Paraglider Reviews Archives

Nova ION 5 Review

The Nova ION 5 replaces the very successful ION 4 in a very popular position in the marketplace – a wing that appeals to pilots in the cross-over between school and solo flying. As such it can’t have any ‘hot’ characteristics that would frighten students, but it must offer enough control freedom to satisfy more experienced pilots and have enough performance to begin XC adventures. The ideal compromise is hard to achieve. I tested the wing in sporty spring conditions in the UK, and added Carlo’s experience from XC flying in the mellow thermals in Colombia.

Advance OMEGA XALPS 2 Review

The Advance Omega XALPS 2 is made for adventure and racing, and builds on the success of the winning XALPS 1 design (1st and 2nd place, Red Bull Xalps 2015). Light, fast, and with balanced handling, the original XALPS was hard to beat. Has it been improved upon?

Phi SYMPHONIA review

The Symphonia is a new ‘super high A’ wing from a new brand called Phi. This suggests it offers EN-A passive safety but also high levels of performance and energy. I’d flown the Phi Symphonia already in winter conditions and was impressed with it. We wanted to know how the Symphonia would behave and perform during long cross country flights in thermic air.

Advance IOTA 2 review

I was very much in love with the original Advance IOTA. I flew it for a whole season and had some great flights on it. So I was very pleased when I first flew the IOTA 2 that I could feel the similarity with the original, but I could also feel that the glider had progressed.

Nova SECTOR review

The Nova SECTOR is a mid-level EN-C rated wing (Sports Class) that aims to provide easy handling with stability and good performance. It is a step up from Nova’s popular MENTOR range and is intended for pilots with a few years of flying experience. Carlo flew it extensively in Colombia.

Ozone DELTA 3 (First Flights Review)

The Ozone DELTA 2 was a very popular wing in the Sports Class (EN C). I thought it was a joy to fly, ideal for exploring, adventuring, and having an absolute blast in the sky. Sensitive, sleek, stable and smooth, it was as Ozone promised – a truly superb wing. Could it be improved upon?

Advance SIGMA 10 Review

ADVANCE's strapline for the SIGMA 10 is "Epic XC". In terms of pilot demands its predecessor, the SIGMA 9, was a low end 'easy C'. Since then ADVANCE have added a new 'high B' wing to their range, the IOTA. Consequently the SIGMA 10 has moved up to the middle of the C class, with a higher aspect ratio and more cells, sitting nicely between the IOTA 2 and OMEGA XALPS 2. ADVANCE claim that the performance increase is noticeable. But is it really, and what's it like on the ground and to fly?

Skywalk CUMEO Review (First Impressions)

Skywalk is committed to the development of lightweight paragliders, having produced a large range of light wings, mini wings and high performance ultralights. They also dominated the 2017 Red Bull X-Alps, which they sponsor. Building on their experience, they designed a lightweight version of the Skywalk CHILI4 (their XC Class / high B wing).

Advance IOTA 2 review: gliding past the peaks

Advance IOTA 2 (First flights review)

Almost three years ago, Advance entered the ‘high B’ class for the first time with the IOTA. This proved to be a popular wing, providing performance, stability and good handling to pilots wanting to extend their cross country achievements. With the recent releases in the XC class, the Advance design team had to raise the game. Using the original Iota as the reference, what could be improved upon?

Nova Mentor 5 (First Flights Review)

The Mentor series is well established. According to Nova, "For many years the MENTOR has been setting the standard for XC-intermediate wings. It combines impressive performance with a high degree of passive safety and it encourages you to exceed your boundaries." Every edition has promised more performance. Greg Hamerton tested the Mentor 5 S.