors and technical capabilities. Let’s examine how to choose the right one. Instruments can help you climb better, stay up for longer, glide further and make better decisions. An altimeter might seem simple: it can tell you how high you are and whether you are climbing or sinking. But is that in metres or feet? QNH or QFE? Barometric or GPS altitude? For new pilots, things can rapidly become complicated. The simpler the instrument, the fewer choices you will have to make and the less it will demand from you. The key to getting the right instrument is to have all the features you really need on display, and no more.

Harness Selection and Fitting Service

For a while I’d been thinking of swapping out my existing Ozium harness for something more suitable for my usual type of flying. This gave me the opportunity to try out for myself the service Flybubble give for harness selection and setup, and a perfect chance to gather information for the article explaining in more depth what is involved in finding and fitting the ideal harness.

Ben bought a new paragliding harness from Flybubble

Buying a paragliding harness

To illustrate how Flybubble’s buying service works, we follow the experience of Ben Holt, who wanted an upgrade from his Advance Success 3. Find out what goes on during a harness fitting session at Flybubble.

Paragliding harness maintenance

A helicopter pilot would never lift off in the morning without a complete systems check. Paraglider pilots can sometimes skip their daily equipment inspection, because problems are rare and the equipment is deceptively simple. Beware! Paragliding harness maintenance is essential. Make sure you check yours regularly.

Setting up your paragliding harness

It’s very hard to set up a harness by yanking on straps in the air. Although easy adjustment is a vital feature of any harness, the initial trimming is best done in a static environment where you can take the time to get the geometry perfected.

Matching paragliding harnesses to pilots

The latest competition racing pod looks a bit out of place under a Progression class wing. There’s a mismatch between objectives here: the harness is aiming for ultimate performance, but the wing is aiming for maximum safety, so what exactly is the pilot chasing? This sort of blend means you compromise your flying because your kit lacks synergy.

Paragliding harness features

When designers create a harness, they try to match the harness features with the intended use. Each design has a different mix of back protection, buckle style, reserve parachute integration, flight deck options, stowage space and comfort factors like the seat board, straps, and fabric used. Understanding what features you need on your harness can help you narrow down your search.

Choose The Right Paragliding Harness

There is a bewildering choice of paragliding harnesses available. How do you compare the market when there are so many different styles, so many features, and so many brands? We set out the fundamental principles of choosing the right harness so you can develop a clear sense of what suits your flying skills and aspirations.

Dealer checks: are they important?

In the unlikely event that there's something wrong with a new wing, it's best that we're the last stop in the quality control line. Not everyone does these dealer check flights or product inspections, but that can put you at risk, and invalidate your warranty.

Choose The Right Reserve Parachute

Round, square, hybrid, rogallo? There are many differences between modern reserve parachutes and buying one can be a complicated decision. A reserve can seem like an unnecessary cost, something you could do without or don't need to pay much attention to. But it's a cornerstone of reducing risk, and it's really important to get the choice right.